Props & Plugs

I know, this is an easy cop out. I am driven to such distraction, I can't get my own thoughts out right. Getting ready this morning, I just about sprayed myself down with hairspray instead of the perfume bottle. Yes, I put on perfume every day. Bath & Body Works White Citrus to be exact. It's nothing classic like what my Mom wears (which I can't remember right now because I'm just frazzled) but it works for me. I think scent is a very strong memory maker. I can catch the scent of what my mom wears and immediately think of her. We go to her house or she comes to mine, and the scent is what lingers the longest. (do you have to let it linger? yes, yes I do) When I was 12, I got to have a summer visit with my grandparents, all by myself. I was there for 6 weeks or so and when I got back, I put a shirt of mine in a plastic garment bag because I didn't want the smell of grandma's to go away. I have a couple of scents that I wear, but I didn't think my kids noticed until Eliza was about 5. She was helping me pick clothes up and put them in the laundry basket and she lifted my church blouse to her nose and breathed in deeply.

"Ahhhh, it smells like you, Mommy!"

Now, that's not the only reason I wear perfume. I'll go for months without wearing any certain kind, but when I find a scent I like, I stick with it. It also makes me feel pretty, oh so pretty, even when I'm not. Little Black Dress by Avon was a first favorite. Golden Pearls by Avon has also stuck around for a while. I only recently discovered the perfume scents by Bath & Body Works and I love them! White Citrus is just my style; Butterfly Kisses by B&BW works too. I'll take another post to plug their alluring scents, but, as stated earlier, my brain is fried.

To thread one topic into another relation, Cairo is another place full of memory-rific smells. Not always pleasant, but definitely embedded in memories. My friend, Simmone, lives in Cairo with her husband Dan. She is one chick that is full of energy for life. This video is one of her recent projects. Careful, it's a catchy tune. But not in the annoying sense like earlier this week.



**i hope i didn't need a copyright waiver or something. oh well, simmy loves me anyways.**

The view from my gym

Even after four years in Egypt, I still found some things "cool". Let me explain. In the summer, we take our 6 week R&R to the States. It's bound to come up where we live.

Random Person: "OH WOW! Egypt! That is so exciting and exotic! How do you like living there?"

Now, here's my dilemma. How truthful do you want me to be? I'm an honest, to-the-point person. I'm a person that doesn't put on a front. I can also be kind of snarky. How honest should I be? You know all they want to hear is how wonderful & amazing it is to live abroad. Should I unload the un-romantic side, or just smile and nod? I do a little of both. Here was my standard answer.

"It's really the opportunity of a lifetime. I get to explore amazing sights whenever I want. But you know, I also never thought it would feel so normal. Get up, get kids ready, go grocery shopping, etc."

They think of my life as being on vacation and why in the world would I want to waste any time back in the States. That's usually where our conversations would end. Any further and I'd be forced to shove ice picks in my ears.

A normal life. Where grocery shopping for dinner can take all afternoon. Why would Seodi's carry that particular pasta today when I've seen it there every other time? Or trying to find a needle in the city that might as well be one huge haystack. Or the power and water is out for the umpteenth time this week and "Insha'allah bukra" it will be fixed tomorrow.

I still got up, took kids to school, paid the bills and even went to the gym. (that was a habit begun in the last year there) They have a Gold's Gym in Egypt. I found that cool. I don't like the gym, I hate the gym, honestly. Why would I go to the gym? Because I had a great gym buddy (thanks Sar) and a goal. To meet that goal, I had to meet the gym. So one day, after a grueling work out, Sara & I went out on the balcony of the gym. It was on the 9th and 10th floor of an office building that included a bank, children's clothing stores, the X-Ray office, a pharmacy and a vacant Dunkin Donuts shop. I think a sandstorm or something had just blown through because the view was extra clear. We scanned the horizon and there we could see both the North and South Saqqara pyramid complex. Fortunately, I always carried my camera with me. (you never know) And so was born a paradoxical picture. A snapshot of my every day life; a view from the gym. Looking straight at the oldest structure on earth. Yeah. For a little while, I was cool like that.

South Saqqara

North Saqqara; the step pyramid

Same view, only zoomed out. They're really there, I swear. Look along the horizon, ignore the smog. (this was a clear day, people.) You know how things look differently in a picture. I have awesome zoom on my camera. Just like Typ0

And the view looking North. If those buildings weren't in the way, the Great Pyramids of Giza would be visible. Darn civilization.

The softer side of Egypt

We are done. Well, at least with the big part. Our things are packed up and moved out. We are left with an empty, echoing apartment. This always happens when you move, you look around after all the boxes and STUFF is taken away and say,

"Wow, this place is big. I could do so much with this."

I don't think I could have any other kind of life than a nomadic one. I need a clean slate after a few years. Maybe someday we'll settle down, but this suits me just fine right now, thanks. I've been reminiscing about our time here in Egypt. There have been good times, believe it or not. To tell you the truth, Cairo was not at the top of my preferred places to live. I know, shocking. A lot of people have said that just once in their life, they've got to see the Great Pyramids of Egypt, or float the Nile. Yeah, me, not so much. And it's not because I've spent the last 4 years of my life here. It's just not at the top of my list. My list includes a walkabout in Australia, climbing the steps to the Big Buddha in Hong Kong, or exploring an ancient cathedral in the mists of Ireland. And somehow Florida fits in there too. Don't ask me why, I just want to go someday. I find it intriguing. Oranges, sunshine, and Disneyworld. But to get back to my point, Egypt does have it's good side. When I'm overlooking frustrating Egyptian logic (that is an oxymoron), the driving, and general apathy, I find the gems.

#1 Otlob.com
This is the greatest thing ever. Everyone delivers here; the pharmacy, grocery store and even McDonalds. You just call them up and your good arrive on the doorstep. Otlobmakes it easier. (I know, how could that get any easier) With Otlob, you don't have to talk to anyone; it has a list of participating restaurants and their menus. You just fill out the online menu, click 'Order' and your Chili's, Fuddruckers, Hardees, Papa Johns, or Chinese Lan Yuan (to name a few) arrives within the hour. Usually. Sometimes the food is a bit late, squished or cold, but usually it's a great experience. (see, I'm really trying to be positive)

#2 Cheap, fresh fruit
I will miss mango season. I will miss date season. And strawberry season and, well, you get the picture. Fruit here is a pretty reasonable price anyway, but during a certain fruit's season, it is especially cheap. I just bought 1 kilo (2.2 lbs) of strawberries for .52 cents. I will miss this so much. Or driving out to the date farms and just asking a guy to shimmy up a tree and cut off a whole branch of dates. You pay him about 15 LE (about $2.60) and you're on your way. I take that wonderful bunch of plump dates home, wash them and then lay them out in the sun to dry. In about a week or so, I have my own yummy dates.

#3 Cheap "exotic" vacations
Are you noticing a trend yet? Cheap is the theme. But so what, I'm all about a good deal. What other people consider exotic, we call a three day weekend. For example, in February, we took off on President's day weekend and spent 3 days on the north coast. White sand, blue water, and relaxing waves; what more could I ask for? Or maybe I will take off with my husband and go to Luxor. Just kick around the temple at Karnak and peek into the Valley of the Kings, see a tomb or two. And for all of this, we're NOT paying an arm and a leg or promising our firstborn to Rumplestiltskin.


Well, that's just a few that I've thought up right now. I'm sure I'll come up with more once we're actually gone and I'm bawling my eyes out for some unexplained reason. I am truly torn.

Classic indeed . . .

Apparently, Google has brought out a new search engine. You just print your query on the line (blue or black ink is preferred) and slap a stamp on it! I think too many people were forgetting the original form of information sharing! You can pick it up at any local post office. A bit difficult for me thought, being in Egypt and all.







Yeah, this is pretty cool. Also, it snowed last night and covered the Sphinx and Giza Pyramids with a nice dusting of snow. See? Right there . . . on the tippy top point . . . . and some, yeah, right . . . there, where his nose should be.

What, you don't see it?? How do you not spot it? Oh yeah, that's right, I forgot what day it is today.

IT'S APRIL FOOLS DAY!!!




** Have a super funny day!**

An Ode to Egypt

Leavin' on a Jet Plane (yeah, it's to the tune you think it is)

My bags aren't packed
But I'm ready to go I'm standin' here right by the door
I won't hate to take the bowab from his shai
But the adhan is blarin'
Its early morn
The taxis waitin'
He's blowin his horn
Already I'm so trunky
I could die

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll change for me
Don't hold me, oh, you'll never let me go
cause I'm leavin on a jet plane
I know I won't be back again
Oh babe, I won't hate to go

Theres so many times you've let me down
So many times I've waited around
For the services that you never bring.
Ev'ry place I go, I won't think of you
Ev'ry song I sing, I won't sing for you
If I come back, well, I think I may just scream.

Chorus again

So yeah, that's as far as I got. No, it's not the whole song, but it's enough. I thought of it in the shower (great ideas hang out there) and intended to post this ode quite a while ago, but just couldn't seem to finish it. There. Here's another. In the words of Kelly Clarkson,

"Hey Egypt! My life (my life) won't suck (won't suck) without YOU!"

Alright, this hasn't been the most coherent or positive of posts, but part of me had to say it!

my life would suck without you full virsion - kelly clarkson

Leaving On A Jet Plane - John Denver


**p.s. i published this without double checking the post date and it popped up on 24 Feb. procrastinate much?**

The Egyptian Museum

Of course, no trip to Egypt would be well-rounded without a trip to the Egyptian Museum. I think they were all adequately overwhelmed by the content and chaos. Fortunately, it's still March and the weather is very pleasant. Since the huge, dang place is NOT air conditioned, it can get quite sticky & stuffy in the warmer months. The first time we went to the Egyptian Museum, it was the second week in August. Awful, just awful. There was the crush of tourists, lack of circulating air and general disorganization. The dinky early 80's era electric fans placed about every 50 feet, oscillating weakly and barely stirring the stagnant air. Ugh. Not a place for a claustrophobic like me. The soaring ceilings and immense rooms are occupied by case upon case of dusty, poorly labeled artifacts. That all said, it is still quite an experience to walk among the contents of King Tut's tomb, stare at the painted on eyes of Pharonic style Roman mummies and marvel at the woven baskets that have stayed together for at least a millena. I was able to take them on a well-rounded tour, hitting the best places and skipping the not-so-worth-it areas. (Although, having spent 4 years here, I have been to the Egyptian Museum many, many times. (foreign residents get in free) I don't know if there is a "boring area" of the museum. I love museums.) Then we hit a popular Lebanese restaurant called Taboula and called it a day.

Giddy Up!

With only 3 1/2 weeks left in Egypt, I feel the need to do everything just one . . . more . . . time. Why, oh why do I listen to myself? Sometimes, I really don't know. We started a new Enrichment activity called Tour & Explore. I thought, well, why not? The first excursion was horseback riding in the desert near the Pyramids. First off, it was an amazing trip up there because I didn't have to drive. A friend's driver drove my vehicle and it was heaven! Everything was organized wonderfully. Then we got our horses. The horse dudes asked if we knew how to ride. Well, yeah, I've ridden before, but not for about 12 years. Ok, you get a good horse. Well I'd hope so!! Madonna the horse was bestowed upon me. Yeah, they like to name the horses some pretty interesting names. Michael Jackson, Sugar and Coke were among a few of the monikers.



We started out toward the desert by way of back streets full of garbage, mud, and other camels & horses awaiting assignment. Madonna kind of had a mind of her own, but I didn't mind. She really responded to the reigns and some of my posting lessons were coming back. She didn't really canter; there was plodding or prancing. For now. Once we hit the desert, Madonna, Michael and Coke decided to race each other. Yeah. With all of us (barely) hanging on. I yanked back on the reigns, not really ready to break out and run yet. The other horses began picking up speed and once again, we were all going along at a full gallop. We were actually getting into a beautiful rhythm, the wind was blowing, the Pyramids whizzing past, it was exhilarating! Then my right stirrup broke. Great. I scramble to switch my reigns from right to left and grab the flapping straps at my knee. So I'm holding onto the stirrup with my right hand and trying to control the reigns with my left. Not easy or comfortable. Just scary. We made it to our destination on the bluff overlooking Giza.



Picture taking was done by all, my stirrup repaired and we all saddled up again. Oh, did I mention that my horse was stick skinny and had no withers whatsoever? Withers are basically the ridge between a horse's shoulder blades. Good withers on a horse keep your saddle from shifting and/or falling off. My horse's withers were nonexistent. So that meant my saddle would creep up her neck. And the more you lean forward on a horse, the faster she thinks you want to go. Think horse jockeys at the races. Another tidbit, once some horses know they're headed home or for the barn, they become very unresponsive and just want to go back. Barn sour is another term. (sorry, for some reason they don't have that in wikipedia.) Madonna was about as barn sour as they come. She would break into a full gallop, I would reign her in, turn her in a circle (to show her who was boss) and then we would continue on and she'd begin the gallop once again. All. The. Way. Back.

Since I'm here writing this, I obviously survived. Barely. What with the stirrups all turned around, a saddle that was too small and a crazy horse, I am in pain to say the least. I've got huge matching bruises on the insides of my thighs (sorry people, no pictures of that) where I was squeezing the tiny saddle to keep it in place. And when I do anything with my right arm, it shakes like a geriatric parkinsonian patient. Will I do that again? Obviously not since One: I'm not that crazy and Two: We won't be here long enough for me to forget and do it again. **Disclaimer** This was the first time I had tried these stables. Other horse desert adventures weren't as exciting as this one.

Sailing Through Life

On Saturday, the Relief Society ladies had a birthday bash on a felucca. It was the 167th celebration of the organization of said group. It was formed on March 17th, 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois. Initially, the original intent was to assist & organize support, supplies & relief for the workers on the Nauvoo Temple. The Relief Society was officially formed soon after the implementation of these efforts. There were 18 women at it's inception and it has now grown into a worldwide organization of over 5.6 million women. I feel very blessed to belong to such an organization. Each baby I've had, there they are with a meal and a hug. It was the most unique celebration we've ever had. I'm sure our felucca captain was more than entertained by our singing and copious emotion sharing. He really enjoyed the sandwiches and strawberries we shared with him!

The Complete Experience

Wherever we go in the world, we always take plenty of pictures. Some (maybe me) take way too many! But I just see so many great shots. **tangent** Spencer was wiping my laptop clean and said I have 35 gigs of just pictures. Hmmm. **tangent done** The point being, I think wherever anyone travels, you are trying to capture everything about the experience. We also get out the video camera (** another tangent ** What do I call my video cam? It doesn't have a video tape in it. It's a 30G hard disk drive that records.**) We try and remember to record when we have the chance. Just the visual of a panorama or a kid smearing spaghetti in their hair! The movement, sound and pictures.

Last summer, we met up with some friends that used to live in Egypt. We were reminiscing about the craziness that is Cairo: traffic, pollution, pyramids, etc. But then they brought up a very valid point.

"We have gigs of pictures, more video recording than we can handle and oodles of souvenirs. But what really rounds out an experience is the smells."

And you know what? That's very true. We've shown family video of the city, traffic, pictures of pyramids and the Sphinx, but they still don't get the whole picture. Smell is the last sense that rounds out an encounter with a different country or city. Don't you smell fresh baked bread and it immediately transports you back to your Mother's kitchen? Or some not so nice smells? Like the putrid piles of garbage bags on my way to the gym each morning?


I was driven down this road of thought when I dropped Grant off at preschool this morning. It has been a little warmer this week, maybe low to mid 70s. Nice. So some trees are now blooming. The garden area of his school has quite a variety; lemon, papaya, some tree that grows green fruit, and a few other shade trees. We walked through the gate and I was immediately overcome by the smell of blossoms. Like a physical curtain when I walked from the street into that walled nursery. I discovered that it was the lemon tree in the corner right by Grant's little classroom. It was such a gem of an experience. I looked up at the sun shining on those pink blossoms and inhaled that sweet scent. I noticed bees buzzing from petal to petal and just felt transported out of this country! It felt like Spring! (We don't really have noticeable season changes in Egypt. Just Hot, Warm, Cooler and Windy.) Oh the wonder and magic of our senses! I think I will miss some smells about Cairo. One of my favorites, the spice shops in the Khan el-Khalili. Open barrels filled to the rim with saffron, cumin, vanilla, ginger, vanilla. The list goes on and on. Even the stinky fish section at Carrefour will have a small (very small) place in my heart!

Random Thought, Pet Peeves etc.

I couldn't actually come up with enough fully formed ideas to make one complete blog post. Since I'm drowning in projects and annoyed up to my eyeballs, I'll group them all together in one place.

--> I'm turning against my own kind. Although I'd rather not be counted among other MMB's (mormon mommy bloggers) some think that I should just "Semper Fi" . I can't stand the stupid pseudonyms ('Mr. Choopy-woopy & I watched offspring #7 feed #3 a pop tart. Yummers.' Gag me. What are they, the Borg?) acronyms (although, can't blame 'em for that. it's programmed in every LDS's DNA) bad grammar & spelling, over-sized fonts and brightly colored texts make me want to vomit. I'm no nit-picker and I'm not out looking for a fight, I'm just annoyed. I will use the occasional slang word or abbreviation, but come on people, make some coherent conversation. These are smart, intelligent (I think) women that can do better than pander to a stereotype. Yes, I do read NieNie. That's different. We both have some common grounds (barely out of our 20's, 4 children, religion) and, you know, I just feel for her. I'm usually able to overlook most of my pet peeves. 'Nuff said.

--> Grant's new favorite expression. ". . . put off my shoes." Well, you put on your shoes, the logical response would be to "put off my shoes." "Mommy, I need help to put off my shoes." I've made it over the initial lost-in-translation barrier and it makes sense now.

-->Turn right to go left. This is rule number one for driving in Egypt. If there is a left hand turning coming up, go around all the people to the right and cut right in where it convenient for you. I think watching the movie, "Cars" is a prerequisite to receiving your driver's license in Egypt. Following Doc Hudson's advice of turn right to go left!

I'm Scared

We are wrapping up week 3 of the "Without an Elevator" saga. And it may be fixed today. We're getting positive reports from our trusty bowab, Mahmoud, that all is well, new motor is being installed and something about inshallah.

I know this word is just ingrained into the Arabic language, it's an expression. But seriously, when we're dealing with a metal box that hauls my children (precious cargo, IMHO) husband and myself up and down the height of six stories, I don't want to hear the arabic equivalent of "Yeah, hopefully" used in the same sentence as "Yes, the elevator is fixed."

I think I'm going to let Mahmoud and our landlord use it for a while, just to see how it goes. I'm not going to fall to my death 6 short weeks before I'm released from this place called Cairo.

Between a tub & the Elevator

Our elevator stinks. In both ways. Smelly-something-sulphur-y and the fact that it does not work. You have to push the button just the right way, do a little dance and maybe you'll ascend. It likes to stop between floors. Usually it starts right back up. Usually. We were on the way downstairs to begin our weekend vacation to Alamein (future posts coming) and the elevator stopped between 4 & 3. I had all the kids and a couple bags with me. That delayed us for 30 minutes. The kids handled it ok. Only when we began a slow, uneven descent with the door open and no power, did I begin to get a little anxious. When we lined up with the 3rd floor door, I pounded on it and we hopped out. Then hauled the rest of the bags down another 3 flights of stairs. I found out that Mahmoud (our boab) went to the top floor and was lowering it manually. Geez, that made me feel WAY better. We've sworn off the elevator for a while. Which doesn't help when we live on the 5th floor. **

So today, the elevator is out. Out, out, no power, nothin'. Great. I have to go to the grocery store. We were gone for the last 4 days and need supplies! (darn tootin', cowboy!) Jacqueline & I began our slow decline. We get down one floor and there is a bathtub on the stairs. Yeah, a bright blue bathtub. The landlord is particularly fond of renovating his bathrooms. When I suggested he update our's, he said that it would be too expensive, everyone else in the building would want it too, blah de blah blah. He just does his own apartment instead. So it's been an ongoing project for the past 2 years; jackhammering, broken tile in the stairwell, a different bathtub on the landing. This one is numero dos. We can't use the elevator and can't make it down the stairs. Great. I put Jacqui in the tub first, then climb in myself. We scoot down the length of the butt, sorry Freudian slip, TUB, and then I climb out on the next landing, reach around for J. and continue our journey. Then there are the piles and piles of tiles (I saw miles & miles). I mean, really, this shouldn't be an epic akin to Lord of the Rings just to make it downstairs! (sorry, first epic that came to mind, just finished a LOTR marathon)

We go to the store, shop, load the groceries in and head home. We get home, park, unload bag upon bag of perishable food only to discover that the elevator STILL isn't working. It made me really start wishing I was on a lower floor. Fortunately, (b/c they are never around) Adil & Mahmoud came running out and did a relay race with my groceries posing as the baton. At least nothing was broken. I walked upstairs with the eggs (so they wouldn't be broken) and Jacqui, who was asleep. (like you need to ask, of course she didn't go back to sleep for a lovely nap) I spent the rest of the afternoon on the phone with our housing people who deal with the landlords. I went back to take a picture of the tub, and it has been moved. Gosh, they can be speedy when they want to! We'll see what tomorrow brings in the elevator department. My knees may never forgive me.



** Actually, it's the 6th. They count the ground floor as 0 and the next floor I'd call "2nd" they call "1st". Go figure.