I've Landed - Daniel Barron

Less than twelve hours have elapsed since my passport was irreverently stamped and I sauntered onward towards the heat of the desert. I immediately became aware of the foreignness of my new environment. The bus ride to the apartment initiated the culture shock as we experienced the mayhem of Cairo traffic. The two lane road routinely fit three cars across amid a symphony of horn blasts. Even purchasing some groceries for a morning breakfast initiated more trouble than anticipated. My Arabic ability is limited; hopefully this will change in order to allow smoother exchanges.
The first day culture shock was exhilarating, expected, and at times a tad frustrating. Prior to our departure the team participated in a training experience which in part attempted to help us interact with a new culture. But after actually experiencing the first day, I do not think any piece of advice could have prepared us for the experience. I think the issue is that we attempted to “prepare”; we set out to make a list of ideas and precautions in order to help the transition. Much of the information was useful, maybe even essential, but perhaps we could have set out with simply a positive attitude and a taste for adventure.