The European influence on Egypt can be seen best in this city. Alexandria is the Okanagan or Wasaka to Canada. Its where Egyptians go for their beach vacations. The atmosphere here is much more clean, relaxed, fresh environment. The salt water provide a nice environment change to the sands. The two funny stories at this destination include being kicked out of Alexandria Library and following local’s to cross the roads. I call that follow the leader… I was trying to cross a super busy street without much success. Then I saw a couple of local women, covered in their Jihabs starting to cross the road. So I followed them weaving through traffic so closely that they could feel us brushing up against them. Just as I got to the end I could hear them make a comment in Arabic which I can only assume meant, stupid tourist what are they doing….
We checked out Alexandria Library, which is an amazing modern architectural design. It includes a planetarium dome and a library area in the shape of a pyramid, made of glass with each panel resembling eyelids. There were section tourist galleries and exhibits so once I was done with that I decided to walk down to the main library study areas. After browsing around for a while I found a mathematics section. Yes, I found some of my university textbooks, which I dreaded so much in that library. It was an interesting discovery, something that after the fact doesn’t shock me but at the time definitely caught my attention. I mean between the rows of Egyptian history books in multiple languages there was a mathematics section with classical algebra. I guess it just emphases the value of education in Egypt, especially since they had the first university in the world. I’m sure by now you’re all impatiently wondering how I got kicked out. Well after exploring the books area I went to the elevators and decided to go to the top to see the view. So I went in the elevators. They had no security around them and the elevator spoke out the floor you chose in the best English I heard in Egypt. So once I got to the top, I got off and notice that all around me where secured conference rooms and private offices. I looked down and notice that the security guard was telling me to come down, and then this man came out of one of the glass conference rooms and told me I must be lost and that I should leave... before I caused too much troubles I decide I should leave.
We checked out Alexandria Library, which is an amazing modern architectural design. It includes a planetarium dome and a library area in the shape of a pyramid, made of glass with each panel resembling eyelids. There were section tourist galleries and exhibits so once I was done with that I decided to walk down to the main library study areas. After browsing around for a while I found a mathematics section. Yes, I found some of my university textbooks, which I dreaded so much in that library. It was an interesting discovery, something that after the fact doesn’t shock me but at the time definitely caught my attention. I mean between the rows of Egyptian history books in multiple languages there was a mathematics section with classical algebra. I guess it just emphases the value of education in Egypt, especially since they had the first university in the world. I’m sure by now you’re all impatiently wondering how I got kicked out. Well after exploring the books area I went to the elevators and decided to go to the top to see the view. So I went in the elevators. They had no security around them and the elevator spoke out the floor you chose in the best English I heard in Egypt. So once I got to the top, I got off and notice that all around me where secured conference rooms and private offices. I looked down and notice that the security guard was telling me to come down, and then this man came out of one of the glass conference rooms and told me I must be lost and that I should leave... before I caused too much troubles I decide I should leave.
No comments:
Post a Comment