Family Values
There are a few things that Cairo is not- quiet, secluded and easy to live in. Don’t get me wrong, there is no place I’d rather be at this point in my life. My community, and that of every other Cairene, is an intricate pipeline to the vital organ that is this city. It’s interconnected veins pump with humor, history and honor. They pulse with struggles, noise pollution, and family values. One thing you can always count on is that your business is everyone else’s. As sizable or overpopulated as my city, community and university may be, there’s no denying that “its a small world after all”.
As a matter of fact, I would go as far as to say that my network of colleagues, playmates and neighbors aren’t members of a community, but rather one dysfunctional, extended family. To best explain it, Cairo is your cantankerous, eccentric, old, uncle Lester. As a kid, you only notice how fun and jolly he is. He cracks the jokes your parents don’t want you to hear, and gives you the extra candy they don’t want you to snack on. You love that ‘ol Uncle Lester. He’s a riot.
As you get older, you start to realize that he’s not all fun and games. In fact, Lester has some pretty serious problems. You wish he’d start acting his age, take responsibility for himself and frankly, the jokes aren’t funny anymore, Lester. But the second someone else says one bad thing about Lester, your uncle, your flesh and blood- you shut them up. Even if their criticism is completely true, reasonable and well-founded- shh-shutup!
You overlook the flaws, put up a little more fight. Because that’s family. You don’t mess with family.
This is our family.
Comments
I can clearly see the connection between the photos and the caption provided. What strikes me about the first photo is how it seems so busy, almost chaotic. Everyone moves and drives about while focused on their own affairs. However, the second photo reflects a different side of a street scene. The vibrancy and pride of the people radiate from the image, driving home the point about standing up for the flawed, yet loved, Uncle Lester.
Posted by: Janessa Nickell | April 14, 2008 04:45 PM
I really enjoy the way this blog post is written. I appreciate the initial metaphor about the city being a pipeline the imagery of "pumping," etc used. The acknowledgement of an American audience with a Disneyland reference - "it's a small world after all" is also a good way of relating to the reader and establishing ethos. Calling inhabitants of Egypt one "dysfunctional extended family" somewhat foreshadows your humorous comparison of Cairo with Uncle Lester. This was a fun blog post to read. Thanks!
Posted by: Shefali Tandon | April 15, 2008 02:05 PM
I also enjoyed how this blog was written. I love how Cairo is personified through Uncle Lester and how it has its very endearing traits that make its people love it so much. The photographs represent and give us an accurate glimpse into the busy lifestyle in Cairo and I love the activity that is seen in these two photos. I particularly like the second one mainly because of the way it was taken. The colors that are prevalent are a vibrant red, and the picture is slightly blurred as if emphasizing the motion.
Posted by: Andrea Sy | April 15, 2008 07:12 PM
I also really liked how this blog was written. I loved the Uncle Lester metaphor that you used. The entire post was engaging, interesting and something I felt I could definitely relate to. This is kind of a random-esque note, but your description of Cairo and one of the pictures reminded me so much of the Philippines. I'm not from there, but your caption and the first picture kind of capture my view of the Filipino lifestyle [I'm not 100% sure Andrea would agree with me]. It's interesting to see how similar some countries' cultures are even though the countries are so far away from one another.
Posted by: Charity Apelo | April 15, 2008 09:54 PM
Your use of photos in this blog post really help in bringing to life your passionate depiction of the Egyptian culture. The first photo is striking in that it shows the reader the "everyday life" aspect of the city. From the congestion in the streets to the resultant frustatration, the photo portrays the mundane aspects of the daily routine. The use of color and vibancy in the second photo really brings your text to life. We get a sense of the excitement and pride that surrounds the celebration, notably the distant smiles. Ultimately, the juxtaposition between the photos illuminates the ambivalence toward Uncle Lester and Cairo as a whole that you express through your blogging.
Posted by: Ryan, Natalia, Steven and Lara Sofia | April 17, 2008 10:05 AM