I know you have heard of Egyptian Cotton...probably priced it in the linen section of the department store or even Target. If so, you know that sheets have a wonderful soft feel to them due to the high thread count. When David went off to college, he got a set of sheets that were 250 thread count. Egyptian Cotton thread counts go up to 1000! (So you know how comfortable HIS sheets are!) The CSA ( community center) offers a tour of the linen factory and I hope to go one day. It is a very popular tour...when I tried to sign up there were already 45 people on the waiting list~ I say, schedule a couple more tours and let these people off the list!
Ok, so having heard of Egyptian cotton sheets and towels, one would expect to find GREAT cotton fabrics here in the land of Egyptian cotton! I have been to two fabric stores so far...they have beautiful laces; they have gorgeous sheer fabrics--many adorned with sequins and beads. They have wool suiting and polyester! But they carry a very limited amount of cotton fabric and what they do have is solid colors, not print material.
I am finding that expat women are very friendly here. They are eager to help me find my niche. So as I get to know people and they discover my interests, they recommend someone they know with the same interest. For example, I met a person, I hope I get to know better...her name is Lynn. She discovered I like to quilt. She told me she would introduce me to some ladies she knows who also quilt. Day before yesterday she called to give me the name of a quilter, said she had already spoken to her, and that Suzie would be expecting my call. While talking to Suzie, she asked where I live so I told her building 16 on Road 213. She said, " oh, so you are in my building. Come on up and we can continue this conversation face to face." So I went up and we visited a long time.
Suzie confirmed my theory that Egyptian Cotton is mainly an export item. It can be found in the high end linen stores--just like at home! Well, if that isn't disappointing enough...I did not bring much of the KING TUT brand thread that I like so well for quilting, because I expected to be able to find it here! NOT SO~ I am beginning to wonder what King Tut would be thinking about all this: Superior's King Tut Quilting Thread is 100% EXTRA-Long Staple (ELS) Egyptian Cotton. Only a small percentage of Egyptian cotton is classified as Extra-Long Staple. This means the staple fibers are 10% longer than regular long staple cotton. That translates to LESS lint and MORE strength.
Suzie invited me to the weekly quilters get together. Held in each other's homes, they meet for two hours and bring something to work on. Hand work. I guess, Michelle (Gill) I am going to take up some applique so I will have something to do~ha. Perhaps I will finally get the hang of it. I met 5 more ladies who went a long way in proving a point--quilters have fun when they get together!! I miss our Monday night group a lot. However, Suzie reminds me of Michelle with her no nonsense way, her patience, her sense of humor, and her generosity! Now if only she will take out and repair my mistakes!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
Latte' at El Greco
Sam and I had coffee one morning at El Greco Coffee Shop. I ordered an American coffee. Sam ordered a latte'. His came out with the foam decorated so pretty, I had to take a photo. Then, as he sipped it, rings like the rings on a log became evident...and the foam stayed pretty to the last sip.
CSA-The Hub of Information and Activities for a New Expat
Sam and I have been eating out almost everyday. He gets home and we go out. (We are still in the temp. apt). My friend, Avis who is also here without kids, took me to the CSA --Community Services Center here in Maadi. What a wonderful place this is! On Sundays and Thursdays, they have a "Cooks Day Off". It is an opportunity to buy wonderful ethnic foods prepared by women that live in Maadi. They set up thier food in a room off the garden. You want to get there early so you can have the best selection! We got there as it opened and the toughest thing I had to do was decide what type of food we were going to have for dinner! Indian, Italian, Mexican, Chinese and Thai foods and Egyptian sweets were the choices for this day. I went with Vegetable Samosas, and Chicken Curry from India; Spring Rolls from the Chinese place, and Wonderful M&M cookies from the Egyptian cook. Sam and I really enjoyed a meal at home! These meals are reasonable and they freeze well. Sheyenne, if Shiney hasn't made you Samosas, yet....request them!
The CSA houses many things to help expats get settled into the culture and living here. They have a lending library, a DVD library, a gift shop with things provided by local artisans (Egyptians), a resale shop, an activities co-ordinator with tours, language classes, and events planned for every day of the week but Friday (holy day). There is a help desk where the ladies can answer any question you have, and there is a staffed gym with great work-out equipment. AND the wonderful El Greco coffee and pastry shop. It is a nice place to stop by and enjoy coffee and free wifi, meet friends and so on. Avis and I signed up for a tour next Thursday---The Walls of Cairo. It is a tour of the old city wall. I am looking forward to it!
On Sunday they have a newcomers coffee and I plan to go. Every Monday is "Manicure Monday", Wednesday nights are Pasta Nights and usually have a program like a fashion show or art exhibit. Several times a year they have a bazaar and this month they are having a large garage sale. So much to do!
Avis then took me to the Carre Four, the very large, Walmart type shopping experience. I went mainly to see what they have that the little grocers near us don't carry, and to stock up on toilet paper and cleaning supplies. You know how Sam's has people who give out samples? Carre Four had representatives there to direct us to the Twinkies and Ho-Hos which are new items for them to carry! I am again surprised that I can find many things here. Avis bought some tortillas...saying she had not seen them before. She also found fajita seasonings and Taco Bell salsa. You have to pay a bit for things like that but so nice to have when you are craving them! ha.
Next stop was Gourmet Egypt. We met Carrie, an Austrailian lady who gives cooking lessons. She showed us around the store, explaining what can be made from the fruit purees, and different ways to prepare some of the cuts of Austrailian Beef. It was informative and by the time we finished looking around, we were hungry ...and committed to a cooking class in the near future! The guy behind the cheese counter was so excited to meet me because I was new that he offered us a cheese tasting...so we did sample some great European Brie Cheeses...we decided the french Brie was the best....being lactose intolerant, cheese tasting was not a wise choice--but I didn't feel like I could decline.
Avis took me to Miriam Market, a small grocer near our permanent apartment. This store has LOTS of American imports (always a stiff price). I saw Cheese-Its, Caffeine Free Dr. Pepper in cases, Skippy, Jello, Doritos...and the list goes on. They have a nice fresh produce area and the meat is good here. Avis introduced me to the butcher and some others there. As we were leaving, a young man came running from the back of the store with a kiwi and an apple in a bag for each of us. " A gift" he said, "Please come again!" The people are very kind here.
Lucille's is a very American Cafe and the place we stopped for lunch. It has been here for years and caters to the Americans looking for a taste of home. The onion rings were reminiscent
of now-gone Johnny's onion rings. Very tasty! It was another good day of exploring and learning my way around.
The CSA houses many things to help expats get settled into the culture and living here. They have a lending library, a DVD library, a gift shop with things provided by local artisans (Egyptians), a resale shop, an activities co-ordinator with tours, language classes, and events planned for every day of the week but Friday (holy day). There is a help desk where the ladies can answer any question you have, and there is a staffed gym with great work-out equipment. AND the wonderful El Greco coffee and pastry shop. It is a nice place to stop by and enjoy coffee and free wifi, meet friends and so on. Avis and I signed up for a tour next Thursday---The Walls of Cairo. It is a tour of the old city wall. I am looking forward to it!
On Sunday they have a newcomers coffee and I plan to go. Every Monday is "Manicure Monday", Wednesday nights are Pasta Nights and usually have a program like a fashion show or art exhibit. Several times a year they have a bazaar and this month they are having a large garage sale. So much to do!
Avis then took me to the Carre Four, the very large, Walmart type shopping experience. I went mainly to see what they have that the little grocers near us don't carry, and to stock up on toilet paper and cleaning supplies. You know how Sam's has people who give out samples? Carre Four had representatives there to direct us to the Twinkies and Ho-Hos which are new items for them to carry! I am again surprised that I can find many things here. Avis bought some tortillas...saying she had not seen them before. She also found fajita seasonings and Taco Bell salsa. You have to pay a bit for things like that but so nice to have when you are craving them! ha.
Next stop was Gourmet Egypt. We met Carrie, an Austrailian lady who gives cooking lessons. She showed us around the store, explaining what can be made from the fruit purees, and different ways to prepare some of the cuts of Austrailian Beef. It was informative and by the time we finished looking around, we were hungry ...and committed to a cooking class in the near future! The guy behind the cheese counter was so excited to meet me because I was new that he offered us a cheese tasting...so we did sample some great European Brie Cheeses...we decided the french Brie was the best....being lactose intolerant, cheese tasting was not a wise choice--but I didn't feel like I could decline.
Avis took me to Miriam Market, a small grocer near our permanent apartment. This store has LOTS of American imports (always a stiff price). I saw Cheese-Its, Caffeine Free Dr. Pepper in cases, Skippy, Jello, Doritos...and the list goes on. They have a nice fresh produce area and the meat is good here. Avis introduced me to the butcher and some others there. As we were leaving, a young man came running from the back of the store with a kiwi and an apple in a bag for each of us. " A gift" he said, "Please come again!" The people are very kind here.
Lucille's is a very American Cafe and the place we stopped for lunch. It has been here for years and caters to the Americans looking for a taste of home. The onion rings were reminiscent
of now-gone Johnny's onion rings. Very tasty! It was another good day of exploring and learning my way around.
Road 9-The Diamond in the Sand
I have had a great week! On Wednesday, I met some ladies at the Costa Coffee shop for a tour of Road 9. Road 9 is one of the main shopping areas in Maadi. It consists of several blocks of shops containing groceries, plastics, green grocers, a mashrabea furniture maker, coffee shops, bakeries, clothing, stationery, souvenirs, and pharmacies. There is a man who sells only nuts...and suprisingly they have pumpkin seeds with lots of different seasonings flavoring them. Sam has found a nut seller on the road to Salaam Base (in the desert) who sells WoNDerful chili-lemon cashews! We have several kilos of them on hand. Makes a great lunch~back to Road 9. They say you can find almost anything you want/need on Road 9. I think it must be true...I found Olfa Cutting Mats and Rotary Blades in the Stationery store! They are cheaper here than at home, and to think, I stocked up on rotary blades in our shipment!
Road 9 has a rhythym all its own. It is colorful with women in traditional dresses and scarves, the juice seller with his aluminum cask of juice strapped to his back, and the basket man on the corner- the store fronts are brightly painted (though shrouded in layers of dust), and the wares themselves are colorful. The copper shop and the silver merchant display shiny wares, the plastics store has anything you could want made of plastic-containers, hangers, kitchen gadgets, wastebaskets, you get the idea...and they come in many colors. Bright, woven cotton rugs and scarves are displayed near the shopkeepers doors. The fruit and vegetables are displayed on the sidewalk to entice you into their shop. Imagine people and cars, weaving in and out of each other like a ribbon folk dance, with the colorful backdrop of shops. Add the sound of horns honking and people bargaining, and the mournful, musical call to prayer. Road 9 pulsates with energy!
My new friend, Karen has lived here 24 years. She introduced me and two other ladies (Sandra from Ecuador and Nadeem, from Mexico), to some of the shopkeepers. She would tell us, "this man has good prices", "this man is very honest", "this man can make anything you like from a photo or drawing",
and she told us who to stay away from too. Valuable information! She even showed us which shop has the pirated DVDs and CDs, and which pile of goods they are stashed under...you can get ANYTHING here if you know who to ask! ha.
Following Road 9 we come to a metro station. It is not used by expats very much and it doesn't go to touristy places. It will however, take the Cairenees to work and it will get an expat within walking or short taxi distance of to something to see. There is a designated car for women. I would not be welcome on a men's car! There is a tunnel under the metro to go to the other side where there are more shops and few expats...the 'real' Egypt if you will. The tunnel is long, a little claustrophobic though three to four people can easily walk abreast through it. It is tiled and round with a flat cement floor edged with gutters to carry away ...? As we emerge from the expat world to the Egyptian world, the scene changes some. There are still colorful people and wares and shops, but there is more! Donkeys pull wagons of tomatoes and potatoes. Skillful displays of fruits line the streets. Women in long, dark, robes sit on the edge of the street among burlap bags and boxes of produce, selling their goods. Another donkey cart pulls a wagon full of aluminum tanks containing "buddah gas". The driver's helper periodically bangs on the tanks to let people know he is passing by. Someone hollers from an apartment window and he stops to trade a full tank for an empty one.
I want to take photos, but I am afraid...of standing out...of offending someone...of losing my camera to someone unhappy with his photo being taken. I have removed all my photos from my memory stick now so that if that should happen, I won't lose too much. I am going to fill my pockets with "baksheesh" or small change to pay people for taking their photos...soon, when I am braver...I will post photos of these wonderful things I am seeing. What I see that is wonderful dwells in the midst of poverty, filth and un(der)employment and what seems chaotic at best sometimes. I am choosing to looking past these things, to see the interesting, exciting, and beautiful. So when I do get brave and you see photos of the beautiful women walking past a heap of garbage, or colorful fruit covered with flies...don't think I have lost my mind or am wearing rose colored glasses...I am just finding the diamond in the sand.
Road 9 has a rhythym all its own. It is colorful with women in traditional dresses and scarves, the juice seller with his aluminum cask of juice strapped to his back, and the basket man on the corner- the store fronts are brightly painted (though shrouded in layers of dust), and the wares themselves are colorful. The copper shop and the silver merchant display shiny wares, the plastics store has anything you could want made of plastic-containers, hangers, kitchen gadgets, wastebaskets, you get the idea...and they come in many colors. Bright, woven cotton rugs and scarves are displayed near the shopkeepers doors. The fruit and vegetables are displayed on the sidewalk to entice you into their shop. Imagine people and cars, weaving in and out of each other like a ribbon folk dance, with the colorful backdrop of shops. Add the sound of horns honking and people bargaining, and the mournful, musical call to prayer. Road 9 pulsates with energy!
My new friend, Karen has lived here 24 years. She introduced me and two other ladies (Sandra from Ecuador and Nadeem, from Mexico), to some of the shopkeepers. She would tell us, "this man has good prices", "this man is very honest", "this man can make anything you like from a photo or drawing",
and she told us who to stay away from too. Valuable information! She even showed us which shop has the pirated DVDs and CDs, and which pile of goods they are stashed under...you can get ANYTHING here if you know who to ask! ha.
Following Road 9 we come to a metro station. It is not used by expats very much and it doesn't go to touristy places. It will however, take the Cairenees to work and it will get an expat within walking or short taxi distance of to something to see. There is a designated car for women. I would not be welcome on a men's car! There is a tunnel under the metro to go to the other side where there are more shops and few expats...the 'real' Egypt if you will. The tunnel is long, a little claustrophobic though three to four people can easily walk abreast through it. It is tiled and round with a flat cement floor edged with gutters to carry away ...? As we emerge from the expat world to the Egyptian world, the scene changes some. There are still colorful people and wares and shops, but there is more! Donkeys pull wagons of tomatoes and potatoes. Skillful displays of fruits line the streets. Women in long, dark, robes sit on the edge of the street among burlap bags and boxes of produce, selling their goods. Another donkey cart pulls a wagon full of aluminum tanks containing "buddah gas". The driver's helper periodically bangs on the tanks to let people know he is passing by. Someone hollers from an apartment window and he stops to trade a full tank for an empty one.
I want to take photos, but I am afraid...of standing out...of offending someone...of losing my camera to someone unhappy with his photo being taken. I have removed all my photos from my memory stick now so that if that should happen, I won't lose too much. I am going to fill my pockets with "baksheesh" or small change to pay people for taking their photos...soon, when I am braver...I will post photos of these wonderful things I am seeing. What I see that is wonderful dwells in the midst of poverty, filth and un(der)employment and what seems chaotic at best sometimes. I am choosing to looking past these things, to see the interesting, exciting, and beautiful. So when I do get brave and you see photos of the beautiful women walking past a heap of garbage, or colorful fruit covered with flies...don't think I have lost my mind or am wearing rose colored glasses...I am just finding the diamond in the sand.
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