tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285771502012-01-17T15:20:15.208ZI slept in castles and fell in love, because I was taught to dream............................. You are on every page of my imaginationFnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1511100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-34483713094558374382011-01-27T02:46:00.001Z2011-01-27T02:47:26.347Z

I have a new blog now :) ......of a slightly different nature.http://khanacommune.wordpress.com

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-55693524145730786072008-09-20T17:39:00.002+01:002008-09-20T17:46:39.630+01:00

I've stopped blogging, mainly because I felt I wasn’t leading a blog-worthy life any longer. Life in Egypt was totally blog worthy. I was seeing, doing, consuming a life I liked to write about, which I thought people would find mildly interesting enough to read because it wasn't a typical existence. Egypt was my muse, it inspired me.Singapore, unfortunately, is not much of a muse. When is 'home',

Fnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-35426022355381381582008-06-19T03:39:00.000+01:002008-06-19T03:40:22.098+01:00

"About the harsher side of living a glamorous, globetrotting life of adventure. About what happens once you stand still for a few minutes. About the "Um, now what" moment, where the easiest answer is to just keep moving, to fill every waking hour to avoid the harder questions about identity and displacement. If I'm busy, I won't notice that I'm glossing over the tough issues. Nothing hurts if you

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-79922844887399202242008-06-08T20:10:00.002+01:002008-06-08T20:20:32.175+01:00

My friends call me a tube-light (you know, the fluorescent lights that take a few seconds to flicker on). I'm the girl who wakes up the following morning and finally gets the joke. I like to call it a delayed reaction.This is all the more acute when I'm molested (yes, unfortunately it has occurred enough times in my life to describe it as a regular event). The shock kicks in and my physical and

Fnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-77877370726079361192008-03-23T16:49:00.001Z2008-03-23T16:52:48.330Z

"There! See? Cheshire Road is written in Bengali!" Driving down Bricklane in London, my dad was (a little too enthusiastically) trying to point out the Bengali nature of this infamous street to my little sister, Sam. "And then here....Bacon Street! B-A-K-O-N. " We silently contemplated the irony of this one.After the first 2-3 signs, I think most of us in the car tuned my dad out.....until he

Fnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-59936639780135813352008-03-20T00:05:00.002Z2008-03-20T00:07:56.858Z

I've only been burgled once in my life. It was in my second year of uni, living with my sister in an apartment building in Russell Square. I was sleeping over at Amrita's house that night, when I got a call in the morning. It was my sister."Girlay, I have some bad news. Don't freak out."Ok."We got burgled last night, and your laptop's gone."Ok. Not that bad. Laptops get stolen all the time. I

Fnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-35655018186270778712008-03-14T14:53:00.007Z2008-12-09T18:02:03.462Z

We did a report about a new product by Lush today, an all-natural soap and beauty products company. They are running a campaign, together with Reprieve to highlight the illegal detainment of Guantanamo Bay prisoners.Lush does all these gorgeous soaps, bath products, face masks, shampoos made from completely natural products – you can smell this store from half a mile away.The product we were

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-27102357743305851562008-03-03T15:29:00.001Z2008-03-19T15:31:45.332Z

They let you leave Israel alot easier than they let you get in. My first steps back on Egyptian soil were accompanied by a surprising sense of relief. I hadn't realised the subconscious tension I had been harboring the entire time during the last 6 days. But the tension is definitely there. Even as a tourist, you always feel the need to please the occupiers, to prove outwardly you aren't doing

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-30953302379188398892008-03-02T18:22:00.002Z2008-03-02T18:30:28.362Z

Back in Jerusalem. All the shops in East Jerusalem have shut in protest to what's going on in Gaza. 70 dead. It's troubling how I have been in East J for the last couple of days and had no clue what was going on until I went to Ramallah yesterday and people informed me. Eilat...Jerusalem...Tel Aviv...it's so easy to be in denial or completely block out the atrocities being carried out less than

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-28991620171041524462008-03-01T15:17:00.001Z2008-03-19T15:20:07.978Z

Soon after, I returned to Jerusalem and hopped onto a bus to Ramallah next, the government and administrative hub of the West Bank. There isn't much to see in Ramallah, but if you know someone living there, as I was lucky enough to, it's a great place to experience how Palestinians are living what is probably the closest they can get to normalcy. There's also a big expat community here, and as I

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-47864821997326975842008-03-01T12:02:00.002Z2008-03-12T12:07:19.850Z

It’s amazing how easy it is to get around here. I went further into the West Bank today (East Jerusalem IS the West Bank too), taking a bus into Bethlehem. Over here, what should be a 30 minute ride can sometimes stretch into 1.5 hours, especially for Palestinians getting from one city to another simply because of Israeli checkpoints stationed between cities which by international law belong to

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-7520413801702059582008-02-29T11:27:00.000Z2008-03-05T11:32:31.144Z

1. At an Eilat zebra crossing, you wait for the cars zooming towards you to pass, then double up in shock when they come to a standstill at the zebra crossing, patiently waiting for you to cross.2. Within your first 15 minutes in Jerusalem, you get told off by a cop for jaywalking. Jaywalking. "Why did you cross when the red man was flashing?" "Oh....erm, I'm sorry, do you not do that here?" "No.

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-10670305627220727212008-02-28T20:28:00.001Z2008-02-28T20:43:37.541Z

After months of planning, dreaming, having my plans thwarted because of that visa problem and this lost passport bullshit, I stepped on the 10.15pm bus to Taba on the Egypt-Israeli border on Tuesday night.After all that planning, my actual embarkation onto that bus was a result of a hasty afternoon's decision to just GO. I had only that morning itself, finally resolved all my visa/passport issues

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-17304358625022696192008-02-25T15:06:00.001Z2008-02-25T15:06:38.951Z

The countdown has started. Booked my flights today — I leave Cairo, for good, in exactly two weeks. March 8th. The end of 16 months in this glorious city, 16 months that have changed my life forever.

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-40708354670807154832008-02-20T15:05:00.000Z2008-02-25T15:06:03.553Z

Despite an initial period of depression, absolute betrayal, and suicidal tendencies, we are pleased to announce that Pookers/ Pookahontus/ The Pookie Monster is fine and healthy and back to attacking his Mummy. Woohoo!!!

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-20011494318176910022008-02-18T15:05:00.000Z2008-02-25T15:08:13.832Z

Today, I went to the vet for the first time ever. Mummy wants to chop my balls off so my pee-pee stops smelling so much and I act less hyper. Mummy gets a little frightened when I jump up as high as her shoulder first thing in the morning. I can't help getting excited about discovering every morning that everyone didn't disappear off the face of the earth.At the clinic, I met two more cats just

Fnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-36394157524672145112008-02-16T11:33:00.003Z2008-02-16T11:39:14.072Z

I was reminded of the Ultimate Solution again last night, when we went to watch the Flavor Project show at Sawy (hiphop show featuring a bunch of kids rapping, dancing, b-boxing, breakdancing).Let me digress for a bit — I went expecting a half-arsed show, and to an extent, when they kept starting acts after 5 minute intervals and repeating the introductions, I rolled my eyes and thought, typical

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-35464434350205636912008-02-16T11:18:00.002Z2008-12-09T18:02:03.700Z

Too sexy to be environmentally-friendly...

Fnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-32070520769576461942008-02-12T10:42:00.000Z2008-12-09T18:02:04.402Z

Yesterday, Egypt became my country. On phonecalls from home, even for my Nigerian friend Harrison, whose home-team lost way before the finals, Egypt became baladi.20 of us gathered to watch the finals of the African Cup of Nations between Egypt and Cameroon. I’m not one to get into the details of the game (partially because half the time I wasn’t really paying attention) but where there‘s a

Fnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-5863512798240611092008-01-14T00:49:00.000Z2008-01-28T00:52:51.745Z

The first two weeks of 2008 were wrecked with indecision, life in limbo, a lot of soul searching and general frustration. I was offered a job as feature writer for a newly-launched women's magazine in Dubai and to go or not to go was heavily influenced by several factors, the promise I made to my parents to come back home after Egypt, reservations about living in a society like Dubai,

Fnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-16618866499096487992008-01-01T23:57:00.000Z2008-01-28T00:18:11.651Z

A friend of mine messaged me this morning. She's 28, living in Singapore, and she says, "Just brought in the new year here. Boring. Enjoy your youth. It's all downhill from here." Her message made me pause for thought. What a way to start the new year! It made me pause because I'm going to turn 24 next month. Is it really all downhill from here? I had the impression things were on their way up!

Fnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-87194290164393026012007-12-29T15:04:00.000Z2008-02-25T15:04:47.338Z

It's the Christmas/ Eid holiday, I'm supposed to be in Dhaka celebrating with my family, but where am I? I'm still in Egypt. Masr just won't let me go. The post office, to be exact, wont let me go. I sent my passport back to Singapore to get a special visa for Bangladesh, my mother sends it back to Cairo, and whaddya know, it never arrives.So I'm still in Egypt.And try as I might to get out of

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-77589197819750343392007-12-20T15:00:00.000Z2008-02-25T15:03:51.767Z

All morning, I wondered what that strange moaning sound was. At first picked up by my subconscious, ignored by my conscious — but as it continued, at times more frequently, I realised it was the bleating, braying and moaning of animals tethered to every corner of my neighborhood. All waiting to be slaughtered.They really weren't exaggerating. The streets really are flowing with blood. Every

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-36923358856849312782007-12-06T23:39:00.000Z2008-02-24T23:44:08.596Z

One day, you stand in your apartment lobby and accidentally catch your boweb (doorman) lifting his galabiyya above his knees — your boweb who seems to never wear anything but traditional egyptian thobes and galabiyyas, usually a turban on his head — and he has blue Nike (fake) tracksuit bottoms on underneath. You wonder if that's what Egypt is all about: a man who appears to be in a traditional

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-90546864293442334732007-11-22T23:06:00.002Z2008-12-09T18:02:05.255Z

The first time I celebrated Thanksgiving — and it had to be in Egypt. And naturally our adopted country had a part to play — with over 20 friends, too many to sit around one dining table, my first thanksgiving meant not one, but TWO turkeys and tons of beautiful sides including gravy, stuffing and cheesy mashed potatoes. Sometimes, these Americans sure strike gold with their ideas.PIE!!Now you

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-38454195400174582292007-11-07T23:00:00.000Z2008-12-09T18:02:05.678Z

It was only appropriate that I celebrate my Arab-versary in Egypt (yep - 1 whole year in Egypt) watching an exclusive performance by Nancy Agram at Manial Palace. The biggest (and ever-ubiquitous) female artist in the country, performing at one of the most picturesque properties — and all with yours truly standing next to the richest man in Egypt, Naguib Sawiris, owner of Orascom Telecoms, number

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-4874921488987428362007-11-01T13:26:00.000Z2008-12-09T18:02:07.123Z

No, no, no — you're doing it all wrong. That's Turkish Sufi stylee. Here's how we do it in good ole Masr.Relax arms and let them follow the flow of your body. Swing ya pelvis to the right — Thrust. Swing ya pelvis to the left — Thrust. For extra attention, stand solitary on the mosque wall. So I finally made it to a Mawlid in Egypt. The biggest all year, in fact, in Tanta, near the delta where

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-28811960794729483562007-10-28T10:24:00.000Z2007-10-28T10:25:00.024Z

I had a lousy night. Went to bed early because I was so exhausted, but got woken up an hour later because some dumbo decided to call me at the indecent hour of 12.30am (Alright, fine I'm the dork here but who cares). Ended up not being able to sleep until 4.45am, so I did some arabic, cooked some asparagus and gave Pookie some company. At around 4.30am, I finally started feeling tired so I turned

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-11283698133781063842007-10-23T13:31:00.000+01:002007-10-23T16:16:16.159+01:00

Wow, I would’ve complete missed this if a good friend hadn’t reminded me.One year ago today, I left England. October 23rd 2006 was the day my life changed forever. I left behind what had been home for six years, probably the most formative period of my life.My heart broke that day, in a way much worse than had a man instigated it. I didn’t lose any man, but I did lose my entire life in that city,

Fnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-43583348438000283862007-10-16T15:21:00.000+01:002008-12-09T18:02:07.549Z

13.10.2007I was supposed to be in Jerusalem but sadly it didn't work out. The Egyptians decided I have been here on one too many tourist visas and that its time I got residency. Which takes 5 days to process and seeing as how we planned the trip on Tuesday, I went to renew my visa on Thursday and it was the Eid weekend...there was no way this trip was going to happen.So Eid in Cairo it is.

Fnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-12190982782383245112007-10-15T15:01:00.000+01:002007-10-16T15:04:14.635+01:00

11.10.2007We took Harrison to pierce his ears in Mohandiseen today. They do it in gold shops here, although I was a little surprised that the guy didn't use any alcohol whatsoever to clean Harry's ears, nor wore gloves. Just a small (almost toy-like) gun.Both Sarah and I were very proud of our boy. After the first bang on the right ear, we asked him how he was feeling, to which he responded with

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-29805336941772769112007-10-14T02:17:00.000+01:002008-12-09T18:02:07.689Z

"If your cat was a human being, he would be an abusive boyfriend." — Yassir BhaiI came home today and found this on my bed.The mind boggles as to how this came out of his mouth. Do kitties naturally shed their milk teeth and grow new ones like us? Did he have an especially enthusiastic battle with my blanket fibres and lost a tooth in the process?Whatever the case, the little devil will be

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-41202094331229979132007-10-10T09:43:00.000+01:002007-10-10T13:51:51.718+01:00

It's a hot, polluted day here in Cairo — the Black Smoke is in town, its that time of the year when the farmers, factories and garbage guys burn everything in their possession, from the stubble from rice and cotton harvests, to tyres. The taxi ride home is taking especially long today — traffic here in Cairo is so unpredictable. There's no certain time or street where you know there wont be

Fnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-23958228878506405522007-10-09T11:53:00.000+01:002007-10-09T11:55:15.037+01:00

It's funny. Living here, sometimes, I feel so inexperienced and wide-eyed at times. I constantly meet people who are doing way more interesting things than I have, who have lived in far more cities than I have, who have travelled to far more destinations and far flung places than I have. A lot of my friends here are older, many are journalists, people working in human rights, development — and

Fnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-649501693766570232007-09-24T14:34:00.000+01:002007-09-24T15:39:31.059+01:00

I'm generally a fan of anything or anybody who opposes the hegemonic dictators of this world, but what? what the HELL?"Sayed Askar, an Al-Azhar cleric and Brotherhood MP, says the bloc will also oppose any law that might aim at banning female mutilation. "Cutting must be upheld because it is an Islamic practice," he said. [http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/860/eg5.htm]Where does this idiot come

Fnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-56283092032003375472007-09-21T10:59:00.000+01:002007-09-21T11:02:43.158+01:00

It's my first ever Ramadan in Egypt. I approached it with excitement, and so far its meted out nicely. The first day started off with a big bang, after an entire day of starvation, my colleague and friend, Tom and I cooked a big South East Asian iftar for like 20 of our friends. I did Tom Yam Squid Noodles and Tom did Peanut sauce chicken with nasi goreng and fried noodles. I scoured 3 separate

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-76545974938511741092007-09-04T10:53:00.000+01:002008-12-09T18:02:07.902Z

My levels of gluttony in Cairo have reached new heights.Yesterday, we went to Lucille's for lunch from work, and had probably the most spectacular burger I've had so far in Egypt. It was also humungous, I couldn't finish it, so it was packed up and brought back to the office to be reheated and chomped on some other hungry time. Unfortunately, me being me, I forgot to refrigerate it and left it on

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-30844297143100707002007-08-28T11:58:00.001+01:002008-12-09T18:02:08.127Z

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6966467.stm

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-43049397807230463232007-08-25T12:55:00.000+01:002008-12-09T18:02:08.406Z

Last night, I fulfilled an 8 month promise. In December, when Mum was here in Cairo visiting, she made me one of my favorite dishes, her prawn curry. Later that day, I was gushing to Kent about how awesome the lunch I'd had was, and I was promptly berated for not inviting him over for a taste. I felt really bad after that, and the guilt over selfishly devouring my mothers divine cooking all on my

Fnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-86103095239139685552007-08-04T12:44:00.000+01:002008-12-09T18:02:09.078Z

Everyone's always amazed I haven't been to Dahab, despite being here for 10 months now. It's one of the most popular destinations in Egypt — beautiful Red Sea waters without the tourist traffic of Sharm. So for my long weekend in July, me and two colleagues decided to catch the bus down finally. It was also my first time in the Sinai, which by the way, I discovered has some incredibe landscape —

Fnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-30498652693499761482007-08-01T08:19:00.000+01:002007-08-01T08:27:11.678+01:00

So I finally moved house! I am now officially a Zamalek resident. To people unfamiliar with Cairo, this should sound totally romantic. I live on a tiny island on the Nile that sits between the two sides of Cairo (Giza and Cairo). In huge contrast to my previous neighbourhoods in Cairo, this one is a bit of a yuppie area, with mostly foreigners, rich Egyptians and a plethora of foreign embassies.

Fnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-57730927192563913532007-07-18T11:01:00.000+01:002007-10-16T15:08:51.800+01:00

Short holidays in a country rarely encompass much of an all-rounded experience of life there. So, I consider my living in Egypt for 15 months as providing me with a comprehensive set of experiences you cannot come across on a 2 week or even 3 month stay. Add to that comprehensive list this month: getting sick and having to go to hospital. Forced to leave work early because of the immensity of

Fnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-59993276514151533312007-07-14T10:08:00.000+01:002007-07-18T10:34:20.757+01:00

Thursday 6pm after work. Wondering what to do over the weekend. It's my last weekend before the magazine goes into production, and obviously, I would like to make the most of it. Mohammed Ali club for a day by the pool? Dinner at a restaurant by the Nile? I made a booking for that evening at Sequoia, so that was an option.And then Fawzy calls and asks us if we want to go to Ain Sokhna for the

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-7970201028834086422007-07-11T11:40:00.000+01:002007-07-18T11:51:59.960+01:00

Back from London yesterday. 10 days of epic eating, shit weather and one mini trip to Manchester. Two chance encounters with two of the most cherished people in my life when I least expected it. Kashfi was flying Dhaka-Paris-Toronto, and made a quick detour through London to see me. My lovely girl and I spent my first 2 days there together, before she jetted off to gay Pareee to catch her flight.

Fnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-68687865108142292652007-06-28T16:17:00.000+01:002008-12-09T18:02:09.615Z

On three separate occasions, Egyptians have told me I look like one of their actresses, Nelly Kareem.The first time, within 3 days of arriving in Cairo, someone I met told me so.Then, once on the metro, some girls poked me while I was engrossed in my iPod to ask me if I was an actress. I looked at them a little strangely, and just said no, meanwhile thinking, “If I was an actress, I would

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-71981559713317532402007-06-25T10:48:00.000+01:002008-12-09T18:02:09.782Z

Now, how often do you get the above mix of people in one house?[top to bottom, left to right: Venezuala, Singapore, Nigeria, USA]

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-75223560346666450442007-06-23T21:42:00.000+01:002007-06-25T10:58:41.376+01:00

so the old address had to go. It's time to get rid of a blog that has my first name on it, and it was also time to change my template which I was getting really tired of. Although I'm not sure why i bothered, I don't seem to have any time to blog anymore these days.Whatever the case, this is the new URL. Created in the name of my child in Egypt. Change your links.~Image courtesy of my friend,

Fnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-55682611425904551392007-06-19T23:12:00.000+01:002007-08-21T11:09:28.061+01:00

I finally decided to get a haircut — my first in Cairo since I moved here 8 months ago. I’m very, very fussy about my hair and I cherish my tri-yearly visits to the stylist, where I relish in getting my long mane washed by someone else, feeling their fingers massage my skull, and then getting a bangin’ blowdry and walking out feeling like Beyonce. I think these experiences are worth the money I

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-17559227699048840262007-06-15T12:42:00.000+01:002008-12-09T18:02:10.453Z

Soad was looking beautiful of course.The wedding was in the Semi-Ramis Intercontinental, in an awesome grand ballroom, and all of us (current and ex-aiesecers) sat on this far side where they had these awesome, slick high tables and chairs. Soad and her new hubby came in amidst a big bangin’ dance troupe, playing drums and singing. We only arrived at 10.15pm mind you, dinner was served around 1am

Fnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-9023159271975228872007-06-12T10:30:00.000+01:002007-08-21T11:07:40.794+01:00

I got invited to my first Egyptian wedding. Soad, an ex-AIESECer here, was sweet enough to give me an invitation to see how the entire thing plays out in this country: from the signing of the marriage contract in a mosque, to the henna night to the wedding reception itself.Yesterday was her henna night — an all-girls dance party held in her house in Mohandiseen. it’s interesting that in the south

Fnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-9629184949407409652007-06-05T10:49:00.000+01:002007-06-05T10:53:01.053+01:00

Apparently, fava beans (fuul) are an aphrodisiac for men.This explains alot of things here in Egypt...... Maybe if fuul was to be banned here, us girls would for once be able to walk the streets here in relative peace.

Fnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-22246210261390443922007-05-31T11:59:00.000+01:002007-06-24T14:51:24.574+01:00

Train to Luxor 6am. The 3 hour journey passes in sub-zero temperatures created by the AC. Get to Luxor tired and chilled to the bone. The touts and guides swarm around us, and I progressively get more and more annoyed at people trying to rip us off. We haven’t had breakfast, and sitting down at a café near the station, I get so annoyed at the waiter refusing to give us a menu because they clearly

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-20875540685799001712007-05-30T23:59:00.000+01:002007-06-24T14:57:37.819+01:00

Location: Aswan, EgyptMy head feels like its being cooked alive. I’m wearing sunglasses and a cap and I still want to die. You open your mouth and your throat dries up like you’re sitting in a sauna.Checked out of my beautiful hotel this morning, and walked downtown. Found a decent budget hotel, Orchida St. George, and paid 35 LE for the night. I also booked a trip to go to Abu Simbel, the High

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-28275974755308776402007-05-29T23:59:00.000+01:002007-06-24T15:00:24.508+01:00

4am. Wake up to catch my company car ride to the airport, hop on a paid-for flight to Aswan. Aswan is in Upper Egypt, which is basically south of Cairo/Egypt. What usually takes a 12 hour trian journey to get to, I accomplish on a 90 minute flight during which I mostly sleep.Land in Aswan and I run into Jonathon Spollen, a fellow journalist from Cairo, also covering the same event. We get to the

Fnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-37548339601580037492007-05-27T13:52:00.000+01:002007-05-27T14:26:04.385+01:00

Oh wow. Just knowing the weekend is near is getting me all hyper and excited. Weekends have started having the same effect on me as chocolate. In university, every day meshed into the next, every day was a sleep-in, everyday a Saturday. Now, I cherish every 2 day weekend I get. If I get a 4 day weekend, well, then it's like Christmas.Plus I didn't get to do my weekend away earlier this month

Fnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-36152462236605568642007-05-26T08:17:00.000+01:002007-05-27T13:51:50.496+01:00

Getting evicted. It happens to everyone, most of my friends have been evicted at least once, some unlucky ones TWICE. You can't live in Cairo and not live in at least 4 apartments in the space of 7 months. And really, if you had a choice between a nice flat and my boosboos, I think you would choose my little fur-ball of happiness too.Nevertheless.....tonight, I need someone to play me the song...

Fnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-79211619901549088092007-05-20T10:42:00.000+01:002008-12-09T18:02:11.001Z

Yes, I love an Egyptian male. He's very white... slightly too hairy, but has the most beautiful Blue Eyes I have ever looked into. He came into my life only yesterday, but already my heart aches when I leave him behind in the mornings to go to work. At night, he doesn't let me sleep. He keeps me up, constantly pouncing on me and waking me up. He follows me around, keeping close behind my heels at

Fnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-39882374856082366602007-05-20T10:25:00.000+01:002007-06-24T21:10:07.287+01:00

I really can't wait to go home. All day I keep sitting here at my desk wondering if Bousbous is okay. It's his first day all alone in the flat, which I left all closed up, with his litter next to the doors. I hope he remembers to use it. I hope he isn't lonely. Last night, I left him alone in the living room when I went off to bed, but unlike other nights, I left my bedroom door wide open, just

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-11150934039670260702007-05-19T13:32:00.001+01:002007-05-19T13:32:29.561+01:00

So after 2 years passing since I bought my once-very-white-now-kinda-grey iBook, the charger cable decides to wear out and stop charging my laptop.Life hits a standstill. I spend 2 days using the old iMac in the office which hangs everytime I go on the Daily Star website.Things become desperate. I take advice from EVERYONE.Some say go to the apple store and buy a new one. Some come up with asking

Fnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-70531258881589951462007-05-13T08:43:00.000+01:002007-06-23T21:39:27.740+01:00

To me, a fully veg potluck party that's actually lip-smackingly good is an anomaly. But not when it is Indian veg dishes and prepared in a nice Maadi kitchen with 5-6 friends all at the same time :)The Menu:1) Freshly made chapati2) Daal3) Chana masala4) Sagh paneer5)Shakshoka6)Fried Spice Potatoes7)Egyptian Salad8) Sweet homemade Lassi9) Masala Chai Ok fair enough, points get taken off because

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-7319725760331819442007-05-12T10:22:00.000+01:002007-05-21T10:24:14.804+01:00

"Kent got a lapdance from a full-dressed pregnant 'client-servicer' last night, who started pulling his hair because he was too cheap to tip her, and who — when he finally did hand her 5 pounds — proceeded to wave the note around laughing to show everyone how cheap he (still) is."Now there's a line you don't get to say everyday.

Fnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-4856520977592885872007-05-09T08:39:00.000+01:002007-06-25T10:39:26.857+01:00

There is no time to breathe. Sleep is a thing of the past. I'm waiting for just one night, where I can just stay home, and catch up on my prison break downloads. Waiting to get out of Cairo, waiting for my first weekend. Work is hectic. Life after work is hectic. I keep saying I will start this, and that, like Arabic lessons, when I finally 'settle down' — but when the hell am I going to settle

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-64101588519559294782007-05-06T13:13:00.000+01:002007-05-19T13:23:17.660+01:00

.....is in the form of a Helen's kebab and 2 boxes of Hare & Tortoise King Prawn Fried Rice.....frozen in a small baker street fridge the night before......and then flown all the way from London to Cairo.....is in the form of friends who know exactly what would make you deliriously happy after leaving London 7 months ago and living in Cairo where food is rubbish.King Prawn Fried Rice with Chilli

Fnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-14917081435901333962007-05-02T12:44:00.000+01:002007-06-24T21:48:42.833+01:00

I just had my first ‘I hate Egypt’ day. I've never had them before; Egypt and I have usually gotten on marvelously. I even managed to bypass ‘culture shock’ pretty smoothly, because I think it hit just when my mum visited in December, so I was very distracted with warm hugs and yummy food.It really mainly consists of little things annoying you. People, most of the time. Before I was able to

Fnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-30285182264145532662007-05-01T09:42:00.000+01:002007-05-17T10:18:55.508+01:00

...white sauce in 7 years. ....ever attempt at cooking macaroni and cheese. ....online cooking assistant in the form of Kent on MSN.

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-61954583443835364572007-05-01T00:59:00.000+01:002007-08-21T11:08:16.765+01:00

Yes, it’s a bright, neon, Russian infested tourist resort town.No, it doesn’t feel like you're in Egypt anymore, it feels more like you’re in Moscow in year 2098 and global warming has warped the climate completely. People are dressed like they’re from a bad 80s flick, and there are more white faces than brown. It’s refreshing in a depressing way, after all that pent up frustration from life in

Fnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-77210907832893952312007-04-22T11:37:00.001+01:002007-04-22T11:37:44.088+01:00

Well, I survived the toileting side, I will have you know. And, yes I agree with Tom, it really is liberating sitting out in the open, feeling the breeze on your ass and doin' what you gotta do in such silence. Daytime toilet trips I very much enjoyed, can't say the same for night visits however. Having to go out with a flashlight, even with 3 girls in tow, into absolute darkness is kinda scary.

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-70331865260996654592007-04-22T11:35:00.000+01:002008-12-09T18:02:13.287Z

I'm not sure where to start. Or where to stop. Borrowing Tom Gara's favorite word, Siwa was AWESOME. The people I traveled with, the Bedouins who organized everything for us, just AWESOME.Firstly, I am officially in love with the desert. Forget beaches. Forget mountains. Forget the ocean. The desert is my favorite get-away at the moment. The enormous size of the dunes, the vastness, the absolute

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-27775233571529374982007-04-18T09:09:00.000+01:002007-04-18T09:14:33.110+01:00

They say these are the 50 worst days of the year, where the khamaseen engulfs the city in a blanket of dust and sand. I've spent 50 days mainly cooped up indoors working in the office, so yesterday when I had to leave work in the middle of the day to get my Visa work done, I found myself caught up in a sandstorm for the first time ever.The whole world was literally yellow. I stood in front of the

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-49475078531923695562007-04-16T10:25:00.000+01:002007-06-24T22:26:11.634+01:00

I dont know if they were sand flies or just bed bugs caught in the Bedouin's bedding which they provided us to sleep on in the desert. But somethin nasty bit me out there....and it is driving me nuts.On my left thigh alone - I have 17 bites. The bastard thing travelled down the top of my thigh, all the way to my ankle, leaving big red bumps which itch like a b****. I look like I have chicken pox.

Fnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-41966892633745041732007-04-05T10:28:00.000+01:002007-06-23T21:56:39.213+01:00

I finally got my press card from work! It's a very cool RED, and hangs on a red loop holder thingy around my neck and it says PRESS in big red caps. Then, it has a very forgettable picture of me under which it says my full name, followed by 'Assistant Editor'.I feel so utterly cool.

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-13388513140136023272007-04-05T09:37:00.000+01:002007-04-05T09:42:18.266+01:00

So I just found out/realised........ that out in the desert we are gonna be crapping in the open sand.I'm serious, I'm traumatised.I can't even squat! Kent the white Canadian boy is better at it than me!Tom Gara scares me with stories of how the girls on his last trip 'bonded' over this little desert activity. Images of 7 girls squatting over one big hole drift in my mind and disturb my sleep at

Fnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-86558990469519561882007-04-05T09:28:00.001+01:002007-04-05T09:28:54.100+01:00

So finally, I'm going to the desert.Spending the weekend in Siwa, an oasis near the Libyan border. 16 of us are going together, on a 20-seater bus which will drive us there over the 10-hour journey. Actually, let me just copy and paste what Tom emailed us:We will be staying in Siwa town the first night, then camping out in the desert the next 2 nights. The guides will make a big awesome bedouin

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-71292404697831901652007-04-05T00:36:00.000+01:002007-08-21T11:09:13.490+01:00

Sometimes I hate being a woman. The hairy problems that we solve back home with waxing, is taken care of by 'sugaring' here in Egypt. Very similar concept, involving something sticky being ripped off your skin to remove the hair from its roots. But so very different and more torturous in practice.If you know how waxing works, you'll understand why sugaring is so painful. Firstly, they use a dry

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-8956883619327111522007-04-04T11:36:00.000+01:002007-06-24T22:32:48.271+01:00

Oh I should be shot. I never thought I would feel guilty over not updating my blog.So here's the deal. I got an apartment. Luli's to be exact. I'm moving into Luli's old place in Dokki, which is literally across the street from my former apartment on Tahrir Street! haha. I can now officially claim to be from Dokki. The rent is approximately the same as my room in the penthouse, albeit this time

Fnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-38825577571556646462007-03-26T09:23:00.000+01:002007-06-24T22:37:18.300+01:00

find it incredibly boring but....Bangladesh victory puts India out SUCK ON THAT! :DThe elimination of India and Pakistan leaves the World Cup in the West Indies a happier, less toxic tournament; But for the tournament itself, nothing could have been more tonic than the purging of Pakistan and India, the dysfunctional giants of South Asian cricket. Instead of these glowering bruisers, the

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-54284576242109776612007-03-24T09:43:00.000Z2007-06-23T21:58:07.423+01:00

Ok I'm going to do this Nay-Nay style, and take a short cut as well. It's been too long, way too much has happened, and before I start getting amnesia, I'm going to note down the last (nearly) 2 months of my life:6th Feb: Flew to Singapore. Spent a week there with my family, shuttling back and forth between home and hospital.17th Feb: The decision was made to take my uncle back to Bangladesh. All

Fnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-66564047805247321352007-03-05T09:16:00.000Z2007-03-24T09:17:23.889Z

... nearly a month ago, life has not been very blog-worthy. It has bordered between dull and depressing, really. Depressing because since I landed in Singapore, my whole family and I have been absorbed in caring for my uncle, who is suffering from brain cancer. Over the last month or so, we have watched as this tiger of a man has slowly deteriorated, in health, speech, movement and mental energy.

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-54275701595352611602007-02-25T09:45:00.000Z2007-02-25T09:47:08.736Z

Location: Cairo (a late post, but here nevertheless)My back is aching. My bum is aching. Sitting on anything but the living room couch is proving to be agonizing. And the pain has decided to kick in 48 hours after we came back from my first ever venture into horse-riding.Now I’ve always had this romantic idea of horse-riding. I think it was the SE Hinton books I read as a teenager, I always

Fnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-84407487745763161932007-02-25T07:23:00.000Z2007-02-25T07:36:11.808Z

Location: DhakaEveryday, driving along the same streets connecting my various relatives homes, we notice more and more of the familiar shops and restaurants along the way being demolished or defaced. Last night CandyFloss had a sign. This morning it is nameless. Yesterday, Asparagus restaurant had a front, today there's only a big gaping ugly hole. And no it's not the work of vandals or business

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-56747818879586647502007-02-06T12:24:00.000Z2007-02-06T12:25:16.525Z

Well whaddya know....Cairo Airport has FREE wireless all over.So yeah - I'm at the airport. Waiting for my flight to Singapore. Don't ask why, but I'm all checked in and waiting in the departure lounge a whole 2 hours early. Insane, I tell ya!So the last few days have been crap. In terms of my "last few days in Cairo". I've convinced everyone including myself that I'll be back in Cairo in a month

Fnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-28048307335608342762007-02-01T00:16:00.000Z2007-02-01T00:22:02.469Z

So at 3pm today, I was offered the job of Assistant Editor at Egypt's most prestigious English-language current-affair magazine. Which means ... 1 whole year in Egypt. Starting March 2007. Despite the long build-up to this news, I am still feeling completely overwhelmed.

Fnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-11098151080748956342007-01-31T02:42:00.000Z2007-01-31T02:45:53.894Z

That word epitomizes my existence at the moment.A week from today, I am scheduled to fly out of Cairo. 7 days. Yet, it hasn’t hit me. I’m totally in denial of this little fact, because I actually don’t know what’s happening to me in the near future. I may or may not be leaving….Okay – so - I am currently *trying* to stay in Cairo, but only if circumstances allow. These circumstances will be

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-7420610635022086292007-01-22T11:22:00.000Z2007-06-23T21:58:25.873+01:00

Why?Did you think that just because there was a party going on in my flat, that I wouldn't notice my new bottle of Nutella gone the next day?And what means did you go to ensure no trace of this bottle would exist after gobbling it all up in one night? I couldn't even find the empty bottle the next day! Did you take the evidence home, or hurl it off my balcony into the dark cold night?How could

Fnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-13097633953892170712007-01-18T09:29:00.000Z2007-01-18T09:33:53.774Z

One month over in Egypt, and the time comes for me to renew my visa here. Welcome to the Mugamma, a huge imposing building in Tahrir Square, the workplace of 15,000 disgruntled Egyptian bureaucrats. The easy part is applying for the visa: get a form from this counter, pay for a visa stamp at another, and hand it in at yet another. Salman and I give the lady our passports together. “Pakistani, NO.

Fnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-83187608536734062602007-01-18T09:02:00.000Z2007-01-18T09:03:18.625Z

Everyday, I make myself stand on my balcony or at my window, and I just stare. Maybe if I stare long enough, I’ll be satisfied that I’ve had my fill. If I stare long enough, perhaps I won’t miss this place when I’m gone.20 days to the end.

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-62673560808511292862007-01-12T16:20:00.000Z2007-01-18T09:05:39.037Z

So Christmas week, I escaped to Dubai for the wedding of an old family friend, Rahad. It was the most hectic 7 days I've had in ages. Although being my first time in the UAE, I SAW NOTHING. I saw a mall. I saw the Burj Al Arab Hotel from a distance....but it was basically home to beauty parlor to wedding party to home, and all over again. Oh yeah, I did see lots of Meena Bazaar though, the local

Fnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-58324648802480443402007-01-09T15:41:00.000Z2007-06-23T22:01:27.456+01:00

There is a school right next to my apartment building. And even though I am 18 floors above, every morning I wake up to the bellowing of 200 schoolkids, singing the Egyptian anthem. It's actually scary how fiercely they sing collectively. Also very annoying when you are trying to sleep in.Fast forward to the morning of my flight to Abu Dhabi, UAE.At 2am the night before I set my alarm for 6.15am.

Fnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-19690976155763114942007-01-09T15:29:00.000Z2007-01-09T15:36:34.336Z

Last time I wrote, it was December 18th. Exactly 3 weeks ago! I feel terrible for not blogging, so much has happened in these 3 weeks! I suppose that’s why I haven’t been blogging :P Also, I went away for Christmas, and since being back in Cairo, I’ve been working from my boss’s home in Heliopolis, which means I actually have to WORK, because I’m literally sitting on the same desk as her in her

Fnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-37791139566265036282006-12-18T11:07:00.000Z2006-12-18T11:08:00.314Z

I realized I haven’t updated on the apartment situation since moving in….two words…LOVING IT! I seriously feel like I am living in the lap of luxury (by cairo standards). Some might say (yes you know who you are) that living on an 18th floor penthouse is giving me a big head. I wouldn’t disagree so easily!And yes, it’s true you can see the Pyramids from my balcony! In fact, if my curtains aren’t

Fnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-74938552971219226152006-12-18T10:44:00.000Z2006-12-18T10:46:53.313Z

So Saturday night was the epitome of my taxi riding experiences here in Cairo. For the first time ever, my cabbie refused to take payment from me!It all started with him asking me where I was from. Then he asked what I was doing here in Cairo. (Oh and amazingly, I have no idea how you ask these in Arabic, but you start recognizing these questions when you hear them like a billion times)…and

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-3473302426396651122006-12-18T08:41:00.000Z2006-12-18T10:50:21.144Z

My mama is here in Cairo! Which explains me being slightly M.I.A. It has been busy, busy, busy. Going to work, not going to work, looking for another job/traineeship in Cairo (more on this later), and taking mum out as much as possible….AND getting my beauty sleep has been hectic! My dad flies in today and together mum and dad fly out to Dubai on Friday morning. And I join them in Dubai on Sunday

Fnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-49813989990934118302006-12-12T12:38:00.000Z2006-12-12T12:42:35.837Z

A useful phrase to know, when your prepubescent taxi driver starts telling you he wants to be your 'friend' because he realizes in the 5 minutes you’ve sat in his cab that “Inti I Love You”. I only wish I had known how to say this BEFORE embarking on this most eventful-yet-common activity of catching taxis in Cairo.Seriously, all my stories seem to emanate from taxi journeys here!Did you know?

Fnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-9646259688626661642006-12-12T10:28:00.000Z2006-12-12T10:36:59.909Z

My first farewell in Cairo! People are already starting to leave..... Last Friday, Percy left Cairo after 5 months here!Percy is from Mumbai, India and although I've only known him for like a month, I felt quite sad that he was leaving. Being a trainee here means you get attached to fellow trainees quite easily, they're all you have! He's a gentle soul, something hard to find....especially when

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-10447814810010495012006-12-12T10:18:00.000Z2006-12-12T10:24:54.988Z

If I lay here If I just lay here Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Fnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-1165243705759374482006-12-04T14:39:00.000Z2006-12-04T14:48:25.940Z

As usual, I am late. I’m meant to meet Nay-Nay at the supermarket to go for our first grocery shopping expedition. By the time I’m there, she’s done and coming back with 3 big bags of shopping. I ask her how much she spent, and realize I’m pitifully equipped with 30 pounds in my handbag. But I go ahead anyway.Get to the supermarket and realize I don’t know Egyptian numbers….!3 weeks in Cairo and

Fnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-1165055475798094272006-12-02T10:30:00.000Z2006-12-02T10:31:15.810Z

I’m on the train back to Cairo, and as we approach the station, a non-Arab looking woman asks me something in Arabic. I give her my usual, “No Arabic” and then she looks at me for a second, and asks, “Hablas Espanol? Speak Spanish?” I reply, “Si, un poco! Yes, a little!” and a wonderful conversation ensues.She tells me she is from Argentina, here to do a project related to a philosopher she

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-1164890587470111452006-11-30T12:42:00.000Z2006-11-30T12:43:07.480Z

Finally, after more than 3 weeks in Cairo, I have my own place to live!!I’ll be sharing a sick-ass apartment in Dokki with these 2 American girls from the American University in Cairo and another AIESEC trainee, Nay-Nay, who is relocating from Alexandria to Cairo this weekend!! I’m so excited, Nay-Nay is really cool and I cant wait to be living together! We’re lookin forward to our first grocery

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-1164722936131204532006-11-28T14:06:00.000Z2006-11-28T14:09:57.600Z

A peculiar thing about Cairo/Egypt. Landlords here are obsessed with making sure they are renting out to tenants of 'good character'. Alot of landlords stipulate in the contract that unrelated men and women cannot share an apartment together, people of the opposite sex cannot stayover or even crash at your place, unless you're related and they keep a check on this through the bowebs (doormen) who

Fnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28577150.post-1164192696306602882006-11-22T10:36:00.000Z2007-06-23T21:59:53.289+01:00

Dial phone number of local Egyptian eatery.Arab man on phone: SalaamStupid trainee called Zine who doesn't know a word of Arabic: Hello? Salaam Can I get some delivery?Arab man: booga wooga?Zine: Crap. Do you speak English?Arab man: No. Booga wooga. Hold on.Arab man #2: Hullo! Yes?Zine: Hello! Salaam. I would like to order some delivery please. Can I have a fata? With meat.Arab man: ok, address!

Fnoreply@blogger.com1