Room with a View

Egypt has a lot of apartment buildings. With so many people and such a difficult terrain, I guess it just makes sense - build UP. One of the nice corollaries of this rationale however, is: balconies. Yay. It is wonderful to sit on balconies, no matter where you are. Here in Egypt, with its divine weather, especially in evenings, with skies clear of clouds and studded with stars, gentle warm wind to lull you to sleep, sitting out on balconies is just fabulous.

source: ultimatereviews.co.uk

“We know that we come from the winds, and that we shall return to them; that all life is perhaps a knot, a tangle, a blemish in the eternal smoothness. But why should this make us unhappy? Let us rather love one another, and work and rejoice”
(E. M. Forster, Room with a View, 2.45).

Sun-kissed Laundry

Yes. Do a favor to the earth, and stop using up electricity by putting your clothes in the dryer; instead let your bedsheets and clothes dry the natural way, kissed by rays of sunshine. In Egypt - it's easy, in the summer  - depending on the heat - you can take half an hour to dry sometimes, even faster than your machine, and great for naturally bleaching your whites (though a bit less fabulous for your darker colors - take care not to leave them out too long!)

Fabulous Sunsets

Egypt has some fabulous locations to take in the sunset. Whether it is in a falucca floating along the Nile, or walking along the Corniche, from across the sand dunes in the desert, or in a vacation spot along the beach of either the Mediterranean or Red sea, or simply from rooftops over Cairo or your very own balcony, or even - stuck in traffic.

The roadways when you are late for Iftar

It generally sucks to be late for meeting friends and family for Iftar. The one consolation is that after sunset the roadways clear up a ton making driving in Cairo a lot nicer than usual.



An empty roadway in Maadi just after sunset.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Muslim-Christian Unity

Often, our perceptions of a place are shaped by the headlines that make the front pages of the newspapers. While sectarian tensions are on the rise in Egypt, for every conflict that is publicized there are numerous unsung stories of tolerance and living-side-by-side that don't make the headlines.

Following the bombing of the Coptic church Alexandria this past New Years (which initially prompted me to write this blog), many Muslims went to Church with their Coptic friends and either stood outside barricading the church or went inside acting as human shields. In Tahrir Square, Christians stood over their Muslim counterparts defending them as they prayed. This sort of solidarity has a historical precedent in Egypt which should not be ignored as Egypt works now towards constructing a new future for itself, in which religious freedom and minority rights will hopefully be enshrined.

Zakat (Charity)

Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam and is considered an act of worship. The word in Arabic means alms, and literally "that which purifies" or multiplies / grows. The idea behind zakat is essentially redistribution of wealth, or what could be considered as one of the world's oldest social welfare systems. Every year Muslims give Zakat (a percentage of their salary) to help improve the lives of the most needy, and the month of Ramadan is a special time of year for acts of selflessness and giving to the poor.

Source: follow-islam.com

Cairo 360 has a nice listing of valuable charities in Egypt for donating to in 2011, and you can also check out The Charity Hub and Kherna. Cilantro Central also features great information on active NGOs in Egypt and places to donate.

Farasha (Folk Fabric for Celebrations)

During Ramadan, and other important festivities such as weddings, you will find these beautiful sheets of fabric with traditional traditional patterns all over them. Entire tents are constructed from these, housing everything from stands selling Ramadan delights, to entire wedding parties. Brightly colored, they are reminiscent of the bright colors of the Sufi dancers in Egypt and the brightly colored homes in the countryside.