Ramadan oh Ramadan

Thought I'd cut and paste this management notice that was sent out to all mission staff today.  It is FAQs about Ramadan, and how to act in Egypt if you are not fasting. 

SUBJECT:     Ramadan Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

As we enter this special time of the year for Muslims, here are some FAQ’s regarding the month of Ramadan.

When Does Ramadan Begin?  When Does It End?

This year the month of Ramadan begins on or about August 1^st and ends on or about August 29^th.  Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, begins with the sighting of the new moon by religious authorities, and ends with the sighting of the next new moon.  The sighting of the new moon will be announced over radio, television, and in the newspapers.  

What is the Significance of Ramadan?

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, and commemorates the month in which the first verses of the Holy Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet Mohammed by the angel Gabriel.  The other four pillars are the testimony of faith, prayer, "Zakat" or charitable support of the poor, and making the "Hajj" or pilgrimage to Mecca.  Ramadan is a time of worship and contemplation, and when the concerns of temporal existence recede.

What is the point of Fasting?

The reason Muslims fast is to discipline their body and mind, and to regain control of earthly desires.  The absence of food and drink and other pleasures provides an opportunity to concentrate on prayer and worship.   Muslims use this month to start afresh and give their life a new direction.  During Ramadan, Muslims may not eat, drink, or smoke between dawn and sunset.  At sunset, the fast is broken with a meal (Iftar), which may be as simple as water, and dates, or something more sumptuous, depending on culture and tradition.  Visiting with family and friends may subsequently go on into the late evening or early morning hours.

What is Iftar?  What is Suhoor?

Special meals are eaten before and after each day of fasting: suhoor, before the dawn prayers, and iftar, the evening meal, often eaten communally and often including dates.  Iftar is the meal that breaks the fast and may include any type of food.  In Egypt, the Iftar dessert almost always includes the "konafa," a cake-like dessert made of wheat, sugar, honey, raisins and different types of nuts, or "qatayef," a small syrup-soaked crepe, folded to include nuts and raisins.  Suhoor consists of a lighter meal like cheese, yogurt, and "fuul" (Egyptian dish of beans).

Are Working Hours/Business Hours Affected by Ramadan?

Yes.  During Ramadan, government offices and private sector companies work a reduced schedule.  Most commercial shops and stores may open late and stay open longer in the evening, but may be closed during the breaking of the fast at sunset.

What Happens at the End of the Month of Ramadan?

The ending of the fast is celebrated for three days in a holiday called Eid-al-Fitr (the Feast of Fast-Breaking). Eid-al-Fitr falls on the first day of the Shawwal, the month which follows Ramadan in the Islamic calendar.  It is a time to give in a charity to those in need.  Parents give their children gifts (money and new clothes), and friends and family celebrate the completion of a month of blessing and joy.

What Else Do I Need To Know About Ramadan?

Because of the rigors of fasting, and because of the late hours many fasters keep during Ramadan, non-Muslims should be sensitive to the unique customs of our Muslim colleagues and friends.  Patience and common sense should be exercised.  Please consider the following during Ramadan:

o   Refrain from public displays of eating, drinking, or smoking during the fast.  This includes eating and drinking in the office, official vehicles, or in taxis.

o   If you host receptions or other events at your residence during the time of Iftar (around sunset) it is appropriate to hold an Iftar of fast-breaking.  Fruit juice, dates, and hot soup are a traditional start to an Iftar meal in Egypt.  This is followed by an ordinary meal.  If you invite an Egyptian to your home during the Iftar, the meal should be served immediately after sunset, and no alcohol should be served.

o   Be especially careful when driving, particularly during the hours preceding Iftar (traffic is heaviest from 3-6 pm), when many will be heading home to break the fast.  During the Iftar, when everyone is at home eating, the streets will be empty.  At the conclusion of Iftar, normal outdoor activity resumes and life on the street returns to its normal.

In order to access information about the approximate sunset time in Cairo during the month of August, please follow the links below, and note: only use the sunset times: 

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=53&month=8&year=2011&obj=sun&afl=-12&day=1

For Alexandria, sunset is approximately six minutes later than in Cairo.

“Ramadan Kareem”

Update from Cairo

THIS IS THE MISSING POST (which you will read about in the post right before this one).  Sorry - I thought I lost it but here it is after all.  And if you scroll ALL THE WAY DOWN to the beginning you'll see a great photo of the Kahn el Kalili, the wonderful tourist market I've written about.

I'm still not an expert with the pictures so I'm just going to upload them and try to explain as I go along.  The photo left is the local market - you can get glimpses of completely veiled women.

In the list of interesting things I've done in Cairo (my last post) I forgot to include hiking in the Wadi Degla.  The Wadi Degal is a huge expanse of desert right near our commissary.  You can drive in a certain distance but eventually you have to get out and walk.  Our trip was in early May so the weather was fantastic - beautifully clear and breezy.  We hiked for about an hour; I just loved it.  I've never realized before how beautiful desert can be.  You always think of sand and rocks, and in fact that's pretty much what we saw, but the contrast with the blue blue sky and the different colors of the landscape was stunning.  Of course I have no pictures....I only just recently realized my blackberry takes pictures  and I can send them to myself on hotmail.  I'm so technologically retarded it isn't funny.  Now I've started carrying my actual camera around with me too, so I'm trying to capture Cairo digitally.  I'll share as much as I can.

Yesterday we were authorized to grant one hour admin leave so everyone could leave the office at 3:30 p.m. instead of the normal time of 4:30 (for local Egyptian staff).  That was because Tahrir was filling up fast with demonstrators - there had been a call for a "million man march".  I think they got about 25,000, but that was enough to impede traffic in and out of the embassy which is only a couple of blocks away.  So, we were told if we didn't leave at 3:30 we might not be able to leave at all.  Since I forgot my toothbrush, I  decided to leave.  I got a glimpse of Tahrir on the way out - huge tents cover a large part of it, so I couldn't see much.  This is the hottest time of year so I would NOT want to be out there all day long like these demonstrators.  They get point for perseverence.  We are very well guarded at the embassy; at times, we don't even know anything is going on until someone tells us.  You can't hear anything or see Tahrir from our windows. 

FOUR MONTHS DOWN - THIRTY-TWO TO GO

Bead store at the Khan



Cairo Traffic

 Hello - its been a few weeks now; I certainly meant to keep this going at least weekly but the last time I posted, I somehow did not save when trying to post a photo, so I got the photo on, but lost the text of the very LONG post!  So, I was discouraged, but have not given up!

The picture I succeeded in posting is of the "Khan" (I spelled it wrong in an earlier post), the huge outdoor market where I have now been twice.  The second time a whole bunch of us went - two shuttle vans full of people from the Embassy.  We moved through the market mostly, but not always, together.  It was fun; I spent a lot of time in an amazing bead and jewelery store.  I don't think I've ever seen so many.  I will try hard to post the pictures I took in there but just a warning, I haven't been too successful with that.  The Khan is mostly a touristy souvenir-type place, but very picturesque.  This time we also went across the main road to the other side of the market, which is more for the local folks.  Its the kind of market where you see bras and underpants displayed on tables in front of the stores.  

I think I am going to have to wait until October, when the weather is cooler, to do any real sight-seeing (pyramids, sphynx, Citadel, etc.).  In October the Community Liaison Office (CLO) will be able to arrange some group trips, we hope.  If the security situation doesn't get worse, that is.  I just don't think it is wise right now for me to try to venture there on my own.  On very clear days I can see the faint outlines of two pyramids off on the horizon, which is a little thrill.  But pollution is so bad here, especially now  in the summer, that usually you can't see them through the haze of smog.   Today I went to a welcome brunch for my new boss at an 8th floor apartment with a fabulous view.  It was relatively clear and I could see 3 pyramids, including a step pyramids which I previously thought were only found in central and south America!

Last night I hosted my first "girl night" - we had pizza and wine, and zucchini bread that I made myself.  Then we watched a couple of movies.  Two of my guests fell asleep on the sofa.  I throw a very exciting girls night!  Actually it was pretty late by the time the 2nd movie was over and I was yawning away myself.  But they really liked my place and I hope to do it again soon.  Maybe we'll have a game night next time.  There is a game called Mexican something - can't remember the second word - that everyone seems crazy about.  I've never been crazy about board games but I'd try out a new one.

So the political sitch here is a little strange.  We had a HUGE demonstration about a week ago but it was mostly peaceful.  Now they have tents up in Tahrir Square and political parties with little tables giving out pamphlets, like in an American presidential or congressional campaign.  Although I understand the military has postponed the elections that were supposed to be in Setember.  Meanwhile Ramadan is coming up (month of August) which is not going to put people in a better mood...

The rules of Ramadan as far as I know, are:  no eating, drinking, smoking, kissing, sex, etc., during daylight hours.  People get grumpy, especially smokers (and it seems like EVERYONE here smokes).  The Egyptian employees at the Embassy get special hours off, even the Christian employees who are not fasting.  Muslims follow the fast during daylight and as soon as the sun touches the horizon, they are feasting.  They feast and party all night long, maybe catch an hour or two of sleep, and come to work.  Needless to say, productivity is way down during Ramadan.  The nice thing for American employees is that after about 2 pm the Egyptians go home and the whole embassy is quiet, calm, peaceful.  Its lovely!  The phone hardly rings.  No parade of complainers in and out of my office for several hours at least.  And....no traffic!

The stores are crowded with people stocking up on special Ramadan sweets and special foods.  There is a holiday atmosphere here - people are decorating their stores and trees with holiday lights, kind of like we do at Christmas.  It is going to be interesting to see how this works with the people who have vowed to remain in Tahrir Square through the whole month.

Back from the party.  It was fun - but I wanted to get home and work on the blog! 

By the way, the picture above was taken in  1959 in Cairo.  It's a shot taken when we visited my grandparents here that summer.  I'm the littlest one on the left.  I remember very little about that trip; the very few memories I have may not even be real memories; it might be that I "remember" just because I've been told the stories so often - of being carried up inside the pyramid, of a camel running away with my sister Connie on its back, of my grandmother standing on her balcony and flapping her apron.  I do remember that she would let a basket down on a rope, then a boy on the street would put milk or bread in the basket and she'd haul it up.  That was Cairo grocery shopping in 1959!

On to the present, or at least the very near past. 

Cancelled my flight on January 28 because of the revolution and subsequent "ordered departure" of American Embassy personnel.  That is State Dept lingo for EVACUATION.  Luckily for me, I found a FAST Arabic class being taught at the Foreign Service Institute, and was able to get into the class at the last minute.  FAST Arabic teaches very basic, survival Arabic - how to ask for directions, give directions, find a toilet, order in a restaurant, etc.  I loved the class - no pressure, because there was no testing.  Our only goal was to learn the very basic vocabulary.  We were focussed on conversation, not reading and writing.  I stayed in the class six and a half weeks before I got "the call" to go to  Cairo.  It was a fun six weeks, sometimes we laughed all day long.  My class really bonded together, and I was almost sorry to leave.

I arrived in Cairo on April 5.  Flight was uneventful.  On April 6 I reported for my first day at the Embassy.  That's right folks, no time off to get over jet lag, get comfortable in your housing, find your way around your neighborhood.  If I hadn't arrived in the evening of April 5, I probably would have been taken straight to the embassy to check-in the very same day that I arrived.  Not complaining though - it is easier for me to jump right in.  In fact, I was truly dreading the jet lag, but this time - I really had none!  I went right to bed and slept about 12 hours, got up, ate, and went to work.  Never felt tired or anything until the right time to go to bed.  Never lost any sleep at all.  We are 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard time, and I usualy suffer horribly from jet leg when flying east. 

Before I get around to describing my house, my neighborhood, etc., here is a list of the interesting things I've done so far in Egypt:

- went on a dinner cruise down the Nile
- day trip to Ayn Sochna, a beach resort, where I saw dolphins swimming back and forth four times, about 50 yards out from the beach
- day trip to Alexandria by train for business; ate the freshest fish I've ever had in a wonderful restaurant called "The Fish Market" where you picked out your own fresh seafood.
- attended Good Friday services at a Greek Orthodox church built in 300AD where I think my father might have attended as a boy (still trying to find out)
- shopped in the maze of outdoor markets called "the Con" (trying to find out the origin of the name); had coffee in an outdoor cafe there, patronized by a pulitzer prize-winning Egyptian author
- been to the Ambassador's residence for a "hail and farewell" party
- attended a henna party last week - got a great design on my ankle but every time I look at it, I think there's a big bug on my ankle and I kind of jump a little
- Memorial Day weekend flew to Cyprus to attend a family wedding.  The flight was about an hour and a half.  Had a FABULOUS time.  Saw folks I hadn't seen since I was a teenager. 

Well, that's about it for now.  More later with pictures of my neighborhood, apartment, etc.  Take care all!
 

A New Start

Well, greetings from Cairo, land of the Pharoahs, the pyramids, Sphynx, my dad and brother.  According to the DNA search for migration patterns that Gabe did recently, our ancestors migrated from the Middle East.  Here I am, back in the land of my ancestors, writing a blog.  I hope you'll find it as interesting a region as I do.  

People have been bugging me FOREVER to start a blog, so I've finally done it.  I have a lot to say about the past and future - but mostly this blog is going to be about the present, the challenges and opportunities and adventures I'm experiencing in Cairo, Egypt.

I came to Cairo at a very interesting time.  I was assigned here last summer with the proviso that I would not leave my Washington DC colleagues in the lurch.  I negotiated a departure date of January 2011.  After pack-out, moving to temporary quarters, cleaning out my office, putting my house up for sale, saying good-bye to friends, relatives, and colleagues, etc. etc., the big day arrived:  my flight was at 9:15 p.m. on January 28, 2011.

I had kept my car until the very last day, because I already had an estimated buy-back price from Carmax which I was more than satisfied with.  My plan was to mail packages to myself that morning, then drive up to the Carmax in Laurel, turn the car in, and return by metro to my dear friend Suzanne's house in DC where I had been staying since my pack-out January 12.
The first part of the plan went well.  I packed three boxes of "stuff" (mostly winter clothes I knew I wouldn't need in Cairo right away, but definitely needed in DC in January) and dropped them off at the post office.  Then I returned to Suzanne's house to prepare to drive to Laurel and turn over my car.  I really had a few hours to kill - it was only 11:00 a.m. and the car was not picking me up for the airport run until 5:30 pm.  So.....I switched on the news to see if there was anything further about the demonstrations in Cairo. 

I hadn't been terribly worried, because I knew if it was too dangerous to go, the State Dept would not let me go.  They would have called me and told me to cancel, right?  You would think so.

As I watched a camel-riding thug ride through Tahrir Square in Cairo, followed by more thugs on horse-back wielding whips against a mostly peaceful crowd, I started to wonder if maybe I should call THEM, instead of waiting for THEM to call me.  The US Embassy in Cairo is only one street away from Tahrir Square.  So, I called my friend Carole, who is the assignments officer for the Middle East bureau.  Carole told me to wait because there was some big transcontinental telephone call happening and she would know more when the call ended.  No sooner did I hang up with Carole, then someone at the Embassy in Cairo called to tell me the same thing.  In the next hour, I received three more calls from the Embassy and from the State Department.  The verdict was:  stand down.  cancel.  don't go.  we are evacuating most embassy personnel.  don't come here.  stay in DC.  (you get the picture)

I was grateful I'd kept my car!

It seems this is to be a chronological blog, since I've started it with the events of January 2011.  I'll have to write more later to catch everyone up on what has happened since then.  But - right now, I have to get ready to go to the Independence Day celebration at our local club, the Maadi House.  Hamburgers and hot dogs, lots of red, white, and blue, you know the drill!  I love July 4th at overseas posts - it is really a wonderful feeling to celebrate America's independence when you are in a country that is trying so hard to emulate our democracy.  And almost all of them are.  At times, I forget to be grateful I was born an American.  Happy Independence Day everyone!















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