Animal Tales

I saw a goat slaughtered at the butcher shop down the street from my house one sunny afternoon.  They killed it on the sidewalk and then brushed the blood into the road.

A few weeks ago, we were eating out at a pretty nice restaurant when I noticed the waiter walked through the restaurant and past our table with a large white trash bag that clearly held a freshly beheaded animal...  looks like it was the meat for the next days dishes. 

On our way to a mosque in downtown Cairo, we were traveling in a taxi through a busy street when I looked out the window and saw a dead horse laying in a large pile of trash on the side of the road.  Andrew said, "Well, what else would you do if your horse died?!"... um, BURY IT, that's what I would do.

Cairo is the breeding grounds to what I am sure is the worlds largest cat population.  They used to be worshiped in Ancient Egypt... now they just prowl the streets and sometimes sneak into restaurants and try to steal your food while you're eating it.  I see more cats than women during the day.  Which says a lot for the 24th most populated city in the world.

Tonight while Andrew was eating his first pigeon (one of Egypt's delicacies...) I saw a waiter carry a bag of bloody, de-feathered, headless pigeons into the kitchen next to our table.  Really, how has that happened twice to me???

I always thought camels to be a tame, noble creature.  Until I went to the pyramids and the rabid camel Aryel and Becca were riding kept snapping it's teeth in anger.  No one ever told me camels SNAPPED like that.  Many people almost had their limbs snapped off by the angry camel that day.

Welcome in Egypt everybody.

Even though it is our last night in Africa (*tear....) I still have lots, and lots of stories and pictures to share!  Stay tuned...

Here's to the animals,

M 

Compare, Compare, and Compare some more.

This is not a travel post.  This is a conversational post.  
I'm writing it because it's been happening for days and months and years and I am sick of it.


Us ladies have a problem in this world.  We compare ourselves to each other.
We compare, and compare and COMPARE!!!


And I don't like it!  But I do it, far too often.  
I will NEVER be as crafty as this girl
I will NEVER be a strong mother like this one
I will NEVER afford cute clothes like her
I will NEVER write as well as that girl


Over and over.  Comparing ourselves on Facebook, on Blogger, and on every other website out there and in every other real life situation too.
But why do we do it???
Aren't we all in this game together?!  Don't we all want to make it to the same place?  


We should be lifting and encouraging one another.  We should be able to stand together as women and support each other in everything we do.
Who cares if I'm not crafty because I am really adventurous.  Who cares if I can't afford cute clothes, at least I can afford clothes period.  Who cares if I'm not as classy and eloquent as that girl because hey, I'm goofy and hyper and fun, and I like that about myself.  


We all have special divine qualities in ourselves that are unlike anyone else's.  We all have something unique to offer to this world, and until we can get over comparing ourselves to the other women around us, we are going to get nowhere.  
I am going to get nowhere!  
I need to get over it.  (Ok, this post might have been for mostly me....)


We can all be amazing women.  We all have the capacity to be outstanding mothers too.  Let's take the negative energy and turn it into something good.  I have been blessed with an AMAZING Mom who has always taught me that I can do anything... but sometimes I forget.  I have so many family members and close friends that support me and love me, but sometimes life gets in the way... and again, I forget that I am surrounded by strong women that I can learn from.  They have always helped me grow and succeed when I start comparing my life to what I think it "needs" to be.


Whether you are a Latter-Day Saint or not, I think my favorite talk from President Gordon B. Hinckley pretty much sums it up.


Gordon B. Hinckley, "To the Women of the Church," Ensign, Nov. 2003, 113

Someone has said: "Be kind to the women. They constitute half the population and are mothers to the other half."

My dear sisters, you marvelous women who have chosen the better part, I stand in great admiration for all that you do. I see your hands in everything.

Many of you are mothers, and that is enough to occupy one's full time.

You are companions—the very best friends your husbands have or ever will have.

You are housekeepers. That doesn't sound like much, does it? But what a job it is to keep a house clean and tidy.

You are shoppers. Until I got older I never dreamed of what a demanding responsibility it is to keep food in the pantry, to keep clothing neat and presentable, to buy all that is needed to keep a home running.

You are nurses. With every illness that comes along, you are the first to be told about it and the first to respond with help. In cases of serious sickness, you are at the bedside day and night, comforting, encouraging, ministering, praying.

You are the family chauffeur. You are driving your children about on paper routes, taking them to athletic events, driving them on ward outings, hauling here, there, and everywhere as they pursue their busy lives.

And so I might go on. My children are now all grown. Some are in their 60s. But when they call and I answer the phone, they say, "How are you?" And before I can answer, they ask, "Is Mother there?"

She has been their strength all of their lives. Since they were babies they have looked to her, and she has always responded with affection, guidance, teaching, blessing their lives in every way.

Now we have granddaughters who are mothers. They visit us, and I marvel at their patience, at their capacity to calm their children, to stop them from crying, and it seems to me to do a thousand other things.

They drive cars, they run computers, they attend the activities of their children, they cook and sew, they teach classes, and they speak in church.

I see their husbands, and I feel like saying to them: "Wake up. Carry your share of the load. Do you really appreciate your wife? Do you know how much she does? Do you ever compliment her? Do you ever say thanks to her?"

Well, you dear women, I say thanks to you. Thank you for being the kind of people you are and doing the things you do. May the blessings of heaven rest upon you. May your prayers be answered and your hopes and dreams become realities.

You serve so well in the Church. You think it is so demanding. It is. But with every responsibility fulfilled, there comes a great reward.

Many of you think you are failures. You feel you cannot do well, that with all of your effort it is not sufficient.

We all feel that way. I feel that way as I speak to you tonight. I long for, I pray for the power and the capacity to lift you, to inspire you, to thank you, to praise you, and to bring a measure of gladness into your hearts.

We all worry about our performance. We all wish we could do better. But unfortunately we do not realize, we do not often see the results that come of what we do.

I remember going to a stake conference in the East many years ago. On the plane coming home, I felt that I had been a total failure. I felt I had not touched anyone for good. I was miserable with a sense of inadequacy.

Then, some years later, I was at another conference in California. At the conclusion of the meeting a man came up to me and said, "You were at a conference a few years ago in such-and-such a place."

"Yes," I said, "I was there, and I remember the occasion."

The man said: "You touched my heart. I came to that meeting out of curiosity. I really had no interest. I was on the verge of leaving the Church. But when it was announced that one of the Twelve Apostles would be there, I decided to go.

"You said something that started me to think. It touched me and stayed with me and stirred me. I decided to alter my course. I turned my life around. I am now living here in California. I have a good job, for which I am grateful. I hope I am a good husband and father. And I am now serving as a counselor in the bishopric of my ward. I am happier than I have ever been at any time in my life."

I thanked him, and when I left him I said to myself, shaking my head: "You never know. You never know whether you do any good. You never know how much good you do."

Now, my dear sisters, that is the way with you. You are doing the best you can, and that best results in good to yourself and to others. Do not nag yourself with a sense of failure. Get on your knees and ask for the blessings of the Lord; then stand on your feet and do what you are asked to do. Then leave the matter in the hands of the Lord. You will discover that you have accomplished something beyond price.

Now, we have a very diverse group to whom I am speaking. This includes young women who are still in school or who are working. You are single. You are hoping to catch that perfect man. I have yet to see one who is perfect. Aim high, but do not aim so high that you totally miss the target. What really matters is that he will love you, that he will respect you, that he will honor you, that he will be absolutely true to you, that he will give you freedom of expression and let you fly in the development of your own talents. He is not going to be perfect, but if he is kind and thoughtful, if he knows how to work and earn a living, if he is honest and full of faith, the chances are that you will not go wrong, that you will be immensely happy.

Some of you, unfortunately, will never marry in this life. That turns out to be the case sometimes. If that happens, do not spend your life grieving over it. The world still needs your talents. It needs your contribution. The Church needs your faith. It needs your strong, helping hand. Life is never a failure until we call it such. There are so many who need your helping hands, your loving smile, your tender thoughtfulness. I see so many capable, attractive, wonderful women whom romance has passed by. I do not understand it, but I know that in the plan of the Almighty, the eternal plan which we call God's plan of happiness, there will be opportunity and reward for all who seek them.

To you young women with small children, yours is a tremendous challenge. So often there is not enough money. You must scrimp and save. You must be wise and careful in your expenditures. You must be strong and bold and brave and march forward with gladness in your eye and love in your heart. How blessed you are, my dear young mothers. You have children who will be yours forever. I hope that you have been sealed in the house of the Lord and that your family will be an everlasting family in the kingdom of our Father.

May you be given strength to carry your heavy load, to meet every obligation, to walk side by side with a good and faithful and caring man, and together with him rear and nurture and bring up your children in righteousness and truth. Nothing else you will ever own, no worldly thing you will ever acquire will be worth so much as the love of your children. God bless you, my dear, dear young mothers.

Then we have you older women who are neither young nor old. You are in the most wonderful season of your lives. Your children are in their teens. Possibly one or two are married. Some are on missions, and you are sacrificing to keep them in the field. You are hoping and praying for their success and happiness. To you dear women I offer some special counsel.

Count your blessings; name them one by one. You don't need a great big mansion of a house with an all-consuming mortgage that goes on forever. You do need a comfortable and pleasant home where love abides. Someone has said that there is no more beautiful picture than that of a good woman cooking a meal for those she loves. Weigh carefully that which you do. You do not need some of the extravagances that working outside the home might bring. Weigh carefully the importance of your being in the home when your children come from school.

Mothers, take good care of your daughters. Be close to them. Listen to them. Talk with them. Lead them from doing foolish things. Guide them into doing the right thing. See that they dress in a comely and modest fashion. Safeguard them from the terrible evils that are all about them.

Nurture your sons with love and counsel. Teach them the importance of personal cleanliness, of neatness in their dress. Sloppy ways lead to sloppy lives. Instill in them a sense of discipline. Keep them worthy of service to the Church as missionaries. Give them things to do so that they may learn to work. Teach them to be frugal. Labor and frugality lead to prosperity. Teach them that nothing really good happens after 11 o'clock at night. And do not spoil them. If they go on missions, they may be compelled to live in circumstances that you would not wish for them. Do not worry about them. Give them encouragement.

Stir within your children the desire for education. This is the latchkey to success in life. And at the same time, teach them that as President David O. McKay was wont to remind us, "No other success can compensate for failure in the home." 1

Now I speak to you single mothers whose burdens are so heavy because you have been abandoned or have been widowed. Yours is a terrible load. Bear it well. Seek the blessings of the Lord. Be grateful for any assistance that may come out of the quorums of the priesthood to help you in your home or with other matters. Pray silently in your closet, and let the tears flow if they must come. But put a smile on your face whenever you are before your children or others.

Now to you dear grandmothers, you older widows, and older lonely women. How beautiful you are. I look upon my dear wife, soon to be 92 years of age. Her hair is white; her frame is stooped.

I take one of her hands in mine and look at it. Once it was so beautiful, the flesh firm and clear. Now it is wrinkled and a little bony and not very strong. But it speaks of love and constancy and faith, of hard work through the years. Her memory is not what it once was. She can remember things that happened half a century ago but may not remember what happened half an hour ago. I am like that, too.

But I am so grateful for her. For 66 years we have walked together, hand in hand, with love and encouragement, with appreciation and respect. It cannot be very long before one of us will step through the veil. I hope the other will follow soon. I just would not know how to get along without her, even on the other side, and I would hope that she would not know how to get along without me.

My dear friends of the Relief Society, whatever your circumstances, wherever you may live, may the windows of heaven be opened and blessings come down upon you. May you live with love one for another. May you reach down to lift up those whose burdens are heavy. May you bring light and beauty to the world and particularly into your homes and into the lives of your children.

You know as I do that God our Eternal Father lives. He loves you. You know as I do that Jesus is the Christ, His immortal Son, our Redeemer. You know that the gospel is true and that heaven is near if we will cultivate it in our lives.

You are the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There is no other organization to equal it. Walk with pride. Hold your heads up. Work with diligence. Do whatever the Church asks you to do. Pray with faith. You may never know how much good you accomplish. Someone's life will be blessed by your effort. May you know the comforting, rewarding embrace of the Holy Spirit, I pray in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

OK, that was long.  If you got through the entire thing, I am seriously so impressed right now.  

This is the end of my rant.  

We just need to believe.  

Believe that we can do anything, because we are women.  Let's start bringing light and beauty to this world and start helping each other.

Now, who's with me?????

{I promise I'll get back to posting about my regular Cairo life now, thanks for indulging in my mental breakdown about comparisons!  I might delete this post when I re-read it again in the morning, ha-ha I guess we'll see what happens}

Much Love, 

Megs

Random Thoughts: Part II

Today Andrew and I went on a shopping spree.  We bought a load of tacky souveniers, for the fun of it.  Then we did grocery shopping and bought over 90 EGP (about 18 US dollars...) of foreign cheese.  That's more money than we spend in a week living here.  We have a cheese problem.  And then we went to the vegetable market, where I bought 3 LARGE grocery bags full of assorted veggies for less than 1 US dollar.  YOU CAN'T BEAT IT!  It's all fresh, and it's all delicious.

At said veggie market, a man selling mint stopped Andrew and asked if I was his wife.  Andrew said yes and the man congratulated Andrew and gave him a big high five.  He then turned to me and said, "Miss, you are very beautiful and you are very sugar."  We don't know what me being sugar actually means. 
I got a rad henna tattoo done from a Sudanese woman.  It was at her apartment that she shares with her mother and her children.  She told us many Egyptian brides get henna done, and they often dress in traditional Indian clothes for their wedding's here in Egypt.  Before I knew it, we were all playing dress us up in their home, wearing Indian sari's and loads of gold jewelry and dancing around like we were in a Bollywood film.  Lots of pictures were taken.

I rode a camel at the Pyramids and my crotch STILL hurts.  And those camels almost ate us alive, they are terrifying creatures.

Once I got spit on by a random man.  And then when I yelled [and cursed] at him, he didn't even look at me or flinch so I still don't know if it was an accident or totally on purpose.

Tonight we went to a carnival.  We don't know why there was a carnival, and we're still wondering what all those people were celebrating.  All I know is that it was super shady, with lots of wandering hands trying to touch my down under girl parts, an excessive amount of LOUD music, plenty of street food, tons of lights, and just about everyone in the area showed up.  There were also shoddy looking carnival rides that are going to break down any second.  Oh, and there were fireworks thrown at us from balconies.  All in all, it was AWESOME.  I had a good time!

There are only a couple more weeks left for us here in Cairo.  I am sad, I love my Egypt life and I honestly don't want to go home yet, it's too soon for us!  I still have lots of pictures and stories to share, so be prepared for post overload the rest of this week while I play blog catchup.

Until next time,
your beautiful and sugar friend.  bahahahahahahhaa.
  

Q&A

What brought you to Egypt?
My husband is a Middle East Studies major and part of that is learning how to speak Arabic.  We are on a study abroad and he is in an intensive language program with about 40 other students.  His skills are coming along and we [bahah but really, HE, not so much "we"...] are on track to graduate next April.  (WOO hoo!!!)  We live in Cairo with another couple, Jake and Chelsi and they are rock star roomates.  We are so lucky!  While Andrew works his buns off during the day, I have adventures around Cairo.  We dig our fantastic life.

How in the hell do you guys share a bathroom?!
I'm not going to lie, it is a bit tricky.  Personally, I haven't had to fight anyone for bathroom rights yet (I hope Chelsi and Jake don't feel like they have either!) but we just try to be extra considerate of our roomates and limit our useage.  
Showering together with our spouses helps too.  Saving water AND time.  Genius!  [TMI?  Yeah, probably!]

Can you bring me back falafel? 
I can’t bring food out of the country!  [You know I'd be all up on those ho-ho's!!!!!]  LAME.  But don't fret, there is a KILLER falafel restaraunt in SLC- party when we get back in the Fall!

I want to know more about the surreal things there.  Like the pyramids instead of mountains and the PSA adds.  I think those are fascinating.
Pyramids were a TRIP.  I can't even describe it.  I spent 2 months here before I actually went to "see" them [on a clear day you can totally see them from the top of my apartment building!]  but the whole experience was surreal!  I mean, I've wanted to see the pyramids since I was in 4th grade!  It was a dream come true.  Some people will never leave their country and I'm crossing things off my bucket list one day at a time.  I feel pretty dang blessed, that is for SURE.  
My entire exsistence here right now is pretty craaaazy.  It is totally mind blowing to live in a country with so much history- a country that has been occupied since- forever?  CLEOPATRA walked where I walked.  We went to Luxor to see all the Temples and tombs and I've stood in the Holy of Holies, where hundreds of Pharohs ‘met the Gods’.  I swam in the Red Sea that was once parted by Moses.  It’s a mind trip when you think about it!
And as far as weird things like PSA ads and such, let me tell you- we were watching T.V. one night and this strange commercial came on.  I don’t even know how to explain it, but basically the commercial was for this special face cream for Egyptians that will turn your dark skin tone into a lighter skin tone, so you look more “white”.  We thought that was so strange.  Here I am, baking myself brown, and they’re trying to look lighter.  There’s a cultural difference if I’ve ever heard one!

Because I am an ex-McDonalds GM... please tell me whats on the menu there. I've hear about some whacky things in different places.
My favorite thing on the Egyptian McDonalds menu- the “McArabia”.  It’s basically a thin chicken or meat patty inside a pita bread.  I’m lovin’ it.  [Good on, eh?]

What do you miss the most?
I miss being able to talk to my family whenever I want.  It’s hard trying to work out a good communication schedule when I’m 10 hours ahead and when I don’t have access to a phone.  Skype is a lifesaver.  I also miss Café Rio like nobodys business.  MMMMMMMMMM.

What do you guys do to cool off before going to sleep with no AC?  I can never sleep when its too hot!
Step one:  Remove all clothing.  [DUH!  ....Wait, TMI again?!  FAIL.]
Step two:  Cold shower.
Step three:  Soak bedding in cold water.
Step four:  Turn on fan to full blast.
Step five:  If Steps 1-4 aren't enough, get the ice packs out of the freezer and start getting creative.

What are some of the coolest things you have learned about Egyptian culture that made you say "WOWZA!"
That’s a hard one!  Hmmmm.  I am constantly amazed by the work ethic of the lower class Egyptians.  They learn to work at such a young age and they dedicate themselves to their trade- it’s their way of survival.  I see 3 year olds managing fruit stands on my street.  There are tons of cultural differences, so let's talk about that in another blog post... :)


Have you eaten anything over there that you found completely revolting?
Sugar cane juice.  I HATE it.  I think it tastes like sugar water mixed with dirt, bacteria and a little bit of urine.  YUCK.  I despise that stuff and all of our Egyptian friends try to get me to drink it and sometimes to be polite I have to swallow it down and try hard to control my gag reflex.  UGH.  As far as food goes, I haven’t had anything too shocking… yet.  But I did see a goat getting slaughtered on my street in front of a butcher shop today.  I almost threw up, but it was an interesting site, nonetheless.  

What SPF sunscreen do you use to keep Andrew from cooking up like a lobster?
I fear that nothing we use for Andrews fair skin will ever fully protect him, but right now we frequently apply an expensive brand of SPF 30.  He still burns.  BUT, Andrew claims that he is getting some “color” and he’s pretty pumped about it.  We check his bod for more tan lines everyday, he is almost African.  Almost.


What has been your best/most rewarding community service experience since you've been there?
Every Sunday we work with an NGO that provides a program for “Street Kids”.  I've only been 3 times so far, but every time it has been awesome and I really enjoy myself.  It’s basically boys between the ages of 5-16 who have dropped out of school to work for their families.  They meet every Sunday (their only day off from work, usually) and we do Arabic lessons, play sports, do art projects, eat good food and basically have a “school” day to substitute for their lack of actual schooling.  It’s a small NGO but I think they’re making a serious impact on these boys lives.  I taught them the Hokey Pokey last week and we did it 5 times together.  They can’t get enough of that stuff.  Or they just like laughing at the crazy American girl singing and dancing around to the Hokey Pokey, but either way, I’ll do anything for a smile.

How much do you LOOOVVVVEEEEE it there????
SO MUCH.  Cairo definitely has its ups and its downs, just like everywhere else.  It’s so hot.  We have no a/c, and we have to walk everywhere.  I get verbally harassed all the time, and although it can get mega annoying (especially if I’m already having a bad day) I never feel like I’m in danger.  


I love adventures.  I love learning about Egyptian life and culture.  And I love living in Egypt.  


Much loves, 
M. 

Random thoughts: Part I

The ho-ho's in Egypt are the best in the world.  I don't even like ho-ho's in the States, but here, I can't seem to get enough.

We teach the 3-6 year olds at our Church and I need to start writing down the funny things they say.  Last week all of them proclaimed that their favorite food is candy.  We will get along well this summer, kiddos.

I love the call to prayer.

I've started to use Shokran and Insha'allah and other common Arabic phrases in my everyday conversations. 

Speaking of Arabic, I know the entire alphabet, and I can write a bunch of words on my own. 

I chose my outfits based on how much I will sweat that day.  The conversation in my head goes a little like this,
"Hmmm, the high is only 98 today.  I want to wear my white shirt. 
But I should save my white shirt for a day when it's going to be over 110 because I know I'll sweat a bunch.  I could wear my grey shirt today, and then tomorrow when it's scorching I'll wear the lighter one since I don't want everyone to see my sweat marks".... since I do sweat.  A lot.  A whole lot.

According to a scale that may or may not have been broken, I've lost 8-10 pounds so far.  And I don't think I have a parasite, but who knows at this point, eh?

I saw multiple families having picnics and parties along the Corniche the other night.  At 1am.  Those kids should have been in bed 6 hours ago in my book... but not in Egypt.  No one ever sleeps.  Which is why I'm awake at 2am, writing this useless blog post.

Cheers!
M.


pee-ess... the Question+Answer post is on it's way, stay tuned!