I just thought I would compose a few brief thoughts about my temporary academic home, The American University in Cairo. Overall, the atmosphere is a lot less stressful than Lawrence, though I have more domestic responsibilities so the time commitment evens out. As for the student body, the university is filled with the sons and daughters of the Egyptian elite, for which reason the school and its students are heralded as the cream of the Egyptian crop. So why am I not impressed? I will proceed to answer this question with a haiku. No, not really, but that would be impressive. However, I will demonstrate my feelings to you through photos and selections from the AUC publication "The Independent":
Reason number 1: The intellect
This article chronicles how the art majors feel pitied/ looked down upon by the rest of the student body.
Fail.Reason number 2: The talent
There are no words.Reason number 3: The food
You're probably wondering what this picture captures. I will enlighten you. It is the chlorine stains on a girl's shirt after she spit out portions of her toxic salad from the AUC salad bar. In an ironic twist, the chlorine solution that the cafeteria uses to make sure Nile bacteria on vegetables does not make students sick, actually made students sick.Reason number 4: The dress code
According to the general guidelines in the AUC handbook, "students are expected to wear attire that is appropriate to the academic setting and the Egyptian culture."
Thus . . . .
Mennonite chic.Yet, AUC has one redeeming quality. . . It's so damn pretty.
Blah. Is the dress code just as restrictive for men, or can guys like, walk around in tight shirts? LOL. I'm guessing the frequent streaking and nearly-naked parties which occur at Lawrence would not be welcome at AUC. "Ostrichization?" I am so hoping that was a pun. In their defense, English is not their native tongue, but come on- as a consequence of Anglo-American world domination, most elites are SUPPOSED to be fluently English-speaking anyway, right? Get with it, rich folk, you're not fellahin. The drawings.. I could draw better than that, and that's saying something. No comment on the food... I'm guessing the Nile bacteria would actually be healthier than the chlorine! At least the Nile bacteria would build up your immune system. Of course, there is always the chance of getting some nasty disease like bilharzia, so, I wouldn't chance it.
ReplyDeleteThe campus is beautiful though! And the street food must be awesome!
xoxox
P.S. I sense that the REAL intellectual cream-of-the-crop in Misr is going abroad to the USA or UK and lowering the bar, therefore allowing these dopes to get into institutions like AUC.
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