Cairo, Egypt

Animal Lab

2010-11-30T21:54:00.000-08:00

My wife and I recently relocated to Brooklyn, NY from Cairo, Egypt. The strange and wonderful experiences that we had while living in Cairo are not too far behind us. Hearing a conversation spoken in Arabic while riding the train reminds me of my old commute through Giza, past the pyramids and out into the desert. I filter through hundreds of photographs and notes looking for material to use in my artwork. I recently found this photo from the Giza Zoo. It was taken on a Friday, the busiest day at the zoo, the wrong day to visit.

The Giza Zoo is a dilapidated mess, full of every kind of trash. Caught in a dusty urban trap the animals seem sad. It's not a surprise that I chose this image for one of my drawings. The abandoned look of the building suggests that the zoo personal have no interest in caring for the animals. However, this might not be the case at all. After all, Cairo is a poor country with little to spend on public spaces. My experience in Egypt taught me to never under any circumstances assume anything about anything.

The Giza Zoo is entertainment, not protected wildlife. Families go for a picnic, children practice karate (pictured), and couples court one another. The Giza Zoo is loud and chaotic just like the rest of the city.

I live in a serene environment, close to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. Looking at photographs like the ones from the Cairo zoo I am reminded of faces, sounds and emotions from a completely different part of the planet. I always have to remember that we all experience serenity in different ways.

Post Egypt Diary

2010-11-28T18:34:00.000-08:00

Almost a year has past since my last entry but many interesting things have happened. I will do my best to keep a daily record of the artwork I am making and the experiences I am having or have had in the recent past. More to come...

Holiday Special

2009-12-30T01:46:00.000-08:00

The winter is here and the electric heater is on high. The holiday season has been very exciting and very unusual. For starters, I was hired as art director for a new gallary in Zamalek called Studio 14. We also befriended our trash collector named Ayman and spent the Holidays eating fruit and drinking beer with his family in Trash City with his fellow Zabaline. The highlight of this bond has been a circumcision party for the children of Ayman's cousin. A good month of celebration wouldn't be complete without a little down time and so Katie and I spent a few days on the beach in Tarabine on the Red Sea.

SEASONS GREETINGS! Here I am in front of the Hanging Church in Mar Girgis feeling the Christmas cheer. The Orthodox cemetery nearby is one of the best places to have a picnic. The neighborhood known as Mar Girgis/Coptic Cairo/Old Cairo is one of the oldest parts of Cairo and also one of the quietest. The mood in Coptic Cairo is very relaxing, both Katie and I often take the train from

Saad Zagloul (our neighborhood) to Mar Girgis just to get some fresh air.

And on the Last Day...

2009-11-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

My experience showing at the Culturewheel was strange. The article published by the Daily News was really interesting for a number of reasons. First of all, this paper is published in English. I sold work to folks who read about the show. There is a funny kind of thing that occurs here that I'll elaborate about later. Certain kinds of work here are inherently valuable 1. Work with a name attached to them of a well known Egyptian artist. 2. Oil Paintings averaging at least 1 meter by 1 meter. 3. Approval of the ministry of culture and the resulting interest of the regime.

My closing was a little get-together between Katie and I. I had already made amends with the owner and founder of Sawy. I had been compensated for the missing work. However... the staff was sick of me. I was also kind of sick of the pressure related to protecting a public installation in a very public space. Most of the work had also been sold meaning that I had to protect it extra extra since I can't afford to re-print any of it.

The night was peaceful though. The crowd was friendly and interested in the work and the rest is lost in my memory. My memory when it is strong reflects a time when Egyptian people saw my work and liked it.

Day 8: 5:30pm

2009-11-06T04:43:00.000-08:00

It's almost 5:30 and I'm in Shadow hall with Saad, the evening security guy. I just explained my artwork to a couple of business men and they said they understood the idea, "big buildings and little people". Yeah.

I met with Sawy personal today to discuss the unfortunate incidents that took place over the weekend. I was fortunate enough to meet with the owner, Muhammad El Sawy. He acknowledged that his institution was not prepared for a show like mine and that he was confused by what had happened. He basically said everything I wanted to hear except, "I'm very sorry, we made a mistake". Anyway we came to terms and I left feeling okay. I hate feeling victimized but this experience had been draining. I didn't expect the security to be so incompetent.

One of Saad's co-workers just started play fighting with him and they both ended up knocking into one of my pieces. It's as if the security and others associated with Sawy are the greatest threat to my work. The pedestrians who walk through the space are generally involved in conversations with one another, or daydreaming on their way from work to home. The people who are interested in the work are always kind and direct. Who took my work? I have to stop thinking about this.

Days 5-7: "Up Close: in Your Space" Showing daily 4pm-9pm

2009-11-06T04:25:00.000-08:00

I now had a serious dilemma to deal with. I couldn't trust the Sawy security to act responsibly and watch my work, their ineptitude had been proven. I still wanted the show to remain up for the scheduled days. I concluded that the only solution was to stay with the work whenever I displayed it. This created problems for me as I had to work in 6th of October (45 min out of town) from 9am-3pm on days 5-7. The exhibition hours became 4pm-9pm.

The nice thing about these hours is that the lighting comes on at about 4pm and there is a certain luminous quality to the prints when they are lit artificially. The colors become very bold and the contrast increases. I also enjoy this time because there is allot of pedestrian traffic. The local art school students are on their way home, the microbus travelers are getting dropped off above, and there is usually a concert going on nearby. I had the opportunity to meet many interesting folks who wanted to hear me explain the work. Groups of you woman and boys would take pictures of themselves in front of the artwork. The work was "cool" and "different". I think these three days reinforced my belief in the project.

Day 4: Total Confusion

2009-11-06T03:46:00.000-08:00

I will try and piece this one together the best that I can. First of all I slept in a little bit and I was really confident that the work was safe, especially after I had raised hell at Sawy over the missing print. The phone rang at about 2 o'clock.

The gentleman on the other end of the line was interested in my prints. He had seen them at Sawy Culturewheel that very morning. He had one question for me, "the prints that have been taken down and replaced with B&W copies, are they still available for sale". My blood pressure instantly went through the roof. I finished the conversation and raced to Shadow Hall. 6 color prints had disappeared, each replaced with a B&W copy. I couldn't get a single answer from anyone, even the security guard on duty. I couldn't believe what had happened. All of the signs that I had printed were clear and the missing work had been removed very delicately and replaced with B&W copies. Thoughts raced through my head - had the prints in fact been sold? If so where was the money?

I talked to everyone on site and I called the exhibition coordinator - nothing. There was total lack of accountability, a stereotype attached to Egyptians that you hate to see a person or an institution fall in to here.

I stayed with the work very late. At around 11 I gathered up all of the hanging prints and brought them home with me.

Day 3: No Trail of the Missing Print

2009-10-25T13:24:00.000-07:00

On the morning of day three I received an e-mail from a friend in the U.S.A congratulating me for a review in the Daily News Egypt. I hadn't anticipated this and so it came as quite a surprise. The article took up the complete back page of the paper. I knew I had to get to Shadow Hall as quickly as possible. With the article published the weekend crowd would only be larger.
Link to article:
http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=25322

I arrived at half past one. I could see from afar that the work was still up and that there was a guard on site. Upon closer inspection I could see that one of my pieces was missing. Using my friend as a translator I tried to piece the whole thing together and get the facts. I tried in vain. No one would take responsibility and they maintained that there had been 24 hr. security and they had no idea what had happened. Oh well I thought. I made a series of signs in both English and Arabic which explained very clearly that, "color prints are available for sale _ B&W copies are free and located behind you _ please ask security". I did everything I thought I could personally do to deter the looters. I have to admit it was a little flattering that someone wanted my piece that bad.

Katie and I once again returned in the evening. This time it was really exciting. Friday night was "rock party" night in the performance hall adjacent to Shadow Hall. Not only were there crews of Egyptian punk rockers milling about the hall smoking hash and drinking vodka, there was also a bright yellow VW bug parked inside the space. I couldn't have asked for a more vibrant atmosphere. One kid started puking his guts out right next to one of my large B&W pieces. Fortunately this night we had a top notch security guard named Eid. Eid actually sat himself directly under one of the hanging pieces and barked at the crowd as it passed by.

We had forgotten our cameras and so we drove all the way across town and back in a taxi. It was the best night so far. I hoped that this was a good sign of things to come.

Day 2: On the Second Day

2009-10-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

I had to work in 6th of October City the morning after the show opened. This meant that I couldn't come back to visit Shadow Hall until after 4pm. I feared that the work might be vandalized, stolen, or in disrepair and so I felt nervous all day. When I arrived the place was quiet and the work was in good order. The wind had moved the hanging images around but nothing was seriously altered. I returned home.

Later that night I returned to Shadow Hall. I wanted to make sure that the evening security was present; I also wanted to be available in person to meet any interested viewer. There was a good audience that night and it was great to talk with people and get their reactions to the piece.

On this particular night an Egyptian "the Beatles" cover band was playing in the performance hall behind us and "Hey Jude" was reverberating through the walls. Soltan was back to keep the night watch and it was a good evening. The next day was Friday and so I was anticipating a nice size audience. I planned on arriving at Shadow hall before 4pm.
http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=25322

Day 1: Nails and Blisters - October 21, the Opening of "UP CLOSE: IN YOUR SPACE"

2009-10-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

After spending close to a year anticipating the opening of my show at Sawy Culturewheel, it seemed surreal when October 21 finally arrived. I had 9 hours (9am - 6pm) to set up the entire show - and I had decided to add an additional piece which was not finished.

I loaded up my tools and all of my prints and headed to Sawy Culturewheel's Shadow hall, a space under the 15 May Bridge that functions as both a gallery space and a pedestrian walkway. The hall is very long and wide - maybe 100 ft long and 30 ft wide. I had enough work to fill the space but very little time to install everything. Thankfully the staff at Sawy was very helpful and provided me with tools and assistance.

I'll describe the work very briefly. First, I had a large collection of 8.5" x 11" digital prints which are essentially triptychs. These prints depict life in Cairo and range from the far-away view of dense urban Cairo to the close-up view of people and private spaces. These pieces were to be hung from "laundry line" fixtures that I had a carpenter build for me. I knew that this piece would be the most frustrating and difficult to install - but I still saved it for last.

The idea for the work was to try and portray elements of the individuals' experience of living in Cairo, and the way that the individual relates to their public and private space. I decided to add a piece last minute that would push this idea further. Basically I took all of the drawings that I had used for the triptych pieces and I zoomed in as far as I could without losing a recognizable image. For example, I might zoom in on a person's hand or a piece of fruit. I wanted to print 72 of these and arrange them as two large grids at either end of the hall. I printed these at 9am and I had finished tacking them up on the wall by 12. I really wanted to get started setting up the laundry lines so I went out in search of Ahmed the carpenter. He was busy but he assured me that he would meet me in Shadow hall - fixtures in hand - in 30min.

Now this is when things in Shadow hall started to get interesting. First, I hadn't anticipated a strong southerly wind to whip through the hall at midday. Second, despite taking the microbus across 15 May bridge almost every day I had forgotten that people commonly exit the bus right above Shadow Hall and walk through the space to get to 26th of July Street. Now I had work up - two large pieces - and this was more than enough to attract allot of attention, which I wanted. However now I was getting anxious and running out of time. At 3 o'clock Ahmed arrived and we installed the laundry line fixtures. I also put up two large litho prints which I felt complimented the digital work, incorporating patterns from the lattice work of a nearby mosque.

Only a couple of hours left and I was still far from done. The line that I had bought to hang the triptychs upon wasn't going to work, I needed wire. Fortunately the staff at Sawy found wire for me and brought it to Shadow Hall. There was only one problem; the wire was in a large tangled ball with sharp angles and impossible twists. I managed to wire up 1 of the 3 laundry lines and gave up with my hands bleeding and shaking. I went to the office slightly panicked and asked for help. No problem, they found a gentlemen who was at least 6-6" with hands the size of my head who effortlessly pulled the necessary wire out of the beehive.

I finished installing all of the work and returned home at 6pm with the opening scheduled to begin at 7pm. I did make it to the show on time and it was a great time. The turnout was excellent with both friends and interested passersby in attendance. By 9:30 it was time to go home so naturally I wanted to make sure that security was arranged. A Galabayad man named Soltan was scheduled to keep watch the first night and I believed he would do a fine job.

Alternative Show Poster Design

2009-10-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

Announcing Exhibition Opening "UP CLOSE: IN YOUR SPACE" October 21 7pm

2009-10-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

This is a late post and I apologize to anyone who didn't receive information about my show's opening. There will be a closing reception on October 29th. Come see the work while it's up.

"I hope I treat her kind and don't mess with her mind when she starts to see the darker side of me" Neil Young 1975

2009-10-09T05:59:00.001-07:00

When we returned to Cairo about a month ago Ramadan was ending and the Eid festival was beginning. This is the big feast, the celebration that follows a month of complete spiritual and physical devotion to god. We were here last year during Ramadan and we enjoyed the change in pace, the breaking of the fast in the evening, and the bright festival lights. Eid is a different kind of time, especially were we live in downtown Cairo near the Nile. During this festival things get weird. There is a release of some kind and it is most visible among young men and boys.

Maybe every kid has some extra cash, like after Christmas or something and they feel invisible. During Eid large groups of men age 13 or 14 mob the streets day and night, slamming cars, cat calling, and molesting women. They stalk and harass with a general disregard for the delicate fabric of civilization which keeps there city together. I felt this last year and I feel it this year. I've talked to Cairenes and foreigners and many others and they all agree, its painful.

Katie and I moved to a new apartment when we arrived because we wanted to be closer to the Metro system to save money. We live behind a strange and beautiful mausoleum built for a political hero named Zaad Zagloul who lived and died a long time ago. The structure is designed after an ancient Egyptian temple but has elements of 1930's architectural styles.

A day or so into Eid Katie and I traveled to our old apartment to change some light bulbs for our former landlord who is elderly and has hep C like so many other Egyptians. As we left the building we were approached by a mob of kids yelling "I want to fuck you", "What's your name", Where are you from". We are used to harassment here but we new this was something different. Many adults agnored their behavior. This is their time to freely roam like dogs and behave like clowns and most adults look the other way.
We needed cat food so we headed toward the pet store up the street. Two boys approached us. They intentionally walked right into Katie, rubbing against her breast. She immediately elbowed the molester as hard as she could and he backed off. We continued to walk with our hearts racing and our palms sweaty but our minds clear and we bought some Friskies (the fish kind because Marquis wont eat the vegetable colored pieces in the meat kind). As we left we noticed that a large mob had collected and were coming towards us with the boy Katie had struck as their leader. We walked straight toward them unafraid but they had become a lurching group of mean apes with red eyes. So we ducked into the liqueur store were they can't go and we waited for them to get bored. We bought a couple beers.

Egyptian Beer is satisfying when its cold and sometimes it has a sort of creamy pilsner after taste. I have had Egyptian beers that leave you feeling like you've swallowed something so deadly you'll never enjoy beer again. Our experience over Eid was terrible but I still love Cairo - just not the parts that leave a bitter taste but I leave them in the bowl to be thrown away just like my cat Marquis leaves the vegetable parts of his meat food.

Truly Sickening

2009-07-19T02:33:00.000-07:00

The other day I witnessed something that was truly sickening. I was returning home from work at about 4pm on a Thursday. Thursday is like Friday because the weekend here is Friday-Saturday (observance of Islamic calender) so everyone leaves work early and the streets are terribly congested. I get dropped of on a bridge above Lebanon Square, the busy intersection of several main city arteries. I have to walk down a steep set of approximately 60 stairs to get to the street level. The flow of pedestrian traffic is constant down these stairs and there are several obstacles. I don't mean to sound insensitive but when I say obstacles I am referring to a group of poor individuals with various health problems including elephantitis of the legs which is common here. Usually these people are the only thing slowing down foot traffic off the bridge. On this day something else was slowing us down and it was the object of my disgust. A group of farmers were leading a donkey up the stairs! Of course the donkey looked heat stroked, malnourished and generally miserable. People were moving around the animal as best they could. most of the pedestrian crowd mocked the group of farmers and laughing at them as they passed by. I couldn't believe what was going on. Cairo is full of sick, abused animals and after a while you become desensitized to them, but this was appalling. Not only were they ushering this poor beast up a hideous number of stairs, they were leading him to a major freeway! The only possible explanation was that they hoped to save time by entering the freeway and walking several kilometers down the road until they hit the agricultural area west of the city. The donkey was carrying a heavy looking load on its back and I wondered to myself what cargo could be so valuable this family would risk their animals life. I found out what the cargo was when the back suddenly ripped open and spilled upon the steps. The animal was carrying a half ton of moldy bread! The most painful thing was seeing the brute lower its tired head to eat a piece of the bread only to have one of the farmers kick it away from him - and it was a him, that was clear as day. Anyway I couldn't handle the situation anymore, I raced around his backside and cleared several flights of stairs in one leap.

As I walked toward the square I thought about looking back to see if the animal had made any progress. Maybe, free of the cargo, he had sprinted up the stairs and raced across the street into the horizon, a free man.

I was angry and irritated. It was hot and I almost got hit by a car or two. Eventually I realized I had to take a taxi or I might lose my temper. I hailed one of the 14-20 cabs in my immediate vicinity. He slowed down in front of me and slowly rolled down the window. The cost from Lebanon Square to Masrah il-Balon is 5 pounds and I wanted to get home. The man paused after I told him my desired destination. He spoke in poor English, "Ten pounds". Well, I was finally over the edge, no going back. I stared him deep in the eyes and with a malicious smirk I said slowly and clearly: "you speak English very well, do you understand this, GO (expletive) YOURSELF!!. He replied, "7 pounds". Weird country.

The Sorrows of my Tomato plant: Theft, Secrecy, and Mistaken Identity: Part Three

2009-07-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

My friend Ahmed runs a flower shop below our apartment called "Grand Flowers". I asked him if he had a spare flower pot that I could have for my new plant. I also needed some soil. He gave me both and asked what kind of plant I had - waves of paranoia rushed through my soul . My worst fear was that a native son who respected me might find out what I did and I would be forced to admit my wrong and face the humiliation. I said something quickly in English so that he wouldn't understand me and I hurried home.

The plant produced luscious red fruit with a rubbery texture and hints of exhaust. Within two weeks the plant was dead. The plant was dead so fast that I had no chance to rescue it. Clean air and consistent water must have ended its life. With the plant dead it seemed that the saga was over. It was not.

Ever since the day I stole the tomato plant from the earth I had avoided those angry Arabs and their garage. My former roommate Glen, who is also white did not. One hot and steamy day Glen arrived home with a far away look in his eyes. His pale skin was paler than usual, his glasses crooked upon his face. I didn't ask him what was wrong but in my heart I knew.

It was a case of mistaken identity. Those same angry Arabs had chosen him as the guilty man. Ironically I had recommended a clothing store to Glen some days before, a place were I shop. On this day he happened to be sporting a nice pair of drawers similar to mine. He described the scene in detail - did I listen? No, I was gloating to myself and thinking about how beautiful this scenario was. You see Glen was on his way to Amman, Jordan and his days in Cairo were numbered. These angry Arabs had already chosen the guilty party and it wasn't me. The streets were again mine. From this time on every step from my apartment to that same garage area would be a proud and graceful step.

Months later.

I walk to the bridge early in the morning. Small curling waves caress the surface of the Nile. Not a soul in sight, only the fractured light reflecting through the morning mist over the mightiest of rivers as my companion. I head back to my apartment with the promise of coffee and breakfast with Katie. My pace is broken and I kneel down for a closer look. A small green sprout pushing its way out of the very same spot were my glorious tomato plant once stood.

As Katie and I enjoyed breakfast and planned our day I couldn't help but say,"Katie, I really think we should stay in this apartment for another 6 months, I just love the neighbourhood".

The Sorrows of my Tomato Plant: Theft, Secrecy, and Mistaken Identity: Part Two

2009-06-24T03:52:00.000-07:00

I wanted the plant for my wife katie, she is half Italian. When I finally decided to take it out of the ground it was covered in semi-ripe fruit. The air was hot and the traffic was dense but moving fast and at a constant rate. I crossed the street at a slight angle and pounced on the bush, ripping it clean out of the ground. A group of galabaya-wearing security men sitting by a nearby parking lot noticed me immediately. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the men stand up and begin to run after me and the plant. This rough looking guard ran hard yelling all the way. Perhaps they thought my actions represented western imperialism. Maybe they had planted the Tomatoes and wanted to eat them.

I ran rickshawd toward my apartment, knowing that these enraged Arabs were right behind me and hell bent on getting their tomatoes back. I knew I couldn't stop, it would be too embarrassing. Traffic was coming toward me fast and the plant was slowing me down. I would have been caught easily had two buses not come straight toward me. I stood sideways as the buses cruised by me. I could taste their exhaust. The men behind me had no choice but to stop and as soon as the buses passed I was gone. I hurdled over a few piles of trash and kept my eyes on the ground ahead of me. I heard someone say "aywa, tomatum". Yes, tomato! I had succeeded in stealing my prize.

The Sorrows of my Tomato Plant: Theft, Secrecy, and Mistaken Identity: Part One

2009-06-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

While out walking on a sunny spring afternoon I came upon a Tomato plant. The plant lay below a ragged tree on the sidewalk across from my apartment. I decided that I would uproot the plant and take it home with me. I wrapped my hand around the plant close to the base and pulled hard. The roots tore loose and so did I.... be continued

Killer Wasp and Friends

2009-06-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

I took this picture several weeks ago while in my apartment. The wasp was trying to get inside and perhaps kill Katie and I and eat our cats. Actually I don't know if these animals sting or do anything except pollinate. My friend Glen was chased by such a beast while visiting the Valley of the Kings. He managed to escape. Ironically he ran into Ramses VII's tomb to elude the creature.

Bugs aren't really a problem here. Like most major cities cockroaches thrive but are rarely seen. Like most cities built near a major body of fresh water, mosquitoes are ramped. I have noticed that in the summer the ant population seemingly quadruples. If you leave a piece of meat out for more than 5 minutes it will be covered in ants. The worse thing about these ants is their bite. I would say that the bite of an Egyptian ant is almost as bad as the bite of a black fly or a horse fly. bastards.

Waiting for the Microbus

2009-06-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

Cairo is a stressful city. A friend of mine recently told me he had to leave the city because the continuous noise and dangerous traffic was driving him crazy. I almost had my foot crushed by a speeding automobile yesterday. This event didn't startle me, in fact it is normal in urban Cairo for cars to speed up as they pass you from behind and drive as close to you as they can. For this reason and others many people living in Cairo drive their own cars, taxi, or take public transportation. Being a pedestrian is very dangerous in Cairo.

My favorite (and the cheapest) form of transportation is the microbus. The microbuses are privately owned minivans circa 1985 that would normally fit about eight people. The addition of several seats allows at least 14 people to cram in like sardines in a can. The average fare runs around 20 cents and the routes cover most of urban Cairo and the surrounding towns. As these buses drive by you they might call out "Giza" or "Ramses" indicating the direction they're travelling. In other cases a simple hand gesture is used. Sometimes you have to board the bus as it's moving as if you're jumping a train. Simply grab hold and keep yourself from hitting the pavement.

I take the 6th of October microbus three times a week for work. The commute takes about 30 minutes and costs me 50 cents. I catch the micro at Lebanon square, a short walk from my apartment. This particular square leads to both the Alexander road going north and south and another going west - west toward Libya.

I listen for the call, "October! October! October!". I pull the sliding door of the appropriate micro and slide into the sardine can, usually losing my balance and falling on someones lap. No problem, this is normal as the micro is in the process of building up momentum when I board her.

Once we enter the west bound freeway we gain speed rapidly. Once the micro has reached cruising speed you feel like you're riding on a cannon ball through the dessert. Yes, 14 people crammed into a sardine can flying down the road at a ridiculous speed; it is dangerous and at times terrifying. My friend lost his brother in a microbus accident and I've heard other stories about horrific crashes.

The scenery heading west is sublime. The city ends and farmland begin, with the Great Pyramids of Giza defining the skyline about 30 miles south. It is an awesome sight.

People are generally friendly on the micro. I've never seen any other white guy on the bus but I've never been treated like a foreigner. When you are on the micro you are one of the micro people, that's it. You help collect money, you help people get on the bus (mindful of course not to touch women unless it is completely unavoidable) and you might have a brief friendly interaction with a fellow passenger. I will miss the micro with all of my heart when I move back to the
States.

New Work

2009-04-20T04:58:00.000-07:00

12 hours in Alexandria

2009-04-19T01:07:00.000-07:00

After a long night of heavy drinking and deep laughter, Katie, Glen, and I took the 7am train 3 hours north to the strange and beautiful city of Alexandria, Egypt. According to Egyptians I have spoken with, the City of Alexandria has gone through many different cultural changes and significant urban development through the last five decades. More significantly, the original city was lost to posterity some 1000 years ago. The Pharaohs lighthouse, one of the original seven wonders of the world once towered high above the Greco-Roman Capital city named after its first ruler, Alexander the Great.

Having exited the train we headed in the direction of downtown, the rich smell of the sea carried by a cool breeze. We all took note of the architectural differences between Cairo and Alexandria. I am reminded of Naples, Italy mostly because of the older buildings - there is more color in Alexandria and many of the buildings resemble those in Western Europe. We enjoyed strong Turkish style coffee and hit the cornish (waterfront) where we boarded a microbus heading east. Our destination - the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Latin for "Library of Alexandria") , an Egyptian cultural center and a stunning architectural achievement.

As we road along the sea side my right ear picked up the call to prayer like a whisper, the deep voice eminating from the citidel, a masterpiece of juxtoposed archetecture.

The library was closed until the afternoon (it was Friday) and so we boarded a Westbound microbus and back tracked to downtown. Our goal was to find the tram (small local train sytem) and take it to Pompeii's Pillar. We succeeded - although I should note that the tram ride took at least 2 hours. The problem is that the 6 Line runs right through a busy market area. The vendors set up their shops on top of the tracks. As a result the tram inches along while the vendors move all of their goods to the side. It was really an amazing sight.

Pompeii's Pillar is a single gigantic granite piller that dates back to the original city. Below the pillar archaeologists have uncovered an ancient library. It was actually kind of funny seeing the shelves where the scrolls were stored. They were incredibly primitive in design and reminded me of something from Fragle Rock. Next we walked to a nearby catacomb - unfortunately we had a bit of a run in with local authorities. Since Katie and I have official residence status in Egypt we are entitled to Egyptian citizen entrance prices at museums and historical sites. A good example is the Great Pyramids in Giza which costs 50EP for foreigners and 3EP for Egyptians. The police in charge at the Catacombs in Alexandria refused to except our residence visas and insisted that we pay foriegner prices. Things got ugly when I asked to speak with the officer in charge.

Perhaps I've been in Egypt too long and I've become desensitized to the military police presence. In any case I should know better than to argue with a man who is pointing an AK 47 at my face. We left quietly.

It was time to eat so we went to our favorite koshery/Fateer joint for lunch. Fateer is something like pizza crossed with phyllo puff pastry. Dough is stretched and the ingredients are evenly spread on its surface, the dough is than folded over itself like an envelope and the whole thing is baked in a brick oven. Fateer can be savory or sweet. Sometimes brie and honey - other times hot peppers, cured beef, and olives.

Feeling fully satisfied, we headed back to the Bibliotheca. The library complex includes a plethora of outdoor sculptures, many of which reference ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman history. There is also a planitarium and several auditoriums aswell as a museum featuring artifacts found in the region. The highlight is the Library itself. The acoustics are remarkable, even the main floors with high ceilings and hundreds of visitors were still and quiet. The interior design is also impressive, with hanging lights and carefuly considered windows and skylights. The interior gives you the feeling of being in a large Mosque. We toured the fascilities and picked up random books. I found the map collection to be the most impressive - also I was drawn to a display which illustrated the history of bookmaking in Egypt, which highlighted the use of lithography and letter press.

It had been a long day. We needed a moment to space out and allow our minds to rest. Over stimulation can be a serious problem when you are trying to soak in a place. In our case we needed shisha (waterpipe) and a Mediteranean view for atleast 30 minutes. Earlier in the day we had made reservations at a popular seaside Greek restaurant and yacht club. The plan was to spend atleast three hours there before returning to the train station in route to Cairo.

It was a great meal. We had serving after serving of fried fish, roe, calamari, whole baked fish, and several rounds of beer. We were celebrating a great day in a great (and confusing) city.

We headed to the train station, our bellys full and our lungs filling with sea air. The city was coming to life around us. Hoards of aggresive teeneage boys crowded the cornish while cars sped carelesly through traffic blasting music. The side of Alexandria that I don't care for was surrounding us and we were happy to be returning to our city.

2009-03-30T06:05:00.000-07:00

The House of Koshery

2009-03-26T13:15:00.000-07:00

Koshery is a staple Egyptian food. The word is used to describe both the food and the restaurants where the only food served is in fact koshery. I drew up a diagram (above) to show you what koshery is. Throughout my year long stay in Cairo I've eaten maybe 75-100 bowls of the stuff. I love it so much I've even pitched the idea of opening a koshery back in SF with my wife Katie. I have tried to compare koshery to many different foods that I enjoy in an attempt to fully understand why I love it so much. True it does give you a satisfying "burrito belly" but how could we talk burritos without getting into carnitas and we can't do that here. I came to the conclusion that my enjoyment of koshery comes not only from the simplicity of its well balanced flavours but from the atmosphere and culture of the koshery.

Realizing this I developed an important groundbreaking theory: The koshery in Egypt can be accurately compared to local family owned pizza shops in the United States.
I asked my friend Kevin to send me some information about pizza shop culture in the United States. Kevin worked as a pizza chef at the "House of Pizza" in South Portland, ME for many years. He writes,"In the space of pizza ovens and sinks of dirty dishes and the loud blaring of WBLM over the speakers, resides the life style of the masses." Like pizza at the local shop, koshery is cheap and filling and attracts the hunger of many. Patrons representing every class in Egypt enjoy the satisfying stomach bulge together. Many foreigners choose koshery over other Egyptian cuisine for several reasons.

A. Koshery is vegetarian and many people are fearful of eating meat in a third world country or have special diets.

B. The ingredients are simple and contain tomato sauce and filling carbohydrates much like popular Italian foods.... like pizza. (the major difference is that koshery doesn't contain cheese. I think this is a cost issue. Protein is expensive. The cost of Egyptian dairy and poultry goods has doubled in recent years.)

C. They enjoy the warm friendly atmosphere of the koshery (with the exception of "Koshery Tahrir" in downtown Cairo). You might get stared at as a foreigner the first or second time but if you are a patron of the same koshery for an extended period of time you become a regular and you receive good attention.

According to my friend Kevin, "Pizza places usually spring up as family owned and run businesses here in the states. They last for a while that way in smaller towns where people can put a product with a face.....a chain restaurant does mildly well in suburbia but a mother is not apt to bring her children to a place where the clientele has dissimilar values." Lacking inside information I can't honestly make the claim that any of the kosheries I frequent are family owned. I can however use "Koshary Tahrir" as an example of the chain restaurant. There are two "Koshery Tahrir's" in Cairo that I know of. These kosheries are much larger than most and more expensive. At "Koshery Tahrir" the the staff is cold and the service is poor. My koshery in Agouza has only a few employees and I see them on a daily basis. They know my Wife and my parents (they ate there when they visited Cairo). I can't buy koshery in Agouza without answering several questions about my family, "how is your father?", "is your wife pregnant yet?"

Another aspect of Koshery worth noting is the showmanship of the cooks. They wear an embroidered smock with an orange and blue cap. They layer the many properties of Koshery with a fluid flip of the wrist, first the rice and than the noodles, lentils, chickpeas and fried onions. The proportions of each ingredient are carefully considered and the savory sauce is skillfully balanced on the edge of the bowl. I find this to be similar to a pizza shop where the cooks throw the pies high in the air and spread the tomato sauce, cheese and toppings as though they were talented circus performers.

Kevin concludes, "It is the local pizza place that does the business with the school sports teams and the local rotary club". I told my roommate Glen that we should convince our koshery to sponsor a football team. This is the one thing that the koshery needs. I can see it now: Plaques showing the teams from 2009, 2010, and 2011 and a uniform displayed behind the cash register. "The Agouza Crocodiles" win the championship! The team dinner....koshery.

In conclusion I suggest that you go out to your local pizza shop and buy a slice or two. Enjoy the atmosphere and appreciate the many charming qualities of the place. I'll be in a koshery some 9000 miles away enjoying the same feeling of satisfaction. Some great things exist everywhere in the world.

The Mudarris: My New Job

2009-03-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been a busy period of transition for me as I began a full-time private teaching job. My student is 13 years old and of Indian/Pakistani/Egyptian decent. He speaks fluent English and Egyptian Arabic. He was pulled out of a private school earlier this month and I've been teaching him all subjects including math, science, art, music and health. This job requires a tremendous amount of work but I really enjoy one-on-one teaching and he's a very intelligent kid with a variety of interests and ambitions. I travel to his home in Sixth of October City on the weekdays and he comes to my home in Agouza every Sunday. Sixth of October City is a desert settlement/suburb 40 km west of Cairo with a population of roughly 2 million people.

This job has inspired my art making and changed my daily routine. Watching my student interact with people at the kiosk or at the sandwich shop has taught me valuable lessons about Cairo street culture and now I can walk the streets of Cairo with greater confidence and understanding. My student maneuvers himself through the city with a strange sort of curiosity which makes him the perfect guide for me. We have at least one field trip activity per week followed by a reaction paper. We have fun and explore many parts of the city together (see view from Cairo Tower above) but I am his mudarris and I expect him to work hard and to show progress in all of his subjects.

Gods On the Nile

2009-03-03T02:20:00.000-08:00

I just arrived home from a trip to Luxor and Aswan. It was a great trip that left me with a glowing tan. Traveling close to the heart of Africa and seeing all of the natural wonders of a unique and beautiful place has a lasting effect on your mind. Asleep in Cairo I dream of the bright Colorful birds and bloated Banana trees that cling to the edge of the Nile in salute to it's slow lurching current.

It was my second time in Luxor and while I'm a little tired of the tourist sites I did enjoy my time there. It was cool and windy unlike the last time I visited when it was at least 115 degrees without the slightest breeze. Economic woes have dramatically affected the city. Most hotels were empty and fewer tour buses filled the parking lots of Karnak and the Valley of the Kings. Our hotel was owned and operated by Coptic Christians, a religious minority in Egypt with a very strong presence in Luxor. Many Nile Valley towns resemble those in Europe; tight streets centered around church towers. When the sun rises church bell's can be heard, when the sun sets the call to prayer echoes between the Minarets high above the mosques that dominate the skyline of every city town and village in Egypt. One receptionist at our hotel confessed that she was worried about violence between Muslims and Coptic Christians in Luxor, I found her body language and tone of voice disturbing.

Aswan was a real delight, the weather was perfect and the lush vegetation along the Nile was refreshing. The scene is sublime; sail boats cutting through delicate waves, smooth grey boulders reaching out from the river banks, and wonderful botanical garden's behind which endless desert sand separates the sky from the land. We enjoyed a trip to Abu Simbel, home of Ramses' mega-temples. It seems like everyone enjoys the scale and complexity of these temples and tombs but did anyone ever consider that these men and woman might have actually been gods? I guess I'm joking but really when you see these things in person the idea has to cross your mind. I remember in "Stargate" the ancient Egyptians turned out to be aliens not gods. I remember enjoying the film but I find this interpretation relatively boring. The food in Aswan was terrific. The word "Nubian" is used to describe the food and the people from upper-upper Egypt but it's unclear what this means. I talked to Egyptians who believe the word is used incorrectly. Many times "Nubian" is used to market goods to tourists and I believe this is true. The food in Aswan was slightly different than Cairo. The meals included course after course of beans and soup that tasted similar to Ethiopian cuisine in the States. I ordered grilled lamb liver at one restaurant thinking that it would be a real treat. After tasting one of the shriveled up larva-like turds I suffered a visceral responds that was so intense I almost passed out in disgust. I couldn't handle the crunchy yet sandy flavour of the gamy meat - I ordered the wrong thing. I ended up having fish which was fantastic. I love greasy Egyptian food, especially fried chicken liver and onions but sometimes I go too far and I think I can eat anything. You just don't know what to expect when you order something new, but that's that fun part right?

I have half a kilo of chicken livers in the freezer and I know that I'll end up frying them with bell peppers and onions for dinner tonight. Some Lebanese bread and Mayonnaise sounds like the prefect roll. Why would I restrict my diet when something brings me such pleasure and delight - liver tonight.

Catching a cab in Cairo is easy...

2009-02-21T05:43:00.000-08:00

Catching a cab is easy; learning to estimate a fare price can be difficult since in most cases there is no meter. When I first moved here I had a very hard time with the negotiation process now I kind of enjoy it. A ride across town should cost ten Egyptian Pounds (about 2 dollars) although a cab driver might assume that because your a foreigner you'll pay a bit more.

The quality and safety of your ride depends on the driver and the machine he's driving. Usually I jump in the first cab I see ignoring potential risks. A friend suggested choosing cabs based on the sound of the horn. Cairo, the loudest city on the planet, is a symphony of personalized horn sounds.

During daylight and early evening hours you can catch a cab in ten seconds anywhere. Today I counted 1 cab for every 10 cars during a 45 minute walk from Agouza to downtown; we're talking about hundreds of cars! flagging a taxi is often not necessary, they come to you. In my own experience there is no negotiation of price in short distance travel. You get out at your stop, you pass the appropriate amount of money through the window and you walk away. I pay the standard price, sometimes more, never less. I've had the rare experience of a driver following me all the way to the door of my building protesting my payment. I've overpaid because I like the song on the radio. I also paid a guy a bunch of money for a tape cassette he had been playing because I had to have it.

One of my most memorable taxi rides: I was arriving in Cairo back from a trip to Europe. It was fall and the first week of Ramadan. Katie had joined me at the Airport. Our taxi sped through Heliopolis and reached downtown just as the sun was going down. The city was so elaborately decorated with lights and streamers that it had the glowing radiance of a Pinball Machine. I could smell the Iftar feast lofting through the city as I sat on the over cushioned back seat of the taxi.

The taxi service, combined with the cities Micro bus and Metro systems make Cairo a very accessible city. I have often thought that the Taxi drivers are some of the hardest working people in Cairo. Every day they navigate through an impossible maze of traffic. They tinker with 30 year old Fiats (which are beauties). They customize their cars with lights and figurines. They display the Quran on the dash. And they offer you a cigarette when you ride with them.

Koshary, Gaza, Cairo Biennale

2009-02-15T05:32:00.000-08:00

Cairo’s Airport can be an annoying and confusing place and at times it feels like a zoo. When I arrived back from my two month trip to the States it seemed calm and welcoming. The taxi driver I hired was asking a low rate – before even the slightest negotiation which is odd. Perhaps it’s the global financial crisis. The ride home was slow – amongst the gridlock men were selling Palestinian scarves.

My wife Katie and I live in Agouza, a small neighborhood by Cairo standards though very densely populated. Like any city once you establish a routine people notice you and become familiar with who you are. Even after being gone for 2 months the Koshary guys still new my order (koshary is a popular food here, essentially pasta, rice, lentils, chickpeas, crispy fried onions, tomato sauce and lemon garlic dressing). Abdela the veggie guy offered us tea with sweetened condensed milk. Akmed the flower shop guy greeted us warmly and said that Muhammad one of the local kiosk vendors had told him that we were back in town. There is very little privacy here when you enter the streets. Someone will approach you every time you go out. Most of the time it’s a taxi driver, other times someone selling merchandise, other times you are approached simply out of curiosity.

The general mood in Cairo is the same as when I left it. Belief in god and a collective belief in resilience and hope get these people through tragedy and chaos. The majority of people here are saddened by the civilian bloodshed in Gaza and many are upset with the Egyptian government for not opening its borders. Phillip Rizk, a German born student at the American University in Cairo was jailed for organizing a protest in support of the Gaza Strip, he was eventually released. Students at the AUC demonstrated and the students’ parents spoke at the rally asking that their son be freed.

I attended a benefit for Gaza at the Townhouse gallery which was very well organized. I listened to a great Egyptian folk group called “Eskenderrella”. They are from Alexandria and feature two incredible Oud players.

I also visited the Cairo Biennale, one of the countries premiere art events. the show has been up since December and comes down February 20th. I was really impressed with the work (also it was free and open late). The theme of the show was “the other” and the work included allot of video, installation, and performance work. One piece was so good I had nightmares about it for three consecutive nights. These wolves were at least 9 feet tall and placed throughout a room in a manner resembling cult worship or political debate.

Welcome back to Egypt!

2009-02-15T04:58:00.000-08:00

Now that I’m back in Cairo and hard at work I have decided to keep a running log. I’ll try and include news and events as well as updates and Images from Up Close: In Your Space the Digital Print Installation that I’m working on here.