Honeymoon's Over

Before you study abroad, most colleges require you to go to some sort of orientation session at home- at least Ithaca did. It consisted of things like "just because its not US dollars doesn't mean its play money," and "expect the honeymoon period, when you love everything, to end." Well, my honeymoon is over, officially. These past couple days have sucked. Sucked. Sucked.

Sunday night I realized that my debit card was gone. Thankfully, nobody had taken out any charges, but I could not remember for the life of me where I used it last. I searched my apartment top to bottom and couldn't find it, so I figured I must have left it in an ATM somewhere. You see, ATMs here eat the card and then give it back when your transaction is done, whereas at home you just swipe it quickly. So, I finally remembered where I used it last and I went to that bank and asked them about it. Of course, the guy had to call another guy, who had to call another guy, who ended up being on vacation (???!). They took down my info and said they would call me tomorrow- which of course never happened.

So I spent the better part of the evening skyping with the bank at home (its the cheapest way to call, and theres no fear of running out of minutes), and what they essentially told me is that I could go into any bank, ask for a cash advance and hand them a credit card and ID.

Monday, then, I tried to go to the bank before I left for school. Of course, it was closed. Because why would a bank stay open until 3pm? And so, with 6LE in my wallet, I got on the metro to go to school. And I nearly passed out. It was SUPER hot on Monday, and of course when I got on the metro there were a million people on it, and I wasn't in an air conditioned car. IT began when I started yawning a lot, I got short of breath, and then I started getting dizzy. All I needed was to sit down, but there was nothing available. So, I crouched until I got to the stop before mine, when a million more people got on and crouching was not a good idea. However, then I legitimately started blacking out- my hands and arms got tingly, my peripheral vision was going, and things were getting dark.

Fortunately, I made it to my stop, where some stranger helped me off the train because I was that close to passing out. I got off the train, beelined it for the wall, and sat down, where I immediately started feeling better because the station was AC'd. I stayed there for a good half an hour, where I got many stares for sitting on the ground (something they don't really do here), and then slowly but surely navigated my way through the station and on to class.

When something goes wrong here, it goes really wrong. It feels like the whole world is crashing down upon you, and nobody can help you. And that's because they really can't. Or rather, they won't. Customer service is one of those concepts that has not quite made it to the service sector in Egypt. For instance, a couple weeks ago my roommate Jenny left her card at an ATM, went back the next day, and they wouldn't give the card back to her because "it was bank policy." So she had to get her boyfriend Hisham to yell at them in Arabic. Why would they not just give the damn card back? It makes no sense and makes every issue you encounter here that much more difficult.

Today I am going to go to the the HSBC, which is in Zamalek near class, to try this cash advance thing. I don't trust the Egyptian banks, but hopefully HSBC will work like the international bank it is supposed to be. It is absolutely nerve wracking walking around with no money. And this isn't even any of that bullshit like "oh, its a learning experience and I'll be so glad I was able to get through it." No. Its fucking scary. Because I don't know where I am and I might not have enough money to get home, and in no way will it positively affect my outlook on anything.

I am fortunate to have some generous friends who lent me some money, and picked up my tab at the cafe the night I realized I didn't have my card. For them I am thankful. But goddamit this sucks.