So heart warming.

This is a story that will touch the heart of any animal lover out there. For those of us who are living in, or who have lived in Egypt, the abuse that animals are subjected to here is not a new matter. Seeing a dog being beaten on the street, horses who are thin to the bone, donkeys that are worked to death and still beaten to take that one extra step, it's all heart breaking. Many of us who have lived in Egypt long enough have learned to grow immune to this horrific treatment of animals, but sometimes there are stories that you just cannot overlook, that remind us that there are people out there who really do still give a damn, and will act selflessly just to ensure that an animal has a better life.

As a dog owner myself, specifically an Egyptian Baladi dog owner, this story really warms me. As much as Orien can be an asshole sometimes (and really, sometimes he takes the cake - and eats it too haha ), I would never ever dream of letting him grow up in the streets. There are times when I am walking him, (and he is on a leash!!) and I've had little kids throw stones at us, or grown men chuck buckets of water at us. The same thing used to happen with our family dog Mirella, who couldn't hurt a fly, would also get pelted by rocks when down at the stables with us. Fortunately for Mirella, I was usually on horseback when this would happen, and you should SEE those kids scatter when you chase them down on a horse. lolol. Hopefully soon I'll be able to do the same thing with Orien, until then, it's only me shouting and chasing these kids down...I should carry my own rock supply with me lol.

When you take all this into consideration, you'd imagine that the street dogs here would be vicious, aggressive, biting any one who comes close to them. But this couldn't be further from the truth. Most just want a kind word, and if you show a baladi dog the slightest bit of affection, expect a companion on your walk. It can be heartbreaking to have to say goodbye to some of these poor animals.

Josh felt the same way. After staying in a hotel in Cairo, he noticed a stray dog that was living outside on the street by the hotel. He befriended this dog, but unfortunately his stay in Egypt came to an end. Josh did not forget this dog, and he made every effort possible to ensure that he would at least be able to save one street dog from Cairo. His quest began with a youtube cry for help.

His story was seen by a pioneering animal rights group in Egypt, the Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals, or ESMA. They found the dog, now known as Sphyncus Nagat, and began the process of getting her to Josh in the U.S. After months of efforts and fundraising, Spyncus Nagat is one of the lucky few street dogs in Egypt whose story really does have a happy ending.

Josh, with the combined help of ESMA and their dedicated volunteers, has brought Sphyncus Nagat to her new home in the United States. Their reunion was even broadcast on the cable channel that Josh works for. This story just goes to prove that if one person were to commit themselves to making a difference in the life of one animal, think of what we could do if we were to all strive to do the same thing. And take a lesson from Josh, next time we see an animal being unfairly abused in the streets, DO something about it.

Nagat and Josh, I wish you all the best for a happy and long life together!

To see the video of Nagat arriving in her new home, check here.

Cairo Craigslist Warning

This is a repost for my journo buddy LeAnne. Apparently the people mentioned in the blog are fully aware of it, and are even aware of the fact that what they are doing is a sham and should be stopped immediately. One of the best defences we have against this is awareness, so please, if you are seeking a job in Cairo, take the time to read this article, and take care with any new job offers (which you should do even if you're not in Egypt :p).

!!! Cairo Craigslist Warning !!!

As mentioned on the previous blog, I was waiting to get more information on a scam luring females from other countries for supposedly great jobs in Egypt.

Jane** was looking for a job in Egypt in order to do research for a project. In the meantime, she still needed supplement income in order to finance herself without delving into savings. She looked on Craigslist and was applied for a news anchor position with EZZ Media. Although a Google search will be inconclusive if you search the keywords EZZ Media Egypt.

This particular media segment was supposedly a part of EZZ Steel, a major giant in the steel/mining industry in Egypt, with the contact person even using the name of one of EZZ’s executives. EZZ Media was allegedly a start-up station looking to get native English speakers.

Jane came to Cairo where she conducted her interview shortly upon her arrival. On her way out to the Sandpit, she met an Egyptian American who was also interviewing for the same company but as a translator. Both women met with two men named (or at least that’s the given name) Ihab Isisi and Ahmed Ghazi. Ihab was very persistent in trying to get the women to meet him after midnight at After 8 in Downtown.

Other jobs that were posted by this falsified company were for translators and assistants to travel to Dubai.

A good friend of mine that is a casting director here even encountered a supposed director attempting to get one of her actresses to come audition for a play. The “director” used a famous director’s company and name and continued the ruse. It wasn’t until my friend became suspicious and called the actual famous director and found it to be a hoax.

I think the lesson here is to be extremely cautious of “name dropping,” as with the two above cases, that seems to be the common theme. Name dropping is like the country’s favorite pastime anyway.

As scams and dubious actions such as this happen throughout the world, it is important to use your head. For each potential job, always look up the contact person and company. For instance, if you have been contacted by Drew Brees, HR Dept for Saints Unlimited, type into a google search engine these particular suggestions:

“Drew Brees”
“Saints Unlimited”
Drew Brees HR
Drew Brees Saints Unlimited
Drew Brees Cairo
Drew Brees Egypt
Saints Unlimited Egypt

The quotation marks narrow down your search, but you can just pick some relative keywords to jumble them all together and comb through a higher number of search results. I understand some of you may be reading this thinking that I’m talking to a pre-schooler, but the fact is, many of you don’t know or never thought about doing a search. And for the most part, employers are googling you, so I suggest you get on board. Also, make sure to constantly check your privacy settings on sites like Facebook and Myspace as it appears they like to revert to default settings which open up your page and pictures to EVERYONE (and ah hem, no potential employer needs to see you doing a keg stand).

I researched my last employer before accepting the position. I even found blogs that discussed the work atmosphere, which might be helpful if you’re trying to decide between numerous offers. The important lesson here is to do all the research you can and if all else fails, use your instincts.

Once again, if it sounds too good to be true – it is, MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!

* Name changed for privacy purposes

Talk about Dirt

I was reading an article the other day in a new magazine in circulation here in Hurghada. Although most of the magazine consists of ads, no, wait I take that back, the entire magazine is made up of ads, some of them have articles attached.

One such article was done by a home cleaning company, and their idea to attract customers was to completely disgust you by how many beasties are potentially living in your house, sleeping in your bed, chilling on your kitchen counter. Well, for me it worked, I was grossed out, but not jumping at the gun to call this amazing cleaning company. Instead, it inspired me to find out for myself what I can do to eliminate, or at least reduce, these pests in the house. (Did I mention that the article only detailed the beasties, not how to get rid of them? lol. Let's just call up these cleaning people, they must have miraculous means of eliminating mould spores and dust mites from my house. hahahaha).

Let's consider this blog a follow up to the previous beastie blog. :D And before reading, a collective **EWWWWWW** please. ;)

Anyone living in Egypt is fully aware of the fact that it is DUSTY. It is almost impossible to keep your house free of dust, particularly when you're living in areas like Hurghada or Sharm. With the sea and sand on one side, and desert on the other, even the lightest breeze will flick up dust into the air. No big deal, until you consider the beasties that accompany dust, the dust mites.

These things are frigging ugly, not to mention alien looking. And they live pretty much

everywhere. Considering over 80 % of the dust in your house is made up of human "dander" (which is really just a polite way of saying discarded skin), these dust mites have a smörgåsbord of human buffet lying around everywhere. They feast on our dander, so thrive in areas such as couches, beds, cushions, etc. In fact, it is estimated that the weight of a two year old mattress is no less than 10 % dust mite feces and carcasses. (I'm grossed out again already :S).

So what can we do to get rid of this critters. Well, firstly, toss out your feather and down pillows. These provide the perfect environment for dust mites to lay their eggs and nest. Replace them with synthetic material pillows and covers, as these are less "hospitable." Next, make sure you're

changing your bed sheets at least once a week, and that you're washing them in hot water. For those of us with pets, keep the pets off your bed, as dust mites are just as happy to feast on animal dander as they are on human dander, and really, do they need MORE dust to feed on here? :p

For those of us less inclined to make our beds in the morning (as lets face it, talk about a pointless job, you just mess it back up at night haha), leaving your bed unmade in the morning actually helps to dry it out. Dust mites love damp areas, so a dry bed is a "cleaner" bed. Wash curtains, or replace them with vinyl shades and blinds.

But after all this, really what's the deal with dust mites? Although they do not pose any serious health threats, they do contribute to wheezing, and are suspected to worsen asthma in many people. So get rid of the dust mites, and breathe easier.

Next up...your kitchen sink. Keeping in mind that we prepare our meals in the kitchen, in my mind it ranks as the priority place in any home that MUST be kept clean. Bacteria lies in wait for any unsuspecting individual to leave out their bread, or cheese, and voila! Green bread, Crusty Cheese! (Ewww).

While most of us think that regularly wiping down the counter tops and stoves will help keep the beasties at bay, one of the more filthy parts of your kitchen is actually your kitchen sponge. Yes, the sponge that you use to clean your dishes with, may in fact be dirtier than the dishes were in the first place. So what to do?

Firstly, replace your dish sponge every other week, ideally every week if you're doing a buttload of dishes. To sterilize your dish sponge, you can do the following:

• Rinse sponge in dish soap (anti-bacterial if you can find it)
• Throw in the microwave for 1-2 minutes (and make sure you watch for it burning haha)

Voila, sterilized dish sponge.

If you're like me, you do not have the amenity of access to a microwave (ahh the wonders of "furnished" apartments in Egypt). But not to worry, just rinse your sponge in a water/bleach solution, and that will do the trick too.

Last but not least, and this one might shock you...

Your computer on average has 400 times more bacteria living on it than a toilet. (no, you did not read that wrong).

This was probably the most disgusting thing I learned. So what can you do?

Firstly, wash your hands. The old idiom that always seems to return to haunt people. In this case, it's true. By ensuring you have clean hands before using your computer, you will help reduce the harmful bacteria that have made a home of your computer.

Next, to clean the keyboard turn it upside down, and shake gently to dislodge stuff stuck underneath. Use compressed air to push out the extra junk. With a cotton swab, use either computer cleaning solution, rubbing alcohol, or a solution of two parts water to one part dish soap, dip your swab in, and run along your keys. Make sure you get to the bits in between each key. Finally, run over the keyboard with an antibacterial wipe.

Now I know that freaking out about every beastie or bacteria that you may encounter is a little excessive, but if you can go just that little bit extra, you may end up improving your overall health, and breathing easier! Now who needs inspiration to clean?!

Things that make you go "WTF?!"

This morning I settle in to work, and get ready for the long day ahead. As per the usual routine, browsing the news and checking my email is always one of the first things to do. I'm glad I did this morning!

Check out this article, posted on the Huffingtonpost. Seems that Egypt is quite popular in the news at the moment, first with the bus shooting yesterday, and now this. Only thing I can say, is if there is a cow with two heads born, then there must be a Blinky living in the Nile. lolol.

(AP) CAIRO -- A farmer in northern Egypt says his cow has given birth to a two-headed calf that he calls a "divine miracle."

Sobhy el-Ganzoury said Saturday it took two hours and much pulling to deliver the rare calf. He said the difficult birth has weakened the calf's legs.

El-Ganzoury said the veterinarian informed him that the calf, which was born this week, is now in stable condition and is expected to survive. He said he intends to keep the animal as a reminder that "God is able to do anything."

The calf still can't stand up because of its heavy heads and weak legs, and is being fed her mother's milk with a baby bottle.

France and Veiling

It's been a parliamentary debate well over one year in the making, and this week, the French Parliament is finally set to discuss the issue of the niqab (face veil) and its permissibility in public areas in France. Last year, I wrote a blog which highlighted the situation in France, and the rising tide of Islamophobia that was accompanying cries to ban the niqab entirely. In May, the French cabinet approved a bill dealing with the niqab in public places, however before it can be enforced as law, the French Parliament must also approve the bill. The debate is set for this week, and should the French Parliament pass this bill, it will change the face of France, and potentially ignite a domino effect in the rest of Europe.

Should France outlaw the bill, it will join Belgium as the only other country in Europe to have banned the face veil, but the trend will surely not end there. Spain has already expressed a rising interest in banning the niqab in the country also, and were France to make this ruling, it will spur forward the notions of other nations who have mentioned they may take the same action.

So what does this really mean?

Firstly, many people greatly misunderstand what the Islamic veil really is, and why women wear it. There are many variations of veiling, while the two that people are generally most familiar with are the hijab, or head scarf, and the focus of debate in France, the niqab. The BBC has provided a great article detailing what the hijab is and its history in Islam, as well as advocates for and against veiling. The niqab is interpreted as a more extreme version of veiling for women, whereby the entire face save the eyes is covered. The Burka is even more extreme, with women covering their entire face, with a small netted area for her to see through. The question often raised by scholars and individuals alike, is whether or not Islam actually call for a woman to cover her face entirely; for that matter, does it even call for a woman to cover her hair?

The answer is unfortunately not a case of Yes or No. Islam, and therefore Muslims, does not have a ruling religious figurehead such as the Vatican for Christianity. This leaves verses (surahs) in the Qu'ran open for individual interpretation, and various interpretations of the versus dealing with women exist. There are Islamic advocates that believe the Qu'ran explicitly directs a woman to cover at least her head and neck to conform with the Islamic requirement of modest dress. More extreme interpretations see that the Qu'ranic surahs direct women to cover their entire body's, including face, when in the presence of men that are not directly related to them or their family. For many women raised in the West, the mere idea of covering one's entire face seems extreme. However, for women that choose to wear the niqab of their own volition, they truly believe that they are following the will of God, and abiding by Islamic doctrine. A simple explanation for this reasoning can be found here.

Now this brings us to France, and Muslim women in France.

France has always boasted about being a secular nation, and one that respects an individual's freedom of expression and human rights. Despite this, France has previously ruled that religious

symbols and iconography should not be explicitly displayed, lest it offends those of different believes or secular ideology. This seems fair enough, no outright religious iconography. But does the niqab fall under this umbrella definition? Many would disagree, however French President Nicolas Sarkozy sees the niqab not as a religious symbol, but as a symbol of the segregation and suppression of women. French Prime Minister Francois Fillon even went as far to say that Muslims who wear the niqab are "highjacking Islam,"while providing a "dark sectarian image" of the religion. Quite an extreme statement to make, and certainly an assertion of the underlying French views on the niqab and full face veils on women.

Having lived in an Islamic country for four years now, I still cannot wrap my mind around a woman's decision to wear a niqab of their own volition, but I still advocate that as a Muslim woman, it is her right to make that choice, particularly if she believes it strengthens her commitment to God. There is no doubt that the Islamic religion advocates modest dress, but does this modesty extend to entirely covering your body and face? I don't believe so. It should, however, remain a choice that Muslim women are free to make.

The self-proclaimed secular state is preparing to pass a law that will strip women of the right to this decision. The legislation will also include fines for brothers and husbands found to have forced women in their family to don the niqab. All well and good, a woman should never be forced to wear something, but isn't forcing her NOT to wear something essentially the same thing?! One party that opposed banning the niqab in public places, the opposition Socialist Party, has now announced that they will abstain from voting this week, meaning the one party that opposed this grievous violation of a woman's right to free expression is sitting back and keeping their traps shut. Congratulations on solidifying your government's efforts to hinder free expression and right to religious doctrine.

Studies in France document that there are approximately 5 million Muslims living in the country, and of this, only 2000 or so wear the full face veil. Is it really so offensive to the "open minded" European nations to permit these women to wear the niqab? Now I understand that one point for banning the face veil is a level of security, as if a woman has her entire face concealed, how can her identity be verified, or how is it even possible to know that it really is a woman hiding underneath. For these cases, such as when re-issuing ID cards, or employment and security checks, by all means outlaw the face veil. But to do it merely because of the belief that it is further segregating women shows an arrogance that far supersedes security.

It would seem, particularly if this bill passes this week, that secularity is out, and Islamophobia is in. Only time will how if this trend will continue to spread throughout the rest of Europe, and how long it will take for governmental officials to finally realise that this is not a matter of protecting the rights of women, it is a matter of stripping followers of one religious doctrine of their human rights, and right to free expression. A right, that many in our history have died to preserve, upset by the ruling of the elite in France for the "greater good."

For more reading on this subject, see: What is the final ruling on Hijab, Studies on the Surah's detailing modest dress and France's campaign against the Niqab.

Water, it does the body good

I read an article a few weeks ago about the health benefits of water, and why it is so crucial to make sure that you are taking in enough of the clear stuff. Since reading this article, I have objectively tried to make sure that I am drinking at least three litres of water every day. End result? I really am seeing my belly shrink, my hair is shinier, and my skin is much healthier. Not only that, but my energy levels are up, and I feel great! It seems tough at first to be drinking so much water, but, you really do get into the routine of it and it becomes normal. Only problem is...getting up at all times of the day to have to pee, constantly. Hahaha. Anyhow, let me share the wealth.

The water article!

Health Benefits of Water

How 8 Glasses a Day Keeps Fat Away

Incredible as it may seem, water is quite possibly the single most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off. Although most of us take for granted, water may be the only true "magic potion" for permanent weight loss.

Water supresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits.

Here's why: The kidneys can't function properly without enough water. When they don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver. One of the liver's primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. But if the liver has to do some of the kidney's work it can't operate at full throttle. As a result, it metabolizes less fat more fat remains stored in the body and weight loss stops.

Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention. When the body gets less water,it perceives this as a threat to survival and begins to hold on to every drop. Water is stored in extracellular spaces (outside the cell). This shows up as swollen feet, legs and hands.

Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best. They force out stored water along with some essential nutrients. Again, the body perceives a treat and will replace the lost water at the first opportunity. Thus, the condition quickly returns.

The best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to give your body what it needs -- plenty of water. Only then will stored water be released.

If you have a constant problem with water retention, excess salt may be to blame. Your body will tolerate sodium only in a certain concentration. The more salt you eat the more water your system retains to dilute it.

But getting rid of unneeded salt is easy -- just drink more water. As it's forced through the kidneys it takes away excess sodium.

The overweight person needs more water than a thin one. Larger people have larger metabolic loads. Since we know that water is the key to fat metabolism, it follows that the over weight person needs more water.

Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weigh loss -- shrinking cells are buoyed by water which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy and resilient.

Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss, the body has a lot more waste to get rid of -- all that metabolized fat must be shed. Again, adequate water helps flush out the waste.

Water can help relieve constipation. When the body gets too little water, it siphons what it needs from internal sources. The colon is one primary source. Result? Constipation. But when a person drinks enough water, normal bowel function usually returns.

So far, we've discovered some remarkable truths about water and weight loss:

• The body will not function properly without enough water and can't metabolize stored fat efficiently.
• Retained water shows up as excess weight.
• To get rid of excess water you must drink more water.
• Drinking water is essential to weight loss.

How much water is enough? On the average, a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses every day. That's about 2 quarts. However, the overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight. The amount you drink also should be increased if you exercise briskly or if the weather is hot and dry.

Water should preferably be cold. It's absorbed into the system more quickly than warm water. And some evidence suggests that drinking cold water can actually help burn calories. To utilize water most efficiently during weight loss, follow this schedule:

Morning: 1 quart consumed over a 30-minute period.

Noon: 1 quart consumed over a 30-minute period.

Evening: 1 quart consumed between five and six o'clock.

When the body gets the water it needs to function optimally, it's fluids are perfectly balanced. When this happens, you have reached the "breakthrough point." What does this mean?

• Endocrine-gland function improves.
• Fluid retention is alleviated as stored water is lost.
• More fat is used as fuel because the liver is free to metabolize stored fat.
• Natural thirst returns.
• There is a loss of hunger almost over night.

If you stop drinking enough water, your body fluids will be thrown out of balance again, and you may experience fluid retention, unexplained weight gain and loss of thirst. To remedy the situation you'll have to go back and force another "breakthrough."

Happy Drinking!!!

He said, she said, just play the games!!!

The World Cup has arrived, one of the most highly anticipated sports events worldwide, the most anticipated football event. Thousands of people around the world are tuned in on their tvs to the countless channels that are broadcasting the games live from South Africa.
Thousands that is, except for the many football fans in Egypt. Fans here have fallen victim, through no fault of their own, to the never-ending war of words between global media conglomerates.

Egyptian fans were promised the ability to watch at least 18 of the World Cup matches on al-Jazeera sports, a free channel that virtually every house with a satellite in Egypt receives. When on Thursday the opening ceremonies began, many viewers in Egypt were frustrated with the unreliable signal, with the opening ceremony black out a number of times. Similarly, the opening match of the World Cup between South Africa and Mexico, which FIFA itself designated as a free-watch match, was interrupted repeatedly for Egyptian viewers. This goes without saying that matches following the opening match were also subjected to intermittent signal losses, with the match between Nigeria and Argentina loosing signal in the first half, causing viewers to miss the one and only goal scored.

Al-Jazeera Sports has claimed that their signal has been sabotaged by the Egypt Radio and TV Union (ERTU), and that their primary host satellite, NileSat, had its connection interrupted by the Egyptian media conglomerates who were piffed that the proper "licensing fees" were not duely paid. In response, the ERTU today announced that they would be suing al-Jazeera for interrupting the match and playing with the signal in an effort to stir up trouble with Egypt itself. Specifically, that al-Jazeera breached three articles in the agreement originally signed between the Qatari based broadcasting station and the ERTU. Such a "he said she said" situation it makes you laugh.

Viewers of the World Cup in Egypt now have one choice, to watch the matches on paid channels only. Pending investigations into the cause behind the signal interruption, NileSat will not broadcast any free World Cup matches. It's gotten to the point where the International Communication Association, based in Switzerland, has launched an investigation into the allegations made on both sides, to dicover the "truth" behind the problem. Their results are scheduled to be released today, but with how things here run, who knows how long it will take. I'm sure a few pockets will need stuffing with cash before the matches are again played on the sattelite for free.

Although this entire situation makes me giggle, it also really pisses me off that as a football fan I cannot watch the matches for free, because of problems in the upper echelons of media broadcasting. Fortunately, in an attempt to find out more about the situation, I learned a nifty trick. For viewers that have satellite boxes, there is a simple solution to the problem. Switch your satellite from NileSat, to either Hotbird or ArabSat, two satellites that the ERTU has no say over.

I can now sit back and happily watch the matches from the comfort of my home. And yes, it works, and I am now watching the match between Serbia and Ghana, having switched my satellite. :D

Here's the ERTU's response, posted today in Al-Masri al-Yawm.