El Marg Children

This morning I went with Melissa to help with the El Marg project. Our high school students need volunteer hours before they are able to graduate. By helping with the El Marg Project they can earn volunteer hours and provide guidance and enrichment for the El Marg children. These children are very poor and live in poverty. There is garbage dumped nearby and a few hundred meters their homes, is a slaughter house. The affluent from this place runs into the slow moving ( if they move at all) waters of the canal by their road. It is a smelly place to say the least. The children are great, they love to play games and are so smart. One little girl is so small but very smart. These children, although they are poor, may be some of the more fortunate of the poor in Cairo. We meet the bus to take us to El Marg at a Coffee shop. Every day there is a tattered and dirty child sitting on the steps of the coffee shop. Since we can’t speak Arabic, we can’t talk to him, but we suspect he is a street child. We must remember how lucky we are to live in Canada.

Went out for a birthday party down town near the Museum of Egypt, same place we went before where the cats were begging for food. The cats living there do very well. Lots of big shops in a very interesting area, May go back tomorrow or Saturday. Found out I’m sharing my apartment with some critters. Found two cockroaches, my weekend project will be to get rid of the rest of the family. Definitively got to get rid of them before Alice and Peggy come to visit. Got to mention driving in Egypt. This is the way it goes when they drive after dark. First of all they can display lights of any colour to the front, back, sides, doesn’t matter red, blue, what ever. So you meet lots of red lights and some vehicles decorated with multi colored lights. When they meet a vehicle they first flash their lights a few times, put the outside blinkers on and they as they are about to meet they turn off their lights and flash them back on just as they meet. Passing is even crazier…They approach the car they want to pass , flash their lights and then as they pass they TURN OFF THEIR LIGHTS, what if some other fool is driving with lights out too? Also in the city they don’t use their lights much, just parking lights. At dusk and even after dark you can see fools with their lights off on the highway.

Desert camping : Part 2

We stopped at noon while Hannie made lunch for us, Shak Shuka which is scrambled eggs, tomatoes, onions, and vegetables. It is so good, They also make a salad with, tomatoes cucumbers, onions and cream feta cheese mixed. This is always served with Egyptian bread. It is all so good. We stayed at the camp for the hottest part of the day under the tent cover, where it was reasonably cool although the sand was too hot for bare feet. Hannie our cook taught us some card games to pass the time. This lunch stop area was on a large dune with rocky outcrops around us. By mid afternoon we set out off road again to our campsite. This one was spectacular. We drove through a mountain pass which reminded me of the Grand Canyon and out on to a huge line of golden sand dunes. The oasis in the valley was below us. While the Bedouins set up camp we climbed to the highest part of the dunes. Funny but it must be instinct to get to the top of the highest spot around. It was full moon and the view was spectacular. After supper the cook put out our leftovers and some water and a tiny Fennec Fox came out to eat. He is about the size of my medium size cat and has a big bushy tail and long perky ears. I saw his tiny foot prints in the sand. Again we slept out in the open, just stars and moon and loud Bedouin music till lights went out. Friday March 20 After breakfast and another long climb through the dunes we went into the oasis in the valley below. We had a tour of a 1200 year old mud brick fortress. Amazing place, the modern day town is also made mainly of mud brick. The basket weavers were selling their wares and I bought a hat (same as the farmers there wear) and a laundry basket woven by the ladies there. We drove through the oasis which was at least 20 KM long and went into a field which had a large pipe pouring water from a hot spring into a cement holding pond. By this time we were very dirty from the sand and not washing for two days so in the big holding tank we went, clothes and all. We washed out hair and got clean allover. What a treat, we stayed there in the field while the cook made diner and watched the farmers work in the fields and the traffic on the foot path go by. There was a procession of donkeys with carts or being ridden as well as people on foot. Shepherds and a large flock of sheep and goats came by and all the sheep were dipped in and washed. Now the sheep didn’t like that and ran away each time a new sheep was selected for the tub, then the shepherds had to round them all back again many times. The baby goats were the cutest. After another good lunch we set off on road and off road to our next camping spot. We turned off into a desert area and headed into the dunes, huge dunes, running North to South as far as the eye can see and parallel to them was another set of dunes following the same pattern. As did the next as far as we could see. The dunes look like huge sculptures, they are so beautiful. We parked in a large valley between the sets of parallel dunes and they set up camp. We set off up the dunes again, these were so high, higher that the night before. I sat on top till the sun a set and the moon rose. Later that evening instead of bunking down in the shelter the fellows had made with the trucks I took my sleeping bag and camel blanket and went to a few feet from the highest point and slept in a little hollow. It got a bit breezy, which meant fine sand everywhere but I turned out of the wind, pulled up my camel hair blanket and slept there. I was awake to see the sunrise from the high dune. After breakfast we hit the road/off road and by lunch time we stopped at a ‘cold’ spring they called it but another hot spring to us. We hopped in again , clothes and all and I was dry within and hour in the scorching heat. We were met there by our van to drive us to Cairo, I was sorry to have to leave. Truly an unforgettable experience.

Desert Camping in the Sahara

We left late from school because our driver got lost but we were on our way at 5:30 Wednesday evening. We drove to Baheria where we had dinner waiting for us out side beneath palm trees. We transferred to two 4X4 Toyota Four Runners packed high with camping gear and all the food we needed. There were 7 of us plus 3 Bedouin guides. First night we drove to the White Desert. It is called white because the sand in some areas is white and the place we camped was dominated by massive chalk formations. We arrived there and were able to see these formations by the light of the full moon. They parked the ‘jeeps’ and strung a tent between them for us to sleep under the stars. They supplied the sleeping bags and a heavy camel hair blanket to keep us warm for it is chilly at night even though the days are scorching hot. Thursday. The Bedouins, Sammy, Yehia, and Hannie made breakfast of foul (fava beans in tomato sauce with onions, peppers, and other vegetable), Egyptian bread, jams and cheese. They packed up the vehicles and we set off road across the desert. We drove over differing types of desert, some with scrubby vegetation, other parts just sand dunes and other parts rocky and bumpy. While going over the dunes both vehicles got stuck so we had to push. The sand can be hard packed then turn soft. Some times we went down dune slopes which were VERY steep.Just hang on! As we traveled we passed quite a few green spots or Oasis. They just appear out of the sand. Some have wells dug , others are natural oasis. To be continued.. Check web album for some pictures

Well just survived the first parent teacher night in Egypt and all went well. Parent teacher afternoon is tomorrow and then we leave for desert camping,(Wed to Sat). I'm excited about it, sleeping under the stars and going to Bedouin camp. The whole weekend all inclusive will cost about 200 dollars. We go in jeeps and go off road in the desert, stopping at several Oasis. I was walking home this evening and could smell Jasmine flowers somewhere. The perfume was so nice. The trees are all starting to bloom and are beautiful. WE had a science exhibition today. As I was putting up stuff and assembling the projects I was thinking, what am I doing here? I thought my last science fair was last year!...............But we have an EIGHTY FOUR year old substitute so who knows how long I could be doing this.

Today we took a trip to the City of the Dead. We mainly went to see the main old mosques and large tombs. The mosques were all closed, we did some sight seeing from the outside and then went to the Khan el-Khalili market which is near the old citadel. The City of the Dead is pretty well like any community in the city except most of the homes are tombs. As we drove through we saw herds of goats being driven through the streets and donkeys and horses. This Market is the shopping mall of markets. It is huge and all those with similar items are side by side. The vendors are very competitive and aggressively try to sell their wares. I bought three very light cotton tops $6 each for the hot days to come and a large 100% camel blanket for $21. In the evening we went out on a Felucca (Sailboat) ride on the Nile. Very nice, it was to celebrate Kurt’s birthday, so we had food and cake. The air was still warm even after the sun went down. See more pictures on Web Album http://picasaweb.google.com/colmac27

March 14, 2008 Tuesday evening , to celebrate Women’s day four of us went out to eat and paint at a Ceramic Café in Mohandeseen, which is near the down town area. We took a cab and the Metro. It was fun and the food was especially good. We have to pick up our creations later next week. Today Friday I went with Melissa and some students to a place called El Marg. It is about an hour and a half away on the school bus. Our school students do volunteer work with underprivileged children. This is a very poor neighbor hood. It is in an area that was zoned for farming but people just put up houses anyway. There is no plan to how the houses are placed and very little running water and no electricity. The ‘streets’ are bumpy and full of holes and mounds. Donkey and motorcycle are the main mode of personal transportation. We had about 34 children aged from 6-16. We played cooperative games and they had a lot of fun. I don’t feel we did a lot but I guess our presence is excitement for them. These activities are sponsored by an aid organization in Egypt. See some pictures on http://picasaweb.google.com/colmac27 On the way home we passed through the City of the Dead. The road passes through this area. It is a huge area where people have formed a community in the cemetery. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/crossing_continents/africa/1858022.stm I stopped off at Road 233 and found a hairdresser to cut my hair and repair the damage done by my last cut. This fellow did a good job and at least both sides of my hair match. When I came in he was curling a girl’s hair with a curling iron…but using a curling iron I had never seen before. He was heating the ‘irons’ over an open flame. He said the hair stayed curled for a much longer time. (see picture). Yes he had better watch out before he sets himself on fire. (click to enlarge)

March 10, I’ve been in Cairo for 2 months, hard to believe. I’m getting used to crossing the streets but still run like a chicken to get across, while more experienced people and locals stroll through traffic. Today on the way home we noticed a large block of marble by the side of the road, the kind we usually see being transported on the back of large trucks. A second glance revealed on the other side of the road the smashed up truck on which the huge block of marble/limestone had been sitting, with the driver still sitting in the truck. The streets are set out in the English Roundabout system. Trouble is…. Cars go around these 8 or 9 armed roundabouts from all directions. The side walks are an obstacle course, where they still don’t have large signs or restaurants built on them they have holes, pieces of metal and wood sticking through the cement. Most of the time people walk on the road. The black smoke from the vehicles is unbelievable. I don’t know how their vehicles are still running. School is still fun, the children are interesting and very nice. It is always so great to see them learn. They are well behaved but exuberant which is to be expected, when you see how animated the adults are especially when they argue. The high school kids quite polite and agreeable. All teachers here are called by their first names with a Miss or Mr. I am Miss Colleen. That is how people are addressed here. I think it is because their last names are long recitation of their ancestor’s names. So Duncan John Archie Jim Sandy would fit right in over here. Their official last name is about the last two or three grandfather’s names. My gas bill so far has been 9 pounds total, that is $1.60. I do use the stove every day. A 15-20 minute taxi ride costs $5.45 or less. Twelve 1.5 liter bottles of Nestle bottled water costs $3.81. Four liters of fresh squeezed (before your eyes) orange juice costs 5.45. My electric bill since I arrived was $13.00.

Getting Warm

It is warming up a lot here, no need for heat in school or home anymore. Funny thing is the Egyptians don’t seem to realize how warm it is. Yesterday we were sweltering and the Egyptian workers still were wearing winter jackets. The children are the same. I have a fellow who wears 9 layers of clothing in January and is still wearing 4 layers of thick clothing in 27 degree weather. When I asked him how many layers he told me five shirts and lined pants and long johns. I sent him out to shed some layers, no wonder they get irritated after playing hard outside. . Hard to believe on Monday I will be here for two months. The weather now is just comfortable, can't imagine what it will be like in the last of June. They say it will be 33 tomorrow. We work Sunday to Thursday, so my weekend started today. We have two breaks coming up in April. I have visitors the second break. At the moment I'm looking at Google earth to figure out where I could go on the first break. Everyone vacates the place when there is anytime off. The pollution here is terrible, most of the teachers are sick with some type of respiratory aliment. There is a dark cloud over Cairo, you can see it at a distance when you approach the city. When you are in the city, you can see the haze. Today I saw a packed bus. It had about 4 or 5 fellows hanging out the front door and 4 or 5 more hanging on out the back door. Big transport trucks go by with a load of cement bags and 2 or 3 fellows asleep on top of the load. What would be a four lane highway in Canada is at least a 7 lane highway here in Egypt. NO KIDDING!!

March 5, 2008

This fellow lives on my street, I snapped him this evening. His name must be Spike. I think it is him doing all the fighting at night Today we took the children to an art camp in a place called Fagnoon. It is just outside Cairo but in a rural area, donkeys are everywhere. Lots of fields of crops. The people cut their fodder crop, (what looks like alfalfa) for the animals with a scythe. I was watching a fellow work in the field, who called me over and I ended up buying a cauliflower I didn't want for 3 pounds. As we drove down the road donkeys and water buffalo were part of the traffic. More pictures on http://picasaweb.google.com/colmac27

March 3, Monday

Sunday (we have school on Sunday) on the way to school we saw the results of a car truck crash. Two or three cars/SUV had run into an oil tanker. The tanker had leaked what looked like all its oil at the crash scene at top of a hill. Today the wrecks were still there with oil which had run down the hill on the side of the road for about a km, still there. That is Egypt. Home it would be an environmental emergency. An exciting thing happened in class today. One of my students is an underachiever and having serious problems. I was having him read for me when I decided to pull out my Irlen transparent colored sheets and try see if he could read any better with the page colored. He didn't see any improvement on any color I tried until I reached orange. The orange was very good for him. When I asked why he said the letters stopped moving!! Another intelligent child who can't read only, because he has to chase the words all over the page. www.irlen.com for more information

Feb 29, 2008

March1, 2008 Friday morning I caught a cab and went down to a morning market with one of our teachers who is married to an Egyptian. I have been to markets but this one is not like the ones in Maadi where a lot of Expats live. This market is local. The streets are very crowded and dirty and the vendors are set up selling everywhere. The butchers shops have the half cows just out hanging in the open air. There are ducks, chickens, pigeons, goats, horses, donkeys and rabbits. They sell all types of vegetables, fruit, spices, dried beans, fish (which causes quite a stir, they crowd around the fish stalls), dishes, some clothing, carpets. There is bread for sale every where and fried falafel. There is garbage everywhere and cats and some dogs. But in all that I couldn’t see a single sock for sale. Only 4 socks left and I’m wishing for Walmart. SaturdayMarch 1 Waited all morning for the man to come with my new washer. No show, but it follows the pattern, either he is very late or doesn’t show up at all. I’m tired of washing by hand, got to pack up my carry on and take it to the laundry down the road again! Took a long walk down Road 9 to see all the shops and look for socks. Bought a bunch of flowers for 5 LE (less than a dollar), bought some nails to hang my mop and broom, now I have to find a big rock to use as a hammer. Walked the length up and down, but still no socks, not one pair! See http://picasaweb.google.com/colmac27 for market pictures