International Festival, Cairo American School

Sam and I had a fun day Saturday.  We discovered that the hydrangeas have hit town and as our outdoor space is mostly shade, I couldn't wait to buy a couple to brighten the tropicals already in our garden.  Right now the flowers are b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l. !  The weather is still cool so everything is looking at its peak!

Some of the flower shops along the railroad track would give Under the Sun in Tulsa, Ok a run for their money! ( I once worked at Under the Sun, a plant nursery and gift shop. We really did have some of the most beautiful plants in town.)  We found the hydrangeas in so many colors. I bought three: a light pink, a blue and a hot pink .  The geraniums were also pretty and cheap in price so I bought three knowing full well that once these blooms are gone, that I will have to give them to one of my friends with a sunny spot in their garden.  The cat that traverses the back wall and hides behind the lattice waiting to come into our garden and snatch a meat trimming off Sam's grill had uprooted one of my begonias to do his business.  Now that little spot is speckled with scattered pot shards to deter kitty from any more "deposits!"  While I was potting the flowers we just bought,  I did a shuffle and repot to some of my tropicals who were looking a little tired and lonely. Everything looks so pretty back there now!

After purchasing the plants we went to CAC (Cairo American College-the American school here) for some lunch at their international festival.  Since our church and workplace is multi-national, some of our friends were working their home-country booths. We had been invited to come sample food from Poland, South America, Canada, and South Africa.  An around-the-world food sampling sounded like a good lunch to us! We entered the CAC grounds passing through a throng of security and a couple of gates. Once inside, the scenery changes to a lovely-though-under-construction campus with green grass, blooming flower borders, and nice leafy trees!  Beautiful Arabesque Applique Tents lined the open soccer field;  their vibrant blues, yellows, greens and reds lending to the festive atmosphere. 

Music was playing on a stage to the far right, wonderful smells wafted across the field from booths with signs and decorations identifying the country within, and children ran freely and noisily from one place and one friend to another.  To make a long story....or a short story even shorter---we wound up eating lunch AND staying all afternoon to hear and see the entertainment from students, adults, and professionals portraying song, dance, mime, and other talents from their home countries. The costumes were fabulous and the music, so different from one place to another was enchanting.

Here's a little run down on what we ate: bbq wings from Canada, polish sausage from Poland, empanadas from South America, tostados from Mexico, donuts from Cameroon, samosas from India,  

dried beef called biltong from South Africa, cakes from singapore, chocolate cake from Switzerland...and that's just what I REMEMBER~  It was a lovely time. We came for lunch and stayed all day.  

Wonderful Wednesday At Wissa Wassef

Today is Wednesday. Wonderful Wednesday.  A Wednesday full of wonder...  as  I promised my kids I would be more consistent in blogging now that I am back in Cairo (and have no more trips home planned until December), I wondered what part of my daily life friends and family would be interested in. It turned out that I had the opportunity to go with some friends who have family in town to one of my favorite places today...Wissa Wassef Art Center.  I also made my first trip to Fagnoon Art Center!  (Notice I said my FIRST trip-I will go back!)  Let me begin with the trip to Wissa Wassef. This began as an experiment  in weaving tapestry to encourage the creativity of village children by a man named Ramses Wissa Wassef. These were children without a formal education and no art training. SInce 1952 two generations of weaver have created beautiful tapestries that are collected by galleries and museums around the world. 

One would not expect to find such a treasure as Wissa Wassef off of a narrow paved road that runs along side a trash lined  irrigation canal. You have to maneuver past men with donkey carts loaded with the day’s produce, past the man who sells baked sweet potatoes, and the villagers grouped on the side of the road waiting for a mini bus.  We turn down a short dirt road and along a rock wall before coming to a gate where the gate keeper signals Ikram Nosshi that guests have arrived. 

Ikram is a friendly, welcoming host, son-in-law of Ramses Wissa Wassef, who speaks very good English and who was delightful to listen to as he told us the story and history of Wissa Wassef. We toured the museum housing the progressive works of the first students. Each tapestry tells a story, sometimes the life of the weaver, her hurts and her joys woven into the warp and weft of each piece.  Village life, flora and fauna are typical themes depicting in some cases, original farming and fishing practices which are from a bygone era. 

The wool comes from local Egyptian sheep; their wool does not contain the oils sheep produce in cooler climes. The dyes are grown and harvested on site-a rainbow of hues produced in nature and perfectly paired with the local wool to produce gorgeous colorfast yarns.  Cotton thread is also used to create very detailed tapestries. The cotton is of course, Egyptian and the colors are organic and natural as well!


While we were watching the artists work, two ladies came out of a studio with tapestries under their arms. They had just finished their work and were coming out to display it for all the artists to see. At Wissa Wassef they all celebrate when an artist's work is completed with a small ceremony. At our request, they unrolled their work and laid it on the ground for us to see. As we gasped that they would lay such a treasure in the DIRT, Ikram explained that to them,  it was only the earth, not dirt, so not to worry~!

Turkey Coop in the foreground
Domed Museum in the background

The site consists of a home; an information center where newer works are displayed and for sale; workshops in a structure created to resemble a small village with narrow passage ways, a city square and community meeting places; fields for growing their dyes; a museum converted from old domed adobe chicken coups, and a gift shop. It is located conveniently on the Sakkara Road. 

Tapestries on Display

The weaving is done on one of two types of looms, either a simple or a complex loom. Most of the wool weavings are done on the upright simple looms and the cotton ones are done on the complex loom. In both cases the artists weave tapestries that hang either horizontally or vertically. When weaving a tapestry that hangs vertically, the artist is actually weaving the theme sideways, because regardless of the way it hangs, it is woven on the horizontal. We are talking about thinking in several dimensions! It is amazing~!

Wissa Wassef is truly a diamond in the rough. You have only to enter the gates to be amazed and inspired and welcomed as friends. 

It's Citrus Season!

My good intentions of blogging at least once a week have been just that: good intentions.  I have no excuses. I will continue to strive to do better~

This is citrus season in Cairo. We are getting loads of fresh oranges and grapefruits. This is one of my favorite sights! A donkey cart covered with grasses, loaded with oranges, many with the stems still attached!

They smell so good!

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Egypt grows blood oranges!

You can see when they are sliced, that they have a reddish color to them.

This is the juice as it was squeezed.

It sort of reminds me of a Tequila Sunrise!

The flavor is sweeter than a regular orange and not as acidic. Wonderful!

The Year of (the) Game

Early last January, while sitting in Taba, Egypt, overlooking the Straits of Acaba within view of Jordan, Egypt, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, our friends, The Williams and we declared 2011 the "Year of Adventure"! We proposed that we be intentional, to get out of Maadi and explore, travel and enjoy all that Egypt had to offer. Little did we know what adventure the year would bring!  While 2011 was an interesting year, and we don't plan to be boring this year either, we have declared this year to be the "Year of Game."

Sam and I enjoy playing games. When we have people over to grill, we usually wind up just talking the night away...and we don't get around to playing any games. This year, we plan to be, well, more gamey!

Both of us grew up playing cards and board games and enjoy the relaxation (or release of competitive drives) that a  good game can give us! My sister and brother-in-law routinely play games every other week. Jeff is a game aficionado, attending GenCon every year. He usually has a few recommendations after a week of playing new games and fresh editions.

New Years Eve we had friends over, AND we played a game of Ticket To Ride Europe. Sam grilled some great ribs, friends brought sides and desserts!  We had black-eyed peas, Sam style.......Yum~

Pandemic! is a new game for us this year. It is a lot of fun to play, especially once you realize that you are playing cooperatively to beat THE GAME.  The first time we played, the game beat Sam and I . The thought, "oh, no, I've lost the game!" ran through my head.  So, Ryan Bartnick, I have thought of you again!

While I am speaking of games, I have to put in a plug for our favorite game store in all of Kansas City, probably all of the midwest -Table Top Game and Hobby. Owned by Phill Kilgore a friendly and knowlegeable gamer, his recommendations are always on target. The ladies of our family have a tradition of shopping there every Black Friday with elf and Santa hats jingling   as we enter the store. We have great fun perusing the aisles looking for a game extension to hide in a stocking or a new game to wrap for under the tree.

Happy New Year and may your games always be fair,  and may you always have fun, even if you don't win!

Mark and Barbara Keneke

Todd Henry and Bud Lewis

Tim and Linda Quinn 

Clayton and Julie Williams

Fred and Karen Perry

Me and Sam

                                                       Let The 2012  Games Begin!!!

Christmas Eve Reflections

Strolling our way through Maadi this week, Karen Perry and I went about taking photos and enjoyed the relative quiet that a holiday in Egypt brings. Many expats (people who are not from this country), especially westerners,  take their vacations during this time. As we walked I was struck by the commercialism for Christmas this predominantly Muslim country offers. Mainly it is just in this area, where many foreigners live. Outside of Maadi one would be hard pressed to find  Christmas decorations, colored papers, or pretty ribbons and cards intended for Christmas giving. It is another day like any other in the Muslim life. I kind of like it this way.  We are not bombarded with the hottest toys of the season whether for the 4 year old or the 40 year old in the house!  Our mailboxes are not full of sale ads for weeks before Christmas. Mall-o-mania just isn’t here!

 The cooler weather brings out some beautiful flowers. This bouganville looks "Christmasy".

This wall says "I Am Maadian"
Maadi is the area we live in.

The plant shops sell poinsettias, Christmas cactus and evergreen (Cedar and a few pine) trees. Outside the stationery stores we can find sheets of  colorful Christmas paper displayed on racks, for sale. Some of the bookstores have Christmas cards depicting Santa as a heiroglypic form in an ancient tomb, or with Santa on a Camel near the pyramids. What you won’t see here are manger scenes, or ornaments depicting shepherds, angels, or wisemen--at least not outside a westerner’s home. Santa seems to be acceptable in this environment, and local people with greet me with, “ Merry Christmas!”

Our "SpongeBob" tree.
Looks like something off the
cartoon! It holds our
handblown ornaments.

I like that we have to search things out to make our homes ‘Christmasy’  While we are not  inundated with media pushing the latest gadget or advertising 50% off the second sweater, or insisting that “this” is the perfect gift for that certain someone who is hard to please, we do have opportunities to buy some things to make our homes Christmas cozy.  This year I brought some silk poinsettias back in my suitcase to decorate with. I went to the Khan el-Kalili for hand-blown ornaments and decorations. The Khan is an ancient market place. The glass blowers there have learned that westerners like their baubles to hang on our trees, and so they have developed and designed things we will like. The ornaments are exquisite--besides the ball shaped ornaments, one can find camels, trees, stars, hearts, fish, feluccas, shisha pipes, Santas and more. If you have an idea, you can take it to them and they can blow it! It is amazing. 

More ornaments

Our church put on a Christmas Pagent. It is a highlight of our year for me. They use real camels and donkeys, insert some humor into the wise mens roles and uniquely and pointedly tell the True story of Christmas. This year most of the acting was done by kids from Maadi Community School. They did an excellent job. Their play reflected the times that Egypt is experiencing with the revolution that took place last winter while telling the story of Christ’s birth; all in a way that was entertaining and evangelical. 

We went to several company dinners/parties. We had a cookie exchange at Mahjong. What a variety of cookies and candies there were! Sam and I brought a RoKU box back with us so we had internet radio and some Christmas channels on our TV. We pulled out our 45th anniversary edition of Its A Wonderful Life on VHS, no less, and watched it last weekend. Oh, the memories of good times in our old house with good friends and Christmases past it brought up!  

One thing I have been reading this year is The Journey by Adam Hamilton, the pastor at my parents church. It has been a daily devotion that has helped me to focus on the truth of the season.  

Tonight we went to the Candle light service and then came home to play dominoes with some friends. Sam has gone to bed since he has to get up early to go to the office  to take reports. I am doing what I normally do on Christmas eve. The stockings are stuffed, the cookies eaten, and I am sitting in the dark watching the Christmas tree lights twinkle. It is one of my favorite things to do. 

Having young children around on Christmas just makes everything about Christmas so dear. I love that we have a new grand daughter who is experiencing her first Christmas this year. I love that my 2 year old grand daughter can tell her mom she wants to call us, and then all she will say is, “Papa? Papa? Papa?”  She loves her Papa Sam!  I love to hear the oldest who is 4 tell me, “ Merry Christmas, Nana!”   I had a lot of fun shopping for them this year. I would love to hold them and tell them the Christmas story and snuggle kisses from them before bed. I am thankful for Skype which makes the distance bearable--and which we will be using tomorrow to see them as through a window into their living rooms

Gianna

Kaira

Emmalia 

I am saddened by the loss of our friends in Tulsa suffered this week in delivering their baby stillborn at 8 months. Our hearts ache for them.  I am aware of our own loss as Whitney Jill is spending her second Christmas with the Christ. Perhaps she and Elliot have met ... I am reminded of a young, inexperienced young mother who gave birth in adverse circumstances, knowing that her child would one day take on the sin of the world. He too would die and his death would break his mother’s heart.   Our children and grandchildren are precious gifts from God. They are truly a blessing!   Jesus is God’s gift to the world. Tonight’s sermon was about the gifts of Christmas. Our pastor said that Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving.  The gift we can re-gift and pass on to someone else. The only true lasting gift, and the only one that offers Eternal Life.

As 2012 is coming rushing up to greet me, I want to take the quiet moments this Christmas season has given me to reflect up on God’s greatest gift. This year, He is the Gift I will be regifting. God bless you and keep you, may his light shine upon you, and may we all go forth sharing that light this new year!