Flashed in Egypt - second time round

So today I was feeling so sick of this god-forsaken country. I´ve been fairly down on it for a while. So I was walking round the island of Zemalek where I live and I decided to go into a park at the tip of the island, just opposite the Opera House. Of course, being Egypt, you have to pay to go into the park. One pound only, or if you´re a foreigner, two pounds. Ha, typical Egyptian hospitality, rip off the foreigner. Sure it´s one pound, but it is just annoying that as a foreigner you always have to pay more for everything. It is just indicative of this culture that will always treat you as an outsider and never accept you.So I am sitting in this park, just trying to have some peaceful time to myself, then I hear this hissing sound behind me. "Hsssssssss." Ah, how annoying, Egyptians always do this to get your attention. I just ignored it of course. Then, this guy comes and sits next to me and unzips his fly and takes out his penis. Ah for Chrissake I just don´t want to see that. What is wrong with these god-damned people? So annoying. What could I do? I just screamed my warrior battle-cry, and he scampered off and climbed over the fence. Honestly, what did he freaking expect? "Oh yeah honey come over here and I´ll give you a blow job." Sweet love of Jesus. I honestly don´t know what is in the heads of these people. Evidently not very much. Oh and in spite of my piercing wolf-like scream the couple sitting ten metres away from me of course did not come to see what was the matter. Man, I´m sorry I just did not hit the dude, but I am just a wee slip of a girl, and my experiences have taught me not to hit Egyptian men who are bigger than me, no matter how much they really deserve it, because they will just hit back and everyone around will support them for that and look at you like you are a freak. So can't wait to get out of this country! But in the meantime i may just write some of the things that happen to me here..

on the train from sadat to maadi

or why i hate living in cairo, reason 287 walked through the gates at sadat station in downtown. went to the platform on the helwan line and went staight to the front end where the women's carriage is. that carriage is a damn good idea. there were a whole bunch of men around don't know why. do they abandon the women's liberated space on the weekends? so as i'm getting on the train some dude grabs my ass. i turn around and slap that mothefucker's face. but not hard enough. sucked in asshole. he acted like he'd done nothing. so i went and stood in the middle of the train and started reading my book. a lovely sweet girl walked past, smiled at me and gave me the thumbs up. that made my feaking day!!!

Cross-Border Tunnel Found in San Diego

Sat Feb 11, 12:52 AM ET
An incomplete tunnel was found in the same area where investigators recently found one of the longest passages discovered beneath the U.S.-Mexico border, officials said.
The 3-foot-wide tunnel extended from just south of the border fence in Mexico to a point about 23 feet into the United States, ending at a concrete levee, Border Patrol spokesman Richard Kite said.
A patrol agent noticed a distortion in the road running along the border fence, and agents digging in the area found the tunnel Thursday, Kite said.
"It was only about six inches below the asphalt," he said.
A 2,400-foot tunnel linking a warehouse near the airport in Tijuana, Mexico, to another warehouse in San Diego was discovered last month.
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Information from: The San Diego Union-Tribune, http://www.uniontrib.com
Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Maya justifies why she is feeling so anti Islam at the moment

Haaah, that is controversial.. at home i have gone to rallies against the war in Iraq, protested the war profiteers Haliburton and so on. i even did an article about the way anti terror laws are targetting muslims. no i don't hate muslims. i am not a bigot - i hope! actually i am really really not into ANY kind of religion, i hate them all equally.. tho personally i have never had a bad run in with a buddhist.. all religions are used to divide people.. they are used to justify war and hatred and mostly, they are about social control. i don't need it. i can make up my own mind how to live my life. i was in the Carrefour's mega shopping complex in Alex.. don't ask me why! someone took me there.. and browsing the book section i came across a very interesting book about rules for women's cleanliness.. the book had detailed chapters dealing with the serious questions of the purity of a woman during and after her menstruation., if she accidentally prays with blood on her clothes, a woman's status when she has discreted yellow discharge (what the? i think that is a medical question, no? get thee to a doctor woman), when air has passed from her vag.. wooow i could not believe the coolness of this bedisde reading.. didn't buy it tho cos i am a stingy traveller.. yes i would rather read some Charles Bukowski before bed, but whatever tickles your fancy.. again *scream*

Maya continues badmouthing her religious roommate

we-eeell.. day one. i moved into the flat and was warmly kissed three times on the cheek, so far so good, was offered biscuits even tho she is fasting for Ramadan.. very nice.. later on.. open the curtains to check outside the view.. we are a block from the sea.. but you can just see some other grey concrete apartment buildings.. ahhh, stop.. "we keep the curtains closed because.. " something about we can not have anyone seeing her spunky gorgeous face... ooooookay!! door bell rings, hustle bustle, must put on the black bilbab, face covered except for a slit over the eyes.. also comes in a lovely number with just mesh on the eyes.. as we all know.. woooooaaah.. this is insanity gone mad.. does that make sense?! i say get over it.. if men saw women all the time, it would not be such a big freaking deal.. i am sure they would be able to control their urges.. did i mention the three am praying.. okay fine, live and let live.. i am just a no good atheist.. what do i know about these things.. just trying to get some comments!!!

Maya bitches about her religious room mate disturbing her sleep

Yay, I am published on the net! how exciting!! actually the truth is i have some newspaper articles i wrote published on the net, as a friend who googled my name told me!! i was very flattered. there is a cool little profile i did on a guy from Gaza.. but anyway.. i have had so much to think about but how to write.. i started on here because i am a big fan of reading blogs, starting with the world famous Salaam Pax... and also Riverbend, both Iraqi bloggers. well about me.. I have been in Misr for one week only and two days.. struggling to pick up some arabic, and was almost breaking down with the culture shock, but thank you to my friends who have helped me from afar.. my dear friend, an egyptian who has not even been in this country for i don't know how long, has called up his old friends to help me out and find a new place to live, with people on the level, not the boring serious pious Wahabi muslim types.. as i said, if i wanted that i would have gone to saudi arabia.. my room mate is waking up at three in the middle of the night to pray.. and of course i am woken.. not cool.. maaaan i am just sick of the jibes.. "islam was created to perfect the flaws in the christian religion" get over your bigotted righteousness girl.. oh yeah enjoy your life covered head to toe in a black shroud, staying at home cooking for your husband.. i hope you get bored of it and see the error of your ways, but obviously there is something seriously wrong in your head.. a life of surrender.. i will take my life of hedonism, adventure, misadventure, risk and freedom.. and i know it's not perfect and i know there is no freaking afterlife for me.. but i don't want it anyway! i am happy for the time i have got here.. not living in a dreamy self satisfied bliss, but at least experiencing the mysteries of this world, and the filth and the many different ways of living.. maaaaaan i seriously HATE capitalist culture.. but i will take the hedonist freedoms of the west anyday over your repression and life lived in fear of a man seeing your face..

Maya in Iskanderia

hey y'all, welcome to my first ever blog.. i have decided to write this because i am in a new country, so there is a lot more to get my head around, while at home, same old, same old, ha ha, well not really, bu-ut, this really is new! So, here i am in Misr, ahah, Egypt, what a head spin. I am here to take Arabic classes, and decided to move to Alexandria, good choice i thought, it is a lot quieter, less crowded. Cairo was "full on"! Not like i expected, as i had been warned by a friend, who strongly told me not to go, that i would be constantly sexually harassed.. no, thank god, that did not happen.. but it is just a total head spin. Language is the biggest thing, I mean not speaking the local language, being in a place where you can not ask for directions, can not order food, or can not reply to curious people who talk to you in the street because you look different!! and then religion here is just in my face. It makes me appreciate that i come from a fairly secular society. It is my choice not to practice any religion, thank god!! I am finding Islam is totally out of control, but i think it is because i have been put right in the thick of it. i am staying in a house with two strongly practising muslims. One a western convert, who has recently married a Sheikh as his second wife, wooooaaahhh.. haven't really asked her what she thinks about that.. well obviously she is happy.. should i be so up front as to ask such personal questions.. i don't really.. because one, i know she would say "it is in the Quran" and second, i would be asking from the perspective of someone who does not really agree and i don't want to ask a question when i would be so condescending.. unfortunately she is not the same about her beliefs.. she is totally zealous.. and so righteous.. they are the most annoying kind of people to me.. i am also very sure of my own beliefs, but i am not the type to go and insist that my way is the only way to think! *scream* so as for egypt, well sure not everyone is so damn religious, i hope! i am just stuck in an extreme situation..