Egypt Unbound: The Wild Ride

Where to Go - Ban Sabai

2012-02-28T17:28:00.000+02:00

Recently, I have read more and more about beauty spas and massage parlours being shut down throughout Egypt and the Middle East. Often seen as 'inappropriate,' the perception of most massage parlours is one of quiet tips and off-menu services. This is not always the case however.

Ban Sabai is a wonderful little massage parlour located just across the road from Old Vic. Run by two ladies who moved to Egypt from Thailand, Ban Sabai boasts a wide array of traditional Thai massages, with all ingredients that are used directly imported from Thailand.

I decided to splurge the other day and went for an Aromatherapy Thai massage. It was absolutely divine. Pisan, the massage therapist, was the epitome of professional. I would highly recommend anyone looking for a massage to check out Ban Sabai.

Among massages they offer are:

Thai massage, 60 min. for 200 LE.

Thai salt scrub massage, 75 min. for 250 LE.

Pain relief massage, 50 min. for 200 LE.

Not to mention the traditional aromatherapy massages and foot reflexology! For more information or to book an appointment call: 017 8392 336.

The Game of Egyptian Customs

2012-02-20T17:22:00.001+02:00

In today's connected society, shipping overseas is normally no big deal. Shipping from the US to Europe, where a letter would once take months to arrive, can now have a package delivered from the source to your door in under one week. With express air shipments and rush deliveries, this wait time is often even cut in half. In most countries you would declare the contents of your package, pay the pre-determined customs and taxes fees and be on your merry way. Egypt however, is not most countries.

I have tried my hand at shipping through the mail here only to have my package go missing. It is for this reason that when asked by people "can we mail things to you," the answer is almost always "no." The chances are high that your package will be lost in the mail, and in the event that it does reach you, you're going to have to pay close to 50 % of the value of the contents in customs. This means that when working with a rescue as I do with the Continental Rescue and Rehab, the many people who are willing to send horse supplies overseas are time and again told "sorry the Egyptian shipping customs make it too expensive." The option is usually to wait for someone travelling from the country of origin, and for them to pay excess baggage fees to transport the items back.

A single traveller transporting goods ended up not being enough for a batch of items that were scheduled to be sent to the CR&R from Switzerland. One volunteer gathered an astonishing 200 kg of items donated to be used for rescue horses in Egypt [Although the majority of these items never made it to the CR&R]. Through many telephone calls and e-mails, it was agreed upon with Swiss Air that the cargo would be delivered for a fraction of the cost, as it was intended for non-profit purposes. Not only this, but the cargo was earmarked as 'gifts and donations,' and the point of contact in Switzerland expressly stated "With this receipt of shipping you should be able to pick up the cargo from Cairo Airport and walk out."

Oh if only life in Egypt were that easy.

Now, I personally did not go to pick up the cargo. The following events are reported by my source who went to collect the items from Switzerland himself. We shall call him G (Name withheld for privacy purposes).

Upon arrival to the airport in Cairo, G asked where he should go to collect cargo items. Initially he was taken inside the airport by doorman number 1. He walks G to big-wig number 1's office. In this office, G again requests to know where he should go to collect cargo items from Swiss Air.

Big-wig proceeds to blow a lot of smoke up Gs backside, and instructs doorman number 1 to show G to doorman number 2, who will take him through to the cargo hold area. Doorman number 1 of course holds out his hand expectantly, as he obviously deserves a tip for taking G to big-wig number 1. G complies, and discreetly hands Doorman number 1 a 5 LE note.

Doorman number 2 ended up sticking to G for a significant portion of his journey. He takes him through to an office where a Swiss Air clerk is sitting. G tells the clerk that he is looking to collect a cargo sent via Swiss Air, and proceeds to hand the clerk his receipt. (Bear in mind, at this time G is only holding one piece of paper). The clerk tells him that in order to collect his cargo, they need photocopies of his ID, and a variety of other copies. Doorman number 2 interjects here and says "yes, and the photocopies themselves are 5 LE a page." To this, G turns away from doorman number 2, and asks the clerk how much he should pay. She informs him "2 LE per page." And so the system of corruption begins.

Once G has spent about 2 hours being bumped from one person to the next, he is finally taken to the cargo hold. He describes it simply as "looking like an outdoors market in downtown Cairo." There were boxes everywhere. There were people everywhere. There was no coordination, nor any clear indication of which cargo corresponded to which airline or delivery system, or which was staying in Cairo and which was being collected.

Finally inside the actual cargo bay, G is taken to big-wig number 2's office. Here, he is again asked to present copious amounts of paper. Big-wig number 2 tells G, "here is where we are going to determine the price of your customs." There was no set method of calculation. There was no percentage of the shipping that would be earmarked as customs. No, there was nothing of the sort. What there was, was a pencil-pushing accountant with a calculator, who was an "expert on assessing value of goods sent." Now, remember earlier I had mentioned that our source in Switzerland specifically stated there would be nothing to pay in Egypt? Yeah, okay thought so.

With that in mind, G keeps stressing these are gifts, these are donations, these are to help the horses. Big-wig number 2 says "Okay if these are gifts and not for sale I demand that you open all the boxes and show me everything." From what I have been told, many of the items were in such great condition that they appeared new, despite being donations of used items. The pencil-pushing accountant wanders up, takes a look at all the items in the boxes, and says "these items hold an approximate value of no less than 30,000 LE," and fair customs in their eyes can often be 25 % - 50 % of the items anticipated value.

Despite G's continued prostrations, big-wig number 2 does not want to hear any of it, and tells him "either you are going to agree to pay the customs, or we will keep your items in hold." Ahhh, and here's the catch. To keep your items in hold, you are charged the "land fee," as they politely referred to it. I should add, even if you are there, ready and waiting to collect your cargo as it arrives, you will be expected to pay this land fee.

When G inquired how much this "land fee" was, he was told "Ya3ni it depends. For the first day 100 LE, for the second day 150 LE, sometimes it is 200 LE." End all and be all, they will charge you whatever they feel is a fair land fee. [no comment needed here].

After a good few hours debating back and forth with big-wig number 2, G has at least 4 figures thrown at him for what the pencil pushing accountant sees as "fair figures" for a customs charge. Most of these figures total more than the actual cost to originally ship the items. In order to collect the items, G has to sign a receipt that also marks the cost of the customs fees. The first few figures he was thrown were not written down, merely verbally presented to him. By the last figure, big-wig number 2 grabbed the receipt, wrote down the final figure, and told G "if you want your things you will be paying us this."

Now, G had arrived to the cargo bay anticipating having to pay 'baksheesh,' but not anticipating having to pay an extortionate amount in customs fees. The closest ATM was back at the airport's main terminal, too far to walk after spending all morning on his feet. Luckily enough for him, there were taxi's roaming around ready to take him the short journey to the airport terminal. Let me make a note here, anybody who has taken a taxi into the airport knows there is an entrance fee of 5 LE. This fee, however, is a one time fee, thus meaning once the taxi is inside it does not have to pay the fee again. G's taxi tells him with a straight face, that for a 500 meter journey he wants 15 LE. Why? "Because sir I have to pay to get into the airport." After much fandangaling, G finally manages to get to the ATM and withdraws cash.

Returning to the cargo bay to collect the items, G had to provide the people who had been helping him throughout the day money "for their tea." I found this the most creative way to ask for under the table tips, that you should somehow feel obliged to pay for these boy's tea. Only in Egypt.

Once the boxes came out of the cargo bay, the madness began. Pick up trucks zoomed up to the area, with one box after the next being whisked away. G and his partner literally had to stand over their boxes to ensure that they would not get picked up in the confusion and sent somewhere else in Egypt. While they were loading their items onto the van, of course there were more boys there waiting to help in exchange for the cost of their daily tea.

When G finally had his cargo loaded onto the transport truck to deliver the things to Hurghada, he breathed a sigh of relief thankful that he could finally leave the airport. Oh if only it were really going to be that easy.

While attempting to leave through the main terminal, there were no less than 5 boys lined up, hands out, waiting for their tea money. The final obstacle was the soldier that sat at the front entrance to the terminal. As G approached, the soldier asked him "where have you been, and what have you been doing?" G explains that he's been dealing with customs for the better half of the day and is finally ready to leave. "Where is your receipt sir that proves this?" The receipt was upstairs in the administration office alongside the many other stacks of paper that had been shoved into his hand throughout the course of the day. The soldier, when realising G was not in possession of the receipt, said "if this is the case you must bring everything you just brought through customs to me, in order for me to inspect it and make sure you are really telling the truth." This is a door soldier...this guy has nothing to do with customs, it's just one more tier in the pyramid of corruption that is Cairo Airport's customs. Final result being, a folded bank note discreetly shoved into the hand of the soldier and a plea to "please just let us leave and be finished with this place."

I suppose at least that day, everyone had their tea paid for.

High winds rattle Egypt

2012-02-18T18:30:00.000+02:00

Egypt is known as the land of the sun, and most days this holds very true. I never imagined I would be sitting down to write a blog about the unusual weather patterns in Hurghada, as we have sun pretty much 355 days of the year, but such is the case.

Stepping outside this morning I felt like I had stepped back to Colorado in the thick of winter. A sharp bite of frost was in the air, and despite the sun in the sky winds caused temperatures to plummet. Now what we consider cold I know is nothing compared to what Europe has been experiencing, but for us it is remarkable. The temperature at our house today peaked at 16 degrees, but add the wild chill and you're down to single digits. Not only is the wind cold, it's blowing gale force winds.

Now, anyone who has previously lived in Egypt can remark on one thing. The slightest bit of rain causes Egyptian drivers to freak out. Put one small puddle in the middle of the road, and previously erratic drivers become down right dangerous. (Not to mention most cars don't have functioning wind screen wipers...I once drove in a taxi in a downpour and the guy was hanging out his window as he could not see through his screen. :p). Wind is an entirely different factor. High winds in the past few days have already caused Suez ports to shut down.

Gale force winds require a different technique of driving. You cannot break concentration, and you must account for the wind force on the side and undercarriage of the car. A string of road accidents in just the past few hours indicate that drivers here missed this in driver's education.

3 British tourists and their guide were injured in a bus accident, reportedly caused by bad weather causing the bus to flip. Translation? The driver was taking the hairpin turns near St. Catherine's at an already breakneck speed, but throw in there gale force winds and you have a recipe for disaster.

Another crash occurred this morning in Hurghada, where 2 were killed and 23 injured in another bus accident. The cause for this accident was not reported, but I would not be surprised to learn it is also as a result of high speeds in gale force winds.

Image courtesy of Youm7

These stories all come along with a story from the 9th of February, where 3 German tourists (2 adults and 1 child) were killed when their "submarine" sank off the coast of Hurghada. The reason for the accident? High winds and underwater tow caused the screen on the submarine to rupture, causing the consequent sinking.

I have to ask, why are these buses and boats being allowed to drive / sail in such poor weather conditions? Why is the bus driver not instructed to slow down on the journey due to the high winds? Why was a boat allowed to set sail with a strong under tow when those conditions are meant to be strictly regulated and monitored? Is it all about making that final dollar at the end of the day now? May the people who had to pay with their lives for shortcuts rest in peace.

If out driving at the moment in Egypt, take care. Remember to slow down with these speeds, remember your car can easily be flipped with strong gales. If you don't have to travel long open stretches at the moment, don't. Rain is forecast for the next two days in the Northern Sinai and Cairo. For all drivers, please take your safety at this time into the highest consideration.

What do to in the Event of a Carjacking

2012-02-15T17:47:00.000+02:00

This warning came from the UN Department of Safety and Security for residents in Egypt. Car jacking and attempted theft are on the rise at the moment. Below are some very important tips on what you can do to avoid a car jacking, or in the event that you fall victim, how you are most likely to come away from the situation unscathed.

Unfortunately there are a significant number of reports of armed carjackings in Egypt. These incidents are not confined to the desert highways but also occur on the main roads in Cairo. They are also not confined to night time hours – but now at any time during the day time. Primarily the hijackers are targeting four wheel drive vehicles or luxury sedans. Sometimes they are ransomed back to the owner, sometimes they are sold on for other purposes. In the vast majority of cases the occupants of the vehicle are unharmed. The carjackings are not usually targeted at any group or individual or organisation – they just want the car.

An incident of a carjacking this morning in Mohandessin affected one of us and occurred in daylight in a busy main street. It is important for you to understand how to respond in a carjacking incident so the following provides some guidance that may help prevent this from happening again.

Usual Methods of Carjacking

• A staged accident at the side of the road and attempts to flag you down to assist,
• A staged accident in traffic where a vehicle may bump you in order to get you to stop,
• Blocking your driveway as you wait for a gate to open,
• A vehicle with two or more occupants following you in traffic and attempting to get you to stop by using the car horn or flashing lights,
• Shooting at the tyres of your vehicle.

Preventive Actions

• Don’t stop at an accident if it looks at all suspicious. Keep driving and use your mobile phone to summon for help from emergency responders.
• If you must stop because you are the victim in a vehicle accident then do so in a public crowded area even if you have to drive a little further.
• Phone ahead to security guards (if you have them) or a family member to ensure your gate is open as you arrive.
• Try not to stop AT ALL for someone who tails you on the road and uses horns or lights to try to flag you down. It is possible that after a time they will give up their attempts once you have driven past their area of operation or into a more public and well lit location. This has worked as an effective strategy for one of our staff members.
• BUT, if you hear a gun shot or see weapons then STOP. This means they seriously want YOUR vehicle. It is a complete judgement call if you decide to take action to evade possible attackers but often this does not turn out well.
• Keep your windows and car doors locked at all times. This helps to prevent an incident if you are stopped in traffic for any reason.
• Use your side and rear view mirrors to check vehicles around you. Be aware of your surroundings and traffic patterns.
• When driving keep your distance from other vehicles so that you have room to escape or manouvre in traffic if you need to.
• Avoid unnecessary travel after dark
• Keep your emergency numbers up to date in your mobile phone and record them so they are quickly available. The number to dial in Egypt is 122 to report an emergency or call for help.

Actions in the Event you are being Carjacked

• Always assume there are weapons involved.
• If there is no escape – STOP.
• Breathe and keep calm.
• Keep your hands on the steering wheel in plain sight.
• No sudden movements – take your seat belt off only when the attackers know what you are doing.
• Do not look at the carjackers in their eyes – this could be taken as an act of aggression.
• Respond in a non-confrontational manner.
• It is always best not to resist and to give the attackers what they want.
• The main objective is to get away safely.

After being Carjacked

• Get to a safe place before reporting the incident.
• Report immediately to the police and your security focal point or DSS.
• Try to remember the details of the attackers – what they were wearing, how many of them, accent, vehicle they were driving – whatever facts you can remember will be useful.
• Talk the incident through with relatives or friends. This helps to alleviate the stress of the event.

Remember these incidents are seemingly random – there is no particular pattern and no specific road of particular vulnerability any more – except to say that the incidents have mostly occurred on major thoroughfares.

Please share this advisory with your family and take precautions for your safety.

Spreading Xenophobia in Egypt

2012-02-12T14:16:00.001+02:00

It's not a new excuse to hear recent unrest blamed on 'Invisible Hands,' which usually means the U.S. and Israel. But this has always remained part of political rhetoric, with few people actually believing that the state was completely innocent and the blood of the revolution is on the hands of the Western nations.

I was shocked to see this picture today. Is this an indication that their continued plug of placing blame on the foreigners is paying off? Does this mean that more raids on NGOs will follow, or are people going to realise that this is a plan of sedition and to spread discord among the population? Only time will tell.

Picture courtesy of Twitpic.

The sign posted above reads: "No to the American/Israeli plan to divide Egypt." The propaganda wheels are in full swing.

Update on "Senzo Robbers"

2012-02-08T13:12:00.000+02:00

The other day I posted a blog about an on-going arrest campaign against the gang responsible for no less than two armed robberies in Hurghada.

The gang involved in the robberies hit pharmacies and supermarkets and made off with not only money but goods. Eye witness reports indicate that they would storm the location with machine guns and automatic rifles, threatening to shoot if people did not comply. This is an entirely new trend for Egypt in the past year, as before the 25th of January Revolution armed robberies were virtually unheard of.

As the revolution progressed and civil disorder spread, a security vacuum emerged that has continued to grow in the past year. This was increasingly evident in Cairo. Police feared heading to the streets due to the animosity that has developed for them over decades of a police state rule. They hesitated to implement law and order fearing that in doing so they would put their own lives at risk. The end result was increasing crime rates as criminals no longer feared the state's system of justice.

I remember the feeling of almost relief that was felt when the police returned to the streets after their absence following the revolution. For me, it felt that 'okay at least some semblance of law and order' will return to the streets. But as I mentioned above, although they were back on the streets the police were extremely limited in their abilities to do their job. Hurghada being a huge tourist town did not feel the security vacuum this created as residents in Cairo did. There were isolated incidents of burglary and the occasional reports of guns fired but overall, Hurghada remained fairly quiet.

That is until these past weeks. Violent crime has seen a surge throughout Egypt, and Hurghada was no different. Hearing about the armed robberies in multiple locations, including such neutral locations as pharmacies and supermarkets, created a sense of fear and panic among residents. People were locking themselves in their houses, batting down the hatches as unease spread. Would the police in Hurghada actually be able to do something to put an end to this crime wave?

Thankfully in this story the answer is yes. Police were tipped off as to the whereabouts of the gang. Located in multiple suburbs of Hurghada, the raid carried out targeted these multiple locations at once. The end result was the arrest and detention of numerous members of the group and the seizure of weapons and stolen goods.

Police document the goods seized on the criminals
Image courtesy of Youm7

To read more on these arrests specifically, click here. The link is in Arabic, but Google Translate will allow you to get the gist of the story.

Breaking: Cops close in on "Senzo robbers"

2012-02-06T12:53:00.000+02:00

I just received a phone call that there was a swarm of cops surrounding Shams cafe just down the road from me in Hadaba.

While driving past, K spotted no less than 10 cop cars milling around the outside of the cafe. When asked, police forces responded that they were in the process of rounding up and arresting a gang responsible for no less than 2 break-ins in Hurghada in the last few weeks.

Most recently, the gang hit El-Arabi Pharmacy close to Senzo mall, prompting residents to refer to them as the Senzo robbers.

More details will be provided as they become available.

Red Sea Jet resumes service

2012-02-05T16:05:00.003+02:00

Having just come from Sharm a month ago and realising with frustration that the ferry between Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh Port was not in service, I was very happy to read this today.

For all the local residents here, or even tourists, I have not previously heard of this decision so figure there are a great many others who are also unaware.

As per a notice from Mohamed Amin, the General Manager of the Red Sea Jet, he remarks that ferry services between Hurghada Port and Sharm el Sheikh will be operational from the 12th of January 2012. Finally! Is this an indication that things in Egypt will slowly return to normal? Bear in mind this ferry has been out of operations now for almost a year, having closed due to the 25th January revolution.

The schedule for the ferry is as follows:

DAY DEPART FROM HURGHADA DEPART FROM SHARM
SATURDAY 09:00 17:00
MONDAY 04:00 18:00
THURSDAY 09:00 17:00

Rates per person for Egyptian Adult is 175 LE. Rates per Egyptian Child (3-12 years old) is 90 LE. Rates for Foreigner Adult is 250 LE. Rates per Foreigner child (3-12 years old) 150 LE.

For more information and questions contact: 065 344 9462.

4.8 quake hits Hurghada

2012-01-31T12:05:00.000+02:00

Last night just a little after 8 PM, K and I were chatting in the bedroom when all of a sudden we heard a noise like a truck coming up the street, and the building began to shake. This might sound disconcerting, but seeing as how construction around here is so common place, big trucks rattling up the road isn't uncommon. But when the rumbling reached our levels and the entire room began to shake, it was evident that it was an earthquake.

I realise how non-chalant I must seem about earthquakes now. I posted a blog about the previous earthquake, and mentioned that after living in California they become common place. So for me, it's no big deal. Let's face it, if your building is going to collapse in a quake, there's little you can really do about it. There's no means of predicting them, it's one reason earthquakes can cause such devastating damage.

Last night's quake measured a 4.8 on the Richter scale. In California, this would still be considered a 'mini' quake and really nothing to be all that greatly worried about. But this is in an earthquake prone area, where buildings are built to code. Here that is not the case. Our building rattled for maybe 5 seconds tops, but just in those 5 seconds you could really feel the entire building sway. It's not surprising that the 1992 Egypt quake caused such enormous damage.

In Dahar, a suburb in Hurghada, many of the buildings are hastily erected and follow little to no building codes. Many residents are living below the poverty line and placed in these apartment complexes as a form of government aid. Not surprisingly, after the quake last night there was a mass exodus from these buildings with people milling around in the streets. Their calls have been raised to the governor, demanding adequate housing facilities. Bear in mind many of these buildings already had issues with their construction to begin with, ranging from using cheap concrete material, to burst pipes constantly weakening the fabric of the building, to little to no thought put into the structural integrity of the building. Thank God more damage was not seen around the area.

Panicked Hurghada residents hit the streets following the quake.
Image courtesy of Red Sea News.

So last night's quake now makes 3 quakes to have hit the Hurghada and Red Sea in the past 3 months. That's more quakes in a 3 month period than have hit Egypt in the almost 6 years I've lived here. What is going on?

MSNBC reports on the increasing earthquakes in the Red Sea, attributing the tremors to the parting of the Red Sea. The African and Arabian tectonic plates are moving apart at an estimated 2 cm a year. These shifts are not, however, gradual. Earthquakes are the symptoms of this and all indications point to them increasing and not decreasing in the coming years. This means for residents of Egypt and the Red Sea in particular that perhaps earthquakes will not be the cause for concern and panic that yesterday's created. I can only hope that they stay around 4 on the Richter scale and we do not see a large quake to hit the area because it would be devastating to say the least.

In the meantime, read up on quakes and begin to understand what they are. Yes, again you can hear them coming. No, there's little you can do to stop them. Yes, it is normal for one person to feel a small quake and the person standing next to you to feel nothing. This does not mean you or your neighbour are going crazy. If the past year in Egypt should have taught us anything, it is that reacting rashly and with panic only creates further chaos. If you don't know the answer to a question, DON'T answer it. Don't spread your own speculations and fears as this will only balloon outwards and before you know it, you're "well maybe" comment has been cemented into 'real facts.' So please, Hurghada, stop panicking! :)

Where to Go - Dahab edition

2012-01-28T12:35:00.000+02:00

I know, I know, it's taken me a while to get to this blog. It feels like January has just flown by! I think everyone in Egypt has been on pins and needles waiting to see what the 25th of January would bring that everything else has somewhat fallen by the wayside. I'll post a blog later on my own impressions of the 25th January anniversary, but that's not what this blog is about.

So, as I previously posted, K and I headed to Dahab for the Christmas break to meet up with my family. It was absolutely wonderful, and there are so many wonderful things to do and see there. For anyone who has never visited the Sinai resort town, I would highly recommend it. Generally it is known for being a dive town, with some of the world's top dive destinations located in and around the Sinai Peninsula. But even for those who aren't divers, Dahab has a great deal to offer.

Conveniently located surrounded by both mountains and sea, you'll find things like Kite surfing and wind surfing to mountain hiking and desert trips are all offered in the Dahab area. For this first edition of Where to Go Dahab, I want to recommend one of the highlights of our trips - quadbiking.

Now living in Hurghada there are a lot of places that offer quad biking, but for some reason we'd just never gotten around to doing it. My mum suggested we try it in Dahab, and I am so so glad we did. Not only do you get fantastic panoramic views of the area, you're taken into the mountain passes to a little Bedouin camp for a cup of tea. And I highly recommend the Bedouin tea, there's something very earthy about it - it's even more evident with no sugar.

For less than 50 dollars we were able to rent 2 quadbikes for the four of us, and rotated drivers throughout the two hour trip. We crossed desert terrain, up into the mountains, drove on the roads (hair-raising!!) and down along the beach. It's a great family outing and ideal for adventure "enthusiasts." We used the Quad Trax company based in the Yasmina Hotel. If you want more information you can contact them via email at dahabquadtrax@yahoo.com or on telephone number 012 872 5054.

Happy trails!!

Dolphins have no part in dispute with Iran

2012-01-21T10:11:00.001+02:00

I read this article this morning from The Guardian's social reader, and all I can say is how terribly sad it is. Again the animals come in the cross-hairs of human conflict, with no conscious thought on our part as to how detrimental this can really be. As though dolphins needed one more reason to be victims of man-hunts.

By Peter Singer, check out the original story here.

Dolphins have no part in this dispute with Iran | Peter Singer

For the US Navy to put dolphins in harm's way in the Persian Gulf is a form of speciesist enslavement we should be ending

Sgt Andrew Garrett watches K-Dog, a bottlenose dolphin, leap out of the water while training near the USS Gunston Hall in the Persian Gulf. Photograph: Brien Aho/AP

The US Navy has trained dolphins to detect mines. Now, they might be used in the conflict with Iran over its nuclear policies.

In response to heightened sanctions, Iran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, the only sea route out of the Persian Gulf and, according to the US energy department, "the world's most important oil choke". Iran might use mines to do it, and if they should do so, then, according to retired US Admiral Tim Keating, who previously commanded the US 5th Fleet in Bahrain, "we've got dolphins."

According to earlier reports, the US Navy has trained about 80 dolphins to detect mines. Some reports say that the dolphins only locate the mines and drop acoustic transponders nearby, so that humans can destroy the mines, but it is also possible for the dolphins to set off the mines and die in the resulting explosion, and, of course, using the dolphins in this way makes them – and any other dolphins in the area – targets for the Iranians to destroy if they can.

Animals, or at least those who are conscious and capable of suffering or enjoying their lives, are not things for us to use in whatever way we find convenient. To believe that, because they are members of a different species, we can ignore or discount their interests is speciesism, a form of prejudice against beings who are not "us" that is akin to racism and sexism. We should give equal consideration to the interests of any sentient being, where their interests are similar to our own.

Dolphins are social mammals, capable of enjoying their lives. They form close bonds with other members of their group. They respond to images of themselves in a mirror, and use the mirror to examine marks on parts of their body that they cannot otherwise see – a test that is widely taken to be a sign of self-awareness, which human children cannot pass until they are somewhere between 18 months and two years of age.

The United States no longer conscripts its citizens to fight its wars. All its human troops are volunteers. But even conscripts have some basic rights. The dolphins have none.

Late last year, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, together with three international orca experts, and two former orca trainers asked a federal court in San Diego to declare that five orcas held and forced to perform by SeaWorld are held as slaves in violation of the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution that outlaws slavery. The suit has yet to be heard, but a similar case might be made against the US Navy for its use of dolphins.

Various civilizations have, at times, enslaved human beings and forced them to fight for their oppressors. That despicable practice is now rightly condemned, as far as human beings are concerned, but the enslavement of other species continues, in many areas of human life, and the use of slaves in war continues in the United States Navy.

It might be argued that as long as billions of animals are confined in factory farms to produce meat, eggs and milk, the use of a few dolphins in military action is trivial. Obviously, the amount of suffering we inflict on factory-farmed animals every day dwarfs whatever might happen to the dolphins.

Nevertheless, just when we are starting to realize how gravely we are wronging animals, and to do something about this – like the very welcome European Union ban on standard battery cages for laying hens, which came into effect on 1 January this year – we ought not to be finding new ways to exploit them.

Dolphins have nothing to do with the dispute over Iran's nuclear plans. Whatever the rights and wrongs of taking military action against Iran, let's leave the dolphins out of it.

Chicken-ella Recipe!

2012-01-20T19:44:00.001+02:00

A friend of mine the other day was talking about quick and easy recipes, and I told her there were a few posted on my blog she could check out. When I searched though, I realised that I only have one savoury recipe posted! Time to rectify immediately, as I cook a great deal more savoury than sweet :D So here is my "patented" Chicken-ella Recipe. It's akin to a Chicken Curry, but this is a recipe I originally came up with in University, and have adapted and added to over the years. This is the finalized version, including all the options you can throw in. Total prep time to cook is about 30 minutes.

What you'll need (serves 4)

1/2 Kg (1 lb) Chicken Breasts

3 large tomatoes

1 large onion

2 tbsp vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp black pepper

1.5 tbsp garlic (to taste - I like really garlicky stuff)

1.5 teaspoons thyme

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon red pepper

1/2 teaspoon curry powder (optional ingredient)

Dash of tobasco

1 large bell pepper (I recommend green or red - this is an optional ingredient)

1 can sweetcorn (again, an optional ingredient)

What to do:

Slice your chicken breasts into thin strips. Toss with vinegar, red pepper, thyme, 1 tbsp garlic, black pepper and 1/2 of the onion, finely chopped. Throw in dash of tobasco, cover and let marinate for at least 15 minutes. I prefer to let this marinate as long as possible.
While your chicken is marinating, chop your veggies. Dice your tomatoes, chop the remaining onion, and bell pepper if you have added it.
In a large pan, add your 1 tbsp olive oil. Warm over medium heat, and add onions. Saute until almost translucent, about 3 - 4 minutes.
Add your chicken to the pan. Use the 1/2 cup water and add to the marinate dish. Swill around to pick up all the extra spices, add to the chicken and onions. Add your curry here if you plan to use any. Cover your pan, and let cook over medium heat until the chicken is white around the outside - about 10 minutes.
Add your remaining vegetables, and let cook over medium heat for 15 - 20 minutes until chicken is tender. Stir occasionally.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with warm bread, 2 cups rice or spaghetti. Whatever tickles your fancy. I usually opt for rice ;)

The trick here is that the tomatoes while cooking will release their juices that then cook through the chicken and create a delicious tomato sauce. You can choose to thicken it up by adding 1 tbsp of tomato paste, your call.

Bon appetit!

What do to if your dog / cat ingests poison

2012-01-13T20:07:00.000+02:00

I apologise that it has taken me a few days to get to writing this post, but this is because I have been waiting for confirmation on the suspected poisonings in Hurghada. Although it seems that the mass poisoning in Maadi I previously blogged about may have been government sponsored, we are as of yet unable to find any proof indicating the same for Hurghada.

What we seem to have in Hurghada is a few possibilities. Individual residents lying poison out on the road, shop or restaurant owners trying to clear their immediate area of strays, or government vets lying the poison out. As the government vet who would be responsible for placing poison in and around the city is currently on vacation, it's safe to say he is not involved in any cases of poison around here.

This leaves 2 options, individual residents or business owners. Now bear in mind that strychnine is not something you can readily get your hands on. To purchase this poison it is often necessary to go through a dealer and can end up quite costly - making it an unlikely option for many. The next poison of choice is readily accessible and available, and just as deadly. I'm talking rat poison.

Remember that these poisons are thrown into the street on meat - meaning your dog can snatch up a piece very quickly without you even noticing. Fortunately there are signs to watch out for if you suspect your dog has ingested poison.

Make sure that you have an emergency vet contact in your phone or somewhere handy. I have provided a list of vets in the Hurghada area, and would personally recommend Dr. Mohammed Taieby, who will always respond to an emergency case - and I cannot make the same statements about all the vets on the list.
Your dog or cat will begin to exhibit symptoms of poisoning quite rapidly. If you notice your pet is extremely agitated and excitable, more so than usual, keep a close eye on them.
Seizures are a common symptom of ingestion of poison, be it strychnine or rat poison (often one and the same). Doctor Dog describes the seizures as: "during which the dog throws the head back, can't breathe and turns blue. The slightest stimulation, such as tapping the dog or clapping the hands, starts a seizure. This characteristic response is used to make the diagnosis."
Other symptoms include drooling, muscle spasms, loss of coordination, collapsing.
If you start noticing your pet seizing or spasming, contact your vet IMMEDIATELY. The faster the veterinary medical response, the higher chances your pet has of surviving. Strychnine, NOT rat poison will induce these spasms.
Often you will be told to try to induce vomiting in animals that have been poisoned. This is CRUCIAL information. IF YOUR DOG IS ALREADY SPASMING, TRYING TO INDUCE VOMITING CAN EXACERBATE THE SITUATION AND CAUSE FURTHER SEIZURES. Wrap the animal in a warm blanket and transport to vet IMMEDIATELY.
If you have not yet noticed signs of seizures but still fear that your animal may have ingested poison, you can induce vomiting. To induce vomiting in dogs, there are two websites you can check out here and here. I do not want to post how to induce vomiting in cats, please consult your veterinarian to find out how.

Remember time and speed are your only allies when it comes to potential poisoning of your pets. If you are very worried about walking your animals outside, muzzle them to avoid potential ingestion. It is not fair to lock the animals inside rather than walk them - why should they be tortured and have to pay for human cruelty.

For vets in the Hurghada area, please find contact numbers below. (Thanks to Anca for preparing the list you see below!) I would like to add to this list for vets around the country, if you have more recommendations PLEASE add to the comment section below. Please also feel free to share your stories of your pets that have been poisoned. The more that we collect the information on the poison and the areas it is being laid, the stronger case people have to bring to the government and demand an immediate resolution to the problem.

1. Smart Vet Clinic, Dr Mohamed El Taieby,

Clinic Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Smart-Vet-Clinic/121312647915335

Mobile No. 0163828100

24 Hour Emergencies. I will give directions to the Clinic as the road hasn't got a name

Located just off of Maderis (School) Street, across from the Supermarket Beit el-Maleka or the Seagull Retail Clothing shop.

Email: smartvetclinic@yahoo.com

2. Blue Moon Animal Shelter

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blue-Moon-Animalcenter-Hurghada/205357696149227

Doctor Veterinarian Girgis Kamal (Tel.: 0164693169).

Mubarak 1 Nr. 14, Apt.7

Tel.: 010 5490046

E-mail: bluemoongalerie@hotmail.com

3. Dr. Sameh Shata

Web page: http://dr-samehshata.com/contact-us.html

Plot 95, Old Public Beach Panorama Hotel Road

Dahar, Hurghada

Tel: 065-3544009, 012-1664628 Fax: 065-3544009

4. Dr.Mohamed Atef

PawsandClaws Veterinary Clinc, next to Dreams Beach

Services offered: Vaccination, Flea and insect control, Spay and neuter, Small and large surgeries, Orthopedic surgery, X ray, Fetal dubler, Toxoplasma check, Laboratory exam, Health certificates, Worming program, Grooming

Tel: 0176077576

E-mail: pandcvetclinic@yahoo.com

Mass poisoning campaign strikes Egypt

2012-01-11T16:40:00.004+02:00

Yesterday evening an alert was sent out via Facebook that mass amounts of poison had been laid in the residential suburb of Maadi, in Cairo. The Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals posted the following to their page: "TO ALL MAADI PET OWNERS: Please avoid the streets with your pets for the next 48 hours, to avoid the mass poisoning currently taking place. 25 bags of poisoned meat have been located, and removed. We are currently forming a search party to determine if there are anymore bags laid, and to find any animals that may be in need of assistance."

The message quickly went viral, with animal rights groups and activists alike posting it to forums, re-posting to their own statuses or sending out messages containing the information.

It did not take long for Hurghada animal rights activists to see the message and immediately question if the same case was true for Hurghada. In the past few weeks, activists here have seen an increase in the poisoning campaigns, despite word from the new Governor that the government would cease and desist such attempts to control the stray population and give activists a chance to implement Trap, Neuter and Release, or TNR programmes.

I was told about two months back by a source that requested anonymity that the same 'deal' was made for the Cairo governorates. Animal shelters were told they had a set period of a few weeks to organize and launch a TNR campaign in the capital city and reduce the number of animals that were able to breed. Inter-organizational bureaucracy however hindered this process. My source informed me that due to the fact that two of the largest organizations in Cairo were unable to agree on who should cover the costs and fundraising for the TNR programme, the time they were given elapsed. The result was a mass poison campaign launched by the government. The pre-arranged deal however was immediately denied and brushed under the table, with the finger of blame pointed squarely at the government.

Similar in Hurghada, as I have previously blogged, a TNR campaign was launched by activists here. Thus far the programme is proving to be successful as more and more local residents get in on it. The Blue Moon animal shelter has been instrumental in providing free services for stray animals in their attempts to control the stray population. So why did the poisoning campaign launched in Cairo reach Hurghada?

Activists last night combed the area of Mubarak 6, but their search was hindered by the lack of light in the area. They have again headed out today to track down and remove any bags of poison that may have been laid out. Eye witnesses report that a blue pick-up truck has been seen roaming through the area and pausing intermittently near trash sites - often the location that the poisoned bags of meat are thrown down. This brings to mind the comments of Hurghada's governor, who had 'promised' that the poison campaigns would stop. Activists have claimed that should any bags of poison be traceable back to the government campaigns, that these bags of poison will be marched up to the governor's office directly to demand why he has fallen through on his rhetoric. By the time this blog has gone to post, I have been unable to independently verify that the poisoning campaign in Cairo has spread to Hurghada - and our local government vet has denied any government involvement in cases of poisoning in Hurghada.

Does this then mean that it is individual residents placing the poisoned meat out? In many cases the answer is sadly yes. Alleged reports indicate that a restaurant owner on the beautiful corniche area has himself planted poison on the beach as the strays disrupt the peace and quiet of the area. Never an after-thought to the individual pets that are afflicted by their decisions to lay down the poisoned meat, or the danger that such toxins pose to humans.

I scoured Hadaba this morning and thankfully was unable to find any bags of poisoned meat, although this does not mean that it is not there. Often in Hadaba the poison is laid in the desert; knowing this I will never take Orien in there. The threat of poison is not limited to dog owners however, and the common poison of choice strychinine is known to prove fatal in cases where children are exposed to the toxin. However as autopsies are not a common practice in Egypt, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly and say "this child's death was the result of the government's poisoning campaign."

At the end of the day, words are only words. Activists in Egypt have been given no reason to believe that mass poisoning campaigns will ever be stopped, and as long as it's seen as an effective way to eliminate the stray population those laying poison down have no reason to change. For all pet owners throughout Egypt, please be wary of when you are walking your dog. Don't use the time to talk on your phone or gossip, constant vigilance on your part is the only way to ensure that your dog won't put it's nose somewhere it is not meant to. If you find bags of poison, please remove them. I will post a blog later detailing what you can do to not only GET RID of the poisoned meat, but what you should do in case of accidental ingestion by your furry friend.

The Shell of Sharm el-Sheikh

2012-01-04T19:20:00.000+02:00

Christmas for me usually represents a time of leaving Egypt. This year, it was different. K and I headed to the Sinai Peninsula to meet my family who had travelled from overseas. It was a year of forging new traditions and re-creating the Christmas atmosphere in a very "un-Christmassy" place. For K and I our journey started in Sharm el-Sheikh, where we stayed before heading further into the Sinai towards Dahab.

This time of year in Egypt is considered one of the three peak, or "high" seasons. In resort towns like Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada, Christmas and New Years host an influx of tourists seeking respite from the cold and harsh winters at home. In previous years in Hurghada, New Years parties sell out a few weeks before the event with only a limited number of tickets remaining for last minute deals. Sharm is the same; big name DJs all booked to come in and play to what is hoped will be sell-out crowds and fully booked resorts and hotels.

K and I chose to stay in Delta Sharm, a hot-spot for Sharm residents and tourists alike. It offers the security of a compound alongside all the facilities you would expect of a hotel: pools, bars, restaurants, shops, and a little strip mall with rental car shops and real-estate offices.

One of the pools in Delta Sharm

But walking along these "mini mall" strip of shops was depressing. For every open office, there were two abandoned, empty, boarded up, or "for rent" next to it. Coffee shops had a few stragglers outside, others that boasted they were open 24 hours were closed. Remnants of what is evidently a party town working schedule, these offices just had no business to warrant keeping those hours.

Walking down the main strip in Sharm on Naama Bay was also an eye opening experience. K and I went to track down dinner and do a little shopping around 5 p.m. Coffee shop after coffee shop lay empty, with waiters outside trying to usher the small crowd of shoppers into their bars or restaurants. Also striking was that of the people milling around in the streets, most were Egyptians, not foreigners. By the time we were leaving Naama Bay the streets and restaurants had gotten a little more crowded, but nothing like the level of patrons one would normally expect in Sharm at this time of year.

Naama Bay in Sharm

Everywhere you go, people will tell you the same thing. "Business is suffering. Tourists are gone, we have no money anymore." This brings to mind the rhetoric in recent months of Islamist candidates who claim that Egypt's economy will do just fine surviving on Cultural Tourism (Which estimates point to making up less than 10 % of the total income from tourism). Al Masri Al-Yawm posted an article today in which quotes show that tourism in Egypt dropped almost 30 % in 2011 alone, in part due to ongoing unrest in the capital Cairo and the comments made about crack downs on the tourism industry.

When my family made the decision to come to Egypt, they were met with the common question of "why are you going there? Is it safe?" I've been hearing that question since I first moved to Egypt in 2006, and the answer is, YES, Egypt is safe. The Sinai is SAFE. There is an illusion being painted in the media that on every street corner you will find a protest, or someone flinging rocks, of a building on fire, or thugs running rampant. This is not the case, not at all. In fact the entire time that we were away, we left the news off and stayed offline - leaving us no indication of what was happening in the country. Were it not for national media, the unrest in Cairo and Alex would not even have made you question could you come to Egypt.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not naive enough to proclaim that Egypt is 100% at the moment, because it's not. There are certainly areas I would advise against foreigners travelling right now, particularly those that require travel over long stretches of mostly unmanned roads, such as roads down to Luxor, Aswan, and Sohag. But if you're coming to Egypt to check out the Red Sea sights and the Sinai Peninsula, you have very little to worry about. I was asked to emphasize this by family and friends who came to stay, if you have any doubts about your safety in Egypt, let me put your mind to ease.

Hurghada is more fortunate than many of the cities in the Sinai, as there continues to be a steady stream of foreigners coming here *knocks on wood* but in the Sinai things aren't so easy. I'll continue this saga in a new postings, but I will leave you with these words:

Please come and visit, the Egyptians are ready to welcome everyone with open arms!

30 things to stop doing to yourself

2012-01-02T19:36:00.000+02:00

A friend had this posted on her facebook feed earlier, and I feel that for a New Year there are a lot of people that can learn a lot from simple suggestions such as these posted below. Taken from Marc and Angel Hack Life: Practical Tips for Productive Living, check out the "30 things to stop doing to yourself."

As Maria Robinson once said, “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” Nothing could be closer to the truth. But before you can begin this process of transformation you have to stop doing the things that have been holding you back.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth. And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.
Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on. No, it won’t be easy. There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them. We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems. That’s not how we’re made. In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall. Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time. This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.
Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself. Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves. Read The Road Less Traveled.
Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too. Yes, help others; but help yourself too. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.
Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you likeeveryone else. Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you. Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.
Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.
Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing. Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success. You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.
Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us. We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future. Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.
Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive. But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.
Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either. You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else. Read Stumbling on Happiness.
Stop being idle. – Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place. Evaluate situations and take decisive action. You cannot change what you refuse to confront. Making progress involves risk. Period! You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.
Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.
Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. – Relationships must be chosen wisely. It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company. There’s no need to rush. If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.
Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. – In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet. Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you. But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.
Stop trying to compete against everyone else. – Don’t worry about what others doing better than you. Concentrate on beating your own records every day. Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.
Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own. Ask yourself this: “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”
Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you. You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough. But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past. You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation. So smile! Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.
Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart. You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate. Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.” It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.” Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself! And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too. If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.
Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.
Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway. Just do what you know in your heart is right.
Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break. – The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.
Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things. The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.
Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done. Read Getting Things Done.
Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile. Don’t take the easy way out. Do something extraordinary.
Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while. You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well. You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears. The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.
Stop blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can achieve your dreams depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life. When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.
Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Doing so is impossible, and trying will only burn you out. But making one person smile CAN change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. So narrow your focus.
Stop worrying so much. – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy. One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time? Three years? Five years?” If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.
Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen. Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.
Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life. Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs. Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

Happy New Years!

2012-01-02T13:09:00.001+02:00

2011 was a year that not many will ever forget. Unless you were living in a bunker, you were probably impacted by natural disasters, extreme weather patterns, political upheaval, economic crises, riots, revolutions, and more. It's not surprising that many people are looking to 2012 to be a better year; how can it not be?

I don't like to make New Years Resolutions having learned in the past that often I'll stick to them for a week or two, then they'll simply fall by the wayside. Instead, what I do love doing is reflecting on the past year and highlighting important lessons that I have learned. What better way to show where I am in life than remembering what has happened in the past year to bring me here. So, here is my learning list of 2011 :)

I have learned....

....that March 2011 will forever be the month that I took a big leap forward, and told the man in my life that "yes" I do want to spend the rest of my life with him. Next up...wedding plans :D

....that family are the most important foundation a woman can have. Family keeps you grounded, they tell you things you don't always want to hear, but need to hear. Trust your family.

....that if you cannot stand up for yourself, don't expect anyone else to do it for you.

....that small acts of kindness can change someone's day, but continued acts of seemingly selfless kindness will lead people to take advantage of you. (tiny resolution? won't allow people to see me as a doormat anymore!)

....that the most humbling experience ever has nothing to do with being human at all. Watching the recovery of an animal on the verge of death, fighting to regain their strength and trusting human companionship all over again simply cannot be described in a few words.

....that the most stressful times in our lives often reap the biggest rewards.

....that having a solid partner by your side makes every day worthwhile, even if there are days where we want to rip each other's throats out ;)

....that taking the time to sit back and reflect during times that are busiest is one sure fire way to guarantee you will not burn out.

....that good writing is a skill, great writing is an art. Art cannot be rushed. I have a few pieces from the past year that I regret rushing through. But hindsight gives us 20 / 20.

....that you will never get anything if you do not ask.

....that finding the smallest things in life to bring you positivity will make you a happier person.

....that dwelling only sucks you deeper into a downward spiral.

....that there are some people in life you just have to learn to let go of.

....that negativity will not leave you, you must leave it.

....that one or two great friends, are better than 10 'so-so' friends.

....that every woman needs her support group. I'm lucky to have found mine in a wonderful group of women I'll affectionately refer to as my "BPers"

....that sometimes you can instantly bond with an animal, and know that you will be able to foster a great partnership together.

....that there's no such thing as "not enough time." If you don't have enough time, it means your time management needs working on!

....that going to the gym is one of the best mood boosters ever.

....that there's no quick fix to weight loss. The age old saying "watch what you eat and work out" has been around as long as it has for a reason!

....that taking the time to really get to know your loved ones on a more intimate level is the most rewarding feeling.

....that rescuing horses takes not only a hell of a lot of time, it takes mountains of patience and willingness to learn.

....that today I know only a fraction of what I will know tomorrow, that I should never turn away an option to further my knowledge and understanding.

....that saying "No," to work only sends signals that you don't want to work. Find something you love working in, and saying "YES" becomes easy.

....that worrying about money is exhausting, and at the end of the day not worth it. As my mum says, "money comes and money goes." Don't let financial worries consume you.

....that a penny saved is a penny earned.

....that spending time watching Orien brings an instant smile to my face.

....that there really is such a thing as spending too much time online.

....that it's easy to get sucked into the cyber world and have it swallow your reality. It's important to remember that living through your computer screen is not living. So with that being said, I'm off to meet Chili, so thanks for reading...now get off your computer and GO AND LIVE!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Happy 2012 everyone. I hope this year brings you all the happiness, joy and success that you wish it to. If you wish it, it will be.

Egypt to reassure diplomatic ties following raids on NGO offices

2011-12-31T10:46:00.000+02:00

This past week saw yet another question mark raised in how exactly Egypt wishes to continue with their diplomatic relations with Western nations. The raid by security of 17 NGOs, under the auspices of alleged concern over foreign funding received, has been met with alarm and diplomatic outrage by not only the US, but the UK and Germany as well. Below the BBC provides a report on the increasingly strained ties between Egypt and the West, and how Egypt is in turn attempting to assuage their fears.

Egypt has reassured the US that it will stop raids on the offices of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the US state department says.

Officials said property seized in the raids would be returned to the groups, which include two based in the US.

Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has spoken to Egypt's military ruler by phone to discuss the issue, they added.

Egypt raided the offices of 17 NGOs in Cairo on Thursday, after expressing concern over foreign funding.

The country's ruling military council has said repeatedly it will not tolerate foreign interference in the country's affairs.

But the US reacted sharply to the move, condemning it as an attack on democratic values and hinting that it could review the $1.3bn (£0.84bn) in annual US military aid to Cairo if such incidents continued.

'Normal operations'

On Friday, Mr Panetta and the US ambassador to Egypt, Anne Patterson, spoke to top Egyptian officials including military ruler Field Marshall Mohamed Tantawi, the US state department said.

"The ambassador has sought and received Egyptian leadership assurances that the raids will cease and property will be returned immediately," spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in emailed comments.

"She has also made clear that we expect all international NGOs, including those that receive US government support, be able to return to normal operations as soon as possible in support of the democratic transition underway in Egypt."

David Kramer, the director of the US human rights watchdog Freedom House, told the BBC that while the reassurance was welcome, it was not enough to undo the damage.

Mr Kramer, whose office was among those raided, said some of his seized property had still not been returned.

Thursday's raids were part of a probe by Egypt into allegations of illegal funding from abroad.

Evidence suggested some groups were violating Egyptian laws, including by not having permits, prosecutors were quoted as saying on Thursday.

But analysts said they were part of a broader move by the ruling military council to silence dissent after months of criticism of its human rights record.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) has been running Egypt since a popular uprising ousted former President Hosni Mubarak in February.

But in recent months the military government has found itself the focus of protests, as activists questioned its commitment to democratic reform.

Back from a Hiatus

2011-12-29T17:15:00.001+02:00

I'm back online after a week long Hiatus, during which I travelled to the Sinai peninsula. I'll be updating my blog with the details of these travels, including hot spots in Dahab for eating, snorkelling, and more :)

In the meantime, I hope that everyone has had a wonderful Christmas, and that 2012 will bring love and light to everyone reading! Happy New Year!

The US war in Iraq is officially over!!!

2011-12-18T11:20:00.001+02:00

Today marks the day that the last U.S. convoy leaves Iraq, leaving a country that is learning to stand on its own two democratic feet. It has been a long nine years, and has cost Iraq and the U.S. dearly. I hope that Iraq becomes a beacon for the rest of the Arab world on what real political cohesiveness and positive outlooks for the future can bring about for a country, even one devastated by war. Below, a report from Aswat al-Iraq on the last U.S. convoy to leave Iraq and signal the end of a nine year conflict.

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: The last US Army convoy has crossed Iraq's borders into Kuwait on Sunday at dawn, officially ending the withdrawal of the American Forces from Iraq.

The final withdrawal comes after 9 years of war and military interference, resulting in the deaths of 4,500 Americans and tens of thousands of Iraqis, Reuters News Agency reported.

"The last US convoy, including 100 American armored vehicles, carrying 500 soldiers, have crossed Iraq's southern desert during Saturday night, on the main highway leading to the Kuwaiti borders," Reuters added.

US Staff Sergeant Christian Schutlz said, prior to leaving Contingency Operating Base Adder, 300 km to the south of Baghdad, and heading for border, “It’s good to see this thing coming to a close. I was here when it started."

"I saw a lot of good changes, a lot of progress, and a lot of bad things too," he added.

Where to Go - Glow

2011-12-16T11:29:00.000+02:00

Christmas in Egypt is unique, to say the least. Whereas in Europe and the U.S. you are bombarded by lights, music, carolers, trees, santas, elves, etc. pretty much wherever you go, here you're lucky to find a small Christmas display in certain shops. These displays inevitably involve the same tinsel, the same Christmas ornaments, and the same big bottles of "champagne" stuffed with chocolates. Ah, I can't forget, the 'fizzy non-alcoholic wine' of course.

As a result, as friends start posting pictures of their trees on facebook and elsewhere, a strange pattern emerges. "Hey...I have those EXACT same decorations on my tree!" Coincidence? Not really, as there's likely only one manufacturer of ornaments in Egypt / importing into Egypt.

This means that Christmas shopping for people at this time of year, or looking for that unique ornament to set your tree aside becomes very difficult. While Senzo mall has a decent array of Christmas supplies, they are limited in what you can give as seasonal gifts for this time of year.

Even more difficult than the hunt for gifts? The search for Christmas wrapping paper. I cannot tell you how many places I went to before I was able to find wrapping paper that wouldn't run out after wrapping one present!

Glow is located right behind the Sheraton street Metro, and is a great place to go to get niff-nacks throughout the year. I know that Glow has ribbons for sale, and throughout the year standard wrapping paper, so I thought I would give it a try.

I was pleasantly surprised. Glow is jam packed with Christmas goodies. Ranging from light up snowmen you won't find elsewhere in Hurghada, to stockings, to Christmas decorations, to multitudes of wrapping paper, to perfect stocking stuffers and fillers for crackers, I'm sure my eyes popped out of my head a little upon walking in.

Wrapping paper is sold by the sheet, and although a little bit on the expensive side at 7 LE for one, I purchased 5 sheets and had plenty left over to spare. Alongside wrapping paper, they have perfect stars to stick to pressies, little "to and from" tags, Christmas gag gifts, ornamental displays, table covers, Christmas candles, gifts ideal for youngsters, and so on. Really I cannot detail everything on here, so instead I recommend that you head out there yourself and get your Christmas shopping spirit lifted!

Glow's opens at 11 a.m, in the morning, shuts for an afternoon break and then re-opens at 5 p.m. Pass by and check out their Christmas array for yourself, they are located just behind the Metro on Sheraton Street, Hadaba.

Merry Christmas!

Ginger snaps

2011-12-13T12:37:00.000+02:00

It's that time of year again when baking becomes a natural past-time. This year I'm embarking on making a new selection of goodies, including minced pies, of which I will post the recipe later.

A few years ago I posted a recipe for Sparkling Ginger Cookies, and although this is similar, these Ginger Snaps are in a league of their own. I have had multiple people who have tasted these request the recipe, so your wish is my command! Below find the recipe for a delectable Christmas treat, sure to go over well with any crowd. As per usual, I found an original recipe (in this case in the Joy of Cooking) and altered it to fit my needs - and through trial and error. In my opinion their recipe had too much ginger; it made the cookies far too spicy, so I reduced quantities as necessary.

Here's what you'll need.

**Ingredients**

1 3/4 cups fine baking flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

6 tablespoons softened butter (unsalted)

3/4 cup white sugar (or you can do half white half brown)

1 large egg

1/4 cup dark molasses

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

**Directions**

Preheat your oven to 350 Fahrenheit (176 Celsius). Although Joy calls to grease a cookie sheet, I have found that the butter already in the recipe makes it so the cookies don't stick as it is. So it's your call to grease or not :)

Mix together your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves) and add a pinch of salt. -- I bought fresh cloves and crushed them myself, I love the smell of fresh cloves!

Beat together your butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add to your butter mix your egg, molasses, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix until well combined.

Gradually stir in the flour mixture until well mixed.

Roll out little balls (about the size of a bouncy ball) and place on your baking sheet.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes each. If you want softer cookies, bake for 8 minutes.

Alternatively, once you've rolled the dough into balls, you can also then coat with a sugar / cinnamon mix for a little extra sweetness on top.

Bon appetit!!!

Hurghada's TNR

2011-12-11T12:38:00.000+02:00

Anyone who has ever been to Egypt will often remark on one thing: the amount of stray cats and dogs that roam throughout the streets. Hurghada is no different, and various areas throughout the city are home to dog packs and ferral cats.

To combat this problem, the government (or even individual citizens) will throw poisoned meat down. This creates huge issues, as far too many people have lost their own dogs or cats to poison. Not only this, but it poses a grave danger to children were they to come in contact with it.

Residents of Hurghada want to ensure the realisation that poison is not the way to deal with the issue is brought about by the death of a child. Instead, the community has come together to provide a sustainable solution to the issue.

The Blue Moon animal shelter, run by a dedicated woman Monica, has launched a mass TNR programme, whereby residents in Hurghada will bring by ferral cats and stray dogs on designated days. The animal will be neutered, given worming meds and rabies jabs, tagged to ensure it's clear it's been taken in, and re-released to the streets.

This entire process is not as easy as it sounds, and has taken a huge level of collaboration between residents and the Blue Moon shelter. For the next few weeks, every Tuesday groups will be collecting dogs and cats throughout Hurghada, bringing them to the Blue Moon, and re-releasing them at the end of the day.

I've already had our building's ferral cat, nicknamed Bravie, spayed. She's already had 2-3 litters of kittens, and alone has contributed to the growing cat population around my street. She was easy as she's very used to human contact, and since her surgery has adopted my front door as her new home, meowing in the morning when she's ready for her breakfast.

If you have any questions or you want to find out how you can get involved, feel free to use the tab above and contact me, and I'll let you know what area they will be targeting next.

Initiatives like this fuel hope that one day the problem of strays in Egypt will actually be brought under control, as long as we all work together!

Orien and Bravie chilling on a very dusty balcony!

Watch out for those cucumbers ladies!

2011-12-07T11:11:00.000+02:00

Every once in a while you'll find a gem of a quote that is just so far fetched, it has to be true. Today is one of those days. Ladies, I'm sure you will enjoy this one as much as I did.

Love me some Cucumber!
Image from Bikya Masr

An unnamed sheikh, ironically enough residing in Europe, has recently warned that women should stay away from fruits such as bananas and cucumbers, in order to avoid any "sexual thoughts." Featured in an article on el-Senousa news, the sheikh has said that these fruits "resemble the male penis," and accordingly could cause arousal in the women or "make them think of sex."

I don't know about you, but I definitely love some sexy fruit!

Added to the list of 'forbidden sexy foods' were carrots and zucchini. When asked by the interviewer what women should do who wish to eat these foods, he advised that a male, preferably husband, father or brother, should cut up the fruit / veg into smaller pieces - out of eye shot of the women lest we start having any inappropriate thoughts.

The interview also questioned the sheikh what should be done for women when out grocery shopping who wish to purchase these items, to which he responded "this is a matter between her and God."

I'm so glad that we have these outrageous statements around to keep us on the right path. At least this will make your next shopping experience that much more entertaining!

And to the 'unnamed sheikh,' I must ask, pray tell - what would you tell women about the fruit from the magnolia tree, pictured below? :-o

For further reading, click here.

Hurghada protests suggested boat tax

2011-12-04T17:33:00.000+02:00

Boating and snorkelling trips are one of the hot commodities as far as tourism excursions go in the Red Sea. Hurghada is no exception. It's unlikely that you can run into anybody who has come to spend time on the sea-side resort town who will not be taking a boat trip. Diving, trips to surrounding islands, boat parties, snorkelling outings, dolphin sighting trips, the list goes on. There is no shortage in boat trips to choose from. This made recent suggestions to impose a 10 LE per person per boat tax a seemingly great way to earn some extra revenue.

It came as a surprise to tour operators and boat owners when last week the Governor of Hurghada, newly appointed after the Revolution, announced plans to impose a 10 LE charge (just under 2 dollars) per person, per boat trip, for all companies. This included live aboards, dive trips, down to the average boat ferrying people back and forth to Giftun island. This 10 LE surcharge was in addition to the taxes and fees already paid by each company to the government, taxes that include environmental protection taxes, security taxes, marine taxes, the list goes on.

A protest was organized for today, Sunday, among tour groups, boat owners, and excursion companies. Approximately 200 protesters all gathered in front of Hurghada's Naval building, located near the Nile Hospital. Their demands were simple. At a time when tourism in Egypt is already suffering as a result of continued unrest, companies do not need additional unnecessary surcharges per client, particularly when the destination of this surcharge was not clarified.

The protesters were gathered on a well-travelled road in Hurghada, and consequently took great care to ensure they were not disrupting the normal flow of traffic. The protest was peaceful and orderly, with one 'spokesman' leading the chants with the protesters demands.

Ultimately, the end result proved successful. The governor initially promised to "look over" the proposal and see if it could be amended, but following pressure from the protesters - who promised a sit-in did the governor not comply - the governor recanted his initial statements, ensuring protesters that the tax would not be imposed.

Below are some shots from the protest, all photos copyright Karim Mubariz.

The leader of the protest, shouting out their demands

Down on the street, protesters urged people upwards
to ensure normal flow of traffic.

Close up of the "spokesman"

Voting in Egypt gets underway

2011-11-28T13:22:00.000+02:00

What an exciting day for Egypt today. The start of what is hoped will be true democracy in the country. Even Google has gotten in on the Egyptian spirit.

Already there are reports of votes being 'bought' and individual lists and candidates handing out sugar, tomatoes, and meat to entice Egyptians to vote for their party, as well as reports indicating that again the dead are able to cast their votes. But I have not confirmed any of this, and it's not surprising to see rumours abound. I did however pass the polling station closest to my house earlier on today, and was happy to see people queuing up to cast their votes, with army and police personnel stationed around the entrance to help provide security. The next few months will be a telling time for the future of Egyptian politics, and I wish everyone today who is out there voting the best of luck. Yalla Masr!

For live updates on the progress of the elections, provided by al-Masri al-Yawm, click here.

Ongoing unrest in Egypt

2011-11-23T11:31:00.000+02:00

I have intentionally stayed quiet on this topic for a few days now for a few reasons. One being that I'm not in Cairo this time around, so I only have what I'm seeing on the media to go by and the last Revolution at least taught us that the media is only showing about 10 percent of what's really going on.

One thing I would like to highlight is that although through the media it looks as though the entire fabric of Egypt is collapsing again, this is not the case. In Hurghada we are very much isolated from what is going on, and were anyone to ask me "is it safe to come to the Red Sea at the moment," my answer would immediately be yes. We are already starting to see the repercussions of the unrest in Cairo, with the Egyptian pound weakening and the markets already closing early on Wednesday. Of course the primary objective at the moment is to restore peace and stability to the country, and my heart goes out to those in Tahrir fighting for their freedom. But I cannot let myself get caught up in the fervor and make it out that the entire country is on the verge of breaking down. As K said to me yesterday, were it not for the news and the internet we really wouldn't have any idea of what was going on in the rest of the country from here in Hurghada.

I said this yesterday, and I will repeat it again here. As we are all watching the scenes in Cairo and throughout the rest of Egypt unfold, I would like to take this time to remind everyone that aggression and hostility will not help anyone. The continuing tensions are undoubtedly causing cracks in the surface. We must remember to be patient when listening to others, when dealing with others in the streets. We must remember the fundamental cores of democracy that the people in Tahrir are fighting for. The right to freedom of expression, the right to live securely. If we can all remember these little facets of what the original revolution was meant to be about, together we can hope to keep the fabric of Egyptian society strong.

My thoughts are with my friends in Tahrir, and with those I hold dear in Cairo. Please let us at least remember some of the lessons we were taught in the last revolution: spreading discord and rumours will only come to bite us in the long run. Check before you're posting anything, and be patient with those around you. Remember that as expats, no matter how much we feel that Egypt is our home, this is an Egyptian fight. The best role that we can play at the moment is to stand back, show our support, help with supplies when necessary, and avoid falling into the trap of believing everything that we read.

Red Sea Earthquake

2011-11-19T17:51:00.000+02:00

This morning I felt like I'd transplanted myself back a few years to when I used to live in California. At 9:12 a.m. this morning, the Red Sea was hit by a series of "mini quakes" felt throughout Sharm and Hurghada, with the highest registering a 4.1 on the Richter scale.

As is the norm in a country that isn't regularly hit by earthquakes, the rumours have started. It didn't take long for news outlets to begin reporting that there were experts 'predicting' that there would be another, bigger quake to follow the series of quakes this morning.

So, I'm here to blow open some of these myths about earthquakes, and tips on what you can do if you find the ground shaking under your boots.

Let's visit the first, and perhaps most common myth in Egypt, that experts can "predict" earthquakes. This is entirely false. While their predictions may seem to come true, these are aftershocks from the initial tremor, and rarely if ever exceed the magnitude of the first quake. As the U.S. Geological Survey says: "Neither the USGS nor Caltech nor any other scientists have ever predicted a major earthquake. They do not know how, and they do not expect to know how any time in the foreseeable future. However based on scientific data, probabilities can be calculated for potential future earthquakes."

Another common myth that accompanies earthquakes, which I myself have been prone to telling people, is that the safest place you should find refuge is a door frame. Myth. California's Department of Conservation explains: The safest place to be in an earthquake is under a doorway. That's true only if you live in an unreinforced adobe home. In a modern structure the doorway is no stronger than the rest of the building. Actually, you're more likely to be hurt (by the door swinging wildly) in a doorway. And in a public building, you could be in danger from people trying to hurry outside. If you're inside, get under a table or desk and hang on to it.

I was told this morning by an individual that they had been told ground floor apartments were safer in the event of an earthquake, because you would be able to run outside if it struck. This fails to take into consideration two very important factors. One: The time it takes you to get outside may not be much shorter than the actual length of the quake, which are often less than 30 seconds long. Unless you're standing right by your front door, can you make it out of your house in under 30 seconds? Two: In Egypt we face the problem of buildings that are not constructed to an "earthquake code." This means that the ground floor is actually one of the more dangerous floors to be on, as the building can pancake in on itself during an earthquake. If you look back to the Cairo quake of 1992, most of the fatalities occurred due to buildings collapsing and panicked people stampeding out of buildings. The New York Times reported that over 100 school children were trampled as they attempted to run out of their school building.

Finally, one of the hot contended topics is that animals can "predict" earthquakes. This is not 100 % proven, nor is it dis-proven. As dogs in particular are known for their sensitive hearing, the chances are more likely that they hear the deep rumblings of the earth long before we do. Often animals will seek refuge in corners, or under beds, but you can rest assured that they most likely know the safest place to be in your house. Fortunately (or unfortunately?) for us, Orien was sleeping at my feet this morning, and did little more than grunt and roll over. Very tense dog we have :p

So, overall things to remember:

No - earthquakes cannot be predicted.

Yes - you should seek refuge under a desk or table. Check out more information on the "triangle of life."

For a more detailed list of frequently asked earthquake questions, click here.

Where to Go - Continental Stables

2011-11-19T13:43:00.000+02:00

This weeks Where to Go falls into the sports and outdoorsy categories, the Continental Stables.

Located at the Continental Hotel, on Mamsha in Hurghada, the Continental Stables is sure to offer you the perfect horse riding experience. Their location puts them in the perfect locale to arrange desert rides or beach rides, and they have a menage ideal for lessons or working on your own skills and techniques. For the rider craving a little bit more adventure, day rides into the mountains surrounding Hurghada are also offered. Although, for those who are not used to riding - five hours in the saddle will render you incapable of walking the next day; consider yourself warned ;)

Our little celebrity Chico - Is always a hit with experienced
riders!

The Continental Stables are run and managed by Claire and Mohammed, who have been working together in the equine industry for many years. Claire is a certified British Horse Association trainer, and offers lessons in a wide range of disciplines. Always yearned to learn how to jump? Or fancy taking on some 'horse ballet' more commonly known as dressage? The Continental Stables have the horse suited to your skills and needs.

Desert rides

One thing that the stables are doing to make a name for themselves is throwing themselves into the world of Hurghada kids. Busy Bees Nursery holds a monthly flea market (with the next one scheduled for the 9th of December), where the Continental Stables also participates. They offer pony rides to the younger children, moulding the next generation of horse enthusiasts.

Programmes offered through the stable include leasing and livery, or simply riding lessons or riding out with experienced guides. Also in the works is a children's educational programme, whereby the young riders will be taught how to hone their riding skills, basic care and maintenance of a horse, how to tack up and general horse care. The objective is to ensure that lessons with the Continental Stables guarantee a well-rounded programme.

And yes, for those wondering, this is the same location as the rescue barn :) Added bonus: Develop your riding skills, and meet the new rescue cases brought in by the stable and their dedicated team.

For more information contact Mohammed on: 018-365-2325. Horses are available for all levels of riders, camel rides are also available. Groups are welcome. If you have any other questions you may hit the 'contact me' button above.

Happy trails!

Maadi thugs use stun guns to attack females

2011-11-16T14:20:00.000+02:00

Reposting from Simply LeAnne, for all women in and around Maadi please watch out for this gang. When possible, avoid walking alone, as it is evident that daylight does not deter these men.

Watch out for a dark blue Mitsubishi with three males around the age of 25-30-years-old who are now using a stun gun to attack.

Photo Source: youoffendmeyouoffendmyfamily.com

It’s no secret that crime rate has skyrocketed in Egypt post-revolution, but the petty thefts that were occurring seem to have taken a new, dangerous tone.

In the Maadi area around Sakanat, Mustafa Kamel and Road 13 there are three stories that are similar and confirmed, but last night a new twist was added.

There is a car with men patrolling this area looking for easy targets: women. The other day, a woman was standing near her friend’s home with her purse strapped across her shoulders when a car pulled up pretending to park. All of the sudden, the guys jumped out and pushed the female to the ground and attempted to take her purse. A group of drivers were nearby and came to the woman’s aid and the culprits immediately jumped in the car, unsuccessful in their attempt, and drove away. Escalation #1: The thugs saw the other men standing nearby and were not deterred.

It gets worse. Last night (November 15) a car with the same MO (although it could be a group of people committing the same actions with various cars) was scouting the same area. The car is a dark blue Mitsubishi with three males around the ages of 25-30 years old. The attack happened at 11 am, but the daylight bit with all the people on the street isn’t even the worst part. The worst part is that now a stun gun is being used. The female was attacked by a stun gun while the men attempted to get her in the car. Unsuccessful, they tried for her purse and ended up dragging her from Road 13 to Mustafa Kamel street. They did get her purse and she is currently in the hospital. My thoughts and prayers go out to her.

Another similar, but unsuccessful attempt was made on another woman in the same area.

The problem is that despite onlookers being present, the thugs seem to have no qualms about executing their actions. God only knows what would have happened to this poor woman should they have gotten her inside their car. The more worrisome aspect is that now a stun gun is being used.

This is one of the many problems post-revolution and it will only get worse as elections near. When many of you watched from afar the media reports, you saw stones being thrown and sticks being used as weapons. Now it is relatively easy to find artillery and the like. In fact, I’ve seen an AK-47 and hand grenades just lying about at a house. The EVEN MORE worrisome aspect is that people don’t know how to properly use this equipment which makes me fearful of the violence that could ensue during elections or in the likely event that the elections are delayed again, the out lash from various people.

Ladies, please begin keeping some weapon on you at all times. Even if you don’t believe in a weapon per se for fear it might be used against you, please have some self-defense gear ready and don’t expect the men on the street to come to your defense. It isn’t that they won’t, but don’t count on it. And if you can avoid it, do not walk alone.

Hurghada Rental Cars and Taxis

2011-11-10T14:06:00.000+02:00

Recently there has been an apparent increase in road accidents in and around the Hurghada area. They often involve buses being driven by unlicensed drivers, stoned drivers, or simply people that consider themselves the next Michael Schumacher. These drivers are also rampant in Taxis and personal cars. There is no lack in crazy drivers in Hurghada.

For many people that reside in and around the Red Sea area, this begs the question "How can I get to my destination safely?" Getting into a microbus usually means that you will be taking hairpin turns at breakneck speeds, while dealing with not so savory clientele that will accompany you on your microbus journey. For those of us that don't have cars, this leaves taxis as the only option. So we get into a stranger's car, assuming that they are in fact taxi drivers, and hope that they are both licensed and considerate drivers. This is not always the case.

In travelling throughout Hurghada lately, it seems that the number of taxis on the roads driven by children are increasing exponentially. Just the other day, I had to wave away three cabs whose drivers looked not a day over fifteen. Seeing as how many people in Egypt are able to get their driving license by paying a little extra, this is a worrying trend.

Also worrying, is not knowing if your taxi driver is one of the many drivers in Egypt that uses chemicals and drugs to keep himself awake. Cocaine, hashish, dramadol, the list goes on. For many, working long hours into the night is the only way of ensuring that they will be able to cover their expenses, and therefore rely on drugs to see them through. This of course does not include the growing "taxi mafia" such as what you see in locations like Senzo Mall, or that I see directly in front of the Continental Hotel in Mamsha. Taxis will park outside, and knowing that the amount of taxi traffic that passes by is minimal, will quote you outrageous prices - double, often triple what you should legally be paying. Should you tell one taxi driver no, the next taxi driver will quote you the same price - they know that by sticking together you'll end up with no choice but to accept the higher rates. Most frustrating however, is when you tell the drivers that they should do what is legally required of them, i.e. turn on their meter. This will often result in ridicule and curses flung at you, for daring to suggest they actually work by the book. Interesting aside: if taxis are caught going through police check points in Hurghada and do NOT have their meter on, they face immediate fines ranging between 50 LE (just under ten dollars) up to 300 LE. To avoid this fine, you'll notice the cheeky taxi drivers unabashedly turn on their meter just before the check point.

This doesn't even go anywhere near the number of unlicensed taxis that are driving around. For anyone reading this, pay attention to the numbers listed on the side of the taxi cab. If that number is not there, do not get into the taxi. Their registration numbers should be clearly visible, otherwise you have no way of ensuring they are actually registered and licensed. To help residents get around Hurghada, a facebook group has been created documenting both the white listed and reliable taxi drivers, and the black listed taxis that should be avoided. Reasons for their blacklisting include: theft, groping, vulgar language, over-charging, drug use, among others. I recommend you check this link and find a decent and reliable taxi driver - only then will we start to see the number of maniacs reduced on the streets.

For those journeys that you just cannot take with a taxi, renting a car is the only other option. Renting a car in Hurghada is an entirely different headache on its own. You will face either extortionate prices, up to 400 LE a day with a kilometer limit of about 100 km a day, to paying 120 LE a day for a car that will break down within 2 hours of leaving the shop.

Rental cars here are not strictly regulated like they are outside of Egypt. We have rented cars and had to immediately change the oil, reverse our direction to find out what fell off the bottom of the car, dealt with broken and bunk CD players and other electronics in the car, cracked windscreens, and don't even get me started on the tires. For us to rent a car, our first destination has always got to be the mechanic to ensure that the car will safely get us to our destination. If you find any problems, the rental company will tell you it's "not their issue," and that the car was "just fine when you took it." Should you have to pay extra money to get the car working, don't expect to see that money come back to you.

Now the above points are assuming you even GET the car. K and I have had to deal with rental companies in Hurghada more times than I care to mention. We will put in the request for the rental car up to three days in advance, and are always assured "no problem, the car will be here on the day you request." Come the day that we are meant to pick it up, they are always "en route" from either Cairo or Marsa Alam. Once the rental company has told you the car is on its way, and should be expected within a few hours, they will stop answering your phone calls. Normally, 12-24 hours later, they will phone you and let you know that the "car has arrived" and you may now pick it up. Forget about having to get to your destination on time: rental car companies here have no way of ensuring that the cars are returned to them on the days they are meant to. Better still: You are still expected to pay the price you were originally quoted, even if you have to wait an extra day to get the car and potentially miss the appointment you needed the car for in the first place.

The Egyptian idiom of "mafish mushkela" (no problem) and "InshAllah" (God willing) rule in the rental world. If you're looking to rent a car in the Red Sea, expect to pay extortionate prices and not be able to drive anywhere outside of the city limits (or end up paying a dollar extra PER KM you go over), or to pay an acceptable price and have no guarantee that your car will arrive on time. I should note, the last car we rented came through one of the "expensive" rental companies, and this was the car that had items falling off the bottom chassis of the car, with the electronics not working, and overall a P.O.S. vehicle for paying close to 75 dollars a day.

So what's our end solution? Buy our own car. That seems to be the only way to avoid all the hassle and unreliability of taxi cabs and rental companies here. And buying a car? That's a wholeeeee other can of worms that I will open in a blog in the future.

Egypt's media needs a revolution

2011-11-06T20:44:00.000+02:00

Brilliant article providing insight into how media in Egypt is run. Posted by The Guardian's Austin Mackell, read on.

As Egypt's deeply flawed parliamentary elections approach and the revolution struggles to maintain momentum, the battle over the media – and TV in particular – is of great importance. In a country with an illiteracy rate of 40%, television is the main and most trusted source of news. This is not lost on Egypt's activists, who are busy looking for ways to reach those outside the informed and critical Twitter/Facebook circles that have been the central means of spreading dissent so far.

Alaa Abd El Fatah, the prominent blogger who is currently imprisoned, was among a group of activists hoping to set up a nonprofit broadcaster in Egypt. Such a channel would still be vulnerable to direct military intervention (troops have entered TV studios on at least three occasions, and in the case of al-Jazeera Mubasher they seized equipment and forced the channel off air). It would, however, prevent the military rulers and other establishment figures leaning on a single owner or group of owners to control the channel's coverage.

That practice – in some ways more insidious than outright censorship – is said to be rife. The activists are not alone in making this accusation; prominent journalist Yosri Foda recently cancelled his show Akher Kallam("The Last Word") saying that if he couldn't tell the truth, he would say nothing at all. Unfortunately, such journalistic integrity is far from universal in the Egyptian media. More common is what Foda described as "cheap and propaganda-style journalism". The most extreme form of this is to be found in the government media which have made themselves accomplices in state terror.

It is hard to imagine a more perfect example of media malpractice than the events of 9 October. Unarmed protesters were being shot and crushed to death under army vehicles, literally within spitting distance from the famousMaspero building, where state media is headquartered.

Meanwhile, inside, state TV anchor Rasha Magdy was reporting the opposite: armed "Christians" had attacked soldiers, killing three, she said. She went on to call for "honourable citizens" to come to the streets and defend the army – directly inciting sectarian violence.

State TV's malpractices, including showing tranquil shots of the Nile during the January uprising while massive protests filled Tahrir Square just a few blocks away, and coverage of the 6 October holiday celebrating Egypt's "victory" in the 1973 war with Israel can border on the absurd – though in reality they are no laughing matter.

A former state TV employee told me recently how explicit commands would filter down from management to report a story a certain way, or to ignore it, or to wait for an official statement – the reading of which would be as far as coverage on that issue went. "I felt like a liar for a long time before I decided to quit," she said, adding: "We didn't actually cover Tunisia until Ben Ali fled".

Despite a protest and sit-in by some state TV employees in the months immediately after Mubarak's fall, calling for wage increases and a purge of the higher echelons, this culture of obedience has survived but with one distinct change. Before the instructions had come primarily from the ministry of information; now, they come almost exclusively from the military.

Just as worrying as these workplace practices however, was the manner in which my acquaintance got her job in the first place – through a connection she describes as her "godfather" in the organisation. This is typical of the culture inside Maspero, where networks of nepotism, rather than professional merit are what determine employment and promotion.

These networks of client-patron relations – reminiscent of ancient Rome or the modern-day mafia – are not limited to state TV, but infect every element of Egyptian bureaucracy, business and society and are the wire that holds the old order in place. Before this revolution can be complete they will all need to be challenged. The state broadcaster is a perfect place to start.

Horse rescue in Hurghada

2011-11-04T12:26:00.000+02:00

It's Eid in Egypt again. This time of year for many animal activists, particularly in Cairo, is marred by the slaughter of many animals, and the flogging of horses in the pyramids area from dawn till dusk to cart the holiday makers around. For stable owners in Giza, Eid means increased business. For horses, it means less rest and more running. A vicious cycle indeed.

It is no coincidence that I have chosen this time to introduce Hurghada's new horse rescue and rehabilitation programme. This is an attempt not only to highlight to readers the importance of picking horses that are well nourished, but also to underline that there are people out there doing their utmost to make a difference even if it is just in the life of one animal at a time.

Meet Cleo.

Cleo is a grey mare who was rescued from the Giza pyramids area just over one month ago. In the state that she was in, Cleo was still being used as a riding pony to take people back and forth from the desert.

Cleo on the day she arrived. The wounds on her back were
horrific. One was deeper than three inches.

She had open gaping wounds where the saddle had rubbed her skin raw. She was listless, and barely had the strength to stand up herself, let alone be carrying people around!

Cleo is the first in what will hopefully become many horses to find a new home in the Continental Rescue and Rehab stables. Rescued by Claire Dunkerley and her husband Mohammed, Claire knew as soon as she laid eyes on Cleo that she was a special horse. At once, Claire began bargaining a price for her to give her the care and attention she so desperately needed.

After 1 week in the Continental

Upon arrival to her new home in Hurghada, Cleo was met with love, affection, and cleaning agents. Claire and I immediately went to work cleaning up her wounds (although my stomach of steel - hah! - meant Claire did a great deal more of the cleaning than I did!). The little mare was evidently distressed and in pain, but so weak that she could do little more than feebly turn her head in protest. Upon further inspection and vet checks, it was uncovered that not only was she grossly malnourished, this emaciated animal was also pregnant. This of course complicated the healing process, as generally a horse would be given a round of anti-biotics to help clear up the infected wounds. Cleo could not receive the same treatment for fear that it would cause a mis-carriage and jeopardise her own safety.

Instead, Cleo has been tended to daily by Claire, Mohammed, and their dedicated team at the stables. She has touched a piece of all of us; her lust for life is contagious and the strength she is already exhibiting inspirational. I have been blessed to be a part of her rehab, and have great hopes for what the future for this little horse holds.

The Continental Rescue and Rehab has one simple goal: to help the desperate and derelict horses throughout Egypt. What sets it apart from other horse rescues, is that the rescuing isn't the primary goal. Once the horses have been re-habbed and brought back to full health, they will be re-homed to a good home where they will never again suffer neglect at the hands of humans. Cleo was meant to be the first horse in a long line of many to be re-homed through the Continental, but her spirit has firmly implanted itself in the stable, and she will hopefully never have to leave again.

To this date Cleo has gained a whopping 15 kg. What makes her recovery process so remarkable is not only that she has not been given any anti-biotics, but when you compare her recovery to many other rescue horses throughout Egypt, her improvements which are seen daily begs the question: how are some of the horses we see that have been rescued months ago still emaciated? Is the entire "rescue process" in the country in need of an overhaul?

Cleo on October 31st.

Regardless of what the reasons are, her recovery process is incredible to watch. For anyone in the Red Sea, or for those who are planning on heading out to this area, I invite you to the Continental Rescue and Rehab, located at the Continental Hotel on Mamsha, to come and meet Cleo for yourself.

For others who would like to track the steps of her recovery, please follow our Facebook page here.

Do you know of any horses that are in desperate need of rescuing? Leave a comment on the page, and we will do our utmost to ensure that Cleo's story is not the only one of a horse in Egypt who's life has done a 180.

It all started with one small country

2011-10-30T17:21:00.002+02:00

I realise there are quite a few people who follow on here who will not have seen me post this elsewhere. Here is my article I wrote for the International Observatory on Stability and Conflict, and I'm thrilled with the result. Check out the OISC's website for further analysis on the evolving situation of the global protests. So happy to have collaborated with them.

Last spring, the western world watched with wonder and bewilderment the people once under colonialist submission rise to defend their right to self-determination. Concepts such as one man-one vote, direct suffrage, equality for all, redistribution of wealth and freedom of the press were defended amidst blood and sweat, the very same price western peoples paid for their freedom two centuries ago. More importantly, the western world watched as unarmed, young protesters without leaders made decades-long dictatorships fall, in Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and more bloodily, in Libya. The once apathetic American youth received a massive electrical shock in 2008; placing all its hopes and dreams on the sole shoulders of President Obama, their activism is now focused against their own leader: corporate greed, corporate personhood, and corporate domination has to fall. The Occupy Wall Street movement has spread nationwide, is unarmed, without a leader, and is very much hoping to reclaim the American Dream. 2011 could be the year of worldwide successful revolutions; it could be the new Dawn of the People. But what are the consequences of such massive political overhaul? Is Occupy Wall Street the child of the Arab Spring, in a reverse clash of civilizations? Journalist Susan Richards-Benson, on the foreground of the new era, gives us a compelling analysis.

“One man, lighting himself on fire in protest of a continued reign of tyranny, through his actions lit a fire in the souls of people around the world”

The world today is trembling, and not just from the movements of its crust. People around the globe are unknowingly uniting together against one front: fighting the continued abuse of power that for so many years went ignored.

It all started with one small country. One man, lighting himself on fire in protest of a continued reign of tyranny, through his actions lit a fire in the souls of people around the world. What started in Tunisia quickly spread to Egypt. It wasn’t long before surrounding countries also began to feel the heat. The spirit of Revolution had been awakened. But this time, people were not going to simply sit back quietly and accept the tirade of excuses presented by the powers that be. This time, the power of the people would triumph and their voices would be heard.

The Arab Spring sent shockwaves throughout the world. For many sitting in the comfort of their living rooms in the United States, there seemed little reason to be worried. These were countries far away with political policies that barely impacted their everyday lives. How could the United States possibly have anything to fear with the growing tides of revolution in the Middle East?

“Is it possible that people currently in New York really share the same grievances as the Egyptian youth staked out in Tahreer Square?”

The Occupy Wall Street movement serves as a reminder that revolutionary spirit is not limited to developing countries only. As more protesters flood the streets of New York, activists begin looking to protesters across the Atlantic for inspiration on how to best keep the momentum moving. If the revolution in Egypt proved anything, it was the power of social networking to inspire and unite. As with the Occupy Wall Street protests, media outlets initially ignored the growing tensions in both Egypt and Tunisia, leaving it to the protesters themselves to get the word out. Facebook and Twitter have proven to be monumental tools in coordinating protests, garnering support, updating on developments, and ultimately breaking through the blackout wall erected by both regimes and media outlets.

But how similar are the movements in reality? Is it possible that people currently in New York really share the same grievances as the Egyptian youth staked out in Tahreer square?

To answer this question, one must first examine what the root causes behind the protests really are. Are they simply the disgruntled and unemployed who have nothing better to do with their time? Or are they in fact the great majority of a population who have simply tired of being trodden on and suppressed by the ruling elite?

Egyptian society during the Mubarak era was highly striated; the difference between Egyptian and U.S. social hierarchies is that in Egypt, this societal structure is well known and documented. But now, due to global protests, more and more people in the U.S. are realizing that class warfare exists in their home country also. The fundamental difference between the two countries is that in Egypt, people came to accept this hierarchy as an absolute truth, whereas in the U.S. there is always hope that the “American dream” will become a reality if you work just that little bit harder, just that little bit longer.

The Egyptian revolutionary youth broke through this mentality. During the January Revolution, young and old, rich and poor, Muslims and Christians stood side by side united in their cause. Together, they toppled a regime that had kept them under lock and key for three decades. Together, through the power of the people they triumphed. Now however, Egypt is witnessing attempts to rip apart this social fabric that was so carefully woven during the Revolution. Egyptian media outlets are continuously dominated by stories of Muslims attacking Christian churches, of Christian business owners attacking their Muslim neighbors’ store front. It smacks of methods previously employed; methods which had successfully implanted in many minds of Egyptian citizens that they were not all equal and did not all deserve the same chances in life. It is an attempt to sabotage the undeniable solidarity that pushed Hosni Mubarak out of power to begin with.

Protesters in Wall Street should be watching carefully as these tactics are employed throughout Egypt. They too are facing similar tactics, with smear campaigns circulating the very social networks they used to get their message out in the first place. A picture is being painted of social activists who are merely attempting to stir up trouble, and true patriots should never question the ruling elite. It’s worked for centuries has it not? Why rock the boat now?

Tahrir Square, February 3

“They have learned a valuable lesson; one that should be translated to protesters throughout the rest of the world. In order for the power of the people to triumph, it must be united.”

To this day, many Egyptian protesters are still taking to the streets, despite the lacking media coverage to emphasize their cause. Despite attempts to stir up sectarian tensions amongst everyday citizens, Muslims and Christians together are presenting one voice, one united front: “We are the revolutionary youth. We are all Egyptians.” They have learned a valuable lesson; one that should be translated to protesters throughout the rest of the world. In order for the power of the people to triumph, it must be united. To allow attempts to divide individuals or groups, to plant the idea that one person is somehow more entitled than the next will only serve the very ruling elite people are rebelling against.

Now is the time for governments that were built for the people and by the people to listen to their citizens. To acknowledge their past mistakes. To accept that further dividing a country and its citizens will never succeed. If Egypt proved anything, it is that one voice alone cannot change anything, but a million voices united in a cause can give birth to a new country – to a new future.

As Alexander Solzhenitsyn once said “You only have power over people so long as you don’t take everything away from them. But when you’ve robbed a man of everything he’s no longer in your power – he’s free again.”

Where to Go - Harbour Restaurant

2011-10-25T12:36:00.001+02:00

Last week K and I decided to go out for dinner. Originally we had planned to head to the "American Restaurant" on the Marina. Upon arrival however, we found it gutted from the inside out and evidently in the midst of renovations. So we improvised, and went to the restaurant right next door, Harbour Restaurant.

Located on the Hurghada New Marina, Harbour Restaurant offers great views of the surrounding area. The advantage to dining here is that we were able to bring Orien along for the night. There's something so nice about going out for dinner together, and Orien was so well behaved it made it all the better.

The prices at Harbour Restaurant are very fair, considering its location on the New Marina. Generally I will avoid eating at many places there, as the prices are usually extortionate. (Although in defense of the restaurants, they don't have a choice when they are being charged thousands of dollars in rent...) Our total bill ended up less than 40 $ for everything, making Harbour Restaurant an ideal place for a date night on a budget.

The menu is fairly diverse, offering a variety of pasta dishes, grilled chicken, steaks and seafood. K inquired about the Barbeque Chicken, specifically how it was grilled. He was told it's not done on a Barbeque...so I'm not quite sure how it can be marketed as such, but... yeah. It ended up being grilled chicken, and was quite tasty!

I ordered the Tomato Soup and Caesar Salad, and between the two of us we shared a Spaghetti Bolognese. As far as the quality of the food goes, well it left some things to be desired. My Tomato Soup was very watery, and I would not be surprised if it had come out of a packet. I had to add a great deal of salt and pepper to flavour it up, as it had very little taste to it. The Caesar Salad was smaller than what I had expected, and if you are looking to make a salad your main course, you'd better order two. The salad was also very rich, and was dripping in dressing on the bottom, making it quite a heavy 'light' meal. Next time I will be ordering the dressing on the side.

The Spaghetti Bolognese was tasty, but it wasn't anything unique. It was the a-typical Egyptian style Spaghetti Bolognese (read: seasoned with what was most likely cinnamon and a nutmeggy blend of spices - so it is slightly sweet). K quite enjoyed his chicken, which was garnished with quite a lot of rosemary that he ended up having to scrape off. Served with French Fries, the BBQ chicken is definitely satisfactory for a single person meal.

We arrived at the restaurant around 18:45. There was one other couple there alongside us. Despite being the only ones there, we waited almost 40 minutes for our food, making me wonder how long you would have to wait were the restaurant busy! Seeing as how we arrived at what should be dinner time, I was disappointed with the speed of the service. Our waiter was more than pleasurable, but again, the speed left much to be desired.

If you are looking for a family dinner out on a budget, Harbour Restaurant is a good place to go. I would rate the food a 7 out of 10, location was definitely a 10, and service a 5 out of 10. Overall, I would rate Harbour Restaurant a 6.5 out of 10.

Egypt Unbound on Traveler Voice

2011-10-25T12:13:00.000+02:00

This blog was recently nominated for an award on Traveler Voice as one of the top Living Abroad blogs out there.

Although the blog did not win, it did garner special recognition, and for this I would like to thank you! Without your continued support of the blog I would not have been able to do it.

Here's hoping that the next time around, Egypt Unbound will be the winner in its category!

Butterscotch Brownies

2011-10-21T14:33:00.000+02:00

I was requested that I post this recipe, which was a huge hit. Apparently it tastes very similar to an Egyptian style of cake, so K was more than enthused to have it with his morning Chai Bil Laban (Tea with Milk) for breakfast. As per usual, I found a recipe in the Joy of Cooking and made it my own!

So here's what you'll need:

1 eight inch baking pan (lined with foil)

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter (unsalted preferably)

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla essence

1 tbsp white sugar mixed with 1/4 tsp water (original recipe called for 1 tbsp corn syrup, but that's something I cannot find here so I improvised)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 175 Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).

Grease your foil-lined baking pan. This is very important, if you miss this step you'll end up peeling off foil from your brownies. Mmm...foil covered brownies.

Whisk together in a large bowl your flour, baking soda and powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a non-stick saucepan, melt your butter. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter turns a golden brown colour (takes three to five minutes).

Remove from heat. Stir in brown and white sugar until well blended.

As the mixture cools, add in your egg, egg yolk, your sugar / water (or corn syrup) blend and vanilla.

Mix your wet ingredients into flour mixture.

Add to baking pan, and cook until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, between 20-30 minutes.

Et. Voila! Bil Hana Wa Shiva!

Top with cream, or serve with Ice Cream!

Before you give $$$

2011-10-19T12:00:00.001+02:00

Look for the follow up to this blog later on today. Re-posted from Simply LeAnne, it's about time that the sad truth came out.

Letters from Egypt: Before you give $$$

Animal welfare is not even an afterthought in Egypt, but one organization has many believing that it is bringing this issue to the forefront with its so-called charity.

Enter Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals (ESMA).

ESMA’s website touts that it is “a charitable organization registered in Egypt (No. 3059/2007).” It was formed in late-2007 in “response to a horrific shooting spree of street dogs by the Egyptian government.” Thus, a small group of Egyptians and expats came together to “fight this notion of population control and to protect and rescue animals in immediate danger.” Their exact protection and rescue methods are in question with a recent report released on mistreated horses questioning the organization and stable (please refer to link provided at bottom of page to note the finger-pointing and discrepancies listed as well as comments).

If adequate animal welfare is in question amid donations continuously pouring, you have to eventually ask yourself where the donated items and money is dispersed (many non-profits use most of the funds for “administrative” purposes, ie many times filling the pockets of a select few within the organization).

After my Facebook newsfeed was bombarded with ESMA’s desperate need for donations and rumors began circulating as to where exactly these donations were going, I decided to do some further research. I sent an email directly to Mona Khalil, ESMA founder and board chairman, posing as a potential donor with substantial funds deriving from US contacts.

Prior to contacting Mona, I posted on ESMA’s Facebook page: “Does ESMA keep detailed financial reports of the donations it receives and where the money is allocated in its entirety?”

To which an ESMA member responded: “Yes LeAnne, ESMA keeps receipts and full details of donations. If you would like to review them, you are more than welcome to come visit our accountant at the shelter in Shabramant.”

Immediately after this response, I received a phone call from the ESMA member whom informed me that he had been so busy rescuing animals and was getting tired of the “accusations” regarding ESMA. To which I replied that as a potential donor, I was well within my rights to inquire as to the allocation of funds in order to ensure transparency. I added that the US donors also need clarification in order to obtain the tax write-offs which required documents and since the organization is registered as a non-profit in Egypt backed by a US non-profit, then I knew documentation must be compiled. The ESMA member informed me again that I was welcome to come to the shelter and personally review the records which led me to inquire about electronic documentation. He then assured me that he would send an electronic version of the organization’s 2010 records.

However, I received a very different response after my email to Mona dated October 4 which read:

Hi Mona,

I am inquiring about further information regarding ESMA for potential donations. I collect funds and items from various friends in the expat community in Cairo as well as friends abroad (mostly the US) for charitable contributions and I'm always looking for new causes to contribute.

In order to determine where the funds/items will be donated, I was wondering if you or someone at ESMA could provide more information. Since ESMA is a charitable organization, can you please provide me with financial records to show the money received and its allocation? I'm sure you understand, but I must check these facts before giving such sizable donations to ensure transparency as many of my US contributors use this as a tax write-off.

Your earliest response is greatly appreciated.

Debbie Smith, ESMA Treasurer, replied on October 9:

Dear LeAnne,

Mona forwarded your email to me, so that I can respond to your questions. Are you here in Cairo or in the US? Regarding making a tax-deductible donation to ESMA from abroad, we are fiscally sponsored by Animal Diplomacy, which is a registered US 501C3 non-profit organization. There is a link to the Animal Diplomacywebpage from our site (www.esmaegypt.org), and most donations from the US and other countries outside Egypt are processed in this way through Paypal. I am cc'ing Kristen Stilt on this, who can answer any questions you may have about Animal Diplomacy.

On the other hand, If you or your friends are here in Egypt and want to make a donation, it is easy enough, you can just contact me or Mona to arrange for it to be picked up, or go to the shelter where our bookkeeper is working and drop it off there. In either case, you can specify if there is a specific program (i.e. shelter, horse feeding, etc), animal, or purpose that you want any donations to be applied towards and it will be directed to that purpose. I hope this was helpful, and thank you for your interest in raising money for animal welfare in Egypt.

I immediately responded:

Dear Debbie,

Thank you for your response; however, my initial question remained unanswered. In order to properly contribute, my donors as well as myself need verification as to the money received and its allocation in order to ensure credibility as well as for tax documentation. As far as the funds we raise, we would like to further explore your programs to better attain where the most need is (including amount of animals separated by category).

We require this information from any organization that we’ve worked with, including Egyptian organizations like the Spirit of Giving.

I was instructed to visit the site in order to look over the paperwork, but electronic documentation should be readily available in order to also provide Animal Diplomacy an update, among others.

Please contact me at your earliest as we are getting ready to determine which organization should be the recipient of this year’s donation.

I understand being an animal lover. I happen to be one myself. I, in addition to many of my friends, have also taken in unwanted/abused pets. However, I also have a few pet peeves and one of my biggest has to be so-called charitable organizations that seemingly operate under the guise of “the greater good” yet take contributions without proper documentation of where the money is allocated. If ESMA’s claims of its “commitment to improving animal welfare in Egypt” were true, why are there such obvious discretions from financial statements to vaccination records? What’s even more worrisome is the Animal Diplomacy’s website that has no information available except how to donate and that it supports ESMA. In addition, try doing a search on further information from this US organization and its contact. All you will find is an address (1227 B Central Str, Evanston, Ill. 60201) to send checks, but no phone number, email, foundation information (inception or founders) or even specific tasks in which it operates. In fact, the only other charity it supposedly supports as listed on its site is ESMA.

Is it just me or does this not add up?

Debbie responded to me again:

Thanks for your email and I appreciate your concerns.

I am curious who you are representing when you say my donors, are you asking as an individual, or on behalf of an organization, or a group of people?

Regarding the initial question being unanswered, are you asking for verification of how much money is received and where it is allocated? if you are asking to see our financial records and reports, under Egyptian law and on the advice of our lawyer, we do not provide our financial records to individuals.

However, we are in full compliance with the reporting and auditing requirements of the Ministry of Social Affairs, our fiscal sponsor Animal Diplomacy, and any foundations we have received grants from, and according to our organizational bylaws and governance, and handle all donations of any size and from any source in good faith.

In any case, if you are an American donating here in Egypt to an Egyptian NGO, you will not be eligible for a tax write off with the IRS anyway. I directed you to the site as a way of making a donation through our fiscal sponsor, in the event that you or another US citizen wants to make a tax deductible donation.

If by further exploring our programs, you would like to know about what areas we are active in, and how many animals we are currently responsible for, or discuss what the areas of greatest need are, you could meet with me and/or with Mona Khalil in person if you want. You can also visit the shelter in Sakkara or attend the next scheduled horse feeding at Nezlet Al Samman, or volunteering is also a good way to experience some of what we are doing and meet others who are involved with ESMA one way or another. I think this will give a better idea of the scope of what we are doing and what the needs are.

If ESMA is in compliance with governmental laws, I wonder if the organization was informed about new legislation passed in June that had the Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity, Dr. Gouda Abdel Khaliq, warning “civil society associations and NGOs against applying for foreign grants” and called direct US funding to Egyptian NGOs a violation of Egyptian sovereignty. Under Egypt’s Law on Associations and Foundations (Law 84 of 2002), civil society organizations are prohibited from receiving funds from abroad without the approval of the Ministry of Social Solidarity. Violation of this provision of the law is punishable by up to six months imprisonment. Furthermore, how is the organization reporting its figures, particularly the funding received via PayPal?

When posting a comment on ESMA’s page that is anything other than praising their work, instant attacks begin in retaliation. For instance, when someone whom was helping in relocating ESMA-rescued horses inquired about the donated horse gear and its absence, an ESMA member replied: “i suggest you start opening your eyes and looking at what efforts are being made, rather than always bringing us down. Where do your loyalties lie? To the animals like us? If they did I would expect a very different method of communication from your side. Sadly, it seems your communication methods are too political for an organization that does not play this game.” The ESMA person also called via mobile and used such intelligent language as, “You’re a douchebag.” Bravo. This is exactly the type of mentality that makes me a) interested in volunteer opportunities and/or b) donating believing in its cause.

My advice: if you were thinking of donating to an animal rescue organization in Egypt, look elsewhere like the Egyptian Society of Animal Friends (ESAF) as ESMA raises (or should at least) too many red flags. And to any ESMA member reading this, if you would like to justify these claims then provide the financial documents – it’s not hard unless you’re hiding something. However, based upon your previous actions, I would assume that you question my affinity for animals. Just because I question your transparency does not mean that I love animals less than any of your volunteers.

For those ESMA volunteers that do genuinely care about animals, I sincerely applaud your efforts; however, the organization in its entirety should be more transparent so as to ensure its donors that their contributions are being placed in good hands and for a good cause.

I adopted Layla in 2004 from Tucson Animal Control

Further reading:

Remember, there are three sides to every story: hers, his and the truth. Look at these two reports and make your own judgment. The issue more than likely falls on both ESMA and the stable, but finger-pointing is not a solution. Instead, I would like to encourage both parties, in order to avoid another similar incident in the future, to work on a compromise behind closed doors that places the animals at the top of their agendas – not a he said/she said public sparring.

Report on the Condition of ESMA Horses At H.K. Stables

By ESMA ‘Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals’ on Monday, October 17, 2011 at 12:50 am (Cairo time)

After this report was published PFK posted a response on its FB page which I will not repost here because it’s lengthy, but suggest you visit its page and look for the report dated October 17 (Monday) at 11:21 pm.

Further response to allegations posed by ESMA member:

Dear Team Kareemers

By Prince Fluffy Kareem on Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 12:38pm

And with all the finger pointing, does no one question where the money is going? Just like with any potential donation, please make sure to research the charity and ask pertinent questions. Any evasive responses should immediately trigger a red flag. For those of us living in Egypt, many times we want to give because we feel much more fortunate. Give give give, but give wisely (and I strongly urge you to donate other items including time before so readily giving money).

Where to Go - Planet Animal

2011-10-18T18:50:00.002+02:00

Firstly, I apologize for the absence in posting in the past week. It has been a very long, and very stressful past few days for me. I hope to update on how and why in the coming period. Anyhow, moving on!

A few weeks back, I was asked by EgyPuppy, an up and coming company in Egypt, to review their shop. Well, last time I was in Cairo, I went in. The first thing you are met by are sales clerks sat at a computer with revolving monitors, presumably from which you can select your puppy that you plan to import.

They have supplies, but use the excuse that because most of the products are imported they can charge outrageous prices for them. (I saw one pack of Beggin Strips, on sale in the U.S. for under 2 $, marked at a price of close to 15 U.S. dollars. I mean come on, there's costs for importation...and then there's costs for importation. Echs). Needless to say, EgyPuppy, I'm sorry, I cannot recommend your location or services.

I realised that with all my postings on animal rights in Egypt, and where you shouldn't purchase your pet supplies from, I have neglected to suggest any locations that are decent!

To provide a contrast to EgyPuppy, let's look at Planet Animal in Hurghada.

Located on Maderis Street, the first thing that strikes you about Planet Animal is ... wait for it .... there are no animals for sale inside the shop! Three cheers!!

Planet Animal is run by two friends who have dedicated themselves to providing access to reliable and affordable dog toys, cat toys, the average medicine, and supplies.

Orien says "Treat Please!"

In the store you can find dog and cat food of various varieties and price ranges, including locally made Egyptian Kibble to imported Pedigree selections.

They have a good array of dog chew toys and rawhides, as well as cat toys and snacks.

Planet Animal offers dog leads, harnesses, and collars, in a host of materials including nylon and leather. They offer cat houses and the scratching posts.

If you're looking for worming or flea supplies, Planet Animal also has all of this on offer. You can choose from products imported from Germany (and still within a reasonable price range), or even request that a specific product you are looking for be shipped in.

For more information or to find out if Planet Animal has what you're looking for, call 011 211 344 51, or visit their location at 457 Maderis Street. Tell them Egypt Unbound sent you their way, and get a 10 % discount!

Hurghada Blood bank

2011-10-13T19:09:00.000+02:00

Recent events in Egypt are making one thing very clear: hospitals here are under-staffed, poorly equipped, and lack some of the emergency response abilities that can make the difference between life and death. One such commodity is a blood bank.

In Cairo, the chance of dying in an Ambulance en-route to the hospital after a car wreck, or dying in the hospital itself, are almost higher than the odds of the car accident killing you to begin with. With an estimated 30,000 car accidents in Egypt every year, providing adequate emergency response mechanisms to at least allow doctors and nurses the chance to save a life is crucial. In the post-revolution Egypt these figures are not slowing down; many people will testify that they fear driving in the country more now than they ever did during the Mubarak era. That's saying something.

Residents in Hurghada have decided that enough is enough. One of the most important things for a hospital to have on hand in case of an accident is blood. A work-related injury sustained by an individual in Hurghada made it blatantly clear that crucial element was missing.

Following his injury, Mo* was forced to wait almost three days before doctors would operate on him as there was apparently no blood available. Even worse, Mo - who earns an estimated 400 LE (less than 80 US dollars) salary a month - was asked to pay 500 LE for a half litre of blood alone (this does not include the expenses of the surgery!). First aid assistance should not be something that we are in the business of charging people for, particularly when their lives hang in the balance.

Mo's story has prompted the creation of a website whereby residents of Hurghada can register, mark down their blood type (with confidentiality ensured), and should the need arise for blood of that type they will be called and asked to come to the hospital or local clinic to make the donation. An early idea yet in its introductory phases, there remain a few kinks to be worked out, but the idea itself is solid.

This way it is not only guaranteed that your blood is coming directly to you, there's less chance of confusion in administering the wrong blood type - which can have disastrous and fatal results. My main concern remains with the facilities that would be collecting the blood, as I am very picky when it comes to sterilization of equipment, but I would highly endorse this project as one way for residents to truly give back to the community.

For more information or to register, please visit BloodBank Hurghada Online.

* Name changed for privacy reasons

Facebook Fuels Ignorance, Hatred

2011-10-10T13:30:00.001+02:00

An insightful look at the reactions on Facebook and other social media sites yesterday in response to the events unfolding in Cairo. Taken from Simply LeAnne, read on.

So now, let’s take it to social media – the catalyst behind the revolution. Egyptians were the first among the ‘Arab Spring’ nations to utilize social media as a platform for political change with blogger Wael Abbas accredited for its onset. As a journalist, I use Facebook for a variety of reasons – not just for personal contacts but to also monitor the banter for situations such as this. Here are a few excerpts from my newsfeed to give you a better insight as to what others on the ground in Egypt are saying as well as to highlight what happens when people take to the internet to post rhetoric without looking up any facts to substantiate their argument(s).

*Please note that all names are withheld for privacy purposes*

**Excerpts were not edited and remember, for many, English was not their first language**

“My only advice to the Egyptian army today. SHOOT TO KILL. These people are not protesters, they are barbarians and hooligans. The country and world could use a few thousand less of them.”

This person was reamed with 90 comments coming back protesting this statement. Then the same person began to justify this statement with unverified and untrue figures:

“It's a protest because of a church incident in Komombo. I don't understand why they would attack the army in Cairo! 3 army officers dead, 400 injured, 30 of which are in ICU...”

This was posted around 8 pm local time, at which time reports varied with 19 deaths total, including two to six military personnel, and 150 injured. When the person was asked to support these numbers, the response was: “will find you a link one second.” I’m still waiting for that link…

Once the original poster continued to get an earful from those considering the words inhumane and insensitive, the person did the typical Egyptian move and backpeddled.

“Wow...I can't believe you took this status seriously...read the two [statuses] above it”

The next two status updates to combat the initial outburst were (shortened rant):

“It is so simple to take someones sarcasm and words and process your understanding of what their beliefs are. I do not and will never encourage mass shooting by anyone, specially not the army which is OBVIOUSLY more powerful by numbers and force.

I am sorry if my status offended you, and I retract it immediately as it was sarcastic in regards to 'touchy topics'...but for future reference, don't be so quick to judge someone, and try and see both sides of a story. THE ARMY ARE PEOPLE TOO. THEY HAVE FAMILIES!!!!!”

Yet, I failed to see the both sides present in the argument. Coincidentally enough, the next status all of the sudden, undoubtedly expecting to gain sympathy and forgiveness for the first uncouth rant:

“UPDATE for all the people who stood against me defending the army today...My moms car just got attacked by a group of "protesters" on her way home from work (in Tahrir).”

The next poster grew up in the UK mostly and splits time between Egypt and the UK, but is Egyptian and Muslim.

“My heart goes out to all that were shot, killed or injured today for standing up for Justice, Love 'n Unity and an END to the INJUSTICES towards the 'I'riginal Orthodox Coptic peoples of Egypt ..”

Response:

“u see first and talk smart instead of spreading western propaganda. U r not even in egypt so dont talk about Egypt”

This person continued to post against the original poster:

“u r lebanese and u r more attached to the american culture than ur own culture. And u r doing music which is not egyptian. U r more ethiopian than egyptian...”

How American culture got involved when the person has never spent any time in the US is beyond me. And someone else’s response to the original post (which I will shorten since Egyptians tend to ramble):

“let's say that the Aswan villagers who really burnt da church ok ... nd sure there are many videos showin how small the burnt buildin was nd sure u can find it in utube or i can send it to u .. nd no matter how big or small is it ... no matter if da villagerz or sum ppl did it on purpose ... is burnin a buildin worth killin one human being ? but da orthdox church leaderz made a public threats thru da media nd thru utube nd i can send ya da video if u want ... the orthdox pops learderz said exactly : the governer of Aswan is a liar nd i can beat him wit my shoes nd this governer will die in 2 dayz in a bloody way nd if da leader of da military council didn't respond to our demands , he knows wut's gon happen to him ) this is wut they said.”

He failed to post the YouTube videos and/or links. See the pattern?

And to be fair, here’s a view from a Coptic Christian’s page (note when I brought this person food after the revolution, he was too busy to be present to collect the items and was instead in Tahrir Square – long before the church attacks. He sent someone to pick it up, never said thank you and only asked for more):

“the Egyptian army crushed the Christian by its tanks and cars in Masbiro in Tahrir square”

Responses:

“I think the army is the victim, the protestors attacked the army. Most of the killed people are from the army.” (Not true about the majority of deaths being military)

His reply:

“Really, please see the pic in the news and the videos how the army crush the Christine, and don’t follow the Egyptian TV” (failed to provide links)

He then posted a gruesome picture which I will not add here from another friend (no source cited) saying, “the army killed more Christians every day”

He continues with various statements compiled below:

“I am so confused and can't thinks my mind is paralyzed ,what is happening for the church in Egypt which is Coptic from the beginning. If you,Marshal are Traitor , God is faithful, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”

"the army use the same way of killing the Christian like Moubark's system"

I’ve only taken a few pertinent examples to demonstrate the negative repercussions of the internet. Social media can be a useful tool, but just like everything else, when used by ignorant people, it can be a very negative facilitator spreading unfounded and ill-conceived rhetoric.

A firsthand account: Marching from Shubra to deaths at Maspiro

2011-10-10T12:49:00.000+02:00

I was sent this article by a colleague this morning which provides an eye-witness account of the ongoings in Maspiro last night. It is a tragic article, yet the message at the end is what I hope will stand out to everyone. It is time that Egypt stops trying to place the blame for internal issues on external forces. This country needs to heal from within; as long as these invisible lines of division continue to be drawn and played upon there is little hope for Egypt to ever fully rebuild itself.

Written by Sarah Carr, taken from Al-Masri Al-Yawm, here is the article. My thoughts are with everyone, both on the side of the military and civilians, who lost their lives in the brutal violence last night.

Image from Al-Masri Al-Yawm, photographed
by Mohammed Hossam Eddin

The march from the Cairo district of Shubra was huge, like the numbers on 28 January. In the front row was a group of men in long white bibs, “martyr upon demand” written on their chests. A tiny old lady walked among them, waving a large wooden cross: “God protect you my children, God protect you.”

The march started down Shubra Street around 4 pm, past its muddle of old apartment buildings, beat up and sad but still graceful compared with the constructions from the Mubarak era next to them - brutish and unfinished-looking.

A man explained why there were bigger numbers than the march last week in response to the attack on the St. George’s Church in Aswan: the army had hit a priest while violently dispersing Coptic protesters in front of the Maspiro state TV building on Wednesday. A video posted online showed a young man being brutally assaulted by army soldiers and riot police.

At a traffic underpass at the end of Shubra Street, at around 6 pm, there was the sudden sound of what sounded like gunfire. Protesters at the front told those behind to stop - the march was under attack. Rocks rained down from left and right and from the bridge, underneath which protesters were taking shelter.

Some threw stones back. Behind them, protesters chanted, “The people want the removal of the Field Commander.” The stone throwing eventually stopped sufficiently for the march to continue. A teenage boy crossed himself repeatedly as he moved forward toward the rocks.

Darkness fell just as the march reached Galaa Street. “This is our country,” protesters chanted, led by a man on a pickup truck full of speakers. An illuminated cross floated through the darkness. At the headquarters of state daily newspaper Al-Ahram, a single rock was thrown at the door, likely a comment on its coverage of violence against Copts.

Outside the Ramsis Hilton Hotel, the chanting stopped momentarily - the exuberance of having escaped the attack in Shubra faded as the march rounded the corner toward Maspiro.

It was immediately met with gunfire in the air. As protesters continued moving forwards, the gunfire continued.

Suddenly, there was a great surge of people moving back, and something strange happened. Two armored personnel carriers (APCs) began driving at frightening speed through protesters, who threw themselves out of its path. A soldier on top of each vehicle manned a gun, and spun it wildly, apparently shooting at random although the screams made it difficult to discern exactly where the sound of gunfire was coming from.

It was like some brutal perversion of the military show the armed forces put on for the 6th of October celebration three days before. The two vehicles zigzagged down the road outside Maspiro underneath the 6th of October Bridge and then back in synchronicity, the rhythm for this particular parade provided by the "tac tac tac" of never-ending gunfire, the music the screams of the protesters they drove directly at.

And then it happened: an APC mounted the island in the middle of the road, like a maddened animal on a rampage. I saw a group of people disappear, sucked underneath it. It drove over them. I wasn’t able to see what happened to them because it then started coming in my direction.

Later, as riot police fired tear gas at another small attempt at a demonstration and fires burned around Maspiro, I found on the floor part of one of the white “martyrs upon demand” bibs the men had been wearing, and took it home. It had been ripped in half.

**

The Coptic Hospital tried its best to deal with the sudden influx of casualties. Its floors were sticky with blood and there was barely room to move among the wounded, the worried and the inconsolable.

A man asked if we were press, and whether we’d like to film the morgue if we “were strong enough.”

The morgue was a harshly lit two-room building surrounded by men and women screaming and hitting themselves in paroxysms of grief. In the first room there were two bodies, middle-aged men on the floor next to the fridge, which we were told held three bodies. In the other room there were the bodies of 12 men of varying ages.

A young woman sat by one of them clasping his hand and wailing. Vivian and Michael, who were engaged to be married. Michael had been crushed, his leg destroyed. Next to Michael was the body of a man whose face was contorted into an impossible expression. A priest opened his hands and showed me the remains of the man’s skull and parts of his brain. He too had been crushed.

Outside a woman said out loud to the dead, “How lucky you are, now in heaven!” A man screamed, “We won’t be silent again.”

**

Even while the wounded were still being brought in, state TV was reporting that Christian protesters stole weapons from the army and killed soldiers, and that the busy foreign hands are back again, still trying to destabilize Egypt.

There should be a finality in death, an unchallengeable truth when it happens with the simple brutality of last night. But even when death happens on Maspiro’s doorstep, it can be rewritten, in order to lend a twisted sense where there is none, to justify the impossible and, above all, to sabotage any attempt to consider that the problem is within us, not without.

Coptic protests in Cairo turn to violence

2011-10-09T21:53:00.001+02:00

In what is being seen by many locals as the latest ploy to pit Egyptians against one another, a Coptic protest in Cairo today has erupted into violence.

Thus far the details are hazy. State TV is reporting one thing while international outlets report another. One thing is clear: The situation on the ground is not stable, and there are continued outbursts of gunfire that have left an estimated 17 people dead according to ministerial statements.

Sadly, also evident is how media outlets are highlighting this as a "Coptic" protest, when sources on the ground report that there are Muslims and Christians holding hands and chanting "we are all Egypt," reminiscent of the revolution. Everything at this point remains unclear.

To follow the events as they unfold in Cairo, click the links below.

Al Masri Al Yawm live updates

Egypt troops dead after Coptic church protest in Cairo - BBC News

Deadly Cairo clashes over Coptic Protest - Al Jazeera

Fantasia Exchange is not so fantastic

2011-10-09T18:43:00.000+02:00

Sometimes I just really do not understand people. The general blanket belief that we were all born stupid. Yet time and time again I am seeing examples of people who obviously believe just that.

Corruption is again thriving in Egypt. I don't know if it ever actually disappeared, but at least it appeared to do so for a short period of time there.

The sad thing about corruption in this country is that it is not a phenomenon reserved to the upper echelons of society. No, it goes all the way down to the bottom feeders. Enter Fantasia Exchange, located on Sheraton Street.

I am regularly exchanging currency so I keep up to date with the conversion rates. Currently, the dollar sits around 5.94 EGP to 1 U.S. dollar, give or take a few piasters. It has sat around this rate for a few months now.

With the ongoing banking crisis in the world it is of course normal for currency exchange rates to fluctuate. These fluctuations are rarely as dramatic as falling an entire Egyptian pound however, unless the economy of the 'host' country if you will has completely collapsed. It rarely happens over-night.

But Fantasia Exchange would have you believe it does. Or, they just assume that you're ignorant and don't bother to check exchange rates before attempting the conversion.

Now, I have previously blogged about the Nile Exchange located on Sheraton Street and their blatant thievery. Let's take the exchange rate of today as an example.

The rate today as posted online is: 1 U.S. $ equals 5.962 Egyptian Pounds.

Therefore you would expect exchange places to hover around this figure. They make take a slight commission, but nothing really noticeable.

Until you go to Nile Exchange.

There, you would see the following exchange rate:

1 U.S. $ equals 5.092 Egyptian pounds.

Sneaky beggers.

This means essentially that for every 100 U.S. $ you convert, you're losing close to 20 $ (or 100 EGP). That is not a small sum of money.

Fantasia Exchange have decided that they too want in on this game. Meaning, were you to go to Fantasia Exchange you would notice the same 0 placed after the decimal point.

Is it coincidence these two are basically across the street from one another? Did someone in Nile Exchange march across the road and tell the tellers they could line their pockets with HUNDREDS of EGP every day by adding in this figure?

The sad thing is that I used to use Fantasia to exchange money. No longer my friends. Is it too much to expect honesty these days?

So, consider yourself warned. If you choose to frequent either of these exchange places, expect to get ripped off.

Click here for a great currency conversion site online.

New Mobile Numbers Start Today

2011-10-06T11:42:00.000+02:00

Last week I posted a blog notifying people of the upcoming changes to Egyptian mobile numbers. These changes have gone into effect today. As per usual, nothing is made easy here. Trying to find specific examples online is like trying to pull teeth!

Fortunately K found a detailed listing of the numbers, which you can see below. I daren't post the text, because the English is so poorly written it will only further confuse people. If you want to read the explanations further click here.

Mobinil
Current Number	The Number After Modification
012 XXX XXXX	0122 XXX XXXX
017 XXX XXXX	0127 XXX XXXX
018 XXX XXXX	0128 XXX XXXX
0150 XXX XXXX	0120 XXX XXXX

Vodafone
Current Number	The Number After Modification
010 XXX XXXX	0100 XXX XXXX
016 XXX XXXX	0106 XXX XXXX
019 XXX XXXX	0109 XXX XXXX
0151 XXX XXXX	0101 XXX XXXX

Etisalat
Current Number	The Number After Modification
011 XXX XXXX	0111 XXX XXXX
014 XXX XXXX	0114 XXX XXXX
0152 XXX XXXX	0112 XXX XXXX
0155 XXX XXXX (Data Accounts)	0115 XXX XXXX (Data Accounts)

Where to Go - Dolphin House

2011-10-05T15:12:00.001+02:00

**Let me first make something very clear, I am not referring to the Dolphinarium in Makadi Bay, nor would I ever recommend going to such a location. **

It was my birthday a few weeks ago, and this year we decided to do something different from the "go out party and get wasted" theme. Instead, K and I decided to do something that has been on my bucket list for years. To swim with dolphins.

I have blogged in here before about how excited I get when I see dolphins from a distance, so you can only imagine how unbelievably excited I was at the prospect of swimming with dolphins.

The trip that we took goes past what is known as the "Dolphin House" about 2 miles off the Gouna coast. It is called this not because the dolphins actually live there, but because of the frequency with which the dolphins are constantly spotted.

Heading out to our first snorkel spot

One thing that made this trip stand out from any other boat trip, is that our boat actually asked people to be quiet when we saw our first pack of dolphins. Instead of the deafening blowing of the horn, high-pitched whistling and shouting in an attempt to attract the dolphin, our boat cruised along silently. It made all the difference; the dolphins were so curious to come up and see who was around, and were enjoying showing off. We saw tail slaps on the surface, dolphins swimming past the boat sideways to check everyone out, and a total of at least 15 dolphins in the first pod to pass our boat.

Corals and clams!

The trip includes two snorkelling stops and lunch on the boat. Our first snorkel spot was beautiful, although I have to admit that the corals we snorkelled around did not have as much of a variety of marine life as the corals closer to Giftun island do. So if seeing loads of marine life underwater is your objective, look for snorkel trips around Giftun. If dolphins are your primary goal, this trip is ideal.

Jellyfish!

After the first snorkel, we got back on the boat to have lunch. The lunch includes meat, fish, fresh salads and veggies, and a variety of potato and rice dishes. Overall the food was good, but not the best food I've had on boats. I would rate the meal at around a 6 out of 10, we had to add salt, and the Kofta tasted like the frozen store variety.

Following lunch we moved our boats about a half a mile, and anchored to the second snorkel spot. This spot was next to a massive coral, and proved more exciting than the first spot. Our boat had attracted the attention of about four dolphins who swam around our boat on a 50 metre perimeter. At one point they swam directly under the boat, but it seemed that once people got into the water they disappeared.

The current this day was very very strong, so after debating whether or not I'd actually get in the water for the second snorkel session, I was ready to get out after about ten minutes. While swimming back to the boat a dolphin surfaced about 10 meters to my left. I swam like I've never swum before...and it made everything worth it. The minimal sightings on the coral, the 'just average' food, everything was made acceptable by what transpired next.

By this point there were only a handful of swimmers in the water, which may have helped in letting the dolphins feel confident enough to get up close and personal. I literally had a dolphin swim directly underneath me, and had I wanted to I could have reached out and touch them. I did not though; it was enough of a privilege simply to be around these incredible animals that I did not feel the need to have to "pet" them.

The curious four

I wish I could describe how it felt to be in the presence of these majestic creatures. To know that they willingly came close enough to check us out. It was a quiet intelligence and a sense of really being "seen" by the dolphins. I cannot imagine that swimming with captive dolphins would even come close.

Our captain told us that we were very very lucky to actually have been able to swim so closely with the dolphins. Often the trip will include dolphin sightings, but rarely will it actually involve people swimming with the dolphins. It made it so much more special, and this will definitely go down in the books as a birthday to remember.

No words

The cost of the trip as advertised is 30 Euro per person, however resident rates may apply. For more information you may see here, or contact me for a direct phone number.

And here is a clip taken during our day out :) I am sorry it is so short, but I was too excited to stay still long enough underwater for a decent video!

Egyptian Mobile Numbers to Change

2011-09-28T12:56:00.004+02:00

Starting next Thursday, Egypt will begin changing mobile numbers to help cope with the increasing number of cell phone users. It is estimated that there are approximately 76 million mobile users in Egypt, and with a population hovering around 80 million it essentially means that almost everyone has a mobile. True story :p

Below is more information, taken from Al-Ahram.

Image courtesy of Al-Ahram

Egyptian mobile phone numbers will all change on Thursday 6 October as part of a state drive to meet increased user demand, the National Telecom Regulatory Authority has announced.

The changes will mean every Egyptian mobile phone number will now be 11 digits in length.

Amendments will be different for each of Egypt's three mobile operators:

Etisalat

Current 10 digit numbers, which all start 01, will take an extra 1. They will now begin 011

Current 11 digit numbers, which all start 0152, will change the 5 to a 1. They will now begin 0112

Mobinil

Current 10 digit numbers, which start 01, will add a 2. They will now begin 012

Current 11 digit numbers, which start 0150, will replace the 5 with a 2. They will begin 0120

Vodafone

Current 10 digit numbers, which start 01, will add a 0. They will now start 010

Current 11 digit numbers, which start 0151, will replace 5 with 0. They will start 0101

Mobile operators will have four months to fully comply with the decision, during which time users will be able to call using either the old number or the amended one.

** I realise that this looks exceptionally confusing, and I myself am confused by it. If only things in Egypt were made more simple. From what I can understand, I will provide an example of a Vodafone number as it would appear now, and then as it would appear with the changes:

Number based on current settings would appear: 010 123 4567

Number based on updated settings would appear: 010 0 123 4567

Likewise, here are examples of Mobinil number:

Number based on current settings would appear: 012 123 4567

Number based on updated settings would appear: 012 2 123 4567

Example for Etisalat:

Number based on current settings would appear: 014 123 4567

Number based on updated settings would appear: 011 4 123 4567

If you have any comments or concerns let me know and I will try to track down further information. This entire process is rather disconcerting. **

Natural Gas Emergency in Egypt - Who to contact

2011-09-27T19:19:00.000+02:00

Now this was a blog I never thought I'd be writing, but here I am.

For most people in Egypt, natural gas actually running into your home is reserved for the high-end apartments and villas. Generally speaking, Egyptian kitchens will feature the "ambouba," or gas canister. The first time I saw a truck hauling a load of these I wondered how that could ever be safe, but as you live here you learn not to question such silly notions.

The other day while walking out of the apartment building, I noticed what seemed like the smell of leaking gas. Seeing as how I was outside, I immediately thought that the apartment on the lower floor by the door had left their ambouba running in their kitchen. Our doorman was notified, who said that it was the bug spray that had been dispersed the night before.

You're probably questioning now how you could ever mistake the smell of gas for bug spray. Well, the stuff they use here you definitely can. No idea what it is they are spraying, but that toxic cloud smells like you've stuck your head inside an unlit oven. It dissipates quickly, however, so when by the next day I was still smelling it, it became evident that unless they were continuing to spray every single day it was not bug spray.

K and I went to have a conversation with our doorman again, who said "oh yes there was a smell of gas, but it was checked out and everything was ok!" By checked out what he really meant was: our building landlord had gone in the vicinity of the source of the smell and light a match. Genius. Figuring that because he hadn't gone up in flames, the gas was no threat.

Erm. Ok...

We get back into our apartment, and I tell Karim that we should phone someone, anyone, to come and check it. Originally I was figuring that the fire department would handle something like this,but it turns out there are actually emergency services for gas in Egypt. I suppose in hindsight it's not that surprising with how much gas is exported out of the country.

I figured initially that this would be like any other "emergency" service in Egypt: you'd be waiting forever to have anyone respond; you're going to be dealing with rude and abrupt individuals; and at the end of the day you'd have been better off not even bothering to phone.

How wrong was I! (Very happy to report this!!)

Once K had tracked down the Natural Gas Emergency hotline (which in itself was quite a feat - the number listed on Yellow Pages DOES NOT WORK) we phoned. Bear in mind this was on a Friday, and in the evening, so we presumed that the phone would probably go unanswered or the issue delayed for a day.

Wrong again!

A car was sent to our address within 30 minutes of the call. Everyone we dealt with was polite and more than willing to help. Turns out we did have a gas leak - from the line that had been installed less than a few months ago that will one day provide natural gas to the entire apartment (I aptly told Karim that I think sticking with our ambouba for now is wise - doesn't bode well when a newly installed line is already leaking!).

After two trips out here by the Natural Gas Emergency personnel, our leak has been sealed and yipee I have fresh air to breath again.

So if you ever find yourself in need of the Egypt Natural Gas Emergency lines, here they are:

From a landline dial: 129. It's best if you have an Arabic speaker with you.

From a cell phone dial: 016 55 44 003 OR 016 55 44 004

Making a difference

2011-09-22T12:45:00.000+02:00

There is no denying that Egypt is changing. Every day there are new laws enacted, old ones revoked, new reasons for people to complain.

And boy do they complain.

But the extent of vocal outrage seems limited to coffee shop discussions and online debates. Arguing on the Internet as of late has become the new fad in Egypt. Everyone has an opinion, and everyone is passionate about voicing that opinion. I am not immune to this.

But I have to ask, with so many people so riled up about changes going on in their country, why aren't we seeing more people out there actually trying to make a difference?

The answer, it seems, is that people will talk big when sitting behind a computer screen. Petitions will fly, be signed, and shared. People will write miles of text about how they would make a difference, yet they never do. This mentality saddens me; obviously the passion is there and existing, but people lack the drive (or motivation?) to apply this passion in real life.

When you have activists or organizations that do try to apply these practices in real life, dig a little deeper under the surface and you'll realise that much of it is a farce. I won't go into specifics; suffice to say that many organizations in Egypt that appear to be working for a greater good only care about that appearance. In terms of practical applications...well it leaves much to be desired. More on that later.

So here is my suggestion. Hurghada has already seen the huge impact that can be had by an organization such as HEPCA. But HEPCA cannot do it alone. Not only that, the bins that they place are for rubbish only.

We need recycling.

I recently went to visit Asyro recycling down the road from me. I was stunned with the reaction that I was met by.

I met with the owner and GM of the company. I brought in one big rubbish bag full of empty bottles, tins, and cardboard. He actually told me that he would "do me the favour" this time, but that next time it just wouldn't be worth it. I beg your pardon?

Yes. That's right. It wouldn't be worth it. He proceeded to tell me that he has already set up a few deals with some hotels around here. That it costs him x amount of money to recycle these, and he gets y amount in profit. Essentially, I wasn't bringing him enough recycling to make a massive profit. Last I checked buddy, recycling is intended to help save the planet, not pad your pockets!

I'm sure that my sentiments are reflected by many of the ex-pats living in Hurghada. I don't want to recycle for the profit. I want to recycle to know that I'm helping to reduce my carbon footprint.

The cost of one of HEPCAs bins is 50 LE (less than 10 dollars). I am proposing the following, and I encourage everyone that is genuinely interested in doing this to please use the "contact me" button above.

Together, we pool our resources and invest in a number of these bins, and designate them as bins for recycling. These bins are then taken into the neighbourhoods throughout Hurghada. I know that in my neighbourhood, the many bowabs would be more than willing to chip in and help with this project, meaning if you leave your trash in your building for pick up - designate one bag as "recycling" to ensure it goes into the correct bin.

Once weekly, we can have a round up of the bins. To begin with, this is going to require the assistance of volunteers. Hopefully when the project gains momentum, this will be a step that can be resolved later on down the line.

All proceeds from the recycling can go to two places. 1 - invest in more recycling bins for more areas in Hurghada / provisions needed to collect the bins. AND 2 - all proceeds will go to charities throughout Hurghada, be it orphanages, or NGOs, or community programmes, etc.

In doing so, not only would we be reducing our carbon footprint, we would be helping to make the lives of those around us better too. Does it get better than that?

Please, if you are interested use the "contact me" button above. I want to get a team of committed individuals together who are ready and willing to really try to make a difference.

Emergency Law under review

2011-09-17T17:02:00.000+02:00

I will point out one aspect of this article, and this is all I have to say on the matter.

"It also decided to expand the scope of the law to include the publication of false information, road blocking and incidents of thuggery."

Who will be the one to decide what is classified as "false information"? Your guess is as good as mine. Revolution? What revolution.

From Al-Masri al-Yawm.

Court begins reviewing case against Emergency Law, adjourns until October

On Saturday an Egyptian court began reviewing a lawsuit that calls for lifting Emergency Law. Judicial sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm that at the end of the session the court postponed the review until 16 October.

The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) recently decided that Emergency Law should stay in force until June 2012. It also decided to expand the scope of the law to include the publication of false information, road blocking and incidents of thuggery.

Many lawmakers believe Egypt's penal code is sufficient to address such crimes and accuse the SCAF of following in the footsteps of the former regime by suppressing the media and freedom of speech.

After the court session ended, several rights activists organized a silent protest on the staircase inside the State Council building. They raised banners to call for the abolition of Emergency Law.

Hamed Seddeeq, a researcher at the National Research Center, filed the lawsuit to call for the abolition of Emergency Law, "from which Egyptians have suffered over the past three decades."

He said that since the parliament that approved Emergency Law has been dissolved, the law itself should be revoked, particularly since this was one of the most important demands of the 25 January revolution.

Where to Go - Kams

2011-09-17T15:40:00.001+02:00

This week's Where to Go segment is ideal for gamers, board-gamers that is.

I am an avid fan of a decent board gaming night. Anything from Scrabble, to Pictionary, to games like Cluedo. My family tells me this is a habit picked up from my mum, who has always been known as the "gamer" in group environments. Why not, I have to ask. There's nothing quite like a good game of Pictionary to liven up the atmosphere.

Image courtesy of Amazon

In Egypt the problem is finding decent games; in Hurghada this task is rendered almost impossible. Sure, there are a scattering of stores around the Hadaba area that have one or two games, but these are almost always knock offs. We recently invested in Onu, not to be confused with the trademarked Uno. =P.

When you are lucky enough to run into Metro on a day that they are carrying board games (not surprisingly they always seem to pop up right around Christmas), expect to pay an arm and a leg. I have seen Metro offering Monopoly for 500 LE (almost 100 U.S. dollars) because it was "imported." Right.

K and I decided to run to Senzo Mall not too long ago, and entered Kams. I was pleasantly surprised :) Along with the knock off board games (of which we unfortunately purchased a Scrabble...then promptly returned), they have imported games well within reasonable prices. I don't think 300 LE is extortionate for a Pictionary board, and we were able to walk away with a French Scrabble for 150 LE. Very reasonable.

Alongside board games, they have Ravensburger puzzles. I saw small puzzles perfect for children, and puzzles up to 2000 pieces ideal for a rainy day. Like we ever have those in Hurghada haha! They also have models for construction, although I did find these to be quite expensive. This of course along with all the other games they have inside.

So for this week's Where to Go, get a group of friends together and go have some fun!

What makes you an animal activist?

2011-09-15T12:20:00.002+02:00

George Bernard Shaw once said “The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them, that's the essence of inhumanity.” I am often asked what led me into animal rights and activism. The truth is there’s not just one easy answer. I cannot pinpoint a time in my life where I said, “Now is when I want to work towards making the lives of animals better.” How much easier it would have been if the answer were that simple.

I grew up around animals. My family’s first dog was a border collie mix named Zoe. She was everything a little girl could hope for in a family pet. Zoe became a constant companion for my sister and I through many big changes in our lives; from moving continents to learning how to say goodbye to a loved one. You could perhaps say that it was Zoe that engrained in both of us an urge to show kindness to animals.

I first moved to Cairo five years ago full of wonder and not really sure what it was I hoped to achieve in Egypt. My first impressions reflected those of many foreigners who move here: in awe of a culture that was so unfamiliar to me and in shock with many of the things I witnessed. I will never forget the first time that I saw a donkey cart running alongside the cars in the streets or the first pick-up truck full of cows travelling along the Ring Road. Animal rights is a relatively new term in Egypt and my first lesson was learning how to push my judgments and pre-conceived notions of acceptable animal care to the side. I had grown up in a different society and was privy to learning about the love and adoration a pet can offer, and at first, it was difficult for me to ignore the scenes of animal abandonment and/or cruelty prevalent in Egypt.

The building across from where I first lived housed a dog on the roof. I remember my sister and I standing in our bedroom, looking through our window at the boxer puppy tied up across the street with no shade or water. It wasn’t long before the puppy was gone, presumably sold or simply abandoned in the streets. It’s a scenario that is repeated far too often. The feeling of helplessness in knowing that there was very little that I could do to help kick-started in me a desire to make changes.

So I began thinking that while I’m only a guest in Egypt, how could I help?

Initially, my work helping animals centered mainly around the ones I could help directly. I began leasing a horse, named Latifa. She had been living a hard life in the pyramids area of Giza, forced to carry around people for hours on end, day after day, in the unforgiving desert heat. She was thin, and mentally a wreck. With the help of the stable owners we took Latifa in, and began the process of rehabilitating her back to a normal horse. Although the progress was slow, every accomplishment was more rewarding than anything I had ever felt. I will always remember the first time Latifa was able to stand next to you quietly and know genuine human kindness and no fear. Through time, patience and a desire to better the life of an animal, I had saved her. Looking back now, I realize that Latifa saved me as much as I had her.

In 2009, I met my fiancé Karim. Fast-forward one year, and together we made the move from Cairo to Hurghada. My passion for animal activism has only been growing these last few years, and in turn has transferred itself to Karim. He grew up in a fairly typical Egyptian family; the concept of having a pet in the house was a foreign one to him. Together we rescued a dog in the Red Sea resort town and since then he has been learning every day what it means to have an animal friend.

Owning a dog is not just about having a guard animal; the true connection that is experienced between dog and owner is one that words simply cannot describe. Knowing that you have a friend waiting anxiously for your arrival is comforting after a long day’s work. It is unconditional love that is only fostered through understanding and kindness. Karim has developed this compassion over the years, and in turn has begun spreading this compassion to those around him.

This process awakened a passion within me and in December of 2010, I began working with the Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals (ESMA). ESMA is a non-profit animal rescue shelter based in the heart of Egypt, the capital city Cairo. It was founded by a few dedicated Egyptians and expatriates in response to mass shootings of dogs and cats in 2007, and has been fighting for the rights of animals in Egypt ever since. I knew that it was a cause I wanted to help, but was faced with the problem of distance. I resigned to doing what I could from Hurghada, and initially my work focused around sending out media updates, and press releases to media organizations throughout the world.

When the revolution in Egypt erupted, it was only a matter of time before the animal victims became evident. With so many people focusing on rebuilding the country politically, I focused much of my efforts towards aiding the crisis of the starving pyramid horses. ESMA launched a feed campaign which to begin with was not garnering much attention at all. Myself, along with other dedicated women primarily based in the UK, sent out tens of press releases and media blasts to every online magazine or print publication that would listen. Our efforts paid off and within a few weeks what was originally a localized problem grabbed the attention of media outlets worldwide. Donation campaigns were established and ESMA began receiving funding from individuals and other animal rights organizations from around the globe. The first few months of the feed campaigns saved the lives of hundreds of horses and gave animal rights activists in Egypt a real voice that was being heard.

Since then, ESMA and other similar organizations such as the Egyptian Society for Animal Friends (ESAF) have seen their support flourishing. In turn, I have learned that with real time and dedication one individual can make a difference. In Hurghada, I have been working with a dedicated group of women who have been trying to launch an educational campaign to take to the streets. Our goal is to help Egyptians understand that giving an animal love, rather than abuse, will give you a much greater reward in the long run. While as a Westerner these are concepts that I take for granted, many Egyptians are genuinely unaware of how to care for an animal or how a furry companion can enrich your life. It starts with small steps; seeing little children throwing stones at a dog in the streets and stopping to patiently explain that these dogs will not get aggressive without reason. Or passing a donkey that is pulling a load far too heavy, and gently showing the owner that reducing the payload can add years to the donkey’s life, thereby enabling more work productivity in the long run. These simple concepts are the ones that will help change the course of animal rights in Egypt and ultimately pave the road for a better future.

Recently, animal rights activists in Egypt were given great news. The ESAF, together with the General Organisation of Veterinary Services (GOVS) and other animal rights organizations, have launched what is known as a TNR program. The Trap, Neuter, Release program is intended to help ease the over-population of strays roaming throughout the streets in Cairo. Animals are rounded up by volunteers and taken to shelters, where vets will give the animals a check-up to ensure that they do not have any life threatening illnesses or diseases that may complicate the surgery procedure. All animals are then bathed in anti-parasitic shampoo, given their rabies vaccination, and neutered or spayed in a safe and healthy environment. The animals are then left in the shelter for a few days to recover from the surgery, and released back on the streets. This is intended to hopefully curb the over-population we see every day, and eventually decrease or completely put an end to the inhumane poisoning and shooting campaigns that have long been the norm for dealing with strays in the country. This truly was a battle won for animal rights activists.

I know that there is a lot of work left to do in Egypt and indeed the rest of the world when it comes to animal rights. As a guest in this country, I'm not trying to change it into my own mold; however, if there's one thing I can do to make a difference I will rise to the occasion. I have great hopes for the future of animal welfare in Egypt as long as organizations like ESMA and ESAF continue to exist and make headway in the progress of animal rights. And as long as there are always volunteers out there ready and willing to donate their time, we will see an Egypt full of compassion for our animal friends. I have faith, Inshallah.

When the many suffer the consequences of the few

2011-09-10T14:36:00.002+02:00

Unless you have completely avoided any form of media outlet over the past 24 hours, you have probably heard what is happening in Cairo. Specifically, the dozens of protesters that stormed the Israeli Embassy (eventually swelling to their thousands), causing the evacuation of the Israeli ambassador and a handful of diplomats, and opening up a can of political worms that Egypt just might not be able to wiggle its way out of.

As per usual, there are many accounts for the causes behind what happened. They include: remnants of the former regime paying thugs to stir up violence and aggression in an already tense crowd (re-playing the popular sentiment during the revolution); frustrated protesters who, for the past few weeks have been demonstrating outside of the Israeli Embassy as a result of the attacks in Eilat, finally lost their patience and mob mentality took over; and finally, that forces outside of Egypt are stoking the Middle East fires in a political powerplay to throw the region into further chaos and potentially war. All of these theories include stories to back them up; all of them are lacking in that they do not address the underlying reason for why these attacks were allowed to happen in the first place.

AP News reports that "Egyptian police made no attempt to intervene during the day as crowds of hundreds tore down an embassy security wall with sledgehammers and their bare hands or after nightfall when about 30 protesters stormed into the Nile-side high-rise building where the embassy is located."

Further reports indicate that at least 3 Israelis were trapped inside the Embassy while protesters were storming the building, causing Egyptian special forces to rush in to save them. CBC News reports that the protesters beat one of the Israeli's, but no corroborative reports could be found.

Israel has appointed its consul for state affairs to oversee the Embassy while Israel contemplates their next move. Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has allegedly been speaking with Leon Panetta, U.S. Defence Secretary, on how they will address the growing tensions in the Middle East. U.S. President Barack Obama expressed "great concern" with the situation unfolding in Cairo, assuring the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. was acting "at all levels" to find a solution to the situation.

Ironically enough, peppered in with the media reports of Egyptians attacking the Israeli Embassy, I was pointed towards this report, from Al-Masri Al-Yawm. The report claims that Israel filed charges against a 24 year old man, David Macmill, who was arrested for stoning the Egyptian Consulate near Eilat, the location notorious for the recent incident involving Israel shooting at Egyptian police in response to an attack on a bus carrying Israeli tourists.

The charges levied against Macmill include "a maximum of four years in jail on charges of "harming the flag or symbol of a friendly country" and "attempting to cause damage with malice", according to the indictment served at Beersheba Magistrate's Court."

Can anyone else spot the irony here? The paradox of the two situations?

Egyptian protesters were virtually unhindered in their attempts to break into the Israeli Embassy. Currently politicians are sitting back discussing what we hope will be a diplomatic solution to the problem. Police seem unable to regain control over their country. Does this indicate to the rest of the world that Egypt essentially has no government at the moment?

One man, acting alone, was arrested for throwing stones at the Egyptian Consulate. One man.

Do you think that these two Egyptian protesters, proudly displaying their seizure of documents from inside the Israeli Embassy will ever see the inside of a court room?

Source. AP image.

At this point, only time will tell. The continued aggression against Israel's Embassy in Egypt will not be left unheeded much longer. What happens then is a guess for anyone to make. Will Egypt be slapped with international sanctions? Will foreign forces enter the country under the auspices of returning the country to a state of order? Will these protests continue unhindered until it really is too late and there is no turning back from a war in the Middle East as the Telegraph would have you believe? Because let's face it; the use of any weapons of mass destruction in this volatile region will spell disastrous affects for millions of people, forced to accept the consequences of the actions of a few testosterone and aggression fueled individuals.

Or will the Egyptian youth be able to regain their revolution, with their ideals, with the hand they are being forced to play.

It's a tense time in Egypt these days.

For more reading on this situation as it unfolds, check the following:

Egyptians break into Israeli Embassy in Cairo

Egypt on alert after Israel embassy stormed in Cairo

Full scale Middle-East war is 'imminent', warns Israeli general

Over 450 injured in Egypt clashes at Israeli Embassy

Israeli PM condemns embassy attack in Egypt

Israel condemns attack on Cairo Embassy

Home-made doggie biscuits

2011-09-08T13:05:00.000+02:00

I've been a busy bee this week. Between catching up on work and everything else, I've embarked on a new endeavour.

It's very frustrating trying to find good dog food and treats in Egypt. The dog food we first started giving to Orien almost killed him; our vet thought he had canine distemper when it was in fact the kibble he was eating. Since then, I've been very wary about feeding him any kibble from here, and the imported stuff just completely breaks your bank. He gets a balanced diet now made from home (and he indulged in too much over the summer :p).

It's the same thing with dog treats. Often many pet shops will simply open a bag of kibble (which brand is a mystery) and re-package it in small ziplocks, and sell individual bags as dog treats. Really?! And who has enough room in their suitcase every time they travel to bring back stocks of dog treats. I would like to meet that person :p

I decided instead that I was going to start making dog biscuits myself, and embarked on a journey to find out how to do so. Surprisingly, it was a lot easier than I imagined, and the end result are tasty dog treats that Orien just loves, and I can change flavours accordingly. I think it's only fair that other dog and pet owners in Hurghada have the option to buy proper home made dog biscuits too, and perhaps now our canine friends can have real treats without us having to break our banks in buying them!

For more information on these home-made dog treats, visit the facebook page here, or contact this email.

The Mubarak trial continues

2011-09-05T18:01:00.000+02:00

The trial of former president Hosni Mubarak continued today, with reports of clashes both outside the courthouse, and inside the courtroom. Al-Masri Al-Yawm updated at 4 p.m. that the defendant's lawyers and members of the martyr's families began throwing their shoes at each other. With cameras being banned inside the courtroom, it doesn't take a stretch of the imagination to think of what shenanigans are unfolding within.

Here is an update on the trial from Al-Ahram, on the clashes that are slowly becoming synonymous with the Mubarak's trial.

Historic Mubarak trial resumes amidst fierce clashes outside and inside courtroom

Third session of the trial of Egypt's former dictator begins, untelevised, as his supporters throw stones at families of martyrs outside of courtroom

Photo from Al-Ahram; credit Mai Shaheen

The third session of the trial of Egypt's ousted dictator Hosni Mubarak has begun minutes ago.

This is the first session of the historic trial that would not be televised as presiding Judge Ahmed Refaat had decided at the end of last round to ban TV broadcasting.

Clashes errupted inside courtroom between the defendants' and victims' lawyers, resulting in six injuries.

A confirmation about the clashes came from a lawyer representing the families of the victims, Gamal Eid of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information. Eid, who is Tweeting from inside the courtroom, added that the clashes disrupted the session, forcing the presiding judge, Ahmed Refaat , to recess the session after lawyers yelled at him.

News reporters confirmed that all defendants - Mubarak, his two sons, his former minister of interior and six of his top aides - have all appeared in Court.

Mubrak was wheeled in on a stretcher as he did in the previous two sessions. However, his two sons, Alaa and Gamal, entered the courtroom in handcuffs for the very first time during the trial.

Earlier this morning, scuffles have broken out between protesters and police officers outside courtroom, as the 3-judge panel prepares to hear from police witnesses who were in the headquarters control room during the crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators during the January uprising against the former dictator.

Our Ahram Online reporter on the scene says that clashes began when some families of the martyrs were infuriated that police prevented them from entering the court room while allowing relatives of accused police officers to do so.

Police pushed back martyrs families and their supporters and things quieted down for a few moments.

However, our Ahram Online reporter adds, tens of Mubarak's supporters began throwing stones at families of martyrs and journalists.

At this point, all hell broke loose.

Families of the martyrs and their allies, who number around 100, picked up stones and started to throw back at Mubarak supporters.

Security forces and Mubarak supporters responded and scuffles escalated.

In the melee that ensued, at least 3 protesters and one police officer were injured.

Eye witnesses say more police were deployed this time compared to the last two sessions of the trial.

The third session of the trial of Mubarak, his two sons and his former minister of interior will feature for the first time testimonies of witnesses on charges that Mubarak used snipers to kill protesters during the January uprising against his 30 year rule.

Mubarak is standing trial with his two sons, Alaa and Gamal, as well as Habib al-Adli, a former interior minister, and six senior police officers on charges of corruption and killing peaceful protesters .
Lawyers have been looking forward to this session that will include the testimony of four significant witnesses. Among these is a very important general, Hussein Moussa, who is the former head of operations in the Central Security Forces who were on the frontline during the crackdown.

According to lawyer Gamal Eid, head of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information,, Moussa is especially important as he was “formally accused of erasing all information and recorded phone calls from the official records”.

Ten Kuwaiti lawyers were expected to join the defence team for Mubarak on Monday, but no one has shown up in court yet.

Some of the lawyers said their role comes as a gesture of gratitude to Mubarak for his support for a US-led coalition that expelled Iraq from Kuwait in 1991.

Where to Go - Granada

2011-09-05T17:52:00.001+02:00

I've decided to add a new segment to the blog, "Where to Go." I plan to update this once weekly, with new spots around Hurghada, restaurants, clubs, sports, the likes. Hopefully you will enjoy it! Now that I'm back from Eid, there's so much I feel I have to update on!

Today, I will begin with posting for the new segment, specifically, a review on the restaurant Granada.

Granada from the front

Granada is located just after Sunrise Hotel on Sheraton Street. I would pass this restaurant many times before actually stopping. From the outside it is a beautiful looking restaurant, and although every time I would see it I'd remind myself "oh I have to eat there," it was not until last month that we finally decided to reserve a table. And wow was it worth it!

View from our table.

Granada's location allows for beautiful views of the Red Sea and Giftun Island right in front of you. Plan for a sunset dinner time, and you can eat while watching the rays bouncing off the emerald waters in front of you, and the cool sea breeze blowing in through the open air seating area.

Granada's seating area is open to the sea breeze

For its location and appearance, Granada is very reasonably priced. A full meal for two adults will not run much more than 100 LE, assuming you are not also ordering beers. Even then, I doubt it would go over 200 LE (less than 35 $)!

Alfredo Pasta. It was delicious!

Their menu boasts an assortment of various foods, and their portions are enormous. Our first visit, we were expecting the portions to be "average" for Egypt, which can be quite small on certain dishes, particularly salads and pasta dishes. We ordered what we expected to be a small pasta for a starter, and I had the Caesar salad for my main course. Many who have had "Caesar" salads in restaurants throughout Egypt can attest: sometimes what is passed off as Caesar salad is really no more than a few small chunks of chicken on lettuce, and a watered down mayonnaise dressing on top. Blech! At Granada this was not the case; my salad was enormous, and I definitely had more than a fair share of chicken. And the dressing? Most certainly worthy of Caesar.

K's burger

My burger

Our second outing we ordered the burgers. Granada offers a wide variety of foods and beverages, ranging from traditional Egyptian grilled items, to "American-style" items, to pizzas/pastas and seafood dishes. Again my burger was enormous, and for being less than 50 LE for the whole thing, you cannot beat those prices.

Granada's service is also great; their waitstaff are friendly and prompt, and by our second visit the manager was out shaking our hands and asking how the meal was.

My only complaint would be the Ultimate Karaoke style music that was playing, but that is worthy of a blog in its own right.

View from our table on our second visit. Did I mention the great view?

Overall, I would give Granada an 8.5 out of 10. Reason being, we had problems with flies as a result of the time of day, so I would suggest that Granada invest in some citronella candles, because there's nothing like swatting flies away from your dinner! Other than that, I really cannot find any fault with the place.

To make reservations, contact 011-842-8073.

Happy Eid everyone

2011-08-31T16:21:00.000+02:00

Just want to wish all the readers a Happy Feast, or Kolo Sana Wentou Tayyebin as we would say in Arabic. I'm loving having a few little havens in Hurghada that nobody else really seems to know about right now, and enjoy the full extent of a few days relaxed work without dealing with the crowds.

I've been asked to try baking the Egyptian cookies Kahk. That should be interesting, although I hear it's not quite Eid without these butter cookies. :D

Happy Eid!

Easy Tortilla Wrap Recipe

2011-08-29T11:56:00.001+02:00

It's always nice to find a nice and easy recipe to throw together a quick meal. I love tortilla wraps, but you really cannot find them here unless you are willing to pay 50 times the price because they are imported (and that's assuming you can even find them!) :p And I won't do ready make package stuff, I don't know what's put in there, so why would I put that into my body?

I went on the search yesterday for an easy wrap recipe. It seems everyone has their own unique touch added to it, so I took the best of all the recipes I found, and made my own. Guess what, they were delicious. We've already decided we're doing Mexican night this week now, and with how easy this recipe is, who wouldn't want to do the same.

Here's what you'll need:

2 cups flour (yesterday I used fine all purpose, for the next ones I'll use whole wheat flour)

2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup warm milk

To make the wraps:

Combine all your ingredients above into a large mixing bowl

Knead together until you have a firm dough (about 5-6 minutes)

Separate into 8 equally sized pieces

Roll each piece into a ball

Cover for 20 minutes

Kneading the dough

Once you've let your dough balls sit for about 20 minutes, on a lightly floured surface roll them out into thin tortillas. While you're rolling your first one out, let a non-stick pan heat up. It must be as hot as possible. If you don't have a non-stick pan, lightly coat with cooking spray, however, as I used the non-stick pan I cannot attest for how well your tortillas will turn out.

Gently place your first tortilla into your hot pan. Let it cook until you see bubbles rising. This should not take more than 30 seconds. Flip your tortilla and cook on the other side for another 15-20 seconds.

The finished product

Et voila :) Last night, we made our own quesadillas and sausage rolls. They were delicious. Up next week: Suz styled enchilladas with home made tortillas.

Filling the tortillas

Yummy!!

Bon Appetit!

Countdown to the Cove

2011-08-27T11:46:00.000+02:00

Many who know me are aware that I am absolutely enamoured with dolphins. To the point that I will make you stop the car so I can try and take a picture of them swimming, and squeal excitedly whenever I see a pod. I don't remember when my love for the animals first started, but I do remember the day that my heart broke for the dolphins.

I am an avid proponent of boycotting dolphinariums and such similar programmes. Dolphins do not belong in a pool, they belong in the sea. Animals of such intelligence simply do not do well in what is essentially the equivalent of us living in a room full of mirrors. I've written a few blogs about the dolphinarium in Hurghada (here and here), and what started me on my path to awareness of the plight of dolphins was a powerful documentary 'The Cove.' Watch online for free here.

Where the dolphins belong - in the wild

It's that time of year again, the time of year where countless numbers of dolphins are rounded up and brutally slaughtered in Taiji, Japan. A campaign has been launched on Facebook by animal rights activists around the world, yet there are a meagre 2,400 in attendance. Have we all forgotten? Must The Cove replay every year to incite a few months of outrage, then be allowed to happen again. Have you, Hurghada, forgotten that four of your "beloved dolphinarium" dolphins were brought here as a result of this slaughter? Please, do your part, and share this event and maybe together we can hope to save some innocent lives this September.

Countdown to the Cove:

Around the world, September signals the start of school...yellow school buses, children with new sneakers, lunch boxes and sharpened pencils...

In the small coastal town of Taiji, Japan, September signals the start of something sinister... The annual slaughter of thousands of dolphins.

For the first time ever, in 2010 -2011, Cove Guardian Activists from Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Save Japan Dolphins were in Taiji every single day of the dolphin slaughter, which ran from September to March...yet the tragedy continues...

The activists witnessed day after day, week after week, month after month, as pods of dolphins were hunted and driven into the Cove by fishermen using high-tech gear. Terrified and exhausted, the dolphins were systematically and brutally bludgeoned to death. Dolphin calves swam in their mothers' blood. By the end of the 2010-2011 "drive hunt" season, 850 dolphins were killed in the Cove. Another 171 were sold into captivity after witnessing the murder of their families.

Had they attempted to intervene, the Cove Guardians would have faced jail or deportation, neither of which would have benefitted the cause of raising awareness about the Taiji dolphin slaughter. Instead they harnessed the power of social media and reported the devastation in the Cove to activists all over the world in real time. In turn, these activists made thousands of calls, sent thousands of emails and faxes, and organized protests at Japanese Embassies across the world.

The presence of the Cove Guardians was felt - our voices were heard. The brutal killers of the Taiji Fisheries Union struggled to conceal their savagery behind blue tarps, but they were not successful. The world bore witness to the senseless killing of some of natures most beautiful and intelligent creatures.

Working with the Cove Guardians over a five day period in December, the facebook community Save Misty The Dolphin was able to help secure better captive conditions for a very sick dolphin named Misty, who had been left to die in a backyard pool. Suffering from a lung infection, Misty floated listlessly in blackened water until a non-stop calling campaign forced his captors at Dolphin Base Resort to move the animal to a clean pool and provide better veterinary care for him.

THE KILLING RESUMES ON SEPTEMBER 1st!
As the Countdown to the Cove is underway, we ask you to make a commitment to the vulnerable dolphins of Taiji. Please do what you can on this list to help stop the slaughter:

1. Watch The Cove Documentary and share it with at least one friend

2. Take ACTION - Every time there are dolphins in the Cove, thousands, if not millions, of people all over the world are needed to call, e-mail, and fax Taiji and the Japanese Embassies. Please use our Taiji Urgent Contact List:http://savemistythedolphin.blogspot.com/p/taiji-urgent-contact-list.html

3. Please sign and share our petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-the-dolphin-slaughter-in-taiji-japan

4. Participate in a protest outside of your Japanese Embassy on September 1st
We have created a separate facebook event: International Day of Protest for the Dolphins of Taiji. Please sign up for the event at https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=196605907054900

5. Consider volunteering as a Cove Guardian through Sea Shepherd Conservation Society or Save Japan Dolphins

6. Support the Cove Guardian Campaigns of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society or Save Japan Dolphins with a tax deductible gift

ONCE AND FOR ALL
-THIS IS THE YEAR TO END THE SLAUGHTER IN TAIJI! -
PLEASE TAKE ACTION!

Throughout the Taiji Dolphin Slaughter Season, The Save Misty the Dolphin community will bring you daily facebook updates directly from the Cove Guardians - along with specific ways YOU can help. PLEASE become a part of our facebook community and also join our facebook event COUNTDOWN TO THE COVE. The dolphins need you now!

Thank you.

A taste of Egypt: Konafa!

2011-08-21T14:26:00.004+02:00

As promised, here is a recipe for a Ramadan dish; Konafa. Warning: if you are on a diet don't attempt to eat this stuff. :)

Konafa is a traditional Ramadan dish, although it is eaten year round. It can be served hot or cold, and with a variety of fillings and toppings. I found a recipe online for a cream cheese filling here (although I have never had one with cream cheese inside).

Image from Easy Recipes

The recipe below comes with the assumption that you will be able to readily find Middle Eastern ingredients. Fear not, if you cannot find katteyef (or ready made Konafa pastry) you can substitute with fine vermicelli.

Sweet Syrup ingredients:

3 cups sugar
1 ½ cups water
Lemon juice
Vanilla

Konafa ingredients:

½ Kilo Konafa pastry
1 cup butter
Nuts
Coconut
Raisins
½ tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Sweet Syrup Directions:

Dissolve the sugar in water in a medium saucepan.
Add lemon juice and vanilla then bring to boil.
Reduce the heat and let it slowly boil for 8-10 minutes.
Remove from heat and put it aside.

Konafa Directions:

Cut the Konafa into smaller pieces.
Heat the butter, add Konafa and mix.
Grease baking dish and add have of the Konafa mixture with butter.
Mince the nuts with a little bit of sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it all over the Konafah.
Add the rest of the Konafa over and compress with your hand to make sure it is holding well.
Put in the oven until the top is golden.
Pour the syrup on and the raisins on top.

Voila! Bil Hana Wa Shiva.

For that extra authentic Egyptian taste, add some Eshta (Cream) on top of the Konafa and you have a sinfully delicious treat.

Update on Peggy and Soraya

2011-08-21T14:07:00.002+02:00

My post entitled 'Child Abduction Warning' detailed the case of Peggy and Soraya, a German mother who had her daughter kidnapped from her here in Egypt. This blog has garnered a great deal of attention, and I can now provide an update, albeit brief, on how the situation has developed.

In the last blog, I had mentioned how the next step for Peggy would be to get a lawyer. The lawyer that she had originally been working with (who might I add is also on the list of lawyer's recommended by the German Embassy) took from Peggy 30,000 Euro, yet provided no credible leads or steps forward in her case.

Urged by the help of people online, Peggy was able to connect with a female lawyer in Egypt who is well known for her work with the custodial battle of Ahmed al-Fishawy.

Fishawy is an Egyptian actor who in 2006 went down in history in the Egyptian courts. Fishawy got caught up in a romance with costume designer Hend el-Hinnawy, and allegedly married her through an Urfi contract. Urfi contracts enable a man and woman to have sexual relations in Egypt, as it is a non-official common-law "marriage", a hotly contested subject in Egyptian culture. Fishawy impregnated Hinnawy during their courtship, and promptly turned around and denied paternity of the child. Hinnawy proved that she was a fighter, and brought the case all the way into the courtrooms, and made history in doing so. Hinnawy's lawyer, Mamdouh el Weseimy, filed a paternity suit against Fishawy, which ultimately led to proving that he was in fact the father of the child that he had so vehemently denied. From that moment on, DNA testing in a paternity suit was considered admissible evidence in an Egyptian courtroom.

So how does this story relate to Peggy?

Only in that an associate of the same lawyer who worked with Hinnawy is now working on Peggy's case. She has recommended that Peggy will have to stay in Egypt if she plans to prove legal custody of Soraya, and the process has already begun. Sources have told me, although this remains unconfirmed, that Peggy may first have to return to Germany to raise enough money to pay for all the legal proceedings, but at least we now know that the wheels have been set in motion.

I will post any updates as I receive them. Let's hope for now that Peggy may actually really be able to see light at the end of the tunnel.

For more reading on the case of Ahmed el-Fishawy see the following links:

Stunning Revelation

Hennawi vs. Fishawy: The Final Chapter?

Egypt's grand mufti allows controversial marriage