Coming to the end of my second week

I've been here nearly 2 weeks and figuring out some of the cultural differences still has me a bit baffled. How is it that I can go up and down elevators with egyptian man and they are nothing but kind and polite; but, on the metro, it's necessary to enter the metro train in the women's only section or potentially be grooped?

How is it that a woman dressed in tight high-fashion clothes and a hajiib is not enticing men's attention; but me, in my old jeans, a casual tee-shirt, covered by an old jacket without a scarf is seen as asking for attention? Everything is quit confusing.

I'm told that many prostitutes are Russian and they cover everything except their eyes; so if a foreigner were to do the same, they would most likely be mistaken for a prostitute.

My roommate is having a 'girl party' next weekend because the Egyptian girlfriends she's invited won't come if there are men here. She's forewarned me that when Arabic women are together they dress very scantly. I'm curious to see what exactly this means. I think of how modest and proper my teachers are at school and don't even want to imagine them in something scant.

I've been studying both Egyptian colliquial and Modern Standard Arabic for the last weeks; but I've dropped my Modern Standard as the words and grammer of the two language are very different. I'll be focusing on my Egyptian Colliquial which is easier, more fun, and what the locals speak here. Who couldn't love a language with fun words like Shib shib (slippers) or bishweesh(slowly)?

Before I came I sent out a number of emails to an ecolodge at the base of Mt Sinai to do some volunteer work there and I finally heard back from them this week. I'm really hoping it works out for me to go! Will let you know more when I do.

Until later....LOVE!