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.
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