mamamona

Cleaning Girl

2009-12-28T20:19:00.005+02:00

I've posted before on the topic of maids so you know how I feel about it. That said, this past week my neighbor told me she had a woman come clean her whole apartment for 50LE. She said she did a great job and finished in like 5 hours. I thought hey, that would be great. So I contact the cleaning lady and set up a time and day and right away, I start to regret it.

I kept wondering: What is the protocol here? Do I de-clutter and tidy up first? Do I make small talk? Feed her? I was stressing out. My neighbor made it seem like I had to hide all my stuff and lock it away or any cleaning woman would want it/steal it or just feel bad. I was like, whatever.

The night before the woman who was supposed to come called me and said she had a toothache and couldn't come but she would send her relative and that she was very good and very trustworthy. I was like alright. 8 am? 50LE? Yep? OK.

8 am today rolls around and no cleaning lady.9 am finally the doorbell chirps. I let her in and she looks so young. I told her to sit and rest from the stairs and gave her some water. I asked her how old she was and she said 15. FIFTEEN! I was like. Ummmmm I didn't sign up for this. I told her I thought an older woman was coming. She looked down and said she was very good and that I would like her a lot. I felt so bad for her. She already took public transport to get here and I figured she/they need the money. So I told her the plan and we got to work.

She said she'd start with the kitchen. While she washed dishes for an hour I dusted the whole apartment. Then she moved on to wiping down the cabinets. And I washed the walls and doors. Basically I cleaned the house and she helped out. She was pretty slow and didn't' clean very well. Could I blame her? She's a kid! She was enthralled by the vacuum though.

I really felt bad for this girl. She should be in school but sadly, many poor families have their children work to make money instead of going to school and learning. She asked me twice if I knew anyone who needed housecleaning. I told her I'd call her mom if I did. You see her mom called to check on her when she wasn't back yet at 3. I told her she was just about done and when she asked how she was I said she is very nice but still very young. So she finished up and I paid her and figured she'd be on her way. It was almost 4 pm by now. She didn't want to eat so she just sat there after she finished her sprite. I don't know why she just sat there or what she was waiting for. It was awkward. I asked her if something was wrong. She said no. So I told her not to keep her mom waiting.

NOW, I am totally off the idea of anyone cleaning my apartment but me. I thought the help would be good but I could have done it better and faster. I have a small place so I can handle it, for now.

I gave her an extra 10 LE for helping me wash a rug and I unloaded a bunch of old clothes, shoes and some half empty shampoos/lotions and stuff on her. She seemed pleased. She thought I wanted her to come weekly but I told her that it was just a one time thing and thanked her.

Seriously it was so weird to have this young girl cleaning in my house. I'm old enough to be her mother. I felt so bad.

Crest Whitestrips

2009-12-25T00:09:00.005+02:00

So, after14 days, I'm finally done with the Whitestrips. The short review is this: They are a pain to use, but they work.

Here's the long version:

I used the Classic, which are the original , basic kind, but I've read they work just as well as the more expensive ones but the Advanced Seal are supposed to be good at staying in place. You are meant to wear an upper and lower strip for 30 minutes, twice a day, for 2 weeks. They say if you experience sensitivity, you can do once a day and it will work just as well, just take longer. I had a little sensitivity at first but nothing unbearable and it went away, so twice a day it was.

Applying them is easy. You just stick them on along your teeth being careful not to let them get on your gums too much and fold the excess to the back of your teeth. Then I tried to push them between the teeth using my nail. I also found they stay on better if you use them before brushing your teeth. They slide around more on clean teeth.

Now wearing them, was a little more difficult for me, at first. It's hard not to touch your teeth with your tongue or keep from drooling or swallowing the gel, but after about a week I had it down. You have to keep your mind on something else. I'd read or chat online or do stuff around the house to pass the time and keep my mind off my mouth. I would also try to do them early in the morning after the kids went to school and after their bedtime so I wouldn't have to talk. There were a few times that I had to talk with them on and I got laughed at but whatever. I take them off with a tissue 'cause it's gross, but swish some water and check out your whiter teeth.

The results:
Before
Baked beans

After
*Ting*

Now, my teeth aren't blindingly, movie star white but I'm happy with the results. Now I want to get that chip fixed. It was absolutely worth the annoying process. The results are supposed to last a year. Thanks Mom!

A Day At Jujey's

2009-12-24T22:18:00.007+02:00

When I woke up this morning, while having breakfast I checked my email and msn-ed with my friend Jujey, as we do every day. She was like, why don't you guys come over? So I was like, OK! So off we went and got a cab to the boonies, where she resides. We got to play with their cute little kitty and made cupcakes! It took no time at all but we had to shoo 8 kids trying to eat sprinkles. They came out pretty good. The weather was so beautiful today, the kids played outside and we took a short walk to the beach. Pretty soon, going in up to their ankles turned into jeans wet to the waist. Then we collected some flowers from trees that the grounds keeper was trimming and I took some home to make an arrangement. Thanks Juj, we had fun!

Salwa & SuSu

SuSu' so pretty!

Hundreds and Thousands

Safiyah, nom, nom, nom.

Dawood and his faces.

I'm thinking I wish it were summer.

The water is just that inviting.

Drying off.

More pics at Juj's blog. :)

Confession:

2009-12-23T17:40:00.004+02:00

I buy Happy Meal toys for myself.

When they are Hello Kitty!

They're stamps ♥

You Know It...Random Post

2009-12-20T21:38:00.006+02:00

My Mom gave me this pin that belonged to my Grandmother, (Allah yerhamha) and I love it so much. I remember her wearing it. It may not have any monetary value as far as heirlooms go but it means a lot to me.

Yesterday Zayneb and I were looking at a stray cat that was creeping around outside and looking at the birds, we were like, aw how cute. Then we witnessed it hunt, and pounce on a bird, grab it in it's mouth and run away to have it for breakfast. It was pretty cool. Zayneb was like "it's like Animal Planet!"

I've been using Crest Whitestrips for 10 days now. 4 Days left. I definitely see a difference. I'll post before and after pics when the 2 weeks are up.

I'm cracking up at Jon Stewart. I love the Daily Show and The Colbert Report. They make me LOL for real.

Last week we had some pretty decent ice cream from Mövenpick. As ice cream in Egypt goes it's good stuff. They even have different flavors. You know, besides Mango, Chocolate and Vanilla? I had Espresso Croquant and Caramelita!

Yea that's all I've got.

Hey There

2009-12-17T23:32:00.002+02:00

Cafe Latte from tonight

Nothing much new around here, so nothing to blog about really. Just little post to say Hey, I'm still here.

Granola Mom

2009-12-13T22:10:00.002+02:00

Nah, I'm not that crunchy.

I made these Granola Bars last night and they came out so delicous. They are chock full of oats, walnuts, chocolate chips, raisins and sunflower seeds.

Here's the recipe, from good old RecipeZaar. They're called Triple Threat Oatmeal Bars. The recipe called for coconut but I put chocolate chips instead. Healthy, huh? They're still a pretty hearty snack and the kids and my mom loved them!

Recent Shopping

2009-12-11T22:24:00.004+02:00

I got a few things in Cairo on our trip, Alhamdulillah, check it out...

I got these cute pumps, they're even comfy. I usually wear 38 but these are 37 and fit fine.

and this lovely bag ( both at Club Aldo in Dandy Mall in case anyone was wondering)

and this blue hijab. I love this, it reminds of a sari. I just took a pic after wearing it, sorry it's wrinkled.

and this ring from The Tie Shop.

Like?

J's Blogging

2009-12-10T06:27:00.004+02:00

So you know my friend J here, who I ~~stalked~~ met on the internet and now we're good buddies? Well Jujey dear has, after much insistence, gone and started a blog! All about her cooking and baking obsession.Everyday she asks me what I'm cooking for dinner. Whatever I'm making always pales in comparison to the culinary adventures she's taking on that day. So go and check her out Here.

Last One, Part 5 Going Home

2009-12-09T23:17:00.006+02:00

The next day after the campfire, we said goodbye to Bahariya and to Ruby this dog the inn keepers had.

She wanted to play a little too rough and bit my abaya.

By now basically, we were on the way home but it was still a long way to Hurghada. We spent a night in Cairo, had dinner at Fudruckers in City Stars. (I love that California Wrap.)

We were on our way then and I had to snap a pic of Old Glory. I don't usually see it in the group of flags a lot of hotels in Hurghada have.

After that, we made a stop in Alex to visit my dad. We had a nice dinner and visited my 90 year old uncle who taught the kids a few songs, mashaAllah. From there we spent a night in Damanhour where E is from and then drove home.

This trip really made me realize how vast and diverse Egypt is. I encourage everyone to try to explore wherever you are and see what there is to see. Alhamdulillah it was a great time. :)

Our Trip, Part Four: Wahat

2009-12-08T06:51:00.008+02:00

Next we moved north to Wahat el Baharaiyah. Wahat means Oasis. There was also some great dessert sights.

Our tour guides were great. They were so friendly and hospitable. They took us out in 4x4s and showed us the sights.
First there was the black mountain.
Then Chrystal MountainPretty isn't it? The whole place is like that.

Next was the White Desert. This is where we spend the remainder of the day. It was gorgeous. This was my other favorite part!
The kids had fun climbing.

Dawood posing, It just might roll away.
This one they called the chicken.

Kids goofing it up.
They made a little seating area in the middle of the desert.
Starting a fire for cooking.
The desert sure makes you hungry.
Sunset on the White Desert.
Dawood
They made a delicous dinner IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT! Grilled Chicken, rice and stewed potatoes & carrots. It was seriously good.
More Bedouin tea.
Then we all sat around the fire. it was so cozy!
It was a full moon or almost, I think. It was really a great day we'll remember forever.

Our Trip, Part Three: Farafra

2009-12-07T18:12:00.006+02:00

We stopped next for a little while in a place called Farafra. There was a natural hot spring there so we thought we'd check it out.
We actually changed and got in there! It was really warm and supposedly filled with minerals. It's supposed to be good for you. It felt good anyway.
The kids all got these scarfs tied Bedouin style.
Zayneb gives it a thumbs up.This guy was selling hand made wool scarfs , hats, etc.
This was at a rest area we stopped at, I liked the baskets.

E got in on the fun too.
This poor girl was so fatigued. The woman there said she's pregnant. I really wanted to give her a bath.
Dawood enjoys Coca Cola.
This guy's name is Felix . He was the friendliest, sweetest softest dog. We all fell in love with him.Pretty huh?

This was a nice little stop on the way to Wahat. The weather was great, alhamdulillah, not too hot or cold. I was a picture taking fool. I'll probably upload them all somewhere soon.

Our Trip, Part Two: Dakhla

2009-12-07T05:40:00.007+02:00

The next stop was a "Bedouin Camp". It was a charming little "motel" of chalets with a few sights to see. We spent most of Eid day driving, but I was glad to have a meat free Eid. They served us Turkey that night, it felt like Thanksgiving!

The cute little chalets were dome shaped to keep them warm.
A little Bedouin FAQ
Inside the rooms.
Inside of the dome ceiling.
The kids thought the bricks would fall down.
The view from inside the misquote net.
Some Bedouin sayings. "Don't Struggle so much, the best thing happens when you not expected" "The Bedouin are strong like the dessert, soft like sand, moving like the wind, forever free" "Welcome as a guest, leave as a friend"
After dinner we sat at this round majlis type seating around a fire.
The Bedouin tea is strong and sweet, just how I like it.

The next day we went to see and ancient Islamic city from the 11th century near by. It was fascinating. Here is the Masjid and the Minaret.
Inside the Mosque.The original doorway had Quranic verses engraved over it.
Inside one of the homes
This was the school/courthouse

Next, we went to a place called "The Great Sea of Sand" As the Land Cruiser drove through miles of rocky dessert we approached in amazment and when my kids' said SubhanAllah, I was so proud.
It was my favorite part! It was gorgeous! Everywhere around as far as you could see , soft fine sand, dunes and hills.
Isn't it wondrous?
We had loads of fun playing in the sand and sliding and rolling down hills. It was a lot harder getting back up the hills but it was totally worth it.

Our Trip, Part One: Luxor

2009-12-05T16:33:00.004+02:00

The first stop on our trip was Luxor. I've never been therebefore. It's beautiful, and so green. Well, because of the Nile, but it's really gorgeous. Here are some pics from our day/night there.

The view of the Nile at the hotel was breathtaking.
The kids. Dawood is Yoyo crazy.
Me and the kids.
Sphinxes line a path to the Luxor Temple
Oblesk
Rameses guard the temple.
Inside the Temple
E and the kids explore.

The view on Eid Morning.
Then we were back on the road!

We visited the mummification museum but no photo's were allowed. It was interesting, The girls were a little grossed out, Dawood thought it was cool. Next stop...Dakhla.

Blessed Eid

2009-11-27T00:36:00.000+02:00

Eid Mubarak by ~mustange on deviant ART

Bye

2009-11-26T07:37:00.005+02:00

We are going on a vacation! I'm so exited. We'll be gone about a week, inshaAllah. We're going to Luxor and Siwa and I can't wait to tell you all about it when we get back, inshaAllah. Have a wonderful, blessed Eid and Happy Thanksgiving:)

Victory

2009-11-25T23:56:00.000+02:00

You see this? Do you know what that is? It's the bottom of my hamper. It's been quite some time since I've seen it. I declare VICTORY over the laundry! For about an hour. There's always more laundry. But for now? I win!

Eid Shopping

2009-11-24T22:39:00.006+02:00

So last night I went to get some last minute Eid items. I had to all the kids along so they can try stuff on. It was trying to say the least. They were all cranky and acting up. It was stressful, but we got what we needed to get.

First I tried to go to this shop that is supposed to have great abayas but I couldn't find it. People gave some wack directions. So, we went and looked at this sort of "mall" and I found one that I liked. It was just 100LE after talking it down from 120. I got a hijab and under scarf to match perfectly.

We stopped at the juice place across the street and got sugar cane juice. A group of tourists were having a hard time talking to the juice guy and the woman asked if I spoke English. I was like, "Why yes, I do!". They were German but spoke a little English and wanted 6 liters of mango juice frozen, on Friday. The guy said no. I don't know why but they smiled and thanked me anyway. It was kinda cool.

Next was the kid's stuff. Dawood Already had a new shirt and jeans for Eid so he was really bored by now. Typical guy. Zayneb and Salwa tried on jeans and again they fit in the waist fine, but super long, so we'll have to have them hemmed. I found cute beige corduroy's for Safiyah that were a perfect fit. They got new sneakers too, let hope they stay nice for a while. I'll post pics of them in their Eid clothes inshaAllah.

I was going to head home but when I told E I found an Abaya for 100LE he told me to get a NICE one. Heh. It is nice. just cheap. er. I found a NICE abaya at the Mama Nona Shop not very far from home. Zayneb told the lady she should have called the store Mama Mona. I can't really say what color it is. It's not red and it's not brown. It's not even reddish brown. I guess it could be "burnt sienna". Like the Crayola crayon.

One more stop. I had to get a hijab to match. I found this really pale blue one with the same burnt sienna color design. It was meant to be. ♥

They pictures really don't do them justice. They look really great in real life. I'll have to have abaya sewn up the front and the jeans hemmed, so I gotta go to the tailor's today, inshaAllah. The kids got a junk load of homework sheets over the break ( I know, eyeroll). I still need to finish the laundry, pack and clean up so I need to get off the computer. Bye for now :)

J Day

2009-11-22T22:58:00.004+02:00

So today I went out with my friend J, you know, the one I met on the internet? Anyway, it was really nice, we hadn't seen each other in a while and the kids were also excited to see each other.

Right off the bat, we had a flat tire, but thankfully fixed it quicky and cheaply, I might add. We decided to go to the mall, It was hectic at times with 8 kids between us but it was fun. We went and ate at the food court, then we went to her house. We spotted a fox right near their house! It was really quick but so cool to see. I played a bit of hula hoop on the wii fit, it was so funny! J kept laughing at me. She'd gone a little trip back to Canada and brought us some loot! Check it out...

You can never go wrong with candy and magazines! The kids took turns playing wii and we (<--lol) talked and talked. Thanks J! We had a great day :)

This, That And The Other Thing

2009-11-19T18:35:00.004+02:00

So yea Egypt lost. Oh well. I felt bad for all the people they looked so sad. The Egyptian channels had hours of coverage about Algerian fans attacking Egyptian fans after the match. A lot of eyewitnesses and injured people. It was weird. We lost!

Today my son told me about how his science teacher says Homo-Genius instead of Homogeneous. I got a good chuckle out of that.

I heard the Eid break is until December 6, so that's good. I'm so sick of studies. We'll probably go to my husband's home town. Maybe a little shopping in Alex, inshaAllah and visit my Dad.

I watched Julie & Julia recently. I really wanted to see it but it was just OK, not great. I thought Meryl Streep did a great job playing Julia Child but her voice was annoying at times. I know that's how she sounded. I kept thinking I'd hate to be at the table next to her in a restaurant being disturbed by her loud high pitched OH's an AH's. Speaking of not wanting to sit near someone in a restaurant, the guy that played Amy Adam's husband ate like a pig and grossed me out with his eating habits. Ugh. I like Amy Adams but didn't like her character, Julie very much. Stanley Tucci was good though. I usually don't like his characters. All in all it was cute. I'd watch Meryl Streep read the phone book,though.

I was going to buy a new abaya, hijab and shoes for Eid but I think I'll just buy from Alex. Stuff is less expensive and there's more selection. I did buy a new green hijab. I love it it's really soft.

The kids have "Children's Day" on Saturday. It's only up to 4th grade so Dawood's left out. How sucky right? They're not children? The girls are exited cause they get to go with regular, non uniform clothes and no books and there's a party. Everyone had to bring 2 things. snacks, balloons, party hats etc. It's all they can talk about.

Safiyah keeps saying what letter everything start with, it's cute. She's like look, B. Bird. Mommy, I found T. Tape under the couch. She does it with Arabic letters/words too, but sometimes confuses the two.

I'm gonna go wash the dishes. Fun huh? Later.

Me, Myself And I

2009-11-16T07:38:00.005+02:00

Do enjoy quality time with your self?

I grew up with a brother and sister, so I was almost never alone. In the beginning of my marriage, when E was at work, I hated being alone. I never enjoyed alone time much until I had kids. Now, I definitely know the value of peace and quiet.I learned to revel in being with myself. I can appreciate having an uninterrupted phone conversation or an uninterrupted thought, at that.

Now that all the kids go to school, I have time to do some things I need or want to do without distractions. House work, blogging, reading and my favorite, going out for coffee with a friend. Going out without kids was a fantasy not too long ago. My best friend and I have even been to a couple of matinees while the kids were in school!

Mostly what I'm talking about here though, is time alone, by yourself and yourself only. Do you like it? I recently had time to kill and went into a coffee shop and sat by myself in an establishment for the first time. When I was younger I would feel too awkward to sit alone, but it was fine. Enjoyable even.

I can only do so much during school hours though because most shops and businesses here don't open until noon or later and Safiyah comes home at 1:30. So I make sure I'm home in plenty of time. The day continues, everyone else comes home. It's a bit chaotic with studies, dinner and everything else that needs to be done. I find myself, on particularly crazy days, counting the minutes before bedtime. If that sounds bad, I'm sorry, but it's true. And if you're a mom, you know.

After the kids go to bed and alone time is restored, a sense of calm washes over the apartment and all is right with the world. This doesn't mean I don't like spending time with my family. Not at all, I love hanging out with my kids. It's just the everyday monotony that gets tiring.

I think everyone needs time to themselves to be able to think, focus, and reflect. Our lives today are so filled with distractions, and commitments, so we need to savor those times we have to ourselves. Whether it's spent cleaning, doing a soduku, taking a walk or just being, enjoy it.

Yay for Egypt

2009-11-15T00:57:00.006+02:00

The kids were so happy to make noise

So Egypt won the big game verses Algeria 2-0, in a World Cup qualifier, The two teams will play again Wednesday in Sudan. The winner will go to the World Cup in South Africa next year.

I'm not a big sports fan and to be honest most soccer games put me to sleep, but the big games like this one are fun to watch and participate in the celebration. After the win we went driving through the main street in Hurghada. There was such a wonderful feeling of joy in the streets. Everyone was out and happy. People were standing on top of everything, hanging out of cars, honking in rhythm and cheering "Masr" (Egypt). Tourists got in on the fun too! I loved seeing all the red/black/white hijabi outfits! It was a blast. We went and got ice cream and came home.

It really makes people happy, winning soccer games, and I think that's great, but to watch all the songs and tributes on TV you'd think this meant Egypt is just so wonderful in every way, when really all it means is that the Egyptian soccer team plays well. I don't say this to be a downer, really, in the end, patriotism is a good thing, whatever the reason, I suppose.

More photos here.

GO EGYPT!

Randomosity

2009-11-12T09:08:00.004+02:00

Hey people, no real topic comes to mind so I'm just rambling.

My apartment can't seem to stay clean, it's frustrating. I'm in the midst of switching out the summer for winter clothes and I can't put the summer stuff away till I finish the laundry. So there are bags of clothes all over the place that need to go into the under bed storage soon.

The big Egypt Algeria game on Saturday is all the buzz. If we win by 3, I think? We go to the world cup for the first time in 20 years. If we win people will go CRAZY in the streets. I hope Egypt wins, people are so happy when we do!

I was going to post about Potatoes Au Gratin but I forgot to take a pic and I don't really have a recipe I just layer sliced thin potatoes with cheddar or different cheeses, and salt, pepper, dill, a little bit of butter and milk and bake.

I got a new shibshib. Shibshib is Egyptian for flip flops. No one walks around the house without slippers or flip flops in Egypt, so we go through them pretty often.

Eid's coming up in a couple of weeks, anyone have plans yet? I'm hoping we might go away for a few days, inshaAllah. We'll see.

We got some new winter clothes for the kids recently. There's this outlet type store that sells brand names made in Egypt stuff and they're prices are pretty good. We got 4 pjs, 10 shirts, a pair of jeans, pants and a top for me all for under 500LE. My oldest daughter, Zayneb is 9 and she's starting to really care about clothes and stuff, but thankfully we found stuff they all liked.

I love eating apple slices with cheese! Dubliner cheese is best. I heard of that snack once and thought, huh? But it's really good. Try it.

I don't know what to make for dinner today. The eternal question.

Safiyah (5) is starting to become a bit of a teller of tales. Recently she told us how she went swimming at school and the teacher gave her a bathing suit etc. She adds details. I think she's been trying see how far she can go, kinda testing to see what we'll believe. I'm gonna go ahead and not worry about it. I think it might be normal.

Perfect Housewives is on. Have you seen this show? It's British. This woman Anthea Turner has 2 messy housewives/husbands clean and declutter their homes completely. It's really motivational to watch. Some of their homes are scary. They win a tiara. And a clean home. I like that they do it themselves and not have someone come in and do it for them like on "Clean House". Anthea is a trip. She can't be that perfect all the time. Her house is ridiculous. And she keeps nice nails. I'll bet she has help.

The Beautiful People vs Mr/Mrs. Personality

2009-11-09T00:23:00.006+02:00

Do you think that people who are not that good looking have better personalities? Remember that old song "They call you Mr. Personality because you're so ugly!" Well that was an extreme but you know the how people think when someone describes a person as having a "great personality" that automatically means they're not a looker? Of course beauty is in the eyes of the beholder but I'm talking about just general societal standards, so play along. I don't mean any offense to anyone so take this with a grain of salt.

You see, I have this theory: People who are of below average looks are forced to rely on other aspects of their self. They develop a good sense of humor, they're funny. They focus on studies/reading and therefore become better students/smarter. They are more unique. These traits are developed in childhood, more towards the tween/teen years. I also think people who are beautiful get ahead in life more easily. They get special treatment, more opportunities, and attention. When someone who is, let's say plain, doesn't have these advantages, it builds character. Less attractive people learn there is more to them than the outside and build that, while a lot of the time beautiful people depend on their looks to get by because it works. I'm referring to physical beauty here only. A sense of humor and intelligence is more important and more beautiful, I think.

I suppose beautiful people get preferential treatment because humans are visual. We're subconsciously drawn to good looking people. Also, people go by first impressions and think if something looks good, it must be good. It's like The Hunchback of Notre Dame. People hated him on his looks alone and it happens all the time in this world. While hotties get to skip lines, free stuff and better service. It's not fair but it's true.

The best is when you don't care what anyone thinks. I'll admit, I get intimidated around really beautiful women. Just nervous and self conscious. I'm working on it though.

What do you think? Do pretty people have it easier in life? Do less attractive people have better personalities?

Cairo

2009-11-06T20:57:00.011+02:00

So yesterday E had a meeting in Cairo and asked if we wanted to come for the day. I love a little spontaneity, so the kids took the day off school and we headed for Cairo. The drive was a long 5 hours but we're used tot he 8 hour drive to where my husband is from so it wasn't too bad. Most of the way is boring desert but there are some pretty sights driving through Ein el Sokhna.

We passed 2 stretch limo and trucks with sound equipment going the other way in the Red Sea direction and decided maybe it was Beyonce on her way to the concert she was giving in Porto Ghalib tonight.

Finally when we reached Cairo, and not 15 minutes into the city, I already was thankful I lived in Hurghada and not Cairo. Seriously? The city looks like there is a coat of black dust over everything. This is just going into Giza and passing through Tahrir. In Hurghada we have dust and litter but not like this. The air is cleaner of course. The traffic was bad and the fumes were gross. Here's my drive by shot of the Nile.

We thought the zoo would be a good place to spend some time. It's one pound to get in but it's really a sad place. I don't think it was this bad last time we were here a couple of years ago. We love animals but the conditions there were unspeakable. Most of the animals were not out because it was near closing time and some zoo guys kept wanting to show us some animals for tips. There were people trying to sell stuff and one woman came toward us and said to me "come here I want to tell you a secret!" I was like "Come on kids!" There are weirdos at every turn! I don't know what she wanted.

It's pretty big and there aren't any clear signs or directions. Lots of empty cages. They have cats and dogs in cages there, you guys. Long haired cats are a rarity here I suppose but not a zoo animal in my mind. There are more stray cats than anything. The cages were small and filthy. It's depressing. The only animals that We felt looked ok and actually got to see were these below.

Baboons...open the pic in a new window cause they are the same color as their habitat.

These little dessert foxes.

This elephant passed us on his way somewhere all I could say was "there's an elephant right in front of me"

There are some cool looking old trees there though.

So we got shooed out of the zoo half an hour before closing time and got some snacks from a street vendor and walked a bit while the kids finished eating them. Unfortunately the urine soaked floor of the zoo wasn't were this animal behavior ended. We saw a guy pee on the street. It was disgusting. The street is lined with trash and I refuse to throw trash on the ground. Dawood was like "what's the difference?" It's the principle! We kept walking. No trash can in sight. We finally came to the "Faculty of Engineering" I guess it's part of the Uni, and threw our snack wrappers/drink bottles in the dumpster inside.

We decided to spend the rest of the time at the Mall. A nice clean, non smelly place. Thankfully the first cab I hailed stopped. The new white checkered cabs are cleaner and have a working meter so we were so glad to sit for a while till we got to Nasr City. There was traffic but Tahrir has lots of sights to look at from the street vendors to the billboards so it was ok. I even got a pic of the Cairo tower on the way.

So from the dirtiest place in Cairo, to the cleanest, we got to City Stars Mall. I think it's the biggest one in Egypt. It's nice but most stuff is expensive. We had lunch in the food court and walked around looking at shops, people watched. I've never seen so many skinny jeans/ballet flats/carina top hijabi's in in one place.

We saw these tiny turtles for sale at a kiosk and I thought they were so cute. 75LE each. Too rich for my blood but so cute.

The kids thought the fountain was a good photo op.

There are no benches in the mall. The only way you are sitting down is by buying something. We even got scolded for sitting on this little bench-like ledge by the stairs. You're not allowed to lean on the glass railings that goes all around the center of the malls floors either. Later we stopped to get milk shakes at Mcd's just to sit for a while.

We played around in Toys R Us for a bit.

BIG Piglet!

Cute Lemur!

Finally we had dinner at Papa Johns. We were all tired.

I didn't even realize Dawood was making that face till I uploaded the pics!

All in all, a long day but a change of pace. It was really striking to see the big difference between the people at the zoo and the people at the mall. Makes you think about the haves and have nots.