Many students at the University of Michigan decide to go abroad their junior year, but for the majority of students the popular cities of Barcelona, Florence or Paris are their first choices because of stories of the wild and exciting lifestyle of Europe and ability to easily travel to many other countries. It isn’t often that you find students who want to study abroad in the Middle East due to the current war and the unstable conditions and governments of many of the countries. Daring to do something different, this week’s Campus Celebrity is Caroline Logan, a junior at U of M, who chose to go study abroad for the year in Cairo, Egypt. Caroline is one of my sorority sisters in Tridelt and was generous enough to set up an interview with me halfway around the world via Skype to tell me about unique experience in a post-revolutionary country. Caroline is studying International Relations at Michigan and is spending the year teaching Sudanese refugees and studying Arabic.
Where are you originally from?
I am from the Columbus area of Ohio.
How did you decided to study abroad in Cairo, Egypt?
I decided to study abroad in Egypt because after studying Arabic for two years I wanted to go to the Middle East and get the chance to use my language skills and learn more about the Arab culture. I was deciding between studying in Syria, Lebanon, or Egypt. Then, because of the Revolutions in Egypt and Syria, I spent the summer in Morocco instead. Egypt also has such a long history and beautiful culture, as well as good relations with the US, so once things calmed down, it really seemed like the best choice. I also really wanted a distinctly non-western experience. I studied in Dijon, France last summer, and had an amazing experience, but being in Egypt is almost more exciting because everything is so new and different.
In addition, I’m studying International Relations, and this is a really exciting time to be in Egypt and the Middle East since normal people all across the region are becoming more politically empowered and energized.
Since Egypt is in a post-revolution state, are there any times that you feel afraid or uneasy about your decision?
Well, I was honestly really freaked out the first day in Cairo when I saw armed personnel carriers and tanks driving down the streets, and riot-police guarding Tahrir Sqaure, but, in general, the situation is peaceful. There are protests almost every Friday, as there were in Morocco, but I generally stay away from them, even though they are predominantly peaceful, you never know what will happen when you get large groups of young men together. I am however a little weary about the upcoming elections, but we are all hoping they go smoothly. I also haven’t really encountered much hostility for being American either, a couple people have accused me of being an American or Israeli spy, or having an “agenda”, but most are just delighted to see foreigners back in Egypt! Honestly, the most afraid I’ve been is driving in a car since there aren’t really traffic police, and people drive like they’re in Nascar.
What is the most rewarding thing you have done since you went abroad?
I really think the most rewarding thing is just being able to speak with people and hear their stories. Whether it be a conversation on women’s rights with my Moroccan host mother, or about government corruption with an Egyptian activist, about American milk cows with a fallahen farmer, or speaking with orphan children in Morocco about their dreams for the future. It is really a beautiful thing to be able to communicate with someone who’s life seems so different from yours, but still be able to find common ground. Even though many of the people I talk to don’t have access to the same opportunities and education that we do, there is still so much I’ve been able to learn from them, and that’s the most rewarding thing about studying abroad.
How long are you staying in Cairo and are you planning on traveling anywhere else while you are overseas?
I’ll be in Cairo for another ten months. Then, hopefully I will be able to find an internship abroad this summer before returning to Michigan for senior year. I was able to travel a lot while I was in Morocco, and have visited the pyramids, Luxor, Aswan, and Alexandria so far in Egypt, but I hope to travel more around the region. I’m currently trying to plan a trip to Beirut or Istanbul for our Eid al-Adha break in November!
What is an average day for you in Cairo?
The month of August was Ramadan, where Muslims fast from any food or water from sunrise to sunset. Then, they have iftaar (breaking the fast) with family and friends at sunset, so day and night were basically switched! Once Ramadan was over, and school started my schedule went back to normal: I wake up early, stop at the fruit stand on the corner for breakfast, take the bus to school (45 minute commute since AUC is basically in the middle of the desert) and then come home around 4 pm I usually cook with my Egyptian housemates who are amazing cooks, or go get koshri, falafel, or fool from one of the Egyptian restaurants near me. The great thing about Egypt is that food is so cheap and EVERYTHING delivers. I usually eat dinner for about 50 cents, and if I pay $1 more, I can have it delivered to my door. There is also a cool nightlife scene. It’s really popular to get a group of friends and rent a boat to cruise the Nile for a night, or go to a shisha bar on the Nile to just hang out.
How do the sudanese refugees react towards Americans in their country?
All the refugees I’ve been able to meet so far are so incredibly grateful and kind. I will be tutoring adult refugees in subjects like math, history, and English helping them to prepare for high school level courses. They are all really excited to just be able to go to school, and love to ask me questions about America: Do I know Paris Hilton? Am I related to Obama, or do I think they might be related to Obama? How do people get so fat? etc.
What are the living conditions of the refugees?
The Egyptian government, especially after the revolution, really doesn’t provide many social welfare services in general, so most of the services for refugees, who come from over 132 countries, are provided by charitable organizations. I work with St. Andrews Refugee Services in downtown Cairo, which provides education, resettlement, and legal services to refugees. Many of the refugees live in crowded flats in poor areas of the city, and face a lot of problems finding employment, as well as discrimination from some Egyptians.
What is the most exciting experience you have had thus far?
I know it’s cheesy, but going to the pyramids, and seeing the ancient Egyptian and Roman temples in Luxor and Aswan was really amazing. I mean you read about and see pictures of them all the time, but when you’re actually there it hits you that these buildings have been around for almost as long as civilization itself, which is pretty humbling if you think about it!
How long have you been learning Arabic? Do you feel you are able to communicate well with the people in Cairo?
I’ve been taking Modern Standard Arabic for a little over two years, and have studied the Egyptian and Moroccan dialects. What’s hard about Arabic is that the language we study in school is not the language anyone speaks on the street, so I basically have to learn two languages, one to be able to communicate with people, and another to read, write, watch the news etc. I’m improving really fast though because I have to use it every day, and I learn a lot from just hanging out with friends and listening to people speak.
Any additional fun facts or interesting information:
There has been a strike at AUC, my university for the past week. A lot of the students, faculty, and staff are protesting budget cuts by the university and have been sitting in one of the main areas and holding rallies at least once a day. I’m not on strike, but I sympathize with the staff who want more fair wages, but it’s kind of crazy when you can’t hear your teacher in class because there is a protest going on outside your window…sometimes I really miss the calm of Ann Arbor!
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mich chapter.