Arrival

My flight landed in Cairo last night, and so far I have mixed feelings about this city. I've barely eaten in the two days I've been here because it is Ramadan and very few restaurants are open during the day. (If they are, they only serve sandwiches). Apparently our hotel's chef is sick, so the dining room is closed for the next five days. Great.
The city is probably the dirtiest I've ever seen, and even the nicest area of the city center (Zamalek) has dead cats strewn around, dirt, and flies buzzing everywhere. I saw a dying baby cat in a cardboard box who (it appeared from the empty syringe at its side) had been injected with something to kill it.
I realize after my stilted conversations with locals, that I possess very little vocabulary to help me here. Perhaps I'm doomed . . .
Some of the aforementioned atmosphere, and the two hour round-trip near deadly commute to the dorms (if you don't almost get run over on the way to the bus stop, you can get killed by the crazy drivers on the highway) has convinced me that living off-campus is not for me. I've contacted the student life office to request a single on-campus. If that doesn't work for me, then I'm going home. It's a drastic measure, but if necessary, I'm prepared to make it.
This blog has outlined some of the worst I've seen, but Cairo's redeeming qualities should not be overlooked. The people have been among the friendliest I've met, and it is very safe to walk the streets at night (thanks to Mubarak's armed police forces at every corner). The call to prayer is beautiful, and it is always interesting to see people frozen in one moment of their every day life to pray. (I saw a man stopping to pray in a parking garage).
Despite that, I'm not yet comfortable in my surroundings, and will have to debate what to do next.