The Sights and Sounds of Cairo: The Banks of the Nile
By the banks of the Nile I sit perched on the railing of the bridge. I watch cars drive past while engrossed in the music blaring from my ipod. I see Cairenes look interestedly at me as they walk past my seat. They are dressed in everything from traditional burqas to hip western wear paired with a hijab. Honks, exhaust, and the breeze from the Nile rush through my hair cooling me from the hot African sun. I look up and see a monument to a man in the median and wonder what he did to warrant such recognition. After enjoying the solitude of my rest in the middle of town I head back to reality.
The Sights and Sounds of Cairo: Arrival and Accostation
The hooting of car horns, the trill of bicycle bells, shouts, and calls to prayer float past the open window I am sitting near in an oversized cushy armchair at my dear friend Brittany's apartment in Cairo. I arrived in Egypt early Tuesday morning from Nairobi ready to navigate my way to Dokki, armed with directions from Brittany and instructions on how to find a taxi.
As soon as I walked out of the terminal I was accosted by a swarm of taxi drivers, but being the seasoned negotiator of cab fares thanks to my daily taxi rides in Nairobi I bartered down the prices from 100 Egyptian pounds (LE). I climbed in the back of the taxi and confirmed with my driver that the price was reasonable. The driver, Ahmed, was very talkative for 3 AM and once leaving the airport he pulled over to the side of the road and insisted I move to the front so I could chat more easily with him. Warily I moved up to the front seat since he refused to drive further otherwise. Red flag number 1: women do not ride in the front of a taxi when unaccompanied and alone. He kept his friendly demeanor and pointed out tourist sites as we drove through the city. Red flag number 2: he started asking me what the English word was for parts of his face including his mouth. As we crossed the Nile he once again pulled the car over under the guise of showing me the river. It was then the accostation began (accostation: a combination of accost and molestation) and he decided it was appropriate to touch my leg and ask me to kiss him or "give him lip/mouth." After playing dumb for as long as possible I finally explained politely that I was indeed married (I had been forewarned of Egyptian men's proclivity to hit on western women with the assumption that we are all promiscuous and wore a ring on my left hand just in case).
Once we finally arrived at Brittany's apartment I went to pay him the agreed upon amount. Drama ensued. He feigned no knowledge of our agreement and argued with us for 20 minutes trying to force me to pay 100 LE instead of 40 LE because he claimed he was a "limo" rather than a taxi. I informed him he was not driving a limo and I wasn't paying him any more than what we agreed upon. In a very inappropriate un-Egyptian manner he followed us into the apartment building and refused to leave until he received his 100 LE. Brittany went to get the rest of the money and then he had the audacity to ask for more saying the 100 was for the car and he should get paid more driving me. Acting very culturally inappropriate we told him in no uncertain terms he was to leave the premises and Britt hurled some bawdy Arabic in his direction and pushed him out the door. Once in the apartment we could see him stand outside and complain to the guards but fortunately they sent him on his way without causing a larger scene.
As soon as I walked out of the terminal I was accosted by a swarm of taxi drivers, but being the seasoned negotiator of cab fares thanks to my daily taxi rides in Nairobi I bartered down the prices from 100 Egyptian pounds (LE). I climbed in the back of the taxi and confirmed with my driver that the price was reasonable. The driver, Ahmed, was very talkative for 3 AM and once leaving the airport he pulled over to the side of the road and insisted I move to the front so I could chat more easily with him. Warily I moved up to the front seat since he refused to drive further otherwise. Red flag number 1: women do not ride in the front of a taxi when unaccompanied and alone. He kept his friendly demeanor and pointed out tourist sites as we drove through the city. Red flag number 2: he started asking me what the English word was for parts of his face including his mouth. As we crossed the Nile he once again pulled the car over under the guise of showing me the river. It was then the accostation began (accostation: a combination of accost and molestation) and he decided it was appropriate to touch my leg and ask me to kiss him or "give him lip/mouth." After playing dumb for as long as possible I finally explained politely that I was indeed married (I had been forewarned of Egyptian men's proclivity to hit on western women with the assumption that we are all promiscuous and wore a ring on my left hand just in case).
Once we finally arrived at Brittany's apartment I went to pay him the agreed upon amount. Drama ensued. He feigned no knowledge of our agreement and argued with us for 20 minutes trying to force me to pay 100 LE instead of 40 LE because he claimed he was a "limo" rather than a taxi. I informed him he was not driving a limo and I wasn't paying him any more than what we agreed upon. In a very inappropriate un-Egyptian manner he followed us into the apartment building and refused to leave until he received his 100 LE. Brittany went to get the rest of the money and then he had the audacity to ask for more saying the 100 was for the car and he should get paid more driving me. Acting very culturally inappropriate we told him in no uncertain terms he was to leave the premises and Britt hurled some bawdy Arabic in his direction and pushed him out the door. Once in the apartment we could see him stand outside and complain to the guards but fortunately they sent him on his way without causing a larger scene.
Toe Massacre 2010
So it is official. I am THE clumsiest person. However I managed to prevent yet another toe from breaking by some miracle and escaped with only a hideous bruise and possible muscle/ligament damage. On the plus side, the nurse who wrapped my foot totally made my foot look like it is flicking someone off at all times. Kinda awesome.
Pre-examination. Toe is lookin' kinda sketch.
So I was a bit confused why Jana offered to come with me to the clinic. Four hours later I was grateful for the company, as was the coffee house, Savannah's, next door to the hospital where we spent at least 2 1/2 of the 4 hours waiting to be x-rayed and waiting for the x-ray results.
The Africa Diet
And people wonder why I eat out so often. If it weren't for cheap Ethiopian food and samosas I would be left to my own devices and sustain myself solely on knock off Pringles and canned beans.
Golf 101: TIA
Captain Awesome learns to golf! I always knew I'd be a natural thanks to my superhero skills. I didn't want to outshine my fellow golfers on the driving range so I kept my awesomeness under wraps and played as any first timer would be expected. With a few pointers from the caddies on stance and form my awesomeness quickly took over. I made a few balls in the air but would regularly swing and miss, hit a wild ball, or knock one only a few feet so as to not intimidate my friends practicing alongside me. I love that I move to Africa before learning how to golf, despite being surrounded by countless golf courses in Dallas. Here are some pictures of Jon, Jana and me at Railway Golf Club in Nairobi.
Most awesome caddy ever!
My golfing buds
Fun at the driving range
Expat living
Being an expat in a large city affords one many luxuries that you would not necessarily experience staying in a small village that many assume is typical African living. This includes the opportunity to meet lots of people in social settings and not have to sit at home watching bad Kenyan tellie every evening. Fortunately early in my African adventure I discovered a fabulous facebook group, Nairobi Expat Social, that I joined and met many of my new friends while doing fun things around Nairobi. However, the downside to expat living is that many people come for volunteer opportunities and short term assignments so there is a constant turnover in your friend base. Sadly, the process has already begun; a couple of my new friends have already headed home, but before they left we had one last fabulous weekend hanging out in true NES style. Here are some pics from our send off weekend for Mia and Richard.
Friday at Gipsy's, cheers to Mia! (Guess what's in the Nakumatt bag)
Saturday at Brew Bistro, Katie loves hanging with us!
Richard: You guys might not know this, but I consider myself a bit of a loner. I tend to think of myself as a one-man wolf pack. But when I met Jon, I knew he was one of my own. And my wolf pack... it grew by one. So there... there were two of us in the wolf pack... I was alone first in the pack, and then Jon joined in later.
And we're the three best friends that anyone could ever have!
Who wouldn't love this face? Katie sang, shadow danced, and provided much entertainment after our escapades at Brew Bistro and Casablanca.
Sunday dinner at Fusion. Kudos to Richard for finding the best samosas in town.
Happy Belated Earth Day!
I'm a day late, that's what happens when you are on African time, but I hope you all took a moment yesterday to celebrate Earth Day. Working in a third world country (correction: developing country) has made me so aware and grateful for how considerate we are as westerners (especially Texans- Don't Mess With Texas!) of the world around us. No, we're not perfect, but we are trying and that counts for something. In the developing world however trash is tossed on the ground without a second thought and there is no city government program to collect and dispose of the trash. While visiting Juba I had an empty water bottle taken from my hand and tossed in a ditch because the girl I was walking with could not understand why I would hold onto it to try and find a trashcan, a task I quickly learned is next to impossible in Sudan. Again, on the drive to Yei I was laughed at for my refusal to roll down my window and throw my empty soda can out. I explained to them I would rather not contribute to the pollution of their countryside even if it doesn't bother them. Nairobi does not have a city trash collection system either and you will see some trash littering the roads, but, for the most part, people collect their own trash and burn it to keep their city from looking like a landfill.
I believe it's the little things that count. This year think of ways you can cut down on waste. I for one have started using cute reusable bags for my grocery shopping instead of accepting plastic bags at the checkout.
They're stylish; you can fold it up to fit in your purse; they make it easy to carry many smaller packages; and for someone who walks to and from the grocery, it is much more comfortable to throw this over my shoulder rather than lug 4-5 plastic handled bags home.
Recycling is practically unheard of here but you can compost from anywhere. Check out this super cute ceramic compost bucket from World Market for a stylish way to collect your kitchen scraps.
Buy green while supporting African women! Ugandan beaded necklaces are made of tightly rolled paper beads – from recycled magazines, calendars and scrap paper. Click on the link to check out how to purchase these necklaces and raise support for African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries' programs.
I believe it's the little things that count. This year think of ways you can cut down on waste. I for one have started using cute reusable bags for my grocery shopping instead of accepting plastic bags at the checkout.
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| Photo credit: stylehive.com |
Recycling is practically unheard of here but you can compost from anywhere. Check out this super cute ceramic compost bucket from World Market for a stylish way to collect your kitchen scraps.
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| Photo credit: http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3597599 |
Buy green while supporting African women! Ugandan beaded necklaces are made of tightly rolled paper beads – from recycled magazines, calendars and scrap paper. Click on the link to check out how to purchase these necklaces and raise support for African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries' programs.
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| Photo credit: womenspeacecollection.com |
How to Gate Crash: A Guide by Captain Awesome
1. Choose the target and scope out the situation.
3. Casually return to the event once more invited guests have shown up and try to slip in unnoticed.
4. Be ready to adapt your plan if you are discovered.
5. Once your cover is blown (if you are awesome enough to remain at the event) immerse yourself in the experience and be gracious.
- We drove past a gathering on the side of the road and our curiosity was peaked. Hundreds of women in red and white were sitting in lawn chairs in a field. We continued on our way.
2. Don't tip off the party-goers/hosts of your interest in their gathering.
- We casually drove past and followed our original plan to visit the Juba Bridge. It is the only bridge in Juba and traverses the Nile.
- As we drove back past the event we noticed traditional dancing taking place in the field and that a larger crowd had gathered. We pulled over and decided to stand inconspicuously behind the crowd.
- We were quite stealthy and would have succeeded in our mission had two of us not stuck out like two glowing white thumbs. Fortunately they spotted Captain Awesome amongst the group and we were ushered in and given seats up front and center along with a translator to make our experience more enjoyable.
- After watching the celebration that included traditional singing, dancing, and drumming from our primo seats the attention turned to various speakers.
- They explained why they were outside celebrating this day. They were a group of Anglicans who had been fasting for the previous 21 days in remembrance of the 21 year civil war. They fasted and prayed during this time for peace during the presidential elections. The previous day the church leaders met with the current president of Southern Sudan regarding their hopes for a peaceful and fair election process. After the group leaders spoke to the gathered masses at the rally they invited representatives from our group to speak. Pastor Steve Roese, from Irving Bible Church in Texas, thanked them for their hospitality and explained our interest and support for them. He was followed by Dr. Celestin Musekura, ALARM's president and founder, who spoke a few words of encouragement as well.
Exploring Nairobi: Coffee, Nightlife, Brunch, and Fun
I finally ventured out of my guest house cocoon this past weekend (3/13-3/14) into the unknown districts across Nairobi. Soon after arriving in Kenya I discovered a facebook group of expats living in Nairobi. This past weekend was the first opportunity I had to join in some of their social events.
Jack, ALARM's logistician and driver, dropped me off at Westgate mall in the Westlands to meet the NES group for coffee at Artcaffè, it was a bit like being dropped off at the mall by my dad. I intended to call a taxi to pick me up, but my Kenyan colleagues despair what might happen to them if something happens to me. They fear what my dad would do to them if I were to wander aimlessly in Nairobi lost. Clearly, they have not met my father, who is not an intimidating force (except of course on the witness stand I'm sure or to opposing attorneys who have called him "the biggest baddest boy in Texas," which does not crack my mother and I up in the least...). Conversation and coffee was good, dinner and drinks after were even better. I went with a few of the guys from the event to dinner at the Black Diamond followed by people watching and fun at Havana and Casablanca. "Mosquitoes," the nickname for maurading women at these clubs, were out in force and I had quite a bit of fun playing Pro or No throughout the evening.
Despite a relatively late night I made it to brunch the next morning, got to know some more NES people, and then a friend and I drove around the different neighborhoods of Nairobi. We started at the National Museum (knocking #4 off The List) and walked through the gardens and admired the art.
The museum itself was rather expensive to go in and from a previous boring experience at the National Museum in Butare, Rwanda, we decided to pass on the tour. From there we drove through most of Nairobi and up to the Karen Estates neighborhood. It's named for Karen Blixen, Danish author of Out of Africa. We stopped for an iced tea at the Karen Blixen Coffee Gardens, site of the original hunting lodge/farm house on the Karen Blixen estate and near the restored house turned national museum where she lived from 1914 to 1931. Sitting on the patio of a large, turn-of-the-century house felt like a country club atmosphere and could have easily been somewhere in Dallas, yet as we left we drove past the Nairobi National Park filled with rhinos, giraffes, and more. I kind of knocked #15 off the list on the way out as well, as you can see by my picture below.
Jack, ALARM's logistician and driver, dropped me off at Westgate mall in the Westlands to meet the NES group for coffee at Artcaffè, it was a bit like being dropped off at the mall by my dad. I intended to call a taxi to pick me up, but my Kenyan colleagues despair what might happen to them if something happens to me. They fear what my dad would do to them if I were to wander aimlessly in Nairobi lost. Clearly, they have not met my father, who is not an intimidating force (except of course on the witness stand I'm sure or to opposing attorneys who have called him "the biggest baddest boy in Texas," which does not crack my mother and I up in the least...). Conversation and coffee was good, dinner and drinks after were even better. I went with a few of the guys from the event to dinner at the Black Diamond followed by people watching and fun at Havana and Casablanca. "Mosquitoes," the nickname for maurading women at these clubs, were out in force and I had quite a bit of fun playing Pro or No throughout the evening.
Despite a relatively late night I made it to brunch the next morning, got to know some more NES people, and then a friend and I drove around the different neighborhoods of Nairobi. We started at the National Museum (knocking #4 off The List) and walked through the gardens and admired the art.
Breaking News Alert: Southern Sudan to meet Captain Awesome
Captain Awesome will travel to Southern Sudan in the upcoming weeks to rescue babies, stop speeding bullets, and spread general awesomeness wherever she may go. Ah, so are the facts of life for an international superhero.
I will be in Juba beginning Monday, 3/22, getting to know the city and meeting people while others in my group attend the Church Leaders Forum. After the conference concludes I will travel to Yei to visit the Christian Leadership Institute of Sudan before returning to Nairobi.
For those of you unaware, Sudan's presidential elections are approaching in April. It's the first multi-party ballot in 24 years since the sitting president, Omar Hassan Al Bashir, overthrew the democratically elected Prime Minister in 1989. However, with his campaign of intimidation and violence escalating, and now a key opponent murdered, the chances of an unbiased election are growing slim. Read more here:
Two Sudanese newspapers questioned over insults to president Bashir
South Sudan Journalists Facing Intimidation Before Election
Political motive seen in Sudan murder - police
Sudan: Ahead of Crucial Elections
I will be in Juba beginning Monday, 3/22, getting to know the city and meeting people while others in my group attend the Church Leaders Forum. After the conference concludes I will travel to Yei to visit the Christian Leadership Institute of Sudan before returning to Nairobi.
For those of you unaware, Sudan's presidential elections are approaching in April. It's the first multi-party ballot in 24 years since the sitting president, Omar Hassan Al Bashir, overthrew the democratically elected Prime Minister in 1989. However, with his campaign of intimidation and violence escalating, and now a key opponent murdered, the chances of an unbiased election are growing slim. Read more here:
Two Sudanese newspapers questioned over insults to president Bashir
South Sudan Journalists Facing Intimidation Before Election
Political motive seen in Sudan murder - police
Sudan: Ahead of Crucial Elections
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