Monday, it rained in Cairo

Yes, it's true. I was walking along 26 July Street on an infrequent walk, looked up at the sky which had puffy white clouds and above them a black series of clouds that looked like the black mist in Lost. You know, the one that swallowed Echo. The rain lasted only about 10 minutes but the sky tossed down about 1/10 of an inch. So that's my weather report!

I did a survey of the sidewalks in my neighborhood and the heavily trafficked 26 July Street the other day on my way to Alpha Market. In the light of day, one can watch for mishaps waiting to happen. In the dark, forget it! Pipes sticking up randomly (at least to me though they must have some purpose other than maiming visitors and residents), square holes about 12" x 12" usually partially filled with sand and/or trash like plastic bottles and paper and missing chunks of the 6 sided cement tiles and other random holes and protuberances. Then there are the high sidewalks with depressed driveways that you have to step down into and out of to continue on your way. No wonder Cairenes walk on the blacktop streets. But then, you have to make sure a taxi or other car's driver doesn't run over your foot. And believe me, it happens. I've gotten pretty good at crossing the street but downtown, it is treacherous. I did a little photo shoot of my walk - in real life, it looks worse, the photos make it seem not so bad but that's up to you to decide.

I find foam core at the art store on Ibrahim Mohamed Street near the art school. Lots of girls carrying their black portfolios and other art supplies, more than male students. So I wondered if the young women found that art was a safe major to pursue since most will get married and have families. I had one of those days where I would see a couple - Egyptian guy dressed in western wear with his wife all covered up, head to toe, only eyes showing and got annoyed. Some days it makes me really irritable and I want to yell at the men. The argument always is that a married woman is "protected" from the eyes of other men. Yes, I can see that but why are the men who might be ogling her so 1950s construction worker like in their patriarchal male chauvinist attitudes. Oh, the argument goes, they are frustrated. So what, do what men do, no not cheat on their wives or jump on foreign women, respect your Egyptian sisters. Really!

Anyway, it made me really happy to find the foam board rather than the heavy masonite backing that Mr. Helmy used in my last framed work. I am nearly finished with the backgrounds of two large 60 x 80 cm. acrylic paintings (background of rusty door with blue, white, yellow and some black paint that I photographed in Al Arish last Thursday. Then, I'm going to do a semi Ida Applebroog thing of having three 5" x 5" portraits of Bedouin women and children using the transfer technique on the bottom. I finally got the yellow paint with substantial drips the way I wanted. I've been working on this for three days now. It will take the last treatment a day or two to fully dry before the transfer. I have to have them ready by December 15th for a December 27th International Exhibition that Helwan University is sponsoring curated by Dr. Soheir Osman.

Sunday I went to the Khan Khalili to see if I could find some old beads. Note to self: never trust anyone who takes you to a shop. Prices are inflated because they get a cut of what you buy. They are all flattery and niceness until you find that the old beads you happily chose are 40 LE a gram, Even silver isn't more than 5 LE a gram though what's his name said it was 8 LE. I ended up culling my lovely collection of coral, turquoise, lapis and amber to four small pieces which I am embarrassed to admit, were very costly. If I had bought my small pile, they were going to charge me 6700 LE. Are they insane? No they thought I was. Beads do not cost that much. So I am back to ebay buying what I want at very reasonable prices. In case you don't know, 6700 LE is over $1000. I could nearly buy an ounce of gold for that! Anyway, lesson learned.

I'll post pics of the beads, my painting and the sidewalk horrors.