"Manifesto of a Veiled Woman"

At the “women in cyberspace” conference that I went to at AU on Monday night, Mona Eltahawy’s young sister told a wonderful story about the preconceptions that surround women who choose to wear the veil. Mona’s sister (whose name I didn’t catch – I will call her Laura, because that’s my sister’s name!) has decided to wear the hijab. She stated that veiled women in Egypt walk a tight line: the fundamentalists don’t like these women (they aren’t covered enough) and the liberals want to save every one of them. Laura described how, one day at college, she wanted to fill in a questionnaire on the topic of beauty. So she asked for a copy of the questionnaire and was told that veiled women were not allowed to fill it out. This led Laura to use her facebook account to vent her frustration. On facebook, she published her “manifesto of the veiled woman.” This manifesto included statements such as 1) I have sexual desires like any other woman/person; 2) I care about beauty. Laura said that she was sick and tired of being viewed as a vegetable.
Before long, she received a message from an Egyptian man who clearly could not cope with this open expression of sexual desire. Egyptian man told Laura that she was “a danger to society.” Egyptian men, he declared, did not want to marry women like this so Laura would have to (quote) “turn to homos.” Laura promptly blocked this charming man from her facebook account. But she made a final telling remark: cyberspace provided her with a relatively safe space to express her desires and individuality. And she was able quite easily to block the Egyptian man who took such offense. But if she had stood at a street corner and declared such beliefs, would she have been so safe?

Women in Cyberspace: Talk at American Univ, Cairo

On Monday, November 5th, I went to a panel discussion at AU on "Her Space, Our Space: Girls and Women Pushing the Boundaries of Cyberspace." The panel was chaired by Mona Eltahawy, an Egyptian journalist whose writings on the Arab world appear regularly in Arab and U.S. media. (see her website at http://monaeltahawy.com/). The discussion threw a fascinating perspective on the spaces women are using to assert their voices, and the subversive potential of blogs and internet use. Here are some of the highlights of the discussion:

Mona Eltahawy opened the discussion by describing how she became addicted to blogs – first through Kuwaiti, and then Saudi bloggers. She fell in love with one blog in particular: one that was written by “Saudi Girl”, a woman who dreamed of the day she could wear flip-flops and show off her toe ring and nail varnish. “I loved this girl!” Mona said. After giving a paper on blogs to a prestigious meeting of journalists, and urging those present to check out Saudi Girl’s site to discover the way women were using cyberspace to push boundaries, Mona discovered that Saudi Girl was actually Saudi Guy…. “But,” Mona said, “I wasn’t disappointed.” Instead, Mona described how she was thrilled at the layers of subversion and gender blurring that was at the heart of this particular blog. You can still read saudigirl’s “outing” on her/his webpage at http://saudigirl.blogspot.com/. S/he writes:
“It first started when I became livid by some of the idiotic arguments that certain public men were using to justify, or make apologies for, the dearth of women's rights in Saudi Arabia. I decided to write to these men in a public fashion. Why not write as a man you ask? Well, I thought it would be more effective (for the cause) if a woman demonstrated the total absence of logic in their arguments. So Alia, a character created for an angry email, became my Arab Amazon, fighting for her rights, and for the rights of all downtrodden Saudi women.”

The discussion at AU also touched on the fact that blogs were a good place for women to reinvent themselves, and to speak out in a way that was not allowed within day-to-day life. One veiled woman described how she started a blog after she spoke out in class and was met with cries of “What! A veiled woman speaking out! You should be quiet…” Writing a blog, she said, was part of her refusal to remain silent. On a blog, you cannot tell if a woman is veiled or not – indeed, you cannot even tell whether it is a woman or a man who is writing. In this way, the blog can override many initial social prejudices.
The discussion also touched on whether blogs were an effective way of changing society. Some of the older members of the audience argued that blogs were a form of escapism, and that it was important to travel and talk to people face-to-face. Just because you blog with two or three people from America or Australia, for example, did not mean you actually knew those cultures…
Can blogs really depose dictators like Mubarak? Who knows… but, as the panel pointed out, blogs were becoming a new media and a new way for the younger generation to assert their voice. We were reminded that two policemen were jailed on Monday for the torture of a prisoner in Egyptian jails – and they were prosecuted principally because an Egyptian blogger spread the video footage of the torture (see my posting on this story – Nov 6). So, the overall theme of the night was: blog! And get your voice heard…

Cairo Shopfronts III: Post-Office and Brooms

There isn't much to say about these photos: I loved the image of all the back-lit brooms in the hardware shop and I liked the dude on the phone outside the post-office, complete with his headgear.

Cairo Shopfronts II

Here are a couple more shopfronts that caught my eye this evening. The shop on the far RHS appears to sell underwear. The window display changes frequently and I'm continually amazed what appears on these models. Sometimes the female figures (like the girl model in this picture) are veiled. Sometimes the underwear is modest and unsexy. But most times there is a strange blend of hijabs/veils, and lingerie suitable for the most racey XX movies. What exactly is the woman wearing in this photograph?? I love the fact that she has a modest scarf draped over her shoulders and long sleeves covering her arms, but also has gaping holes all down her breasts and thighs! I guess we never know what women are wearing under their niqabs!

I also liked the photo of the flower shop with all the plastic flowers out on display. There are some beautiful fresh-flower displays in some of the houses and offices in Cairo. But more frequently, people have grand displays of plastic flowers -- if gold gilt and any other extra embellishment can also be incorporated, then all the better!

Brightly-lit Nile

Ok...ok... I know I've already added a few photos that look exactly like this. But, at the moment, I'm still entranced when I walk home over the Nile and see the disco boats lined up, the permanent restaurant boats all lit up and the skyscrapers towering in the distance. I can't capture all the noise, energy and craziness that comes with this image. And I can't describe the hot and dusty wind that was tangling my hair as I took this shot. But I hope you can imagine some of what I feel every evening when I look down at the dark Nile surging below me, hear the latest Arabic pop tunes floating up from the disco boats and attempt to avoid any stray hand belonging to the men crowding the pavements.

Maybe this place should be called Caitro? Cats, cats, cats

I've never seen so many cats in one city-- usually because where there are large populations of stray animals, most of those strays are dogs so that the cat population is kept under control -- or at least more hidden from view. Here, the felines rule. And they aren't just little skinny cats. They are true street cats: part cat, part tiger, with massive heads and thick necks. They are everywhere.... lurking under the parked cars, sitting in the middle of the pavement, up in every little nook and cranny of a building.
Given the central role that these cats play in my daily life, I decided that I should include regular random shots of cats on the street. So here is my first photo of a couple of cats on the wall directly opposite the office where I work.

Bumper to Bumper: The obstacle course of Cairo's pavements

As I've mentioned in a previous posting, the cars here in Cairo are often parked bumper to bumper. I took a photo today of the cars that are parked outside my office so you can see why so many people end up walking on the road: you just can't access the pavement! The doormen (called bawabs) who sit outside most buildings here push the parked cars together -- either by pushing down hard on the back bumper so that the car 'bounces' forward, or by letting off the handbreak (if the door isn't locked!) and rolling it forward. This leads to great space efficiency on the parking front. But it also means that you have to be very thin, or agile enough to climb over the cars, if you want to get through to the other side. I'm going to start practicing my stunt forward rolls over the car bonnets...

Egyptian Shopfronts. Part I: Hijabs and stilletoes

I decided to take photos of my favourite shop-fronts on my walk home this evening. I ended up taking about 10 photos (they're all up on my facebook account), so I will post them over a few days. The pictures as a group capture some of the crazy juxtapositions and quirks of Cairo: hijabs (veils) next to a shop with high-heeled diamente boots; open-air unrefrigerated meat; red dates; nasty local alcohol; back-lit dangling brooms...

I hope it will help you imagine a little better my long walk home at night. I'm never bored!

world's ugliest dogs?

My dear friend Amber sent me this link and it made me chuckle at my desk today.. and also cry because 1) I'm a sucker for stories about rescued/ near death animals and 2) it's my period. Check out the gallery of photos for some damn ugly canines: http://www.sonoma-marinfair.org/uglydogvote.shtml

Torture in Egypt

Two stories about torture in Egyptian jails have made international headlines this week. The use of torture by Egyptian state security forces is endemic and is widely criticised by human rights groups in Egypt and abroad. Today, Amnesty International released a statement calling for "sweeping measures" against torture in Egypt. (see http://www.dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=10145)

See also the commentary by arabawy (good Egyptian blogger) at http://arabist.net/arabawy/2007/11/06/boulaq-police-sadists-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/

Two Recent Stories:

On Monday, two Egyptian policemen were sentenced to 3 years in jail for torturing an Egyptian man, Emad al-Kebir, who was being held in custody. These policemen sexually assaulted and beat the detainee, and filmed the whole event so that they could use the footage to intimidate others. I don't know how they failed to consider the fact that this footage would likely become public... sure enough, you can see the horrific video online at YouTube.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7078785.stm

The second story that appears today regards an Egyptian man, Ahmed Saber Saad, who died after being held in custody and tortured for three days by police.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7082446.stm

Photo journal of 30-year-old Egyptian woman

The BBC currently has a series of photo journals exploring families around the world. One of these journals is of a 30-year-old woman from Egypt who is a science teacher and mother of three daughters.
Two entries in particular were sad to read because of what they say about the status of women in Egypt. The captions state:

"It took Sherifa a long time to come to terms with the fact that she has three daughters and no boys. Relatives, she says, used to see her as inferior to women in the village who have sons.
"I cried and cried so much when the ultrasound scan showed that my third child, and last hope, was another girl. I am now completely over it. People still tease me about it, but I no longer get so upset. In fact I am happy with my three brilliant daughters, and above all it is God's will."

And:

"Accepting God's will is a theme with Sherifa's life and marriage. "My father was violent with my mother. I chose to marry Ouf because he seemed caring and tender. He used to spend hours standing outside my window," she says.
"After marriage, he changed. He became violent and would insult me in front of his family. I hated my daughters seeing this. We used to argue so much, but with time this passed. I learned that if I wanted to live in peace, I had to compromise, and it has worked." "

For the full photo journal, see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/07/middle_east_egyptian_family/html/1.stm

Disco Boats... got to love them!

Most people who have never spent time in Cairo probably imagine the Nile as a mysterious body of water that flows silently and steadily through the heart of the capital. Think again. I’m afraid bull-rushes and fellucas (sail boats) aren’t the predominant sight on the Cairo section of the Nile. Instead, the big rage is the “disco boat.” As you can see from the photograph, the ‘disco boat’ is basically a floating pile of fairy lights with loud speakers strapped to the sides. All manner of terrible Arabic music blasts from these boats, adding to the constant noise that bombards me on my walk home. My mum is visiting me in February. I bet she can’t wait to join me for some floating disco moves…

5 days of bleeding and still alive... just

In the South Park movie, Mr. Garrison admits his suspicions about women: “I don’t trust anything that bleeds for 5 days and doesn’t die.” Sometimes I also don’t trust this thing that insists on regularly bleeding and I wish I could escape it entirely! As yet another period approaches, and I face another series of sleepless nights, I began to reflect on the extreme discomfort that insists on visiting every month…

Anita Diamant has written a novel called “The Red Tent.” This title refers to a red tent where women in nomadic tribes used to congregate. Once a month, the women set up this tent and refused to move. They were obviously all on the same cycle and they would sit in the tent, gossip, bleed and … who knows… Cry? Shout? Moan?

Periods are strange and dominating things in my life. Every month, I find my body is taken over by what I call “my period self.” For about three days before my period, and for a couple of days afterwards, an alter being moves in under my skin, creating strange electrical currents down my arms and legs and into my stomach. I can still feel my calmer, rational, happy person there inside, but the period self insists on taking control. I am convinced that this period self is a manic depressive on crack. She takes an overdose of amphetamines and then inserts herself into my body. My mind begins to work over time. I get over-stimulated by ideas, I start attempting to do (literally) ten things at once and I can’t sleep at night. This might seem like a good time to be hyper productive… but no. While my mind is jumping up and down and doing somersaults, my concentration levels also deplete and I become overwhelmingly exhausted. So, basically, I walk around like an over-caffeinated crack addict who hasn’t slept for a month. It’s not a great feeling… particularly when it’s coupled with sharply painful stomach cramps.

I used to despair whenever this period self took up residence. I thought my life was doomed and I would never recover. I now recognize her face, know that she is only passing through, and I try to focus on the fact that I only need to endure her for 10 days. The problem is… I’m only left with 20 days of (relative) sanity in every month.

Where’s my red tent???

Mary Oliver's "Singapore"

I have so much I want to write about this evening (went to a great panel discussion this evening about Arab women in cyberspace and justice triumphed in Egypt today when two policemen were jailed for torture) - but it's already late and I have to get up to go to a conference on migrant workers. But I promised myself that I would make one posting before going to sleep this evening. I wanted to share a poem by Mary Oliver, one of my all-time favourite poets. This particular poem is not one I read with much frequency, but when I read it before going to sleep last night, I was struck by the way in which Oliver manages to capture the subtleties of human interaction. In just a few lines, she shows how we can all make immediate, alienating judgments about people and how we can also, with something as small as a smile, overcome those moments of alienation and judgment.

The poem is called "Singapore":
"In Singapore, in the airport, / a darkness was ripped from my eyes./ In the women's restroom, one compartment stood open./ A woman knelt there, washing something/ in the white bowl.
Disgust argued in my stomach / and I felt, in my pocket, for my ticket.
A poem should always have birds in it. / Kingfishers, say, with their bold eyes and gaudy wings./ Rivers are pleasant, and of course trees./ A waterfall, or if that's not possible, a fountain rising and falling./ A person wants to stand in a happy place, in a poem.
When the woman turned I could not answer her face./ Her beauty and embarassment struggled together, and neither could win./ She smiled and I smiled. What kind of nonsense is this?/ Everybody needs a job.
Yes, a person wants to stand in a happy place, in a poem./ But first we must watch her as she stares down at her labor, which is full enough./ She is washing the top of the airport ashtrays, as big as hubcaps, with a blue rag./ Her small hands turn the metal, scrubbing and rinsing./ She does not work slowly, or quickly, but like a river./ Her dark hair is like the wing of a bird.
I don't doubt for a moment that she loves her life./ And I want her to rise up from the crust and the slop and fly down to the river./ This probably won't happen./ But maybe it will./ If the world were only pain and logic, who would want it?
Of course, it isn't./ Neither do I mean anything miraculous, but only/ the light that can shine out of a life. I mean/ the way she unfolded and refolded the blue cloth,/ the way her smile was only for my sake; I mean/ the way this poem is filled with trees, and birds."

On Being "Rushed" to Hospital in Cairo

I’m not sure about the general logistics of dying in Cairo. But I do know this: if you are “rushed” to the hospital in an ambulance, you sure as hell aren’t likely to survive. I’m not talking about the medical care. I’m talking about the traffic. I’ve seen ambulances attempt to navigate the Cairo traffic on a couple of occasions now. Do cars get out of the way in a show of communal care?? Do they hell…. I admit that there isn’t exactly anywhere for these cars to go. Most pavements are 1) crowded with people and 2) have about a meter drop to the floor. And the roads are constantly packed. But I think a little more effort could be made so that the ambulance doesn’t simply sit grid-locked with the rest of the vehicles, sirens a-blaring… Usually, the ambulance driver gets on the microphone to make an appeal. My roommate told me that her boyfriend (who speaks Arabic) listened to one of these appeals. “There’s a man dying in here!! Move over!! Move over!!,” the driver screamed. “Are you heartless people who do not care about a dying man??” “Move over!! Move over!”. After a few minutes of screaming, the sirens stopped. “Fine. No need to move over now,” the driver continued to yell, “He’s dead.”
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Headlights optional...

As you already know if you’ve been reading this blog, I do a lot of walking on the streets of Cairo. Much of this walking happens at night, on my way home from work / the gym/ some social gathering. For those of you who haven’t spent much time in poorer countries, don’t think street lights and nice pavements. Think impassable pavements (pot-holes/ piles of rubbish with cats/ parked cars), total darkness, non-stop hectic traffic, lots of men sitting on their arses, double or treble layers of parked cars at the side of the road etc etc. Most of the time, I’m at the edge of the street, alternately pushing myself up against parked cars to avoid the traffic, and walking further into the street to avoid the men…

Other little quirks that make the walk that little bit more interesting include the fact that:
1) Headlights are optional. Sometimes, if I have my ipod on, I won’t know a car is behind me until the very last minute. At that point, the driver tends to flash his (99.9% of the time it’s a ‘he’) headlights and then I have to attempt to duck between parked cars. Generally, the gap between the parked cars is so small that I have to plaster myself up against the car instead… (and try not to look at all sexual while doing it!). So headlights become a type of lighthouse beacon rather than a permanent fixture of night-time driving…
2) Over 50% of oncoming drivers seem to like to do an extra swerve towards me and away from whatever it is they’re avoiding (other pedestrian/ a random piece of furniture in the road/ a car that’s stopped for the hell of it/ a donkey). Sometimes I can almost feel the car brush up against me and I catch my breath in momentary fear. Is this another way for attention-starved men to feel manly???

Damned if you Do, Doomed if You Don't

Lisa Belkin studies women in the workplace and her recent article on the topic was no surprise - but it still made me sigh in frustration (I'm guessing this is part of a much wider collective sigh amongst women!)

Emphasising the confusing status of women, particularly when it comes to behaviour in the workplace, Belkin starts her article: "Don’t get angry. But do take charge. Be nice. But not too nice. Speak up. But don’t seem like you talk too much. Never, ever dress sexy. Make sure to inspire your colleagues — unless you work in Norway, in which case, focus on delegating instead."

Belkin goes on to discuss the double-standards and confusing signals that plague the workplace:

"Catalyst’s [an organisation that focuses on women in the workplace] research is often an exploration of why, 30 years after women entered the work force in large numbers, the default mental image of a leader is still male. Most recent is the report titled “Damned if You Do, Doomed if You Don’t,” which surveyed 1,231 senior executives from the United States and Europe. It found that women who act in ways that are consistent with gender stereotypes — defined as focusing “on work relationships” and expressing “concern for other people’s perspectives” — are considered less competent. But if they act in ways that are seen as more “male” — like “act assertively, focus on work task, display ambition” — they are seen as “too tough” and “unfeminine.”

One interesting study by a psychologist highlighted just one double-standard:

"He [the psychologist] is the author of one such study, in which he showed respondents a video of a woman wearing a sexy low-cut blouse with a tight skirt or a skirt and blouse that were conservatively cut. The woman recited the same lines in both, and the viewer was either told she was a secretary or an executive. Being more provocatively dressed had no effect on the perceived competence of the secretary, but it lowered the perceived competence of the executive dramatically. "

Good grief!! As Belkin points out, women just can't win.... Whatever culture I find myself in, I am enraged at the ways in which society oppresses women and assesses them according to different standards. We women just have to keep pushing at those visible and not so visible social, economic and sexual barriers!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/01/fashion/01WORK.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5087&em&en=fc0c03fe07914c0c&ex=1194325200&adxnnlx=1194176375-/7GgGL7xUve8xiU8i%2029VA

The right to access healthcare - US v UK

After Giuliani's attack on the British healthcare system, I was happy to read an intelligent rebuttal by Krugman in the NY Times. Yes, the British healthcare system has its faults (mismanagment, some long waiting lines, overwork of healthcare providers), but -- as Krugman points out -- "there’s very little evidence that Americans get better health care than the British, which is amazing given the fact that Britain spends only 41 percent as much on health care per person as we do." Plus healthcare in Britain isn't simply confined to the wealthy. Everyone can access the care. This is a basic right of all citizens and governments should fulfil their duty to provide such services. Go Michael Moore!!

For the full article, see: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/02/opinion/02krugman.html?em&ex=1194325200&en=657b785c5eb61362&ei=5087%0A

Female Sexuality Part II

I have continued to read about the topic of "women's sexuality" since my posting a few days ago. Of course, I've thought about this issue at length before: my Ph.D. was on how the women who fought for the vote in Britain negotiated their public/ private identities in their autobiographical writings. Their sexuality inevitably played critical roles in this negotiation.

But, as I mentioned in my "Female Sexuality Part I" posting, living in Egypt has made me look again at the power of my sexuality and the strange dynamics that exist between men and women. I liked one particular blog posting that I read today and I wanted to share the (male, Christian) author's views:

"Faced with the power that women have over men, a power men have had to control through de-humanization, social and economic control, sexual exploitation and physical violence, and the rhetoric of innate sexual difference, many men end up, in the end, a quivering puddle on the floor, terrified that a strong woman will discover and make public what has been heretofore a secret even to these men themselves (except perhaps in their darkest thoughts they dare not express) - these men just don't cut it [I don't totally agree that men 'don't cut it'...]. A sexually, socially, economically liberated woman is a threat on many levels. It is my contention, however, that the most elemental threat is the sexual element. There are various social and economic controls that still exist to limit the social and economic power of women. A woman who is sexually free, however, threatens men's view of themselves at its most basic level. [also unsure about this point....]

You might be wondering about the whole "Christian" element I spoke of above. It is my contention that all that I have written has been written from a perspective that views women as equal creatures before God, created with power and vulnerability, part of which is sexual. Unless we want to deny that sex is a good gift from a good God (as my other told me, "If God made anything better than sex, He kept it to Himself"; there is no better theology of sex that I know of!) we have to start thinking in more creative ways about human sexuality. We should begin by recognizing, as a social fact, the threat posed to men's well-being by strong, independent women. We need to recognize that threat as existing on multiple levels, and deal with it on multiple levels. We need a positive view of human sexuality, one not linked to outmoded social roles and easily avoidable biological consequences, and teach both boys and girls, men and women, about the power they have, and how it should be used creatively and positively; and about the dangers it poses destructively and negatively."

From: "Women, Women's Sexuality & the Right", http://whatsleftinthechurch.blogspot.com/2007_04_08_archive.html
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Extraordinary Rendition

Hossam el-Hamalawy on arabist.net drew my attention to an upcoming series on extraordinary rendition. You can see the preview at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz80NWS9vvE.

I am continually surprised by how many people have never heard of the shocking practice of "extraordinary rendition." Basically, "extraordinary rendition" occurs when countries such as the US fly individuals to a third country to be tortured and interrogated. In this way, the US can continue to claim that it does not condone the practice of torture (??!!) and can insist that torture does not occur on its own soil. For a detailed analysis with a good account of individual experiences of extraordinary rendition, and how the practice violates international human rights law, see: http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/hrj/iss19/weissbrodt.shtml

The second-class status of Baha'is in Egypt

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights has been representing Baha'is in Egypt who are unable to access ID cards. Every Egyptian citizen over the age of 16 is required to possess an ID--without this document, you can't graduate from college, get a death certificate, travel etc etc. The problem is that you have to list your religion on the ID and you are limited to the choice of Muslim, Christian or Jew. There's no option of "baha'i" or "no religion." This leads to terrible injustice. An article in Daily News Egypt recently described the situation and mentions EIPR's role in representing Baha'is:

"CAIRO: Shady Samir, a 33-year-old business owner, lost his father two years ago. Yet, he is still paying the yearly taxes on his father’s business as if he was alive. Why? Because his father is Bahai and official Egyptian documents such as the death certificate only recognize the Christian, Muslim, or Jewish faiths.
For Samir’s father to be “officially dead” to the national authorities, he would need to convert and become a Muslim, Christian, or a Jew upon his death.
Official documents such as identity cards and birth certificates are a survival necessity. Citizens cannot enroll in school, receive medical treatment, take bank loans, or buy a car without their national ID card. Young children cannot even receive vaccinations against diseases without a birth certificate.
Those Bahais who refuse to pose as Christians, Muslims, or Jews are left in limbo, living as stateless people in their own country.
“Egyptian Bahais exist in nature but in the eyes of the state they are non-existent,” said Hossam Baghat, director of the Egyptian Initiative for Human Rights (EIPR)."
See the full article at http://www.dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=10046

damn mint kit kats

Oh, horror of horrors.... I just went to the supermarket to do my weekly big shop. And I ended up with two packs of MINT kit kats...

A number of friends and family members have asked what I eat here. Well... (said with a somewhat sheepish smile), I've ended up mainly buying over-priced imported stuff that I recognize. Yes! I'm pathetic and failing to embrace a full Egyptian life. But the Egyptian food I've eaten so far has made me feel fat and/ or slightly sick. So... for breakfast I eat natural yogurt with fruit, honey and cashew nuts. For lunch I eat German pumpernickel bread with Egyptian white cheese (yeah! Egyptian stuff!). And for dinner I eat rice and vegetables and an occasional bit of tuna fish. I drink mango and apple juice. Sound a bit healthy?? Yeah. I agree. So today I hit the chocolate and biscuit stands and pounced on a "buy one get one free" kit kat offer. I love kit kats. I steal them shamelessly from my step-dad. But who the hell knew that they came in 'mint' flavour??? I got them home and my roommate said (not very convincingly I thought) "Yeah! mint kit kats".... Mint????!!! How had I failed to notice this extra chemical intrusion into my basic kit-kat joy?? So. I just ate one. And my mouth has an after-taste of fake mouth wash. Maybe this is god telling me to stick to healthy food ;-(

Wine Review

This acidic wine with overtones of vinegar and nail-varnish remover and hints of bleach would make an excellent addition to any greasy, unappetising meal. The wine has a distinctive, alcoholic aroma from which even the least refined taste-buds would recoil. Of particular note is the way in which this wine, a bargain at 55 Egyptian pounds (or 5pounds 50 pence in British money), is able to induce extreme indigestion after one tiny sip. I have tried this out on a few friends and they have all reported identical reactions: a pain in the stomach and acid in the throat. Buy it at your local sainsburys before stocks run out...

(and, yes, the bottle is sitting on top of the toilet. And please note the rather dog-eared nature of the cork... I've yet to put a bottle opener in a cork here yet without the whole damn thing crumbling away (most of it into the acidic depths below)...)

Strange quirks at the gym

I've been going to quite a few exercise classes at the gym-- something new for me because I usually workout alone. There are a few features of these classes that always make me laugh. First, there is a great deal of communal groaning and moaning and squealing.... I'm used to being in a serious workout environment where you suffer in silence. Not here. One sit-up too many, and the women are giggling and groaning and crying out for mercy. Sometimes it makes me laugh and I'm relieved to know other people are also suffering. Other times I want to tell them to shut up because it slows the class down and the instructor ends up chatting to them for 5 minutes... This type of group commentary is just one example of the way that Egyptian society is much more vocal and communal than you'd find in the US or UK. It's what makes everyone so friendly - and so interfering!!

Another strange phenomenum is the fact that a number of women wear bin bags (yes, bin bags) under their trendy adidas/ nike sports gear. They rustle through the whole class. And, by the end, there is a line of sweat on the women's trousers where the bin bags end. I guess these women think they are losing weight. I can just see that they are getting sweaty and dehydrated. And I can't help but imagine that they are wearing giant industrial nappies under their clothes... not a sexy image.

French boy raped in UAE - prejudice shown against 'homosexuality' no surprise

I just read a heartbreaking story about a young French boy who was raped in Dubai that highlights the inadequacies of the rape laws in UAE--inadequacies that are certainly also evident in the Egyptian legal system. Despite the fact that he was raped by 3 men at knifepoint, the boy himself now faces charges of homosexual activity and has fled back to France. The UAE authorities also lied about the fact that one of the assailants had tested positive for HIV when he was in prison three years ago. The prejudice against homosexuals and lack of legal protection afforded to survivors of rape is unfortunately not surprising in this part of the world...
(Proviso: I am fully aware that the racial dynamics in this article might make some people uncomfortable--ie that it is a French national who is receiving all the attention while a UAE national would not get this type of publicity. I do not, of course, think that the rape is any worse because the survivor was French. UAE nationals cannot simply flee to Europe to escape these draconian laws.. and that's what's so terrible. I'm just pleased to see any publicity focusing on these issues).

You can read the story at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/01/world/middleeast/01dubai.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

Also, his mother has set up a support group dedicated to her son at http://boycottdubai.com/. She is calling for reforms to the UAE criminal code so that child survivors of rape are better protected by the law. You can join as a member to show your support.