One Heart

Falling for Love

2011-08-26T03:53:00.009-04:00

It has been suggested to me on multiple occassions that I create a forum to provide a place for those who are involved with Egyptian-"Western" relationships to come together as a community and discuss their stories, concerns, ask questions, or rejoice with one another over joyous occassions.

I have therefore taken it upon myself to create such a forum, and I am pleased to announce that as of 3:00am Friday morning, Falling for Love is now open!

Go to Falling for Love

The Truth about Orfi in Egypt

2011-08-23T23:21:00.005-04:00

What is orfi?

Orfi is a contract between a man and a woman stating that they are married. It is something that has only been used for a few decades, and over the course of this time, has been created by many people. However, with the introduction of marriage through a legal court system, and through the negative comments about orfi from the media, the orfi contract is being used less and less.

How does it work?

The orfi contract is created when a man and woman ask a lawyer to create an orfi marriage contract for them (though in some cases, the couple creates the contract by themselves in private). Two male witnesses are required for the process of the contract, and both parties will be asked to sign it. This process may take 10 minutes, and the couple will walk out of the lawyer's office with a marriage contract, however, all that has to happen to that contract is that it get destroyed or damaged, and the couple is no longer married. This is to say that the contract is just a piece of paper. It may not prove a marriage exists, and it is certainly not accepted as a form of marriage in other countries. It is not registered with the government, and therefore cannot be proven outside of showing the original document (which is, even then, not accepted). If the contract were to ever get destroyed, the “husband” would be allowed to take whatever he wanted from the woman, as well as to be able to “escape” if the woman were to ever become pregnant. The orfi contract provides all of the “luxuries” of being married, without any of the responsibilities.

Is orfi legal?

When researching this subject, I have come across such a wide range of answers. The majority of people believe that the orfi contract is a true legal way to marry in Egypt, but this is far from the truth.

The orfi contract was actually outlawed in Egypt many years ago, but due to the amount of people marrying through this system, the government was forced to create a new law stating that the orfi would be accepted as a legal form of marriage if the participants went through a specific legal case. This means that the orfi is only legal for those who appeal through the court system to have the orfi contract cased by a judge, which in turn would transform the orfi contract into an actual normal marriage, nullifying the orfi itself, which is to say that the marriage is only legal when the orfi no longer exists and the contract is changed to a normal legal marriage. So, the answer is no, orfi is in no way a legal form of marriage.

If it's not legal, why does it still practiced?

The frank truth? For sexual relations. In Islam, the religion of more than 90% of all Egyptians, pre-marital sex is forbidden. The orfi therefore provides a peace of mind for some, who believe that if they "marry" through the orfi contract, God will accept their marriage, and they will be free to have relations with their partner. Most of the orfi contracts are between Egyptian males and non-Egyptian females, and most of these cases are non-Egyptian females who travel to Egypt for vacation and "fall in love". It can go both ways, the Egyptian male may want to have relations with the foreign woman, as well as have access to her money and everything that she owns, and the foreign woman may want a free "permanent" vacation in a tropical paradise. Usually, these couples live in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt in places like Sharm el Sheikh or Dahab, or in places on the African continent like Alexandria or Hurghada. However, not all orfi contracts are done with a foreigner. Some orfi contracts are created between two Egyptians, though almost all of these cases are between two young people, usually still in school.

The orfi contract is also shameful. Almost any Egyptian who is willing to follow through with an orfi contract is doing so without the support of their friends and family. No Egyptian male would ever allow his sister to marry through an orfi contract, because he would know that it was not legal, and it would put the female in a desperate position of having no security if the man decided to leave her. It would also mean that if she got pregnant while “married” through an orfi contract, and the man decided to leave her, he would not have to file for divorce, he would only need to burn the piece of paper. He would also not be responsible for the child, and the woman would likely never be able to marry again, because she would no longer be a virgin.

Are there any perks to the orfi contract?

No, there are no benefits to orfi. It is not an accepted form of marriage in other countries. It also creates many problems, because a countless number of people marry through the orfi contract knowing full well that they are secretly married to other people. If a man truly loves a woman, he should fight to marry legally, no matter what the process may cost or how long it may take. If you are an American and desiring to marry an Egyptian, and he asks you to marry him through any process other than the one described in my most recent post, be very cautious of his intentions.

The Basics of Getting Married in Egypt

2011-08-21T22:00:00.005-04:00

Getting married in a foreign country can often be very scary. It can make one feel lost and as if they were without guidance. Marriage should be something that is celebrated, not fretted over, and it is for this reason that I would like to create a walk through with step-by-step directions on how an American citizen may marry an Egyptian citizen in Egypt.

In Egypt, it is necessary for you to prove your religion before you are allowed to marry. The US Embassy is now even granting permission to US citizens on Egyptian soil for a Muslim woman to marry a non-Muslim man, but what the US Embassy in Cairo cannot do is deny a US citizen the right to marry, due to the belief of religious freedom in the US. Therefore, obtaining permission to marry from the US Embassy in Cairo is simpler for Americans than almost all other nationalities. To obtain this document, called an affidavit, you must visit the US Embassy in Cairo. The Embassy is open from 9:00am to noon, but it is better to get there as early as possible, to save time. You will probably want to arrive around 8:00 or 8:30 to wait in line, though the US Citizen Services side is usually a lot less crowded than the Egyptian Citizen’s side. The Embassy is closed on all Egyptian and US holidays, as well as every last Tuesday of every month. There are two entrances to the Embassy, and all US citizens should use the entrance on the right side. Once entering, there will be a security check point with metal detectors and all bags and papers will need to be placed on the belt to be scanned. All electronic devices must be removed and left in that office, including cell phones, cameras, mp3 players and USB devices to name a few. They will also require an ID, so it is best if you take your US driver’s license or some other form of ID (not your passport, because you will need it inside) with you. It is also best if your Egyptian fiancé enters with you, as they usually require everything to be written in Arabic as well. Make sure that your fiancé also has two forms of ID, one to leave at the gate and one to take inside in case it is requested of them.

After clearing the security checkpoint, travel up the staircase and enter through the double glass doors. There, you will pass a second small security checkpoint, but there is not always someone present. If no one is there, simply lay all bags on the table, pass through the metal detector, and retrieve them from the other side. If there is someone there, they might ask to see an ID, and may do a hand search through any bags that you may be carrying. After passing this second security spot, go to the right, down the stairs, and there should be a big mural of an eagle on the wall to your right. At the bottom of the stairs, there is a pillar to your left with a small machine connected to it. Walk up to the machine, take a number from it, and sit in the waiting area to the right of the pillar. There will be an electronic screen that will scroll the numbers that are currently being helped. So, when you hear someone call your number over the intercom and see your number scroll across the screen, enter through the door into the next area, where you will be helped at one of the windows inside. There is also a nice bathroom in the Embassy, so you may want to take advantage of that while you can. It’s going to be a long day.

When you enter, you will simply explain to the people inside that you would like to get an affidavit to marry, they will hand you the paper, and you will go back out into the waiting area to fill it out. This affidavit basically asks for your biographical information and your religion. So, if your Egyptian fiancé is Muslim, you will need to be Muslim, Christian, or Jewish to be able to marry. Write your religion on the paper, as well as filling in your biographical data, and have your Egyptian fiancé (unless you can write in Arabic yourself) write everything that you wrote in Arabic. When you have finished, you may walk back into the window area and wait along the wall until someone sees you and calls you to their window (you do not need to get another number and wait in line again). You must also provide your US passport and proof of divorce (if you were previously married). You will be asked to wait while the paper is notarized (though it should only take a few minutes). If you are both American citizens, you will each need your own affidavit.

At some point, you will be asked to pay for the notarization. To do this, take the slip of paper that they will give to you with the cost on it, and walk to the payment window, which is on the opposite end of the waiting room (though it should be very easy to spot). The affidavit costs 50 USD or 283 Egyptian LE, and is payable by cash or credit card. I advise you to pay everything in cash, as that is what they prefer, and the credit card machine is not always working.

Once you get the affidavit(s), you need to go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is open from 9:00 in the morning – 3:00 in the afternoon, Saturday-Thursday (all government buildings are closed on Fridays). This building is usually very crowded, but because you are an American citizen (or a foreigner in general) you may automatically go to the front of the line to retrieve your waiting number. The seating area is inside and to the left (there is also a small sitting area on the right), and it is the same system as the US Embassy. You simply wait for your number to be called, and go to the window that they tell you to go to. There, you will pay 11 Egyptian LE to have your affidavit(s) notarized.

Once your affidavit is notarized by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you need to go to the Egyptian Ministry of Justice. If your Egyptian fiancé does not live in Cairo, or is not familiar with where these buildings are in Cairo, it is best that you obtain the addresses before you go, and maybe even map out where you are going. Cairo is a very confusing city, and most people who live there do not even know where some of these buildings are. If traveling by taxi (the buildings are much too far away from each other to walk from one to another), you may want to ask your driver if they know of each place before you let them drive you around town, to ensure that you complete the marriage process in a single day.

At the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs you will need: Your US passport and photocopies of the ID page in your passport, as well as photocopies of the Egyptian visa or residency stamp in your passport, your Egyptian fiancé will need his Egyptian ID and photocopies of the front and back of his ID. They only require one photocopy of each thing, but it is best to take two or three of everything that you can, because I have found that many Egyptians in those sorts of positions like to "lose" things.

Next, you and your Egyptian fiancé will each need 5 passport-style photos, which will be stapled to the marriage contracts. They should be recent photos (taken within the past six months), with a white background, and 2 in. x 2 in. in size. No head coverings should be worn, unless they are being worn for religious reasons, and it is not permitted to wear any coverings that mask the face, for identification purposes.

You will also need a Ta’meen Igtimaei stamp, which costs 50 Egyptian LE. You can get these at stands around the outside of the Ministry of Justice, or even from post offices. Every marriage has to have one of these, so anyone you ask should know where to find one.

You will need to bring two male witnesses with you, and they will need to bring their ID's with them. Female witnesses are not accepted, and it is better that you bring two male friends, because finding someone off of the street who is willing to help is not always easy. Proof of divorce must also be shown if you were previously married.

You will then go through the marriage process, where you will be asked to sign the contracts, hold hands and repeat the phrases (in Arabic) to complete the marriage process. It usually takes ten business days for the marriage contract to be processed and registered, and then you can go back to the Ministry of Justice and pick it up.

If the male in the relationship is Muslim (regardless of the female’s religion) they will require a dowry of at least 40 Egyptian LE to be paid on site during the marriage process. If the man is Christian, the minimum dowry is 35 Egyptian LE, though the male in either case is allowed to pay as much as he wants.

Now, to use the marriage certificate in the US, it must be translated into English. After waiting the average ten days to retrieve the marriage contract, you will want to take it to the Ministry of Justice Translation Office. The marriage contracts in Egypt are all identical, except for the individual’s information. So, it is basically a contract with blanks, and the blanks are filled in by hand with the information of the two people who are getting married. This means that the English translation is also a fill-in-the-blank process. Once arriving at the Ministry of Justice Translation Office, someone will take the marriage contract and copy, by hand, the information in English into the blanks on the English document. They will hand you that copy and tell you that you need to go to a nearby printing shop to create a printed copy of the English version. When you reach the printing shop the worker will take your English translation and copy it into the blanks on his English marriage contract file and print out a copy for you. Be careful to make sure that the information that is typed is identical to the information that is on the Arabic marriage contract. In our case, the people who came before us had their information still in the computer file, and one of their names was accidently not replaced with our own information, so I ended up being married to two different people, according to the English translation.

When you are sure that you have got it right, go back to the Ministry of Justice Translation Office and give the printed copy (along with the handwritten copy) back to the person who had translated it by hand. They will then check the printed copy for any mistakes (or they should) and will keep the document to have it notarized. The process of notarization for the English Translation at the Ministry of Justice Translation Office may take 4-6 days. Once the notarization is complete and your document is ready to be picked up, you will need to go back to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and pay another 11 Egyptian LE to have it notarized there. You will also need to return to the US Embassy, again on the US Citizens Services side, and pay another 50 USD to have the English translation notarized there as well.

Because Egyptian ID’s state the marital status of their holder, it is recommended that the Egyptian citizen, after the marriage process is complete, change their marital status on their ID to “married”. This will not only help avoid problems in the future, but it is also something that should be done for the visa process, if that is something that is going to be pursued.

After all of those steps have been completed, take a breather, and be glad that you will probably never have to do that again!

Immigration Update

2011-08-20T15:24:00.002-04:00

Upon receiving word that the USCIS planned to change their immigration system, I decided to immerse myself in the new rules until I could be certain of what the new system entails. According to the USCIS, all immigration visas must now be processed through the USCIS office at the address of the Chicago Lockbox. This took affect August 15, 2011. The USCIS claims that using this system will create a faster system by which applicants may hear back from the immigration services regarding their visa statuses. Unless the USCIS has recently hired hundreds of new employees to fill their offices, I don’t see how this is possible, but the USCIS claims that the processing time should now be, on average, 5 months per case. In some countries, one may be allowed to file from the USCIS office in that country; however, there are not many countries that have a USCIS office. The following countries are the only countries in the world to currently have a USCIS office:

Vienna, Austria – Beijing, China – Havana, Cuba – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – San Salvador, El Salvador – Frankfurt, Germany – Accra, Ghana –
Athens, Greece – Guatemala City, Guatemala – Port-au-Prince, Haiti – Tegucigalpa, Honduras – New Delhi, India – Rome, Italy – Kingston, Jamaica – Amman, Jordan – Nairobi, Kenya – Ciudad Juarez & Mexico City & Monterrey, Mexico – Panama City, Panama – Lima, Peru – Manila, Philippines – Moscow, Russia – Johannesburg, South Africa – Seoul, South Korea – Bangkok, Thailand – London, England

Basically what that means is that if you have not been residing in any of the above countries for 6 months – 1 year (depending on the qualifications of that country), you will need to apply for a visa with the Chicago USCIS office. Your application, after reaching the USCIS office in Chicago will then be sent to one of the four USCIS Service Centers in the US for processing.

For those of you wishing to bring your Egyptian fiancé or spouse to the US, I have devised this guide for your convenience:

You must first decide if you are going to apply for a visa for your fiancé or spouse from the US, or from Egypt. If starting the process in the US, you will go through a series of paperwork, and any interviews needed of your Egyptian counterpart will be handled directly with the Egyptian citizen and will take place at the US Embassy in Cairo, in the Egyptian Citizen Services section. If filing from Egypt, you must be aware that the processing time will most likely take longer now, as sending mail between the US and Egypt is not only expensive, but also very time-consuming.

The number one thing to remember during the process is to follow the instructions of filing the visa application very carefully. One wrong move and you could be setting yourself a month or two behind schedule.

You will also have to decide if you would prefer to apply for a spousal visa, or a fiancé visa. Some say that fiancé visas are granted within a shorter period of time, though I have been told from the head of the US Consulate in Cairo that fiancé visas are given less priority, and are therefore usually the slower process of the two. According to USCIS, both processes take the same amount of time.

The Difference between a fiancé visa and a spousal visa:

A fiancé visa is a form that petitions that your fiancé be allowed to travel to the US for you to marry. The requirements state that you must have met in person at least once in the last two years and that you must marry within 90 days of your fiancés arrival to the US. If you do not marry within that time frame, your fiancé is required to return to their country, or they will be in violation of immigration laws and will be legally removed. This visa not only allows your fiancé to travel to the US for you two to marry, but it also allows them (after you marry), to remain with you in the US during the processing time of the immigration visa. The down side to this visa is that it is less trustworthy than the spousal visa, meaning that more fiancé visa applications are denied than spousal ones. Because the fiancé visa requires (after you and your fiancé have married in the US) the spousal forms in addition to the K-1 forms (the fiancé forms), the process of bringing a fiancé to the US is usually more expensive than bringing your spouse.

A spousal visa is a form that petitions that your spouse be allowed to travel to the US with the status of a permanent resident. This means that even though the process is more complicated at first, your spouse will arrive in the US, having already been approved to receive their green card. The upside to this visa is that because the marriage process has already been dealt with, you will usually end up paying less, and the granting of the visa is more likely.

For current processing times, you may refer to the table generator provided by the USCIS, though you should note that the processing time is really the allotted time before you are legally allowed to complain about the length of the process, so it is possible, and even likely that the process may take months longer than that. I have known of people who have gone through the process in four months, and those who have waited two years.

Unfortunately, the process that I went through personally is now unavailable. I lived in Egypt for six months, and then filed for my husband’s immigrant visa (I-130) from the US Embassy in Cairo. Because of the new laws by which the US has decided to alter their immigration system, this is no longer an option.

I understand that the process is very complicated, so if you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me at my provided e-mail address to the right. If you would suggest that I expand on a certain area regarding this topic, you may leave your request in the comments below, and I will gladly update this blog entry, or create a new one with your requested specifics.

Good luck

Making Ma'ashy

2011-08-14T15:10:00.006-04:00

One of the most interesting Egyptian meals I have ever eaten is ma'ashy. This is a rice mixture that is either stuffed inside hollowed out vegetables or wrapped up in leafy ones.

There are three different steps to this meal. The first step is to boil beef. To do this, you will need:

- 1 lb. beef (cut into small squares)
- 1 yellow onion (cut into quarters)
- 1 ½ tbsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- ½ tbsp. garlic powder (optional)
- 1 tbsp. cooking oil (I use corn oil)

Now, using a large pot, place the beef inside and fill with water until 2 inches from the top of the pot. Add all of the other ingredients, cover, and cook on medium-high for roughly one hour. You will use the soup from the beef to cook the ma’ashy, and of course you can eat the beef with the dinner as well.

While the beef is cooking, you can now hollow out your vegetables. You can stuff squash, zucchini, tomatoes, grape leaves, cabbage leaves, or any other leafy veggies or whole veggies that can be hollowed out, that you can think of. Grape leaves have a very strong flavor. My favorite thing to use for ma’ashy is cabbage leaves, but I will explain how to hollow the vegetables and how to roll the leaves.

First, we’ll discuss hollowing out the vegetables. I will use squash as an example. While it may seem like a good idea to get fatter squash, it actually makes it difficult for the rice to cook inside of it, so getting skinnier squash is a better idea. If the squash is long, you can cut it in half and use both ends. When cutting your squash though, make sure that they are not taller than the pot that you are going to use, as you will need to cover the pot to cook the ma’ashy with steam and your stuffed squash will cook standing up. To hollow out the squash, simply take one half of the squash and, with a knife, start cutting in a circular motion, leaving about ¼ inch around the outside. With squash, you can actually feel how the center is sponge-like, making it easier to dig out. With your knife, continue hollowing out the squash (using the back side of the knife to smooth out the edges). Make sure not to cut through the bottom of your squash. If you accidently stab through your squash on the sides while trying to hollow it out, this is alright. As long as the slit is thin, and looks like it will close in on itself when cooked, it will not be a problem. Continue doing this for all of the veggies that you want to hollow out. (This amount of rice will make roughly 6-7 whole squash)

Now, you can also use leafy vegetables and roll the rice mixture inside of it. If you are using leaves that are already soft, you don’t need to do any preparing. However, if you would like to use cabbage, it needs to be softened first, in order to roll it. To do this, get an empty pot and fill it with water. Bring the water to a boil, and dip one leaf of the cabbage into the boiling water at a time. Leave each leaf in the boiling water for 2-3 seconds, or until flexible, and then set aside. Once you have your leafy vegetables and/or your hollowed vegetables prepared, set them aside.

The next step is to make the rice mixture. There are a few things that you will need to do this. They are:

2 cups of uncooked rice
1/2 yellow onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
¾ cups of tomato sauce
1/4 cup of dill (finely chopped)
1/2 tbsp. cilantro (finely chopped)
1/2 tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. salt
3 tsbp. melted butter/margarine
¼ cup water

Mix together all of these ingredients, and you will be ready to fill the vegetables. This will feed 2-3 people (in Egyptian portions) or 3-4 people (in American portions).

If stuffing hollowed vegetables, drop enough rice mixture into your vegetables to fill it to just below the top, but make sure not to pat down. Remember, the rice will expand when cooked, so you need to make sure to drop the rice inside of the vegetables, don’t push it in. This should allow for the needed space for the rice to expand.

If rolling your rice mixture inside of leafy vegetables, place one leaf on a surface, put enough rice on one side of the leaf in a straight line reaching from one end of that side of the leaf to another, about as thick as a pencil (leaving a bit of space on each end). Now, take the sides and fold them in like you’re rolling up a burrito, and roll the leafy vegetable, until the rice is no longer exposed. If you would like, save two or three leaves to use to cover the bottom of the pot, so the vegetables for the ma’ashy will not burn.

Now, place your extra vegetable leaves (if desired) on the bottom of the pot and then place your stuffed vegetables into a pot (the hollowed veggies standing straight up, and the rolled veggies laying on their sides). After the beef has cooked for one hour (or one hour and a half for very tender beef), pour about 2-3 inches of the soup from the beef into the pot with the ma’ashy. It’s alright if some of the water goes into vegetables, and some people prefer to pour some of the water into the vegetables deliberately for better flavor, but it is optional (there should be enough liquid to cook the rice in the rice mixture itself). Cover the pot with the ma’ashy, and bring the soup to a boil. Once it begins boiling, turn the heat down to low, and let it sit for 20-30 minutes, or until the rice is tender.

To remove the ma’ashy from the pot, it is helpful to use two forks or spoons to slowly wiggle them away from each other.

Note: The ma’ashy does not have to be cooked with beef soup. It may be cooked using only water, but many Egyptians prefer to use the soup, because it adds flavor to the ma’ashy. If you choose to use the soup, you may serve the ma’ashy with the beef. Many Egyptians would also serve the ma’ashy with salad (consisting of any variety of the following: chopped tomatoes, green pepper, cilantro, cucumber, salt and pepper).

Enjoy! And, if you try this recipe, let me know what you think!

In the World of Culture Shock

2011-08-12T13:05:00.003-04:00

Every relationship has its kinks. In fact, it is often believed that a "perfect" relationship is full of them, and Egyptian-American relationships are definitely not excluded. While it may seem obvious that cultural differences will arise from time to time, there can be nothing that can prepare you better for those confrontations than your first cultural shock, be it from either side, or both. Whether it is from traveling to a foreign country, or just a verbal misunderstanding between an American and an Egyptian, culture shock comes with the territory. Whether it is now or later, it will come, and it may come in heavy loads.

The first time that I visited Egypt, I made sure that I had no previous conceptions of what to expect. I asked my husband (who, at the time, was a close friend) to describe to me his depiction of Egypt, but I never let myself fall prey to the illusions formed by opinion. Let me put it simply: When one grows up in a country, having never ventured outside of the country itself, or maybe even a small realm within the country, opinions are altered to fit this mindset of the unknowing. Many Egyptians believe that what is seen in American movies is more of the Eden of America. They believe that Americans may possibly be the richest people in the world, and it is not possible to live in the US and not be rich. At the same time, it is also widely believed by Egyptians that the true America does not differ much from Egypt. Sure, New York City and Las Vegas are sparkly and exciting, but they are just treasures amidst an American-style Egypt. My husband often found it difficult to grasp that it is not possible to describe American culture, as it really varies from person to person. He also struggled with the idea of it being that much different from Egypt. I do not mean that many Egyptians believe that America is one giant desert, with small areas of vegetation, but as far as the standards of living, it is difficult to grasp such a different concept of life when one has never been exposed to it before. In the same way that one may struggle to describe America to an Egyptian friend or partner, their description of Egypt may prove to be just as lacking in reality. No matter how much research is done, in any subject about any place in the world, there is no truth like actually being there and living as a local.

Upon visiting Egypt for the first time, especially for those who are traveling to Egypt to meet their Egyptian partner, Egypt may look gorgeous. It will probably seem like a paradise that has fallen from the sky, and you will never want to leave. The negative aspects are usually overlooked, or not even seen, and you will most likely fall in love. The noise can be captivating, the differences in living can be exciting, and the idea of being in a foreign country so different than your own can make you feel like Indiana Jones. And I do not attempt to imply that Egypt is not all of these things and more, but I do believe that there is such a thing as a "honeymoon" phase of places, as well as people. If you travel there and then return to America, it is also likely that you will see America much differently, and long to return to Egypt. You will probably remember Egypt as the most perfect place in the world and yearn to revisit, or maybe even move there. The truth is, living in a country is much different than visiting. When visiting for the first time, the enormous piles of trash on the streets almost didn’t exist to me. I never noticed the men urinating on the sides of the roads, or scratching and holding certain things in public. The stench of body odor was completely ignored, and the inability to find places to eat while traveling was no bother. The idea of a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables every day, masked the lack of variety in other foods, and the lack clean transportation was viewed as just a cultural experience. What one may not pay attention to when visiting, will certainly creep into view upon living in Egypt. A lot of money may be spent on visitations to provide comfort, but in everyday life, it is just not practical to expect such luxuries. One example that I have is trying to shop for something, anything! Measuring cups, for example, took two weeks to find, and even then, they may be in metric units. A plastic spatula was almost impossible to get a hold of, because it is normal for Egyptians to use metal spatulas on all surfaces, yes, even Teflon. Plastic containers to store food in were also something that we struggled to find. Most plastic items in Egypt are such a low quality of plastic that many lids do not fit containers, and items seem to either break or melt very often. Many Egyptians drink their tea out of small glass mugs, though it may be beneficial to take your own mugs with you, as I have had several Egyptian glass mugs explode in my face, something that no one should ever experience.

In reality, Egypt is very dirty. People may use trashcans inside of the home, or small bags that act as trashcans, but there are no garbage trucks that come by to pick up the trash and take it to a dump. The streets of Egypt are the dump. I have seen, on multiple occasions, people throwing the trash bags out of their windows into allies or canals. Old Kleenex, toilet paper thrown in the trash instead of being disposed of in the toilet, rotten food, soiled clothes, etc. sit in those bags in the water that many people drink. As much as I love Egypt, and have a very deep connection with its history, present, and future, there is no possible way to ignore the depressing sanitation situation. It is something that is recognized, and there are some Egyptians who are fighting for a way to keep their areas clean, but, for the most part, it is just widely accepted. Most Egyptians believe that it is the government’s responsibility to keep the country clean, so if the government does not clean up the streets, than it is the government’s problem. That may be hard for a lot of American’s to grasp. One million Egyptians may walk by a bottle floating in the Nile, without one stopping to take it out of the water and place it in a trashcan. It is a way of life that many Egyptians do not see a problem with. Coming from a country where littering is illegal, and the state reserves the right to remove you from your property if you do not take care of it, this may pose a huge threat to many Americans who fail to recognize the unsanitary conditions of many places throughout Egypt in their “honeymoon” phase. I have often wished that I was in a position in Egypt to organize a massive cleanup, and that I had the funds to pay each person who helped, but it is, for now, only a dream.

The cleanest places in Egypt are the tourist locations for those traveling from Europe. Sharm el Sheikh, for example, is kept much cleaner than any other place in Egypt that I have seen thus far. However, if one ventures just outside of the “tourist” areas, there is the same level of poverty as many places in Egypt, and the same lifestyle of “let the government take care of it”.

I do not relate this information to discourage anyone from traveling to Egypt. It is, for the most part, a beautiful country. If the trash were taken care of, it may be one of the most beautiful countries in the world. However, at the moment, the trash is the reality, and is one that should be addressed in real life terms for those who are thinking about moving to Egypt to live, especially if they have never been to Egypt before.

Another thing to consider before moving to Egypt is the position of women. In Cairo, this is different than most other places in Egypt. Having lived in a small village, and visited quite often in smaller cities, there is definitely an unspoken rule of what is expectable in each location, and what is not. Cairo is the most westernized part of Egypt, after Sharm el Sheikh. Alexandria is also very westernized. The apartments and dress of those living in these cities reflect that, and may prove to be an easier place for an American to live. It is normal to see Egyptian women without hijabs (head covers) and wearing short sleeves, and possibly even tight pants or skirts to the knees. The small cities, such as Mansoura or Damietta (Dumyat) are another story. Not often traveled by tourists, these cities are much more rooted in Egyptian culture. The women, while dressing modestly, are less modest than those in the villages, but more modest than those in cities like Cairo or Alexandria. This may mean that they cover their heads and wear long skirts or pants, but they may wear short sleeves, or very tight-fitting clothes. The Northern villages are the most conservative of all places in Egypt, other than the villages in Upper Egypt. In these Northern villages, the women are usually dressed in loose, long-sleeve shirts, hijabs, and long skirts, or they may wear traditional galabeyas or burkas. The men in most areas, from Cairo to the villages, usually dress the same. The older generations usually wear male galabeyas, and the younger generations wear jeans and t-shirts. Young girls, before reaching puberty, are usually allowed to wear short skirts and tank tops, but only at a very young age.

These styles of dress may also impact where in Egypt you would like to live, if you are thinking about moving there. To live in a village and dress immodestly is to shame the family, and because villagers are very nosey, walking outside in a tank top for 30 seconds from the house to the car, may cost the entire family their respect. On the other hand, villages are much quieter, and may prove to be a much more relaxing place to live. If you are very interested in cultures, as I am, living in a village can be a wonderful experience. However, I do not suggest moving to a village if you are the kind of person who likes to be outside going places all the time, or if you are a woman and highly independent, because traveling outside alone in a village, for a foreign woman, is not an option.

Don't Be Discouraged

2011-08-11T12:49:00.002-04:00

When browsing the internet yesterday, I came upon a blog of an American woman who has married an Egyptian man. In an attempt to "educate" others about how the relationship would be, she made the entire process seem as though it were doomed from the beginning. I just have one thing to say to people who think like that: if you're not happy with your relationship, than get out. One "warning" (to quote her) that she gives her readers is that if the man pays for nothing, this is a sign that he doesn't love you, and the solution to the problem is to establish a boundary of "this is my money and that is your money". Whoah, what? If the man was American, would you ever let him pay for nothing for a long period of time? If the man, upon being told that you were running out of money, started spending much more time with his mother and much less time with you, would you not have been alerted?

Just a note of caution to my readers: Everyone is different. Everyone has their own culture. If you are in a relationship with an Egyptian, don't push all of the "warning" signs that the relationship would not work out aside. Use your instincts; they work just as well with international/interracial relationships as they do with all others. Don't make excuses for the guy/girl, and don't expect them to change drastically when you decide to have your relationship progress. Egyptians are people too, and it is frustrating that the negative tones some people have in the world of interracial relationships carry the potential to disintegrate perfectly beautiful relationships. Be careful, but believe in love.

On a much lighter note, there are so many positive relationships beyond that strange void of uncertainty. I myself am witness to many, and I know there are many out there waiting to be discovered. If you ever read anything that says, "I have never met an American woman who married an Egyptian and is truly happy", then guess again, because I am here to vouch for every successful relationship, not only between an American woman and an Egyptian man, but for international and interracial relationships alike.

The Staple of All Staples

2011-06-11T21:08:00.003-04:00

If you have ever been to Egypt, or know someone from there, you will know that the staple food above all others is rice. One thing that I noticed about rice in Egypt is that it sticks together, making it possible to mold into different shapes and eat more easily than the rice that I grew up with in the United States. So, to satisfy that itch of wonder that I know all of you have at this moment ;), I will treat you all to my recipe for how to master Egyptian rice.

What you'll need:

- 3 cups water
- 2 cups white rice
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Notes:

I prefer to use corn oil, as it brings out the taste in the rice. Also, since Egyptian rice is so expensive in the US (you may purchase Egyptian rice at any Arabic food store, and some international food stores) we use white long grain rice from Great Value, that works just as well.

What to do:

Combine the water, rice, oil and salt in a pot. Cover the pot and let simmer for roughly one minute. Reduce the heat to low, and let cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the rice is soft and moist. Let stand for 2 minutes, and serve. The rice should be sticky, salt, and everso flavorful. Good luck!

Making Molokhia

2011-06-10T23:34:00.006-04:00

One of the greatest of experiences we have been through, since my husband and I have returned from Egypt, is attempting to replicate the delicious Egyptian meals that were so easily created amidst the country’s own array of ingredients. Trying to bring such a true Egyptian style to the food, while still using ingredients found within the United States, has been a real challenge, but it has definitely been worth it. Our latest concoction is molokhia, one of the most Egyptian meals of all food served in Egypt. So, in celebration of the success, I have decided that it would only be appropriate to share such a recipe with all of you.

Ingredients that you will need:

- Half a chicken on the bones (to use a whole chicken, double the recipe)
- 2 tsp. chicken bouillon
- 1 whole yellow onion, cut into fourths
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 ½ tbsp. coriander
- 3 tbsp. tomato sauce
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 ½ cups molokhia
- Salt to taste

A few notes:

Molokhia is an Egyptian plant, similar to spinach. The leaves are chopped into fine pieces, and shipped to the United States in either a dried or frozen form. I personally prefer to use the dried leaves, and to chop them myself, but frozen will work just as well. Just remember that frozen molokhia contains water, and will therefore make the soup thinner. Molokhia can be obtained from Arabic or international food stores in the US.

Also, if you are preparing the meal in the halal form, whole chickens and chicken bouillon can also be obtained from Arabic or international food stores. We use Tyson chicken (which we have confirmed with the Tyson company is killed in the accepted forms and has been labeled halal by the US Islamic Society) and Knorr or Maggi chicken bouillon, although I do not care for Maggi, as it leaves a film on the roof of my mouth.

Let’s get started!

First, place the chicken in a pot, and fill the pot with water, about three inches higher than the level of your chicken. Mash the chicken bouillon and empty into the pot, along with the yellow onion. You may add a dash of pepper here if desired, and 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil here is also optional (I find that cooking boiled chicken with corn oil brings out the flavor in the broth). Bring the chicken to a boil, cover, and let sit on medium heat for roughly one hour. In that time, that water should boil down to the level of the chicken, leaving a good amount of broth in the pot.

While the chicken is cooking, you may prepare for the rest of the meal. If you are choosing to use dried molokhia, now would be the time to chop it up. The molokhia should be in very small pieces, almost to a powder form, but not. If you are using frozen molokhia, this step will have already been done for you.

If after one hour the tenderness of the chicken is not to your liking, simply continue to cook the chicken, adding ½ cup of water if necessary, to maintain the correct amount of broth (again, that just means enough broth to reach the top of where the chicken is sitting in the pot).

When the chicken is finished, remove the chicken and the pieces of onion from the broth, and set aside. Pour the molokhia into the broth, and simmer for 3-4 minutes, setting aside after the 3-4 minutes is up. Make sure that you do not cover the pot anymore from this point on, as you would not want it to boil over.

Meanwhile, put the cumin, tomato sauce, vegetable oil, coriander, and minced garlic cloves in a pan and sauté for 30 seconds to a minute. Make sure that you don’t do it too long, or the flavor will turn sour. Also, the garlic can turn brown fairly quickly, so it’s important to keep an eye on it for the whole 30 seconds to a minute to avoid overcooking it.

Next, put the sautéed mixture and the chicken back into the pot with the molokhia, leaving the onions out (you can snack on these until the molokhia is finished, as they won’t be used for anything else). Let simmer for roughly 6-8 minutes, or until the molokhia reaches the desired texture. We prefer for the molokhia to be more like a soup than a sauce, so it’s important to maintain a perfect balance of water in the mixture at all times. Of course, the more water that you have to add, the more flavor you will lose, so try not to walk off and leave your molokhia cooking, as it is well worth the wait. ;)

Finally, remove the molokhia from the heat, and serve over white rice.

While molokhia is definitely an acquired taste, it is something that you will probably never find in a can in Wal-Mart! It has a slightly slimy texture, one reason that I like it to be as soupy as possible, and also has the potential to smell like a freshly cut lawn if inhaling while swallowing. But, it’s unique and it’s fun and if you’re anything like I was during the time when my husband and I were separated by so many miles of ocean, it’s a neat way to connect with your Egyptian half! So, eat up!

(You may serve the molokhia with the soup in a bowl on the side, or the chicken and molokhia ontop of the rice)

A Year Gone By - Part B

2011-04-21T23:09:00.002-04:00

Because I had already been living in Egypt for more than 6 months, I was allowed to file for a visa for Mohamed to move to the US from Cairo. I do believe that this method served our purposes greatly, and even though the US Embassy is a place of much needed help, it may have saved us months of waiting. The consulate predicted that if we filed all of our papers accurately, not forgetting or adding one thing, our process should be completed within three months.

Sure enough, after many visits back to the Embassy for each process, and numerous nighttime travels back and forth between Sharm el Sheikh and Cairo, the date for our final interview arrived in the mail. It was set for my day off from work, so we prepared our backpack full of snacks, bottled waters, and toilet paper, and headed to the Embassy with a change of clothes and perhaps the most anxious feelings imaginable.

Many hours later, after mix-ups with paperwork and with our energy slowly draining we met again with the consulate. He told us that we passed with flying colors and to expect the visa in the mail within 10 business days. Relief!

In the middle of May, Mohamed and I returned to the village to spend time with his family before our traveling to the US. Those days were both joyous and sad for both of us, and while it seemed that every minute that passed did so with such great struggle, it also felt as if the time quickly passed, and we were soon packing our bags for the 42 hour trip back to the US. A word of advice from a friend: planning a stop in Amsterdam with a 10 hour period between flights is not in your best interest, especially when you do not plan to tour Amsterdam during that time of waiting.

Having been in the US for nearly one year now, we still continue to learn more about each other’s cultures, and though I began this post by complaining about the lack of interest in the American culture that I face, I do believe that there is even still so much that I could, and should observe.

A Year Gone By - Part A

2011-04-21T23:08:00.000-04:00

Feelings of guilt are beginning to plague me, as people have begun to contact me from across the globe; guilt, because of my lack of commitment to keeping a blog. I do admit that it is hard to find one’s own country as interesting as others, and while it seems contradictory to the very idea that I indulge in the art of cultures, my own has never enthralled me as much as those that begin as a mystery, and soon find a very special place in a small piece of something inside of you that refuses to let go.

Since my last post, so many things have happened that I feel as though my place of beginning is lost. I suppose that I will begin from Valentine’s Day 2010, and hope that my memory serves me better than I anticipate that it will:

Soon after Valentine’s Day, Mohamed and I made the long and agonizing journey to Cairo, to the US Embassy, where we had to fight our way in, and push to be heard. Not a single one of our experiences with the Embassy ever resulted in a feeling of having been taken care of, nor did we ever look forward to having to visit the bustling streets of Garden City, where the US Embassy is located.

To apply for a visa from Egypt to the US, it is said that one must call the “visa hotline” to make an appointment for the first filing process. From my experiences, this is a joke. To call the US Embassy costs 5 Egyptian pounds per minute, which, if you are living in Egypt and getting an Egyptian salary, is like spending 5 American dollars per minute. The first time that I called to make an appointment to start the visa process, the person on the phone relayed that all appointments for visas had been cancelled, due to the consulate leaving the country. When we asked when the consulate would return, we were told that no one knew. Ok, to clarify, the consulate is the head of the Embassy, and he had not left the country. (In order to even call this number, which we were told was the only way to make an appointment to begin the visa process, you must either have a landline or use a cellphone from the company called Vodafone. Due to our using Etisalat, every attempt that we made at calling, would fail. Eventually, we had to buy a line from Vodafone.)

The idea that the US Embassy is composed of almost all Egyptians, many of whom speak no English, I found to be quite counterproductive. Every call that we made, resulted in the slow speech and repetition of any person who happened to be on the other end of the line. Even when Mohamed called and spoke to them in Arabic, every word was asked to be repeated, causing us to lose money very quickly, and because the phones have only as many minutes as you buy at one time, speaking to the Embassy usually ended up with the phone cutting off and us having to run to the corner store to purchase more minutes. After having spent 40 pounds on an 8 minute phone call that resulted in the introductions of ourselves and the story that the consulate had run away from the US Embassy, neither myself nor Mohamed were very pleased. Communication like this continued for quite some time. My family in the US called the Egyptian Embassy in Houston, Texas, who said that as far as they knew, the consulate was just fine. They also spoke with the USCIS, who told them that the problems we were having were not normal, and an American diplomat who lived in Egypt for many years also seemed very stunned at our ordeal. It had come to our attention that Americans do not see how the Egyptians are often treated, and because I had chosen to live in Egypt and marry an Egyptian, as far as most people were concerned, I was as much of a threat to them as a feather is to a charging rhino.
Exhausted from frustration, Mohamed and I embarked on the 9 hour bus ride in the middle of the night to visit the Embassy ourselves. When we entered, we were greeted with hostility and after fighting our way into the side for US citizens, approached the first American that we had seen working at the Embassy. Thankfully, she was very apologetic and had us fill out a complaint form, which is not something that either of us would have normally done, nor did we really want to, yet she insisted. After waiting for roughly three hours, we were allotted an appointment slot, and thus the visa process had officially begun.

The Quest

2010-02-13T08:53:00.003-05:00

Before I begin, I would like to indulge in a minor history lesson:

The year was 2008. It was summertime in Cairo, and two zoo-bound lovers marched toward what some may call their first date. Only one thing stood in the way of the two enjoying their time; the girl had not eaten her lunch. Five minutes past the zoo gate, they were confronted by a photographer who offered them both the chance of a lifetime, to have their pictures taken with baby zoo animals. Despite the excitement which would have, under any other circumstances, been flowing through the girl’s veins, she refused the offer and was focused only on surviving the zoo so the search for food could begin. Over the next year, this event had haunted the guy, as he knew his girl had truly desired said offer, and he made a silent vow that one day, when the girl returned, they would revisit the past, and make her dream come true.

On February 10, 2010, my husband finally had his chance to achieve that goal. While in Cairo, we found ourselves once again in the roaring chaos that is the Cairo Zoo. I truly believe that the zoo would be a safer place if they would put the kids in the cages and let the animals walk around freely.

We found a photographer who was offering to take pictures of people with the animals, and my husband began his tactful persuasion, which always seems to come through. Needless to say, ten minutes later I was holding the beautiful essence of a baby lion.

Before we left, however, my husband had one more surprise for me. He wanted me to have a chance to hold my favorite animal in the world, a fennec fox. Despite the cost of over 1,000 dollars, my dream is to one day have a fennec fox as a pet, but for now, having the chance to hold one in my arms was good enough for me. After bribing one of the zoo keepers with ten pounds, we closed the doors and I was able to cradle the one animal which has always fascinated me. With fur so soft it seemed to melt between my fingers, the fennec fox, which I so graciously named Mr. Cush Cush, has engraved his existence in my mind, and will forever be my long distant companion.

Unfolding the Past - Part B

2010-02-13T08:40:00.006-05:00

The day after our arrival in Sharm el Sheikh, we discovered the existence of a quite modern-looking studio, which we immediately purchased with such appreciation that we seemed to sleep more that one night than we had in the past three weeks. While small, the studio consists of a washing machine, a new fridge, the microwave and blender which we brought ourselves, a fully operational bathroom, and a new TV with satellite.

The following day, we began the hunt for the jobs which would allow us to survive in such a bustling city, which we found the very same day.

A month and a half later, upon the arrival of my birthday, Mohamed and I treated ourselves to a dinner at McDonald’s, costing over 50 Egyptian pounds, but well worth the expense.

Soon after, Christmas crept ever closer, and all of the Egyptian merchants began decorating their shops in an array of decorations, such that one could see a stuffed Santa holding a Valentine’s Day heart, with the merchant proudly standing by.

Winter in Sharm is almost nonexistent, and I remain baffled at the sight of people wearing fur winter coats, gloves, hats, scarves, and heavy snow boots in 60 degree weather. Perhaps those living in Sharm have taken Napoleon’s Russian invasion a little too close to heart, and have decided to prepare for any scenario, despite living in the middle of the desert. I can forgive the naïve Egyptians who, I am sure, were born with heatstroke, but what of these Europeans who come from the coldest regions known to man? Sadly enough, winter in Egypt has come to a close, and I fear that this year’s Valentine’s Day will be the beginning of another long and perspiring Egyptian summer.

Unfolding the Past - Part A

2010-02-13T07:42:00.001-05:00

O! What time can do to the willing. The eventful days which have passed have seemed as though they were a mere second, and while priorities have become ever-changing, life continues to show us her existence. Through many trails and errors, we both have come to realize the necessities in life, as well as their individual prices. As much had occurred since my last update, I will give a short synopsis of the past five months:

Three days after our arrival in Dahab, unavoidable circumstances took us back to the village. The following two weeks were some of great family ties and much-needed comfort, as we all watched an honest victim of cancer spend his last days discovering the unveiled truths of his life. Each day I observed how our lifeless bodies floated through the house, filling each hour with an empty vile of hope. To comfort another meant to find comfort in yourself, which seemed unattainable at the time.

Among the turmoil arose seven witches, who, having awaken from the dead at the sight of their suffering brother, found every foul way to twist the world into a place of utter despair. With no energy left to fight, the innocents collapsed in agony and we realized that all we have left is each other.

After my father-in-law’s passing, my husband and I chose to commemorate his memory by proving our success in the faces of evil. As our companion in Dahab had deserted us, we turned our future towards Sharm el Sheikh, the tourist capitol of Egypt.

Out of the Abyss and into Dahab

2009-09-12T09:15:00.002-04:00

Being on the Sinai Peninsula has already proven an entirely different experience than that of “the main land”. While most of Egypt is located on the continent of Africa, the Sinai Peninsula is actually located on the continent of Asia, and we are therefore, technically, now in Asia. We travelled through baron deserts for the majority of the night, but once we got into the heart of Sinai, we found ourselves in the middle of the desert mountains. I’m not quite sure as to my feelings on the existence of snowless mountains, yet I suppose a change in scenery made it worth the while.

After we arrived in Dahab, Mohamed and I made our way to a friend’s house, who graciously offered his second house as a place for us to rest and regain the multiple hours of sleep loss which had occurred due to the long journey. However, unable to sleep, we both freshened ourselves with new clothes and hand sanitizer, and ventured out into the previously unexplored shopping strip of Dahab. Considering neither of us had eaten anything in roughly thirty-two hours, we stopped at a restaurant called Yalla!, where Mohamed and I sat under umbrellas and fans on the beach and I ate half of an entire cheese pizza alone (Mohamed is still fasting for Ramadan).

Dahab is an entirely different world when comparing it to the rest of the Egyptian culture. Each place in every country has a culture of its own, but Dahab takes the cake on intermingling between cultures from around the world. That morning trip to the beach I saw more girls in bikinis than I had for years combined in America. It’s an overwhelming experience to travel from the mindset of extreme conservatism to “everyone do as they please”. My first impression was one of disgust and horror at the lack of self-respect each of the visitors had for themselves, God, and the people around them. However, I began to relax slightly after reminding myself that I still believe in freedom of choice and the individual’s right to exercise that.

The days in Dahab feel as though the entire city has been placed in the jaws of an enormous toaster, burning with glee as it watches all of the residents slow in pace and begin to drag their bodies in desperation for even a slight cool breeze from the Red Sea. The nights here are roughly the same temperature as the afternoons in the village, making it an extremely different experience altogether. I believe that the sun must be closer to Dahab than the rest of Egypt, as it seems to focus its energy on each individual citizen with a passion which no other solar system could produce. Needless to say, sleeping schedules will be regulated in such a place, as sleeping in the day is nearly impossible, and I feel as though a chance at a new start in Dahab is enough hope for both of us to engulf ourselves with such promises of the future that each day is filled with an overflowing amount of glee and optimism that we finally feel emotionally fed and soulfully satisfied.

Into the Abyss

2009-09-12T09:07:00.003-04:00

It’s an interesting aspect how life works. In one moment you are sitting helpless in a room, restricted from access to everyday life, such as pouring your own juice in the kitchen. Seconds later you are packing your bags for no known reason and leaving the place you once knew to venture into the world of the absolute unknown, into a world where simple tasks would become lengthened adventures and your responsibilities would take a leap into the future. It’s an interesting aspect how life works.

On Sunday, September 6, 2009, Mohamed and I gathered all of the belongings that we could muster, and set forth into the unpardoned trials of Egypt. Taking a small, red tok tok car from the house, we travelled to a nearby city in search of a bus that could take us to Mansoura. Being the first time I had ever travelled like the majority of Egyptians, I was quite excited, despite the weariness of the indefinite. After roughly an hour, we arrived in Mansoura at the bus station, where we unloaded the bus and waited for a driver to pick us up and take us to the bus which was bound for Dahab. Expecting any car but the one which arrived, we both laughed in hysteria at the bright orange glow that illuminated from the car in the moonlight. There was nothing wrong with the initial paint job, just the choice of coloring. However, thankful to have a ride to the bus, we climbed inside the car, which I believe to be a shape shifting traffic cone, and headed for the bus we would soon be spending eleven hours in.

Having a case of claustrophobia makes it very difficult to endure tasks and situations that should otherwise be endurable. This can be a challenge for not only the person with claustrophobia, but also the people around them. Needless to say, the driver was very understanding and allowed Mohamed and I to accompany him in the front of the bus, which resulted in a much more pleasant ride than if we had been located in the back of the bus as was originally planned.

(Image courtesy of tripadvisor.com, as I was too tired to take any pictures.)

Occasionally, while making our way to Dahab, we would stop to stretch our legs and perhaps purchase a drink or snacks from nearby street vendors. Once past Suez, the entire trip was desert as I had never seen it before. Although, considering all but forty minutes of the trip was at night, I suppose I still have not seen it as I could have. It was not only incredibly beautiful seeing the sand reflect the night’s moon, but it was extremely cold. There were, believe it or not, times when I found myself shivering as if I had landed in the middle of a snow ski resort dressed only in a t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

As Mohamed always says, "Glorious Food!!!"

2009-09-03T09:26:00.005-04:00

In all the time that I have spent in Egypt, I have come to love a variety of certain foods. Rice, plums, Egyptian bread, guava juice, and Egyptian “Cheese & Spices” Doritos are among some of my favorites. However, I must admit that while I greatly enjoy the food which each day provides, there are still times when I miss certain foods from America. A few nights ago, when attempting to shop for new types of foods, Mohamed and I made a trip to a small grocery store that I have mentioned before called Metro. We made a deal that if I would choose the food that I actually would enjoy consuming, then I could use one hundred pounds to do so and have free reign of the store. Before I continue onto my choices of food, perhaps it should be noted that because I am such an indecisive person when it comes to choosing things such as food, I spend roughly three or four hours in Wal-Mart trying only to fill one hand basket, and though the size of Metro and Wal-Mart cannot be compared on any measure, we did spend more than one hour staring at the items on each shelf until we were both sure we had memorized Metro’s inventory list.

On a hidden isle near the rice and vegetables, we came across the Egyptian version of Ramen noodles. I told Mohamed that if he would buy some of the packages then he would be saving my life. Seconds later the basket was loaded with packages of two different brands of Egyptian Ramen noodles. One brand is called Indomie Instant Noodles and the other is called Jenan Instant Noodles. Both were only 1.25 pounds per package ($0.25 USD). I believe that Jenan is actually the better choice, as the flavor seems to be more pronounced, though we took the only two packages of Jenan that we saw on the shelf. The other brand comes with four packages of flavoring inside, soy sauce, chili powder, seasoning, and oil with spices. The instructions of course say to use all four packages, though I chose to avoid the chili powder and the soy sauce.

In the fridge section we found Danette chocolate hazelnut pudding, and packages of American cheese made by a company called President. I therefore have been enjoying the president’s cheese… We also bought frozen steaks from a company called Three Chefs, apple and cherry juice, a bag of Tang powder, and two bottles of water. In the end, our entire basket cost less than fifty pounds, a price which astonished Mohamed to no end. According to him, the food is not only better and offers a new variety to myself to keep me from becoming bored of any certain line of food, but it is also much cheaper than the foods purchased in the local shops.

On our way back to the house, we stopped at fruit stand that Mohamed has grown fond of because the merchant offers the best bananas at a cheaper price. Along with two bunches of bananas, we also purchased a kilo of deep red apples which were texturally amazing as they radiated crispiness even to the last bite.

There were a few select items which will be useful in the future that I was happy to see on an Egyptian shelf. One of these was mustard, along with cake mixes, foreign teas, cereal, Heinz ketchup, Windex, paper towels, and even brown sugar, which I have been told on multiple occasions does not exist in Egypt. One thing which we are still on the lookout for is peanut butter, and while I have no hope of finding it in this country, Mohamed refuses to give up the search.

Siamese Twin Egyptian Bananas and the Battle of the Spiders

2009-09-03T08:45:00.003-04:00

The beauty of nature is something that I believe will forever hold its place in this world. There will always be those who treasure its magnificence, just as there will always be those who see the Earth as something only to be reaped, never to be gazed at or gawked over. However, there is a power to be seen that has the ability to blind the mind’s eye and cause a realization that we are all but a part of this world. There is so much more to life than ourselves, so much more to living than our wishes, and so much more to love than we will ever be capable of. Such splendor may be revealed to us in times when all hope seems to have diminished and left us in the darkest of crevices that this world possesses, or when great waves of passion have engulfed our days so that every minute which passes seems as an eternity of light. It may be revealed to us in multi-colored extravagant events, or in the smallest idea of a single second, but no matter its appearance it exists just the same.

Two weeks ago, when searching through my plate of breakfast fruit, I came upon the most peculiar spectacle. A banana, much larger than the others, looked as if it had missed the weekly exercise programs for the past year and had resigned to spend its days couch potatoing, as only the laziest of bananas may do. After lecturing the poor thing, the art of peeling exposed that I had been wrongly accusing two innocent Siamese twin bananas, who were helpless and abandoned. I suppose that such events are more common in warm climate countries, as banana trees line the Nile River, though I still find the occasion quite astonishing and breathtaking as it reminds me that one can never truly predict nature. Needless to say, my breakfast that morning was very filling.

Some days later, I observed a battle between two spiders, which caught my eye as another force of nature. In one corner housed the web of a seemingly harmless spider with long skinny legs and a somewhat pea-sized body. Not far off was a cream-colored spider, smaller in size but larger in mass, who found pleasure in provoking the other spider by jiggling its web. Each time the web moved, the long-legged spider alerted itself to possible prey, only to be mislead. The cream-colored spider, who by now was quite overjoyed with his success in annoying the long-legged spider, began making its way through the web, carefully avoiding the chance of becoming prey himself. The closer he got to the long-legged spider, the more the long-legged spider seemed to grow agitated at the false alarms and disturbance of his fortress. When the cream-colored spider reached a distance of several centimeters from the long-legged spider, he stopped abruptly and waited for the long-legged spider’s reaction. Several minutes passed, yet not a single movement from the long-legged spider. This seemed to send waves of frustration into the cream-colored spider, and he retreated from the web to attempt the same tactic from another angle. Once again the long-legged spider held his ground, silent and immobile. The cream-colored spider, lost at the lack of reaction from his enemy, grew restless and ventured further into the lion’s den. Only three centimeters away, the cream-colored spider felt sure that he would get a reaction from the long-legged spider, yet still his attempts seemed useless. He began to falter, unsure of the long-legged spider’s intentions, and thus the attack. The long-legged spider lashed out with two of its legs in a striking manner which startled the cream-colored spider into a state of shock. Unable to move, for fear of exposing its back to its enemy, but not skilled enough to maneuver through the web backwards, the cream-colored spider was trapped in his own game, which seemed to please the long-legged spider so immensely that he recoiled his claws and returned to his motionless position. When the cream-colored spider felt that it may perhaps be safe to retreat from the web, he dashed through the tangled webs as quickly as he could. When he reached the open wall, he turned around to face his opponent. Defeated and exasperated, the cream-colored spider circled the perimeter of the web, and in despite of his foe, he jiggled the web one more time, and darted off with a sense of accomplishment in the last irritation of the long-legged spider.

Let's Do the Egyptian Tango - Lesson 3

2009-09-01T11:50:00.004-04:00

Toward the end of the celebration, the guests were given cake, bread, and their choice of Pepsi, Fanta, or Apple Cola. Never having Apple Cola before, I gave it a try, and to my surprise it was nothing like sparkling apple cider. It was, indeed, exactly what it claimed to be, and I have this itching desire to mix it with grape juice. The cake which the guests ate from was interestingly enough not the same cake which the groom and bride were given. Their cake was a beautiful five level white cake decorated with fruit and icing.

The guests received a chocolate and vanilla layered cake with coconut crumbs and cherries. The bread had cheese hiding amidst its spongy interior, which gave the perfect combination of both sweet and salty to the meal.

When the wedding came to an end, Mona and her husband returned to the car which they had arrived in, and their driver drove them to their new apartment, which was roughly an hour away from the place of the wedding. Both Mona’s close family and her husband’s close family followed them to the apartment, to ensure that Mona did not feel alone. This was, of course, very different from an American wedding where the bride and groom leave the wedding happy to be alone. After Mohamed’s mother and aunt stocked Mona’s kitchen with a week’s worth of fruits, vegetables, and bread, both families began returning to their houses.

That night was the first night of rest any of us had participated in for more than a month, and no one in the house stirred until the next evening, when we all came to the conclusion that we should probably feed our bodies before we continued to sleep away the day. The next day was identical to the one before it, in that everyone seemed to feel incapable of staying awake. In the entire encounter I believe that I have reached only a single deduction: It is more tiring to be selfish than to be content with what God gives you.

Let's Do the Egyptian Tango - Lesson 2

2009-09-01T11:26:00.004-04:00

The bride and groom, who arrived together in one car (which was decorated with ribbons and flowers), spent the majority of the wedding posing for the multiple cameras, cell phones, and video cameras of all of the guests. I was surprised at how comfortable the guests were at putting their cell phones and cameras in the faces of the bride and groom. I must admit that, in my mind, it somewhat dehumanized both of them, and although animals cannot truly experience dehumanization, as they are not humans, I have come to terms with myself and vowed to respect every animals space just as I wish everyone to respect my space as well. Mona later shared with me that not only was it extremely embarrassing to have people snapping photos in your face for an entire evening, but it was also tiring and she spent most of the first few hours wishing only for the night to be over.

During the wedding, the workers of the buildings followed a program which Mona’s husband had chosen for the occasion. This program contained different segments such as a dancer who danced something called “The Dance of Damietta”, the cutting of the cake, toasting each other, and a lot of group dancing. In a typical wedding, the bride would be included in choosing how the night’s program would commence, however, because she had been busy and was unable to do that, she spent the entire night never knowing what would happen.

The majority of the evening was dedicated to large group dances, where members from both families joined together to dance in whatever way they pleased. Due to the loud music and close proximities, I imagine that it was somewhat like being in a dance club, although there was of course no alcohol. Those who chose to not participate in dancing sat at the tables looking extremely bored.

Mohamed and I spent most of our time in the middle of the dance floor.

Let's Do the Egyptian Tango - Lesson 1

2009-09-01T11:10:00.009-04:00

Who knew that a laptop would have trouble surviving in such a warm environment? I believe that the essence of heat is not quite understandable until you realize that even the machines struggle to maintain a well-balanced lifestyle to avoid heatstroke. Mohamed and I have spent the previous weeks attempting to recover the laptop’s adapter/charger, which fried unexpectedly the morning of Mona’s wedding. I therefore have an enormous amount of writing to do, as I attempt to relive every moment since.

On the morning of the wedding, family members began pouring into the house, waiting to load the buses which Mona’s husband had rented to bring Mona’s family to the city where the wedding would take place. Mohamed and I rode to the wedding in his father’s car, accompanied by one of his aunts, who believed herself to be of such high standard that she did not deserve to ride in the bus with her other sisters and nieces. How one can possibly come to such a conclusion, I will never understand. Needless to say, we arrived roughly an hour later than the wedding was supposed to start, yet an hour before the bride and groom. Sometimes one may in fact benefit from Egyptian time.

The entire exterior was decorated with strings of flashing white lights and the sound of an excited crowd. Inside, we were greeted by a large staircase which was draped in white and red cloth and decorated with miniature bouquets of pink and white flowers. Upstairs was a giant room speckled with a hundred round tables, each covered in gold and green tablecloths. Each of the chairs had a cover with a giant gold-colored bow tied to the back, which gave the room a very interesting feeling of the Christmas season. In the center of the tables was an open walkway, ranging approximately 10 meters wide, which divided the room into a side for the bride’s family (on the right) and a side for the family of the groom (on the left). At the end of the walkway was a small stage with a garden style bench, where the bride and groom were to sit during the ceremony.

There were two large TV screens on the back wall, which continuously showed the events of the wedding, as a camera man would film what was happening. It was much like watching a live news segment, without the newscasters. In the corner of the room was a DJ, who enthusiastically played the loudest music I have ever encountered.

Our Little Excursion

2009-08-02T11:02:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was spent attempting to move Mona into her new apartment. I now understand why being outside in the middle of the day is less ideal than jumping into a pit of burning oil. Temperatures soaring to more than 100 degrees yesterday, our bodies became entangled in the summer heat as we made the four hour journey to a small town in Zagazig just outside of El Sheikh. Upon entering the apartment, we came to a small elevator, measuring about 1 meter by 3 meters. The mechanics behind such a contraption are unknown to me, but I will venture to say that safety should be a concern when ascending in said device. To begin our journey, we simply pulled the door open, and stepped inside the elevator. After pressing the button of the desired floor, two folding metal doors latched shut, Egyptian elevator music began to play, and the elevator, surprisingly, began its ascent. While waiting to arrive at our floor, we noticed that we were able to tamper with the lights, a non-existing fan, or the workings of the elevator. The bumps, jolts, and metal scrapings along the way reminded me of the Tower of Terror ride in Disney World; the only thing missing were the ghosts. When we reached our destination, the metal doors unfolded, revealing a door which we then pushed open, allowing us to escape the claustrophobic box.

Since Mona’s apartment is on the seventh floor, we used the elevator quite often, though each time was just as unnerving as the next. On one occasion, Mohamed and I were returning from purchasing snacks at a nearby shop, when the elevator seemed to become annoyed at our presence. After reaching the seventh floor, the metal doors unfolded, and remained open for nearly two seconds before they closed once more and the elevator quickly started descending back to the ground floor. In a panic, Mohamed pressed the button for the seventh floor once more, but the elevator ignored his demands. He tried again, to no avail, and then began pushing every button in thinking that perhaps the seventh floor was having some sort of catastrophic event, other than complete chaos from the move in. Unfortunately, one of these buttons happened to be the “Stop” button, which immediately halted the elevator between the sixth and fifth floors. The metal doors then opened, revealing a concrete wall and about two feet of the door to the fifth floor, which of course stubbornly latched itself closed.

After trying to make the elevator ascend, descend, or even acknowledge that we were there, we tried kicking the door open to the fifth floor. Unfortunately, none of our ideas did anything more than consume the oxygen in our new cell. Desperate for air, we began shouting for help, and Mohamed tried using the “Call” button, which sounded more like a fire alarm, and less like an intercom system. As no one in the apartment spoke English, I realize that calling for help in English probably had no effect on our rescue mission. At least ten minutes later, we remembered that we had a cell phone with us, and Mohamed proceeded to call his brother, who in turn called for the landowner, who unlocked the door to the fifth floor, revealing a large crowd all wearing looks of sheer amusement. After we climbed through the space to reach the fifth floor, we left the crowd and the landowner frozen in astonishment and pondering how the elevator could be fixed. When we reared our heads off the stairs, another large crowd stood gazing over the banister laughing in hysteria at our misfortune. Too heated and out of breath, we ignored their questions and proceeded to find any location with fresh air and a place to rest. I later thanked Mohamed for making the trip more exciting for both of us, and we laughed about our excursion for the remainder of the evening.

A Much Needed Explanation

2009-08-02T09:14:00.004-04:00

I was recently requested that I elaborate on my marriage situation, something that I have purposefully not provided information on. Perhaps I should explain my intentions of this blog. It is meant to serve as a way to keep my family and friends updated about my daily life here in Egypt, as well as provide a cultural endeavor for any who are interested. It is not for the purpose of following our personal lives. Throughout my life, I have always remained quiet about my personal life, and I have no desire to change that, especially now. I am always more than willing to meet new friends and share my life with them if they so desire, however, I do not wish to broadcast personal information in such a way that anyone may learn more about myself than I wish them to know. In short, my profile states that I am engaged, which I will change when Mohamed and I marry. I will also explain the marriage process between an Egyptian and an American when the time comes, to allow a first-hand experience to the readers who may be curious about that very thing. Until then, I cannot disclose any information on the subject. To answer the anonymous post question number four, Mohamed and I wish to complete my college education in the US at the college which I previously attended, and we will live where God intends, if that is in Egypt, America, Canada, China, or even Antarctica, which does in fact have an area code. I hope that I am not stepping on toes here, but I do not believe that this blog requires such information to be understood. To understand our personal life, perhaps, but as I stated before, such information I do not wish to disclose in such means. When the time is right, the information will be provided. However, if you would like to contact me via e-mail, I would be happy to answer your questions. (misr_is_love@hotmail.com) I would also like to take a brief moment to thank everyone for leaving their feedback, and encourage you to continue to do so. In the future, however, any questions regarding the personal life of Mohamed or myself will only be answered via e-mail. You can also contact me through Windows Live Messenger with the same e-mail as listed above.

Post of the 50th Degree

2009-07-30T13:36:00.001-04:00

If I was as sophisticated as many other bloggers, I might celebrate the fact that this is my 50th post. However, I'm not, and instead I am giving you my latest YouTube upload: Mansoura - No Honking. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c14I4KoUhA

Lingerie and Discoveries

2009-07-30T08:57:00.000-04:00

As we travelled once again to Mansoura last night, I found myself keenly observing a lingerie shop. Two men became my spectacles, as they attempted to assist a woman in choosing her new clothing items. What a sight to see! The more vibrant of the two men sat the woman, her husband, and their small child down on a bench, and asked the woman what she was searching for. While she was explaining her desired clothing options to the man, I observed the layout of the store. Set outdoors, the shop had many plastic torsos covered with different sleepwear items, each hanging from a white wire that was held in place by a numerous amount of clothespins. Behind the hanging torsos was a small storage area, where other sizes and colors of each item were stored. In front was a large wooden table which housed stacks of underwear, bras, nightgowns, and other useful sleeping items. Along the ground were larger piles of more traditional pieces, as well as house slippers, and a small assortment of children’s pajamas. When the man seemed to finally understand the woman’s shopping list, he set about searching for the perfect selection of items. His ability to remember where everything was located astonished me, especially since his partner was continuously throwing articles to the ground when they were rejected by his own customers.

The first item which the man brought back was a yellow stretchy see-through tank top, which he held up to his chest and stretched back and forth to illustrate how it was to be worn. This action sent me into a fit of giggles, and I was glad that my sounds were muffled behind the glass of our parked car. They continued to do this for roughly an hour, and when the time came for the shop to close, the poor man looked exhausted. He had gone from delicately modeling the pieces individually, to floppily holding up handfuls of shirt at one time and looking at the woman with a glare that shouted, “Please woman! I’ve shown you everything in this shop at least twice, and you don’t even appreciate my wild passion for my job!”

I believe that the woman purchased one of the sleep sets modeled by the plastic torsos, and a nightgown with flowing lace sleeves, which the man had demonstrated by flapping them in the wind. In the end, I felt appreciative of the man and his keen work ethic, and enlightened in the ways of this lingerie shop.

While in the depths of Mansoura, I became aware of how much more one can learn when they observe the minute details of each individual crevice. Always cautious of looking like a lion in a penguin cage, I find myself keeping an extremely low profile, something which is a personal trait of mine regardless of which country I am in. However, last night I set about keeping my head held high the entire excursion, and I am proud to say that I felt freer than I have felt in a very long time. I felt that I was part of this world, and I understood for the first time in my life why people enjoy going out with friends and family. I hereby resolve to always keep my eyes on the world, instead of on the ground, and to maintain a shining spirit for everyone to see. I have always been an introvert at heart, and believe that I will remain so all of my days, but why should that take away from my experiences in this life? I feel that I have broken through chains which once kept me away from this world, and today begins a brighter and more enthusiastic me. As I made my vows of optimism months ago, I now make my vow of enthusiasm. Let life come… for I am ready.

For Clarification...

2009-07-30T08:38:00.002-04:00

I would like to clarify something about my last post that I had figured would not be understood, but hoped that it would. I think that it is important to identify what one means when using the word “planning”. Having ideas about your future and where you would like to go is, of course, essential to even living. If not living with a purpose, how can one succeed in anything? Perhaps we have tangled the terms “goals” and “plans”. Striving to create a vaccine is, in my opinion, a goal which Jenner set about doing for the greater good. In that light, my goal is to finish and publish my book.

I agree with the comment that planning is needed for making progress in life, but the form of planning is perhaps what should be elaborated on. Often times I see people create such monstrous plans for their life that they fail to see any open doors along the way. For instance, I had once felt called to mission in South Africa, because it seemed to fit the profile of what I felt I was supposed to do. There remained a feeling in my gut that I was to travel out of the country among people who perhaps needed my influence of God’s love, so when the opportunity to travel to South Africa opened, I immediately jumped at the chance, feeling that it was the right plan. Had I held onto this plan so tightly that I did not see the other doors around me, I would have missed God’s plan entirely. While the feelings and purposes were the same, and what I felt in my heart was true, the location was wrong. So, making “plans” can be beneficial, but only with an open mind and an open heart. The danger that I mentioned in my last post comes from setting yourself on such a distinct path that all other opportunities are passed by. Where do I see myself in ten years? Doing exactly what God wants me to do, whatever that may be.

The Beginning of a Fleeting Era

2009-07-29T10:39:00.001-04:00

I was recently confronted about a broader aspect as to my current situation. So, today, I take a step back from depth and search beyond what has been previously focused on.
Concerning “long term visions”:

One often asks themselves, “Where do I see myself next year? In five years? Ten?” And while I find this question inspirational, I ponder its purpose. Undoubtedly we cannot know the future, and trying to do so can sometimes be harmful, but is envisioning it just as dangerous? My view is as follows. Each of us has a path which is laid before us at birth. At every simple or complex decision we make, the path winds in a different direction. Most human entities are motivated by dreams and aspirations. Having a plan for your future can, perhaps, encourage you to live a certain way, dream a certain way, and hope in a certain way, but hope is often crushed if not perceived in such a way that reality is able to coexist with said desires. Therefore, I find myself putting my future in the hands of God, and never questioning where I will be in ten years, nor ten minutes. I believe that as long as I keep my heart with him, that I stay open to life’s callings, and never want for anything less, then my life will never be filled with disappointments, yet always filled with wondrous revelations. Not only has this led my life in a beautiful direction, but it allows me a peace of mind which I could not live without.

Writing is what I love. I have a passion to learn and to write and to teach others things that perhaps they would never know. I was frequently told in the past that I should seek to be a teacher. This idea always led me to imagine a classroom full of students, myself at the front of the room, and knowledge filling every crevice of opportunity. However, it has recently occurred to me that one can teach in other ways, and be just as influential in the world. If I can bring incite to even one individual and help them understand a subject on a deeper level than before, then my life has been worth living. I am currently writing a book about the modern day culture of Egypt, and I hope in all honesty that it is only the beginning of what I can offer this world.

As my college education has been put on hold for a time, I have a breathtaking chance at what I am sure is to be the biggest adventure of my life. Sacrificing education, however, is not something that Mohamed or myself is willing to do. Planning to finish the remaining half of my college is realistically the only plan which we are allowing ourselves to make. I will, God willing, create a self-designed major combining Cultural Anthropology and English Composition.

The internet is also such a wonderful tool for learning and teaching about such an array of subjects that it seems impractical to pay such hefty fines for college and the materials which is requires. I believe that people should be praised for wishing to attend college, not penalized by financial means. In today’s society, one could easily learn more through Google in two months than studying in classrooms for an entire year. Though I do believe the classroom experience is one that could never be replaced by any form of technology, and is extremely beneficial in the overall learning process.

I understand that this post has been in a slightly different format, but please bear with me as I try to uncover the mysteries of my life in a more expansive outlook, as was requested.

A Long Week...

2009-07-28T14:59:00.001-04:00

In this moment, I finally feel that I am capable of writing a semi-decent blog again. Over the past week or so, I have been receiving a large amount of feedback on this blog, both negative and positive. Always leave the bad behind and embrace the good. Of course, if the “bad” contained constructive criticism, then it would not be labeled “bad”, just for clarification purposes. I would also like to let you know that all comments are now being monitored before they are posted. This means that when you post a comment, it will not appear immediately. Don’t panic! It will be posted as soon as I have read it.

Last night I made the discovery of Tuc biscuits. In the States, they would be considered butter crackers. However, everywhere else in the world they seem to be referred to as biscuits. So, I am consuming my Egyptian Tuc biscuits with a wide grin of familiarity. The taste reminds me of my visits to Europe, especially Scotland. Biscuits were like substitute pillow mints in hotels, popular appetizers, and filling midday snacks. Nevertheless, they remain just as refreshing as the first time I tried them.

As I have spent the past week under some sort of ailment, I had not felt the motivation to elaborate on the monotony of lying on a bed for hours at a time. For the sake of your own well-being, I will not do so even now. However, I will say that today did arrive with a twist.

Mohamed had once told me of someone in the village who seemed to carry an enormous amount of bad luck with him. I found this highly superstitious, and while I pride myself on never assuming a person is who another says they are, I accepted this suspicion nonetheless. This person visited the house tonight, and oddly enough, just as he walked in the front door, the electricity left the house. Not only did the power remain off for the remainder of his visit, but it returned instantly after he cleared the house of a good 10 meters. Coincidence? Only the future can tell.

A Note To You

2009-07-23T18:38:00.002-04:00

I have decided that I have a Blog stalker, who lacks the capability of confronting me as a person. I find it highly amusing that they appear to care so much about my future as to warn me about possible outcomes in life, yet not care enough as to contact me through two-way means. How is that people can assume they know everything about everyone? Is every person in one culture the same as the next? When you are frolicking through the grocery store, are there clones of yourself frolicking as well? The ignorance that I find in this world baffles me, and while I accept that it is part of humanity, I grieve for its existence.

So, in this brief note to whomever you are: Please, if you feel so strongly about such matters, contact me via e-mail and stop hiding behind an anonymous blogger name, or be sure that your comments will no longer be read. (misr_is_love@yahoo.com)

To the rest of you, I hope you’re all doing extremely well, and God bless. :)

Predators, Victims, and Convenience

2009-07-20T16:36:00.002-04:00

After many failed attempts, our sleeping schedules are finally pulling their own weight again. I have the much cherished monthly cycles of womanhood to thank for that. I also discovered this morning that the dawn’s temperature is more than twenty five degrees cooler than that of the afternoon.

There exists here a form of mosquito much smaller than those deemed of “normal” stature. They resemble gnats, but pack a treacherous bite that can make a grown man squirm upon impact. They are yellow in color and unmistakably gifted at finding each and every crevice that might lead to their lunch, aka you. Fortunately, they’re also easy to spot at night, as they persistently rest in the high corners of my netted fortress. Those that are unlucky enough to have found their way to me, spend their last moments wishing they were less capable of locating each crevice, and more capable of feasting on future meals. Needless to say, I have not lost a battle yet.

There was a wedding in the village last night. The family, neighbors of Mohamed’s family, spent the night celebrating the union and devouring cookies and Coca-Cola. Shortly after which they’re grandmother died, and today was spent grieving their loss. Such a turn of emotions, in such compacted time. I learned from the occasion that the forty days following the death of a loved one is spent without weddings, or other happy celebrations. It is not so much a time of moaning as it is just simplistic respect for those in despair. Anyone who considers themselves close to the deceased participates in the lack of joyful celebrations. However, if a celebration is desired within the forty days, those in charge politely ask the permission of the immediate relatives, to which they usually reply that such a celebration should indeed take place.

Mohamed’s mother told me today that she enjoys washing my clothes, as they are much smaller than everyone else’s. I found this to not only be quite entertaining, but a very interesting concept. I do appreciate American clothing, but I had never taken into consideration that if old fashions were still in style, we would consume a greater amount of water and electricity as washing machines can only hold so much. So, to anyone who complains about tight clothing, truth be told there is a purpose to its lack of material, other than the already obvious reason of not feeling as though you are being swallowed by your own apparel.

Pretty Things

2009-07-16T16:42:00.000-04:00

This morning, it appears that I have the essence of fried bacon on my mind. I hear its sizzling groans in the pan as it slowly shrinks into itself. I smell the forbidden aroma of such a meat strip. However, beneath the lies is an empty pan and a stuffy nose, and oddly enough, as I finish this paragraph, the sweet sensations have vanished, and I smell only Burt’s Bees Radiance Body Lotion.

Yesterday was spent arranging the necessities for our new life, such as kitchen utensils, cleaning supplies, and anything else that might be needed which the apartment owner will not provide. I had never before thought about such things, and upon doing so, I’ve come to the realization that Americans do indeed have much more than they will ever need. I tried thinking of all of the items which I used in the few instances when I dared to cook. Some things came to mind such as, mixing bowls, a wooden spoon, measuring cups, pots and pans, a spatula turner (as my mother so wisely put it), a cutting board, knives, a vegetable peeler, and so forth. I do not mean to blame Americans for having a wide variety of kitchen utensils that most do not even know the purposes for, and such unnecessary desires occur here in Egypt as well.

As we were searching through some of the things which Mona has purchased, I was constantly wondering why such things were needed. One of these was a beautiful, gold-plated tea set. The only existence of such a set that I had known of was in Old England when I do believe that women had nothing better to do than sit around and drink tea in groups everyday. Times have changed though, and both Mona and her fiancé have jobs which they will attend to. I asked the family what purpose the set served and they simply replied, “To serve tea.” I figured that I did not need to point out that not only is tea served on a platter already poured into the glasses and prepared for each individual so that the only things which were valuable were the tea cups themselves, but is a tea set really something which a couple needs to begin their lives? Is there not something richer in value that could be bought with the pounds spent on such a luxury, as they struggle to pay for what they have already purchased? However, in my yearning to learn more about the culture and their views on such things, I inquired as to the purpose of something so elaborate, as opposed to simple tea cups and saucers. Mohamed said that the saucers were great for serving pizza, and as I ventured to point out that I do not believe the creators of the tea set intended such delicacies to be an aid for devouring pizza, we all decided that the set indeed served no purpose other than to make Mona happy. I was proud of the honesty, and I felt that a step had been gained on the way to understanding the Egyptian’s simplistic lifestyle that is ever so complex.

Long Forgotten Introductions

2009-07-14T07:54:00.003-04:00

Last night, I dreamed that I was wearing converse sneakers, both of which had two lights on the toes, one on either side of each shoe, four lights in all. They were an element of a band uniform, and the director used those lights as signals to direct the students, though I do believe that my sister once told me that one in marching band is never to see their own two feet. In any case, apparently the right red light on each foot, when lit at the same time, was to signify a halt, something that I regrettably had not known beforehand. I thank my sister for last night’s excursions.

This morning, while absent-mindedly getting dressed, I held a conversation in my head in which two gentlemen were arguing about the probability of happiness, when one said to the other that he must dig a hole to China, after which I doubled back only to realize that such a phrase was irrelevant here, as any one person who dug straight into the Earth’s crust from Egypt, somehow managing to escape the heat-wrenching core, would find himself not in China, but in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a task which no sane person would wish upon themselves.

Mohamed’s mother introduced me to mulberry juice this morning. I suppose that the berries came from the market last night when Mohamed spent four hours shopping for food that I can eat. In case you, like myself, had never seen a mulberry before, I’ve included a picture. The juice was sweet, I assume from the additional sugar added, a beautiful deep purple maroon color, and tasted almost like Kool-Aid, though I’m sure it was much healthier.

I also learned last night that making food from cans is not only rare here, but quite expensive. While I had intended to expand my cooking horizons this year, I did not know that such a massive step would need to be taken in such a rush. I asked Mohamed where the vegetables came from, if not from cans or frozen bags. He seemed to find this question alarmingly hysterical, with a very obvious answer which I was struggling to see. Apparently, all vegetables and fruits are bought fresh from the market, prepared, and cooked. I now understand why Egyptians spend so many hours in the kitchen. I had not seen the purpose in owning a TV, but I now believe that it might do me good to have something to keep my mind on while shelling peas, and sifting through rice. I suppose that some might be frantically annoyed by this discovery, but I find myself excited, and anxiously awaiting the challenge. After all, the best way to learn is to dive in head first, and that is exactly what I plan to do.

Adjusting

2009-07-14T06:54:00.000-04:00

I found it quite amusing that a few days ago the humidity levels for the village were higher than those back in Alabama. While it was 75% humid here, it was only 48% humid there. How can a country with no rain have a higher humidity level than a place which rain falls frequently? One would assume that the humidity here would be quite low, but I suppose that God loves filling nature with surprises.

The past few days have been a product of African winds. The temperature rose more than 15 degrees Fahrenheit, and I became grateful that the house was made of stone and not chocolate, as I’ve often wished before. Egypt is situated in the middle of two wind paths, those from Africa and those from across the Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunately, Egypt was recently struck by winds from the heart of Africa, which caused the rising of the temperature, and also the increase of sweat here in the village. Needless to say, I’ve never enjoyed showers more than in this desperate attempt to escape the heat.

Something that I’ve always enjoyed while sleeping is the ability to move a body part to another location on the bed, and feel what I like to call the cold bed sheet rush. As the mattresses here are composed of solely a colossal amount of compressed cotton, airflow through the mattress is nonexistent, meaning that it becomes whatever temperature the room around it, or the body on it, is. As Egypt produces such a large amount of cotton every year, one would speculate that cotton products would be fairly cheap, though the exact opposite is true. I suppose that it’s the economy’s way of supporting itself. Perhaps since most of the cotton is exported, the cotton supply is actually smaller than one would assume, and therefore the cotton prices rise. American mattresses are much cheaper here, and my generation seems to be leaning towards adopting the spring-filled opportunities. One thing that I will say about the Egyptian mattresses is that they would pass the wine glass test.

Two days ago, I found myself attempting to type the date, only to find that I was severely mistaken on how fast time is passing. While my mind and body believed the day to be the seventh, it was indeed the twelfth. I had been so sure that if it was not the seventh, it could not be more than the eighth, and was most likely the sixth. Boy, was I off. I am fully aware, however, that today is July 14, 2009, at 2:28 pm local time, and I venture to say that I will keep a closer watch (pun, as always, intended) on the time henceforth.

Recap Wahed

2009-07-10T15:13:00.001-04:00

In an effort to maintain a steady blog, I’ve been advised to update more frequently, something that is, I might concur, a reasonable idea. The front has been quiet this week. Occasional emotional outbursts have been occurring off and on from all parties, and in some instances it can be quite a frantic ordeal. As Mona’s marriage date creeps ever closer, tension seems to flood the house. This heavenly abode has been turned upside down, inside out, and pointed in all different directions, in search for tranquility. I suppose that the situation is customary, as most soon-to-be-married couples, though usually the women more so than the men, frenetically fight the clock to complete all unfinished tasks, and sweep the rest under the rug. Oddly enough, Mohamed and I are quite content with ourselves and with our future, despite the hassle of being swarmed with everyone else’s trials.

I had my first piece of Galaxy chocolate the other day, since the last time that I was in Egypt. It was just as delicious as I remembered, though I had forgotten that it only took seconds to melt here. In turn, it was a very messy feast, but mouth-watering nonetheless.

I can feel myself growing bored of remaining in the house so often. There is so much to explore, so much to learn, and yet here I remain. Perhaps I will ask Mohamed if we can venture out tomorrow. To where? I don’t know. It reminds me of the line in The Hunchback of Notre Dame when Quasimodo says to a baby bird, “No one wants to be cooped up here forever.” I know it will not be forever, but still the days grow longer with each day that passes, and tomorrow seems to come less and less often. I suppose that I’m suffering from a form of the same anxiety of pre-marriage feelings that Mona is experiencing; I just have another way of expressing myself.

The weather here grows hotter everyday. Tonight, as I was taking a shower, I wished that I was able to thrive in the water. Maybe I could transform into some sort of mer-creature, where I would be able to live in Poseidon’s realm. My shower could not be long enough.

I have quite a disturbing confession to make: I have become addicted to the FaceBook application Farm Town. While I had convinced myself that anything with the title Farm Town, on FaceBook, had to be utterly (pun most definitely intended) ridiculous, I accidently allowed the application to load, and lo and behold, I was captivated. I have my own prejudices against FaceBook and all of its non-glory anyway, but I do believe that at least they did something right when working with the makers of Farm Town to add it as an application. And how sad is it that I spend hours each day tending my own, and other people’s virtual farms. On the other hand, my cousin gave me a piggy today, whom I then bought a lemon tree for so that his pen would be decorated in such a way that he didn’t feel like just another virtual pig, but just another virtual pig who is loved.

Dissolving Simplicity

2009-07-07T09:03:00.000-04:00

Early yesterday evening, Mohamed, Mona, her fiancé, and I left for Damietta. I believe the purpose of the trip was for Mona and her fiancé to shop for decorations for their new dwelling place. However, after the immense hours spent there, the mission remained incomplete and I don't recall any purchases of the kind being made. Our first attempt at accomplishing the unaccomplished took place at the mall in Damietta, where the four of us walked about for roughly an hour. The most interesting thing that occurred while in the mall was a miracle in itself. Upon approaching a store for home décor, Mohamed and I noticed a display in a window that housed many traditional Islamic antiques. He froze, and I followed suit, not sure of why our movements ceased. Non-colloquial Arabic emanated from his lips, and he paused with a silence so powerful that if given the chance, could melt stone. In a few seconds time, he turned to me and with a beaming gesture radiating from within, he spoke the words, “God is with patient people.” Having said that, I venture to assure you that it had the most commanding significance to both of us, considering the events which occurred only an hour prior to our departure.

It seems that every time I allow myself to worry about the future, God finds a way to assure me that my fears are quite trivial, and unnecessary. Experiencing such a moment with Mohamed was a gift in itself. Neither of us was looking for any indication of peace within ourselves or in the outside world, yet we found it nonetheless. Later, Mohamed confided in me that he had seen the same traditional Arabic phrase on four separate trucks while driving us home that very night. It is times such as this that remind me why I possess hope in the morning.

Later that evening, Mona and her fiancé decided to shop for a new purse and shoes for Mona, so Mohamed and I lagged behind in the car and the two of us set about searching for a place to purchase a pizza, due to our wailing appetite. We had decided to eat in the car, seeing as how there are practically no restaurants in Damietta and the only other place we would be able to sit would have been on the sidewalk. The pizza was so exceptionally delicious that when they returned from shopping, we all went back to the parlor to buy three more pizzas. This would have never occurred in the past, as any leftover pizza would have been disposed of, but considering the recent purchase of our microwave, Mohamed assured everyone that, in all of my American knowledge, I would be capable of conjuring the pizza back to life the next day.

Microwaves are highly uncommon here, and some believe it deteriorates health in such a way that to use it would be fatal. After confirming these beliefs to be false, I convinced Mohamed’s family that the use of a microwave would indeed not harm their health, and in fact aid them in consuming less time to do something as simple as to heat food. I might as well have been teaching them how to use a teleportation device, as their expressions of amazement reflected those of sure incredulity. First it was the smell, then the sight of melted cheese, and finally they were convinced that the microwave had augmented the flavor so that this microwaved pizza was surely the greatest invention of mankind. I do believe that I have once again brought modern indolence to the innocent, be it a luxury, or a curse.

The Effects of Materialism

2009-07-05T07:26:00.003-04:00

I once watched a movie called The Gods Must Be Crazy, which is a 1980’s piece that was filmed in Botswana, South Africa. In the movie, the Sho people live in peace with one another, sharing everything they have. When a foreign object comes to the village, they begin to use it for all of their daily tasks, such as making leather purses and grinding food. Suddenly, everyone in the village feels that they need this item, and they begin to fight over it. What is it that makes humans so dependent on man-made things? I am aware that this is solely a movie, but the same aspects apply, and there are examples in history of that very thing.

The Khwe Bushmen, who once lived in such seclusion that they believed they were the only humans on Earth, had organized systems which served well in their lives, and the people never fought or grew bitter with one another because there was nothing to fight over. The system, so they believed, was fair and living any other way seemed unnecessary. Then, in the late 1900’s, the English travelled to their villages, and thought them to be barbarous and disgraceful. They were sure that by introducing their ways of life, they would make the Khwe Bushmen a more stable and sufficient society. So they took the land and divided it into small plots, on which every person was to build their own hut. The food was rationed by the English, and every aspect of their lives fell under the control of these outsiders. This caused the Khwe Bushmen to begin fighting over property, food, tools, and many other things. Where everything had once been shared among them, people were now suspected of hiding things, and being deceitful.

This reminds me of the many passages in the Bible where God demands that humans put him above all things. Living in a world where materialism is something that each of us is born into, it’s often times difficult to view a world where such things do not exist. If all of our worldly possessions were taken away, would we still be as selfish as we are today? I am not referring to a utopian society; I am referring to a society that need not be utopian, because it would be in peace due to natural order, nothing created by man. Or can this seemingly beautiful thing never occur again because humans already know the feelings of anger, hatred, selfishness, and greed? It is more than likely that we will never know…

A Change in the Air

2009-07-05T06:49:00.003-04:00

While yesterday the village was swarming with flies, I have yet to find a single one today. How is it that in one moment there is such an immense amount of them, and in the next they have vanished? Perhaps there is something that humans are incapable, or unwilling, to detect in the air. Perhaps flies are more intelligent when it comes to using one's senses for survival. As humans often believe that the world will maneuver itself around them as to not allow any harm to come upon them, it is possible that we forget to pay attention to the things we once might see as unimportant. Was the air yesterday more toxic than today? Was there something amidst which we may never uncover? Animals often rely on one another for insight from things such as what precautions must be taken, or just something as simple as where to find food. For instance, many sea mammals use the sight of sea gulls to locate carcasses, or a large school of fish, just as the sea gulls sometimes use the mammals for the same reason. When birds are flocking away from one direction, it is often times a sign that there is some form of foul weather. When insects storm their way into buildings, maybe, just maybe, we should pay more attention to what it is they're storming away from.

I had set my goals on sleeping early, and once again those goals were diminished. Mohamed returned at nearly eleven at night, and I therefore chose to stay awake with him, instead of sleeping early only to wake up earlier and have to wait for him to rise as well. I do wish that his brother would apply for a license to drive, as it would make it easier on all of us if Mohamed wasn’t the driver for every second. I wonder how anyone accomplished anything before last summer when he got his license to be able to drive me and my mother around Egypt. Why can they not use their same methods now?

A Day of Independence

2009-07-04T10:54:00.000-04:00

Something about America’s celebration of independence has caused a village-wide infestation of flies. Perhaps they are coming to celebrate with me, or maybe they’re having a party of their own and I am unmistakably not invited. Either way, I don’t care to have anything to do with them. The last time I was around so many flies was on a trip to New Mexico, where we made a frequent hobby of killing them on a particular window. There were even two fly swatters so that it could become a game like hit-the-mole, although I do believe that to be cruel and not something that I should be repeating. Here we just live with them. If they aren’t harming us, why does it matter if they’re here? The windows and doors are frequently left open, and therefore they are welcomed, as far as they’re concerned. I had a rule when I was living in America: If you are in their territory, you have no right to harm them, but if they invade your territory, you have the right to remove them as you wish. I would usually ignore them, or pick them up and take them outside. My methods are nonviolent indeed, and hopefully will always remain so. When you live as close to nature as we do here though, there are no boundaries. God made all creatures, and therefore we should live in harmony together, just as humans should live in harmony with other humans. Not to say that it would happen anytime soon, but we can do our part to help.

I was recently told that there is no greater celebration in the United States than Independence Day in Washington DC. Perhaps I will spend tomorrow trying to watch it on YouTube, as I don’t believe that I will be awake when the celebrations start to watch them live. I’ve resolved myself to sleeping early tonight, no matter how difficult it may prove. Not only would it serve better for my health, but the internet works more efficiently in the morning, it would give me more time before the mosquitoes come out to play, and the winds are usually stronger in the afternoon to help freshen the room I’m living in. Although, I had planned to do that very thing last night, yet did not succeed. I do partly blame the lack of electricity though, because it’s extremely difficult to sleep in the absence of a fan, especially with my claustrophobia. Best of luck, and Happy Independence Day to everyone back in the States!

Catching Up

2009-07-04T09:45:00.006-04:00

It seems that the more days that pass, the less my sleeping schedule regulates. Two nights ago, Mohamed spent most of the day with Mona and her fiancé trying to buy furniture for their new apartment. While they were gone for over four hours, they came back empty handed, an occurrence that is more than frequent so I hear. Apparently indecisiveness is not limited to my own list of issues. After they returned, the four of us ventured to Ras El-Bar, to enjoy the Mediterranean Sea once more. When Mona and her fiancé decided to walk along the beach, Mohamed and I remained in our chairs to admire nature's beauty. I had never been on a double date before then, and it was more fun than I had previously anticipated.

At one point, I needed to go to the restroom, so Mohamed walked me to the nearest location. I needn’t describe the lack of hygienic consideration, but I believe it is safe to say that if I never return to that restroom I will be more than obliged. Long story short, I managed to make a foul mistake in the process of trying to remain sanitary. There was a long pipe connected to the wall, which had a handle on it which I deemed an appropriate place to hang my purse. When I went to retrieve the bag, it pulled the lever and water poured from the top of the pipe. As I struggled to loosen my bag from the pipe’s grip, the water pressure steadily increased and I became a walking pool of sticky water. Soaked, and quite amused at my misfortune, I left the bathroom and laughed my way back to where we had been sitting. My clothes dried within the hour, but my bag remained damp until the next day.

After we left the beach, we went to the market in Ras El-Bar to buy ice cream and walk for a few minutes. I didn’t eat anything, and a few minutes turned into hours. Somehow, amidst all of the people, we were able to lose Mona and her fiancé. Despite Mona’s exuberantly yellow attire, we managed to remain lost. After searching for over an hour, we made our way back to the car, believing that perhaps they would come there eventually. After roughly twenty minutes of no luck, we departed in search again, and at 3 am we asked an owner of a sunglasses stand if we could borrow his cell phone. He graciously accepted, and Mohamed called his brother to ask him to call Mona to tell her to meet us at the car. We then returned to the car and waited for another twenty minutes, until Mona and her fiancé finally arrived. From there, we made our way back home and were finally able to sleep at 4:30 or 5 am.

Yesterday was spent mostly sleeping. Mohamed made kofta topped with cilantro, macaroni with small bits of cheddar cheese, fries, and tomatoes. It was absolutely delicious, and I devoured it in a matter of minutes.

The electricity decided that last night would be an opportune moment for a vacation, and we therefore spent most of the night in the dark, patiently waiting for it to return. Mohamed’s poor mother was attempting to fix dinner without the ability to see, and I believe that someone eventually found a flashlight to assist her with. After supper, Mona, her fiancé, Mohamed, his brother, and I looked at booklets of curtains and furniture. I was asked for my opinions in a number of matters, and tried to explain my views on what to look for and what to avoid, what would be considered “tacky” and the importance of buying things that tie the room together. One thing that I’ve noticed about the decorating methods here is they seem to be nonexistent. If one likes something, they buy it and place it in the room, regardless of whether or not it matches anything in the vicinity. Visitors seem to judge a house not by the ability to coordinate the interior, but by how much the interior costs. However, I do believe that upon seeing the potential that each interior holds, one would quickly change their mind about how important it is to make a room feel like a home, instead of an antique garage sale.

Today was another late start, waking up at 2 pm. Mohamed brought me cookies and a banana milkshake in bed for breakfast. He also told me to not get too used to it, which put me into hysteria. Of course I would never expect to be waited on, and he knows that. His gesture was more in fun than being serious, but I know that we both desire to work together to do things. That’s what marriage is about, after all, working together, communicating, and loving and appreciating each other. I’ve placed a video on my video blog regarding my breakfast, just to try and illustrate a glimpse of what some foods here are like (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvIyevw0B7k). Food seems to be one of the most interesting aspects of culture to a lot of people, ergo if you are one of those people, feel free to ask anything you wish regarding the food, or anything actually. If you leave a comment, then I will edit the answer into my journal for anyone wondering the same thing, as well as contact you personally with the answer. I hope that everyone is doing well, and God bless.

Surveillances in the Dark

2009-07-01T20:39:00.001-04:00

Late night excursions are gradually becoming customary. Tonight was not planned, yet happened just as willingly. Mohamed’s father, his uncle, Mohamed, and I travelled the thirty-minute road to Shirbin in search for an ionizing fan. While in route, we passed a scene that looked as though it came from a pioneer museum. There was a small wooden house, with thatched roofing, that was easily crooked on all four sides. The door was standing open with a small candlelight glow illuminating the historical aura. Outside of the house stood three large sticks that were separated at the bottom, and tied together at the top with unraveling rope. Underneath was a fading fire, and above it stood a smith’s ironwork table, which housed a tool in the making that was still glowing ginger from her master’s labors. Even in the mere eight seconds that were allotted for my enthrallment, the scene was more than picturesque.

Another incident which struck my attention was a tok tok driver, who was either careless, or quite skilled. The entire windshield of his vehicle was caked in dangling suction cup plushies. How he was able to see out of his windshield, I shall never know. Perhaps my inability to drive in Egypt makes me that much less knowledgeable of the capabilities that Egyptian drivers possess. However, I do believe that any semi-sane person will tell you that an essential aspect to driving is that assurance of sight, something this tok tok driver neither had, nor cared to have.

Watching Egyptian traffic has quickly become a hobby for me. While it’s not something that is ever settling to the stomach, it can be entertaining to observe the willingness to reject any form of organization. The stray dogs on the streets have a more organized travel system than the people. The adherence to traffic laws is above and beyond nonexistent, though I do believe that in some odd little way, everyone knows what they are doing. I’ve come to the conclusion that you either have to be born an Egyptian driver, or be willing to die trying.

To answer the question, "Are bicycles a common sight over there? Or is it auto-centric like it is here in the States?": Bicycles are common, yes. However, so are donkeys, carts, and mules. Motorcycles are also very common these days. They come from China, but are incredibly unsafe. As Mohamed put it, "One small gust of wind would knock them to the ground."

Trips Galore

2009-07-01T11:09:00.003-04:00

Cockroach: A giant, ugly insect that is only cute in Wall-E, can survive atomic explosions, and is definitely not something that you want crawling in your hair.

The moral to this story is always watch your head! I've never considered myself to be a squeamish person, but there is just something unnerving about thinking you have a leaf in your hair and reaching up to throw it off, only to find that you're holding your mortal enemy in your hand. My grandmother could tell you that when it comes to me and cockroaches, I'm just about as squeally as a newborn swine. In no way could I put this event into words that could make the situation seem like an adventure. Truth be told, it was mortifying. Perhaps there is more to hijabs in Egypt than just religion and fashion.

Other than those 25 seconds of horror, our trip two nights ago to Mansura was quite interesting. Not only were we able to obtain Hazelnut and Chocolate ice cream once again, but we walked for approximately two hours throughout Mansura, witnessing a lot of interesting sights. At one point, we entered the stray cat nesting grounds, where at least thirty felines were sleeping, grooming, or trying to find food. I felt that at any second one of them would walk up to me and speak to me as if we were in a Disney film. Unfortunately, not a single one even looked at me, and while it would have been an experience of a lifetime had it happened, I do believe that Egyptian cats speak Arabic. Ergo, I was out of luck from the start.

Last night, Mohamed and I left the house at 9 pm to make our way to Ras El-Bar. It takes roughly two hours to get there, and is one of my favorite places in all of Egypt. It was extremely thrilling to be back there, and I had not realized how much I had truly missed the memories of that place.

Upon arriving at the beach, we found two lounge chairs and had someone set them up for us with a small table by our legs. He then went to purchase us drinks, as if we were in a place of fine class dining. While used to the idea of someone waiting on me at the beach, I still find it fascinating, and a very interesting way to earn a living. I had guava juice from a glass bottle and a straw, and Mohamed had a glass of water and a fresh cappuccino in a glass mug. We sat, watching the sea and fixing our eyes on the vastness of God’s creations. As the waves from the sea rolled steadily toward us, we could hear the distant laughter of projected movies from the sporadic cafés that inhabit the shoreline. I’m not at all sure of the time we spent there, but I would venture to guess that it was somewhere between 45 minutes to one hour.

When we were finished, we went to the lighthouse, and I was astonished to see that the entire area was crawling with vacationers, a lot different than the last time we were there. After sitting on the wall and dangling our feet over the rocks, we headed to the market strip, where we watched the immense crowds of people, and laughed at the idea of me riding a tiny kid battery-operated jeep. However, I don’t believe that the owners of the machines would have appreciated it very much had I broken their source of income, so we decided that it would be in everyone’s best interest if we found another form of entertainment.

Mohamed made my lunch this afternoon: grilled eggplant, meat with sautéed shredded carrots, green bell peppers, and tomatoes, and potato puree with a tomato carved into a rose. Talk about delicious. Hello new world…

Touring the Home Front

2009-06-29T08:50:00.002-04:00

Well, I've finally done it. After waiting two and a half hours for this video to upload, the tour of the room I'm living in is finally up! Once again, embedding seems impossible, but I'll post the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvTkAPlWdIo

The weather here seems to be getting warmer as time progresses. I've also found that the laptop motor remains cooler when the laptop is detached from the charger. This comes in handy in a time such as this, where any extra heat could cause a mini atomic bomb to ignite.

The balcony is inviting, and I believe that I will adhere to its calls. Perhaps a puzzle and a bottle of cold water outside in the fresh village air would do me some good.

The Ballad of the Birds

2009-06-29T07:13:00.004-04:00

I seem to be living next to a rooster who is becoming notorious for 1:30 am wake up calls. Either he has gone blind and his senses have kept him from determining the appropriate time of day, or he's dreadfully eager for attention. In either case, he is in a very bad situation, as I doubt that many hens desire a rooster who crows while even the sun is still sleeping. Following the rooster's calls however, a chorus of morning birds rang out for more than twenty minutes without ceasing. Am I the blind one? Where is this invisible sun?

I'm eating cake and grapes for breakfast this morning. A delightful wake up call, and one that waited for me to wake up before it pursued me.

I believe that tomorrow might hold a trip to Ras el-Bar. No official plans have been made yet, but Mohamed keeps talking about wanting to take me.

Mohamed and I went to a bakery a few days ago to buy bread for dinner. We thought that it would be fun to see if the people would believe that I was Egyptian if I didn't talk, so I remained silent and Mohamed spoke Arabic to me and I would nod or shake my head accordingly. The game went really well, and everyone believed that I was truly from there, until Mohamed accidently said "Do you wa...." and we both just burst into laughter. So much for that! He caught himself quickly and reverted back to Arabic, but it was definitely a good time to say the least.

I also seem to feel more at home this time than I did last summer. Feeling at home anywhere but in my room is a very big obstacle for me, but I know that I can't live in my bedroom forever, so being able to call other places "home" is a necessity. After all, home is where the heart is, correct?

We've made some progress on the food allowances. I've made it very clear that I am not physically capable of consuming the amount of food that I'm given at every meal, and recently my portions have begun to decline, something that I'm very grateful for.

While we're comparing this trip to last summer's: Mohamed set up a mosquito net above the bed that I'm sleeping in, which has been a miracle in itself. I have yet to aquire the amount of mosquito attacks that I aquired last time, and I'm able to sleep with the assurance that I will not wake up in the morning/afternoon with an uncountable amount of mosquito bites.

The Power of Suggestion

2009-06-28T08:06:00.003-04:00

How is it that when one begins to think a certain way, they begin to feel a certain way. To go even further, things around them seem to behave in a particular manner that did not occur before said thoughts. Is it possible that humans possess the capability of telepathy more so than we have realized? I mention this not because I see myself as a skeptic, but simply because I've witnessed multiple occasions in which this very event occurs. Take the most recent occurrence for example:

A recently diagnosed cancer patient (no names mentioned, please) was having a very difficult time finding hope in life. This led his health to decline more rapidly, and thus he was stricken with grief and agony, engulfed in insomnia, and incapable of performing simple tasks for himself. While heartbreaking, his situation was magnified not because of his illness, but because of his lack of hope for the future. Upon arriving here, a great change has taken place. He no longer wallows in self-pity, but embraces life. Just the power of suggestion, the glimmer of hope, is enough to help cure the most deadly diseases. I truly believe this to be a gift from God, that while we, as humans, seem to embrace grief, if we refuse to let ourselves suffer, great and miraculous things may occur. This situation is not to say that the patient has been healed, but he has a strength and hope that he had not had before.

In other news, there was a wedding next door two days ago. It was filled with extremely loud music, a lot of which was in English. This was quite amusing, because Mohamed was telling me how no one at that wedding understood the English words. Although that is a very comforting statement, as a lot of the English lyrics were quite vulgar, and most are definitely not something that they would want to be hearing at their wedding. I’ve found the same to be true among many Egyptians, even those who know English, as well as many Americans, who just remain naïve to the true meaning of a song.

While we're on the topic of irony, I am listening to an Islamic TV station at the moment, who just played an instrumental version of Silent Night as background music for one of their programs. It makes me wonder what type of things of that sort that the American culture does, and do people from other cultures go to the US and see and hear similar situations that make them feel that the Americans didn't do their homework? Another popular tune that frequently plays on TV is the Pirates of the Caribbean theme song, which is played during a commercial for the building of New Cairo.

Aunt Miriam, Mohamed's mother's sister, came to the house last night. She baked a wonderful cake that defied the cake textures that I had previously experienced last summer. This cake had a texture more like that of an American homemade cake. It was golden, moist, and tasted absolutely delightful. It was so delightful, in fact, that I voluntarily consumed two large pieces, and had to work hard to refrain from a third.

Mohamed and I watched The Great Mouse Detective last night! I had asked that he download it for us before I came, so we could watch it together when I got here. He did, and last night was the first chance we had to sit down and take an hour and a half to watch it. It was just as wonderful as I remembered it being, and it also made me miss Classic Disney, something that I've found myself doing frequently over the years. I think that we're watching either Ice Age 2: The Meltdown, or Wall-E. I have never seen Ice Age 2, because I knew that he loves Ice Age and I wanted to wait to watch it for the first time with him. Likewise, he's never seen Wall-E, and was waiting to watch it with me. Who knows, maybe we'll have time to watch both.

Our sleeping schedules are a bit more regulated this go around. We've been sleeping at about midnight or one in the morning, which is a huge improvement. Mohamed has been waking up around seven in the morning to take his father to Mansura, and I've been trying to sleep away the part of the day when he's out, which has led me to sleep until noon everyday. Not that he actually arrives at noon. Last night it was 9 pm before he showed up, and it's already 5 pm right now and I'm sure that he will not be here within the hour. However, it's of no consequence anymore, and after tomorrow his father's trips to Mansura will stop for awhile.

My last note is to be about Skype. For those of you who don't know what it is, it's an instant messaging system that allows for the highest quality of video conferencing on the net. Pc to pc calls are free, which includes both video and voice chatting. I say this because anyone who would like to talk to us more frequently and less expensively can use Skype to do so. If you're interested, you can look me up on Skype using the name "Claire Strnad" and I should be available to talk to.

Mansura's Metro

2009-06-27T12:10:00.004-04:00

Now, when one thinks of a metro, what is the first reaction? Thoughts about being annoyed because of the large crowds, the musty underground air, the long lines, the lack of organization, or all of the above? When I think of metro, these are the thoughts that come to my mind. However, a metro in Egypt is quite different. Not only is a metro above ground, loaded with food, and extremely well organized, but it is also the name of a grocery store.

Last night, Mohamed and I went into a Metro to buy some groceries for last night's dinner, and today's lunch. What we found were endless shelves stacked with food, hygiene materials, paper products, frozen food isles, and all of the main commodities that every American grocery store holds. We bought pizza-flavored popcorn chicken, chicken penne, and 4 containers of a Hazelnut and Chocolate ice cream made by Nestlé that is called Nestlé’s Paradise. And it was… it was heaven on Earth. If it weren't for the existence of Banana ice cream, I might just be in love with this stuff. And thus ends my freelance ode to Nestlé.

A Full Day of Flying - Segment 5

2009-06-27T11:56:00.000-04:00

Once we finally arrived in Cairo, everyone was completely overjoyed to actually be at our destination. We all stood up, stretched, got our bags, and walked off of the plane. That is to say we TRIED to walk off of the plane. Before we got anywhere, we were told to sit back down, put our luggage back where it was, and buckle up. You can imagine that went over really well… After about 15 minutes, the captain came over the PA system once again and told us that he was really sorry, but they were having trouble connecting the jetty (the walkway that attaches to the airplane from the airport) to the plane, so it would be another 30 minutes before we could go anywhere. We then stood, with our bags on our shoulders, trying to be patient enough to not lose it. They finally brought in a new jetty, and everyone was able to unload the plane. The first thing to do in Cairo was to find customs. In most of the international airports, if you’re making a connecting flight, then you can avoid customs altogether, however, in Cairo this wasn’t the case. Everyone had to go through customs and fill out a landing card.

I got my visa from a bank in the airport, I was laughed at by a police officer when I told him that I was staying in Damietta, and he insisted he had no idea what that was until he discovered that it was the same as “Dumyat”. We then made our way to the medical center, which was completely and totally claustrophobic because of the numerous and piled-up people there, and we had to fill out a medical form (just a small card the same size as the landing card, and also required the same information) and give it to one of the medical people there who were wearing hygiene masks. We had our pictures made by more medical people, and were finally allowed to go to baggage claim. The medical portion and just finding my bags took roughly an hour to an hour and a half, if not more.

After I told the guards that I had nothing to claim, I made my way into the waiting area, where I saw Mohamed and Mahmoud for the first time in one year. It was really a wonderful and solemn moment, and I felt more than welcomed. Mohamed had rented a car and a driver for us, and he and I sat in the back and talked about the trip and stuff, while the driver and Mahmoud stayed in the front of the car and talked about football and such.

All-in-all, the trip was scary, exciting, liberating, annoying, long, sleepless, and tiring, but oh so worth it.

A Full Day of Flying - Segment 4

2009-06-27T11:55:00.002-04:00

After we arrived in London, is when the real fun started. The Heathrow airport is massive as well, but it is more like a winding maze, and less like long straight halls that never end. All-in-all, I think that Heathrow was easier to maneuver in. I saw a BMI counter, and asked if I need to check in or anything. Fortunately, I had done that and I did have to check in with them. My plane was supposed to leave at 9:15 am local time from London to Cairo, and arrive in Cairo at the local time of 4:10 pm. After checking in with BMI, I went to find someone to ask about free wireless internet throughout the airport. The person that I asked told me that it was everywhere and anywhere in the airport, so I found a bench and opened up my laptop. There was, in fact, no free wifi. The only wireless internets available all needed access codes and accounts with their company (cell phone companies).

I found some pay phones, but they only took Euros. So I then went to find somewhere to exchange some money to get enough Euros to call Mohamed and my parents. They had a minimum exchange of 10 US dollars, so I paid them 10 dollars and got back 4 Euros. Talk about feeling ripped off. Then, the phone wouldn’t even call any countries other than the US, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Japan, Germany, and France… So I didn’t get to call Mohamed, but I did call my mother, who was sleeping at the time. I then went to the bathroom. Then I walked to the other side of the airport to look at the other bathroom, which was only slightly different, smaller, and less crowded. After I finished exploring both bathrooms, I went to take a seat back on my bench, and waited for the electric flight board to announce what gate the 9:15 am flight from London to Cairo would be departing from. The information was supposed to arrive at 8:00 am, because that is when the gate opened, but all we received was a “Please Wait” sign, and it wasn’t until 15 minutes later that they told us it would be Gate 56 (the gate that the woman at the BMI counter told me that all the BMI flights to Cairo leave from). Oh well… whether I was waiting on that bench or on the one at the gate, I would still be waiting.

When I got to the concourse , there was no one in sight. Actually, I had not seen anyone in quite some time. I felt as though I was in an abandoned airport, or one that wanted you to believe that it was abandoned. By 8:45 am, loading time, a whole hoard of people had arrived. At 9:15 am, the BMI representatives came over the PA system and said that our flight would not leave until 10:00 am due to airway restrictions over Cyprus. That caused a lot of groaning and moaning, and most of the people actually left the gate to go find something to do until loading began. Not even five minutes after everyone had left, BMI came over the PA system again announcing that they were going to go ahead and start loading so that we would be ready to leave at 10:00 am, when the airways were cleared again.

So they had to call everyone back to the gate, which made all of the people who had left very irritated. By 9:50 am, everyone was loaded onto the planes and ready to go. A few minutes past 10:00 am, the captain came over the PA system and said that the flight would be delayed another 20-30 minutes due to the fact that Cyprus had not cleared their airways yet. So, while annoyed, we all sank back in our chairs and waited. After that time had passed, we were told that we were going to takeoff and so the stewardesses came around to check everyone’s seatbelts and whatnot. After everything was checked, the captain came over the PA system again, saying that he was extremely sorry for the inconvenience, but the flight would be delayed for another hour. Boy, were we not happy campers!! The air-conditioning was turned off, and there we sat, for one more hour. When we were finally cleared for takeoff, no one cared. Everyone was so miserable at that point, that we didn’t believe we were actually going this time. We were way past the crying wolf stage, and into the crying ourselves stage. The flight was long, boring, exhausting, and I ended up watching Confessions of a Shopaholic, which was a pretty good movie. I had wanted to watch The Pink Panther 2, but the channel that it was supposed to come on had another movie for some strange reason.

*Story continues in "A Full Day of Flying - Segment 5"

A Full Day of Flying - Segment 3

2009-06-27T11:19:00.005-04:00

The nice lady, who I later learned is named Mary, looked at me and in a sweet tone asked, “Do you see your name here?” I told her that I had not been looking, and stepped behind the counter to check if any of the newly printed boarding passes held my name. None of them did, so I said, “No ma’am, they don’t.” She asked me for my last name, I told her, and she looked me up in the computer. She had a puzzled look on her face and said to me “Your name comes up on the ticket list, and not the standby list, but we haven’t printed you a ticket yet.” To which I replied, “Oh, I already have my ticket. I just need my boarding passes printed.” She got this surprised glance and said to me, “Oh! My goodness… I’m so glad that you told me!” and then proceeded to print my boarding passes for me. After they were printed, I thanked her and made my way out of the claustrophobic waiting area and into a more open space. When I looked at my ticket however, it said that it was for flight 918, which went to the same place and left at the same time, but was already boarding. So I went back to Mary saying, “I’m really sorry to bother you again, but my boarding pass says flight 918 and I think that I’m supposed to be on flight 4476.” She smiled at me and whispered, “You didn’t scream at me. It’s the red carpet treatment for you dear. Enjoy your flight.” She had updated my ticket to business class and put me on the 918 flight to do so!! That upgrade is actually quite quite pricey, and I was just thrilled that she had done that for me. I thanked her immensely and asked if I was allowed to board right that second. She told me that I was, so I made my way over to flight 918. I didn’t even know that she had upgraded me to business class, until I went to stand in the line and asked someone which zone they were loading. They told me Zone 1, and asked which zone I was located in. I showed them my ticked and they said, “Oh! You don’t even have a number! You’re in business class. You’re supposed to go on the red carpet and skip everyone.” Talk about surprised! Not only was I overjoyed and gleeful, but the former woman who had told me to wait to the side beforehand was giving me a very confused glare, which I returned with a smile.

I think that after only 7 hours on a Business Class ticket, I’ve been spoiled. On the prior flight, I had just been thinking about how I didn’t see why people would pay so much to fly business class, when you still got there at the same time, and didn’t have to pay as much. Now, I understand. Not even one full minute after sitting down in my seat, I was brought three choices of white wine, water, or tea. I found this quite amusing, especially considering the fact that I’m not even old enough to drink alcohol. I took the water, of course, and then made the following movie about my surroundings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_4YISZOdoo
(Sorry that it's in link form. I tried to embed it, but it wouldn't cooperate for some reason.)

The flight in and of itself was just wonderful. We arrived earlier than expected, about 5:30 am instead of 6:00 am, as was scheduled. While it felt that it was taking forever at the time, it was still enjoyable. I spent most of the time talking to the kindest lady who lives in Maryland, but visits her family in England on a yearly basis. Her name is Margaret, and she is the one who told me Mary’s name. She and Mary have been friends for a long time, and she told me that she would give my regards to Mary when she returned. How ironic that we would be sitting together… God does amazing things. I hope that she remembers to tell Mary how grateful I am. That was the best plane experience of my life, and getting to meet a new friend just made it all that more wonderful. When Margaret decided to get some shuteye, I tried to watch “He’s just not that Into You” on my personal TV monitor. When the movie finished, I tried to get some sleep as well. I knew it wouldn’t work, but I was determined to try it anyway. Needless to say, I still have yet to be able to sleep on a plane.

*Story continues in "A Full Day of Flying - Segment 4"

A Full Day of Flying - Segment 2

2009-06-27T11:17:00.002-04:00

My next plane didn’t leave until 2:30 pm, and was supposed to arrive at IAD in Washington DC at 4:35 pm. We left at 2:15 pm, and arrived at 3:45pm. Once again, we were extremely early. While in flight, I had met a girl living in Texas, who was originally from Chicago. She also seemed to be extremely fascinated with my destination location, and insisted that I share what I could with her. We talked about the difference between people living the South and the North in the US, and she told me all of the fun things to do outside of Houston, Texas.

When I arrived at IAD, all chaos broke free. I knew that I needed to book it, because the airport would be big and I still had to get my boarding passes printed. Little did I know, I was headed into one gigantic airport into one gigantic boarding mess. After desperately walking through just the B Concourse for a whole 15-20 minutes, I finally came out the other end to a case of multiple escalators. I went up and down and up and down and down again before I finally reached an open doorway with a bus pulled up to the door, fully exposed. The label on the wall above the door said in big black letters on a yellow glowing sign “To Terminals C & D”. Thankfully, my father had called United Airlines (who operates for BMI inside the US) and they had told him that I would need to go to Concourse C once I was in Washington, DC. Had I not known that, I would have had a lot of digging to do. I got on the bus, called my mother to tell her that I found where I was going and how huge the airport was, and finally came to Concourse C, where I looked on the electronic boards and was able to locate my departure gate.

That gate is part of the whole chaotic ordeal. Instead of being two distinctive gates, there was one gate, with one door on each side. The TV screens said that both flights 918 and 4476 (my flight) were departing from this gate, and therefore there were double the people in the same small waiting area. I stood in line at the counter, where two women stood frantically trying to accommodate everyone. One lady was quite intolerant and began shoving people to the side and telling them that she would call their names later. When I walked up to her, I handed her my print out from Expedia and she just had a fit! She was complaining because the print was too small for her to read and demanded that I handed her my passport for ID purposes. I did so, and she told me the same thing she had told everyone before me, “Ok, I will call your name later. Go sit.”

It’s always surprising to me when people act so negatively like that. I kindly just stepped to the side and waited (all of the seats were filled), and continued to watch all of the other troubled passengers, or trying to be passengers, who were screaming because they had been inconvenienced. After the lady who had talked to me went to the microphone to load the first class passengers onto flight 918, I remained at the counter with the other woman. In that time, they had been printing the last-minute tickets for the people who were on the standby lists. Unbeknownst to me, the women behind the counter had thought that I was there for the same reason!

*Story continues in "A Full Day of Flying - Segment 3"

A Full Day of Flying - Segment 1

2009-06-27T10:04:00.003-04:00

Well, due to that fact that a lot of people don’t like reading anything that looks like it might take a considerable amount of time, I have broken this article into segments for your convenience. Each segment will only take a few minutes to read, giving you the illusion that your time will not be consumed, despite the fact that I am sitting here telling you that it will. If all else fails, you can read a segment, go do something interesting, come back, read another segment, and so forth; it’s your choice, but let’s get started…

Talk about exhausting! So I woke up at 6:31 am, local time, on Wednesday June 24, 2009. By 8:30 am, everyone was ready, I was packed, and we headed out to the airport. Because I had purchased my way on two separate tickets (to avoid high connection prices), I wasn't able to get my boarding passes printed at the Birmingham International Airport in Alabama. Ergo... I got my Delta boarding passes from BHM to ATL to IAD. Fortunately, they were able to tag my bags all the way to Cairo, instead of me having to pick them up at IAD and re-check them there.

After eating "breakfast" at a sub shop in Concourse C at the airport (Oh the glory of cheese fries with bacon bits), we said our good-byes, and I made my way through security. After finding my gate (Gate 6), I called my parents on my cell phone to tell them I was there and was waiting for the plane. They told me that they could see my gate from the parking garage, and stayed there until the plane took off and they could no longer see it.

The flight from Birmingham (BHM) to Atlanta (ATL) was pretty swell. I sat next to a lady who thought that my flying to Egypt was just the greatest adventure that one could ever have in life. She also seemed to have a fetish with butterscotch candy, though I'm sure it was to keep her ears regulated from the cabin pressure. The plane was small, with one lane, and two seats per side. The flight was scheduled to leave at 11:00 am, and arrive at 12:15 pm local time. However, we made it in only 31 minutes, so I had an extra 44 minutes to spare. I had been worried about the massive size of the Hartsfield Jackson Airport, but I was lucky enough to have a departure gate only a few gates away from my arrival gate, in the same terminal and everything! In-between flights, I purchased a Cookie Dough Milkshake from the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream shop in the airport. It was rather refreshing, and while I knew that it shouldn’t count as lunch, I couldn’t bring myself to buy anything else.

*Story continues in "A Full Day of Flying - Segment 2"

Need a Date for Your Trip to Egypt?

2009-01-31T13:06:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, one of the hardest choices in a vacation is choosing when to go. When it comes to travelling to Egypt, the date that you travel depends on what you're expecting to get from your trip.

January - Looking to start the year off right by spending time in Egypt? Travelling in January can be a great start to checking off your annual "To Do" list. While tourism isn't usually at it's peak in this month, the temperature remains relatively cool, allowing for nice walks outside or trips to beaches such as Dahab or Sharm el Sheikh. Ticket prices usually range from 700-900 dollars.

February - As the winter comes to a close, February offers cool temperatures and lots of outdoor fun. It's probably a good idea to pack a light jacket, especially if you plan to spend time on the water. Ticket prices can be anywhere from 600-900 dollars.

March - This is probably one of the cheapest months to visit Egypt. Tourism is not a high trade during March and the weather tends to be fairly nice. Since Egypt is located in the Northern hemisphere as well, March is the time between winter and summer and can be absolutely beautiful regarding plant life. Ticket prices in March usually vary from 500-650 dollars.

April - In the US this would normally be a time of rain, but since it hardly ever rains in Egypt you don't need to worry about that. Ticket prices usually range from 700-900 dollars.

May - As Egypt starts to turn on the summer heat, May could be your best bet if you're looking for a summer trip. Since the official tourist season does not begin until June, ticket prices for this month are not as high as the tourist months, but you can still experience an Egyptian summer. Ticket prices range from 650-900 dollars.

June - June is usually the biggest month for tourists to travel to Egypt. If you're planning a trip with a group to visit Egypt, you will probably go in June or July, as most tourist locations are open to the public during this time. Ticket prices can be very expensive ranging from 900-1,200 dollars.

July - Much like June, July is another tourist month, with high prices but a lot more available that is tourist-friendly. The heat in July is also something to keep in mind as you plan your trip. Ticket prices range from 900-1,200 dollars as well.

August - The summer heat continues into August, and tourism begins to slow down, but is still very much alive. Ticket prices vary from 750-950 dollars.

September - The month of September is when temperatures start to cool down again. The celebration of Ramadan may begin in this month (see the information for October). Ticket prices usually range from 750-950 dollars as well.

October - The middle/end of October usually begins the celebration of Ramadan, an Islamic holiday celebrating thankfulness and a time for fasting. Be aware that since Ramadan is according to the lunar calendar, the exact timing of the holiday is never the same. It can sometimes be more towards summer, and other times more towards winter. Also, know that during Ramadan, most buildings, offices, tourism sites, etc. close around 2:00 or 3 :00 in the afternoon. Therefore, plan your days in the morning and save your walking around town for the evenings. However, this is a great time to visit Egypt, as the manners of Egyptian Muslims can brighten your spirits and illustrate an event that you will never see anywhere else. Ticket prices can vary anywhere from 600-900 dollars during this month.

November - The beginning of November continues in the celebration of Ramadan. If you're looking to travel to Egypt during festivities, this would be the time to do it. The most gracious people in Egypt shine during this month as the season of giving and thankfulness installs itself into every aspect of Egypt. Ticket prices for flying are usually around 500-700 dollars in November.

December - If you're looking to spend Christmas in Egypt, be aware that since the country is mostly Muslim, you won't find Christmas lights and Christmas trees decorating every corner of civilization as you would in some other countries. However, the country does contain about 10-15% Coptic Christians. While the weather might be nice this time of year, ticket prices can get very costly as many people love to travel in December, ranging from 900-1,200 dollars.

*Please note: I do not work for a travelling agency or anything of the sort. These statements are not guaranteed. The price ranges for airlines vary per airline, number of passengers, etc... The statements you see here are from personal experience and are offered as guidelines for those of you interested in travelling to Egypt. Also note that all ticket prices are an estimate for one person flying from an international airport in the US (such as JFK) to the international airport in Cairo. Domestic flights are not included in the prices. Keep in mind as well that ticket prices also vary depeding on how early or late you purchase them. Buying plane tickets is an art and it takes a lot of practice. But when you understand the system, you'll know how to get the best deals.

Commemorating Egypt

2009-01-31T12:51:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, Cairo announced that it will host an international conference reguarding the reconstruction of the Gaza strip. This is just another prime example of how Egypt continues to earn its title of mother of the world (om el donia).

The meeting is set to be held in Cairo on March 2, 2009 where talk of rebuilding Gaza will commence. As far as I know, Saudi Arabia has already agreed to pay half of the two billion dollars needed for the project.

The Reuters News of the UK said in an article yesterday that, "Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the European Union see Palestinian reconciliation as one of the keys to progress toward an end to the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza and toward a possible resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks."

Please pray for Gaza, her people, and the reconstruction of her majestic country.

Ras El-Bar - راس البر

2009-01-31T11:31:00.012-05:00

My favorite place in Egypt is called Ras El-Bar. It's located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and is home to one of the most beautiful local vacation spots in Egypt. In the picture to the right, the Nile River is meeting in the waters of the Mediterranean. If you actually look at the water over by the lighthouse, you can see the different waters mixing. The Mediterranean Sea is salty water, while the water of the Nile is fresh water. When the two mix, the water is considered to be "brackish" or "أَجِن" in Arabic.

In the picture to the left, you can see the building structure of the apartments in Ras El-Bar. In the forms that you see, each building contains 4 aparments per floor. Most buildings housed 3 floors, while some could have 2 or 4 floors. In the apartment we stayed in there were three bedrooms, a kitchen, dining area, a bathroom, and a wrap-around balcony which became the safehaven for many memories in Ras El-Bar. In the day, you can hear the cotton floss sellers approaching as their tunes of whistles and drums sound as if you were about to witness an enormous parade. It's almost like the ice cream truck in the US, only without the ice cream or the truck.

Some merchants did travel by truck, however. As they drove down the streets of the town, they would sell anything from rugs to fresh fruits and vegetables. While Ras El-Bar is not a place where tourists visit, if you're planning to live in Egypt, it's a mighty nice place to vist.

When I get to Egypt...

2009-01-31T11:00:00.002-05:00

When I get to Egypt, I will update this blog with more information about actually living there. Right now, I guess I'm focusing more on things that you can do in the US or in your home country before you get there.

I've ordered about 6 books from Barnes and Noble about modern day Egyptian culture. It took hours to scan through thousands of books and find some that actually applied to what I needed. So when I receive my order, I will share with all of you the titles and my opinions of each book. I'll also run their information through my Egyptian sources to clarify any information that might be misleading.

Until the order comes in, I was recently introduced to this website and I thought that I would share it with you: http://shop.cafepress.com/egypt

The site sells things like shirts, mugs, mousepads, magnets, etc... with different designs. The link will take you to the results of the search for Egypt. If you're interested in things that fit more towards the situation I'm in and that you might also be in, here is a cute phrase: http://shop.cafepress.com/i-love-my-egyptian-boyfriend

Thanks Tamarah for the site! She actually gave me a $20 gift certificate to spend there, so I bought a shirt as well. It should come in a few days and when it does I will upload a picture of it. But until then, it's a secret because I want to surprise my fiance... Shh... :P

All the best,

- Claire

Tips for the "I'll Need to Take my Whole House" Packers...

2009-01-31T10:20:00.003-05:00

If you're like me, then packing is not an easy task. Here is a quick breakdown of my usual packing experience:

I run around my house looking for anything that I might need to take on my trip. Triple-scan the bathroom, open every crevice of your bedroom to find anything you might need once you're at your destination, find things you had forgotten you even had, put everything in the middle of the room and sit down with it in front of your suitcase trying to cram every bit of it into the bag. Doesn't fit? Get more bags!

While packing like this usually makes me feel better prepared for every situation that I might encounter, it almost always is just a burden. But you can't leave home without that stuff, right?! Well, if you're flying to your destination, you're only allowed so many bags. Which means that you now have a limit to what you can take. It's OK, don't faint, we'll work through this. So... here's what we're going to do:

After you've gathered what you need, do a thorough necessity check on each item. Do you really need that 5 year old mouth wash bottle that you take everywhere you go but always forget to use? While you're probably thinking, "Uh.. yeah, a clean mouth is a healthy smile!" my point is not to tell you to leave the mouth wash at home. Take the mouth wash and leave something else at home! Just ask yourself are you actually going to use it? Think about your former trips. You packed your whole room, but which things did you really use? Be honest with yourself.

Also, don't forget to check your airline! Some of them even allow 2 checked bags! A sigh of relief anyone?

If you're travelling with a group, talk to them about what they're bringing. If they're bringing a curling iron, leave yours at home and bring something else to share with them so they can lighten their load as well.

When it comes to packing clothes, how you pack them can leave more space for other things. After you've gone through and asked yourself what you'll really wear and what you probably won't, you should have a reasonable amount of outfits. Can you wash clothes once you're there? If you can, don't be afraid to take 4 pairs of jeans for your 2 week trip instead of 14. Packed 6 different pairs of shoes? Narrow it down to 2 or 3. A good pair of sneakers for walking and maybe a nice pair of shoes if you plan to attend high-end events while you're there. Going to the beach? Take some flip flops or sandals. Get rid of the other pairs of shoes, you'll live, I promise. Loaded up on the accessories? Take all of them out of your suitcase and cut the amount by 1/4. If you packed 8 different pairs of belts, cut it down to a brown belt and a black belt. If you are overly obsessive about matching, bring a lot of mix-match clothing instead of 17 different outfits.

Now, it's time to actually pack your bag. One way of saving space is to roll your clothes instead of folding them. This can reduce the am out of space the clothes take up and allow a tighter fit in your bag. Another thing that you can do is to buy some freezer size Ziploc bags. Put your clothes in the bags, zip the bag up leaving one inch unzipped, then squeeze all of the air out of the bag. While you're holding the bag tightly, zip up the remaining inch so that the bag is now air-free. This should reduce the size of the clothes and allow you to fit more things in your suitcase. Make sure that you buy hefty Ziploc bags or they might unzip and allow the air to escape, making your storage space less. Worried about wrinkles in your clothes? If you put the clothes in the bags right, then they should not wrinkle. If you want, take a bag and test it out before your trip.

Once you've narrowed everything down to the necessities and smart-packed to make everything fit, then you've only got one more step to do, weigh it! When you're flying, airlines put weight and size limits on your bags. Check with your airlines before you pack so you know these limits. When you're finished packing, weight the bag to make sure you don't exceed the allowed weight. Using a household scale can do the trick, just make sure to not include any of your body weight while weighing the bag. You can either set the bag on the scale and weigh it, or weigh yourself on the scale first, then step on the scale and hold the bag, and then subtract your weight from the weight of you holding the bag. The second option is probably more favorable if your bag won't stand up on it's own. Leaning your bag against a wall while it's on the scale could make the baggage weight appear less than it actually is, so be careful about that!

If you get to the airport and your bag is overweight, they will either make you take some stuff out, or charge you extra for the excess weight. But beware that airline fees are not the most generous of fees, and you could end up paying a $50 dollar fine for being 0.5 lbs over your weight limit!

Just keep in mind that relating back to your previous trips will help you a lot when deciding what you really need to take and what you could probably do without. If you always take it and rarely, if ever, us it... don't bring it!

- Claire

Oh! the Joys of Flying...

2009-01-31T09:27:00.007-05:00

While I find that Delta does a great job of getting your tickets to you on time and their planes usually leave relatively on time or sometimes early, I don't particularly think that the expenses are worth it. When in doubt, use Expedia.com or Orbitz.com and compare your flight prices to that of the original company (ie Delta). Sometimes, if you're flying internationally, it's cheaper to break your trip into two portions when searching for cheaper flights. Let the first portion be from your current location to the international airport that you will be flying out of. Then, let the second portion be from that international airport to your final destination. I have found that using this method generally saves me anywhere from 200-500 dollars.

About Expedia: When they advertise that they have a friendly staff, they really mean it. I don't enjoy calling people usually, but I always feel safe when making calls to Expedia for any reason.

Also, make sure to check a load of different dates to get the best rate. If you don't have to leave at a particular time, or you're able to choose the date that you leave, look around at all the different dates surrounding the day that you would like to leave. Sometimes you can find a flight that's 200+ dollars cheaper using the same airline and only a day later or earlier than your intended departure date.

On the other hand, if you've never flown on an international flight before here are some personal tidbits that I believe might help you:

1. If you're worried about the cabin pressure, don't! Now days, almost all international planes have great systems of keeping the cabin pressure steady so that you don't experience a lot of ear popping when ascending or descending. However, if you want to be prepared just in case, take a pack of chewing gum with you and make sure you're chewing at the time of take-off and arrival. If you're travelling with small children or infants, bring along some snacks for them to eat instead of chewing gum. However, note that when flying internationally, they usually will not allow you to take any food through security. Buy your snacks for the kids after you pass through security and are waiting to board the plane. Almost all airports will have shops to buy snacks, magezines, books, small toys, etc...

2. Don't be afraid to sit down and spend hours finding the best flight rates. While it may be time consuming, it's well worth it. Just think, if you can save a total of 600 dollars on you and your spouse to fly somewhere like Egypt, that's more than 3,000 Egyptian pounds that you can now use when you're there!

3. When flying internationally, double check your visa requirements that an airline representative or travel agency might have told you. In a lot of countries, Americans are allowed in without a visa if the stay is not longer than 90 days. In other countries, a visa may be obtained easily upon arrival in that country. In this case, you will get the visa at the airport after you land. However, if the country you're visiting does their visas this way be careful to check the price of the visa BEFORE you leave, because most of the time you have to have the exact amount of cash, no more and no less.

4. Always read up on the place you're travelling to! If you're going to another country that you have never visited before, or are still not aware of their customs, search online or obtain books that can help you learn more about where you're going. While this will not only help to communicate better when you're there, you can also avoid experiencing severe culture shock. If you're taking children, educate them before you go about where you're going. You can even show them pictures online of the places you will visit, just to help them understand the situation better. This can also be a fun way to get them excited about where they might be going.

5. When flying internationally from the US, make sure you have read the baggage allowances for the airlines that you will be using. Most airlines have roughly the same baggage allowances, but you don't want to have to pay for a bag that exceeds the weight limit. Airline fees for ticket changes, cancellations, and baggage mishaps can be quite hefty, even when you're not flying internationally.

6. Also, make sure that you know the most current customs and security regulations. On international flights, security is almost always more alert to what you're caring in your bags. When you're packing your carry-on luggage, avoid the following items: scissors, fingernail clippers, food, water, candy (gum and mints are usually acceptable), toothpaste, lotion, or any other liquid or sharp objects. If your flight is overnight and you want to carry toothpaste or lotion or something of the sort, buy travel-size containers and seal them each in a ziploc baggy. Most international flights will give you a small amenity kit with a tiny little tub of toothpaste, a small toothbrush, lotion, an eye mask to sleep, a pillow and a blanket.

7. Make sure to schedule yourself plenty of time in between each flight if you're having to take multiple planes. Late arrivals can often times put a flier in panic if they have an immediate flight. A good 1.5-2 hour window is usually sufficient in between flights. If you're the nervous type, perhaps allow for even more time. But if you do miss your plane, don't panic! You'll almost never be charged extra. Just proceed to the gate you were supposed to leave from and explain your situation. The attendents will then work with you to get you on the next flight to where you're going. You may have to wait a few hours, but they're usually pretty good about getting you where you need to go.

8. Check your departure gates obsessively while in the airport. Sometimes departure gates will change at the last minute, so always listen to the overhead announcements.

9. If you're flying into an airport that you've never visited before, it may be helpful to obtain a map of the airport before you travel. Make yourself aware of the airport layout. This will help you find your gate quickly and easily once you're in the airport. Of course, there are signs in the airport as well to guide you to your correct gate.

10. Have fun! International trips can be a blast if you're properly prepared. Do all of the hard work and planning before you leave so that you and your family and friends can relax while you're exploring a new land. Don't leave unfinished business back in your country if you're going to worry about it the whole time. Take a week to plan out everything. As annoying as it may seem at the time, you'll appreciate the hard work when you're on your trip and worry-free!

I hope these flying tips will help you on your international travels. If you have any questions about a point (maybe I didn't explain well enough) or if you have questions regarding something that I didn't say, send me an e-mail! I'll try to help you in any way that I possibly can.

God bless,

- Claire

I Am Happier to Know You

2009-01-30T11:32:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to make a quick announcment about a book called I Am Happier to Know You, by Jeanne Eck. This book is a great way to learn more about the modern day culture in Egypt. If you're interested, I've put her website up in the Links section for you.

Here is the synopsis that's written on her site:

"I Am Happier to Know You is the story of the people, culture, sights and fragrances of Egypt and the Middle East viewed through the eyes and heart of a single, midlife woman. Concurrently, it’s a memoir of the joys and challenges author Jeanne M. Eck embraced when, on wings of faith, she left her Western culture behind and moved to Egypt.

With sprite-like energy, wisdom, humor and grace, the author grasps the hands and hearts of her readers and tenderly transports them on a luscious journey few would have the courage to seize or to candidly share.

I Am Happer to Know You is timely and timeless. It’s a story of how one woman took advantage of the opportunity to live life at its fullest, to honor her intuition, and then to follow her dreams. Most importantly, I Am Happier to Know You imparts the message that the foundation of peace is built upon loving and healing ourselves."

Reading this book really helped open my eyes to the culture of Egypt and I would HIGHLY suggest reading it if you're interested in modern Egyptian cultlure. I believe that the book cannot be found in stores and can only be ordered from her website, and perhaps used copies can be purchased on sites such as ebay and Amazon. You can also take a sneek peek on her site of the first chapter.

Enjoy! -Claire

The Necessity of Introductions

2009-01-30T09:29:00.002-05:00

While I don't expect a lot of people to try and keep up with my life, I do suppose that in the long run it will be nice to have documention of such a situation. In that case, I will try to update this blog daily, or as certain circumstances arise.

Just to give you a bit of background information on myself and my situation:

My name is Claire Strnad. I am currently 19 years old, which people judge to mean that I'm inexperienced with life or that I act out irrationally in circumstances which many "adults" do not know how to handle themselves. The point of the matter is that I am currently engaged to a 26 year old Egyptian man. We met online (through MSN) and have known each other for more than three years now.

In June of 2008, I went to Egypt to meet (in person) the love of my life. He and I were only reaffirmed by our meeting that we were meant to be together. While our story seems cliche in light, if I provided you with all of the agonizing details, I'm sure that you would change your mind. This blog is meant for people with an open heart. Please do not bother judging the situation to the point of criticizing me to a pulp. All comments are more than welcome, I just ask that you choose your words carefully as this is an extremely emotional time for my fiance and myself.

Anyway, enough of that! I know that while the numbers may be few, there are people out there who are going through a similar situation. I was fortunate enough to meet such a person only a few days ago. So keep your chin up! We're in this together.

For those of you who are going through something similar, I invite you to contact me via my e-mail address: misr_is_love@hotmail..com Having someone to talk to who actually understands your situation is a blessing in itself. Whether you're 14, 49, or 61 we're all humans and we all have hearts capable of experiencing true love in all forms, even if that means connecting with someone on the other side of the world.