Yes, it did rain today - I felt drops that kept falling on my head but sadly, it wasn't much in the way of real rain like we get in Delaware and Chester county. Just enough to make a little bit of acid rain and add to the 0.07 inches that fall in the Cairo area per year.
I did go out on a two hour walk, not planned to be so long but it took me a while to check out a couple of stores I had wanted to see. One of these was And Company where my jewelry teacher designs earrings and necklaces and bracelets. I looked at the price tags of a few necklaces and they were around 300-350 LE. Not bad if you consider the workmanship and unique beads - it's around $60. Of course, making the necklaces myself in class and buying the beads of semi-previous stones and silver is around 1/3 of the store price which is nothing. We will learn more techniques and get more practice this Thursday and NEXT WEEK get to go with teach' to the bead stores of the Khan. I still remember dipping my hands into the huge bowls of silver and coral and lapis in Rabat, Morocco.
Dragging my feet and sweaty despite the slightly lower temperature, I stopped at Mandarine Koueder for a lemon ice gulping it down to try and cool myself. Then once at home, those two cans of orange soda Mirinda worked like a charm.
Before coming home though, I wandered around trying to find the natural cosmetics shop called Nefertari. The street I was looking for was parallel to And Company but it had a different name, hence the senseless wandering. Just about ready to give up, it appeared. And then there was another one after I had purchased some things at the first one. They specialize in oils, soaps, Egyptian cotton robes and towels, scrubs and other fun things. Without much thought, I grabbed a wooden container of Egyptian kohl for the eyes (my unadorned eyes are looking so plain, I need help), Moroccan liquid soap in a mason jar. The directions say to soak in a hot tub covering the body. They haven't seen my reduced size tub! Hope I can get out of it. I also hope that my makeshift stopper works - my sister Loretta gave me a jar opener and hey, it's plastic and rubbery and just might work. The directions also said you needed a Moroccan scrub mitten and they had them. I bought one for Dominique too as she had been looking for one. They are NOT like loofahs but not quite like brillo pads. Kind of like the stuff you scrub your pots with! I guess that's why you have to soak first to loosen the dead skin. I may have to use the plunger again.
Now I'm cooking scallop potatoes with mushrooms, a bunch of butter, a combination of left over Egyptian soft cheese and will top it off with some shredded mystery cheese and roasted garlic. One half hour and voila! Vegetarian dinner. It won't be as good as Peggy's fabulous scallop potatoes but it will satisfy me and Dominique anyway. I used two packages of mushrooms and sauteed them in butter and layered them in with the thinly sliced potatoes. After this weekend's staring fish for lunch it will be a welcome change.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Alexandria Trip
We just got back from a Fulbright overnight trip to Alexandria - a whole busload of us. Fulbright paid for everything - a room in a nice hotel overlooking the Mediterranean sea, all of our meals and sightseeing. Our meals featured seafood and I thought of Nancy, who when we traveled, would take off the legs of my shrimp. Our first lunch was three shrimp with their legs and heads on!! And the worst was the whole fish we each got which wasn't that well cooked. I was feeling queasy? but was OK but Ranya who works in the office had to leave the sightseeing early and was violently ill. Luckily she made it to the hotel in time. Maria the 14 year old was horrified at the face and could barely eat her rice. The ice cream with pomegranate sauce was good. That night we had beef slices in a kind of sauce and chocolate mousse - the salad with feta cheese, cucumbers and tomatoes was excellent. Then our last lunch was, you may be guessing this, another whole fish but cooked a bit more.
We toured the Jewish Synagogue in Alexandria and got to take pictures - there are only 18 women and 4 men left. Our guide was the youngest at 54 years old, the rest of the men are in their 80s or 90s. The women are pretty old too and taken care of in a special rest home. There used to be 35,000 Jews but with the war of the 40s and 50s in Egypt, most moved to Israel and Europe and the US. They had always gotten along with the Muslims and Christians but things changed drastically mostly American meddling in politics as usual.
We then went to St. Marks church - a Coptic church in Alexandria. They are the proud owners of the head of St. Mark. We went down into the crypt of the church - had to take our shoes off to walk down the concrete stairs to peer into a glassed in window, except for a hole where people would write their prayers and drop them in. No head visible unfortunately as I had hoped - just lots of dried up flowers and pieces of paper. In the time of the Crusades, St. Mark's body was smuggled out - the story I know is that they covered the body in its container with large pieces of pork which the Muslims would not have disturbed and so didn't stop the merchants on their way to Venice where his body is. How did Alexandria get his head? Oh through later negotiations with the Pope in Rome and the Patriarch in Alexandria. Kind of like the way St. Catherine of Siena is divided up. In Siena they have her head and one pinky finger and the rest of the body is in Rome. Weird but so fascinating.
We drove through a district called the Atarine where lots of reproduction antique furniture was made and sold and, sold as real antiques. Stuff from the 19th century. Pretty nice furniture ornate, covered in gold ormulu which is the embellishments on wood furniture. We passed one antique store (we only had a bus view) that looked promising with lots of old silver and metal things. Unfortuntely this trip was a whirlwind.
Up early the next morning in time for a lavish buffet breakfast where Dominique and I had omelettes made to order. I was admiring the omelette maker's skill in flipping the eggs and he offered to let me do it but I declined as the eggs would have landed on the floor. So he flipped mine again. Oh the things men do when they are complimented!! Tiny croissants were on my plate too. I was waiting for the new batch of crepes but we didn't have enough time. Just enough time to get a French press cup of coffee. Then off on the bus for a tour of the Biblioteca Alexandrina where one of the Fulbright scholars who is a librarian is working.
Our final lunch after the very fast tour of 3 hours at the library was lunch and this time with some of the Fulbright alumni (the Egyptian ones). I met one of the artists who is exhibiting at the CairoOpera House and found that I am one of about 10artists and the only non Egyptian. Wow, I really fell into something pretty cool. I am ready to start painting again. Gamal, the artist was so funny, we sat next to each other and then an Egyptian physicist, Wegdan - a woman - sat with us too. She was so animated and traveled all over the US and Europe. Her next trip is to Boston and she asked me if I needed anything from Boston, how cute. Then she is probably going to Seattle next to collaborate on a project. It's so nice to meet the professors they are so charming, women and most men (well the artists I have met anyway).
I slept late today. I had gotten up really early with a headache and took a Fiorinal then heard Dominique leave at 8:30 and I went back to sleep until 11 or so. Had some coffee and rice pudding for breakfast. I have been eating too much what with the Chris and Katie visit and the Fulbright food fests so back on the wagon. Our shower was still clogged when we got home with standing water so we had to rouse ourselves at 9 pm to walk to the Alfa Market to try to find a plunger and draino. We found both and I plunged the shower successfully. It was gross but I was happy it worked, used the shower attachment to send boiling water down the drain then had to use my makeshift cleanser - oxyclean to clean the tub and now it is in good shape.
Must get it together today and get some work done. I meet with my Helwan professor Dr. Taha Hussein in Applied Arts on Tuesday and I want to print out my research schedule to show him. I'm tired already.
We toured the Jewish Synagogue in Alexandria and got to take pictures - there are only 18 women and 4 men left. Our guide was the youngest at 54 years old, the rest of the men are in their 80s or 90s. The women are pretty old too and taken care of in a special rest home. There used to be 35,000 Jews but with the war of the 40s and 50s in Egypt, most moved to Israel and Europe and the US. They had always gotten along with the Muslims and Christians but things changed drastically mostly American meddling in politics as usual.
We then went to St. Marks church - a Coptic church in Alexandria. They are the proud owners of the head of St. Mark. We went down into the crypt of the church - had to take our shoes off to walk down the concrete stairs to peer into a glassed in window, except for a hole where people would write their prayers and drop them in. No head visible unfortunately as I had hoped - just lots of dried up flowers and pieces of paper. In the time of the Crusades, St. Mark's body was smuggled out - the story I know is that they covered the body in its container with large pieces of pork which the Muslims would not have disturbed and so didn't stop the merchants on their way to Venice where his body is. How did Alexandria get his head? Oh through later negotiations with the Pope in Rome and the Patriarch in Alexandria. Kind of like the way St. Catherine of Siena is divided up. In Siena they have her head and one pinky finger and the rest of the body is in Rome. Weird but so fascinating.
We drove through a district called the Atarine where lots of reproduction antique furniture was made and sold and, sold as real antiques. Stuff from the 19th century. Pretty nice furniture ornate, covered in gold ormulu which is the embellishments on wood furniture. We passed one antique store (we only had a bus view) that looked promising with lots of old silver and metal things. Unfortuntely this trip was a whirlwind.
Up early the next morning in time for a lavish buffet breakfast where Dominique and I had omelettes made to order. I was admiring the omelette maker's skill in flipping the eggs and he offered to let me do it but I declined as the eggs would have landed on the floor. So he flipped mine again. Oh the things men do when they are complimented!! Tiny croissants were on my plate too. I was waiting for the new batch of crepes but we didn't have enough time. Just enough time to get a French press cup of coffee. Then off on the bus for a tour of the Biblioteca Alexandrina where one of the Fulbright scholars who is a librarian is working.
Our final lunch after the very fast tour of 3 hours at the library was lunch and this time with some of the Fulbright alumni (the Egyptian ones). I met one of the artists who is exhibiting at the CairoOpera House and found that I am one of about 10artists and the only non Egyptian. Wow, I really fell into something pretty cool. I am ready to start painting again. Gamal, the artist was so funny, we sat next to each other and then an Egyptian physicist, Wegdan - a woman - sat with us too. She was so animated and traveled all over the US and Europe. Her next trip is to Boston and she asked me if I needed anything from Boston, how cute. Then she is probably going to Seattle next to collaborate on a project. It's so nice to meet the professors they are so charming, women and most men (well the artists I have met anyway).
I slept late today. I had gotten up really early with a headache and took a Fiorinal then heard Dominique leave at 8:30 and I went back to sleep until 11 or so. Had some coffee and rice pudding for breakfast. I have been eating too much what with the Chris and Katie visit and the Fulbright food fests so back on the wagon. Our shower was still clogged when we got home with standing water so we had to rouse ourselves at 9 pm to walk to the Alfa Market to try to find a plunger and draino. We found both and I plunged the shower successfully. It was gross but I was happy it worked, used the shower attachment to send boiling water down the drain then had to use my makeshift cleanser - oxyclean to clean the tub and now it is in good shape.
Must get it together today and get some work done. I meet with my Helwan professor Dr. Taha Hussein in Applied Arts on Tuesday and I want to print out my research schedule to show him. I'm tired already.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Beading class, Women's Association
Today was my first beading/jewelry class at WA headquarters on 11 Yehia Ibrahim Street in Zamalek, Cairo. Our teacher has been making jewelry for 15 years and is part of a shop in my section of Cairo called And Company. She gave us the basics with tools which we didn't really need today but there were beads and wire to string them on. She also brought the book on Crystals and their Healing Power which I have a version of at home. I was going back and forth between fondling the jasper and the carnelian/agate then placing the beads and replacing others until I found a combination of them that I was pretty happy with. In two weeks, we go on a field trip to the Khan to a huge bead shop where we can choose our own silver spacers and beads, stones, etc. which will be much better.
I ended up making a carnelian and pearl necklace which I think looks pretty good. Our teacher helped us with making the clasp and voila! My necklace was worn home. I'll post the picture of the necklace soon. So now you know what I will be giving out as gifts this year - earrings and necklaces made in Egypt. That's all for now. Off to Alexandria tomorrow for a Fulbright trip
I ended up making a carnelian and pearl necklace which I think looks pretty good. Our teacher helped us with making the clasp and voila! My necklace was worn home. I'll post the picture of the necklace soon. So now you know what I will be giving out as gifts this year - earrings and necklaces made in Egypt. That's all for now. Off to Alexandria tomorrow for a Fulbright trip
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Shahira Mehrez Fashion Show
10:00 am bus trip to the Fostat Souk to see a fashion show of Bedouin and other Egyptian traditional dress by collector Dr. Shahira Mehrez. This trip was sponsored by the Women's Association of Cairo of which I am a new member. I sat next to a wonderful Egyptian woman, Edna from Heliopolis who was at least 75 years old. She was a wonderful and lively woman in spite of her having a headache. She told me she has, first thing in the morning, a cup of Turkish coffee and two cigarettes plus breakfast and she is set for the day. Only two cigarettes per day, she says it makes her calm and ready for anything. I rubbed her neck and told her to massage it to alleviate the headache since she doesn't like to take any kind of pills beyond the one she takes for high blood pressure and something else for her osteoporosis. The women were saying "how do you know about this?" I said I was a healer and an artist. Just simple things. Lots of Egyptian women, American women, French etc. who live in Cairo and are English speaking belong to this association. There are a lot of activities sponsored as I may have mentioned in a previous blog.
The fashion show started at 11:30 am and was an hour with countless examples of dress from Siwa to Upper Egypt and Nubia. I bought a Bedouin bracelet and earrings later on at one of the shops there. I also have contact information for Shahira who has a grand opening of her collection and shop on the 27th in Dokki.
All in all, a great day. I had the chance to speak to so many women. We took the bus back to the Cairo Marriott and I exalted in the cool air conditioned palace of a hotel. It's my place to get money from the ATM and today, the bank clerk at the Bank of Alexandria there gave me change for 400 LE in all the bills I could desire. It is sooo hard to get change here and so helpful to have small bills. Imagine walking around with $100 bills and you want to ride the bus and purchase a ticket with one. That's what it is like here.
Well, must go now. Tomorrow is jewelry class at the Women's Association in Zamalek very close to me at 11 Yehia Ibrahim Street.
The fashion show started at 11:30 am and was an hour with countless examples of dress from Siwa to Upper Egypt and Nubia. I bought a Bedouin bracelet and earrings later on at one of the shops there. I also have contact information for Shahira who has a grand opening of her collection and shop on the 27th in Dokki.
All in all, a great day. I had the chance to speak to so many women. We took the bus back to the Cairo Marriott and I exalted in the cool air conditioned palace of a hotel. It's my place to get money from the ATM and today, the bank clerk at the Bank of Alexandria there gave me change for 400 LE in all the bills I could desire. It is sooo hard to get change here and so helpful to have small bills. Imagine walking around with $100 bills and you want to ride the bus and purchase a ticket with one. That's what it is like here.
Well, must go now. Tomorrow is jewelry class at the Women's Association in Zamalek very close to me at 11 Yehia Ibrahim Street.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Monday means Saqqara
Today was our day to visit Saqqara and Dashur. I had called Mohamed, our taxi driver for pur taxi tour appointment last night and our agreed upon time was 10:00 am. He called this morning to tell me he was running fifteen minutes late. While waiting at the garage, we got an earful from his brother in law about the magnetic qualities of the pyramid at Dashur. He was trying to tell us that you go into the pyramid, it smells like ammonia (ugh, like the worst collection of cat pee ever) and then you go to the top chamber and go into a yoga pose and meditate for 15-30 minutes. He said you would feel tired but three days later, would have amazing energy. Hmmm. We couldn't get past the nasty cat pee smell. We couldn't wait to get out of there. Somehow, I don't remember it smelling that bad before but then it was at least ten years that I was there. We saw the Bent Pyramid from a distance and got back into our taxi. Katie was suffering from acute ammonia poisoning and then we went to Saqqara.
The best part of Saqqara is the limited number of people who go there. It was much cheaper than Giza which you can see in the distance. First we paid to get in, 15 LE for students and teachers. Katie must have batted her eyelashes and swung her blonde hair because she didnt have a student card but got the student price. Chris had to pay 30 LE. When we got in the area, I saw that admission to the New tombs was extra and the guard let us pay 50 LE for all three. A guy took us dowm to the tomb area which was discovered in 1954 but only open to the public for the past 5 years. He gave us a nice little introduction then called for the guard to open the tombs. Of course, I had to see them. The usual "no cameras, no photos" but still it was worth a look.
Our guard came clad in a dark blue gallabiya with grizzled face and sprouting facial hairs. He immediately launched into who the men were - two twin brothers who were high priests at Abu Sir and also the pharaoh's manicurists. You see, no ordinary person could touch the pharaoh because he was considered to be a god so it was a good side job for priests apparently. Here's where the fun began. Our guard said, it's OK for photos. Yessiree, I took lots. The boys are there holding hands, with baskets of food before them, there are men butchering cows, milking cows, calves being born all in super graphic detail. It was exciting because I had never seen them before and because I got to photograph the forbidden images. Plus, I tipped our guard 20 LE for the privilege. Then we went to another tomb with more scenes. The last tomb was not as colorfully painted but there were scenes of grape picking, graphe smashing and wine making. Now there's an article for a wine magazine or blog! Another 20 LE tip and our guard was quite happy. I took a picture of Chris with him and then Chris took a picture of me with him. Oh yeah, part of the tip was a pen which he asked me for. No problem, happy to oblige. I think he said he had six children, he may have been charged up by my proximity to make number seven - was that a compliment?
We walked to the Pyramid of Unas just up the causeway of Dynasty 5 which had covered over the tombs we had just visited. I had been in Unas House of Eternity before but this time it was closed. Too bad as there were the first pyramid texts on the inner walls of the tomb. they were bringing in camera equipment and it was closed to the public. We also asked about getting into the Pyramid of Djoser but that too was closed as it often is. There was a flurry of activity setting in new limestone blocks apparently to shore up the very first stone pyramid albeit in stepped mastaba form. some of the stones seemed to be in mid avalanche down the six steps. I told Katie and Chris about the heb sed festival of revealing the strength of the pharaoh. we made our way down to Mohamed and the taxi - tore into our turkey and cheddar sandwiches and decided to skip the Mastaba tomb of Mereruka. It was enough for the day which was very very smoggy with the rice straw burning and heat of the day. It was overcast but not in a good way.
Last stop, Nomad store on the Corniche Nil - larger than the small store in the Cairo Marriott - so Katie could buy a small pillow case with a camel on it. We got home, I opened a Stella Egyptian beer and went to bed promising the three kids that I would order pizza for dinner. Mohamed is taking them to the airport at 10:00 pm tonight so they have plenty of time for their flight back to Prague where the rest of their journey continues. The end for now. Pizza was great - I also got a small apple pie and a small lemon meringue.
The best part of Saqqara is the limited number of people who go there. It was much cheaper than Giza which you can see in the distance. First we paid to get in, 15 LE for students and teachers. Katie must have batted her eyelashes and swung her blonde hair because she didnt have a student card but got the student price. Chris had to pay 30 LE. When we got in the area, I saw that admission to the New tombs was extra and the guard let us pay 50 LE for all three. A guy took us dowm to the tomb area which was discovered in 1954 but only open to the public for the past 5 years. He gave us a nice little introduction then called for the guard to open the tombs. Of course, I had to see them. The usual "no cameras, no photos" but still it was worth a look.
Our guard came clad in a dark blue gallabiya with grizzled face and sprouting facial hairs. He immediately launched into who the men were - two twin brothers who were high priests at Abu Sir and also the pharaoh's manicurists. You see, no ordinary person could touch the pharaoh because he was considered to be a god so it was a good side job for priests apparently. Here's where the fun began. Our guard said, it's OK for photos. Yessiree, I took lots. The boys are there holding hands, with baskets of food before them, there are men butchering cows, milking cows, calves being born all in super graphic detail. It was exciting because I had never seen them before and because I got to photograph the forbidden images. Plus, I tipped our guard 20 LE for the privilege. Then we went to another tomb with more scenes. The last tomb was not as colorfully painted but there were scenes of grape picking, graphe smashing and wine making. Now there's an article for a wine magazine or blog! Another 20 LE tip and our guard was quite happy. I took a picture of Chris with him and then Chris took a picture of me with him. Oh yeah, part of the tip was a pen which he asked me for. No problem, happy to oblige. I think he said he had six children, he may have been charged up by my proximity to make number seven - was that a compliment?
We walked to the Pyramid of Unas just up the causeway of Dynasty 5 which had covered over the tombs we had just visited. I had been in Unas House of Eternity before but this time it was closed. Too bad as there were the first pyramid texts on the inner walls of the tomb. they were bringing in camera equipment and it was closed to the public. We also asked about getting into the Pyramid of Djoser but that too was closed as it often is. There was a flurry of activity setting in new limestone blocks apparently to shore up the very first stone pyramid albeit in stepped mastaba form. some of the stones seemed to be in mid avalanche down the six steps. I told Katie and Chris about the heb sed festival of revealing the strength of the pharaoh. we made our way down to Mohamed and the taxi - tore into our turkey and cheddar sandwiches and decided to skip the Mastaba tomb of Mereruka. It was enough for the day which was very very smoggy with the rice straw burning and heat of the day. It was overcast but not in a good way.
Last stop, Nomad store on the Corniche Nil - larger than the small store in the Cairo Marriott - so Katie could buy a small pillow case with a camel on it. We got home, I opened a Stella Egyptian beer and went to bed promising the three kids that I would order pizza for dinner. Mohamed is taking them to the airport at 10:00 pm tonight so they have plenty of time for their flight back to Prague where the rest of their journey continues. The end for now. Pizza was great - I also got a small apple pie and a small lemon meringue.
Sunday, Nafeza and Khan Khalili
Waking up LATE, we join up with Shayma (Chris, Katie, Dominique and Ginger)and take the metro to Fostat to visit the workshop of el Nafeza. Since we had Chris with us, we couldn't take the women's carriage in the metro and had to be crammed together in the everyone but God carriage, stinky men, brave women, and more stinky men. We did meet a Bulgarian group who were part of an experimental theater troupe who were performing that night and they invited us to come see their performance. We waited until the first metro had left as it was jam packed with the same mix of people. Ugh. So with the second car, we got on and stood the entire time. That's what happens at the Sadat station as it is the main place to change for other metros.
El Nafeza is in the same complex of studios and workshops as Darb 17 18 which we also visited. Enas was there, the wife of Mohamed el Nagy who is in charge of the workshop that mainly trains deaf/mute young men and women. Everyone was working that day on colored vats of paper pulp making magenta, royal blue, turquoise and green paper. We observed the entire process from the cleaning of the straw bales to the boiling of the straw which seemed to be releasing some rather toxic fumes. Upon arrival, Enas took us around and explained the process. She had working with her in the workshop, a French women who is helping to get them more business. She said that just now, Diwan's book shop was making an order to have in their bookstore which is across the street from where I live across 26 July Street. The finished materials have changed somewhat beyond the packets of paper, lampshades, and scrapbooks, to more embossed paper which they were fashioning into magazine holders and other items.
Immediately on going outside to where the paper was being macerated and then dumped into tanks where screens accepted the slurry of rice paper pulp, we met little Akhmed the small son of one of the deaf mute workers. His father is also deaf as is Akhmed. He would scream with delight when I would show him a photo I had taken of him. He wanted me to take photos of everything! So I will post some of Akhmed posing next to ultramarine blue sheets of paper adhering to the stone walls; Akhmed lifting up a chair, Akhmed posing, etc. Just recently, the shop obtained a paper press which they use to make smoother versions of the rougher rice paper.
I purchased six larger sheets and a pack of 20 sheets around the size of my portraits. I thought I would use it in the same way for painting portraits in my series. With the day's photos and from Saturday's as well, I have several more choices for my Faces in Egypt. Chris and Katie each bought some items and somehow I have been roped into taking Chris's scrapbook and a few papyrus paintings home with my stuff. Hmmm.
It is actually Monday now but I wanted to keep the day's activities in order. After Nafeza, we went back downtown via metro and this time, I told Chris to go in the men's car and how many stops (four) and we women went into the all girl car. It was pretty crowded in ours but no stinkiness. Chris was treated to a lot of armpit odors. He's a good sport. From there, both Shayma and Dominique were too tired to acompany us to the Tentmaker's area or Khan Khalili. We took a taxi to the Bab Zuweila right at the entrance to the clothing district. For the life of me, I couldn't find the place where they made tents. We needed Shayma with us but she was under the weather. After a truck backing up nearby ran over a woman's foot - Chris said he heard an audible crunch - and the woman was screaming in pain. We decided, actually, I decided to hightail it out of there with the kids in tow.
We decided next to get to the Khan Khalili and Naguib Mafouz cafe so off we went. The day then turned around for the better. After a great "light" lunch around 4:00 pm or so, we were well fueled for some last minute shopping. Katie needed scarabs in different colors for the boys she babysat and Chris wanted some papyrus as well as some small stuffed camels at the bargain price of 45 LE for three of them. Katie got her small scarabs in turquoise, ultramarine blue, lime green and light blue for 2 LE each. We found a nice guy in his shop who took us directly to the Bedouin shop. I couldn't have found it on my own and there was Ahmed who I had met last year. We browsed around the shop and went upstairs too where he has stacks of old Bedouin costumes, face veils and other assorted Bedouin items. I bought an Eye charm with dangling chains and beads on it, a set of silver and amber earrings, a Siwa ring for a perfect price. I think Ahmed has a crush on me but not in an icky way. I got several of his business cards so that I would never lose his shop again. I intend to take Carla there when she comes to visit December 31.
El Nafeza is in the same complex of studios and workshops as Darb 17 18 which we also visited. Enas was there, the wife of Mohamed el Nagy who is in charge of the workshop that mainly trains deaf/mute young men and women. Everyone was working that day on colored vats of paper pulp making magenta, royal blue, turquoise and green paper. We observed the entire process from the cleaning of the straw bales to the boiling of the straw which seemed to be releasing some rather toxic fumes. Upon arrival, Enas took us around and explained the process. She had working with her in the workshop, a French women who is helping to get them more business. She said that just now, Diwan's book shop was making an order to have in their bookstore which is across the street from where I live across 26 July Street. The finished materials have changed somewhat beyond the packets of paper, lampshades, and scrapbooks, to more embossed paper which they were fashioning into magazine holders and other items.
Immediately on going outside to where the paper was being macerated and then dumped into tanks where screens accepted the slurry of rice paper pulp, we met little Akhmed the small son of one of the deaf mute workers. His father is also deaf as is Akhmed. He would scream with delight when I would show him a photo I had taken of him. He wanted me to take photos of everything! So I will post some of Akhmed posing next to ultramarine blue sheets of paper adhering to the stone walls; Akhmed lifting up a chair, Akhmed posing, etc. Just recently, the shop obtained a paper press which they use to make smoother versions of the rougher rice paper.
I purchased six larger sheets and a pack of 20 sheets around the size of my portraits. I thought I would use it in the same way for painting portraits in my series. With the day's photos and from Saturday's as well, I have several more choices for my Faces in Egypt. Chris and Katie each bought some items and somehow I have been roped into taking Chris's scrapbook and a few papyrus paintings home with my stuff. Hmmm.
It is actually Monday now but I wanted to keep the day's activities in order. After Nafeza, we went back downtown via metro and this time, I told Chris to go in the men's car and how many stops (four) and we women went into the all girl car. It was pretty crowded in ours but no stinkiness. Chris was treated to a lot of armpit odors. He's a good sport. From there, both Shayma and Dominique were too tired to acompany us to the Tentmaker's area or Khan Khalili. We took a taxi to the Bab Zuweila right at the entrance to the clothing district. For the life of me, I couldn't find the place where they made tents. We needed Shayma with us but she was under the weather. After a truck backing up nearby ran over a woman's foot - Chris said he heard an audible crunch - and the woman was screaming in pain. We decided, actually, I decided to hightail it out of there with the kids in tow.
We decided next to get to the Khan Khalili and Naguib Mafouz cafe so off we went. The day then turned around for the better. After a great "light" lunch around 4:00 pm or so, we were well fueled for some last minute shopping. Katie needed scarabs in different colors for the boys she babysat and Chris wanted some papyrus as well as some small stuffed camels at the bargain price of 45 LE for three of them. Katie got her small scarabs in turquoise, ultramarine blue, lime green and light blue for 2 LE each. We found a nice guy in his shop who took us directly to the Bedouin shop. I couldn't have found it on my own and there was Ahmed who I had met last year. We browsed around the shop and went upstairs too where he has stacks of old Bedouin costumes, face veils and other assorted Bedouin items. I bought an Eye charm with dangling chains and beads on it, a set of silver and amber earrings, a Siwa ring for a perfect price. I think Ahmed has a crush on me but not in an icky way. I got several of his business cards so that I would never lose his shop again. I intend to take Carla there when she comes to visit December 31.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Saturday, October 17
Today we woke up late! We did make our way out of the apartment to see the Ibn Tulun Mosque, the oldest mosque in Cairo. It was an incredible space. I gave the foot cover man 5 LE and off we shuffled off. The place was huge.Not really used extensively as a mosque but WOW, what a place. We got to climb the minaret, the only one of its kind with the spiraling form. And that was an experience. While there, we met a young girl Salema and her father visiting Egypt from Saudi Arabia. He was a mechanical engineer. We talked about the problem with the black cloud of Cairo and pollution and the possible solutions. Salema was so cute, in her last year of high school. She wants to pursue a degree in art but her father is into medicine or engineering. Her sister is a pharmacist and her mother's side of the family have some artists. I took her email address down so I can help advise her and her father thanked me. I seem to be adopting more and more children these days. Spreading goodwill around the world.
Again,the photos from today were really good. We were hungry but I wanted to take the kids into the Khan Tulun - a shop where there are good prices, lots of handicrafts and less insane than the Khan Khalili. Chris and Katie managed to buy some presents and even Dominique got some things, postcards mainly. Earlier today, I bought a fold old laminated map of the Western desert from the mini Diwan's bookshop at the Marriott Hotel. The kids needed more money and I figured I would take out a little more.
We have vowed to get up early tomorrow at least by 9 am so we can go to Nafeza papermaking shop in the Fostat area, from there to the Tentmakers Bazaar and then finally to Khan Khalili. Also tomorrow night is the boat ride down the Nile. So many things to see, too little time. Monday is the day to go to Saqqara for the Stepped Pyramid and tombs of Nobles as well as maybe Dashur for the Red pyramid. I have to call Mohamed the taxi driver to remind him. More bargaining for the drive. But so worth it. Signing off for now as I want to get to Diwan's. I had Katie go with Dominique and Chris and I will follow.
Again,the photos from today were really good. We were hungry but I wanted to take the kids into the Khan Tulun - a shop where there are good prices, lots of handicrafts and less insane than the Khan Khalili. Chris and Katie managed to buy some presents and even Dominique got some things, postcards mainly. Earlier today, I bought a fold old laminated map of the Western desert from the mini Diwan's bookshop at the Marriott Hotel. The kids needed more money and I figured I would take out a little more.
We have vowed to get up early tomorrow at least by 9 am so we can go to Nafeza papermaking shop in the Fostat area, from there to the Tentmakers Bazaar and then finally to Khan Khalili. Also tomorrow night is the boat ride down the Nile. So many things to see, too little time. Monday is the day to go to Saqqara for the Stepped Pyramid and tombs of Nobles as well as maybe Dashur for the Red pyramid. I have to call Mohamed the taxi driver to remind him. More bargaining for the drive. But so worth it. Signing off for now as I want to get to Diwan's. I had Katie go with Dominique and Chris and I will follow.
Yesterday, Pyramids
Waking up pretty late yesterday, 12:30 pm to be exact with Chris' knocking on my bedroom door saying Ginger, get up, we got ourselves together for a trip to the pyramids. My original plan was to go to the Metro and ride to Giza then a short taxi to the 7th ancient wonder of the world. However, with our time constraints, I switched to plan B. This was to find the taxi driver in the underpass who I had ridden with before somewhere. He spoke good English and I learned his name was Mohamed. I had lost his card before but got another one. Bargaining began with the starting price of 200 LE but oh no, I said 100 LE and he said 150 LE, it's a long way and finally, we agreed on 100 LE with waiting for us in addition to taking us to a restaurant called Andrea.
As we were nearly there, I asked how much a camel ride would be and so straight away, we were wisked to the stable area - THE place to get the horses and camels that one rides around the pyramids and sphinx. We had to give 100 LE each for the camels - yes, I know, I had said never again for a camel ride. But I was assured that these particular camels were safe, their owners were good and didn't maltreat their animals. Apprehensive, I agreed since the 100 LE would cover a 45 minute tour around the pyramids. Of course, we had to pay to get into the pyramid area - 30 LE with my ITIC and 60 for Chris and Katie who didn't have one. Katie forgot hers at home, silly girl! The discounts you can get with an ISIC is very good here in Egypt, Turkey and other places, not so much in Europe.
Anyway, we had some intermediary guy who made me promise to visit his "papyrus and perfume" shop. Yadda yadda yadda. Our camels were brought to us in the stable parking lot by Omar, our guide and little Akmed who is in training to learn English. I got to ride Ali Baba, Chris had Mr. Lover, Katie on California. All were boy camels I learned after inquiring. Omar said the girl camels are not allowed for tourists because they cry all the time, no not the tourists but the camels. The tourists cry the next day with inner thigh pain! I was a little apprehensive naturally because of my experience two years ago. Ali Baba was such a nice camel - all white and well behaved. As soon as we got into the pyramid enclosure, Omar got on my camel with me, in front and little Akhmed leapt on the camel in front of Chris. Katie went solo. Those 45 minutes turned into nearly two hours while we slowly made our way around the smaller pyramid of a queen and then were shown a small opening which Zahi Hawass had discovered last year.
There are many many tombs which have been excavated by Hawass, all new since I was here in 2007. Along the way, Omar paid a bit of money to the guards to allow us to climb a little way on the pyramid of Menkaure for photo ops. And the pictures are great. We didn't have time to go into any of the pyramids and that was OK. We also ran out of time to actually get close to the Sphinx and that was OK too. The poor Sphinx is deteriorating before my eyes from the inside with rising groundwater seaping inside and pollution eating away at the limesone surfaces. The face of the Sphinx is definitely less sharp than I noticed only two years ago. I will be posting some great pics soon so stay tuned.
Yes, we did make our way into the papyrus shop with the horrendously and luridly painted Pharaonic scenes. I did my typical art critic evaluation and spouted off all the places I have been on one of the maps painted on the prepared reed plant surface. We drank our cokes provided by the shop and I managed to get us out of there in time. Right before, I asked Omar to get our driver Mohamed so we could make a quick getaway. I to think my way out of a box before the lid closes if you know what I mean. Before we got off our camels and dismounted in view of the intermediary, I had pulled out 110 LE for Omar. Katie and Chris ended up giving little Akhmed around 30 LE. Omar asked me to say I only gave him 20 LE in case anyone asked but no one did. He was a nice guy, around 31 years old. We had the chance to talk about a number of things. He is kind, hates cruelty to animals and despises anyone who is judgmental in a religious way. not your usual touchy grabby sort. And he took really photos of us. So different from when Katie Nemec, Stacie Kranzley, Cathy Holskin and I had our tour from Pack2Egypt hell.
Tired, sweaty and smelling of camels, we showered and got ready to go to our party on the rooftop with artist's studios as part of the Townhouse Gallery initiative. Artists put in an application for a two to three month residency. Jennifer was turning 23, a British artist who has a studio there now. She had a slide show of her work going on. Lots of people were there, one was a belly dancer from Libya named Fatma - she was fabulous, beautiful, young and I took many pictures. The studio managers had lots of beer for sale for 10 LE and food there too. There was dancing and really good music - they even played the Bangles, Walk Like an Egyptian! We made our way home around 2:00 am but Dominique and Shayma stayed there until 5:00 am.
As we were nearly there, I asked how much a camel ride would be and so straight away, we were wisked to the stable area - THE place to get the horses and camels that one rides around the pyramids and sphinx. We had to give 100 LE each for the camels - yes, I know, I had said never again for a camel ride. But I was assured that these particular camels were safe, their owners were good and didn't maltreat their animals. Apprehensive, I agreed since the 100 LE would cover a 45 minute tour around the pyramids. Of course, we had to pay to get into the pyramid area - 30 LE with my ITIC and 60 for Chris and Katie who didn't have one. Katie forgot hers at home, silly girl! The discounts you can get with an ISIC is very good here in Egypt, Turkey and other places, not so much in Europe.
Anyway, we had some intermediary guy who made me promise to visit his "papyrus and perfume" shop. Yadda yadda yadda. Our camels were brought to us in the stable parking lot by Omar, our guide and little Akmed who is in training to learn English. I got to ride Ali Baba, Chris had Mr. Lover, Katie on California. All were boy camels I learned after inquiring. Omar said the girl camels are not allowed for tourists because they cry all the time, no not the tourists but the camels. The tourists cry the next day with inner thigh pain! I was a little apprehensive naturally because of my experience two years ago. Ali Baba was such a nice camel - all white and well behaved. As soon as we got into the pyramid enclosure, Omar got on my camel with me, in front and little Akhmed leapt on the camel in front of Chris. Katie went solo. Those 45 minutes turned into nearly two hours while we slowly made our way around the smaller pyramid of a queen and then were shown a small opening which Zahi Hawass had discovered last year.
There are many many tombs which have been excavated by Hawass, all new since I was here in 2007. Along the way, Omar paid a bit of money to the guards to allow us to climb a little way on the pyramid of Menkaure for photo ops. And the pictures are great. We didn't have time to go into any of the pyramids and that was OK. We also ran out of time to actually get close to the Sphinx and that was OK too. The poor Sphinx is deteriorating before my eyes from the inside with rising groundwater seaping inside and pollution eating away at the limesone surfaces. The face of the Sphinx is definitely less sharp than I noticed only two years ago. I will be posting some great pics soon so stay tuned.
Yes, we did make our way into the papyrus shop with the horrendously and luridly painted Pharaonic scenes. I did my typical art critic evaluation and spouted off all the places I have been on one of the maps painted on the prepared reed plant surface. We drank our cokes provided by the shop and I managed to get us out of there in time. Right before, I asked Omar to get our driver Mohamed so we could make a quick getaway. I to think my way out of a box before the lid closes if you know what I mean. Before we got off our camels and dismounted in view of the intermediary, I had pulled out 110 LE for Omar. Katie and Chris ended up giving little Akhmed around 30 LE. Omar asked me to say I only gave him 20 LE in case anyone asked but no one did. He was a nice guy, around 31 years old. We had the chance to talk about a number of things. He is kind, hates cruelty to animals and despises anyone who is judgmental in a religious way. not your usual touchy grabby sort. And he took really photos of us. So different from when Katie Nemec, Stacie Kranzley, Cathy Holskin and I had our tour from Pack2Egypt hell.
Tired, sweaty and smelling of camels, we showered and got ready to go to our party on the rooftop with artist's studios as part of the Townhouse Gallery initiative. Artists put in an application for a two to three month residency. Jennifer was turning 23, a British artist who has a studio there now. She had a slide show of her work going on. Lots of people were there, one was a belly dancer from Libya named Fatma - she was fabulous, beautiful, young and I took many pictures. The studio managers had lots of beer for sale for 10 LE and food there too. There was dancing and really good music - they even played the Bangles, Walk Like an Egyptian! We made our way home around 2:00 am but Dominique and Shayma stayed there until 5:00 am.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Dinner at Aubergine in Zamalek
I joined Dominique and her Arab class buddies at Aubergine where I ate a couple of times last year. It is right in Zamalek and boasts a menu of primarily vegetarian dishes. Everything looked good. Carnivore that I am, I had one of two well done hamburgers. Sometimes, you just miss good old American style food. I'll be good tomorrow. Sitting next to me was a petite French nurse who works all over France and decided to learn Arabic in a five week course before traveling to Luxor. She likes the variety of work and places and as a nurse, it is a great opportunity. Brianna was there as well, a Fulbright student who I think I have mentioned before. She is an anthropology student studying migration and refugees. One of the best conversations with a man from Montreal, Canada who is Persian and loves film. We talked about Turtles Can Fly which I had shown my students and he wrote down a number of other films he thought I might like. He is a writer and will be staying in Egypt for a full year, he came in July. I told him that I was writing a book as well. There were probably a dozen different people from all nations who had come to Egypt to learn Arabic for various reasons. Christoffe, German, I believe unless he is Swiss, said that he likes to be in a place and learn the language and the customs. After his Arabic classes, he will travel to Syria and Jordan and may return to Egypt. Europeans really know how to travel. I don't know how they can leave their jobs but like the nurse, she has a built in ability to work and travel wherever she pleases. And of course, in Europe it is standard to be paid for at least six weeks per year regardless of whether you have worked at a company for one year or longer. Not the miserly two weeks that Americans give after a whole year of working. My brother Tom, was afraid to even take off a couple of days from his new job of six months to come for a long weekend to visit me in Media. No wonder Americans are full of stress and neuroses. Not enough time off to see other cultures. Of course, in Europe countries are smaller and closer together but still, Australians are far from anywhere and they travel like the French and Dutch too.
Click for Free Mammorgrams
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com
Please click daily to help provide free mammograms for needy women. When detected early, breast cancer fatalities can be alleviated. This site also has links to Free Hunger, Child Health, Literacy (which helps children and adults to free themselves of ignorance, creates better job opportunities and raises esteem), Save the Rainforest, Assist Animal Rescue.By clicking every day, you can help and it doesn't cost you anything. The mark of a true humanitarian is one who does not say I can't do anything to alleviate world hunger, sickness and untimely death. She says,it is only a moment of my time to help others every day. That act will allow you to think of other ways to put a smile on a child's face, a cup of rice into a struggling widow's stomach, a few trees saved to help our ozone layer not become depleted by the cutting down of rainforests.
I am nearly finished with all six paintings and need to take a break from portraits and perhaps record some other intimate scenes of city life here in Cairo - the colorful array of lights caused by speeding cars, the glimpse of buildings when I look up at the sky, washing hanging out a window, a Fauve landscape created by small rooftop gardens. Even if you can't be here, think of ways to colorize your world. Have your children make art everyday even if all it is, is a scribble of colors across a plain sheet of paper. Encourage it in yourself, put on some dangling earrings, a touch of color on your lips, and breathe the fresh air of your neighborhood. Talk to animals, from the birds on the trees to the squirrels running up and down and around the lawn of your apartment or house, to the meowing cats and barking dogs that you encounter. Most of you will not see donkeys on the streets or horses pulling carts like I do, or camels spitting and blinking their huge fringed eyelashes - I will provide that for you in this blog. Delight in the colors around you, the orange hues of the fall trees. Love who you are. You are fabulously talented men and women!
Well, I'm on a high from getting money at the HSBC ATM at the Marriott in preparation for my hosting Chris and Katie. I had a cappucchino and crossant at Simonds and got a merci beaucoup from the older barista when I gave my 1 LE tip. I went to the Women's Association of Cairo on 11 Yehia Ibrahim Street just a few blocks away and joined as a member for 200 LE. This now entitles me to discounts for their excursions like the one I will be on Tuesday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm for the Traditional Bedouin costume fashion show at Fustat. We meet at the Gezira parking lot at the Marriott and then take an air conditioned bus. It will be the chance to meet other women in the area - this "club" is for English speaking women. You never know who I will meet through them.
Then walked to Alfa Market for the usual shopping, bread, tomatoes, 1/2 kilos of sliced turkey and cheddar cheese (sheedar), croissants, loaf of freshly baked French bread, chocolate. So will have lots of food for my guests. Now it's time to relax a bit - think about writing something scholarly - I finished my article interview with Shayma which I had forgotten about. There is still the one on origins of beauty: women, wisdom, fear and desire in art.
Please click daily to help provide free mammograms for needy women. When detected early, breast cancer fatalities can be alleviated. This site also has links to Free Hunger, Child Health, Literacy (which helps children and adults to free themselves of ignorance, creates better job opportunities and raises esteem), Save the Rainforest, Assist Animal Rescue.By clicking every day, you can help and it doesn't cost you anything. The mark of a true humanitarian is one who does not say I can't do anything to alleviate world hunger, sickness and untimely death. She says,it is only a moment of my time to help others every day. That act will allow you to think of other ways to put a smile on a child's face, a cup of rice into a struggling widow's stomach, a few trees saved to help our ozone layer not become depleted by the cutting down of rainforests.
I am nearly finished with all six paintings and need to take a break from portraits and perhaps record some other intimate scenes of city life here in Cairo - the colorful array of lights caused by speeding cars, the glimpse of buildings when I look up at the sky, washing hanging out a window, a Fauve landscape created by small rooftop gardens. Even if you can't be here, think of ways to colorize your world. Have your children make art everyday even if all it is, is a scribble of colors across a plain sheet of paper. Encourage it in yourself, put on some dangling earrings, a touch of color on your lips, and breathe the fresh air of your neighborhood. Talk to animals, from the birds on the trees to the squirrels running up and down and around the lawn of your apartment or house, to the meowing cats and barking dogs that you encounter. Most of you will not see donkeys on the streets or horses pulling carts like I do, or camels spitting and blinking their huge fringed eyelashes - I will provide that for you in this blog. Delight in the colors around you, the orange hues of the fall trees. Love who you are. You are fabulously talented men and women!
Well, I'm on a high from getting money at the HSBC ATM at the Marriott in preparation for my hosting Chris and Katie. I had a cappucchino and crossant at Simonds and got a merci beaucoup from the older barista when I gave my 1 LE tip. I went to the Women's Association of Cairo on 11 Yehia Ibrahim Street just a few blocks away and joined as a member for 200 LE. This now entitles me to discounts for their excursions like the one I will be on Tuesday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm for the Traditional Bedouin costume fashion show at Fustat. We meet at the Gezira parking lot at the Marriott and then take an air conditioned bus. It will be the chance to meet other women in the area - this "club" is for English speaking women. You never know who I will meet through them.
Then walked to Alfa Market for the usual shopping, bread, tomatoes, 1/2 kilos of sliced turkey and cheddar cheese (sheedar), croissants, loaf of freshly baked French bread, chocolate. So will have lots of food for my guests. Now it's time to relax a bit - think about writing something scholarly - I finished my article interview with Shayma which I had forgotten about. There is still the one on origins of beauty: women, wisdom, fear and desire in art.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Two more paintings for the series
Can't believe how active I was today painting. I felt the need to complete the ones I had started so I could post them! I love the Little Coptic Girl - she was the sweetest little thing, one of the zabaleen - the garbage collector's at Moqqatam - the hills above Cairo. Garbage is delivered there and by 2 pm, it has disappeared into various areas - paper, cans, organic stuff. The smell is pretty terrible on the hot days and most of the garbage people are Coptic Christians. The monastery is a little oasis full of children who go to school there and all ages, very friendly children too. Though the families collect and sort garbage, surprisingly, most little girls have gold earrings. Actually, if there is any money left, the women - Muslim, Christian wear gold and 22 or 24 K gold at that. Silver means you aren't very well off and is disdained.
The other portrait is of Amira, the journalist for the English weekly version of Al Ahram newspaper. I got the idea to include a few of the letters of the Newspaper in the portrait partly from Picasso's use of the Parisian paper in his cubist collage works. It's only 7:00 pm here but I feel like I have been working all day. I woke up and stayed up from 9:15 am. I never hear Dominique leave - she is so quiet. Only if I ask her to wake me up do I get up earlier. Anyway, it is so hot here as I stated earlier in the 10 day weather forecast for Cairo.
The other portrait is of Amira, the journalist for the English weekly version of Al Ahram newspaper. I got the idea to include a few of the letters of the Newspaper in the portrait partly from Picasso's use of the Parisian paper in his cubist collage works. It's only 7:00 pm here but I feel like I have been working all day. I woke up and stayed up from 9:15 am. I never hear Dominique leave - she is so quiet. Only if I ask her to wake me up do I get up earlier. Anyway, it is so hot here as I stated earlier in the 10 day weather forecast for Cairo.
10 Day Weather Forecast for Cairo
Chance of precipitation - 0%. Temperatures ranging from 90 degrees to a high of 95 degrees on Saturday. Temperature is finally 89 degrees on the 21st of October - the official Autumn equinox. Humidity is rather high too.
Birthday part for Jennifer on October 16 on the rooftop studios downtown.
Birthday part for Jennifer on October 16 on the rooftop studios downtown.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
New Paintings and Food Delivery
This morning, yes 11:00 am is still morning for me, I was on a roll and started two new paintings and one new charcoal sketch. One is my friend Amira el Naqueb who writes forAl Ahram. It is just blocked out color and shape wise but I have her expression well defined. Then I started on a little Coptic girl from the church in Moqqatam hills. She is barely four years old, wispy hair big wooden cross on a leather string around her neck. Her big eyes reminded me of how I used to look. I made some adjustments to the little St. Catherine's girl especially her left eye. Somehow the left eyes are too high up. I thibk it's because I am drawing flat when I should have an easel. Acrylics are easy enough to correct though. I like the way they are going on the watercolor paper. Once the 12 are finished of this size, I want to work on the larger size canvases I bought for a group portrait.
I had to stop the paintings because I don't want to get mechanical about them - no paint by numbers - the scourge of the wanna be artist - I want the spark, the expression intact, coming out from within the paint and the sitter's eyes and mouth. Needing a break, I suggested to Dominique that we get out. It is so easy to stay in the air conditioned apartment! It is still humid outside and I heard that Nebraska is having the first snow storms and West Chester is getting chilly. Needed to stock up on mundane stuff like t.p. and desperately in need of bottled water so off we went to Alpha Market.
As our shopping cart ended up with more and more items, I figured, we should see about delivery and that way, I could get two boxes of water - this time the Nesle brand which is way better than Baraka, I also saw Siwa water but Nesle is tried and true. I was down to the last one at home. We each got chocolate - I had bought a variety of bars last week and Dominique liked a certain Hershey's and I am a great fan of Galaxy chocolate bars, so creamy. Just for comparative purposes, I also bought one Cadbury my ultimate favorite. We bought some stuff for stir fry, the tricolored peppers and mushrooms that Dominique will cook - veggies!! I will also eat tomatoes but no lettuce or other hard to clean items.
We made ourway home, hands free except for the two dozen country roses I bought for less than $3. They are pink but there were maybe three red roses mixed in. They even smelled faintly of roses. We got home, thrilled with the air conditioning, and I got the roses trimmed and put into the water pitcher - not the Brita - that water is for making tea and coffee. I'm now drinking some hibiscus tea (I had snitched a bunch of tea bags while in Costa Rica). I also am typing this on my mini Dell laptop. I finally figured out how to connect wirelessly about I bought a cord for direct connection to the modem. I had tried the wireless before on this b ut I guess I am better at pushing the right buttons now. I also had some kind of security on it which asked for a password each time another web site was accessed which was really annoying. Took care of that problem too. So now I sit on my green hard backed loveseat, sipping tea and typing on this lovely lightweight mini.
Well, that's all for niow, two young boys from the market delivered the groceries and I tipped them each 5 LE and they were happy. Me too. I love having lots of water.
I had to stop the paintings because I don't want to get mechanical about them - no paint by numbers - the scourge of the wanna be artist - I want the spark, the expression intact, coming out from within the paint and the sitter's eyes and mouth. Needing a break, I suggested to Dominique that we get out. It is so easy to stay in the air conditioned apartment! It is still humid outside and I heard that Nebraska is having the first snow storms and West Chester is getting chilly. Needed to stock up on mundane stuff like t.p. and desperately in need of bottled water so off we went to Alpha Market.
As our shopping cart ended up with more and more items, I figured, we should see about delivery and that way, I could get two boxes of water - this time the Nesle brand which is way better than Baraka, I also saw Siwa water but Nesle is tried and true. I was down to the last one at home. We each got chocolate - I had bought a variety of bars last week and Dominique liked a certain Hershey's and I am a great fan of Galaxy chocolate bars, so creamy. Just for comparative purposes, I also bought one Cadbury my ultimate favorite. We bought some stuff for stir fry, the tricolored peppers and mushrooms that Dominique will cook - veggies!! I will also eat tomatoes but no lettuce or other hard to clean items.
We made ourway home, hands free except for the two dozen country roses I bought for less than $3. They are pink but there were maybe three red roses mixed in. They even smelled faintly of roses. We got home, thrilled with the air conditioning, and I got the roses trimmed and put into the water pitcher - not the Brita - that water is for making tea and coffee. I'm now drinking some hibiscus tea (I had snitched a bunch of tea bags while in Costa Rica). I also am typing this on my mini Dell laptop. I finally figured out how to connect wirelessly about I bought a cord for direct connection to the modem. I had tried the wireless before on this b ut I guess I am better at pushing the right buttons now. I also had some kind of security on it which asked for a password each time another web site was accessed which was really annoying. Took care of that problem too. So now I sit on my green hard backed loveseat, sipping tea and typing on this lovely lightweight mini.
Well, that's all for niow, two young boys from the market delivered the groceries and I tipped them each 5 LE and they were happy. Me too. I love having lots of water.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
1:00 am
As you can see by the title of this blog, it is past midnight. I just read a note from my sister, Liz and was inspired to post the unfinished next two paintings I worked on today. The preteen boy I met on top of Mount Sinai - he showed me some crystals he had found on some of the other nearby mountains. All kinds of prophets like Elijah climbed upwards in their quest for godliness or something. It's a tough climb as I've stated previously. Walking upwards for hours does make you lightheaded and full of serotonin releasing into the blood stream, the runner's high. Add to that, the three hours of stomach cramps I had, well, getting to the top and being able to rest supine was akin to a religious experience in my mind. Well, OK, that and finding out that there was actually a toilet of a sort modestly closed off with branches.
OK, back to the boy - I just had to have those crystals - kind of a smoky quartz - which I gave him about 40 LE for. I told him that he should find more to sell to tourists. A really sweet kid, reminded of me of my nephew John so open and honest. Well, I decided to have his right hand showing clasping a crystal and I think I have achieved that bright eyed look that he had though this painting needs another day of work. The little girl, too is in progress. She had these pouting cherry red lips, big brown eyes that did not light up - a solemn little girl of around 5 or 6, not exactly trusting me. Bedouin women are cautious, do not often have anything to do with strangers and foreigners. But there is something so exotic and mysterious. Now the Berber women in Morocco seem much more forthright and powerful. I hope this little girl from Saint Catherine's monastery area continues to be feisty with that "I dare you to make me smile, I won't you know" look. I don't quite have that in the portrait yet. Again, another day or so.
As for what women wear in the villages, I would have to say it varies. Most wear scarves or hijab on their heads with no hair showing. In Tunis village, garments were rather drab amongst the potters. Clay colored long gallabiya to match the clay from which they fashioned vessels, plates, tiles. I saw one of the girls later come swimming in the pool of Evelyne and she was breathtakingly beautiful with thick dark brown hair, dark lashes, nubile in a one piece black swimsuit. No wonder they cover up! But other women had on some colors, reds and blues but very plain. Some wore skirts and a long sleeved long tunic. The fashion is functional - show no curves. Preteens and children are different with uncovered hair and limbs allowable.
Among other women, sometimes even face coverings exist - this particular "fashion" comes from Saudi Arabia - where women are swathed in black from head to toe. Some even wear black gloves of all things which I witnessed on the metro women's car. No where in the Quran, I am told by my Muslim girl friends, does it say that women are to be covered up with no hair showing. In Iran, a man walks around with a stick to hit women who have an errant wrist or ankle showing or a wisp of hair. Bedouin women are covered but their clothing, at least the traditional clothing is jubilantly embroidered with shell buttons forming part of the design. Sadly, polyester fabrics have entered - they never should have been allowed to keep living after the disastrous introduction of them in the 70s. Cotton, was and still is, the fabric of choice. I have tried to find out what happened to the linen of the ancient Egyptians without a satisfactory answer as of yet.
As for the feet, ugly half croc type shoes to flap in down the street or shuffle really. Villages are entirely different from the more fashionable Cairo. Even here though, amongst the western tight jeans and form fitting shirts of the girly girls of Cairo, I have snapped many a picture of a black clad woman wearing Nikes next to a motocycle. Incongruity reigns supreme in the city. Brightly coordinated double scarves match the outfit that no self respecting What Not to Wear guru would don. And it's amazing how closely the colors match. I would like to see the factory where they put together the outfits. I wonder what a fashion show would be like here. The farmers though in the villages have no time for fashion. They do wear gold earrings 22K no less and sometimes gold bangles too. I will add to my fashion commentaries as I travel. The next medium length trip will not be until October 26th.
OK, back to the boy - I just had to have those crystals - kind of a smoky quartz - which I gave him about 40 LE for. I told him that he should find more to sell to tourists. A really sweet kid, reminded of me of my nephew John so open and honest. Well, I decided to have his right hand showing clasping a crystal and I think I have achieved that bright eyed look that he had though this painting needs another day of work. The little girl, too is in progress. She had these pouting cherry red lips, big brown eyes that did not light up - a solemn little girl of around 5 or 6, not exactly trusting me. Bedouin women are cautious, do not often have anything to do with strangers and foreigners. But there is something so exotic and mysterious. Now the Berber women in Morocco seem much more forthright and powerful. I hope this little girl from Saint Catherine's monastery area continues to be feisty with that "I dare you to make me smile, I won't you know" look. I don't quite have that in the portrait yet. Again, another day or so.
As for what women wear in the villages, I would have to say it varies. Most wear scarves or hijab on their heads with no hair showing. In Tunis village, garments were rather drab amongst the potters. Clay colored long gallabiya to match the clay from which they fashioned vessels, plates, tiles. I saw one of the girls later come swimming in the pool of Evelyne and she was breathtakingly beautiful with thick dark brown hair, dark lashes, nubile in a one piece black swimsuit. No wonder they cover up! But other women had on some colors, reds and blues but very plain. Some wore skirts and a long sleeved long tunic. The fashion is functional - show no curves. Preteens and children are different with uncovered hair and limbs allowable.
Among other women, sometimes even face coverings exist - this particular "fashion" comes from Saudi Arabia - where women are swathed in black from head to toe. Some even wear black gloves of all things which I witnessed on the metro women's car. No where in the Quran, I am told by my Muslim girl friends, does it say that women are to be covered up with no hair showing. In Iran, a man walks around with a stick to hit women who have an errant wrist or ankle showing or a wisp of hair. Bedouin women are covered but their clothing, at least the traditional clothing is jubilantly embroidered with shell buttons forming part of the design. Sadly, polyester fabrics have entered - they never should have been allowed to keep living after the disastrous introduction of them in the 70s. Cotton, was and still is, the fabric of choice. I have tried to find out what happened to the linen of the ancient Egyptians without a satisfactory answer as of yet.
As for the feet, ugly half croc type shoes to flap in down the street or shuffle really. Villages are entirely different from the more fashionable Cairo. Even here though, amongst the western tight jeans and form fitting shirts of the girly girls of Cairo, I have snapped many a picture of a black clad woman wearing Nikes next to a motocycle. Incongruity reigns supreme in the city. Brightly coordinated double scarves match the outfit that no self respecting What Not to Wear guru would don. And it's amazing how closely the colors match. I would like to see the factory where they put together the outfits. I wonder what a fashion show would be like here. The farmers though in the villages have no time for fashion. They do wear gold earrings 22K no less and sometimes gold bangles too. I will add to my fashion commentaries as I travel. The next medium length trip will not be until October 26th.
Friday, October 9, 2009
A smile from the barista
Since last summer when I was here in Zamalek, I vowed that I would find a way to make the barista at Simond's cafe smile. Today that wish came true. It was the last cappucchino of the day for him - he is on the early shift apparently. It was Dominique's first time there and I really needed a good jolt of caffeine to jumpstart my painting. I paid the 7 LE, took the receipt to him - he asked what I wanted and I assumed correctly that's what he asked. Dominique brought her receipt to him as well. I am calling him Mohamed for now, it is a safe guess for a man's name around here. We parked ourselves at the new marble counter and drank our coffees. When he brought his small bowl of change - 25 piaster bill with a few little coins to the young, veiled female cashier, I jumped up and put a 1 LE note in his hand and I got my big smile and a Merci beaucoup Madame as well. I was as pleased as I could be. Next time, or the time after that, I will ask for a photo. The man is a legend and Simond's is written about in most guidebooks - it has been around for over 100 years. The clientele is generally made up of Egyptian men. There is a big non-smoking sign on the counter which most seem to ignore. Today though, we were blessed with no indoor pollution in the nicely air conditioned cafe. I never thought I would be graced with a smile since last year, he only seemed to favor his old cronies with a hello and to me, Simond's was like an old boys club. Maybe I have changed. I wore a purple tea shirt with the requisite scarf wound about my neck and decollete. I've decided that tipping someone who makes the best cappucchino in Cairo with a 1 LE note is a small favor, well earned. If we did this in America, a 20 cent tip would get us a sneer or a round of expletives. This is what I love about Egypt, days like this.
Perusing the glass cases, we looked at the enormous birthday cakes and other treats and I decided to buy what smelled like a pound cake, a small one the size of Nancy's shoe was 5.5 LE. Something nice to have with our afternoon tea.
On returning home, I cleaned my palette peeling off the dried acrylic paint with ease, and settled in for an afternoon of painting. I am halfway finished with two more portraits - a young teenaged boy (around 13 or 14 years old) from Mount Sinai and a little Bedouin girl from St. Catherine's. I drew in his hand holding a crystal - I paid him a few dollars for a large smoky quartz crystal which he had found in the nearby mountains and wanted to add it to the portrait. I feel that I've captured their expressions well and blocked in the colors. They are a little different from my first two but then I am only in the middle of the painting - I like seeing my progress and have them propped up against the wall in front of me. By the time the beginning of November rolls around, I would love to have a dozen completed. I'll be painting the little girl from Tunis village that I have posted here with more planned.
Dominique just made tea and I cut the tea bread - pound cake with golden Egyptian raisins. Not too sweet with soft raisins, just right for tea time. More later
Perusing the glass cases, we looked at the enormous birthday cakes and other treats and I decided to buy what smelled like a pound cake, a small one the size of Nancy's shoe was 5.5 LE. Something nice to have with our afternoon tea.
On returning home, I cleaned my palette peeling off the dried acrylic paint with ease, and settled in for an afternoon of painting. I am halfway finished with two more portraits - a young teenaged boy (around 13 or 14 years old) from Mount Sinai and a little Bedouin girl from St. Catherine's. I drew in his hand holding a crystal - I paid him a few dollars for a large smoky quartz crystal which he had found in the nearby mountains and wanted to add it to the portrait. I feel that I've captured their expressions well and blocked in the colors. They are a little different from my first two but then I am only in the middle of the painting - I like seeing my progress and have them propped up against the wall in front of me. By the time the beginning of November rolls around, I would love to have a dozen completed. I'll be painting the little girl from Tunis village that I have posted here with more planned.
Dominique just made tea and I cut the tea bread - pound cake with golden Egyptian raisins. Not too sweet with soft raisins, just right for tea time. More later
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Homework
Today I'm catching up on what I call homework - no, not housework - you all know me as the limited domestic goddess! I did get the laundry done. Did I mention before that my washing cycle takes at least 1 1/2 hours for a small load? Drying is quicker.
At any rate, I contacted Ghada who manages a women's sewing coop or workshop for women and girls near Maadi. We will meet Saturday at 11:30 am at the metro station and then go from there. On Friday is an art exhibition called "Bread" at Darb 17 18 with contemporary art by 12 artists. Egypt is the world's greatest consumer of bread and this is nothing new. In Pharaonic times, the farmers and workers existed on rations of bread and beer - not your Wonder bread and Yuengling but greasy thick flat loaves and very soupy almost chewable beer full of vitamins. I still don't understand how one can work after drinking beer. I would fall asleep. But if you slept, you didn't work and if you didn't work, no survival for you or your family. The Egyptian government subsidizes bread and petrol. Gas prices are around 85 cents per liter here. Egypt is the only Middle Eastern country who sells oil to Israel.
I was stressing out about getting my ten line artist biography for the Cairo Opera House exhibition translated into Arabic. Finally, this afternoon, the light bulb went on. I used Google to find an English to Arabic translation site for free and plugged in my bio and voila! - Standard Arabic translation. Then I remembered something that Karl upstairs had told me that I should check the translation as it sometimes turns out pretty funny. Boy, was he right. One of the online sources was nearly unintelligible. Yikes! So went back and forth from Arabic to English and vice versa, simplifying my English words until the final product was not embarrassingly stupid in context. Now why didn't these translation tools exist when I was working on my Master's degree or PhD? Technology can be a very good thing for the smaller problems like this. If you want to see what it looks like here it is:
السيرة الذاتية
الدكتور فرجينيا M. دا كوستا ، وهو بحاثة بمنحة من فولبرايت (2009-2010) وأستاذ مشارك في تاريخ الفن في جامعة وست تشيستر في بنسلفانيا منذ عام 1998. حصل على درجة الماجستير في الفن (1990) في جامعة ولاية كاليفورنيا ، لونغ بيتش في الرسم وتاريخ الفن ، ودكتوراه (1997) في جامعة كاليفورنيا في سانتا باربرا. كما غرامة الفنان ومؤرخ الفن ، أستاذ دا كوستا ينظر إلى المرأة بوصفها الفنانين والعباد.
منهج دراسي جديد للمرأة في الشرق الأوسط : الفن والسينما والأدب التي أنشأتها دا كوستا بعد فولبرايت هايس الحلقة الدراسية الصيفية في مصر (2007). أستاذ دا كوستا قد سافر على نطاق واسع -- تركيا وسوريا والأردن وتونس والمغرب ومصر منذ عام 1992
الأبحاث الحالية على المرأة في مصر والحرف والفنانين الذين يستخدمون الفنون التقليدية في عملها سيؤدي في منشور. هذا سيضيف إلى مناقشات عالمية حول الفنون التقليدية في الشرق الأوسط من قبل النساء. لوحات بورتريه في هذا المعرض : وجوه من مصر تعكس التعبيرات الفريدة والثقافة من الرجال والنساء والأطفال انها اجتمعت هنا.
Of course, you can pick out the years and remember, it reads from right to left. This is modern standard Arabic which is more formal than colloquial Egyptian Arabic.
I want to paint another portrait today so will post when I do. First though, I have some proofing to do for my friend Sally, something pretty easy for me. She is a wonderful artist and deserves her promotion and tenure.
I also caught up on numerous emails --more later.
At any rate, I contacted Ghada who manages a women's sewing coop or workshop for women and girls near Maadi. We will meet Saturday at 11:30 am at the metro station and then go from there. On Friday is an art exhibition called "Bread" at Darb 17 18 with contemporary art by 12 artists. Egypt is the world's greatest consumer of bread and this is nothing new. In Pharaonic times, the farmers and workers existed on rations of bread and beer - not your Wonder bread and Yuengling but greasy thick flat loaves and very soupy almost chewable beer full of vitamins. I still don't understand how one can work after drinking beer. I would fall asleep. But if you slept, you didn't work and if you didn't work, no survival for you or your family. The Egyptian government subsidizes bread and petrol. Gas prices are around 85 cents per liter here. Egypt is the only Middle Eastern country who sells oil to Israel.
I was stressing out about getting my ten line artist biography for the Cairo Opera House exhibition translated into Arabic. Finally, this afternoon, the light bulb went on. I used Google to find an English to Arabic translation site for free and plugged in my bio and voila! - Standard Arabic translation. Then I remembered something that Karl upstairs had told me that I should check the translation as it sometimes turns out pretty funny. Boy, was he right. One of the online sources was nearly unintelligible. Yikes! So went back and forth from Arabic to English and vice versa, simplifying my English words until the final product was not embarrassingly stupid in context. Now why didn't these translation tools exist when I was working on my Master's degree or PhD? Technology can be a very good thing for the smaller problems like this. If you want to see what it looks like here it is:
السيرة الذاتية
الدكتور فرجينيا M. دا كوستا ، وهو بحاثة بمنحة من فولبرايت (2009-2010) وأستاذ مشارك في تاريخ الفن في جامعة وست تشيستر في بنسلفانيا منذ عام 1998. حصل على درجة الماجستير في الفن (1990) في جامعة ولاية كاليفورنيا ، لونغ بيتش في الرسم وتاريخ الفن ، ودكتوراه (1997) في جامعة كاليفورنيا في سانتا باربرا. كما غرامة الفنان ومؤرخ الفن ، أستاذ دا كوستا ينظر إلى المرأة بوصفها الفنانين والعباد.
منهج دراسي جديد للمرأة في الشرق الأوسط : الفن والسينما والأدب التي أنشأتها دا كوستا بعد فولبرايت هايس الحلقة الدراسية الصيفية في مصر (2007). أستاذ دا كوستا قد سافر على نطاق واسع -- تركيا وسوريا والأردن وتونس والمغرب ومصر منذ عام 1992
الأبحاث الحالية على المرأة في مصر والحرف والفنانين الذين يستخدمون الفنون التقليدية في عملها سيؤدي في منشور. هذا سيضيف إلى مناقشات عالمية حول الفنون التقليدية في الشرق الأوسط من قبل النساء. لوحات بورتريه في هذا المعرض : وجوه من مصر تعكس التعبيرات الفريدة والثقافة من الرجال والنساء والأطفال انها اجتمعت هنا.
Of course, you can pick out the years and remember, it reads from right to left. This is modern standard Arabic which is more formal than colloquial Egyptian Arabic.
I want to paint another portrait today so will post when I do. First though, I have some proofing to do for my friend Sally, something pretty easy for me. She is a wonderful artist and deserves her promotion and tenure.
I also caught up on numerous emails --more later.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Back from Fayoum
What a weekend it was going to the Fayoum. First of all, we got a ride with two guy friends of Shayma's. I didn't realize that Islam (yes, that's his name) had just gotten his driver's license. I thought he just got his official driver's license and had driven for a few years before. He didn't even take the exam since he knew a friend of a friend who worked at our version of the DMV or PennDot. He drove a Russian Lada car with a stick shift. I remember when I learned on my Datsun 280 Z back in the day when I bought the car used but had to have the dealer drive it home for me since I had only driven an automatic car. Well, the driving was stop, start, stall and go. When he swerved a few times, I thought, well this is due to crazy other cars cutting him off to the side. But it was an inexperienced driver. They say to beware of drunk drivers at home, this was insance. But we got to Tunis in one piece.
We were dropped at our "Ecolodge" the Zad al Mosafer Guest House and got our double room. We had two beds, a single mattress atop a palm frond built foundation, palm frond open closet and hot pink mosquito nets for each bed. A powerful fan overhead and at least for our first night, a portable air conditioner. The lodge has a pool but I had no suit. Friday night there was a Germanic looking family with three tow headed kids splashing about in the pool. The place is owned by an Egyptian writer who has used local materials of mud brick for the place. At 75 LE for the two of us not including taxes, it seemed a bargain. We ordered much food for dinner and vowed to go easy the next day.
We walked to an artist acquaintance of Shayma's - Mohamed Abla who runs a winter artist program from February 1 to March 15. Artists can choose to work in printmaking, painting or sculpture. Nearby, is another artist's studio, a man we dubbed Morgan Freeman because he looks just like him. His wife, Reem Saad is a professor of Anthropology at AUC. She sent me an article she had written on traditional crafts in Upper Egypt. Her daughter Tamara is four, very cute and smart. We communicated in my broken French as I cannot understand Arabic well and she didn't speak English. That worked well enough for us. Mr. Saad was running a wood puppet workshop for Islam and his friend which is why they were going to Tunis.
There are many villages in the Fayoum. Tunis, Fayoum city (on our way to Fidimin in search of another craft weaving school, we passed with difficulty through its crowded streets, crowded because Monday was market day - more on that later.
We were dropped at our "Ecolodge" the Zad al Mosafer Guest House and got our double room. We had two beds, a single mattress atop a palm frond built foundation, palm frond open closet and hot pink mosquito nets for each bed. A powerful fan overhead and at least for our first night, a portable air conditioner. The lodge has a pool but I had no suit. Friday night there was a Germanic looking family with three tow headed kids splashing about in the pool. The place is owned by an Egyptian writer who has used local materials of mud brick for the place. At 75 LE for the two of us not including taxes, it seemed a bargain. We ordered much food for dinner and vowed to go easy the next day.
We walked to an artist acquaintance of Shayma's - Mohamed Abla who runs a winter artist program from February 1 to March 15. Artists can choose to work in printmaking, painting or sculpture. Nearby, is another artist's studio, a man we dubbed Morgan Freeman because he looks just like him. His wife, Reem Saad is a professor of Anthropology at AUC. She sent me an article she had written on traditional crafts in Upper Egypt. Her daughter Tamara is four, very cute and smart. We communicated in my broken French as I cannot understand Arabic well and she didn't speak English. That worked well enough for us. Mr. Saad was running a wood puppet workshop for Islam and his friend which is why they were going to Tunis.
There are many villages in the Fayoum. Tunis, Fayoum city (on our way to Fidimin in search of another craft weaving school, we passed with difficulty through its crowded streets, crowded because Monday was market day - more on that later.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Cultural Tour
One of my favorite Egyptian foods (though it is also Greek) is the Moussaka - eggplant, tomato sauce and bechamel sauce on top and baked in a clay bowl. The other is the Um ali although I still haven't found my favorite one like I had two years ago. Little Maria (upstairs triplet) and I are going to make it from my Egyptian cookbook. I told her that the one I liked best seemed to be made with corn flakes. She suggested frosted flakes so we will try that and cut out some of the suger added. It also has raisins, pistachios, almonds and hazelnuts and milk. I forget the rest.
Yesterday, we had our lunch at Naguib Mafouz restaurant in the Khan Khalili - the gigantic marketplace full of kitschy souvenirs and also real Egyptian stuff like copper pots, instruments, etc. They had asked before hand whether anyone was vegetarian. When we got our main plate of food, I knew why. Yes, there was grilled lamb, charcoal grilled chicken chunks, those long cigar shaped lamb pieces - it's like hamburger and then oh yeck, tiny little pigeon grilled, spread eagled, very little meat, lots of bones. Now I have seen grilled pigeon at Abu el Sid but they were big pigeons. I played with mine and then put it on a plate. There was rice too. Before that we had the appetizers- baba ghanough, hummus, tzatziki, and wonderful fresh Egyptian flat bread all puffy since they just baked it. I sat at what the triplets dubbed "the table of coolness" it was a cushioned booth and I sat in a cushioned chair just next to them. We laughed and chattered away all through lunch. I gave Nick my cigar meat and told him we would ask for a doggie bag which he actually got!
The walk was long through Coptic Cairo - we visited two Coptic Churches and one Synagoue that is a museum. Our guide was an Egyptian woman with perfect English who had a PhD from Cairo University in ArtHistory. She really gave a wonderful explanation of the history and the architecture. She specializes in Islamic art history . She tied Egyptian art together from Pharaonic influence, to Coptic and then to Islamic. I had walked to the Fulbright office from Zamalek thinking that we were leaving at 9:30 - well, we were leaving at 9:00 and Hend called me to see where I was. Unknown to me, I was SIX blocks away and I ran to find the bus. I guess I am getting in better shape because I only started wheezing at block four. Then off we went.
After lunch, we went to Islamic Cairo to see a variety of mosques. I had been to all of them before but our guide explained how the differences came about. By the end of the day we were pretty tired out. Kathy and Karl needed to go to the bookstore so I volunteered to take the triplets home in a taxi. We got a good taxi driver! I negotiated the price and off we went. Right before traffic was really horrible. Kathy had invited me to have dinner a la Al Omda via our online ordering. I had my orzo soup again and rice pudding for dessert. We laughed, we talked and after a couple hours it was time for me to go downstairs to relax, check email and go to bed.
Found out my diplomatic boxes arrived and so I will pick them up today. I'm really happy about that and now Shayma and I can put some children's workshops together. I need to call the ecolodge in Fayoum today. Dominique will come with us too at least through Sunday. The eco lodge is right on the lake so yes, I will take my DEET in case there are mosquitoes.
I'm trying to get in the best shape so when I get back, people will say wow! I might even get extensions in my hair. Shayma says it is not expensive. Wouldn't that be a hoot! Hend said she would email me the phone number and address of a place downtown where they do pedicures and manicures and waxing - that will be a cultural experience.
Well, I just got an invitation for dinner tonight with Dominique and her friends in Maadi - about 20 minutes away from Zamalek. Brian is the curator at American University in Cairo and was Shayma's employer. I met him at the Art opening at the Townhouse Gallery Tuesday night. The contemporary artist's exhibition was four huge screens showing a rather strange series of scenes - Bedouin children making stone structures in the desert, a Bedouin man with a cow and microphone, tied to a wheel and picking up strange sounds that it made when the cow with a cone shaped object on its back and a plug for the microphone on it to pick up the music. Strange strange. But I liked it. It was at least a 20-30 minute film.
I saw a tiny little black kitten on the way to the Fulbright office. Oh, I wanted to scoop him up and rescue him. There are so many cats in Cairo. It is heartbreaking - I want to see if there are any veternarian schools. They need to sterilize the kitties. Oh well, so I will take off for another walk, but before that, I need my coffee and my yogurt.
Yesterday, we had our lunch at Naguib Mafouz restaurant in the Khan Khalili - the gigantic marketplace full of kitschy souvenirs and also real Egyptian stuff like copper pots, instruments, etc. They had asked before hand whether anyone was vegetarian. When we got our main plate of food, I knew why. Yes, there was grilled lamb, charcoal grilled chicken chunks, those long cigar shaped lamb pieces - it's like hamburger and then oh yeck, tiny little pigeon grilled, spread eagled, very little meat, lots of bones. Now I have seen grilled pigeon at Abu el Sid but they were big pigeons. I played with mine and then put it on a plate. There was rice too. Before that we had the appetizers- baba ghanough, hummus, tzatziki, and wonderful fresh Egyptian flat bread all puffy since they just baked it. I sat at what the triplets dubbed "the table of coolness" it was a cushioned booth and I sat in a cushioned chair just next to them. We laughed and chattered away all through lunch. I gave Nick my cigar meat and told him we would ask for a doggie bag which he actually got!
The walk was long through Coptic Cairo - we visited two Coptic Churches and one Synagoue that is a museum. Our guide was an Egyptian woman with perfect English who had a PhD from Cairo University in ArtHistory. She really gave a wonderful explanation of the history and the architecture. She specializes in Islamic art history . She tied Egyptian art together from Pharaonic influence, to Coptic and then to Islamic. I had walked to the Fulbright office from Zamalek thinking that we were leaving at 9:30 - well, we were leaving at 9:00 and Hend called me to see where I was. Unknown to me, I was SIX blocks away and I ran to find the bus. I guess I am getting in better shape because I only started wheezing at block four. Then off we went.
After lunch, we went to Islamic Cairo to see a variety of mosques. I had been to all of them before but our guide explained how the differences came about. By the end of the day we were pretty tired out. Kathy and Karl needed to go to the bookstore so I volunteered to take the triplets home in a taxi. We got a good taxi driver! I negotiated the price and off we went. Right before traffic was really horrible. Kathy had invited me to have dinner a la Al Omda via our online ordering. I had my orzo soup again and rice pudding for dessert. We laughed, we talked and after a couple hours it was time for me to go downstairs to relax, check email and go to bed.
Found out my diplomatic boxes arrived and so I will pick them up today. I'm really happy about that and now Shayma and I can put some children's workshops together. I need to call the ecolodge in Fayoum today. Dominique will come with us too at least through Sunday. The eco lodge is right on the lake so yes, I will take my DEET in case there are mosquitoes.
I'm trying to get in the best shape so when I get back, people will say wow! I might even get extensions in my hair. Shayma says it is not expensive. Wouldn't that be a hoot! Hend said she would email me the phone number and address of a place downtown where they do pedicures and manicures and waxing - that will be a cultural experience.
Well, I just got an invitation for dinner tonight with Dominique and her friends in Maadi - about 20 minutes away from Zamalek. Brian is the curator at American University in Cairo and was Shayma's employer. I met him at the Art opening at the Townhouse Gallery Tuesday night. The contemporary artist's exhibition was four huge screens showing a rather strange series of scenes - Bedouin children making stone structures in the desert, a Bedouin man with a cow and microphone, tied to a wheel and picking up strange sounds that it made when the cow with a cone shaped object on its back and a plug for the microphone on it to pick up the music. Strange strange. But I liked it. It was at least a 20-30 minute film.
I saw a tiny little black kitten on the way to the Fulbright office. Oh, I wanted to scoop him up and rescue him. There are so many cats in Cairo. It is heartbreaking - I want to see if there are any veternarian schools. They need to sterilize the kitties. Oh well, so I will take off for another walk, but before that, I need my coffee and my yogurt.
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