The Wayfaring Wordhack

I'm back, but I bet you didn't even know I was gone. It has been a busy week, and I'd like to just crash into a puddle for a couple of days. The chances of that happening are slim, though, seeing as how I have a ton of stuff to keep me busy until we leave for France for the summer.

( What we've been up to the last week, illustrated with photos )

For asakiyume, who wanted to see dogs sleeping on cars.

Not just our feline friends who enjoy a nice perch.

Yesterday, we went out to Wadi Degla for Sprout to do her annual birthday painting.  She wasn't able to paint one on the big day this year because of our trip to the States, so we waited for the right moment to do it here.

I'll do a post about our day another time, otherwise this would not be a glimpse of Egypt but one of our family life.

So, the wadi, our best chance at nature and the outdoors in Cairo's backyard:

Despite bans on the importation and use of tuk-tuks in Egypt (Cairo?), the little buggers persist and are being driven in streets where they were (are?) forbidden, i.e. right in front of our apartment building.

I don't have anything against them per se, except their drivers are typically Egyptian, thinking they own the world roads; and whether because it is some unspoken law or because the drivers tend to be young boys/teens, the tuk-tuks are equipped with monster speakers of dubious quality that blare out obnoxious music or "other" sounds.

Your glimpse today comes to you courtesy of a tuk-tuk with a noise of the obnoxious "other" category.


As this guy was driving along, his speakers kept playing, at full-blast no less, a service message the likes of which you hear  at an airport.  Given the aforementioned dubious quality, despite the volume, I was unable to make out the words, but this should give you an idea of the sound and rhythm:  "Bing bing bing, flight 432 now boarding at gate 12; bing bing bing."

And of course, he "drove along" s.e.v.e.r.a.l. times and stopped to chat with the bawab of the facing building.

_________
* Without googling, who knows what song this comes from? :P It's been playing on repeat in my mind ever since Sprout watched Aladdin the other day.

We've sadly been unable to explore much of the Egyptian desert due to instability in the country and safety restrictions imposed by J's work. On a trip to Fayoum, however, we went to Wadi Al-Hitan (Valley of the Whales), a World Heritage Site, and spent a night camping surrounded by fennec foxes.

Junebug was only 7weeks old at the time, so it was a speedy visit. Camping with a 3-yr old and a newborn in a 2-person tent = interesting, but not worth repeating unless strictly necessary. :P

( Tis but a glimpse, tis true. Gander-takers, this way... )
Oh, and what the heck, why not a camping pic and one of a fox:

( Naturiste is the term, I believe )

I had great plans and intentions for the month of December, including doing Advent activities with Sprout every day. Bronchitis laid me low, though, for the first two weeks (Sprout as well, and then J got the flu). The month did not go to plan and we did not do all of the activities, but I just decided to go with the flow and not worry over anything.

( What Advent was supposed to look like )

A few photos. Unfortunately, I wasn't very inspired to have a camera in hand most days, what with the ick and all.

( Pics this way )

If anyone is interested and to give credit to the pattern-maker, I crocheted that reindeer hat for Sprout using this tutorial.

When we moved into our apartment, I was thrilled to see all the flamboyant trees on our road. At least I hoped my tree identification skills had not failed me and that they were indeed flamboyants. Then spring came along and all over Cairo, trees started flowering: Jacarandas; pink and red cotton trees; acacias; red bottlebrushes; purple, white, and pink orchid trees.... But not ours. They barely put on any leaves. Still, the good ol' Web said that flamboyants flower in May and June, and I told myself to be patient. But that didn't stop the worry that they wouldn't bloom.

A month ago, I even wrote an entry in a journal about it: Studying the flamboyants for signs that they are going to flower. Strange, but I carry around a knot of stress, of fear, that they won't bloom. I so very much want to see a sea of red from our balcony.

Chiding myself for being silly, I got the binoculars and checked out the treetops. And lo and behold, buds!


Whew. I finally relaxed, and a couple of days later, my impatience was vanquished by the sight of the first flowers:


Then we left for a week to vacation on the Red Sea, and when we got back we had our very own wished-for sea of red awaiting us, just as I had hoped. Another name for flamboyants are flame trees, with good reason:



( A few more pictures )

I recently blogged about hearing a horse on the street beneath my balcony and had comments asking me to expound on the difference between the sound of a horse or a donkey passing by.

The differences are several.  First is the heavier resonance of the horse's hoof; the bulk of the beast makes a more resounding clop on the asphalt. The donkeys, with their smaller frames and smaller hooves, make lighter taps, and when they are in a hurry the rhythm is smudged between a staccato and a shuffle as they struggle to move their stiff little legs fast enough to suit their drivers. Plenty of drivers allow their donkeys to walk, though, but I cannot think of instance of seeing a horse that was allowed to plod along.  It's as if having a showier creature pulling their carts forces the drivers to put on a show. They hurry their animals down the streets, heedless of how their shod hooves slip, how the speed bumps make them stumble. Speaking of being shod, not all of the donkeys are, so their steps lack the metallic ring of shoes.

Back to the idea of show, I hear more bells and jingles (buckles or trinkets, I don't know) on horse harnesses than on those of donkeys. 

So now you know. May this enlightenment serve you in the future. Or not. :P