Tuesday, May 29, 2012

And there HE was...

I was the last person standing at the Valley of the Kings. The tour groups headed out early and rushed through, as I previously mentioned and it was just me. They were trying to shut down a half and hour early, but I had one more tomb to see so they opened it up and the nice man gave me another quick tour.  When up the steep white, wooden steps and walked out, there he was....

In a fresh, white Gharieb, black dark curly hair, dark facial hair, a white smile, tan complexion sitting on his motor bike.  I was so rushed coming in that I did not even recognize how good looking he was until I came out of the temple and saw him.  One of those moments of "Ahhhh"  He owned the shop near the entrance and he offered to hold my backpack while I went into sight see.  He also gave me a water and said, "Don't worry about your bag, just enjoy."

By bike, we drove back to the main central area where we stopped for some water and sesame sticks.  I met his other friends who all live in the same area.  His friend, Thomas, is actually Indian and Egyptian so it sparked up some nice conversation between us. They invited me over to their flat to have some tea and I accepted.  Mamoun(hott one) wanted to invite me over to meet his family.  We sat and had tea and I occasionally glanced at him in a nervous, girl manner playing with my hair and my eyes not looking at him.  I just could not help, but stare at his body-it was flawless. 

Next door, we went to his flat where he introduced me to his mother, sister, her husband, another sister and husband, and his three brothers.  In total, he has seven brothers and two sisters(big, big family).  It is a huge flat with many different rooms, floors, and basically one building of his whole family.  He has his own space that he recently renovated and he wanted my opinion on his place. I am sure that is not the only opinion he wanted ha! 

As he walks, I continue to check him out. His white Gharieb is see through and you can see his boxers.  When I make fun of him for wearing a see through Gharieb and say that it is "risque" and call him a "radical Muslim" he says his good ones are all at the dry cleaners so I got lucky being able to cetch him on  a "see through" day ha!

Luxor is not like Cairo or Alexandria where people dress so casually.  The men are all wearing traditional, long flowing Ghariebs and some have their heads covered.  The men are dressed quite nicely. 

He takes me up to his flat where I arrive in a palace with artistic drawings painted onto the wall, royal chairs, plasma tvs, and the room built for a king.  He has some great taste and I was quite impressed. He asks me what I want to eat and I tell him, "Tuna and salad." We sit and watch some bollywood cinema and his brother brings up on a silver tray, tuna, fresh cucumber/tomato salad, and fresh wheat pita(exactly what I wanted).  It feels like heaven.  He introduces me to his brother who is special needs and was burnt in a fire leaving his skin burnt on over 70 percent of his body.  I nicely introduce myself and smile big at him-this poor boy I think to myself.   Mamoun is so sweet to him and even sweeter to me.  He says it would be nice if I could stay with him in his flat and with his family.  I just keep looking at him in confusion thinking of timing. My whole trip I did not meet any Egyptians and the one that is perfectly my type I am leaving from in 2 days.  Oh the timing, oh the timing. 

Not to mention, he is very good looking so who knows what the truth of his love life is.  As most Muslims, he says it is tough being in Egypt because women are so conservative and do not go out with you.  I joke that he must love his job picking up the tourists at his shop.  He does not agree with my response and says he is kind to everyone regardless of being male or female. "This is the Egyptian way." He seems genuine and I believe his words or maybe I just want to be naive and believe in his words- the false promises theory(made by me). 
 
Sitting next to him, I begin to get nervous again and my heart is beating faster. He tries to kiss me and I pull away.  He says, "Okay fine I will not try again." He appears a bit disappointed and I can not understand my behavior.  I am extremely attracted to him, but I just act like a little girl instead of acting on how I feel. Over the years, this decrease in physical contact is really starting to grow on me.  I feel like I should not engage in anything with anyone-not even just a kiss-how ridiculous.  We continue just talking and I lean in on his shoulder.  We  get closer and hug one another where I place my hands on his arms and back.  I feel his stomach against mine and it is like steel.  He showed me his eight pack and I to get up and walk away because I had to cetch my breath ha! What a shy, little girl.  I ended up telling him, "I am sorry, I have to go."

I just had to remove myself from the situation in fear that something would happen, which would ruin my vow and I was not ready to do that.  I said, "Salamu alekom" and his  family looked disappointed with my leaving just like Mamoun.  I hopped on the back of his brothers bike and sat and stared Mamoun in the eyes thinking I really should stay.  He looked at me like he was confused with me leaving, but he did not verbalize it.  I rode off with his brother to head to the ferry.  Instead of getting on the boat, I just sat with my local fruit stand friends talking and eating some honey dew.  I really did not want to leave this guy and I wanted to stay, but I made a good decision and I went on the boat over to the train station. 

One day in Luxor-not enough, but I followed my intuition, which told me to leave Luxor-good job Priscilla!

Valley of the Kings

The benefit to having no tourists is that you have the guides to yourself(I am not sure what to call them I guess they are just security guards with knowledge of the sites and carvings). Also, I made friends with them so instead of visiting three of the tombs, I visited six of them. They took me down with their flash lights just pointing out different carvings of Ramses, his wife, Nobius, the beetle(starts with an S and I can not find the correct name by searching), cobras, etc. They had me climb up on the wooden banister to see the top of the tombs carvings and were patient with my questions.

I could not believe how fast the tour groups were going in and out of the tombs. They did not even look at the carvings. Again, I do not expect people to spend the amount of time I do, but what is the point of going in if you are going to just walk past everything and not even take a close look. Whatever floats their boat. But what matters is my own experience and I was amazed with these tombs. The detail was impeccable and after a few tombs, I was beginning to decipher between the different Gods and symbols: the lotus, the snake, the cross symbol for the second life, the Dr for mummification, and the different animals.

Here is a brief description from Wikipedia:

Phase One Tombs

  • the Tomb of Thutmose III (KV34) [2] - one of the most remote tombs in the Valley, located at the far end of the Valley and up several flights of steps to gain entry. The climb is worth it though. The tomb is of the typical, early curved plan with a large oval burial chamber. The decoration is unique, being in a simple, pleasing style that resembles the cursive writing of the time. This tomb was not open as of Dec 8 2011.

[edit] Phase Two Tombs

wall painting in the tomb of Horemheb
wall painting in the tomb of Horemheb
  • the Tomb of Horemheb (KV57) [3] - the tomb of the last king of the 18th Dynasty This tomb was not open as of Dec 17 2011.
  • the Tomb of Merneptah (KV8) [4] - son of Ramesses II (the Great), Merneptah's tomb has suffered greatly from flash flooding of the Valley over the millennia. Those paintings and reliefs that have survived, however, are generally in good condition. This tomb is marked as Under Restoration and closed to the public as of Dec 8 2011.

[edit] Phase Three Tombs

  • the Tomb of Ramesses VI (KV9) this tomb was originally started by Ramesses V, but usurped after his death by his successor Ramesses VI, who enlarged the tomb and had his own image and cartouches carved in over his predecessor's. The tomb is one of the most interesting in the Valley, with one of the most complete and best preserved decorative schemes surviving.

Luxor and the Valley of the Kings

Arriving in Luxor was a headache.  Leaving from Hurghada, I encountered some tourist discrimination.  I wanted to take the local mini-van and this cold man with dark brown eyes shouted in my face, "No, 50 pounds for you." The local bus costs 25 pounds, but because I was tourist he was trying to double the price.  Of course, I was not going to agree to this and I told him, "No, I pay 25." We went back and forth until finally the driver( a very kind man thankfully) grabbed my hand and told me to "Come sit." He said, "25 okay." He just kept looking at me and smiling with his silver teeth wearing a light blue gharieb, a towel wrapped on his head, and black sandles.  This rude man who was shouting directly in my face "50 pounds" just kept looking at me and laughing.  The bad Egyptians love to make you upset and looove to push your buttons. He was content just knowing that he made me upset. 

Again, Priscilla makes this difficult- the Super Jet VIP bus was just $1.00 more but I had to go and be with the locals.  The mini bus was fine and quite peaceful.  The driver kept checking on me and when passengers were leaving he would hop up to the top to grab the luggage.  His foot was right next  to my face and then he would just sit and smile at me with his silver teeth-such a nice man.  


Arriving in Luxor in the middle of the street, which was not a bus station was a headache.  I had to go to the ferry to cross over to the West bank and no one knew what the West bank was because I was saying it in English.  A nice blonde hair and blue eyed Egyptian man(rare occurrence seeing blonde Egyptians) was so helpful and kind.  He helped me get a taxi and went with me to the ferry boat to make sure I arrived safely.  Off the ferry boat, feeling like I was pretty much the only tourist in all of Luxor, I approached a local asking to use his phone to call my couch surfer.  I arranged to meet a local couch surfer to tour around the city for a bit and then planned on heading back to Cairo on the night train. One day in Luxor not enough, but I could only take so much of the sightseeing and just wanted to relax back with my family in Cairo. 

Calling my couchsurfer a few times, it kept saying his phone was shut off.  I decided to just make my own way and head to the Valley of the Kings.  A local man said he could help me get on the bus over to the Valley of the Kings. I ended up on the bus and we were not picking anyone else up.  Luxor was completely deserted except for the tour buses full of Russians. It is the beginning of summer, which is off season, which results in less tourists, but in general Egypt is a ghost town for tourists right now. 

On the bus, the man is friendly, but shortly he becomes too friendly saying that, "You are beautiful, I love you." Any comments on my looks or when I get "the look" that means go the opposite direction.  I tell him, "Please stop the car." I get out and get a ride from another mini bus.  I stopped at the famous UNESCO temple, but I did not have time to go inside unfortunately. 

Off I went to the Valley of the Kings without my friend as a guide...

My First Time Scuba Diving

With all the incredible seas and oceans visited, scuba diving had been on my mind for a while.  It just so happened that my host's roommate(also on couch surfing) works as a diving instructor for the Blue Lagoon.  The Blue Lagoon is a top notch diving center for French visitors coming to Hurghada.  Lil(name changed for confidentiality purposes) told me about her amazing experiences and also conveyed such a passion about diving and her company. She sold me on choosing her company, but most of all she sold me on diving my first time with her.  It was time for me to face my fear and I knew being with her would make me feel welcomed, safe, and comfortable.   

The whole day could not have went better-really it was pretty much "perfect."   We started off at the Blue Lagoon  where Lil and I were rushing to get there.  We were suppose to be on the boat at 8:30, but we had left the house at 8:30.   When we arrived, the staff were so friendly and helped me get my gear together. We hopped on the boat and I was introduced to my other second dive instructor-Yasir.  He has been diving for the past thirty years and Lil brags for him about how amazing he is. 


On the boat, there are a bunch of adorable, older French wearing their speedos and relaxing on the top of the boat-sleeping and sunbathing.  Again, super nice and welcoming and most did not even notice that I was not French-go figure Priscilla the chameleon.  The boat itself is super clean and luxurious and I am very happy with my choice.  The videographer, the Captain, Lil, Yasir, and myself all sit down in the cabin area getting acquainted. 
Lil gives me my briefing how how to breath, what to do and what not to do, and how to communicate under water.  I am feeling anxious, but she calms down my anxiety with her positive attitude and sweet nature-can you tell that I just adore her?
Most of the diving sites in Hurgada are about 1-2 hours out in the Red Sea located near the many islands. The boat stops for our first dive where I decide to warm up snorkeling.  The water is a light turquoise sea green with the coral clearly visible from the boat.  Getting adjusted with the snorkel mask and breathing took some starting up, but eventually I was able to stay under water and enjoy the coral and fish.  I really thought that I would just be seeing a few fish and some coral, but WOW, WOW, WOW.  There were schools of all kinds of different fish, colors, hott pink coral, and multi-colored fish blue, pink, orange, green of various neon shades.  It could not even compare to my snorkeling in Hawaii-this was completely amazing.  Just snorkeling around, I was thinking to myself, "Um if this snorkeling I can not even imagine the scuba diving."

Being so consumed by the breathtaking underwater beauty, I came above water and realized I was so far away from the boat.  From a distance, I see waiving hands from the boat next to ours telling me to come in.  I quickly swimmed over(surprised by how fast I moved because I am really not a good swimmer).  Lil was waiting for me and told me and Hamed, the captain, place the oxygen tank on my back, set up the rest of my gear, and gave me a push back in the water. 


Our original plan was to practice above water, but before I knew it we were counting and within seconds I was working my way down beneath the water-meter by meter.  Lil was holding on to me and signing to make sure I was okay every minute.  She kept smiling and I just sat in my mask with a very serious face focused on my breathing. I was so worried that if I laughed or even smiled I would mess up my breathing.  The other instructor and my Egyptian friends were smiling at me and patting me on the back.  Under the water, there was an old, abandoned ship, schools of fish on my right side and my left side, sting rays, and all types of coral and fauna.  I had my arms out to the side free falling and just kept thinking about what Lil said, "Just relax and think you are like a mermaid." And so that is what I did think of myself like a mermaid just gracefully moving my legs and letting my arms just flow with my body.  Twenty five minutes later and I was up above the water. I did it! My First dive! Yasir and Lil were so proud of me and off we went to the second dive location for dive number 2. 


Dive number 2 was even better than the first because I learned that it is okay to laugh and smile underwater without dying. The second dive was with Yesir and he took me deep under 10 meters! We went all the way to the bottom where I sat in yoga position and it all felt so peaceful.  He held my hand and pointed out fish hidden underneath the coral.  Like a little child, I just kept pointing at what I was seeing and just amazed for every minute.   I wish I could have a better description of the types of fish, but even my diving instructors do not know-it is just something you have to experience in your life.  He let me be free just swimming around on my own while turning back to give the "A-okay" sign. 

Being under water, it is so freeing. Here I thought I would be panicking not able to breath and guess what they have invented an amazing system to breath underwater ha! This French guy who invented it is one smart guy!
After our dive we had an amazing lunch, fresh melon, more snorkeling, Hamed and I went to the front of the boat taking silly pictures and doing titantic moves, and I left feeling so content with my experience.  Yasir liked me so much he said I can come back with him Saturday and for some free diving, but I did not want to "rock the boat" with Lil and her job.  I faced my fear and it felt so good-I am very proud of myself!

Thank you to amazing staff at Blue Lagoon- you are the best and I love the French!



Proud to Work at McDonalds

I recently met an Egyptian who is now an Engineer who spoke of his proud moments working at McDonalds.  For confidentiality purposes, I will just call him "B." B now works as an engineer, which he says he enjoys, but his boss is quite demanding and never lets him take vacation(welcome to the corporate world).  When speaking of McDonalds, his whole face lit up with joy.  He said that he worked there for seven years and his best work was being the cashier. He said, " I was very fast and I the boss happy with me for taking the money quickly." This was so adorable to see how proud he was and it was a moment of realization and appreciation.
A kind man working in the fast food industry appreciative of his job.  While traveling and seeing the fast food industry, I see that these people take pride in their work.  The KFCs, McDonalds, and Pizza huts are like palaces with flat screen tvs, so clean you could eat off the floor, and the staff are dressed like they are going to a corporate business job.  Their uniform is clean, ironed, they have good hygiene, and hair is clean cut.  It is like stepping into another dimension compared to walking into a fast food place in America. 


In America, you will find staff who might smell, have dirty hair, wrinkled uniform, etc.  People do not take pride in their work, which negatively impacts their attitude, which impacts their behavior with their customer interaction.  These jobs are for immigrants and those from underpriviledged areas. It is sad to see these people working and looking miserable.  While those working in European countries and Asia look fresh, happy, and ALIVE. 



No matter what you do whether it is sweeping floors, being a security guard, an assistant, or a sales clerk- take pride in your work. It makes a significant impact on the workplace-your fellow staff and customers, especially when it comes to social psychology and the workplace.   At the end of the day,all the pieces come together like a puzzle.   

Book Read: Emily Perkins-Novel About My Wife

This book was about an English man,Tom, who is madly in love with his wife, Ann, a fiery red head in her mid forties who is having their first child.  Before and during her pregnancy, she is having symptoms of paranoia, cognitive distortions-thoughts that a homeless man is following her and trying to kill her. 

With little knowledge of mental illness, Tom is believing her false claims rather than acknowledging she has a severe psychological problem. She ends up committing suicide and Tom is left to care for their son and he mourns over the loss of his beloved wife. 

After reading this book, I thought to myself, "Is this it?".  I thought I really missed the punchline and went back to read over chapters.  It did not make any sense to me as to if she really killed herself or if someone killed her? It was quite disappointing and I would NOT recommend this book. 

Things I learned from the book

When you love someone, you are blind/in denial to their sickness and want to satisfy their beliefs and concerns

Some people are truly in love from the second they meet until the death of their significant other

The man more in love with the woman than the woman is in love with the man-this is the way it should be....

The end...

Cairo to Hurghada

Between Cairo and Hurghada, there is pretty much nothing but one road, the desert, and the Red Sea. After four teas, one hibiscus, one green, and two black- I was just sitting and staring at the road, alternating my eyes between the road and the desert, the road and the desert, and seeing no signs of civilization  anywhere.    I started to think of what would happen if I just could not hold it, where would I go? The bathroom was off limits because it was beyond disgusting.  Could I pee into a water bottle? We had already passed a rest stop and another one did not seem to be appearing anytime soon.  The desert really is a mirage where things just start appearing once you are driving through it long enough.  I envisioned seeing rest stops ahead, but it was just images that were created in my imagination.  Waiting, waiting, and waiting and I just repeating in my head, “Please stop, please stop.”
After about a half an hour of staring out the window, tapping my leg, and concentrating on holding it-we came to a stop! I jumped off the bus and walked quickly to the bathroom trying to disguise how much I really had to go.  What a relief! This was the worst time I have ever had traveling.  Word to the wise: Do not drink four teas and a liter of water before entering a bus ride for 5-6 hours.  This is just plan common sense, which I tend to lack from time to time. 

At the rest stop, I sat down to enjoy a free salad, tagine, and bread.  Ahmed, the waiter, knew I was a tourist and told me I did not have to pay.  I was not going to decline his offer after the tough times I had been having in Egypt so I politefully accepted.  He told me he lives near Hurghada and to call him if I ever need anything.  I will say Egypt is nice with the people who give their number and are not formally asking me out, but they just say, “If you need any help, just call and I will be there.” This is quite comforting when you are a solo traveler by yourself in EGYPT. 



Back on the bus and almost in Hurghada, I was enjoying my time on the bus since I was able to relieve myself and I had just finished  my book.  I was quite annoyed by a guy that just kept staring at me and he was intentionally doing it to bother me. I had myself veiled, but I decided to hide myself even more by placing the curtain over my head.  I am not sure if I will ever “just deal” with the staring.  It annoys me and I do not want to be stared at-I am not a painting, there is nothing great to look at, just stop staring please. 

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Face Your Fears Head Instead of Run

Again, I can not emphasize the importance of FACING YOUR FEARS.  Many of our great spiritual leaders speak on the presence of fear in our lives and how destructive it can be.  If we have a life ruled by our fears, we will not be able to grow and actualize on our full potential as human beings.  Whether it is heights, snakes, rats, planes, or the dark- FACE YOUR FEARS and once you do you will feel inspired to keep facing your fears until they are almost all on extinction-a rather large goal, but always possible. 


Again, I realize with my scubadiving experience that anything is possible and this become more and more true when you let yourself experience your "fear," which is really just a conscious belief and choice that has possibility to be eliminated. 



The fears that I have faced are mainly these two things: rats and scuba diving.  Rats I had to face everyday in the filthy city streets and subway tunnels of New York.  Once I kept seeing them(aversive therapy) I became used to how they appear and I became less scared each time I saw one.  When you push yourself(i.e. making myself stare at the rat), I became aware of their positive attributes-not that scary after all.  This does not mean I love them and I never will.  But I can tolerate them and this is a key component to reduction of fears-tolerance until you become conditioned to respond in a new way..

Snorkeling with Russians


The beaches in Hurghada are all connected to the hotels and resorts, which means you have to pay a fee of 50 pounds or less to go the beach, which is a bit unnecessary. They leave you trapped going to the tourist beaches because the public beaches are not as nice and they also have the weirdo pervert Egyptians scoping out for girls. But I must say the tourist beaches are quite enjoyable and peaceful especially being away from the Egyptian boys. Egyptians are definitely still there,but they are the type with class who are not staring and commenting like weirdos.

The beaches I enjoyed were Moon Light Beach, Old Vic Beach, and my private beach away from everyone.

In my private beach, which was at the botttom of a construction zone where they are building a new hotel. Leave it to me to find this great spot for snorkeling where most people would never think of going.

There are just ten beach hut umbrellas and a few chairs, which means only a few people. And the few people of course were Russians-these older Russian ladies in bikinis with big tummies, kept lighting up and smoking, and who spoke no English, but the one lady was helpful with her broken English. While the beach front is not the best place for snorkeling, one can still see a lot just standing or swimming up to 5 feet. It is great what you can see just sitting in the water, blue, orange, and multi-colored fish around your feet, the water is a very light shade of turquoise making everything so visible from close range.

I kept seeing these purple squids that I thought were jelly fish, but the Russian lady said,"No hurt, it okay, okay." I did not really trust her so I tried to keep my eye out and snorkel my way around them. The Russians were better at snorkeling than I was and I was surprised how long the lady could stay under water. My snorkeling consists of coming up every two minutes because I at some point manage to choke on the salt water or swallow it ha!

Nice intro snorkeling for Pris and the Russians.

Hurghada and the Red Sea

Hurghada is a coastal beach resort city located on the gorgeous Red sea.  Just twenty years ago, Hurghada was just pure desert area and now it is built up with over 200 hotels(www.hurghada.com), restaurants, shops, and your commercial spots keep on coming-they just recently built McDonalds locations, which they are quite proud of by local report.  There famous hotels include the Hard Rock, the Marriot, and the Sheraton.  With a growing population, it has around 250,000 people living in Hurghada with a mix of Egyptians and Eastern Europeans.  Russians seems to take occupancy over any other  country.  It is pretty much like a small town of Russians and Egyptians.  
On the streets, you will find many couples consisting of Egyptian men with Russian girlfriends. When you go to the super market in the afternoon and even mid morning, you go to pick up a yogurt and you can look to your left to see a long set of legs, a black mini skirt, and cheap stiletto heels- Russian dolls beach attire ha! It is funny how the Russians make very poor attempts to assimilate into these religious cultures i.e. Muslim and Hindu(India, Egypt). This is based off my experience, but not all are like this-especially my lovely Russian friend, Lela.  Many Russians seem to run around town doing their own thing and they really do not care what people think of them, which has its positive and negative attributes.  Overall, I do not have a probem with them rather I find them quite entertaining, especially when they are trying to make a deal or just going to the beach or ordering food.  Everything is a big deal and they end up trying to discount everything until it has no more worth.  In the supermarket, there is a big, large sign that says, "No foreign currency," but what do the Russians do? They try to give American dollars and then they sit thinking the clerk might just make an acception.  Again, it is very entertaining to watch-oh the Russians. 

In general, Hurghada is known for it's water activities: snorkeling, scuba diving, wind surfing, kite surfing, and sailing.  The coral reefs are some of the best in the world and scuba diving is among the most popular activity along with snorkeling.  It was in my plans to do snorkeling and scuba diving if I could face my fear and actually try it out... stay tuned..

Like in many other beach cities, the nightlife consists of sheesha cafes, hotels bars, and beach/pool parties. While the party scene does not interest me, I managed to go out two nights, which is a lot for me since I pretty much have stopped drinking and partying.  One night we went out to Shade, which is a live music venue with bright colored bean bag chairs, black lights, and light blue writing. It gives quite the upscale, beach vibe, which I enjoy.  The marina in Hurghada reminds me of the Clark Quay marina in Singapore-nice restaurants, lounges, cafes-all pretty much upscale and happening.  I definitely enjoyed the marina, especially the cute restaurants The White Elephant for Thai and Heaven for fish(not that I went there, but loved the outdoor ambiance) We then ventured off to the Hard Rock cafe, which was a bust and  consisted of the "bigger, less attractive Russian girls" dancing and local Egyptians hanging out.  While I sat there, I was thinking of all the things I could have been doing.  I remember my friend from Chicago saying that, "When you get older, there has to be a good reason for going out." And I am definitely feeling this as I get older. It has to be a nice place with good atmosphere and excellent quality music/DJ or with people I want to spend time with, which makes the type of place not AS important, but still important. 
The first place, Shade, was a great place, but our trip to the Hardrock for "ladies night" pretty much was disappointing for our three some-me, Sheddy, and Asam(two nice boys from the upstairs flat-both couch surfers)
The flat I was staying at in Hurghada was perfect- a beach apartment with a big couch surfing family mostly consisting of boys all in their mid twenties, my lovely original host Ghareb,  and the lovely Russian girl-Lela- a ray of sunshine.  They are always hosting people in the downstairs of upstairs flat and they were all quite nice to talk and interact with especially learn about Egypt.   We had a nice time at the local cafe together, eating and Egyptian dinner, and attempting to listen about the discussion of the election. A nice time in Hurghda... 

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Craving Chicken

Since coming to Egypt and seeing the amazing chicken dishes, I have been craving chicken. I have been a Pescatarian(fish, eggs, and vegetables only) for 5 months. And it recently happened that I cheated and I ate Egyptian Sausage.  It was actually really good and eating it did not bother me. 

Why I am I giving up meat to begin with? I love every single vegetable and love them in excess, I also love beans, fish(will not live without), and enjoy boiled eggs so why eat meat when I can focus on the foods I really enjoy?  It has worked out for me as I have a tendency to eat a lot of fruit and vegetables.  My skin looks better and I feel better too. 

This eating Egyptian Sausage has not ruined me. I am going to stick with Pescatarian, but I have a feeling I might slip up and eat some chicken soon. I enjoy different types of chicken, especially rotisserie chicken and marinated with vegetables.

But for the time being, I am still a Pescatarian and proud of myself for staying to NO MEAT AT ALL for five months straight=)


Anti-Harassment March in Cairo While Priscilla Gets Harassed in Alexandria

This has already been stated, but I will say it again, "If locals think I am Egyptian and they are engaging in harassment, I can not imagine what these poor women have to constantly go through on a daily basis."

While there was an anti-harassment campaign going on in Cairo, Priscilla was walking the streets of Alexandria experiencing some severe harassment.  The staring and commenting I have just ignored, but the local Egyptians in Alexandria have taken it to the next level.  If I run, they will run behind and follow me, kids joking around undoing my shoelaces, touching or grabbing at my arm, and getting too close to me.  It has been common for locals to act stupid, pathetic, lame, playing jokes, making crude comments, inappropriate sexual gestures, but Sunday it went too far.  I was exploring around town and literally EVERY single person/man would comment and say or do something(follow behind or walk close to me).
Again, if I was dressed in a revealing way I could understand, but I was completely covered with sunglasses and my head covered.  And dressed like this I had each and every single person comment every second, really? 
 
One would think, "Well just stay inside Priscilla." I was writing for a while in beautiful hotel/pastry cafe enjoying my Turkish coffee and doing some Islam reading for a long while, but I wanted to walk around and see the architecture of the older areas of town and I also had to run.
Running in Alexandria is one of my favorite things, but near impossible to escape the weirdos and comments.  Just walking everyone was commenting and running on the side street NOT along the beach to avoid people, it was still bad.  The beach front was bad and the road side even worse. Where was I suppose to go on a roof?
While walking on the street, a group of kids on bikes were messing with me coming in front of me acting like they were going to hit me.  I just kept doging them until I was running and felt a big wad of spit go directly on my face!  The smell of it was so fowl, like bad breath and saliva. I ran after them on the bikes to scare them away.  Within seconds, I saw small rocks flying at me and I began to run the other way.  It was not fast enough to escape the big rock that was thrown at my knee! My KNEE, running the one thing that makes me happy and it had to hit my KNEE.

On the beach earlier, I had kids chasing me and throwing small pebbles, which scared me, but the rocks scared me big time-where did they even get these rocks so quickly?
My knee had a slight bump and it felt swollen. I could not believe what just happened and not just the rock, but the spit. I wiped my face with my sleeve until my face felt burnt and I just kept dumping the water on my face. 
At the fish market, I washed my face with hott water and soap at least ten times. For me, this was the absolute worst-spit on my clothes-okay, but on my face? Horrible. 
The thing with this incident is that I should not have run after them after he spit, but I was trying to scare them away.  It just all happened so fast where it was such an automatic, unconscious choice.  Sometimes we can engage in FIGHT or FLIGHT mode and I was in FIGHT mode.  The harassment had been going on for two weeks now and now I was acting by chasing after the kids.  

So who are you going to call when something like this happens?

How about Ghostbusters? Ghostbusters was an American movie-it is just a joke some may or may not understand.  It basically means I could call fake police to come and help me.  My friend said, "There really are no police right now." When I was being followed earlier that day I found a traffic cop to stand near and he pretty much just laughed at me and walked back near his car-this really is comforting. I went from being completely overprotected living in the Upper east side rich area of New York to being completely underprotected in the streets of Egypt. My life feels like a gamble in Egypt-anything could happen at any minute, but it just left up to my one and only to decide my fate.  
I really question who is the smart tourist with my trip in Egypt. There are practically no tourists here except for me.  Why could my friend not advise me on this political situation before I came? Or maybe tell me there have been very few tourists since the revolution.  

Ultimately, I am responsible for my own decisions, especially with travel, so it just happened for a reason I guess. On a good note, I spent solid time working on my resume and applying for jobs leaving me with countless opportunities in Turkey, but besides the positive of Egypt-this harassment needs to stop.  No woman should have to be treated like this when just walking down a street or in a grocery store or going to work.  Keep fighting for your rights girls! Priscilla has your back!

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Alexandria Highlights

In Alexandria, I had a great host who was a girl-yes finally a female host! She was absolutely lovely and I loved our girly time spent together.  She is very in touch with Islam religion yet a bit on the liberal side with some things and she has an adorable Mom and Dad who she refers to as "the love birds." We shared Egyptian tea and watched the sunset on the Stanley bridge she took me to the oldest Mosque in Alexandria, went to the Citadel, shared some Alexandria famous ice cream, and just talked about life and boys. 
Alexandria Highlights:

El Mursi Abul Abbas and the three mosques
Fresh juices-Orange, melon, peach, and cane sugar
The fresh sesame crackers at the local market every day
The Stanley Bridge where they sell tea and Egyptian local delights
Runs along the Mediterannean sea
Montaza palace
The architecture and streets of Alexandria feeling like Athens Greece
The busy streets and local vendors, shops, the bright blue sea just gleaming with the rays of sun
The old tram from the 1860s that costs 10 cents
Streets being clearly labeled
The Library
The artistic designs that are found in random streets
The outdoor cafes lined up on the water
Fish market restaurant-most amazing fish ever!
The famous Mohammed Ahmed falafel
bazaars and book stores

Day Trip to the North Coast

The North Coast of Alexandria is where all the hip, cool, wealthy people go for the summer. It is most crowded in June and July and the best parts are 70 to 100 kilometers north in the Marina(according to my friend in Alexandria with many friends owning beach compounds up the coast.
Due to my friends time constraints, we only visited the beginning of the North Coast 40 kilometers out of Alexandria, but this was still very nice.  Spending the night at my friend's posh villa in a little Arab neighborhood where we chilled and watched episode after episode of "How I met your mother." Around this neighborhood, there are Arabic restaurant camps and little shisha cafes.  The people look at me with widened eyes like a complete and total outsider. It is it's own Arab community with locals making bread and butchers chopping up meat with the dead carcuses hanging up on the street(yuck). 

We took a short, but nice visit to the  North coast beach where we got into his friend's super nice beach compound with everything you can imagine inside.  These beach compounds are full of everything you need and cafes and restaurants like a nice, Costa coffee that sits right on the beach.  Costa Coffee is big in Egypt-surprising to me. 

The white sand beaches are kept super clean and the water is glistening.  The huge beach houses are quite grand giving me a feel of the Hamptons or a beach description from a storybook or novel. My feet sink into the sand and I watch my foot steps wash away in the sand with the crashing waves.  I felt so present with my higher power and nature just sitting on the beach and watching the sunset.  At first I was sitting up in the light tower, but I came down to get closer to the sun and run through the waves like a free spirited child. On this beach, there are many jellyfish so I happy that this free spirited girl did not get stung by one ha! 

Quite a nice day exploring the North Coast......... 

Hope for Change in Egypt

First of all, here is the situation in Egypt:
Many Egyptians are just hoping for the election to go well with possibility of a new president who will care for the state of Egypt.  Corruption has lead the Egyptian political state for a very long time, but things have improved with the revolution.  A president can now only be in office for up to eight years instead of thirty-go revolution.  

Currently many Egyptians remain jobless and just trying to make ends meet.  An adorable chunk of love working on the street selling peanuts told us about the government stealing his cart and asking for 500 egyptian pounds to get it back.  They took it because they said that he is "ruining tourism" for Egypt.  You know what is ruining tourism? The poor government and caring for tourism-that is what is ruining Egypt-not this adorable man selling fresh peanuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.  Having to scrape together 500 egyptian pounds took him a while and he was behind on all his expenses when they took his cart. What are Egyptians suppose to do to make a living? Is the government suggesting they just live on the streets as beggars? All the Egyptians can do is HOPE for a better future. 

When George Bush was in presidency, the country could not wait for the next president to come and save them from their misery.  This man came and his speech was focused on hope and change.  While the word change takes a significant period of time and may not be seen even in his term, he pushed his philosophy in hope for a better tomorrow and future.  America felt this message of hope in their hearts and President Obama became the President of the United States.   

While I am unable to understand Arabic, I have my friends translate some of the election talk for me on radio and television.  The city of Cairo and Alexandria is full of election fever.  Horses and trucks with banners of the candidates and nightly demonstrations in the street.  It is only a matter of days before elections begin and Egyptians are eager for them to take place as their fate awaits them. 

Now back to the job situation in Egypt, it is quite sad listening to my friends Khaled and Khaled, especially my dear Khaled(1).  Khaled(1) works in a customer service call center where he has to disguise that he is Egyptian and act like he is from New York! His English is good, but not great and even his co-workers who speak excellent English are working in these call centers with a dead end of opportunity. Khaled has excellent customer service and would love to work in a bank or hotel, but this is only for those with "Egyptian connections."

Two things that make your life a cake walk in Egypt 1.) Money 2.) Knowing the right people.

If you speak English well, this does not guarantee you a good job rather it is about the social networking.  Khaled says only if you know someone will you land a job in a bank or hotel.  Himself and his friends have tried applying and his attempts just seem to feel more and more hopeless. 

Khaled(1) says that 90 percent of Egyptians are desperate to go to America for a "better life."  He says the statement that I dread hearing from locals when traveling, "My dream is to one day have a life like yours." If these Khaled's only knew how amazing yet how tough my life could be.  I respond with a positive statement that your life will be just as great, things will hopefully get better with time and with the election, but will they get better?

Another thing is that traveling for Egyptians and obtaining visas is easier if you have the bank statements proving your income.  My friend Moustafa has traveled all over, but he is also privileged with a wealthy family and upbringing.  For those Egyptians of lower classes who are just working to live-obtaining a visa is expensive and very difficult.   
The more money, more problems in USA but in Egypt the less money, the more problems...

Two Egyptian souls, Khaled and Khaled, I can only hope and pray for a better life for these two, for my families I have met in Egypt, for the shopkeepers, for the street vendors, for the people of Egypt.  While they are living, breathing, and they are both employed-they want to be feel fulfilled in their work(purpose of life) and they want to travel and explore the beauty of the world.

Dougie Houser's Of Egypt

Meeting my new couch surfng friend, Moustafa,  we discuss on his career in medicine.  I call him the "Dougie Houser" of Egypt, which for people who do not know who Dougie Houser is...It was an American sitcom from the 90s with Neil Patrick Harris(aka Barney from How I met your Mother) playing the role of a young genius who is working in a hospital as a doctor at age 14 or 15. 

My buddy Moustafa is like a Dougie Houser of Egypt because he has been in the surgery rooms practicing from a very young age.  Yes, he was practicing an overlooking surgeries at age 14.  In Egypt, there are no rules on who can enter the surgery room so you can pretty much start learning at any age.  This is quite different than the many rules and restrictions in the US.  At the shy age of 21 and 22, Moustafa and his friend will be doctors within the next year.  They both report learning a tremendous amount from working in the surgery rooms with their relatives or fathers.  

At just 21, it is so refreshing to meet someone like Moustafa with such intelligence, drive, and world knowledge.  Like myself, he does not want to just be "anybody," but he wants to be "somebody." Somebody who is remembered for their successful accomplishments,  an Egyptian doctor with his own practice while traveling the world and continuing to explore.

You go Dougie Houser! Proud of these young Egyptian doctors with a bright future ahead of them! 

Stop Smoking!

I have built a very low tolerance to smoking lately and this is a problem because everyone smokes in Egypt.  My friends I went to North coast with-lighting up every minute, a French cafe and many of the Egyptian tea and shisha cafes(smoking), the cab driver(smoking), the bathroom attendant(smoking).  Everywhere in Egypt you can pretty much smoke inside. I feel like I am in Paris trapped in smoke filled cafes where I just want to put a gas mask on. 

Many are probably reading this post thinking, "Well Priscilla, you are a hypocrite because you used to smoke." Yes, I used to smoke and have had my fair share of cigarettes, but now I am completely turned off by smoking.  When I smell it, I turn the other away or cover my face with a scarf.  My chest can not even handle second hand smoke. If I sit near a smoker, I can feel it in my chest. I am convinced I have a chest problem due to smoking, but this has not been proven by any physician yet.
When they write on the package, "Smoking kills." They really mean it people. As I get older, I think more and more about my body and health and the input into the body.

While I have my personal opinions about smoking, I try to keep them to myself and let people around me smoke their lungs away.   If they ask why I am not smoking, I will be honest and share my reason for not smoking.  But in general, I do not like people commenting on my habits so I choose not to comment on theirs.  If people want to chain smoke constantly-it is their life and lungs, but my life I want to live to the fullest so this dirty habit has been kicked to the curb.

Montaza Para-Para-Paradise

The Montaza palace is located in the Montaza district, which sits right on the Mediterranean sea.  The garden grounds of Montaza are quite extensive(over 150 acres) and well kept with spring flowers, a light house for viewing, palm trees lined up, freshly cut grass, fountains, village huts for picnics, and hidden streams.
History from Wikipedia:
Palaces and gardens
The extensive Montaza Palace grounds first had the Salamlek Palace, built in 1892 by Khedive Abbas II, the last Muhammad Ali Dynasty ruler to hold the Khedive title over the Khedivate of Egypt and Sudan. It was used as a hunting lodge and residence for his companion.

The larger Al-Haramlik Palace and royal gardens were added to the Montaza Palace grounds, being built by King Fuad I in 1932, as a summer palace. It is in a mixture of Turkish and Florentine styles, with has two towers, one rising distinctively high above with elaborated Italian Renaissance design details. The palace has long open arcades facing the sea along each floor.

Unfortunately, the palace is not open for entry, but walking around the grounds is quite pleasurable. 
Also, I made friends with the security guard, Rami, who invited me down to the private beach, which is only for beach villa owners.   The water was turquoise with the coral reef clearly visible through the water and you can see bright blue fish right at your feet.  There was only a few people on this private beach, which made it quite relaxing. 

The private beach is part of the private beach compounds. 
Beach compounds are very popular for Egyptians, which they are pretty much like beach villas that are located on the water. They have all sorts of amenities like pools, gyms, cafes, and private access only if you are a owner.   They are quite common for wealthy Egyptians to have and they are quite popular in Alexandria. 



Bibliotheca Alexandrina

File:Egypt.Alexandria.BibliothecaAlexandrina.01.jpg


My first stop in Alexandria was the library. I joked with my Cairo host that I would be in Alexandria for five days and every day I would be in the library.  This library is so amazing that I could spend weeks in her researching, studying, and writing!

Also, what is great is that it combines two of my favorite things: art and books.  The library itself has fifteen different exhibitions and four art galleries.  You can follow the art all the way to the Planetarium, which is full of factual scientific information. 

It was nice having an English tour of the library with factual information about the architecture of the building. The old Ancient library of Alexandria was the largest in the ancient world. Julius Caesar's fire in the Alexandrian war of 48BC burned the library down. It was rebuilt in its new location in 2002 and has been designed with a Greek and Roman influence.  The exterior ceiling is shaped in the form of eyes with eye lashes and eye lids with blue(symbolizing the ocean) and green(symbolizing plants and eco-environment).  The library space itself can hold over a million books and the library reading space is the largest in the world.  They have one of the top printers in the world-copying 500 plus pages of books, binding it, and even with the cover in under five minutes.  This is a book nerd's fantasy-wow! I just sat staring at the printer thinking of all the books I could have in just one hour!

Here is the link for their online library where over 20,000 digital books are available with many other features including: modern Egypt within the past two hundred years, the library and the world database, and information on Egypts political situation. 

www.bibalex.org

Saturday, May 19, 2012

The Five Pillars of Islam

From Islam 101:

The 'Five Pillars' of Islam are the foundation of Muslim life:

  • Faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad;
  • Establishment of the daily prayers;
  • Concern for and almsgiving to the needy;
  • Self-purification through fasting; and
  • The pilgrimage to Makkah for those who are able.



Iman or Faith


"There is none worthy of worship except God and Muhammad is the messenger of God." This declaration of faith is called the Shahadah, a simple formula that all the faithful pronounce. The significance of this declaration is the belief that the only purpose of life is to serve and obey God, and this is achieved through the teachings and practices of the Last Prophet, Muhammad.


Salah or Prayer


Salah is the name for the obligatory prayers that are performed five times a day, and are a direct link between the worshipper and God. There is no hierarchical authority in Islam and there are no priests. Prayers are led by a learned person who knows the Qur'an and is generally chosen by the congregation.

Prayers are said at dawn, mid-day, late-afternoon, sunset and nightfall, and thus determine the rhythm of the entire day. These five prescribed prayers contain verses from the Qur'an, and are said in Arabic, the language of the Revelation. Personal supplications, however, can be offered in one's own language and at any time.

Although it is preferable to worship together in a mosque, a Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories and universities. Oftentimes visitors to the Muslim world are struck by the centrality of prayers in daily life.

A translation of the Adan or Call to Prayer is:

God is Great.
God is Great.
God is Great.
God is Great.
I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God.
I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Come to prayer!
Come to prayer!
Come to success!
Come to success!
God is Great!
God is Great!
There is none worthy of worship except God.


Zakah
The financial obligation upon Muslims.


An important principle of Islam is that everything belongs to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The word zakah means both "purification" and "growth." Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need and for the society in general. Like the pruning of plants, this cutting back balances and encourages new growth.

Each Muslim calculates his or her own zakah individually. This involves the annual payment of a fortieth of one's capital, excluding such items as primary residence, car and professional tools.

An individual may also give as much as he or she pleases as sadaqa-h, and does so preferably in secret. Although this word can be translated as "voluntary charity" it has a wider meaning.
The Prophet said, "Even meeting your brother with a cheerful face is an act of charity." The Prophet also said: "Charity is a necessity for every Muslim." He was asked: "What if a person has nothing?" The Prophet replied: "He should work with his own hands for his benefit and then give something out of such earnings in charity." The Companions of the Prophet asked: "What if he is not able to work?" The Prophet said: "He should help the poor and needy." The Companions further asked: "What if he cannot do even that?" The Prophet said: "He should urge others to do good." The Companions said: "What if he lacks that also?" The Prophet said: "He should check himself from doing evil. That is also an act of charity."



Sawm or Fasting


Every year in the month of Ramada-n, all Muslims fast from dawn until sundown--abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations with their spouses.

Those who are sick, elderly, or on a journey, and women who are menstruating, pregnant or nursing, are permitted to break the fast and make up an equal number of days later in the year if they are healthy and able. Children begin to fast (and to observe prayers) from puberty, although many start earlier.

Although fasting is beneficial to health, it is mainly a method of self-purification and self-restraint. By cutting oneself from worldly comforts, even for a short time, a fasting person focuses on his or her purpose in life by constantly being aware of the presence of God. God states in the Qur'an: "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed to those before you that you may learn self-restraint." (Qur'an 2:183)



Hajj or Pilgrimage


The pilgrimage to Makkah (the hajj) is an obligation only for those who are physically and financially able to do so. Nevertheless, over two million people go to Makkah each year from every corner of the globe providing a unique opportunity for those of different nations to meet one another.

The annual hajj begins in the twelfth month of the Islamic year (which is lunar, not solar, so that hajj and Ramada-n fall sometimes in summer, sometimes in winter). Pilgrims wear special clothes: simple garments that strip away distinctions of class and culture, so that all stand equal before God.

The rites of the hajj, which are of Abrahamic origin, include going around the Ka'bah seven times, and going seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwa as did Hagar (Hajir, Abraham's wife) during her search for water. The pilgrims later stand together on the wide plains of 'Arafat (a large expanse of desert outside Makkah) and join in prayer for God's forgiveness, in what is often thought as a preview of the Day of Judgment.

The close of the hajj is marked by a festival, the 'Id al Adha, which is celebrated with prayers and the exchange of gifts in Muslim communities everywhere. This and the 'Id al Fitr, a festive day celebrating the end of Ramada-n, are the two holidays of the Islamic calendar.

http://www.islam101.com/dawah/pillars.html

Friday, May 18, 2012

Islam Egyptians and Israel

Islam is an eminent, grand and growing religion. Having conversations with my host family, they are so proud of their religion and share with me stories of Christians or affluent people who have converted to Islam.

While they are very proud of their religion, they do not try to disguise their hatred for Israel. When Hedy and Reena speak of Israel, it is interesting to see their body language completely shift, their eye brows raise up, they gain some color in their face, and the hate and disappointment comes seeping through their pores.  While they say their anger is directed towards the government and not the civilians, it does not appear that way when they speak of Israel.  It appears that they have very strong resentment towards Israel for the happenings during the Suez war and prior events. They call the Israeli's corrupt” and “very bad” people and they shake their head with such a strong head motion.

If you say Israel to any Muslim, this is most likely the response you will get-the response of hatred and disgust. It makes me curious to think about how hatred begins and when it ends. Is it healthy for civilians of neighboring countries to have such hatred and resentment towards one another? Of course it is not healthy for anyone to promote such negativity and bad feelings.  Hatred is like the cycle of violence that will keep on going until civilians deal with this hatred face on and realize that these people of the other culture are not much different than them.  They are feeling such unnecessary hatred that only brings suffering towards both parties.

Of course, there is no easy answer between the years of conflict and it is a deeper problem than what lies at the surface. Political and religious experts would have more information on this hatred between the two countries, but I just do not like seeing hatred stare me in the face.  My host mom and her two daughters are so kind and loving, but when it comes to Israel-they look with stone cold faces with piercing devil eyes-it is actually a bit discomforting. Egyptian and Israelis-a conflict for too long-Why can't you just work it out?

With Islam religion here are some points we touched on:

The Suez war and Taking over of Pakistan

Zionism(coming back to this in A LOT more depth)

Not confessing to the priest, but confessions to God, why does a priest get such credibility in Christian religion?

Divorce is with major differences is acceptable for Islam

Christianity-Man focused no his wants and needs vs. Allah as one ruling your life

Prophet Mohammed-imperfect and committed sin, but taught lessons to his pupils

Scientifics and Islams- The cracked moon