no prescription necessary

one interesting discovery i have made here in egypt is the lack of prescription that is necessary to purchase most drugs at the pharmacy. that isn’t to say that there isn’t any control on any of the drugs-- narcotics, pain killers, and the more “serious” drugs are by doctor’s prescription only, but most are not controlled at all. you can go to any pharmacy, request the drug by name, and it’s yours.

this has its advantages and obvious disadvantages. drugs can be more easily abused or wrongly self-prescribed. sometimes here it seems that if someone is feeling the slightest bit sick, they march their self down to the pharmacy and start requesting antibiotics or who knows what else, to treat it. but those drugs may not even be the necessary treatment for that illness at all. one afternoon i was cramped over with a stomach ache, and my relatives were quick to start naming various drugs to pick up at the pharmacy for it. guys, i ate our housekeeper’s terrible cooking and i’m a little bloated. it’s all good.

over-prescription and over-use of drugs just like antibiotics is blamed for causing diseases, bacteria, and infections to have become resistant to the once more powerful medicines. we are finding it more difficult to fight common infections that are now resistant to our normal treatment methods. and in the US, we are also so quick to approve and administer new drugs when we don’t always know what the actual side effects are-- or will be. how often do we hear that the drug everyone was raving about 5-10 years ago is now causing all these law-suit-requiring side effects?

however simultaneously, it is not always necessary to have to go to a doctor to tell you your infection requires a treatment of antibiotics. if you cut your finger and it is oozing out green goo, you have an infection; get antibiotics. and if for example, you choose to take contraception, do you really always need to go to the doctor to renew that prescription annually? or to even take it to begin with? especially in the US where doctor visits are insanely expensive without insurance, obtaining something as essential to many women as birth control, could cost as much as $600+. (that is forgetting about planned parenthood or medicare, etc). it’s really not that complicated, a pharmacist should be able to administer it to women, just like plan b is non-prescription and administered. i understand the need to be checked out and advised by a doctor, but i don’t believe it’s completely necessary, and although women may not be able to afford a doctor’s visit, that should not prevent them from their choice to control. but let me not ramble about my passion for women’s rights regarding contraception.

when you have an illness and don’t necessarily need to see a doctor to prescribe your medical solution, you should be able to ask the pharmacist. they do go through an extensive amount of medical training to have their jobs. the flaw in this is that the pharmacist has an incentive to sell you whatever drugs you request: his/her business.

my first experience at a pharmacy here was this past week when i walked in, totally stressed and overwhelmed by some personal family drama, and in my moment of weakness, requested alprazolam- known here as prazolam. my dear friend, xanax. i wasn’t even sure they would sell it to me without a prescription, so i kept a straight face and tried to look neither stressed nor insecure. i was asked which dosage, i chose the higher one, and i paid all of $1.20 or 8 LE, for a box of 20 pills. he even gave me his card in case i needed more later or even better, delivery. i walked out feeling as if i’d just gotten away with committing a crime. $1.20? what!? did i just go in there and buy some xanax!? it certainly helped to calm me down and all, but i’m not sure that it was necessary. i can’t stand those nyc housewives who get stressed and “need a xanax” to cope.

at first, i thought it was funny. i felt like a badass. i was asking friends back home for requests: name some good drugs to go get my hands on. what else can i buy? but see, that is abuse, and that’s how it begins. this site shows some alarming statistics. we fear addiction and abuse of cocaine or heroine, but look at all the abuse of prescription meds.

in sharp contrast to this recent experience with xanax, three years ago when i was preparing for a business trip to australia, despite all my love for flying, i felt overwhelmed by the upcoming 30-hour journey there. 30 total hours to get to Cairns from NYC. 30 total hours confined to a tiny little seat. flying over land; over the pacific ocean... i was absolutely excited, but i was starting to freak out. so prior to leaving, i talked to my doctor about this anxiety, and asked, “am i allowed to ask you for a prescription for xanax for this?” and she looked at me with a twisted brow, “umm yes. i’m a doctor, how else would you get the prescription?”

and i’m the kind of person who doesn’t even take tylenol when i have a headache. i hate taking medication unless it is absolutely necessary, and i avoid them as much as is logically and healthily possible. and while i do have my own prescription of this anxiety reducing medication, something about the experience didn't feel right. a little ironic that i'm complaining about a greater freedom here than i have at home, right?

so the more consideration i give to this system, the more i am opposed to it. it benefits me here while i’m uninsured and broke, but it is unsafe and unhealthy. there is seriously an overabundance of pharmacies that exist in cairo. i’d imagine that you could pharmacy-hop and accumulate a massive quantity of drugs if you wanted to. who or what is to stop you?

The US Embassy in Cairo

While I was still here in September, protests broke out outside the US embassy and in Tahrir Square over a pathetic anti-Islamic video that deserved no recognition at all. Everyone looked bad. The media played it off like Cairo was up in flames and Egyptians were furious over the video. In Libya, the American ambassador was killed. Here, all the other Egyptians shouted at the protestors through the television, wondering what the hell the American embassies have to do with this guy's video.

The truth is the protests were small, held by a bunch of ignorant people with nothing else to do on their Friday afternoon, Friday being like our Saturday in Egypt, a day off. So thanks to a bunch of dopes, Egyptians, Arabs and Muslims looked like savages yet again.

I can't tell you how many emails I had to write about how business was going on normally in Cairo around that few block radius. No one else cared about the video except the few assembled in garden city. I haven't even seen it.

That all said, I just revisited the embassy for the first time after the protests to find it even more threatening a fort than when I went with my dad in August. Security is heightened and the streets are lined with tanks and trucks filled with officers. I tried sneaking photos and got into trouble. I couldn't even stand on the sidewalk and drink my water while i waited before entering. I had to wait across the street.

The building itself is already surrounded with a 10' high wall to begin with, but it is now wrapped with barbed wire. And all the streets surrounding the embassy (which is also in close proximity to the UK and Canadian embassies as well) are blocked, guarded, and wrapped in barbed wire. It's really sad and pathetic when I think about it. Especially since this is supposed to be my safe haven when I'm away from home. This is where I come to be saved, rescued, guided, supported while living abroad. And it feels nothing like that.

Entering is a pain in the ass because you have to have an appointment that takes weeks to get, then to get through security, you have to go across the street and "store" your electronics because they cannot enter. He placed my things in an envelope, gave me a number, and when I returned, accused me of lying because my belongings didn't correspond with the number I was given... I handled that one well.

When i came in and had my turn at the counter, it was like visiting a bank. Agents are protected behind windows of bullet proof glass, and we communicated through microphones. Are we Americans that badass?

But i have to say, they were extremely helpful and informative. The passport renewal process was extremely easy and I was able to hold onto my old passport until the new one comes in in exactly 2 weeks time (amazingly fast)! I even was able to order it with extra pages at no extra charge since I travel so much. And voting is just as easy too. I was really happy to see how many people were there to vote. Gobama!! They answered all my questions, i literally came with a checklist, and provided me with loads of print outs and information.

Sadly though, the visa process for Egyptians to visit the US isn't ameliorated by my American citizenship status. So lets say hypothetically, if I had a boyfriend and I wanted him to visit NYC, the only way of really improving his chances of getting a visa to visit is if I marry him, or at least intend to within 3 months of arriving on a fiancé visa. The other option is for him to apply for a visa normally and hope he gets it. But it is not easy by any means. (You know, the whole, we're afraid he'll try to stay thing). If he doesn't get it, he can always try again... But it seems really ridiculous to me that you could pay $140 for the application and still get rejected. And if you want to try again, you pay again. This is like a different kind of gambling. It's all very strange and foreign to me, but this is what many other citizens from many other nations have to go through to travel.

So I say, I'm very grateful and proud to be American. My passport is my most prized possession. And if you have an American passport and you don't exercise your amazing privilege to travel and see the world, shame on you. There are plenty of people who would literally risk their lives for the rights we are merely born with. Egypt just had a revolution and people lost lives and limbs for the sake of having the freedom and power to vote.

Be American. Vote and travel.

trick... or treat??

so i'm finally back in cairo, and i have to say, it's a real treat to be here again so soon. usually my minimum span between trips is 3 years, so being back after just 5 weeks is just fantastic. i get to pick up right where i left off, and spend plenty of time with my family while reacquainting myself with my host city. after my last 6-week trip in august-september, i'm now familiar enough to direct the cabbies (who never know where there going) to my favorite spots. i actually know where spots are. i have a grasp on where places and things are located: like where to buy shampoos and how to send clothes to the makwagi, or place where clothes get ironed (best way i can translate); i know where to buy and how to add credit for my cell phone; and i'm pretty much free to just pop in and out and go about my business without anyone in my family worrying about me getting lost. this is major progress.i also have to gush about how fantastic the weather is. this just might be the best time i've ever been in cairo, so far.

i spent my time away at home in nyc/nj visiting friends, and then i went off to peru for 15 days to explore a piece of south america. that trip was really exciting and challenging at the same time. but unlike my other solo trips, this one made me feel really lonely, and i couldn't wait for it to be over, for the sake of making my way back to egypt.

packing was a nightmare. i couldn't fit half of the things i needed, and even the things that did fit into my suitcase had to be emptied out at the airport, because the bag was 30lbs overweight. one of my most signficant sacrifices was my gallon-sized zip lock bag full of nailpolish-- nailpolish that i stocked up on for the sake of my 6 month trip. if i told you what kind of withdrawal i have been going through in just this first week alone, you'd think it was a trick.

i haven't unpacked any of the bags since i arrived, since i'm waiting until i find my apartment in zamalek. why unpack twice?

but since i came back right before the big eid, the holiday where we sacrifice sheep and eat lots of lamb for four days, and since the end of eid was spent celebrating my cousin's engagement party, i knew this week would be a bust. so today being my first official "working" day in cairo, i've tried to be as productive as i could be, productive being subjective when you consider that i woke up at noon and left the house at 3pm. my friend admitted he knew i'd become egyptian (and lazy) eventually, but even he's surprised at how quickly i've adjusted. nonetheless, i went over to my favorite cafe and spent the afternoon apartment hunting, job hunting, and blog-writing. all three endeavors have so far been successful. i saw a promising apartment prospect, have an interview at a language center tomorrow, and here you are reading my blog.

what's even more exciting is that tomorrow i get to vote, renew my passport, and review the other 8 items on my US Embassy to-do list. although speaking of America, i'm really sad to see all the devastating aftermath left by hurricane sandy in the tri state area. the nj shore and nyc especially were really torn apart by the storm. it's been difficult to get in touch with my parents and friends, but i'm relieved to know that everyone is ok, just without power. a lot of my friends are back to work already, which just goes to show you how new yorkers are. we are resilient, and we get right back to work. so while i may be here spending a very un-halloween halloween in cairo with a Nola pumpkin-flavored cupcake, i just have to say, new york is undoubtedly the greatest city on earth.

new york, i love you, but you're bringing me down.

one great part of my indefinite-amount-of-time-off-traveling-the-world agenda, is the break that i have at home this month. i came home to attend a college friend's wedding in rhode island. that in itself was both a reunion and a destination, as we made a weekend out of discovering newport while we reconnected and caught ourselves up.

i am home for a total of 15 days and then head to peru for 15 days. when i return, i have a day to rest, and then i'm back on a plane headed to cairo via a 5-day tour in europe to see more friends, and new babies. so these 2 weeks at home have afforded me the very important opportunity to see my parents, my cats, and close friends before i return to indulge in my new, temporary?, 6-month life in cairo. (or maybe longer, tbd).

i can say that without a doubt, it has been wonderful to see all my friends, and to be back in nyc/nj during my absolute favorite time of year. the fall has a crispness to it that i look forward to ever year, along with apple picking, scarves, jackets, and all fun things associated with it. today the weather in cairo is a crisp 90 degrees. not so autumnal. i will need to adjust to the non-seasons seasons there.

since i've come home, i've spent a lot of time dividing my clothes into 3 piles: laundry, peru, and egypt. i get to restock my suitcases with "winter" clothes. although i don't believe cairo even has a winter. i think that my nyc fall will be cairo's winter, maybe. but at least i get to bring fresh new clothing options like boots and cardigans, since the reality is that soon it will start cooling down, and i will need them over the next 6 months. (i mean, i'll be there for 6 months. i'm very excited and anxious about bringing back 6 months worth of clothes and accessories, but i'm really not sure how much i'll need. like, do i need all 3 pairs of tall boots, or should i leave out the platforms? but what if i really want to wear them out one night with my black striped dress? and what if it does get cold enough to need tall boots? but do i want to be lugging around 2 huge, heavy bags through london and paris?) see...

i haven't been gone long enough to say that i missed home and needed to come back, but there hasn't been a day that's passed during these last 2 weeks, where i haven't missed cairo oh.so.much. i miss everything about it. i miss my family, my friends, the (lack of) air quality, and especially that feeling of excitement; of newness; of opportunity. being back in nyc so soon after escaping only reaffirms my decision to leave. nyc was a let down, and being back is bringing me down from the cairo-high that i've been on for the last 6 weeks. most of my friends have commented that i haven't looked happier, or that i am glowing in my pictures there. that's the sabeel i'm looking for. that's the point of this year. she got lost about 5 years ago, and i'm determined to find her here to stay.

since i've been back, i've felt like i need to leave again, and as soon as possible. it's too soon to be back. and i have nothing to gain from being here, besides the quality time with friends and family. it's not like i had a breakdown, meltdown or freak-out when i left, but i was just at the point where i couldn't stand to be where i was, doing what i was doing anymore. and having the time away in a completely different, but comfortable, setting has allowed me to relax back into myself. believe it or not, but being home right now has put me out of my comfort zone. that needs to eventually be fixed; or the location of home needs to be re-assessed.

in the meantime, i need to get the fuck out of new york. thanks for all the fun times though!

living the dream

last night, i felt like i was indulging in a dream. i was invited for drinks with my american girl friend and her friends.

we met at a place called the greek club, in the middle of downtown cairo. it sits right above the infamous, groppi's cafe, in an old and beautiful building, with one of those old and beautiful, all-metal, see-through elevators sitting in the lobby. as you ascend the stairs to the first-floor restaurant and walk through to the roof terrace, you could actually forget that you're in cairo for a minute, and imagine you'd been transported to paris. cairo was once considered the paris of the middle east, and many of the architects who designed and built the buildings in downtown cairo were imported from france. ignoring the fact that the buildings have been poorly (or not) maintained over the decades, and are laminated in a thick film of dust, dirt and pollution, you can still appreciate their beauty and imagine how glamorous cairo may have once been.

the waiter greeted us kindly with a light-hearted sense of humor, and happily served us a bottle of South African wine (pretty pricey by Egyptian standards). it is a strange but true assumption that seemingly any place that serves alcohol will attract expats and eccentric, educated egyptians. it's an environment where ideas are exchanged, politics are discussed, and plans are made, all the while unwinding with the help of your beverage of choice.

looking around at all the patrons, it was like living all the scenes that i'd enviously read about, of others who were living abroad frequenting cafes and bars, and socializing with expats and locals. it was incredible! i know it sounds corny, but i felt so lucky to be there. there were so many journalists who had transported themselves for the sake of their work. so many interesting people living in this city, writing for all the newspapers you've ever heard of. i really got a rush out of it; out of having this new kind of experience. i always dreamed of being an expat! i always dreamed of living somewhere new and meeting all different kinds of people and making new friends. i dreamt of sitting with friends discussing politics, current events, and telling jokes... and there i was living this dream!

just one month ago, i was sitting at a desk, miserably drowning my life away in boredom.

i can't believe how much more i have to look forward to.

it's settled then.

i head home next week, and after spending over one month here in egypt, i have decided that it's where i will return for my 6 month span starting late october.

i've come to discover a completely new version of cairo that i never before knew existed. i cannot attribute any of these discoveries to the recent revolution here in egypt, given that i have no real-life experiences to compare to, both pre and post revolution. and plus, i'm told that the revolution didn't really change egypt all that much. it has removed the fear from the people to speak out and voice their opinions on the government, and it has also given the people the feeling that they matter; that they have an effect on their country. but the difference that i feel is the ability to manage here long term, and the intense curiosity and desire i have to explore the city.

i've started to make some friends here. one is an american (girl) journalist from seattle, who was introduced through another friend via facebook. she's gorgeous, smart, my age, and not only do we have a lot in common, but i really admire her drive and crazy desire to live in this crazy city. we meet in cafes and stare at the other expats, scheming up ways to go introduce ourselves to make new friends. it's awkward to approach someone in a cafe just because they are speaking your language... but we'll work on it. our favorite topic of discussion is understanding the cairo dating scene. how to behave; what to do; what not to do; etc.

just last weekend, we sat in my favorite cafe, left bank, in my favorite neighborhood, zamalek, with my cousin and her friends, asking them for advice about dating and living in cairo. the dating subject deserves an entire blog entry of its own, so i won't even get into it. but none of the highly-educated, english speaking, upper-crust egyptian friends could understand why career women like us would want to come and live in a city like cairo. sure, we come from great american cities, but we both had the same lack of response. we just like it here. it's new, it's different. it will be a whole new challenge. all that, and a shrug of the shoulders.

i've been spending a lot of time discovering my 2 new favorite neighborhoods: zamalek and maadi, while overloading on caffeine. scattered with trees, greenery, and beautiful villas and embassies, these neighborhoods have always been home to many expats. all the local cafes and restaurants have plenty of english-speaking patrons to make an expat feel at home. in addition to spending quality time with my family, i've spent 4 weeks frequenting these cafes, starting my book, updating my blogs, creating a cairo blog, and drinking several glasses of fresh juice and iced coffee. instead of having my own schedule to maintain, i've memorized the schedules of my cousins while i wake up late and contemplate how to leisurely spend the day. unemployment has been a really good look for me. but truth be told, i have been thinking about working. i need to find something.

happily, my arabic reading skills have improved tremendously and will continue to do so when i enroll in courses upon my return this fall. and i think i will look into teaching english part time to earn some sort of income in order to sustain my cafe-attending, wifi bumming, iced coffee drinking, habits. i really can't wait to come back and spend a lot of time here. i feel so much optimism that this will be best year of my life!

oh and by the way, maged, my 17 year old cousin, is za sexiest man in all za cairo, and all za girls should come and kiss him. just fyi.

the cairo metro

i've written a few bitter blog entries about how horrible cairo traffic is, and how badly there needs to be a public transportation system... well granted, it does need a major overhaul because the public buses are disgraceful, and the traffic is still unbareable at almost all times of the day.

i asked around to see if any of my relatives ever took public transportation, specifically the metro, to get around cairo. the answer is a unanimous, overwhelming, no. they say it's too crowded, it's filthy, it's slow, but i was still determined to check it out.

i will admit, i never even knew that cairo had a metro before this year! whenever i saw those signs with the large, red "M" in a circle, i honestly thought it was an advertisment for mo'men, a local sandwich chain. once i returned with my miraculous ability to read, i read the arabic "metro" above the M. oops. but lo and behold, there is actually a pretty expansive system, which is planned to expand out further to the airport, which would be great.

we entered the station at Tahrir Square and rode it one stop away to the Cairo Opera House. it was cleaner than the nyc subway system, it was fast, it was dirt cheap at only 1 LE (12 cents!), there are 2 cars exclusively for women, AND the stations are air conditioned!! we ignored the stares from the locals and rode anyway.

i loved it so much! it even heads out to maadi which is not only far from the center of town (30 min), but the way there is always in a traffic jam, and the cost of a taxi is pricey each way (30 LE, $5). i can't wait to take the metro out there to spend the day wandering around 9th street!

my family is crazy to avoid it!