I had mentioned in my first blog entry that I would take you back to my first impressions. Well, here is a list of things that I have seen from my time here thus far that I have found to be interesting, head shaking, or at times, downright mind blowing.
Women veiled from head to toe in black, and I mean they are covered even with gloves and the only thing you see are slits in their head covering. Imagine this in 100 degree weather. There are also women who wear headscarves with skin tight clothing below their neck.
Dingy brown buildings everywhere from years of pollution. (Once) magnificent villas in crumbling disrepair that tells of a very different era. There is one that sits right across from our living room window.
People walking on the side or median of freeways with cars flying beside them. The really freaky thing is that these people will sometimes cross the freeway. Also, people walking in the middle of the desert where no life seems to exist. What I’d like to know is how do they get to their destination before passing out from heat and exhaustion.
Pedestrians never using sidewalks. Most people just walk on the street right beside the moving cars. I have since realized why. The sidewalks are in really bad shape. The pavement is uneven, often cracked and torn up from neglect. They are also so high off the ground, at least a foot off the street. It makes you wonder why they even bother putting in sidewalks.
Donkey carts and herds of sheep and other animals on the streets in residential as well as business areas. I always wonder where these animals are kept at night. Most people live in apartments, so where do the animals go? The outskirts of the city consists of the barren desert, so they can’t possibly live out there.
Potholes the size of craters and speed bumps the size of small hills. You truly have to be alert when driving or your tires can get mangled in no time. And you could be four wheeling when you least expect it.
Policemen and military personnel with machine guns everywhere you look in the streets. Quite alarming when I first arrived. Now they are just part of the landscape. There are also security guards who are often napping in front of apartment buildings. And traffic police posted on street corners who do nothing but eat their bread and beans.
Narrow residential streets with cars parked on both sides of the street. And when you find a wider street, there will be cars double or triple parked. So you are often driving in streets that are just wide enough for your car to pass (although we frequently have to turn our side mirrors in so they do not get damaged).
This is certainly not an exhaustive list of what used to be unfamiliar sights to us. It’s an adventure to go outside our apartment everyday. Everything that we experience here has given new meaning to how differently we live in the world.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
Ramadan Kareem (Happy Ramadan)
The holiest month in the Muslim world is Ramadan. And it has arrived. Egypt is a country composed of 90% Muslim, so life is interestingly different at this time.
Ramadan means many things. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset for approximately 30 days. Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of faith in Islam. Fasting means abstention from food, drink (of every kind, even water), smoking, and sexual relations. It seems unfathomable that Egyptians could give up smoking since the majority of them partake in the habit. And it seems even more unimaginable to not even drink one drop of water, especially given the heat in Egypt. But thankfully, the weather has been much cooler since the day before Ramadan. Just a coincidence, you think?
Ramadan also brings an air of festivities in Egypt. It is a time of reflection and gathering with family and friends. It is traditional that Muslims will break their fast (called an Iftar) at sunset with friends and/or family. So there are invitations for the Iftar, much like our Thanksgiving and Christmas. And there are lighted lanterns (fanous - like the one in the picture below) and colored lights hung outside homes.
We had great fun last night, the first night of Ramadan, driving around looking at the various fanous around our neighborhood. Hannah was, of course, excited to see them. She even mentioned to me yesterday morning that she wanted to "do" Ramadan, to which I asked what does that mean, and she replied that she wanted to "not eat or drink like the Muslims." I told her she was too young to fast but that we would have fuul which is a bean dish that Egyptians eat at a meal before sunrise (called a Suhoor) which supposedly fills their tummies up until the Iftar. I say supposedly because we had fuul at noon and I was hungry no less than three hours later. I tell you, these Muslims have incredible stamina.
Ramadan is also a time of charity. There are tents set up randomly throughout the streets by wealthy families, companies, or churches for the exclusive purpose of feeding the poor. This is done throughout this month every night at sunset. Not a bad idea for us to adopt in the West, don't you think?
Prior to Ramadan, we were told by many sources that traffic gets absolutely psychotic from 1 to 5 in the afternoon when ravenous drivers are racing home to get ready for their iftar. I was even warned by our maid, Mona, an Egyptian Muslim, to stay off the streets between those times to prevent bodily injury. Believe me, I didn't mess around, I listened to her. Sure enough, traffic outside our windows was crazy during those times. And then at around 6 (time for iftar), the streets were eerily quiet. So to all those who claim that the traffic in Cairo never lets up -- ha! they obviously don't know everything about Egypt!
Ramadan means many things. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset for approximately 30 days. Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of faith in Islam. Fasting means abstention from food, drink (of every kind, even water), smoking, and sexual relations. It seems unfathomable that Egyptians could give up smoking since the majority of them partake in the habit. And it seems even more unimaginable to not even drink one drop of water, especially given the heat in Egypt. But thankfully, the weather has been much cooler since the day before Ramadan. Just a coincidence, you think?
Ramadan also brings an air of festivities in Egypt. It is a time of reflection and gathering with family and friends. It is traditional that Muslims will break their fast (called an Iftar) at sunset with friends and/or family. So there are invitations for the Iftar, much like our Thanksgiving and Christmas. And there are lighted lanterns (fanous - like the one in the picture below) and colored lights hung outside homes.
We had great fun last night, the first night of Ramadan, driving around looking at the various fanous around our neighborhood. Hannah was, of course, excited to see them. She even mentioned to me yesterday morning that she wanted to "do" Ramadan, to which I asked what does that mean, and she replied that she wanted to "not eat or drink like the Muslims." I told her she was too young to fast but that we would have fuul which is a bean dish that Egyptians eat at a meal before sunrise (called a Suhoor) which supposedly fills their tummies up until the Iftar. I say supposedly because we had fuul at noon and I was hungry no less than three hours later. I tell you, these Muslims have incredible stamina.
Ramadan is also a time of charity. There are tents set up randomly throughout the streets by wealthy families, companies, or churches for the exclusive purpose of feeding the poor. This is done throughout this month every night at sunset. Not a bad idea for us to adopt in the West, don't you think?
Prior to Ramadan, we were told by many sources that traffic gets absolutely psychotic from 1 to 5 in the afternoon when ravenous drivers are racing home to get ready for their iftar. I was even warned by our maid, Mona, an Egyptian Muslim, to stay off the streets between those times to prevent bodily injury. Believe me, I didn't mess around, I listened to her. Sure enough, traffic outside our windows was crazy during those times. And then at around 6 (time for iftar), the streets were eerily quiet. So to all those who claim that the traffic in Cairo never lets up -- ha! they obviously don't know everything about Egypt!
Monday, September 10, 2007
This Is Cairo, Part I
Scenes of everyday life in Cairo.
(You can enlarge the photos by clicking on the picture itself)
Man dressed in traditional long robe (galabeya) and head scarf on a small motorized bike. There are many more scenes like this of the old mixing with the new. People in Egypt are dressed in traditional as well as modern clothing. I was told that men who wear galabeyas do not generally occupy high-paying jobs. The only exception to this is that many Muslim men will wear their galabeyas to the mosque on Fridays, which is deemed their holy day.
Garbage, garbage, everywhere. This is typical of the streets in Cairo. Even in Maadi, where we live, which is considered to be one of the nicest suburbs. It's no wonder since we routinely see people littering on the streets...sad.
That's a donkey cart carrying watermelons to the market. Donkey carts are everpresent here. It is a common sight to see a Mercedes driving along side of a donkey cart.
Yes, that is the back of a Chevrolet truck which are everywhere on the roads.
People carrying "things" on their head. Sometimes things consist of a tray of fresh bread, large bags of "stuff", and who knows what else. Very cool, need to practice this at home.
(You can enlarge the photos by clicking on the picture itself)
Man dressed in traditional long robe (galabeya) and head scarf on a small motorized bike. There are many more scenes like this of the old mixing with the new. People in Egypt are dressed in traditional as well as modern clothing. I was told that men who wear galabeyas do not generally occupy high-paying jobs. The only exception to this is that many Muslim men will wear their galabeyas to the mosque on Fridays, which is deemed their holy day.
Garbage, garbage, everywhere. This is typical of the streets in Cairo. Even in Maadi, where we live, which is considered to be one of the nicest suburbs. It's no wonder since we routinely see people littering on the streets...sad.
That's a donkey cart carrying watermelons to the market. Donkey carts are everpresent here. It is a common sight to see a Mercedes driving along side of a donkey cart.
Yes, that is the back of a Chevrolet truck which are everywhere on the roads.
People carrying "things" on their head. Sometimes things consist of a tray of fresh bread, large bags of "stuff", and who knows what else. Very cool, need to practice this at home.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
The Quintessential Egyptian Dish
From what I have read, koshary (pronounced ko-shar-ri) is one of three dishes consumed regularly by Egyptians. So being the food fanatic that I am, I had to find out all about it. I searched the web and read many a tales about how much it is loved, by Egyptians and foreigners alike. Naturally I had to consult my Egyptian maid, Shirin, about it as well.
The dish doesn’t sound immediately appealing to most people. Jim made the strangest looking face when I described it to him. But trust me, koshary is one of the most delicious dishes I have tasted. The ingredients are simply prepared, but when you combine them together, something magical happens. I love eating it and could probably eat it everyday. Even Jim changed his mind after one bite, so here’s the recipe and I hope you will find time to try it out!
When you look over the recipe, don't be put off by the number of steps in this recipe, it's well worth the effort! But then, my father has said that I like to cook dishes with a hundred ingredients and steps to it. I guess he is (sorta) right about that.
There are several (not a hundred) components to the dish:
1. the pastas (macaroni noodles and spaghetti noodles)
2. lentils (Egyptians use black lentil, which are smaller than lentils in the States, but regular lentils are fine)
3. chickpeas/garbanzo beans
4. rice (preferably Egyptian rice, but short grain white rice works just as well) – instruction follows
5. tomato sauce – recipe follows
6. garlic and vinegar sauce (da’a) – a must!! – recipe follows
7. fried onions – also, a must!!
Pastas for Koshary
2 C macaroni noodles
Half of a small package of spaghetti noodles
Cook noodles separately until done (al dente).
Lentils
1-1/2 C lentil
Boil in enough water to make them tender.
Should be slightly soupy.
Chickpeas
2 C chickpeas/garbanzo beans
Soak overnight.
Boil in enough water to make them tender, but not overly tender, there should still be a bite to them. I boil them for about 25 minutes. Then drain.
Rice for Koshary
2 TBSPN butter or vegetable oil
2 C Egyptian rice, sorted and washed
2-1/2 C water
1-2 TBSPN salt
1 chicken bouillon cube (optional)
Heat oil on medium high heat and add rice.
Stir rice and butter/oil around for a few minutes.
Add water and bring to a boil, then add salt and pepper to taste and lower heat to simmer and cover.
Cook for 18 to 20 minutes.
When done, leave pot covered for 5 minutes, then fluff rice with fork.
Tomato Sauce
3 TBSPN vegetable oil
3 large cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
7 tomatoes, pureed in a blender
3 TBSPN vinegar
1/2 C water
red pepper flakes (amount depends on your preferred level of heat)
1/2 tspn cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Fry garlic in oil over medium heat until golden.
Add tomatoes and stir.
Add vinegar and water.
Bring to a boil.
Add red pepper flakes and cumin.
Cover and lower heat to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, or until sauce starts to thicken, stirring occasionally.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Garlic and Vinegar Sauce (Da’a)
6 cloves mashed garlic
4 TBSPN white vinegar
1/2 C water
2 TBSPN lemon juice
1 tspn cumin
1 pinch salt
Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until well mixed.
Fried Onions
3 medium sized onions, cut in half and then sliced thinly
Vegetable oil (enough to fry the onions, approximately 1/4 inch of oil in the pan).
Vinegar
Heat oil on medium heat.
Add onions in batches, careful not to overcrowd them.
Add a small amount of vinegar (be careful when adding vinegar as the oil will splatter).
Cook until onions become light brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.
**Vinegar is added to make the onions crispy during the cooking process.
After all of the components of the koshary is cooked, put everything together in no specific order. I like to start with the rice and pastas on the bottom, then sprinkle the lentils and chickpeas, and finish off with the tomato sauce. Have the da'a on the table for each person to put in amount that s/he desires. Top off with the fried onions (do not forget these, they are absolutely essential) and dig in!!!
I had proudly showed an Egyptian friend a picture of this and asked if he knew what it was. He looked puzzled and replied that he did not. When I told him it was a dish of the beloved koshary, he said "Oh! I was thrown off at first because it looks like the size of a cake! Ha, ha, ha!!!" To which I thought: very funny, smarty pants.
The dish doesn’t sound immediately appealing to most people. Jim made the strangest looking face when I described it to him. But trust me, koshary is one of the most delicious dishes I have tasted. The ingredients are simply prepared, but when you combine them together, something magical happens. I love eating it and could probably eat it everyday. Even Jim changed his mind after one bite, so here’s the recipe and I hope you will find time to try it out!
When you look over the recipe, don't be put off by the number of steps in this recipe, it's well worth the effort! But then, my father has said that I like to cook dishes with a hundred ingredients and steps to it. I guess he is (sorta) right about that.
There are several (not a hundred) components to the dish:
1. the pastas (macaroni noodles and spaghetti noodles)
2. lentils (Egyptians use black lentil, which are smaller than lentils in the States, but regular lentils are fine)
3. chickpeas/garbanzo beans
4. rice (preferably Egyptian rice, but short grain white rice works just as well) – instruction follows
5. tomato sauce – recipe follows
6. garlic and vinegar sauce (da’a) – a must!! – recipe follows
7. fried onions – also, a must!!
Pastas for Koshary
2 C macaroni noodles
Half of a small package of spaghetti noodles
Cook noodles separately until done (al dente).
Lentils
1-1/2 C lentil
Boil in enough water to make them tender.
Should be slightly soupy.
Chickpeas
2 C chickpeas/garbanzo beans
Soak overnight.
Boil in enough water to make them tender, but not overly tender, there should still be a bite to them. I boil them for about 25 minutes. Then drain.
Rice for Koshary
2 TBSPN butter or vegetable oil
2 C Egyptian rice, sorted and washed
2-1/2 C water
1-2 TBSPN salt
1 chicken bouillon cube (optional)
Heat oil on medium high heat and add rice.
Stir rice and butter/oil around for a few minutes.
Add water and bring to a boil, then add salt and pepper to taste and lower heat to simmer and cover.
Cook for 18 to 20 minutes.
When done, leave pot covered for 5 minutes, then fluff rice with fork.
Tomato Sauce
3 TBSPN vegetable oil
3 large cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
7 tomatoes, pureed in a blender
3 TBSPN vinegar
1/2 C water
red pepper flakes (amount depends on your preferred level of heat)
1/2 tspn cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Fry garlic in oil over medium heat until golden.
Add tomatoes and stir.
Add vinegar and water.
Bring to a boil.
Add red pepper flakes and cumin.
Cover and lower heat to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, or until sauce starts to thicken, stirring occasionally.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Garlic and Vinegar Sauce (Da’a)
6 cloves mashed garlic
4 TBSPN white vinegar
1/2 C water
2 TBSPN lemon juice
1 tspn cumin
1 pinch salt
Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until well mixed.
Fried Onions
3 medium sized onions, cut in half and then sliced thinly
Vegetable oil (enough to fry the onions, approximately 1/4 inch of oil in the pan).
Vinegar
Heat oil on medium heat.
Add onions in batches, careful not to overcrowd them.
Add a small amount of vinegar (be careful when adding vinegar as the oil will splatter).
Cook until onions become light brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.
**Vinegar is added to make the onions crispy during the cooking process.
After all of the components of the koshary is cooked, put everything together in no specific order. I like to start with the rice and pastas on the bottom, then sprinkle the lentils and chickpeas, and finish off with the tomato sauce. Have the da'a on the table for each person to put in amount that s/he desires. Top off with the fried onions (do not forget these, they are absolutely essential) and dig in!!!
I had proudly showed an Egyptian friend a picture of this and asked if he knew what it was. He looked puzzled and replied that he did not. When I told him it was a dish of the beloved koshary, he said "Oh! I was thrown off at first because it looks like the size of a cake! Ha, ha, ha!!!" To which I thought: very funny, smarty pants.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Our Babies
Megan, our precious little baby, has reached the tender age of six months. Her personality is definitely starting to show.
Megan smiles easily and is generally a very happy baby. She has a hearty laugh already. She gets frustrated by her toys and will holler loudly to let you know. She rolls all over the place, often from one end of the room to the other. She loves her big sister and her eyes light up when she sees Hannah. Most people say that she looks like her daddy. She loves to put everything in her mouth, especially her feet and toys. We love her dearly and can’t even remember life before Megan was born.
Hannah, our bigger baby, is now officially three and a half years old. She has adjusted to having a little sister and life in Egypt beautifully. She absolutely adores Megan and is very protective of her sister. Hannah is a fun and funny little girl.
She loves to read, play outside, play inside, and is wild about animals. In fact, whenever we eat dinner and meat is served, Hannah will ask in a very serious tone “is that animal meat dead?” I’m sure it won’t be long before she announces that she will be a vegetarian. Her questions about life are becoming more complicated and I’m finding myself having to tell her that I don’t know the answer and that we would have to look it up on the internet. She says her favorite food is chocolate, and her favorite meals go something like this: toast with Nutella for breakfast (she’s serious about chocolate); a sandwich “separated” (which means a platter of plain bread, cheese, and lunch meat) and lots of veggies (girl after her mommy’s heart!) for lunch; and chicken potpie for dinner (she’s indeed daddy’s girl).
Her current passion has shifted from Dora and the Disney princesses (thank goodness, even though she still likes them) to the Little Einsteins (not the baby Einstein series; the Little Einsteins go on adventures all around the world) and Winnie the Pooh. She first found out about Egypt through the Little Einsteins, before we even knew that we would be moving here.
Hannah is also crazy about animals of every kind, with her favorite animals being deers (in fact she calls her sister Bambi and herself Faline), snakes, and crocodiles. I often find her telling stories about animals when she is playing by herself. She has annouced that "when I get bigger, I want to have a dog, a cat, a deer, and some snakes as pets." And if you ask her what does she want to see in Egypt, she will eagerly tell you “a Nile crocodile and a rattlesnake!"
It is fascinating to watch our children grow from babies into little persons, even if this means waking up at the crack of dawn and dealing with them when they are tired, whiny, and crabby. Life just wouldn’t be the same without them.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Where Your Dreams Come True
Some of you have asked and others have wondered: What do the Rupars eat at home now that they live in Egypt? Well, almost everything that we ate back in the States. This is true because we get to shop at a commissary. Some of you don’t know what a commissary is so here’s a brief description: a grocery store run by the U.S. military stocked full of groceries available on the U.S. economy.
Our commissary is truly a godsend. I laughed when I first saw the sign in front of the store, but now I truly appreciate the meaning of it. We can get groceries that most expats would have to do without. Although the commissary is about a quarter of the size of a regular store in the U.S., it is well stocked and we can get almost everything your heart desires. Aside from basic items like meats and produce, it carries numerous items that you’d hate to do without like flour tortillas, maple syrup (the real stuff), different types of American cheeses, pickles, frozen blueberries, canola oil, Italian sausage, chocolate chips, peanut butter, and ice cream (the good stuff – Breyer’s, Bean & Jerry’s, and even Stonyfield Farm). There are even ethnic items like fresh lychees, napa cabbage, somen noodles, mochiko, sweet rice wine, and dried black mushroom.
So I can easily put together a meal everyday. We definitely know how good we have it with the commissary. We have friends posted overseas elsewhere who rely on ordering grocery items via the internet. And we have expat friends here who complain that they have to do without worchestershire sauce or cottage cheese. This luxury is one thing we surely do not take for granted. We can shop in the local markets, but sometimes I just crave having some Doritos chips with my sandwich or my Cherry Garcia ice cream.
Where Have We Been
It's been over a month since I've updated and you're probably wondering what we've been up to.
Well, a short run down would go something like this:
1. I got my first case of mummy's tummy after our trip to Ain Sukna, but if you ask me, I'd go back there in a heartbeat.
2. Jim's already been through his third or fourth case of mummy's tummy, but you know, that just comes with the territory of living in a developing country.
3. We checked out preschools for Hannah and she's happily enrolled and waiting for her first day of preschool.
4. We've been working diligently on potty training Hannah and she's thrilled to be off her diapers and even complains about having pull-ups on.
5. I've been busy making friends with mommies on playdates.
6. We are on our second maid since our first maid quit to take on full-time work. We are still trying to figure out what kind of part time help we really need.
7. We are ready for summer to be over. It's been unusually humid here in Cairo, with many days of over 50% humidity and 90+ degrees temperature.
8. I now feel comfortable driving around Maadi, the suburb where we live. The traffic is manageable in Maadi and the size of the suburb is small so I am able to rely on landmarks to find my way around.
9. Megan is quickly growing into a little person (more on this in another blog entry).
10. Jim has been to Sharm el Sheikh for work and deep sea fishing in the Red Sea for fun.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Red Sea Adventure
After a week in over 100 degree weather in Cairo, we decided it was time to get out of town. Well, just for the weekend.
We had been hearing about a beach resort located in Ain Sukhna (pronounced sookna) about an hour away from Cairo, situated at the top of the Red Sea close to the Suez Canal. Everybody who’s been there raves about it, so we thought why not check it out. Jim got a room for us at a five star hotel, Stella Di Mare Grand Hotel. The pictures on the internet look awesome. Despite that, Jim was skeptical about the accommodations because as he puts it, “I’ve been to an alleged five star hotel in the Congo, and let’s just say a Motel 6 would have been better.” What made me unconvinced was that the cost of our stay (which was a mere US $91 at the embassy rate) included buffet breakfast and dinner. And a neighbor told me that he would rate it a three star. I thought that after a week of being in an oven whenever you head outside, the number of stars was irrelevant.
Off we go on the road in the afternoon of July 5th. Well, what was supposed to be an hour to hour and a half road trip turned out to be four and a half hours. How did that happen? Pretty easy when you’re in a foreign country and you can’t speak the language or read the road signs. On top of that, nobody seems to give very specific directions and when you’re driving in the middle of the desert with not even a camel in sight, things can turn pretty bleak. We were told to take the Cairo Suez Road, “go straight and you will see it after an hour or so, there will be signs.” Easy enough, right? Well, it’s never that easy in Egypt.
After we were driving for awhile, we saw a sign for Sukhna, so naturally, even though we were not staying on the purported path, we thought that must be where we needed to turn. After another thirty minutes and not seeing any signs for the hotel, Jim decided to do the prudent thing and call the hotel to determine whether we took the wrong turn. After being told that we were headed in the wrong direction, we turned around and followed their directions given in broken English. To make a long story short, we ended up making a big circle and found out after two more calls to the hotel that we were only five minutes from the hotel when we first stopped to call. By that time, nature was calling for me, Megan was screaming at the top of her lungs, and the sun appeared to be setting soon. We had two more hours of daylight and if we didn’t find it within the next mile, we already decided that we would turn back for home since it would be pitch dark out there in the desert and we were warned not to drive outside Cairo at night since Egyptians do not turn on their headlights and camels and water buffalos abound. The only saving grace was that Hannah was an absolute angel for the whole car ride, entertaining herself just fine, now tell me how was that possible?
Well, I’m happy to report that we made it to the resort. And not only that it turned out to be a beautiful hotel, the food was fabulous, and the beach was amazing. There are waiters at the beach who set up your beach chairs and there is full drink service on the beach. We parked ourselves under one of the wooden umbrellas and felt like we were in paradise. The water at the Red Sea is crystal clear blue and warm like bath water, very inviting to splash around and hang out in. And the sand is fine and in a beautiful red clay color. We would rate the hotel a four star only because the service was mediocre. We ended staying for two nights and are sure that we will return again. Hannah announced that she did not want to return to Cairo as we were getting ready to head back and said that “I do like the beach.” We will have to go back because after all we couldn’t answer Hannah’s question of why the Red Sea is not red. We’re thinking that maybe the answer will come to us next time as we are relaxing under our umbrella, having a cold drink, and feeling the hypnotic sea breeze wash over us.
We had been hearing about a beach resort located in Ain Sukhna (pronounced sookna) about an hour away from Cairo, situated at the top of the Red Sea close to the Suez Canal. Everybody who’s been there raves about it, so we thought why not check it out. Jim got a room for us at a five star hotel, Stella Di Mare Grand Hotel. The pictures on the internet look awesome. Despite that, Jim was skeptical about the accommodations because as he puts it, “I’ve been to an alleged five star hotel in the Congo, and let’s just say a Motel 6 would have been better.” What made me unconvinced was that the cost of our stay (which was a mere US $91 at the embassy rate) included buffet breakfast and dinner. And a neighbor told me that he would rate it a three star. I thought that after a week of being in an oven whenever you head outside, the number of stars was irrelevant.
Off we go on the road in the afternoon of July 5th. Well, what was supposed to be an hour to hour and a half road trip turned out to be four and a half hours. How did that happen? Pretty easy when you’re in a foreign country and you can’t speak the language or read the road signs. On top of that, nobody seems to give very specific directions and when you’re driving in the middle of the desert with not even a camel in sight, things can turn pretty bleak. We were told to take the Cairo Suez Road, “go straight and you will see it after an hour or so, there will be signs.” Easy enough, right? Well, it’s never that easy in Egypt.
After we were driving for awhile, we saw a sign for Sukhna, so naturally, even though we were not staying on the purported path, we thought that must be where we needed to turn. After another thirty minutes and not seeing any signs for the hotel, Jim decided to do the prudent thing and call the hotel to determine whether we took the wrong turn. After being told that we were headed in the wrong direction, we turned around and followed their directions given in broken English. To make a long story short, we ended up making a big circle and found out after two more calls to the hotel that we were only five minutes from the hotel when we first stopped to call. By that time, nature was calling for me, Megan was screaming at the top of her lungs, and the sun appeared to be setting soon. We had two more hours of daylight and if we didn’t find it within the next mile, we already decided that we would turn back for home since it would be pitch dark out there in the desert and we were warned not to drive outside Cairo at night since Egyptians do not turn on their headlights and camels and water buffalos abound. The only saving grace was that Hannah was an absolute angel for the whole car ride, entertaining herself just fine, now tell me how was that possible?
Well, I’m happy to report that we made it to the resort. And not only that it turned out to be a beautiful hotel, the food was fabulous, and the beach was amazing. There are waiters at the beach who set up your beach chairs and there is full drink service on the beach. We parked ourselves under one of the wooden umbrellas and felt like we were in paradise. The water at the Red Sea is crystal clear blue and warm like bath water, very inviting to splash around and hang out in. And the sand is fine and in a beautiful red clay color. We would rate the hotel a four star only because the service was mediocre. We ended staying for two nights and are sure that we will return again. Hannah announced that she did not want to return to Cairo as we were getting ready to head back and said that “I do like the beach.” We will have to go back because after all we couldn’t answer Hannah’s question of why the Red Sea is not red. We’re thinking that maybe the answer will come to us next time as we are relaxing under our umbrella, having a cold drink, and feeling the hypnotic sea breeze wash over us.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
They Absolutely LOVE Children
“You will find that Egyptians love children.” That was what we were told before we arrived here.
Now what does that really mean anyways. Well, just to give you an idea. While we have hardly ventured out to do much shopping, Hannah has already amassed a nice collection of complimentary knick knacks from shopkeepers. She will proudly show off her new necklace, jewelry box, and wooden figurine from her Egyptian “friends” if you ask her. I’m thinking that the next time we go into a store, I will have her point out the most exquisite art piece and see what the shopkeeper will do.
But truly, it is so refreshing to see how the Egyptians receive your children wholeheartedly. It is not just from the shopkeepers whom do not expect that you will in turn feel obligated to make a purchase from them. It is from most Egyptians whom we have encountered. They take great interest in your children, and will kiss and hug them if you do not object.
In fact, often when we go downstairs from our apartment, we will invariably hear someone call out “Hannah” before we even catch sight of anyone. Adults whom we interact with will always greet and talk with Hannah, and admire and ask of Megan.
We are certain that our girls will get so used to the attention lavished on them during their time here that they will wonder why they are not treated like princesses wherever they go.
Now what does that really mean anyways. Well, just to give you an idea. While we have hardly ventured out to do much shopping, Hannah has already amassed a nice collection of complimentary knick knacks from shopkeepers. She will proudly show off her new necklace, jewelry box, and wooden figurine from her Egyptian “friends” if you ask her. I’m thinking that the next time we go into a store, I will have her point out the most exquisite art piece and see what the shopkeeper will do.
But truly, it is so refreshing to see how the Egyptians receive your children wholeheartedly. It is not just from the shopkeepers whom do not expect that you will in turn feel obligated to make a purchase from them. It is from most Egyptians whom we have encountered. They take great interest in your children, and will kiss and hug them if you do not object.
In fact, often when we go downstairs from our apartment, we will invariably hear someone call out “Hannah” before we even catch sight of anyone. Adults whom we interact with will always greet and talk with Hannah, and admire and ask of Megan.
We are certain that our girls will get so used to the attention lavished on them during their time here that they will wonder why they are not treated like princesses wherever they go.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Why Are You Going So Slow, Mommy
I did it! I drove somewhere by myself!! I sound like a giddy teen, which I even felt like after I made it home unscathed. That sounds pathetic when you consider that my destination was less than a half mile away. But then, you don’t know about driving in Cairo.
Let’s see, where do I begin? At first glance, drivers do not observe any traffic rules here. There are no stoplights (or at least, any that work) or stop signs. Sometimes you will see lane markings, most of the time there are none. Regardless, nobody stays in his own lane, the drivers just try to fit as many cars as the road allows. Drivers will back up in the middle of the road, in the middle of traffic, even if they are at an overpass. Drivers cut each other off all the time, and there will always be someone making a left turn from the far right lane. Streets often seem impossibly narrow since cars are parked or stopped carelessly on both sides. And Cairenes (those who inhabit Cairo) absolutely love their car horns. Pedestrians are even worse, they will cross right in front of traffic at the last moment without a care that s/he will get hit. Those are my first impressions.
Now, after being here for six weeks, I have begun to see things differently. I see that there is order in the chaos. I’ve come to realize that drivers do not go that fast so driving is manageable once you learn how they do it. You merge at traffic circles by not being timid. You insert your car into cross traffic by blocking off other cars or you will never go anywhere. You watch for traffic coming at you at any direction at all times. There are unspoken rules, if you will.
Besides learning to drive the Egyptian way, having a big SUV definitely helps. Like Jim says, many are intimidated by the size of a large vehicle for the simple reason that they don’t want to get hit. So I feel like I’m getting bolder and feeling more confident every time I get behind the wheel. That is until my three year old asks me “why are you driving so slow, mommy” and reminds me to “crank the wheel, mommy.”
Let’s see, where do I begin? At first glance, drivers do not observe any traffic rules here. There are no stoplights (or at least, any that work) or stop signs. Sometimes you will see lane markings, most of the time there are none. Regardless, nobody stays in his own lane, the drivers just try to fit as many cars as the road allows. Drivers will back up in the middle of the road, in the middle of traffic, even if they are at an overpass. Drivers cut each other off all the time, and there will always be someone making a left turn from the far right lane. Streets often seem impossibly narrow since cars are parked or stopped carelessly on both sides. And Cairenes (those who inhabit Cairo) absolutely love their car horns. Pedestrians are even worse, they will cross right in front of traffic at the last moment without a care that s/he will get hit. Those are my first impressions.
Now, after being here for six weeks, I have begun to see things differently. I see that there is order in the chaos. I’ve come to realize that drivers do not go that fast so driving is manageable once you learn how they do it. You merge at traffic circles by not being timid. You insert your car into cross traffic by blocking off other cars or you will never go anywhere. You watch for traffic coming at you at any direction at all times. There are unspoken rules, if you will.
Besides learning to drive the Egyptian way, having a big SUV definitely helps. Like Jim says, many are intimidated by the size of a large vehicle for the simple reason that they don’t want to get hit. So I feel like I’m getting bolder and feeling more confident every time I get behind the wheel. That is until my three year old asks me “why are you driving so slow, mommy” and reminds me to “crank the wheel, mommy.”
Monday, June 11, 2007
Cleaning Up
Yes, we made it to Cairo. Jim arrived back in late March, and I came with the girls and my father at the beginning of May. So much has happened since we arrived, I will have to back track and fill you all in on our adventure thus far. But before I take you back to my first impressions, I have something much more pressing before I have time to put those thoughts down. It's almost 11 at night and I need to wake up early tomorrow so read on and I'll fill you in soon enough ~ Bess
Could it be happening finally? Everybody who's ever been overseas talks about the luxury of having affordable domestic help. So of course, that was something I'd greatly anticipated before our arrival in Cairo.
Well, after interviewing five housekeepers, we finally settled on an Egyptian maid. She seems very pleasant and accommodating. And really, I can't wait to not have to clean my own home anymore, especially since I'm not very good at it.
The problem now is that she is due to start tomorrow and my house is a mess. You would think that's a good thing, I'm sure. But I, on the other hand, am panicked that someone, a stranger no less, is coming to my home who will see how my nice little family lives.
That is, after being here for five weeks, I'm embarassed that I live the way I do: a good two inches of dust on the furniture (I'm sure of it), piles of paperwork everywhere (which is my usual m.o. but did anyone else know about this before?), and remnants of unfinished stuff laying about (magazines I've saved from our last two moves, knic knacs that desperately need a home, Hannah's "art projects" in a million pieces, unused things ready for storage strewn about in the dining room). At least I used to shove all that stuff in the basement before our guests arrived, but now, someone is coming to see everything, and I'm supposed to be OK about it because this person is hired to clean my house afterall.
No problem, I'm getting up early tomorrow so I can put things away before she gets here. It's crazy, I know, but she's going to find out all about my family and our dirty little secrets.
Could it be happening finally? Everybody who's ever been overseas talks about the luxury of having affordable domestic help. So of course, that was something I'd greatly anticipated before our arrival in Cairo.
Well, after interviewing five housekeepers, we finally settled on an Egyptian maid. She seems very pleasant and accommodating. And really, I can't wait to not have to clean my own home anymore, especially since I'm not very good at it.
The problem now is that she is due to start tomorrow and my house is a mess. You would think that's a good thing, I'm sure. But I, on the other hand, am panicked that someone, a stranger no less, is coming to my home who will see how my nice little family lives.
That is, after being here for five weeks, I'm embarassed that I live the way I do: a good two inches of dust on the furniture (I'm sure of it), piles of paperwork everywhere (which is my usual m.o. but did anyone else know about this before?), and remnants of unfinished stuff laying about (magazines I've saved from our last two moves, knic knacs that desperately need a home, Hannah's "art projects" in a million pieces, unused things ready for storage strewn about in the dining room). At least I used to shove all that stuff in the basement before our guests arrived, but now, someone is coming to see everything, and I'm supposed to be OK about it because this person is hired to clean my house afterall.
No problem, I'm getting up early tomorrow so I can put things away before she gets here. It's crazy, I know, but she's going to find out all about my family and our dirty little secrets.
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