Prologue: Cutting the Blog Ribbon

I've had two weeks of firsts here, since arriving in Al-Qahirah on August 19.

I took my first Cairo taxi, stayed in my first Cairo hotel, saw the Nile for the first time, ate many local foods for the first time, made my first visit to campus and met professors, heard my first muezzin call out from a mosque, made my first apartment search, purchased my first ever cell phone, took my first trip on the metro system, fought valiantly against diarrhea for the first time in a long time, saw my first Cairene bachelor party, met my new roommate for the first time, was "invited" into a perfume shop for the first time and learned quickly how to refuse a sale, took my first Arabic lessons, and exchanged my first Arabic words with native speakers.

And I'm starting this blog, another first. You can imagine how long I took struggling to find a good title. The Cairo Connection seemed too espionage-oriented. The Nile Monitor seemed too tongue-in-cheek. And to my dismay, From Cairo, With Love was already taken. So, since I'm interested in the everyday details of life here, I thought Cairene Routines would be a fitting rhyme. As you probably know, I tend to be skeptical of Westerners -- particularly grizzled expatriates or wild-eyed backpackers -- who revel in being informed guides to an Exotic or developing society. Respect for local people and culture is one thing, but I can't somehow become a "native" tourist e-guide for foreigners and don't think this is even a worthwhile goal. So my intent here is basically to keep you posted on what I'm up to, what I'm learning and thinking about, and who I'm spending my time with. I also want to use a form that you can refer to at your own pace and that won't stress your email account with too great a demand for memory.

I plan to post when I feel I have something good to share, maybe every week or two. I want to give snapshots, reflections, anecdotes, and fragments of things, because I think these may be more interesting than political diatribes, or on the other extreme, too-precious personal feelings. If you want to leave comments, anyone is now able to do so (following my approval of the comment).

Its good to be starting this little project and I hope you enjoy it. But we can't let it substitute for email or letters or phone calls or skyping . . .

An Epilogue for the Prologue:

If you ever want to start your own blog, you can do so for free at blogger.com. Even though it seems like these are sprouting like weeds, as my Dad is wont to say, "There's always room for a good one." In case you are interested, Reporters Without Borders offers an interesting handbook for bloggers in particularly difficult places.