Bakar

Bakar is an adorable cartoon series that airs every Ramadan after the breakfast (i.e., break fast, when the sun sets). Each episode carries another moral lesson about virtue and the series displays fantastic scenes from the local rural life in Egypt.

Ramadan Lights

It's like Christmas... only it's Ramadan.

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First Day of Ramadan!

The first day of Ramadan is a really joyous occasion, as families begin on a month-long spiritual and family-oriented period of alternating fasting and feasting. Ramadan is the month in which Muslims believe that the revelation of the Quran was completed. During this month, Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. The month is meant to teach self-control, moderation, discipline, self-awareness, as well as awareness of others (such as those suffering from hunger on a daily basis) and is not only about abstinence but also about doing good works and especially charity.

In Egypt, the country transforms for this entire month into a different place (highly recommended time to come visit!). After sunset ("Magreb" in Arabic), families and friends gather and break their fasts together in celebration and prayer. (You can compare the meals in Egypt to an entire month of Christmas dinners - with a 3 day holiday of eating sweets tacked on at the end).

The following posts in the coming days will give a small glimpse into Egypt during this special and fabulous period.

Beautiful Money

C'mon, where else on earth can you find Tutankhamen on a dollar coin, or the Sphinx on a 100 pound note?




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Bumper Cars

Remember all the fun you had as a kid driving bumper cars? Well, in Egypt (and in Cairo especially) driving on a daily basis is a bit like that. ;-) Fortunately the car shops are really great with repair work.

Little old men who sit at cafes all day

Speaking of cute, I just love the little old men who sit at cafes drinking tea and coffee and sipping shisha all day, very cute old guys.

Kosherie

Kosherie is a staple of the Egyptian diet, and its wonderful. The word kosherie apparently means a mixture of many different things (a great symbol for Egypt really...). To make it, you need small round pasta, lentils, rice, chick peas, some burnt onions and garlicy spicy tomato sauce to throw on top. See this post more about Healthy and Delicious fast food in Egypt.

Kosherie often scooped into plastic cartons and served to go!

Kids leaning over a kosherie cart in Old Cairo