Impressions of studying abroad: discovering the real world of the Middle East

In order to improve my Arabic and discover the real world of the Near East, in summer 2010 I went to Cairo instead of Sharm el-Sheikh, that is considered to be mainly a tourist destination. I've been interested in the Near East since the age of 13, when I visited Egypt for the first time. However, I went there as an ordinary tourist, so I couldn't feel the atmosphere. During the month spent in Cairo I managed to catch up!

So you went there to improve you level of Arabic. Was that experience useful for you? What was the hardest part of studying there? What was easy for you?

We studied in groups of 4 to 5. Our teachers were native speakers with higher education. I chose Modern Standard Arabic because it was my major at my home university. We also took Egyptian Arabic classes, but we practiced a lot with locals. Besides, out teacher was always happy to speak Egyptian Arabic with us during breaks.

Who were you studying with? Did you get along with your group-mates?

Our school is owned by a Belorussian woman, that's why the students were mainly from the CIS. My roommates were girls from Kyiv and Moscow so we were on the same wavelength!

What knowledge and skills, gained in your home university, did you apply there?

Of course, Arabic skills helped a lot. The level, that a reached at Higher School of Economics, turned out to be quite high. I was the best student in my class. It was always me who was in charge of communicating with local people since I was best at speaking both Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Arabic.

Can you briefly describe your daily routine in Egypt? Was it comfortable enough for a foreigner to live there?

We lived in a three bedroom apartment with kitchen and bathroom. It was slightly dirty and bugs were everywhere (it is pretty typical of countries with a hot climate), furniture were also rather old. But it was ok in general, though I'd recommend you to use your own dishes and bed linen. The location was very good: fruits were growing everywhere, a couple of supermarkets near the dorm and it was also not far from our school. We could easily get to any place of Cairo by cab as it was really cheap. Sometimes we used public transport just as an experiment. Everything was quite nice, people were friendly and interested in us, like in any other tourist. Locals were constantly asking me to take photos with them.

Public transportation system works well. There are special wagons in subway only for women, but we didn’t have any inconvenience using common wagons even during rush hours. Cairo is a very safe place if you’re dressed properlu according to the local rules. Covering your legs and shoulders is enough. However, I don’t think that liviing in Cairo would be comfortable for a foreigner. Anthough it is a very ineteresting city with a lot of sights, you feel religious pressure anyway. When I was going to Cairo, I expected it to be  more secular. 

Have you ever felt political and socio-economic instability or protracted crisis? Did you feel safe on the street of the city?

When I was in Cairo, nobody knew about the political crisis yet. So at that point there were no any worries. It was started right after we left.

Did you have the opportunity to travel? What were the most memorable moments?

Yes! We were constantly on the move. Egypt travel guidebook by Dmitry Krylov was a must. We visited beautifyl mosques: The great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha and Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan. We also didn’t forget about such traditional tourist destinations as pyramids and Museum of Cairo. We were delighted by Al-Azhar Park, especially in early morning, when there are no tourists yet and the air is not so hot. We even managed to go to Alexandria and swim in the sea there! By the way, Alexandria is a more westernized city, but still not too much. It was unforgettable experience when me with my friends took a taxi and the driver turned on the radio really loud. It was a popular “Habibi, habibi...” song. More than that, he decided to drive on the wrong side of the road, because there was traffic jam on the right side! Arabic style of driving is not for the faint-hearted.

What would you wish or advise other guys, who want to study in Arabic countries?

I would advise girls to take more long skirts with them. Anyway, find some time for exploring the city on your own. The Near East is a lot of unique places, people and traditions. You should not only see them, but take part as well.  And don’t forget to bargain. Everywhere! The results are overwhelming!

Do you still use all those skills and the Arabic language? If no, do you plan on applying them in the future?

Unfortunately, now I don’t have a chance to use Arabic. Maybe unstable political situation in the Near East  is one of the reasons. Now I speak Arabic only with my friends, during toiurist trips and with my teacher from Cairo, who we’ve become friends with. But I hope that I’ll be able to use this beautiful language as a professional in the future.