Vignettes of Cairo (Jason)

We stayed in a rustic budget hotel (as we habitually tend to do)-- Pensione Roma. While it may not have lived up to its romantic name, it was certainly a timepiece, and in the aorta of Cairo's throbbing heart. One problem with staying oriented in downtown Cairo is that otherwise perfectly good reference points don't work. Shops with hundreds of freaky mannequins, falafel shops, old men pushing mysterious carts- there seems to be one on every corner. In one instance I got a bit disoriented (unheard of, I assure you) trying to find our hotel as it was located between two identical military vehicles with Egyptian men in machine guns smoking in the open back- a perfect mirror image. Brilliant. We were downtown on a holiday weekend night, and the street was throbbing with entire families of all generations sharing the road- and these aren't pedestrian roads. There seems to be an art or science of survival in Cairo- drivers and pedestrians share the roads and somehow avoid death in all the chaos.


Other scenes of Cairo:

-Sailing north, down the Nile, in a felucca (a traditional sailboat with a tall, flexible mast); waking up to the usual cacophony of prayers emanating from hidden mosques- there is no escape!

-A boy on his rickety bicycle cruising full-speed down a busy street on a with an oversized basket of flatbread on his head, dropping a piece and risking his life to rescue it in traffic (perhaps a window into urban Egyptian poverty)

-Six-year old entrepreneurs (sometimes just con artists) on camels they supposedly named Mickey Mouse and Rambo (the names change of course depending on the tourist) on the Giza Plateau at the Pyramids, asking in unison "Hey mister! Camel ride! I make you a deal! No hassle!"- that promise didn't last long

-Entire families and their groceries on mules or upgrading to the mule-drawn carts

-Ending up on a spontaneous unsolicited "tour" in which a man will approaches, asks with charisma what is one's country of origin, then proceeds to provide questionable and very basic information on something of supposed historical significance; the forced tour terminates abruptly as a tip ("baksheesh!") is demanded of the tourist; after presenting a few Egyptian pounds, they are often thrown back at the tourist with disdain, occasionally followed by the pronouncement of a curse upon the tourist and family vis a vis Allah (That last part only happened once and the pronounced curse hasn't come to pass. yet.)

-The fruity smell of flavored tobacco water pipes (shi sha, among other names) permeating the crowded streets and mixing with the smells of standing water, livestock, sweat, and produce

-Open air markets (Khan Kalili being the most famous, extensive, and congested) selling anything from natural sponges (it's a plant apparently), to cow hearts

-A lone cow tied up to a pillar on a street corner in downtown Cairo waiting to be slaughtered to mark the end of the Haj, the culmination of Muslim holiday Eid al Adha

-Climbing to the top of the minaret of a medieval mosque, dusting off the creaking ladder on the way up and tipping the man with the key on the way down (this was not recommended by Lonely Planet)

-Strolling through the verdant Al Azar park, a former mammoth garbage dump in a particularly gritty part of town turned lush and exclusive paid park (still bordering the gritty part of town); the contrasts in Cairo are at times stark

-Camels and their owners having spitting contests

-Looking out over the rooftops of Cairo across a sea of dust-covered rubble in all directions- perhaps acting as a weight to keep the roofs from blowing away



OK, so this didn't read like a travel agent's promotional on Cairo, but these are just a few scenes which have lingered in my memory. I have a feeling they will be there for a while. Having said all this, Cairo is a lovable city- grit and spit and all- one must simply embrace it (sometimes from a distance).

Egypt, Take 2 (by Camille)

Our early December vacation corresponded with 2-3 million Muslims flying from all over the world to Mecca, Saudi Arabia for their once in a lifetime pilgrimage, the hajj. We saw a special hajj waiting area in the Abu Dhabi airport and large groups of old men in two pieces of white cloth or towels (the prescribed clothing for the event) standing, kneeling, and putting their heads to the ground to pray.

Newspaper articles followed the pilgrims’ progress as we moved through Egypt and Jordan. On our way back to UAE, we stumbled upon a group of at least 60 little old women wearing black robes and fluorescent green head scarves printed with “Hajj Express, Kerala India,” a mobile phone number and an email address. I imagine if an old Indian lady was lost, wandering the streets wearing the bright scarf, someone could easily get her back to Kerala. It was inspiring to see so many people making a religious journey in this day and age and to consider that this may be the last chance an old Indian woman has to get to Mecca.

Since I had visited Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan 10 years ago, I wondered if I would notice any changes. In many ways, Egypt is timeless; the pyramids, King Tut treasures, and Valley of the King tombs were as I remembered them. Not surprising since they have been around for 1,500 to 3,000 years. Subsistence farming with primitive tools and animals along the Nile did not appear different. The street food—falafel, foul, eggplant, fresh squeezed juice and koshari (strangely delicious mix of lentils, chick peas, macaroni, rice, crispy onions, and tomato sauce) —was as tasty and dirt cheap as ever. The quest for “baksheesh” from hoards of tourist touts hassling us for money seemed more annoying than ever. We felt blessed to get out of the country with only one man saying “no salam” (no peace—a play on the phrase for goodbye—ma salama) and another uninvited guide cursing me with sickness in the name of Allah (after which I accidentally said “I hate Egyptians and I’m going to call the police if you don’t leave me alone” both of which were lies but that’s what the curse drove me to).

I noticed for the first time the fairly conservative attire of Muslim women: very colorful head scarves, long sleeve shirts, and long pants or skirts. Perhaps I’m more attuned to that now that I live in a Muslim country. I noted the poverty, the sheer positive energy of crowds shopping for new clothes to celebrate Eid al Adha, the mummies that weren’t on display before, the carvings of the God of the Nile, and the fertility carvings. Our trip was full of sand, mud, geology, ancient pyramids, roman ruins, Nabateun tombs, and Christian sites. Stay tuned to hear about the characters we won’t forget: the Nubian captain, the female Pharaoh, two Egyptian guides (one invited and one uninvited), and a Bedouin oud player.

Villa Chic (by Camille)

Statistics on the villa/hood we live in:

Front gates: 2
Rooms: 8
Closets: 0
Bathrooms: 5
Appliances (stove, fridge) that came with it: 0
Flights of marble stairs: 2
Dome: 1
Kitchy mirrors that light up: 3
Maid’s rooms (that a twin bed can’t even fit in): 1
Purple toilets: 1
Roosters living on the street: at least 10
Mosques within a 2 minute walking distance: 2
First call to prayer of the day: 4.30 am
Tiny Indian grocery stores on the block that deliver: 8
Laundries: 3
Lebanese bakery: 1
Petting zoo: 1
Minutes to run to the mangrove walking trail: 5
Number of black bunnies seen on way to mangroves: 2

Girls Night Out

“In case u don’t know me im very tall, dark black face, but beutiful, very fat with 2golden teth in front.” This was the text I received as I was about to meet my Emirati coworker’s wife who wanted to show me “women’s things in Abu Dhabi.” When I entered the lobby, a petit, thin Arab women in traditional black dress and headscarf approached me. I could tell from the start this woman had a quick sense of humor.

We walked to her plum-colored Mercedes and she gave me a gift: a compact mirror with a shiny pink and pearl inlay pattern. We commenced our journey doing a drive-by of the Iranian market at Meena port, where one can buy large potted plants and giant shiny buckets; past the Corniche, where hundreds walk by the sea every evening; past the newly opened public beach, some of the Sheikh’s palaces, and to the massive new Abu Dhabi landmark, the white marble Sheikh Zayed “Grand” mosque.

Four times during the tour we stopped for about 20 minutes. We entered the Ladies’ Club, a large fitness center, pool, grounds, and kids’ area where a world of uncovered women socialized, exercised, and enjoyed time with their children. At one point she had to drop by her house and ushered me into a living room with eight couches and shut the door. After 2 minutes of silence the door burst open and 8 kids entered the room. They introduced themselves as cousins, daughters and sons. The next stop was a Japanese dollar store on top of the gold souk (an entire mall dedicated to jewelry) where I could purchase any type of home item from a spatula to potting soil. Then we swung by Marina Mall where we browsed in a hardware/furniture store and a perfume store. I made the mistake of complimenting a perfume she was spraying and later that night was the recipient of a $100 bottle of Chanel Chance.

After about 4 hours of touring it was 9.30 pm and I was planning to wind down and go back to sleep. She said “I want to take you to dinner.” So we went to her favorite Lebanese restaurant and ordered a feast: pineapple juice, lemon juice with mint, tomato/cucumber salad, grilled chicken, hummus, and flat bread stuffed with meat. After we ate about 1/8th of the meal we were both stuffed. She said “please take this home to your husband” and then proceeded to order another grilled chicken, tabouli, and falafel to go with the immense amount of food.

Topics of conversation included:
How she and her husband finally got custody of his Russian daughter from his first marriage
Nanny’s with too much power in families
Horrifying treatment of servants by some people
Benefits of marrying another Emirati (she married her cousin)
How she got 5 months paid vacation to care for her sick sister in London
The fact that mother’s receive $200 per month for each child they have
Her friend’s husband who took the Filipino nanny as a second wife
Her sister-in-law who allowed a second wife to come on board since he agreed to never discuss the second wife, to buy her a separate house on the other side of town, and to never bring wife #2 to any family gatherings

This evening with my new sister (she said we must have the same DNA because we both like movies and perfume) reiterated some beautiful aspects of Emirati culture: the feeling of generosity and abundance, unity of women, laughter, and kindness.

Ramadan in Abu Dhabi

Having spent the bulk of my 31 years in Seattle and Utah, the vicarious experience of the Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan has naturally eluded me. Now, with a couple months in the United Arab Emirates under the proverbial belt, I have a have a small window into this dynamic time of spirituality, service, hunger pangs, and subsequent feasts. Many of the people I have spoken with regarding their thoughts on Ramadan have been (who else?) mostly Pakistani cab drivers. (The vast majority of cabbies in A.D. hail from the delightful little town of Peshawar Pakistan--claim to fame: birthplace of Al Queda- among others, I am sure.) These men, usually clad in traditional robes of every pastel color imaginable, have shared some of their thoughts on Ramadan. The majority said that people in the UAE seem to be a bit kinder and a bit less edgy during Ramadan, including Emirati nationals. This is remarkable considering most are fasting from sunrise to sunset- roughly 5:30 AM to 6:30 PM.

Most people expressed a feeling of increased spirituality in being able to turn their thoughts to serving the poor, and being more united with them (at least united in hunger). The local government has set up large white tents throughout the city in which the “less fortunate,” mostly Pakistanis, Afghanis, Bangladeshis and Indians from what I can see, queue for free food every evening during Ramadan. Sometimes I will peer out of our 16th floor apartment where we are staying temporarily and listen to the magical sound of the call to prayer (which occurs 5 times a day) blasting out of the large minaret of the neighboring mosque and echoing off the buildings of downtown. I look down to the street to see a sea of pastel robes gathering around a large white tent bearing the words Ramadan Kareem (a seasonal greeting). The meal that breaks the fast during the Holy Month is known as iftar (not to be confused with Ishtar, the worst movie ever made, starring a much younger Dustin Hoffman). At least for Emirati nationals, iftar is often shared with family and friends, gorging on hordes of traditional Arabic foods, never short on the ultimate Ramadan staple: the date.

Around sunset the streets are almost empty as people head home to eat with their families. This is for the best, as most of the accidents will happen in the late afternoons as people become delirious or enraged after a day of fasting. Then, soon afterward, the streets begin to throb with energy as people head out on the town, filling shi-sha (flavored tobacco) bars, restaurants, and malls, usually busy until the morning hours. The malls, which are ironically and perhaps unfortunately the main places during the hot sultry summer months to view the masses of humanity in action in this town, are packed with Emirati men and teenagers in the traditional kandora (white robe with white or red/white checkered headdress), women covered from head to foot in the traditional sheyla ( black headscarf- sometimes covering even the face) and abeyya (black floor-length robe), kids running wild in unsupervised packs. Last night we got out of a movie at 1:00 AM and the buzz was still at full-throttle, showing no signs of abating. I suppose there is a reason Ramadan lasts for only a month, terminating in Eid al Fitr at the end of September this year. Eid is when people often leave town and recover from the nocturnal lifestyle of Ramadan.

Island of Happiness

You may have heard of some of the UAE’s grand schemes (which are realized by the way) including: an indoor ski slope with real snow, the tallest building in the world (soon to be completed), islands that form the shape of a palm tree and the continents, and the world’s largest mosque (containing the world’s largest carpet).

One of the amazing future plans for Abu Dhabi is the Island of Happiness (Saadiyat Island) Cultural District, which will be home to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, a maritime museum, a cultural museum, and a performance center. Previously, the island was a small plane of sand, where turtles nested and a few residents lived. It will now be transformed into an architectural wonder.

Images show the Louvre Abu Dhabi will look like a hovering, glowing, white UFO disk casting dappled light into the space below. The performance center looks like a robotic alien snake head with sleek lines. 3D dioramas of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi show a haphazard pile of giant blocks and colored plastic cones, more akin to an imaginative child’s creation than something an engineer could actually build.

The artistic director of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Thomas Krens, described it as “the kind of thing we’ve never seen before. The only expression I can think of to describe it is pharonic.” It is to be “A museum for global contemporary art…the same emphasis for China, Central Asia, India, Africa, Russia, Eastern Europe, and America.” Krens is looking for something even larger than the Guggenheim Bilbao, which he wanted to be like the Chartres Cathedral, like nothing a villager had ever seen before, “technology, cosmology, science and religion, all thrown together. Breathtaking.” See interview

Of all the rumors of dramatic developments which may come to pass in Abu Dhabi,a desert mountain transformed into a ski slope; a building taller than the mile high tower in Saudi Arabia; college campuses, state of the art hospitals, and zero emission cities; I am most enthralled by the artistic endeavors of the talented architects working on Saadiyat.

Recent news headlines

Date beauty contest (dates are prominent fruits here and platters of dates are judged to see how beautiful they are)

Lifeguards blow whistle, shine spotlights on kissing/hugging on beach

Lamborghini flown 10,000 km for oil change

Saudi vice squad worker held for having 6 wives (instead of the 4 allowed)

20,000 Mohammeds gather in one place (one of them named Mohammed Mohammed Mohammed Mohammed Mohammed Mohammed)

We have been seeing more of Maya Nasri (a pop singer) lately, 9 kg more to be exact

High Income Developing Country

Abu Dhabi appears to be a modern city with several sleek high rises, high quality roads, a new bus system, and expensive cars. While some buildings are dilapidated and crumbling, most apartments and villas are nice looking and clean. Malls are modern to the extreme. Living in Abu Dhabi made me wonder, why do they call UAE a high income developing country?

This week I traveled about a half an hour from Abu Dhabi to tour the Musaffah and ICAD Industrial Areas with two inspectors from the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency. It was another world. Musaffah is an old industrial are with several small automotive, painting, and other small-scale shops. ICAD I is a relatively new industrial area with asphalt manufacturing, cement mix facilities, and iron and steel makers. Right now, plans are afoot to expand the large ICAD areas from 1 to 5.

I have toured industrial sites in the U.S. before, and they are generally clean and organized, with workers wearing safety equipment. The shops in Musaffah are dirty, with oil contamination in the sand and dark smoke coming from smoke stacks. There is a large salt water lake where dump trucks come to illegally offload construction waste. One water way was completely red. My colleague said it looked like the Saudi Arabian industrial areas he worked in 30 years ago.

Perhaps the saddest sight was the worker accommodations. The workers lived right next to a massive city waste transfer station overfilling with stinking trash. Small, primitive cinderblock dwellings were divided into two. I have no idea how many people live in each dwelling. There was a pile of thin mattresses sitting out in the sun. Socks and underwear hung in some windows. Luckily there were window AC units on each trailer. How sad that they are stuck in the middle of industrial wasteland with no shops and no entertainment. I assume this is how agricultural workers live in the US. As we left a large tanker truck of drinking water was pulling in and one of the inspectors said “Here is the water for the animals—I mean the workers.” He shared my sentiments on the sad conditions. I had to have a moment of silence for the sad plight of the workers and the environment in Musaffah.

The ICAD areas are a bit more advanced; industries are larger and their facilities appeared to be cleaner. There is a massive new development for worker housing called ICAD Worker City that looked pretty impressive from a distance. It’s still amazing to think of the number of workers living out in the middle of the desert to work in dangerous factories. The inspectors confirmed that there are environmental problems at many of the facilities: air pollution, lack of worker safety equipment, soil contamination, no areas for waste, etc. There is a lot of work to do here.

Apartment Hunt Facts

Prices for renting flats in Abu Dhabi have increased by 50% on average in the last 7 months. A furnished apartment that we found in January for $3,000 is now $5,000 unfurnished (that IS U.S. dollars). And we thought DC was expensive.

Questions from an apartment application:
Do you have any tame animal?
If your answer is yes please mention your animal.
Do you have any mechanical machines?
Do you like plants?

For apartment furnishings, we've been ask to choose between two styles of decor: Yoshi and Rana. Which would you choose?

The first time I flew to Dubai

The first time I flew to Dubai, I was immediately whisked from the
airport to a fancy banquet and laser/fire light show; I had to change
into an evening dress in the back of an SUV on the way. It
was strange to arrive in Abu Dhabi this time with four massive bags
and realize this is my new home.

Until we find a flat, we are staying in the same hotel I had visited
on my last trip to here. There is an amazing view of the azure
sea. A new island has appeared in the view, close enough to swim to,
since I was last here a year and a half ago. One morning as we gazed
out the window at breakfast my colleague asked "Was that building
there when I went to bed last night?" The pace of development is
astounding. There are 120 large development projects under review
right now by the Environment Agency. Some of them are complex
industrial areas and many are large resorts. One project requires
that 20,000 animals be removed from an island so that large hotels can be built.

My favorite activity so far is people watching; women look exotic and
mysterious and men look quite regal. Local men wear long white robes,
sandals, sun glasses, and mobile phone microphones next to their
mouths. Individuality is displayed by the choice and knotting of the
headscarf: white and long, red and tied together in the back; white
and held in place by a black ring. Some teen males sport long white
robes and baseball caps; one teenage posse wore black plaid robes.
Women from the Gulf wear long black robes; some robes have bands of
sequins or sparkles along the borders. Some women show their face,
some only their eyes, and some completely cover their face in
translucent black material. A few women wear a metal mask that covers
the eyebrows, nose and mouth.

Reading the local paper is enlightening. Headlines include: Sloppy
Animals in the Road, British Woman Arrested for Lewd Acts (for making out on the beach); Robber uses Chili Paste to Stun Victim. I'll send more
entertaining headlines and highlights as I come across them.