Change of blog host!!!!!

Please note that from now on
my blog address is
thea.nomadlife.org

All the posts i have ever made
on MINDSAY are now to be found on the above address.....

Xmas in Egypt...

As Egypt is a 90% Muslim country, you would not expect any big do about Xmas.  In fact there is no real big do about Xmas.  In Cairo there are commercial celebrations on Xmas eve, that is the 24th of December, but no real religious celebration.

The religious celebration happens on the 7th of January, which is the day of the Coptic Xmas, where 7,000,000 out of the 70,000,000 people in Egypt gather at home, and thank God for the birth of Christ.

This is the first time I have not felt the Xmas spirit, no Xmas carols, no streets decorated in red, green and gold, no Xmas bazaars, and no Xmas shopping rush.... and funnily enough I can say that I miss it!!! 

Though I must admit I have done my Xmas shopping in the bazaars of Manshejja!!

Last Friday we decided to feel some Xmas sprit, so Luli  - the President of AIESEC Alex, took me and Purvi to a tiny Xmas bazaar organized by the scouts of one of the Christian school!! It was really nice to hear Xmas carols being played, everywhere decorated in red and green, children's snowmen drawn on the wall etc etc.  The Bazaar was not very good, not much of a variety, but the highlight of the evening was a little children's choir!!!! They were adorable!!!!  There was not much of a variety of songs as they only sang Jingle bells, in English, French and Arabic - can you believe there is Jingle Bells in Arabic too!!!!!!  They were soooo cute!!!

Luli, Purvi and I then decided to go to Carrefour, as we heard that there was a Santa Clause there!!!!  Purvi and I sand Xmas carols all the way to Carrefour, probably giving poor Luli a headache!!!

Santa was pretty disappointing, as he was not big and fat, and he was brown instead of white - besides he found posing with the teenage girls more exciting than with the screaming little children!!!

Can't wait to go home and spend a nice warm Xmas at home......

Gerry has been updating me on all the plans....  the choices are apparently barhopping or .... barhopping.... I guess we should then do what we do every year for Xmas..... barhopping.....

I wonder if we still go to midnight mass??? I guess if we start at Time Square, by the time we get to ST Julians we'd be a bit too drunk to go to midnight mass.... though on the other hand what would be different from the other years, where we piled up on the church stairs and slept which the poor boy was saying his Xmas sermon, which this poor boy has probably been preparing for, for these past 2 months!!!!

Another tick on my list....

Finally after 2years in Belgium, and 6months in Egypt, I have got down to doing what I really wanted to do...... community development work.  I had tried joining some groups or NGOs in Belgium, but due to the lack of spoken French or Dutch, I was unable to be of any use to the associations.

This time I have found the place for me!!!! One of the reasons for accepting Egypt was also the ability to do some community development work, as obviously it is more needed here than in Belgium.  I have finally bumped into Caritas which is an international organization.  Here in Egypt they work with street children, HIV/Aids, Leprosy, community development - micro finance, woman's rights, health and many more!!!!!  Caritas is also heavily involved with WHO and the UN!!!! coollll!!! - and they are right here in ALEX!!!!

So last Saturday stumbled into their office begging them to give me work!!!  I accepted to work for free 3 times a week before a start work!!! - total night mare! that would mean that I'd be working for 14hrs 3 times a week!!! 8.30-11.30 caritas and 12.20-10.30 work!!! ahh!! but it will be worth it!!!

I haven't decided which section I would like to work in, as we decided that I will speak to the responsible when I get back! For the time being I am going round each department having a look at what they do.  I am currently helping them write articles for their website....... and maybe later I might work on creating some proposals for the projects the association is running!!!  I am really excited!!!  The coolest thing is that I could also do some field work as well as administration work!! WOW!!! 

Working with them there is also an Ex-Consultant to WHO -  ahh can't wait to have chats with him!!!

The people are also sooo cool, and so nice and friendly!!! Two days ago we went out for sheesha with a German and an Italian volunteer, and this other Egyptian girl already invited me to her house next week.  They are all so nice! and keep on telling me that if I feel lonely I can also come by!!

The disadvantage is, as in every Egyptian Organisation, there is a lot of bureaucracy, and at time things take a long process and a lot of work is done for no reason.  But I guess I could try dealing with that!!!

My Private Chauffeur........

Ever thought how convenient it would be to teach English to a taxi driver???  Yesterday, while riding in a taxi, the taxi driver started asking the usual standard questions taxi drivers ask foreigners, or rather the questions I always encounter.  First they laugh at the broken Arabic I use to tell them where I want to go.  Then they ask the usual questions:  You're not Egyptian right?, Where do you come from? Do you live in Alexandria? Are you married?  Are your parents here?  What are you doing in Alexandria? etc etc.

This taxi driver funnily enough got very excited when I told him 'Ana Mudaressa tal-Inglizi' which as far as I'm aware of means I am an English teacher.  His sister and him wanted to learn English and he was asking me if could give him and his sister English classes, and how much would I cost etc.  At that point in time I was getting a bit scared!!! A weird taxi driver wanting classes from me!!!! Ahhh and he also knows where I live!!!!  I obviously told him no, cause where I work does not allow me to give lessons....

But I'm actually thinking about it now....... wouldn't it be great to teach a taxi driver in return for rides to different places????  I would teach him English and he would be my private chauffer to work.................  I wonder if I'll encounter him again........... but thinking about it, although I've been in Alex for 6months and have taken on average 2 taxis a day, I don't think I have ever encountered d same driver....... so there goes my dream of a private chauffer!!!!!

The real world…..

It has now been 2 years since I finished university, and 6months since I left the student life – that is AIESEC and came into, what people call the real world. These past 6months did not seem like the 'real world' to me, cause I was always in contact with students, going out with AIESECers and young people, until last weekend.

Last weekend some selected teachers at the center attended an EgypTesol seminar (TESOL – Teachers of English to Students of Other Languages). Namely it was Amira (Egyptian - head of department), Dina (Egyptian English teacher), Maria (American English Teacher), Shaimaa (Egyptian English teacher), Mr. Demetre (Greek English Teacher and the eldest), and me. Accompanying us there was also Dr Ahmed (Boss and owner), Hebba (General Manager), Ahmed (Finance) and Essam (Technician and head of testing department). Quite a combination of people I must say.

The conference was held in Cairo, at the Sheraton Towers in Giza, one of the classiest hotels in Cairo.

Cairo

Winter!!!!

Winter has finally come; well I would not really call it finally, as it is freeeezzzzingg!!! They warned me about the cold, but I did not realize that I would have regretted giving my parents those one or two polo necks and thick fleeces!!!

The wind is terribly strong!!! Especially where I live right in front of the sea.  It is impossible to open the doors cause of the strong wind, and I sleep tucked in my sleeping bag with socks hats and my sheet over my head.  Thank god the AIESECers are donating a couple of blankets to avoid their trainee freezing to death!!!

There are advantages to winter though!!!  I get to wear nice woolly cozy tops, I get to enjoy a hot chocolate and tea, strawberries are in season, I can wear boots, and I can cover myself up so as not to avoid stares without boiling to death!!!

Winter also means cuddling up with friends in front of the TV, or having nice dinners at people’s houses.

Amanda (US), me, Poo and Purvi downtown!

Nassef’s mum made a delicious dinner for us the other day.  It was so nice to be with friends in a home, to feel warm and eat good food!!!!   Just like when Luli had invited us over for iftar!! It was cool to sit round a table and eat delicious home made Egyptian food.

The weekend was also fantastic! It was Poo’s last weekend in Alex before she goes home for 5 weeks!! Alex will not be the same without Poo.  She is actually the one who keeps the people together.

Sunset in Midan Saad Zaghoul

So we enjoyed a breakfast in Trianon then, a nice Alex sunset in Midan Saad Zaghoul and finally hot chocolate in an amazing little café in a part of Alex I had never seen next to the Opera House.

The Beautiful Opera House

On Sat Purvi and I spent an amazing relaxing day!!!  We cooked the most amazing dinner ever then went for milkshake with Dina, my favorite Egyptian colleague, and finally we hit the shops until Nassef rescued us and took us out for fruit juice!!!!

 Hot Chocolate on a cold night!!!

I am now in Cairo, ready for a weekend in the City………

A Dream Come True.....

Ramadan is finally over, and life is back to normal, but with the end of Ramadan it also means 4 days of paid holiday leave to do whatever I want!!!!!!

So, another of my dreams ticked off the list..... going to an oasis and staying in the middle of the desert!!! It was a dream!!! Totally surreal!!!

A random Cafe in the middle of nowhere on the way to Siwa

So 10 of us, 4 Egyptians, an American, a German, 2 British Indians, a Maltese and an Australian headed off to Siwa. Approximately 800 km away from Alex, lies Siwa, an oasis in Egypt, located between the Qattara Depression and the Egyptian Sand Sea in the Libyan desert. With a population of about 23,000 Siwa, is also one of the most  fascinating oasis in Egypt, lying some 60 feet below sea level!!!!

Stepping into this town was like stepping into a film set. Setting foot into the real Egypt. The Siwan people have their own culture and customs and, as well as speaking Arabic, they speak their own Berber language. Women still wear tradition costumes and silver jewelery. Donkey driven carts are still the main means of transportation in the town.

The town of Siwa is set among thick palm groves, walled gardens and olive orchards, with numerous freshwater springs and salt lakes.

We spent our first night chilling out in a super cool restaurant in a hotel made out of rock salt and mud brick surrounded by palm trees. The true Arabian night experience. We then climbed up the impressive remains of the ancient fortress town of Shali. This ancient fortress is built out of natural rock salt, mud brick and palm logs, although now mostly abandoned, it remains a prominent feature, towering about five storey above the modern town.

Chilling out in Siwa - Fatnas Island

We spent the next day riding on donkey and carts visiting the historic sites of interest; the remains of the oracle temple; Gebel al Mawta (The mountain of the Dead); Cleopatra's Bath, a natural sulpur spring; and Fatnas Island - unfortunately they were not well kept so not that interesting. But it was still nice riding through the vast lands of olive and date trees and chatting to the little boy leading our donkey.

   
Transportation in Siwa town                               Transportation in the Desert

After that, we headed on to the desert!!! - I could not believe my eyes! The scenery is fantastic!!! All you see is sand sand sand sand!!!! At felt a slight panic attack, and it took me a while till i adjusted to the feel of the sand on my body!!! But the beauty of it all was more intense then the horrid feeling of sand - I can't stand sand!!!!

We rode jeeps into the desert, climbed and went down high sand dunes, until we arrived into our campsite, where were were welcomed by a beautiful sunset, camels and delicious Siwan tea.

The Desert

Dinner is being prepared!!!!

The tent was fantastic!!! More than i had expected!!! The Bedouins cooked for us a luscious meal, which consisted of vegetables and chicken cooked over an open fire!!! A real treat!!!

Our Next Door Neighbours while camping in the Sahara!!

We had a good time!!! The 3 girls (me and the 2 British Indians) bonded during our communal peeing. Which during the night was pretty easy as you would walk a couple of meters away from the campsite and nobody would be able to see you cause there would be pitch darkness!!! But during the day it was a real mission!!! All you could see is sand sand sand, and nowhere to hide behind so you could relieve yourself!!! So you had to walk and walk and walk till you find a sand dune you could climb behind.

Poo and I rolling down massive Sand Dunes

The next day was a day of desert fun!!! Of driving up and down extremely steep sand dunes, some also as close as 45 degrees. Rolling down sand dunes, which also resulted in an aching and a bruised body!!!! I actually got the guts to roll down the sandy dune and overcome my hatred of sand!!! It was a cool experience! a good way to let go!!!  Unfortunately that meant rolling more than the other did! and ending up right at the bottom - what a mission to climb up. We then feasted ourselves to a nice bath in the oasis and finally to the sunset over the salt lake.

A Swim in the Oasis                          Ehab pretending to be Jesus and walking

                                                                                     on the Salt lake

The last day was spent lazing in town and shopping. The way back was extremely tiring and long!!!! But most certainly worth the effort of the 8hr bus ride to and fro!!!

The Desert tends to get boring sometimes, so Poo decided to entertain herself by veiling me, and Tom decided to realise his fetish of abusing a veiled girl!!!!

Siwa is a memorable experience, a real Arabian night, and a dream come true!!!!

Alex or Cairo.....

In this past fortnight I got to spend one weekend in lovely tranquil Alex, and one weekend in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Cairo.

I love Alex for the sea.  The sea is my only obsession in life!!!  It arouses a sense of ease and peace in me.  The sound of the waves splashing against the rocks; the red, yellow, and orange colors of the sunset again the deep blue sea; all make me feel safe and at home.  Especially during the homesickness, loneliness and attacks.  So Alex is definitely a number one favorite.  Especially during Ramadan when the streets have been evacuated between 5.00 and 5.30 which is the peak of serenity and meditation.

Even the name itself - ALEXANDRIA - gives it a feel of exoticness and elegance

Sunset View from my Window in Alex

Thus after a Thursday night, Haraming Ramadan (Haram in Egyptian means Forbidden) with a drinking night. The Friday and Saturday were spent lazing around, sleeping late, waking up to see the blue sea splashing outside the rocks from my bed room window.  Hanging out in places like Jungle, which is this massive Cafe, with the decor of a Jungle, and big pond in the middle with about 10 or more real pink Flamingos!!!  It was so cool to see them there! I was my first time I saw a flamingo, and actually sat next to them and fed them! though I must say I was pretty disappointed that they were not as pink as I expected them to be.  Or pigging out in Mohammed Ahmed which is the Alexandrian Vegetarian Mc Donalds!!!!!

On the other hand there is Cairo, which is a massive city, which inspires a need to explore, to see and to rush around the streets.  Thus my weekend in Cairo was spent exploring.  I got my Bible - the Lonely Planet, opened a map and decided to walk around.  Guess which was Thea's destination - none the less but the shopping malls, the markets and the shopping streets. So my Friday morning was spent exploring shops and malls.  And discovering the Attaba Second Hand Book market, which will definitely be my destination next time I'm bored in Cairo!!!! Although my students have warned me not to go there on my own again - cause bad things may happen!!  I guess that's the advantage of being a tourist - you are not aware of the surrounding dangers unless something really happens to you - which is what I usually do!

Another Characteristic of 3rd World big cities is the poverty.  Having living in Malta for the majority of my life, I was not exposed to poverty and to people living in severe conditions.  Thus seeing the conditions in Egypt has very much shocked me, and made me aware how lucky I am to have been brought up in a community where I had a roof on my head, good food to eat, education and clothing.  On Saturday morning I joined the AIESECers on a trip to Garbage City, where all the garbage collectors, or what the Egyptians call the Zibelin live.  It was shocking to see children, women and also men sitting amongst the debris of all the people in Cairo, amongst the flies carrying all the diseases you can think of!!!  One really odd thing about this community is that its actually a Christian Community, most of the people had the cross tattooed on their hand (which is what most rural Christians do), and there were pictures of the Virgin Mary and Jesus all over the village.  It made me think about God and Jesus and my own faith.  And made me realize that Jesus was always amongst the humble people, and trying to help them, that Jesus was born in a manger amongst all the animals and diseases too!!!!  So it would actually make sense that the Zibelin would hold on to Christianity!  Which made me believe more and more that I am believing in the right things.  We also visited a massive church on the mountain, and got a guy to tell us about the miracles that happened there - which also made me realized that the Christian stories tend to also be a bit more interesting than others, with all the miracles and apparitions it talks about!

Playing with the Zibelin's Children

I had a wonderful afternoon playing with the children of the Garbage Collectors at the little nursery in the community, where an NGO had been constructed to give little children the possibility of learning how to read and write.  I played the Egyptian games with them and tried speaking to them in my broken Arabic!!! I don't think they get too many white funny looking foreigners speaking to them so I guess it was pretty amusing for them too.

The final touch to my Cairo experience was the 5.10 Ftar time!!! I decided to go and experience this in Khan el Khalili.  Loads of tables laid out in the street.  People sitting on the floors 'picnic style' in the streets.  Water and their funny harrub drinks handed out to people rushing in the street!!! Quite an atmosphere!!!!

Khan El Khalili Ramadan Rush

Pity Cairo does not have nice big green gardens and the sea!!!!!

An IFTAR to remember...

Till now my iftars have been pretty boring!!! They are either at home on my own or in Ehab's company (my new Egyptian house mate), in Carrefour, Pizza Hut or Mc Donalds!!! Today I did it in a different way!! Although I was dead tired and wanted to use my 3hr iftar to sleep it did not take me long to say yes when Dr Ahmed (my boss and owner of the school) invited me out for iftar with some members of the staff mainly the 3 other managers of the center. The 1st surprise was that we were to go out of Alex in a little village called Kafr id-Dawwar (do not ask me where!!! I just know its out of Alex), which was really tiny though very traditional village. We ate in 'house' restaurant which was very traditional and it a way reminded me of those places where we go and eat rabbit in Malta!!

The meal was amazing!!! We had the usual Egyptian stuff, such as tehina, homos, baba ganug etc etc, soup, molokeja (horrible green slimy thing), okra, and main dish all the grilled meat in the world!! You had a choice of chicken, duck, rabbit, kofta, kebab. I feasted myself on a big piece of duck!! It was delicious!! Then we ended the meal with Konefa (traditional Ramadan sweet) and tea. The women then went to the Mosque to pray, while I hung out with the men. It was great fun!! The people were very nice too, and a good laugh!!!

Once again it was remarkable to see the way the food is right in front of you just a couple of minutes before the mosque calls out and then you start attacking your food!!!!

After the massive meal everyone was dead tired!!! At 6.30 we were all contemplating whether we should bother going back to Alex to open the Center (which had to be open by 6.45) or not!!

I stated that I would give everyone the day off, including Dr Ahmed, but that did not work out too well!!!!!