I get this question a lot, usually after someone has spoken to me in Arabic and seen the puzzled look on my face as I try to make out what they said.
"Where you from?" is the natural question. "America," is my answer. They blink, after which they either ask me again or say "Really?" Sometimes they'll even ask if I was born there.
Once I convince them that I really am an American, born and bred in the USA, they smile and tell me that I look Egyptian. (Here I am with a native Egyptian. What do you think?)
I was sharing some pix of my family with our Egyptian neighbor, which she enjoyed, and once she saw my father she exclaimed, "He looks Egyptian!" and "He looks like an Arab!" and "If I met him on the street I would speak Arabic to him!" Then I showed some pix of my husband's family, and our neighbor pointed to our niece and happily said, "That's an American!"
Most of the time, I see reactions like these as an opportunity to educate others on the diversity of my country's citizens. :-) Americans come in every color. I mean, really, we just elected a black president! :-))) But when our neighbor said that about our niece, it does remind me that there is a reason we, American people of color, are a minority. And that is that most Americans are white and most American tourists are white.
So I can't really blame people for double-checking where I come from. Especially since I'll continue to be mistaken for a local for the next couple of months!
Showing posts with label Cairo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cairo. Show all posts
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Final Cairo Sights
Well, the time has finally come. Froody and I leave Cairo this weekend. We took some time off of class to see a few more sites before we go.
The last thing we did with my in-laws before they left was see Saqqara. We all agreed it was much more interesting than the pyramids at Giza, yet everyone needs to see them, too. Many of the artifacts in the Imhotep Museum were so well-preserved, it was like they were just made yesterday. And remember, this is the oldest of the pyramids and started that whole pyramid trend. Even cooler than the pyramid and its complex was the tomb of a high official and Teti's pyramid. Unfortunately, cameras weren't allowed inside either and I wish I could share the details of the river scenes in the tomb and the star-covered ceiling of Teti's burial chamber.
After the in-laws went home, Froody and I were on our own. We did more exploring; there are still some things that still surprise me, like goats grazing in the street and huge mosques coming out of nowhere. We found the Ibn Tulun Mosque and the madrassa right next to it. We also met some school children who asked Froody to take their pic. Again, I love the friendliness of the people we've met here and everywhere. The minaret of the madrassa was a nice place to take pix of my hubby, too. The Ibn Tulun Mosque was lovely and there was something peaceful in the large, quiet space and the graceful curves repeating over and over again.
We also found Bab Zawela and the Tentmakers' bazaar. The walk through fabrics and quilts gradually became a walk through a market street, though with a "small meats" section we don't have in our own neighborhood. Sometimes we had to stop because the sidewalk and street were too crowded for anyone to make it through. Another surprise! an ancient door, probably 600 years-old and crumbling.
Finally, we made it to Rifai mosque and the Sultan Hussen madrassa, somewhere we've been meaning to see since Ramadan. Pretty incredible, don't you think? I find it strange that one was built in the 1400s and then in the late 1880s someone built another huge mosque right next to it. The new one (Rifai?) is also a family tomb.
The last thing we did with my in-laws before they left was see Saqqara. We all agreed it was much more interesting than the pyramids at Giza, yet everyone needs to see them, too. Many of the artifacts in the Imhotep Museum were so well-preserved, it was like they were just made yesterday. And remember, this is the oldest of the pyramids and started that whole pyramid trend. Even cooler than the pyramid and its complex was the tomb of a high official and Teti's pyramid. Unfortunately, cameras weren't allowed inside either and I wish I could share the details of the river scenes in the tomb and the star-covered ceiling of Teti's burial chamber.
After the in-laws went home, Froody and I were on our own. We did more exploring; there are still some things that still surprise me, like goats grazing in the street and huge mosques coming out of nowhere. We found the Ibn Tulun Mosque and the madrassa right next to it. We also met some school children who asked Froody to take their pic. Again, I love the friendliness of the people we've met here and everywhere. The minaret of the madrassa was a nice place to take pix of my hubby, too. The Ibn Tulun Mosque was lovely and there was something peaceful in the large, quiet space and the graceful curves repeating over and over again.
We also found Bab Zawela and the Tentmakers' bazaar. The walk through fabrics and quilts gradually became a walk through a market street, though with a "small meats" section we don't have in our own neighborhood. Sometimes we had to stop because the sidewalk and street were too crowded for anyone to make it through. Another surprise! an ancient door, probably 600 years-old and crumbling.
Finally, we made it to Rifai mosque and the Sultan Hussen madrassa, somewhere we've been meaning to see since Ramadan. Pretty incredible, don't you think? I find it strange that one was built in the 1400s and then in the late 1880s someone built another huge mosque right next to it. The new one (Rifai?) is also a family tomb.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
My Thoughts So Far-DELETED
The other day I was talking with my sister, who is a professional Middle Eastern dancer and has made several trips to Egypt. She asked me about my impressions of Arabic culture. This was a good question; I've never taken the time to make them comprehensible to anyone else. Or to myself, for that matter.
So I started blogging on how Egypt is different for female tourists than for male tourists, and a bit about the dirt, garbage, and pollution, and a bit more about how religion is a part of your life. Everyday. 5x a day.
BUT after reading what I wrote it all sounded like whining and I don't like whining. I don't want to get all down on Egypt, because it really is a cool place to be. Do I want to live here for ever and ever? No. Am I glad to have been here for 2.5 months? Heck yes!
Instead, I will share a couple of amusing bits of conversations we've had with locals.
The waiter(? owner?) at the fuul place we frequent complimented my husband on the fact that I was dressed appropriately. That was weird: my way of dressing was a good reflection on my husband! Of course, this was all said in a nice, friendly way with lots of smiling.
Our neighbor has told us that she really wants to go to America, especially Las Vegas where she hopes to make it rich on the roulette table. Then, she tells us that gambling is not allowed in Islam, but she wants to do it anyway! She also told us that if she was to meet Bin Laden she would hit him with her shoe!
I do want to share this pic with you: In Cairo the sun doesn't set as much as it sinks into a thick sky.
Another neat cultural difference is in all the greetings! Every other day we find another way of saying "How are you?" There's also greetings for the normal stuff like congratulations, condolences, and welcome back. The funniest one is the greeting for having just gotten a haircut or taken a shower: "naiyman" to which you reply "allah yenaiym aleek." There is no direct translation, but based on all the other greetings and their resposes it might be something like this: "That is a nice haircut/ You are nice and clean." "Yes, but God has the best haircut/God is always April fresh." XD
I do hope you make it to Egypt.
So I started blogging on how Egypt is different for female tourists than for male tourists, and a bit about the dirt, garbage, and pollution, and a bit more about how religion is a part of your life. Everyday. 5x a day.
BUT after reading what I wrote it all sounded like whining and I don't like whining. I don't want to get all down on Egypt, because it really is a cool place to be. Do I want to live here for ever and ever? No. Am I glad to have been here for 2.5 months? Heck yes!
Instead, I will share a couple of amusing bits of conversations we've had with locals.
The waiter(? owner?) at the fuul place we frequent complimented my husband on the fact that I was dressed appropriately. That was weird: my way of dressing was a good reflection on my husband! Of course, this was all said in a nice, friendly way with lots of smiling.
Our neighbor has told us that she really wants to go to America, especially Las Vegas where she hopes to make it rich on the roulette table. Then, she tells us that gambling is not allowed in Islam, but she wants to do it anyway! She also told us that if she was to meet Bin Laden she would hit him with her shoe!
I do want to share this pic with you: In Cairo the sun doesn't set as much as it sinks into a thick sky.
Another neat cultural difference is in all the greetings! Every other day we find another way of saying "How are you?" There's also greetings for the normal stuff like congratulations, condolences, and welcome back. The funniest one is the greeting for having just gotten a haircut or taken a shower: "naiyman" to which you reply "allah yenaiym aleek." There is no direct translation, but based on all the other greetings and their resposes it might be something like this: "That is a nice haircut/ You are nice and clean." "Yes, but God has the best haircut/God is always April fresh." XD
I do hope you make it to Egypt.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The Citadel
Well, the in-laws are safely back home in the US. Froody and I ejoyed their visit and are glad they had a good time.
We all spent a whole day at the Citadel together. Like much of Cairo you find a lot of monuments from a lot of different times in history all clumped together. The walls were built by Salah al-Din to protect the city from the crusaders, around 1180. Inside there are two mosques and two museums. The Mosque of Sultan al-Nasir was built in the early 1300s and is an empty shell as all its marble was carted off to Turkey later on. It's still great to wander in, and I love the striped arches and wooden ceiling. The military museum was OK. The most interesting part was the building itself, built for a sultan's harem (his wives and children), but we didn't want to pay the camera fee so there aren't any pix.
The police museum was one none of us had any interest in, but the view from the terrace was pretty sweet. Last thing we did before leaving was to go into the Mohammed Ali Mosque which sits on top of a hill and looks down on the city of Cairo. (Sadly, with all the tall buildings you have to be high up and pretty close to the Citadel to see it watching you.) It was built in the 1800s and its interior is the most beautiful I've seen. Mohammed Ali is still there, in fact. By now it was well after noon and the sun was coloring the limestone on the outside of the mosque and playing in the shadows.
We decided we weren't tired enough so we walked the 1.2 km to Al-Azhar park to show off the view to Froody's parents. It's wonderful standing there at dusk and hearing the call to prayer reaching up to you from all over town.
And, we all got a kick at watching the young people act like young people seem to do all over the world- hang out and play with their cell phones!
We all spent a whole day at the Citadel together. Like much of Cairo you find a lot of monuments from a lot of different times in history all clumped together. The walls were built by Salah al-Din to protect the city from the crusaders, around 1180. Inside there are two mosques and two museums. The Mosque of Sultan al-Nasir was built in the early 1300s and is an empty shell as all its marble was carted off to Turkey later on. It's still great to wander in, and I love the striped arches and wooden ceiling. The military museum was OK. The most interesting part was the building itself, built for a sultan's harem (his wives and children), but we didn't want to pay the camera fee so there aren't any pix.
The police museum was one none of us had any interest in, but the view from the terrace was pretty sweet. Last thing we did before leaving was to go into the Mohammed Ali Mosque which sits on top of a hill and looks down on the city of Cairo. (Sadly, with all the tall buildings you have to be high up and pretty close to the Citadel to see it watching you.) It was built in the 1800s and its interior is the most beautiful I've seen. Mohammed Ali is still there, in fact. By now it was well after noon and the sun was coloring the limestone on the outside of the mosque and playing in the shadows.
We decided we weren't tired enough so we walked the 1.2 km to Al-Azhar park to show off the view to Froody's parents. It's wonderful standing there at dusk and hearing the call to prayer reaching up to you from all over town.
And, we all got a kick at watching the young people act like young people seem to do all over the world- hang out and play with their cell phones!
Teh List
This blogger that I like to read had posted her TO DO list. You know, the one comprising all the things you want to do before you....die. And last night I was reading an article in Oprah's magazine that mentioned the Bucket List. So, I think the signs are telling me to finally write down the list I carry inside my head, which is good because then I can cross them off! (Or, the signs are telling me to remember all the great stuff I have already done and therefore stop thinking that I am a very boring person who hasn't done anything. Hmmmm...definitely another post.)
Ladies and Gentlemen- Janola's To Do List:
fly first class
see Turkey
dive among ancient greek ruins
see Antarctica
see wild polar bears
go to Alaska
visit all 50 states, even the square ones in the middle
walk on the Great Wall of China
visit the Louvre (actually go in it next time)
see the Sistene Chapel
see Da Vinci's Last Supper
visit rat temple in India
see Mt. Everest and hike along its foothills
ride a hot air balloon
see cave dwellings
experience a winter with snow
become fluent in Spanish
swim with whale sharks
write a book
paint and draw more
rebuild an old car
visit Australia
fly a plane
knit a beautiful cable-knit sweater
participate in an archeological or paleontological dig
take a ceramics class
*whew* of course, there's more I haven't thought of yet.
Your turn!
Ladies and Gentlemen- Janola's To Do List:
fly first class
see Turkey
dive among ancient greek ruins
see Antarctica
see wild polar bears
go to Alaska
visit all 50 states, even the square ones in the middle
walk on the Great Wall of China
visit the Louvre (actually go in it next time)
see the Sistene Chapel
see Da Vinci's Last Supper
visit rat temple in India
see Mt. Everest and hike along its foothills
ride a hot air balloon
see cave dwellings
experience a winter with snow
become fluent in Spanish
swim with whale sharks
write a book
paint and draw more
rebuild an old car
visit Australia
fly a plane
knit a beautiful cable-knit sweater
participate in an archeological or paleontological dig
take a ceramics class
*whew* of course, there's more I haven't thought of yet.
Your turn!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Which are 3LE per Kilo??
Buying produce is, like everything else here, different. And it's taken us a while to learn how to it.
Not every produce stand is alike. Some sell only veggies and some only fruit. Some stands only carry herbs. And, they may only sell one or two types of fruit/veg. Also, about half of them have a price on any of their wares, usually printed or written on a card and stuck into the lovely pile. We've seen some that have one fruit priced, but not the others. I take it to mean that the sellers expect me, the customer, to already know how much everything costs. I've learned to pay attention to the pricetags whenever we're wandering the market street.
Another thing is that the quality of the produce varies from person to person, so the tomatoes of the person you bought from today may look good, but they might look worse later on in the week. So while we do try to buy from people whose produce and prices we like, there are times when we have to go elsewhere.
Then it becomes an opportunity to learn how to "look".
For example, we found a man who was selling oranges from a cart. He had a price, 3LE (that's about USD 0.75 for two pounds), on a card stuck in the front of the only pile of orange oranges we could see. We gladly walked over to buy some and he directed us to the back of his cart. I just thought he wanted us to not disturb the neatness of the front of the pile. After picking 2 kilos, he weighed them and we gave him 6LE. He asked for 1LE more. ??! But the price is 3LE a kilo! we said that comes to 6LE. Yes, he said,smiling, but that's for the oranges in the front. The ones you got are 3.50LE because they are bigger. Of course, all this was said in very broken Arabic on our side, broken English on his side, and a lot of pointing on both sides. *grrrrrr* We paid him, grudgingly. But it was a good reminder to be careful. Especially with that guy.
Part 2: Since then, we've gone to other places for oranges, as that's all I've ever seen him sell. But the other day we found ourselves in front of this same cart of oranges. And there was the sign, 3LE per kilo. I got another two kilos of oranges, this time from right around the sign. He weighed them and I gave him 6LE and, again, he asked for one more pound. What do you mean? I said the sign says 3LE a kilo! Yes, he said, but that is for these oranges over here on the side. See how they are smaller?
*grrrrr* If we weren't so tired we would have dumped the oranges right there and filled the bag with small ones.
*sigh* But then, I say to myself that I'm getting upset over USD 0.20. But then, another side of me says: I don't like getting taken advantage of.
Not every produce stand is alike. Some sell only veggies and some only fruit. Some stands only carry herbs. And, they may only sell one or two types of fruit/veg. Also, about half of them have a price on any of their wares, usually printed or written on a card and stuck into the lovely pile. We've seen some that have one fruit priced, but not the others. I take it to mean that the sellers expect me, the customer, to already know how much everything costs. I've learned to pay attention to the pricetags whenever we're wandering the market street.
Another thing is that the quality of the produce varies from person to person, so the tomatoes of the person you bought from today may look good, but they might look worse later on in the week. So while we do try to buy from people whose produce and prices we like, there are times when we have to go elsewhere.
Then it becomes an opportunity to learn how to "look".
For example, we found a man who was selling oranges from a cart. He had a price, 3LE (that's about USD 0.75 for two pounds), on a card stuck in the front of the only pile of orange oranges we could see. We gladly walked over to buy some and he directed us to the back of his cart. I just thought he wanted us to not disturb the neatness of the front of the pile. After picking 2 kilos, he weighed them and we gave him 6LE. He asked for 1LE more. ??! But the price is 3LE a kilo! we said that comes to 6LE. Yes, he said,smiling, but that's for the oranges in the front. The ones you got are 3.50LE because they are bigger. Of course, all this was said in very broken Arabic on our side, broken English on his side, and a lot of pointing on both sides. *grrrrrr* We paid him, grudgingly. But it was a good reminder to be careful. Especially with that guy.
Part 2: Since then, we've gone to other places for oranges, as that's all I've ever seen him sell. But the other day we found ourselves in front of this same cart of oranges. And there was the sign, 3LE per kilo. I got another two kilos of oranges, this time from right around the sign. He weighed them and I gave him 6LE and, again, he asked for one more pound. What do you mean? I said the sign says 3LE a kilo! Yes, he said, but that is for these oranges over here on the side. See how they are smaller?
*grrrrr* If we weren't so tired we would have dumped the oranges right there and filled the bag with small ones.
*sigh* But then, I say to myself that I'm getting upset over USD 0.20. But then, another side of me says: I don't like getting taken advantage of.
Monday, November 10, 2008
CHOCOLATE!!!
This is a desperate call for help. I am on my "moontime" and have a huge chocolate craving. I've tried all sorts of chocolates on this trip, and have failed to find anything satisfying. :-( I think the problem is where we've been- Tanzania, Kenya, and now Egypt. These are all hot places (AFRICA hot), and chocolate does not seem to survive well out here. The chocolates I have bought (and eaten. hey, it's better than nothing... sometimes) are either stale-ish or taste very waxy. We bought chocolates for the wedding (under the advice of our tutors) and placed them in an inlaid box we had bought as a souvenir, and had a few left over. These were bought at a fancy chocolate shop/patisserie so we thought we had some decent chocolate, but no. They were really bad. :-( really.
*sigh* And looking forward, we seem to be moving even deeper into non-chocolate friendly territory.
*sigh* And looking forward, we seem to be moving even deeper into non-chocolate friendly territory.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
In-laws in Cairo
Our first apartment guests arrived earlier this week- Froody's parents! I've been looking forward to their visit and am real glad they're here. It's always nice to have visitors and share a new country with them. This is their first trip to Egypt, too.
Froody and I have shown them bits of Cairo we've already seen and much that we've never gotten around to. Of course, we showed them around our neighborhood- fruit and veg stand, the bakery.
Then we all wandered Islamic Cairo together. I particularly love how minarets are just everywhere here. Naturally the streets led us to the Khan il Khalili, a huge bazaar or souk where you can buy almost anything. We went into the Hussein Mosque which we later learned non-muslims are not allowed in, so I don't know how we got in. Froody's mom and I had to cover our hair, of course, but then had to enter on the other side of the mosque and stay in the harem section. Froody and his dad got to enjoy the huge interior. But both sides led to this smaller room and I wondered what was inside the silver box. Turns out that a grandson of the prophet Mohammed was beheaded, and his head now lives here. :-O
MIL made a friend during lunch and did a bit of shopping. (Really, it's hard to resist buying anything here, although I did the first time around.) As we followed the Muski (this street here) we eventually left the tourists behind and found all the locals and most of the women- shopping, of course. The Muski gets more and more narrow and you get more and more squished as you walk through. I think my in-laws found it a bit overwhelming. I know I did my first time there!
Of course, we haven't done everything together. They spent a day at the Egyptian museum and we met them on the top of the Nile Hilton in the evening, as we had class that day. We also invited Morad and his family over to meet them.
Froody and I have shown them bits of Cairo we've already seen and much that we've never gotten around to. Of course, we showed them around our neighborhood- fruit and veg stand, the bakery.
Then we all wandered Islamic Cairo together. I particularly love how minarets are just everywhere here. Naturally the streets led us to the Khan il Khalili, a huge bazaar or souk where you can buy almost anything. We went into the Hussein Mosque which we later learned non-muslims are not allowed in, so I don't know how we got in. Froody's mom and I had to cover our hair, of course, but then had to enter on the other side of the mosque and stay in the harem section. Froody and his dad got to enjoy the huge interior. But both sides led to this smaller room and I wondered what was inside the silver box. Turns out that a grandson of the prophet Mohammed was beheaded, and his head now lives here. :-O
MIL made a friend during lunch and did a bit of shopping. (Really, it's hard to resist buying anything here, although I did the first time around.) As we followed the Muski (this street here) we eventually left the tourists behind and found all the locals and most of the women- shopping, of course. The Muski gets more and more narrow and you get more and more squished as you walk through. I think my in-laws found it a bit overwhelming. I know I did my first time there!
Of course, we haven't done everything together. They spent a day at the Egyptian museum and we met them on the top of the Nile Hilton in the evening, as we had class that day. We also invited Morad and his family over to meet them.
Egyptian Wedding
According to some blogs I've read, wanting to go to an Egyptian wedding seems to be a not uncommon desire among travellers. I always thought it strange that anyone would go to another country where they don't know anyone with the hope of being invited to a wedding. I mean, in America the wedding couple spends weeks making and editing a guest list. I can't imagine going to someone else's wedding and inviting two strangers. But that is what happened to us a couple of weeks ago.
We found our landlady in the apartment next-door. Seems she was helping the woman of the house (Sarah) cook for the wedding the next day. After receiving the rent money, the landlady invited us to the wedding that was to take place in that apartment. This invitation was seconded by Sarah,who is the step-mother of the bride. What could we do but accept? The event was to take place "early"- 7 or 7.30pm. I say "early" because most weddings don't start until after the final prayer ends, around 9pm. And, I think most weddings happen on the weekends.
OK. What to wear? Froody and I take a look at our meagre wardrobes. I wanted a splash of color so wore a kanga from Kenya as a wrap and pinned it shut- don't want my arms to show too much! In spite of our tutors' reassurances that women wear whatever to a wedding, we decided to go conservative. Good thing as all the women were covered (and still looked great, btw).
We got there at 7.30pm and sat in the living room with all the other guests, including the father of the bride and the landlord. Sarah seemed very pleased to have us there. :-) Just then we all gathered outside along the stairwell to watch the wedding party arrive. I think there was a ceremonial part somewhere else and now was the community part/ party! There was a dj in the livingroom along with some friggin' huge speakers which pumped out loud music all night long. I mean really loud- it would have been a bit challenging to hear the tv in our place, the music was so loud!
After the happy couple arrived they were given the seats of honor. There was a lot of clapping and cheering all night. In Egypt it's mainly the women who cheer by making a trilling sound which carries throughout the neighborhood. Whenever you hear this sound it's almost always a wedding.(Morad said it could also be a new baby). Then the bride and groom have their first dance. At first, it looks like your first jr. high slowdance, but then the music changed and they both started shimmying and shaking, dancing like everyone dances here. And, the music and dancing pretty much continued during the rest of the night. The dancing stopped for the jewelry ceremony (Sarah walked around slowly with a box containing rings, bracelets, earrings, and a watch. Then the couple put the rings, etc. on each other and everyone got up to congratulate them.), the food (ah, so good! There were plates and plates of meat, chicken; cabbage leaves, eggplants, peppers, and squashes stuffed with savory rice, samosas, and a different rice), and the cutting of the cake. Once these events were over, it was back to dancing! Even we got pulled in and tried to dance with everyone.
Eventually, the bridal party left and we all ran to the balcony to see them off. They made a convoy behind the couple's car, which was decorated with bouquets of flowers and ribbons, and proceeded to drive around town, honking the horns and blasting their music! Sarah kindly gave us a plate of leftovers while they were cleaning up.
Once home, Froody and I reflected how everyone seemed to have a good time and even got a little crazy. It seems to me that here, any occasion for music and dancing is seen as a time to let off some much-needed steam.
Man, I really wish I could paint a better picture of all the food, music, and happy people.
We found our landlady in the apartment next-door. Seems she was helping the woman of the house (Sarah) cook for the wedding the next day. After receiving the rent money, the landlady invited us to the wedding that was to take place in that apartment. This invitation was seconded by Sarah,who is the step-mother of the bride. What could we do but accept? The event was to take place "early"- 7 or 7.30pm. I say "early" because most weddings don't start until after the final prayer ends, around 9pm. And, I think most weddings happen on the weekends.
OK. What to wear? Froody and I take a look at our meagre wardrobes. I wanted a splash of color so wore a kanga from Kenya as a wrap and pinned it shut- don't want my arms to show too much! In spite of our tutors' reassurances that women wear whatever to a wedding, we decided to go conservative. Good thing as all the women were covered (and still looked great, btw).
We got there at 7.30pm and sat in the living room with all the other guests, including the father of the bride and the landlord. Sarah seemed very pleased to have us there. :-) Just then we all gathered outside along the stairwell to watch the wedding party arrive. I think there was a ceremonial part somewhere else and now was the community part/ party! There was a dj in the livingroom along with some friggin' huge speakers which pumped out loud music all night long. I mean really loud- it would have been a bit challenging to hear the tv in our place, the music was so loud!
After the happy couple arrived they were given the seats of honor. There was a lot of clapping and cheering all night. In Egypt it's mainly the women who cheer by making a trilling sound which carries throughout the neighborhood. Whenever you hear this sound it's almost always a wedding.(Morad said it could also be a new baby). Then the bride and groom have their first dance. At first, it looks like your first jr. high slowdance, but then the music changed and they both started shimmying and shaking, dancing like everyone dances here. And, the music and dancing pretty much continued during the rest of the night. The dancing stopped for the jewelry ceremony (Sarah walked around slowly with a box containing rings, bracelets, earrings, and a watch. Then the couple put the rings, etc. on each other and everyone got up to congratulate them.), the food (ah, so good! There were plates and plates of meat, chicken; cabbage leaves, eggplants, peppers, and squashes stuffed with savory rice, samosas, and a different rice), and the cutting of the cake. Once these events were over, it was back to dancing! Even we got pulled in and tried to dance with everyone.
Eventually, the bridal party left and we all ran to the balcony to see them off. They made a convoy behind the couple's car, which was decorated with bouquets of flowers and ribbons, and proceeded to drive around town, honking the horns and blasting their music! Sarah kindly gave us a plate of leftovers while they were cleaning up.
Once home, Froody and I reflected how everyone seemed to have a good time and even got a little crazy. It seems to me that here, any occasion for music and dancing is seen as a time to let off some much-needed steam.
Man, I really wish I could paint a better picture of all the food, music, and happy people.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Eyes Wide Open and I Still Can't See
The other day Froody and I stopped at the local bakery to buy some bread. It was a bit crowded so I opted to wait on the sidewalk. This meant that I had several minutes of being outside and not moving, something that doesn't really happen much for me in Cairo, so I was able to look about me and soak in a bit more of my adopted neighborhood. Being on Sharia Tahrir means lots of people and many cars honking and trying to zoom past. But now I actually got to see it all as well as look UP at the tall buildings lining the sidewalks. It felt a lot like a river in a rainforest- the one place where there aren't any trees overhead which means that the sun can finally reach the ground. The city is like that, too. On the smaller, narrow side-streets it's a bit dim and the buildings are so close that looking up rarely affords a good look at them.
Why not look up more? I, for one, like to see where I'm about to place my foot so that I can avoid potholes (yes, on the sidewalks, too), manhole covers (again, on the sidewalks), trees, cats, garbage, mysterious puddles, beggars, beggars selling tissues, shoe-shiners, people selling any of the following: shoes, headscarves, clothes, sunglasses, ties, watches, pens,food. Oh, and cars. Because the sidewalks are so...full... most folks choose to walk in the street, which still requires one to keep their wits about them, as you may be run over by cars, trucks, bikes, pushcarts, horse carts, donkey carts, and motorcycles.
So, while I walk about with my eyes ever scanning the ground beneath and ahead of me any opportunity I get to raise them to the sky is usually taken advantage of. And I'm usually glad I did.
Why not look up more? I, for one, like to see where I'm about to place my foot so that I can avoid potholes (yes, on the sidewalks, too), manhole covers (again, on the sidewalks), trees, cats, garbage, mysterious puddles, beggars, beggars selling tissues, shoe-shiners, people selling any of the following: shoes, headscarves, clothes, sunglasses, ties, watches, pens,food. Oh, and cars. Because the sidewalks are so...full... most folks choose to walk in the street, which still requires one to keep their wits about them, as you may be run over by cars, trucks, bikes, pushcarts, horse carts, donkey carts, and motorcycles.
So, while I walk about with my eyes ever scanning the ground beneath and ahead of me any opportunity I get to raise them to the sky is usually taken advantage of. And I'm usually glad I did.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Quirks- We Has Dem
Every old apartment everywhere has Quirks. Ours does, definitely. Some of them are: 1)None of the doors close very well. 2)The showerhead and bathtub are at an odd angle, so that a lot of water shoots off our bodies and onto the floor. Meaning that 3)There is a squeegie in the bathroom we use to push the shower water into the drain on the floor. And also for 4)The washing machine drains through a hose on the floor that is very close to the drain in the floor, but not quite. 5)You have to pick the lid up off the toilet tank in order to flush. 6)The kitchen sink has no cold water. 7)The doorbell ringer sounds like birds chirping. This was done on purpose. 8)The chandeliers each have two (one has 3) different light sockets and wire sources.
But, overall, we do like our diggs. Like Froody said, everything is very conveniently located. It's a nice enough neighborhood and much quieter than downtown. I thank the embassies for that. If you're ever in Cairo, you'll be amazed at the huge (and ever growing) number of street cats. There are hardly any dogs so there's no infernal yelping and barking at ungodly hours. About a thousand years ago, the caliph Al-Hakim ordered every dog to be executed because he hated their noise! I'm sure that isn't the reason for the lack of wild dogs here, but it couldn't have helped. (I think this, and a few of his other actions, made him a pretty sick cookie.)
Another quirky thing- at Cilantro, an Egyptian chain coffeehouse, you can order an American coffee...served in a french press.
But, overall, we do like our diggs. Like Froody said, everything is very conveniently located. It's a nice enough neighborhood and much quieter than downtown. I thank the embassies for that. If you're ever in Cairo, you'll be amazed at the huge (and ever growing) number of street cats. There are hardly any dogs so there's no infernal yelping and barking at ungodly hours. About a thousand years ago, the caliph Al-Hakim ordered every dog to be executed because he hated their noise! I'm sure that isn't the reason for the lack of wild dogs here, but it couldn't have helped. (I think this, and a few of his other actions, made him a pretty sick cookie.)
Another quirky thing- at Cilantro, an Egyptian chain coffeehouse, you can order an American coffee...served in a french press.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Sheesh!
Man, where did all that come from?? Let's go to what you all came here for...more interesting stuff! Pictures!!
*These pastries came from the little bakery that Froody told you about. All that for 5LE or US$1.
*Ya' know, I really love looking at the Nile. I bet the pharoh's never expected anything like these hotels!!
*Yes, this really is a sushi place and yes, we did eat there. Pricey but not bad sushi!
*View from a 4 star hotel nextdoor. The food was pretty bad,
though.
*We invited Morad and his family over for dinner. We wanted to make them good ol' American ribs but due to the existing language barrier we couldn't. It was still a tasty dinner, though.
*Spent some time in Coptic Cairo. Of course, the architecture was amazing. Inside the Hanging Church is this high altar they use during special occasions like Palm Sunday. Can you find the column that represents Judas?
*If you go to this page you can click on the movie-tour Froody gives you of our Cairo apartment.
*We are constantly discovering new mosques. We need to actually go inside one before we leave.
*Sunset in Cairo as seen from the rooftop lounge of the Nile Hilton. Yes, those are the pyramids in the background. Was a pleasant evening and waaaayyy cheaper than the Cairo Tower.
*These pastries came from the little bakery that Froody told you about. All that for 5LE or US$1.
*Ya' know, I really love looking at the Nile. I bet the pharoh's never expected anything like these hotels!!
*Yes, this really is a sushi place and yes, we did eat there. Pricey but not bad sushi!
*View from a 4 star hotel nextdoor. The food was pretty bad,
though.
*We invited Morad and his family over for dinner. We wanted to make them good ol' American ribs but due to the existing language barrier we couldn't. It was still a tasty dinner, though.
*Spent some time in Coptic Cairo. Of course, the architecture was amazing. Inside the Hanging Church is this high altar they use during special occasions like Palm Sunday. Can you find the column that represents Judas?
*If you go to this page you can click on the movie-tour Froody gives you of our Cairo apartment.
*We are constantly discovering new mosques. We need to actually go inside one before we leave.
*Sunset in Cairo as seen from the rooftop lounge of the Nile Hilton. Yes, those are the pyramids in the background. Was a pleasant evening and waaaayyy cheaper than the Cairo Tower.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Cairo Living
Well, we've been in our apartment for a week now and, no, we haven't done any "real" sight-seeing until today. But, I don't feel too bad about that (now that we've seen a sight). There's just so much to do when you first move in as many of you know. Plus, living in another country makes everyday living an adventure. Oh, I mean an ADVENTURE!!1!
List of Adventures Had This Week
1) Crossing the street- it's like living a game of Frogger each time
2) Buying produce from the street vendors. Are they ripping me off or not? Actually, they're probably not.
3)Riding the Metro. Took us a while to figure out the right exit so we don't have to cross the street every time (see #1). Also, I feel a bit weird every time because I'm one of the very, very few women in that car. Most women use the "Women Only" cars, which is very colorful and pretty as it zooms past you and then everything goes blah when the men's cars go past.
4)Buying groceries. What is in stock? Egyptian versions of American foods! How much everything really is since the blurb on the shelf doesn't match what is on the shelf about half the time.
5)Buying meat from the butcher. How do you know it's a butchery? Why, by the carcasses hanging outside, of course! We wanted to cook some ribs and serve them up to Morad and his family. You know, give them a taste of American food (to which Morad answered, "Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Hardees...aren't these American?" I sheepishly agreed and Froody said we wanted them to have real American food.)OK- so-back to the butcher who didn't speak English (natch) and had difficulty figuring out what we wanted even with a pic. Eventually, everyone figured out what we wanted and he went into the big fridge and pulled out 2.5kg of rib meat and lion (no bones) of veal. We bought 2kg of it and it was really nice. Froody thinks this can become a weekly thing: go to the butcher, get whatever loose meat he has laying around (in the fridge), and cook it up.
6)Eating lunch. Yup, it's an adventure when you A-Don't know what the heck that stuff is, and B-Don't know how much it should cost. At least it was tasty and cheap for us Americans. :-)
7) Go to the Post Office. It's adventurous when you can't find it! And we had two maps!! Anyway, ended up going to the Main Post Office instead which is a bit overwhelming because of all the windows with digital numbers over them and all the people sitting down in front of them. Are they waiting for their number to come up? Are they waiting for the window I'm about to go to? Which window sells stamps? (OK, we know the answer to this one now.)
8) Standing in Line. Not sure what it is, but Egyptians have no sense of the "queque" that we westerners have. Yeah, there's a "line" but older women seem to have the right to cut right to the front of the line! And, when your turn is next, there's no sense of personal space and the person behind you will crowd and get in front of you if you're not aggressive. And once you're at the window the people directly behind you are now right at your elbows (srsly, I'm not kidding) and some even have their money out and in the window! And you're still waiting for tickets or change!!
9)Driving in Cairo. We definitely aren't ballzy enough to even dare to imagine driving in this crazy city. I thought Nairobi was bad. Still, Cairenes do seem to follow a couple more driving rules than the Kenyans, but,...sheesh! You have to see it to believe it. For instance, at night, they don't turn on their lights. They do drive with the running lights on and use the headlights to warn other cars and pedestrians of their approach. During daylight hours the horn has this job. They also use their turnsignal for things other than turning corners. And they have a total disregard for the lines in the road. Basically, the road is going to have anywhere from 3 to 5 lanes, depending on how busy it is. I've even seen roads hardly big enough for one car fit two cars!! There's no real speed limit, either. If there's no one in front of you, you can floor it!
List of Adventures Had This Week
1) Crossing the street- it's like living a game of Frogger each time
2) Buying produce from the street vendors. Are they ripping me off or not? Actually, they're probably not.
3)Riding the Metro. Took us a while to figure out the right exit so we don't have to cross the street every time (see #1). Also, I feel a bit weird every time because I'm one of the very, very few women in that car. Most women use the "Women Only" cars, which is very colorful and pretty as it zooms past you and then everything goes blah when the men's cars go past.
4)Buying groceries. What is in stock? Egyptian versions of American foods! How much everything really is since the blurb on the shelf doesn't match what is on the shelf about half the time.
5)Buying meat from the butcher. How do you know it's a butchery? Why, by the carcasses hanging outside, of course! We wanted to cook some ribs and serve them up to Morad and his family. You know, give them a taste of American food (to which Morad answered, "Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Hardees...aren't these American?" I sheepishly agreed and Froody said we wanted them to have real American food.)OK- so-back to the butcher who didn't speak English (natch) and had difficulty figuring out what we wanted even with a pic. Eventually, everyone figured out what we wanted and he went into the big fridge and pulled out 2.5kg of rib meat and lion (no bones) of veal. We bought 2kg of it and it was really nice. Froody thinks this can become a weekly thing: go to the butcher, get whatever loose meat he has laying around (in the fridge), and cook it up.
6)Eating lunch. Yup, it's an adventure when you A-Don't know what the heck that stuff is, and B-Don't know how much it should cost. At least it was tasty and cheap for us Americans. :-)
7) Go to the Post Office. It's adventurous when you can't find it! And we had two maps!! Anyway, ended up going to the Main Post Office instead which is a bit overwhelming because of all the windows with digital numbers over them and all the people sitting down in front of them. Are they waiting for their number to come up? Are they waiting for the window I'm about to go to? Which window sells stamps? (OK, we know the answer to this one now.)
8) Standing in Line. Not sure what it is, but Egyptians have no sense of the "queque" that we westerners have. Yeah, there's a "line" but older women seem to have the right to cut right to the front of the line! And, when your turn is next, there's no sense of personal space and the person behind you will crowd and get in front of you if you're not aggressive. And once you're at the window the people directly behind you are now right at your elbows (srsly, I'm not kidding) and some even have their money out and in the window! And you're still waiting for tickets or change!!
9)Driving in Cairo. We definitely aren't ballzy enough to even dare to imagine driving in this crazy city. I thought Nairobi was bad. Still, Cairenes do seem to follow a couple more driving rules than the Kenyans, but,...sheesh! You have to see it to believe it. For instance, at night, they don't turn on their lights. They do drive with the running lights on and use the headlights to warn other cars and pedestrians of their approach. During daylight hours the horn has this job. They also use their turnsignal for things other than turning corners. And they have a total disregard for the lines in the road. Basically, the road is going to have anywhere from 3 to 5 lanes, depending on how busy it is. I've even seen roads hardly big enough for one car fit two cars!! There's no real speed limit, either. If there's no one in front of you, you can floor it!
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