{"id":3753,"date":"2012-02-02T12:56:31","date_gmt":"2012-02-02T19:56:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/?p=3753"},"modified":"2012-02-20T21:06:46","modified_gmt":"2012-02-21T04:06:46","slug":"leyla-lanty-report6-cairo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2012\/02\/02\/leyla-lanty-report6-cairo\/","title":{"rendered":"Last Round of Visits, Family Dinner Party, Wrap-up"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Month in Cairo- Report #6<\/h2>\n
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\"Cairo
\nPart of \u201cmy\u201d feral cat family in the apartment building<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n

by Leyla Lanty<\/a>
\nposted February 2, 2011<\/span><\/h3>\n

More About the Feral Animals<\/strong>: <\/p>\n

Many Egyptians have cats and dogs for pets and love them dearly, but life for the street cats and dogs is hard. People give handouts to the feral cats, but feral dogs seem to be considered more of a nuisance than cats.\u00a0Regardless, I saw bowls of water, usually near shops and entry ways of large apartment buildings where both cats and dogs quenched their thirst.\u00a0 My "adopted" hall kitties are part of the group of feral cats that live in the halls of the 11 story building where I rented the apartment.\u00a0 Those that came to my door on a fairly regular basis are 2 adult females and 2 two-month old kittens.\u00a0 Once in a while a black cat, probably a year old, showed up.\u00a0 The kittens want to follow me back inside the apartment.\u00a0 Even the young ones know where the food comes from!<\/p>\n

A Note on Public Accommodations (blush):<\/p>\n

\"tissues\"Everyone always carries a packet or two of facial tissues for various purposes.\u00a0 The Egyptian version of facial tissues is very thick, more like a paper napkin than our sneeze catchers.\u00a0 Most restaurants put boxes of them on the tables for customers to use as napkins.<\/p>\n

Sometimes on the way to some activities, I feel a need to \u201cpee\u201d and that can be a real problem.\u00a0 Retail stores do not usually have toilets for either customers or staff.\u00a0 Where people "go" I don’t know for sure, but I have sometimes found myself using an ancient form of what I call a \u201csquat toilet\u201d where you place one foot on a raised foot rest on each side of a ceramic or concrete square with a hole between the foot rests and squat.\u00a0 Sorry, no photos!\u00a0 Needless to say, when I’m out and have to go, I look for an American or European style restaurant and use their toilet.\u00a0 No one seems to mind.\u00a0 Shopping malls usually have very nice public restrooms too.\u00a0 McDonald\u2019s, KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants always have super clean bathrooms and some of them even have toilet paper!\u00a0 I always carry some facial tissues just in case.\u00a0 In the photo, the last tissue in a pack of \u201cFlora\u201d floral-scented tissues.<\/p>\n

Visits with Musician Houda el Artist:<\/p>\n

During my stay in Cairo, I visited Houda el Artist<\/span>, composer and accordion and keyboard master, at the music studio owned by him and his brother, world-famous drummer Sa3id el Artist<\/span>.\u00a0 Houda composed two of the songs on my CD \u201cGolden Days Enchanting Nights\u201d and played a major role in its production in Egypt.\u00a0\u00a0 We discussed various topics in music, friendship, etc. and drank tea and yansoon (anise tea).\u00a0\u00a0 We had a nice long talk about dancing with the music and about the \u201cdance like an Egyptian or any other Arab\u201d course I\u2019m planning.\u00a0 According to him, I\u2019m on the right track.\u00a0 I got the same reaction from Raqia<\/a><\/span> when I discussed it with her, so I\u2019m going to go ahead with my plans and offer it mid-winter.\u00a0 We talked again about the social and political situation in Egypt and he said he thought things will get better in 2 or 3 years but it will be a bumpy ride. <\/p>\n

In the photo, Houda el Artist on accordion at right, Sa3id El Artist on tabla (darbukka) in center and brother Ali el Artist on accordion at the left at Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival Cairo 2009.<\/p>\n


\nPhoto of musicians
\nPhoto credit \u2013 by Denise Marino<\/a><\/h6>\n

\nParty with Madame Shadia and Family:<\/p>\n

A few days before leaving, I met with Ahmed<\/span> and his family at their flat (in the same building as mine) and we walked about 5 blocks to the home of Ahmed\u2019s daughter-in-law-to-be.\u00a0 I walked with the ladies, a 2-year-old girl, Habiba<\/span>, and a 3-year-old boy.\u00a0\u00a0 I\u2019m glad the kids were with us, forcing us to walk slowly, because the unpaved street was difficult to walk on, with lots of potholes, rocks and ruts.\u00a0 We got to the building and the elevator came when called but the car was about 1.5 feet above where it should have been!\u00a0 In apartment buildings, the bowabs (doormen) know how to fix them but I wasn\u2019t about to get into it in that condition!\u00a0 The elevator was just big enough for 2 adults, 3 if they\u2019re slim, and the misalignment combined with the claustrophobic size did not appeal to me, so up the 3 flights I climbed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While waiting for dinner to arrive (delivery from a nearby seafood place), we ate grapes and freshly cut melon and there were many animated conversations among the dozen or so people who were present.\u00a0 It was great fun to watch Karim<\/span> and the other young men playing with the children, teasing, gently pinching then hugging them then \u201cbench-pressing the toddlers,\u201d lifting them like weights and swinging them around and the children squealed in delight.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen this often here, that men and boys will readily play with the little ones in an involved and endearing way. <\/p>\n

After dinner of delicious shrimp, grilled fish with special spices, salad, brown rice, followed by tea, yansoon (anise tea), karkady (hibiscus tea), Mdm. Shadia<\/span> and her niece May<\/span> pulled me into the back bedroom for some real partying with the ladies.\u00a0 We took turns dancing solo and dancing with each other.\u00a0 Following Shadia\u2019s intricate sha3abi-sharqi moves was difficult at times but was a real opportunity to learn that style of dance.\u00a0 We danced to a new recording of the song \u201cAkdeb 3aleik\u201d.\u00a0 All four of us women took turns to show how we dance to this song.\u00a0 Each one had different ways of interpreting it and each version fit the music beautifully!<\/p>\n

Next evening, I met with Mdm. Shadia at her and her husband\u2019s household items shop in the Sa3ida Zeinab district so we could have some private time to sit, drink tea and chat.\u00a0 We did just that for almost 2 hours while customers occasionally stopped and shopped.\u00a0 It was less than a month before Ramadan would start and like many other shops in the area, her shop offered for sale Ramadan lights that people use to decorate their homes for the 3eid, the celebration held at the end of the month of fasting. <\/p>\n

\"Madam
\nPhoto of Leyla with Shadia with black bar<\/h6>\n

In the photo, Ramadan lights for sale outside Mdm. Shadia and her husband\u2019s shop.\u00a0 I did not get permission to display her photo so I have partially covered her face to avoid embarrassing her.<\/p>\n

\"Lamps<\/p>\n

\u00a0Store selling Ramadan lights across the busy street from Mdm. Shadia\u2019s shop<\/h6>\n

\"Blingy<\/p>\n

Last Evening in Cairo:<\/p>\n

I spent my last evening in downtown Cairo shopping for a \u201cbling-y\u201d abaya, the long loose robe that many of the women wear sometimes on the street and often for special occasions.\u00a0 I found one with an unusual asymmetric design of sparkling rhinestones on black fabric \u2013 plenty of \u201cbling\u201d and elegance, gorgeous!\u00a0 On the way home we stopped on a side street close to the home neighborhood for delicious kofta (ground meat kebabs).\u00a0 What a yummy way to wrap up my stay in Cairo! <\/p>\n

Photo \u201cRichly rhinestoned abaya bought in downtown Cairo\u201d<\/p>\n

Back in California:<\/p>\n

I have mixed feelings about being back \u2013 glad to be home but would love to have stayed in Cairo longer.\u00a0 Maybe someday\u2026<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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