Impressions after 3 weeks

The Algerians I have met have some strong opinions about their country. Granted my time has been pretty much restricted to the capital and more or less related to the academic community, so this may explain the ideas I have heard Algerians express to me.

Since arriving, various locals have said “Be careful!” in one way or another. Algiers is a big city and muggings happen with some regularity. One lady actually told me not to use my cell phone on the street. I think that is being a bit overprecautious, but she means well. When I mention my visit to the Casbah, many say that is a no-no and many who have lived here all of their life, have said they have not ventured-nor intend to- into that notoriously dangerous neighborhood.

Several have stated that they do not like the political or cultural climate here. Specificall,y they refer to the fundamentalist Muslim movement which in its worst manifestations has recently produced violent acts of terrorism here in Algeria and Algiers.

People also mention a pressure too that exists in what people say to each other. It’s a pressure to conform or to be a certain way. One lady told me that her own cleaning lady asks her why she doesn’t wear the scarf. Another said that in her workplace she received an anonymous letter chastising her for her friendliness towards foreigners as shameful for an Algerian woman, and she actually was born in America- though they don’t know that.

One academic described her country as a land of paradoxes. I find her description very apt after 3 weeks here. During the day, the place has a dynamic movement to it. Women are out and about doing things and working anywhere. Daytime traffic is so busy it can be asphyxiating. At night, that changes. There are less or no public buses running after 8pm or so and many women are not comfortable being out after dark or too late. Though, paradoxically, some have cars and actually go out on weekends to nightclubs like the one at the Sheraton Hotel about 20K from downtown Algiers.

The academic colleague went on to say that Algeria is very green…at least the northern part and mentioned that recently that it had been named the greenest country in Africa, though I forget where she said she read that. Paradoxically she admitted, Algeria is only second to Sudan in the amount of the Sahara desert that lies within its borders.

Others have told me of their desire to leave soon. They are waiting until retirement or after another year or two and then they will go to the US or to Europe. One lady in describing the Bouzareah campus to me when I arrived, said, “Welcome to Afghanistan.” Things must have been very different before. While I hardly believe that Algeria in terms of political or cultural situation really resembles Afghanistan, they have said that 20 years ago, women here did not wear the scarves that many don today. Me, coming from Yemen, I find their scarf/robe fashion refreshing in its color and variety. In Yemen, the black abaya and niqab are quite often the rule, though the black abaya there gets variety in the sequin and beaded designs one finds. Those exist here too, but are not the majority by any means. Speaking of the abaya, I did see a young lady wearing one here with a sequin/beaded design that bore a very big prominent Coco Chanel logo on the front.

Anyways back to impressions and thoughts on Algeria the country. Perhaps mismanagement plays a part in keeping things from running smooth here. Some suspect corruption. Its obvious that there are some things that don’t add up for a country that has a GDP of 250 Billion dollars. Yemen has an annual GDP of 20 Billion dollar. It is surprising that here on the Mediterranean coast the price of seafood is relatively high, because supposedly the fishing rights are all leased or sold to other countries. I know that Mauritania also sells rights to fish off its coast to other countries too, but nonetheless there was some good fish to be bought at reasonably cheap prices in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou. So why not in Algiers?

Newspapers and statistics say that unemployment is high and you can see it everyday in Algiers. You see young men standing about and around, just hanging out with friends with nothing to do at all hours of the day. Some make spare change all day long, voluntarily watching cars parked on sidewalks in an area that has become their territory so to speak.

One thing I have noticed at the university is the lack of equipment and resources. University education I’m told is free. But free in this case doesn’t guarantee you get your money’s worth. There are virtually no textbooks. Somewhere a copy machine salesman is smiling. It seems all around there is a need for improvement and investment. The buildings and equipment could stand an upgrade and as I mentioned before, the faculty feels it is not getting appropriate compensation.

So why does this situation and lack of investment in higher institutions exist? Who knows the real answer of how or why these institutions are not properly supported. In the end, what is happening?

I would also like to add a comment here. Through couchsurfing.com, Mars Williamson of Sweden wrote me inquiring about the situation here. He is thinking of visiting and wonders whether the stereotypical bad news one hears about Algeria and the Middle East is at all true. I can say that since being here, nothing has happened to me nor have I ever felt threatened. However, there’s a feeling in the air at times. A feeling of fear or preoccupation. I notice it in my building, when some people are not friendly to me or in fact question my being here. This is a big city, yes, and they are essentially trying to secure the premises. I don’t take it personally. No, when one puts this into perspective and remembers the violence they suffered in the 90s and the more recent experiences with terrorism, then that really explains the emotions and feelings these people are going through. I would think its gonna take some time to get over that. Nonetheless, there’s a certain feeling in the air and I don’t think it’s joie de vivre. Maybe it’s that old depressing saying, Fatiguee de vivre, peur de mourir. (Tired to live, scared to die).

So there you have some comments heard from locals who one could say are not afraid to be critical of their homeland. How about the flip side of that coin?

Yes, the weather can be nice and the architectural variety fascinating. The languages can be a befuddling maze of linguistic hodgepodge. The people seem resilient in a vital and positive way. The same academic who found paradox so befitting of her country, claimed austere as a vital quality of the Algerian. This is in contrast with Egyptians and Syrians, for example she said, who “really enjoy life.”

I find Algerians to be amazingly adept at managing their identities, languages and cultural contexts. As varied as the terrain goes from Sahara to Kabylie mountains to superb coastal cities with Roman ruins so goes the colonial and imperial histories linked to the Ottomans, the Arabs, the Phoenicians, the Andalucians, the Fatimids, the Almoravids, the French, the British, the Pirates, the Vandals…Algeria seems austere and resilient. As many other relatively new countries, however, it is facing the challenges of defining its overall identity and vision for the future.