Stranded in NYC

I am stranded in New York, with it's 11 inches of snow, but there are so much worse places to be stranded. I am, luckily, not stranded in an airport, a pirate ship, or on a desert island. I am stranded in beautiful, snowy, picturesque Manhattan.

I had planned to be here one night anyway, to catch up with my best friend from college and some others; but never expected the adventure and snowy hijinks!

The food, however, I had high-standards for.

J picked the restaurant - Public, just a short walk from my hotel (blessedly short, which the walk after dinner was NOT).

The restaurant has that whole "New York" thing going on. Trendy decor, b-list celebrities, adorable waiters and waitresses, and good food.

Last night I began with Kobe Beef TONGUE.

Yes! Tongue, my first foray in to offal. It was delicious. It was accompanied by crispy chickpeas, middle eastern spices and babaganough (actually, it was hummus, but I'll forgive them mixing them up).

J had the Tazmanian Trout Tartar with Daikkon and a raw quail egg on top. SO DIVINE!

For the Mains I had the lamb on goat-cheese polenta (pictured below), and J had the venison. His dish won for taste, though mine, with it's citrus-y saucing, was prettier. I'd never had venison before and his was AMAZING! J also ordered some brussel sprouts for us that were much tastier than the ones I had at the ball 2 weeks ago (which were my first taste of brussel sprouts ever!)


Our bottle of Mt. Difficulty nearly gone, we plowed through dessert (for me) and a spanish cheese tray (for he). SO GOOD!

Then out in to the snow to go to meet friends at Odessa but..wait..oh no! We had lingered too long over our dinners and were a full hour late, and by then the snow had chased them home! J made the best of the situation by ordering HOT CHOCOLATE and CHEESE PEROGIES for me since I had been walking about in the snow in nothing but layers of sweaters (my coats are all in Baltimore - for what do I need with Winter coats in Egypt?) and my wool pashmina, which left me looking not unlike a little old Eastern European woman in a babushka lost in the snow.

Best of all, I got to spend an entire evening with my very very good friend and today I get to do it all over again!

Meet the Felukeleles!

My friends are entering the Bushman World Ukelele Video Contest. They filmed their song in the Khan-el-Khalili. I feel that it not only captures some really fab uke playing, but also the true spirit of the Khan - the friendly shop keepers (including my bag man that supplied many of your Christmas presents!), the crammed shops, and the bustling atmosphere.

Watch the video, love them, and, from Jan 1 - 4, please vote for them! I will post information on how to vote as soon as it becomes available!

I'm so buying a uke over the holidays and signing up...

Today we took our students to Wadi Degla for a clean-up and picnic.

The Wadi (dry valley that floods when it rains) is only 15 minutes from my home, but a complete contrast to the nearby Nile and surrounding plains. It was so absolutely beautiful that I had trouble concentrating on the task at hand (picking up garbage). I was simply overwhelmed by the beautiful bluffs rising on either side of the Wadi.

The sky was alternately grey and blue as the rain-clouds would occasionally gather. We were hoping for some light rain so we could see the waterfalls and rushing stream created in the Wadi during storms. The kids climbed all the way to the top of the Wadi on each side (I made it half-way up on one side but did not have the moxie to climb to the top today).

Suppose I should add a walk in the Wadi to the list of things to do with visitors :)

Weather?

The weather has been very unusual in Cairo the last few weeks: regular spurts of rain are falling from the ever-cloudy sky. The wind that accompanies the cloudy skies is cold and damp and leaves me reminiscent of fall in Baltimore . . . albeit far dustier.

Don't be fooled, I'm not speaking of a prolonged all-day rain that leads to muddiness and movie marathons of Jane Austen films; I'm speaking of regular rain, almost daily, that gets the road just wet enough to make the oil and dust slick. Many of the rainshowers are so brief, in fact, that if I hear it falling from my office and walk to the end of the hallway and out on the balcony to enjoy it, it has often already stopped by the time I get there.

Still though, the cool weather is pleasant for lots of things: felucca-ing wrapped up in sweaters and sassy santa hats, shopping in the Khan on a cloudy Friday morning for Christmas gifts, and most of all: making soup.

Right now my third soup of soup season (which only started a few weeks ago) is on the stove. It's my second chicken noodle attempt, which will use up the last of the semolina noodles I picked up in Rome. I also made chipotle-chicken-chickpea soup from memory, but forgot the very important ingredient of Tomato Paste and put too much chipotle in. Next time I'll make it work. For now, I need to figure out how I'm getting all these xmas presents (a certain little girl, and a certain sassy lady are getting a stockings full of Cairo) back to the states without going over my baggage weight allowance!

It's December

It's December 1. I'm sitting on my balcony in the fading light, barely feeling a chill through my thin sweater. Yesterday, I felucca'd on the Nile, all the way down to Helwan on a stiff breeze and under clear skies. We watched the sun set and the full moon rise.

life is good.

Sticking Around

I'm glad I've stayed in Cairo for the Eid el Adha. Last year I took these days off to explore the Athenian Riots...er, I mean Ruins; but since this year the Eid coincided with TURKEY DAY (see previous post) and I was hell-bent on hosting Thanksgiving, I decided to stick around.

Sticking around was the right thing to do. For starters, my landlord has upgraded our building. There is now a buzzer. This is huge. When I would have a party before, every few minutes I would be running down to let folks in. No more, dear friends, now I can buzz you in! *squee*

Second, Thanksgiving. 'nuff said.

Next, there was waking up to the braying of sheep on Friday morning. Followed by the mostly all-day sound of ... er, well, it was like hammering, but that's not what it was. The sheep had been quieted by then. Still, delicious smells of cooking and celebrations in the streets!

Yesterday, I got to tool around Rd 9 with T and then went to the movies with another friend to see Twilight: New Moon (with apparently every other person in Cairo). Now, I have some issues with Twilight and the [emotional control] relationship Edward has with Bella; but it's still good candy in the cheesy vampire-werewolf-teen-love-triangle arena. Also, it was a two cappuccino day: I love two cappuccino days! Then, I came home to find ANOTHER wedding on the street. While the music was a bit loud this time (window rattling loud) it's still always so much fun to come home to these celebrations livening up the otherwise quiet street.

This afternoon I get to participate in one of my favorite Cairo traditions (if something you are doing for only the second time can be called a tradition): Christmas shopping in the Khan-el-Khalili. The weather is perfect - chilly and sunshiny. I'm taking my camera. There will be pictures, and cool presents for a certain brother, a certain sister-in-law, a bff's husband, and a very dear friend for whom a stuffed stocking over the mantle piece is always in order. This is actually the tail-end of the xmas shopping that I started in August, because that's how I roll.

So, with all this stuff, all these things I love going on, and the fact that I've already told my school, I guess it's safe to publicly announce that I'm sticking around Cairo another year. el hamdulleleh!

Turkey Day!

There is so much that has happened in the last month, so many posts to catch up on; Darb 1718, Rome, Eid al Adha (which ends today): instead I would like to write about TURKEY DAY!


I've had 4 Thanksgivings overseas. Two with Awesome Amy in her international posts in Guatemala City (where I made my first turkey) and Bologna (where we couldn't find turkey), and two in Cairo. Last year the secondary staff had to work on Thanksgiving, so two friends from primary made a turkey for a few of the American staff (who were, not surprisingly, in a snit over working on turkey day). Additionally, I headed downtown for dessert with Awesome Arvis (introduced to me through Awesome Amy!) and a cast of assembled expats.

This year, after T made an inspection of my oven and declared it cook-ready, and showed me how to light it (of course there's no electric starter), I invited an assemblage of British, American, Bahamian and Egyptian friends over for dinner. A 7 kilo turkey purchase, multiple trips to Rd 9 for veg and plates and wine, and a potato debate later, I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for 10 guests (with T's help!) - we all just fit around the dining room table and got filled to the brim with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied yams (with marshmallows on top), corn, broccoli, peas, yorkshire puddings, and, most importantly, Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce (I have serious brand loyalty in this arena).

Sure I dropped the pan and spilt turkey juice all over the floor; but that was bound to happen, things were going far too smoothly.

The yorkshire puddings, candied yams, pecan pie, applecaramel crisp, cake, brownies and port (and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving!) were all provided by my amazing guests. I couldn't have asked for more interesting, lively, and fun company. I love my Cairene family and friends.

You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile!

This week Operation Smile is doing a mission in Cairo and I've been chaperoning our student volunteers at the hospital.

If you don't already know this, I've always had a serious issue with hospitals. It's a place of needles and death. But this was different, hospitals are now, for me, a place of smiles and hope.

We went to the hospital to keep happy and occupied children just going in to or coming out of surgery - and to speak to their mothers and families, some of whom had been at the hospital for days awaiting their surgery. Mothers confided in us, children giggled, laughed and played with our student volunteers who were as taken with the children as the children were with them.

I could only communicate minimally with the families - in my pidgin Arabic which I really need to develop; however I was able to act as a guide for my students through what for many of them was their first volunteer experience, and help in small ways.

I also met really great and interesting people. A big shout-out to Kholoud and Esperons (who flew in all the way from NYC at the last minute to volunteer in her home country of Egypt!) - two great volunteers I enjoyed spending time with at the hospital. I also met a veiled woman who is a beautician and hairdresser, but only for other women who have taken up the full black hijab and abaya. She told my students she makes her clients pretty like their non-Egyptian teacher (me) - which they were a bit embarassed to tell me (and I was a bit embarrassed to hear!) She also asked them why I wasn't married - the only response I could think of in Arabic was "Ana Amerikaya" - I'm American, which I said jokingly; as if that excused my spinsterhood. The woman then vowed to find me a good husband - insh'allah!

But most important, and most memorable, were the beautiful children - their smiles (before and after surgery) were worth all the time in the world.

some quotes

Just started Nomad's Hotel by Cees Nooteboom, it's sort of a cerebral travel journal and I like it so far...all 15 pages or so that I've read so far.

Two quotes have resonated with me that I'd like to share. The first comes from the book's introduction, written by one Alberto Manguel "For all true travelers know that the reality of the world distracts from the reality of the world."

Doesn't it tho?

The second comes from Mr. Nooteboom himself, "...anyone who is constantly traveling is always somewhere else, and therefore always absent."

This is one I really, really have felt the last few months. Always absent, always somewhere else - for me it reflects both the excitement and sometime loneliness that comes from constant traveling (i.e. being away).

What is it with me and Dutch Travel Writers? (my favorite is J. Maarten Troost - both for his humor and for inspiring me to be a bit more adventurous in my choice of home-country)

Ah, reflective travelers; how I love to be among their ranks!

Sandboarding Adventure!

Here in Cairo, the weather is finally turning cooler. As I sit on my balcony, the cool air, gentle breeze, and overcast sky are the perfect setting for blogging. In the backgound I hear a hammer on metal making a gentle, persisting ting-ing sound; a baby crying; and birds twittering away in the trees - a few of which still have blooms clinging to their branches.

Taking full advantage of the cooler weather, yesterday A, T, and I ventured into the Sahara for a Sandboarding Adventure organized by several local tour companies that joined-forces for one, big trip to celebrate Sandboarding being recognized as an official sport in Egypt.

The day was an early start, we met inside Costa Coffee at 6:30 am so we could get to the meeting place across town on-time. After a few starts, mis-starts, pauses, and a stop to pick up more adventurers, we got on our way to the Qattanya Desert, about 45 minutes - 1 hour West of Cairo.

Once we turned off the road and into the desert, it was clear that our bus was not going to be trekking us out to the dunes. Several sedans got stuck in the deep, soft sand that began about 100 yards off the road and were being pushed out by helpful onlookers. Instead, we were ferried another 20 minutes into the desert in Land Rovers - Land Rovers traveling at break neck speeds across the vast plains of the desert.

At last we approached the 'camp'. Large tents with rug floors had been set-up for lounging in, Red Bull promotional materials were all over, and (eventually) even impromptu bathroom facilities were set up (holes dug in the sand with squat toilet platforms set over the holes, with tenting around them - for those of you who just NEEDED to know that).

Over 100 people had registered to attend the event and many had already trekked to the towering top of the main dune that had been chosen for the sandboarding and were making their way back down in a variety of fashions (here I mean fashions both as: way people made their way down the hill AND as mode of dress employed by the people making their way down the hill. For example, in the picture below a girl in hijab and fancy sun glasses stands on her board as she waits to be passed by a boy in a khaki explorer's hat who is sledding down head first).

Some folks clearly had experience, and were coming down the dune with expert precision, standing astride their boards, which were much like snowboards, and speeding down the hill. Others (myself included) chose to treat the sandboard more like a sled. After trekking up the hill (half-way; I'm quite out of shape), I sat down on the board, threw my arms up in the air, and uttered a primal "whoop" as I charged down the slope at a swift clip.


There were many, many wipe-outs. Most people fell at some point - and MOST without injury. Unfortunately, our birthday girl A fell hard on her shoulder. A few folk even went tumbling and rolling down the hill when they fell from their boards. I was glad I chose to just ride down the hill in a way reminiscent of riding my blanket down the steps of our rowhouse when I was a kid, and avoid all possibilities of injury.

The day was long. We were served a lovely bbq lunch of kofta (sort-of grilled Egyptian meatballs) & chicken with a variety of salads. While most people lounged and relaxed as they digested their food, we took over the near-empty hill and got a few runs in while there were no photographers (except me) or people lounging mid-hill to get in the way. After that we were so tired (it was nearing 3:30 when people started to fill the hill up again) that we simply napped and lounged on the rugs enjoying the cool breeze and beautifully shifting light.

Finally, around 5 pm, we headed back to the buses. A's seat in the Land Rover wasn't secured properly and she was bounced around like popcorn on the fire as we flew across the desert. Fortunately, she was a good sport about it and we laughed so hard that tears were springing to my eyes. In all the hullabaloo of the bouncing seat, we nearly missed the beautiful sunset over the dunes as we sped along, the sky all pink and purples (not unlike the bruises A likely sustained trying not to fly into the ceiling).

Two and a half hours later I was back in Maadi - ready for a long, long bath and a good nights' sleep. What an adventure for a Friday in Egypt.

Another Beautiful Evening Surprise

Through my windows, spiraling up from the street below, is the sound of joy.

Women are uulating, boys are singing, someone beats a drum and someone else plays energetic music on an accoridan while people clap in time. I imagine they are dancing.

This is likely another moving party, possibly a wedding. I love how alive my street can be - even on a weeknight.

A Uniquely Cairene Experience

About a week ago I returned from the states to discover that my cooking gas had run out.

This was a horrible revelation. Almost exactly a year ago when I moved in to my apartment I discovered that, instead of being hooked up to "mains", I would be cooking (and heating water in the kitchen) from bottled gas.

Two large, rusty canisters stand in my kitchen. One supplies gas to my stove, the other to the hot water heater. The landlord informed me that they would last only a few months and, that when they ran out, I would have to hail down the gas guy and have them come hook it up for me.

The gas guy became known to me by his clanging on weekend mornings when clanging was not a welcome sound to be wafting through my window. I imagined it was a guy on a truck, driving slowly through the streets, clanging the cans.

I was wrong. As the year anniversary came of me moving in, I knew I would have to soon replace the cooker gas - especially as I've become more and more adventurous in my culinary quests. Finally, one morning as I drank my tea on the balcony, I saw the gas man go by...on a cart pulled by a donkey. Fortunately, by this time, I was quite accustomed to seeing the donkey carts and horse carts in my neighborhood, so not too much of a shock.

A few days ago, my friend who was visiting from the states alerted me to the clanging - it's TIME! Unfortunately, the clanging came on a morning that followed a late late night and by the time I'd gotten myself together, I had missed the cart. The next morning - ANOTHER CHANCE! - but no donkey cart?? Instead, a single man rode a bicycle with about 4 canisters attached to it. The canisters looked very different from mine, so I let him pass.

This morning, I got up and showered and prepared for the gas man (it is a national holiday and my plan to sleep in hadn't really panned out). I was a bit worried, because I didn't have much small change lying around the house - just like every other resident of Cairo; but I would not be thwarted! I ran downstairs and flagged down two men pushing a bicycle laden with EIGHT! canisters! (sidebar: the arabic word for 8 is tamanya)

The guy came upstairs and replaced the cooker gas quickly and then asked for something...I didn't know this Arabic word, but I knew the motion he was making - he wanted a match.

I had heard several people joke that they had heard the gas men check if there is a leak by lighting a match at the connector. I had no idea it was true. I handed the guy the matches and scurried to the rear of the apartment - just in case.

I came back and all was well, he stored the canister under the sink where it belongs, helped me get the stove working again, and took my old canister away. The total cost of this service, including the cooking gas, was $3.64. The gas should last me at least 6 months, even with all the cooking I do now.

And I've gotten a uniquely Cairene experience out of the deal.

Updates

I've not posted in a while. I had intended to, and then time and my life got away from me.

I'm more-or-less still on Summer Vacation, in that I've not taught a single day since last June. This is due to stuff I mostly don't understand, but suffice it to say the opening of school was pushed back a month, to the end of Ramadan.

Last year during Ramadan, I was very ill and also was still adjusting to life in Cairo, so I didn't really take notice of what was going on. This year I live in a more traditional neighborhood, have a network of Egyptian friends and acquaintances, and was LIVING in Cairo, rather than just surviving; which meant a very different Ramadan experience for me.

I tried to be respectful of the fasting that was going on around me. The biggest challenge was the day of the Ramadan Photo Walk in Old Cairo.

The Ramadan Photo Walk was organized by a photographer friend-of-a-friend. We began at Sultan Hassan Mosque. The mosque, and attached school, was immense. It was grand and beautiful in the mid-afternoon sunlight, and despite the heat of the day, was cool in its shaded courtyards.

After the mosque we wandered through a nearby neighborhood below the Citadel. This was a special time, because the neighborhood was decorated with Ramadan lanterns and garland. Also, the man shown here was making these little sweet breads that my friend Chris claims are his favorite Cairo delicacy.













Finally, we wandered to the Bab Zuela (one of the original gates of Old Cairo) and into the Khan where I snapped this sign advertising Mahmoud Farag and their "other branch". The garland is Ramadan Garland. [update - I found the "other branch" in Maadi a few days ago! 10/20/09]



While the group was planning an iftar about an hour after the Bab Zuela, I could not make it. 3 hours in the heat and sun, walking the entire time, had completely dehydrated me and, in respect of those I was with who were fasting, I did not drink water as we walked along. When we got to the top of Bab Zuela, I got a bit dizzy and had to sit down, and finally just grabbed a cab back to my neighborhood where I had iftar with my good friend and her visitors instead.

I left the day with an entirely new appreciation of the beauty and challenges of Ramadan.

Whirling Dervishes!

Even though it's 11:30 pm and tomorrow is a school day, I couldn't wait to post.

Tonight I met my photography club peeps in the Khan-el-Khalili to attend the Sufi Whirling Dervish performance. This performance is free, and, during Ramadan, apparently extra-special.



The show was amazing! (and I took 500 pictures to prove it!)


The music (all live drumming, zills, flute, etc) carried the Sufis away as they danced. The man pictured above danced in the center of the stage, spinning, for roughly 30 minutes while the drummers played and danced around him. He never stopped spinning the entire time! while his skirt of many colors flew about him. There were layers to the skirts that were removed and held overhead or at floor level in different parts of the dance that created a beautiful kaliedescope on the stage.


I've never seen anything like it. As I'm not very skilled at action shots, and as a girl standing in front of me kept leaning into my shots right as I snapped my camera, I will likely end up tossing about 300 of the 500 photographs I took, (I am posting 3 of my favorites here that needed little editing) but I am very happy with most of them and can't wait to go back to the show as a simple spectator!

More on Ramadan

Today, I awoke from an afternoon nap to the wonderful smell of cooking. I have no idea what it is, but with many families in the neighborhood preparing the Iftar meal, I'm sure the smell is a mingling of many delicious foods.

Iftar is the meal that Muslims eat just after sundown during Ramadan to break the fast (which lasts each day from sun up to sun down). Many long tables are set up in public places downtown to feed the poor hot meals for Iftar during Ramadan (as it is a time of giving), and large extended families gather together to share the Iftar meal as well. There are wonderful buffets for Iftar at local restaurants, and a large variety of sweets and nuts to choose from in the markets. (Including, according to the Associated Press "Obama Dates").

Ramadan ends this year towards the end of September.

Last Week of Freedom

It is the beginning of Ramadan here so it is relatively quiet and beautiful, with houses all decked out in twinkle lights and Ramadan lanterns, and all the shops decked out in sweets and fresh figs, nuts and dates.

It is also only one week until I return to work.

I aim to enjoy my last week of freedom with felucca rides, a day at the pool, and getting those last few errands run for supplies - and then I dive into school, Arabic classes (for me), and the general excitement and mayhem that comes with the start of every new school year, no matter where I am in the world!

The Sziget Festival

While in Budapest, I met up with two colleagues of mine at the Sziget music festival. The festival is a FULL WEEK of music, variety shows, good food, and loads of different activities.

I arrived at the festival site at around 11 am and, as I wandered down one of the many paths (the concert is held on a wooded island that is a park the rest of the year) I heard the call of a trumpet. As a child following the Pied Piper I picked up my pace and pranced towards the pure sound, only to discover...

Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club® in the midst of their sound check. Since the music programs didn't start until 3pm, and most of the campers were still sleeping off the antics of the previous day, only about 50 people were hanging out to hear the sound check at the world music stage. Not only was it the friendliest, fastest sound check I've ever witnessed, but just as the full band prepared to run a partial song, and the bandleader signaled for them to start, something unusual happened. The brass section was playing a different song from the band leader...he tried to stop them, waving his arms wildly, until he realized they were playing Happy Birthday! It was the band leader's birthday and the small crowd that had assembled all sang happy birthday, in a few different languages! After that, even though the sound check was done, the band played two full songs for those of us hanging around. It was an AMAZING start to the day!

Knowing that once I met up with my friends we had a packed schedule of bands to see, I decided to grab an early lunch. I've never seen so many healthy options at a festival before! There were fruit stands where you could buy pints of berries for about $1 USD, several vegetarian options, and loads of traditional Hungarian food.

I opted for the traditional Hungarian. Passing up the opportunity to try "Rooster Testicle Stew," and for a much more reasonable price than you would ever find in the states, I got delicious roasted, spiced vegetables and an spicey hungarian sausage that was too big for my plate! It was all freshly made in large skillet.

After lunch, I met up with my friends and we saw the first main-stage act of the day - MISS PLATINUM. I can only describe her as "Balkan Hip-Hop in a Dirndl." She is a Romanian refugee living in Berlin and has a great repertoire of upbeat songs - many involving FOOD! My favorite song, the one she started off with, called "Give Me the Food" made me so happy I could not stop smiling about it all day. Her back up brass section (including a Tuba!) is called ... something really clever that I can't remember. Anyway, FANTASTIC show.

We spent the rest of the day winding through the various tents and attractions. There was Civil Sziget - with local and international cause organizations and literature; there was Accessible Sziget where they had activities that challenged you to do everyday activities with a "handicap" such as navigating a ramp maze on a wheel chair, or paint without being able to use your hands; there was the Magic Mirror where we saw a great variety show at the end of the night...there was so much to do and see that I know, by spending only one day there, I missed alot.

Finally, twice we hung out at the blues tent to see Tom White - a Hungarian Rockabilly artist! His show was great - especially when he covered Michael Jackson's "Black or White" in Rockabilly Style - which shouldn't have worked but did with the audience going absolutely bonkers!

So what's the talley? I saw German Punk, Romanian Hip-Hop, Hungarian Rockabilly, Cuban Jazz, British Pop (Ting-Tings) . . . the most amazing, diverse concert I've ever been to! Absolutely incredible! I think I may have to go back next year...

Eating across Eastern Europe

I have just gotten home to Cairo after a 12 day tour of Eastern Europe where I visited Salzburg & Vienna, Austria; Bratislava and Trencin, Slovakia; and Budapest, Hungary.

I gained a full kilo on the trip.

I'd love to believe this weight gain is directly related to climbing very long, steep hills to castles, like this one in Salzburg. This picture was taken from HALF-WAY UP the hill I had to climb to get there:




Or this castle in Trencin, Slovakia (my favorite of the 4 castles I visited, btw). The first pic is from BELOW the castle, the second pic is from the tallest tower in the castle looking down at the castle wall near the entrance. The hike up the hill, then up the winding, narrow staircases of worn stone took nearly an hour and during the process I discovered an enchanted wood, saw some nuns deeply engaged in a conversation with a ten-year old girl (as if she were the most important emissary of all the world), made a commemorative coin, and ran out of breath.




















Unfortunately, I fear that my weight gain is instead related to the food I ate, which is silly, since I ate SO MUCH SALAD. For example:

Two interpretations on a goat cheese salad. The first, Grilled Goat Cheese on Mixed Greens was a delight on a rainy afternoon in Budapest (which I followed with some Beef Stew and Mashed Potatoes).
















The second I had TWICE it was so good. It was a Mixed Greens Salad with FRESH Goat Cheese Sprinkled with Crushed Pistachios and tossed in a very light vinagrette! NUM! (Which I followed with Juicy Fried Chicken one night and Warm Chocolate Cake another). This was at a restaurant called Immervoll in Vienna that only uses fresh ingredients and regularly changes their menu.

So clearly, these HEALTHY, LOW-FAT salads canceled out the carbs, gelato, schnitzels, struedels, gelatos, and teryiaki bento boxes that I ate on my trip and could not be the source of my weight gain, so it MUST all be muscle. ;)

Next Post: Sziget Music Festival in Budapest where I discovered Balkan Hip-Hop in a Dirndle. Stay tuned!

New York Foodie Tour

To wrap up my trip to the states, I decided on a three-day foodie tour of Manhattan. (Really, it was a three day trip to visit some of my oldest friends, but let's focus on the food right now).

First stop on the tour was unexpected. Because we could not check in to our hotel when we arrived in Manhattan, my best friend and I decided to take the subway uptown and go to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) which was hosting an exhibit I wanted to see. After wandering around for about an hour, our stomachs began growling and we headed for the cafe.

The cafe boasted a special: the "Italian Picnic." This was a complete lunch of 5 meats & cheese, flatbread, and two sides (we chose asparagus and calamari). It was tasty and delicious; and relatively cheap for NYC.

Later that evening, before meeting up with some spectacular friends at a rooftop venue, we headed to Tom Colicchio's restaurant that was near our hotel called CraftBar. In a departure from the ordinary, I ordered skate wing, which came with fingerling potatoes and a creamy dipping sauce. The skate wing had an amazing texture, if slightly salty flavor (which I loved). Our server was fun and friendly and the atmosphere was casual, comfortable, and included a great use of space. Overall, I found this to be one of my favorite dining experiences of the trip - as much for the company and atmosphere as the food.

Twice on the trip I visited my favorite NYC lunch spot Republic - a Vietnamese noodle restaurant on Union Square. Republic was the site of my first ever meal out in New York as a grown-up (way back in 2000) and it stands up as a consistently delicious and affordable place to grab lunch and people watch. As always, I ordered the beef skewers on rice noodles with daikon radish slaw (both times) with was spicy and the perfect high-protein / low carb lunch to keep one fueled for an afternoon of walking and shopping around lower Manhattan. In a departure from the norm, however, my friend ordered the Black Sesame Ice Cream; it was a great flavor to end the meal with, but I could not have eaten the whole bowl and was glad we shared.

My final "big foodie" outing was to Chef Wiley Dufresne's WD-50 restaurant. I'm a big fan of Chef-Celebrity Dufresne from his appearances on Top Chef over the years, so I had high expectations: I was not disappointed.

The flavors for each plate, from the amuse to the post-dessert treat were surprising and amazing. The amuse included Octopus, Lily Bulb, Tahina and Mulberries...now, if you know me you know that since I moved to Egypt I put Tahina on just about everything - so this dish was a home run from the start. But the beautiful presentation, combined with the unexpected element of lily bulb made this the perfect amuse and a great little palate preparer.

My next plate was corned duck with horseradish cream and purple mustard on a little cracker...BEST THING I ATE ALL NIGHT. I love the bite of horseradish and I savored this dish that made me smile with each bite.

Moving on to my entree, the lamb shoulder was not the star of the plate - instead the headliner was a "pine-nut baked beans" concoction that was out of this world! Ham! Pine Nuts! Super Flavors! Play on a classic! This dish was spectacular and, again, savored greatly.

Finally I ordered the 3 dessert tasting menu (why not?) and was not disappointed. Rather than go through each dessert in excruciating detail (which you will be forced to hear if you see me in person any time in the next YEAR) I will lay these two caveats:
1) Vanilla Ice Cream + Balsamic Vinegar = awesome
2) I dislike pistachios greatly,WITH A PASSION, and the flavor of melon leaves me cold. However, the pistachio cake with melon ice cream was so good that there wasn't even a trace of Chartreuse foam left on the plate when I was done with it.

Besides all the eating, I did have an amazing time hanging out with some very dear old friends in some very unusual "only in New York" type of situations ...

but for now I hope I've left your taste buds a tingling for something new and different.

Not in Egypt

I have been taking a break from blogging while I catch up with life in the United States - this means eating out a lot and spending quality time with friends and family.

This trip I've been to Baltimore and Chestertown, MD; Sarasota, Miami, and Ocala, Florida. I still have Washington, DC and New York, NY to visit (and hopefully do some foodie tourism in). I have been sailing, walking, coffee drinking, driving a car again (wow - not at ALL like riding a bike - which I have not been doing, by the way), catching up on films and teevee shows, tapping in to pop culture a bit, going to parties, hoola-hooping and keeping up with my photography.

It's really great to be back in the states, and there are certainly things I appreciate more than before I left - but I also miss Cairo and the friends I've made there. I guess this will be my life from now on as "home" moves around the world and friends no longer occupy only a 2 mile square on the map.




One last note - I've noticed my readership has picked up something crazy in the last few weeks; I can only assume some of these readers are folks like me a year ago who are gearing up for a move to Cairo and reading the blogs like I did. Hi folks! Drop me a line, feel free to comment, and I look forward to bumping in to you around Cairo!

The temperature today in Cairo is a sweltering 106 degrees.

Another Amazing Weekend!

Only a few weekends left until I return to the States for the first time in six months, so I thought I would take advantage of all that Cairo has to offer.

I started off with some friends from work on a horseback ride through the Saqquara Plain. A lovely American woman runs a stable there with well-fed, well cared for horses (and many birds - including an enormous adult male turkey!) We started off in the desert at Abu Sir. At one point we crested a hill next to the Abu Sir pyramids and could see the Giza pyramids behind us, Saqquara in front of us, and the Darshur pyramids off in the distance. Afterwards, we rode about another hour through fields and along dirt roads of villages in the countryside. It was breathtaking.


and hot. very very hot.

So what better thing to do than go to the pool with some of my favorite gals?

After a brief, post-pool nap; a friend called: Fellucca? she said. FELLUCCA! I replied. H. and C.brought a guitar and tabla, A. brought Pimms, and the rest of us just tagged along with the music and relaxing post-sunset along the breezy Nile.

The next morning, feeling contented and relaxed after a good night's sleep, T. and I did some gift shopping and enjoyed a coffee in the neighborhood - a very relaxing morning. Later on, we met up for a Garden Party / Music Jam (titled the "homemade jam") where many musicians brought their instruments and we lounged on poofs around 4 low tables set out upon oriental rugs in a friend's backyard and sang and sang and sang. It was a relaxing night filled with great music and friends and a great way to kick off the last week of grading.


speaking of grading...I better go!

Post-Obama Day

The bars, busses, facebook devotees, and classrooms of Cairo (at least the ones I was in) were all a twitter yesterday discussing Obama's speech - and I'm sure they will be for some time.

This is in no way a political blog and will not be blogging about my reactions to the speech or the reactions of my Egyptian, British, American, and Canadian friends. This is a travel blog, a blog about what it's like to live and work in a part of the world so different from Baltimore Metro Area where I grew up.

In that spirit, then, I do want to share this brief quote:

"All of us share this world for but a brief moment in time. The question is whether we spend that time focused on what pushes us apart, or whether we commit ourselves to an effort — a sustained effort — to find common ground, to focus on the future we seek for our children, and to respect the dignity of all human beings." - President Obama, Cairo, 6-4-09

Also, let me mention that I will be trying to get my hands on some of those "Obama/Tutankhamun" tee shirts I saw all over the American media as a really cool souvenier of the times.

Obama Day!

Tomorrow is Obama Day here in Cairo!

Unfortunately, I didn't even know someone who knew someone - no ticket in hand. I also have to work.

Still, it's exciting.

Alex III

It's time I covered my trip to Alexandria with In-Focus last weekend.

I started the day with a 5:30 am get-up and go. The taxi missed a turn and I missed my cappuccino as a result; but no matter, our group kept us well watered, pepsi'd and snacked on the 3 hour bus ride up the Alex Desert Road.

I'd never been up the desert road before and it was an interesting experience. Not very much desert, these days. 6th of October city looked like a DC suburb with mini-malls, stylish office parks on beautifully manicured lawns, exclusive communities of villas, and coffee joints...*sigh*

Upon reaching Alex, we met up with the Alex In-Focus group and visited the first neighborhood on our adventure: a small neighborhood that definitely is off the tourist track. The tiny winding streets were full of laughing children, kindly old ladies, older gentlemen full of character, and very curious residents wondering what these 50 or so odd photographers were doing in their streets.

After about 2 hours in the first area, and some of my best pictures of the day, we moved on to the Alex I was familiar with, near the fort. Fortunately, I teamed up with some new friends (2 of whom were residents of Alexandria) and discovered some new things: the fishmarket, the boat yard, and - best of all - Fuul and Tamaya (light, fluffy version of falafal). The three of us each had 2 sandwiches; one fuul, one tamaya - and the cost of all 6 sandwiches was 78 cents (and were DEEELICIOUS!) I also, FINALLY, got a cappuccino!

I thought that was going to be the end of the day (I really must read my emails more carefully). We had finished up the second area at 4:30 and I was ready for a nap. However, we still had one more neighborhood to visit, a fishing community about 20 minutes away from the city center. This community had beautiful boats and a beach. We spent about 2 1 /2 hours between the neighborhood and the beach, and I got some nice shots; however I was tired and the slightest annoyance (even a precocious child begging and begging me to take more pictures of her) was wearing on me. By sunset there was no where I wanted to be more than home in bed.

At 8:30 / 9:00 we left for ... DINNER!

That's right, at this point, we finally headed to the restaurant back near the city center for a fish dinner. The food was incredible! Seafood Soup and Salads (tahina, etc) to start, followed by fish 2 ways (deep fried and grilled with tomatoes and onion), calamary, shrimp, and rice ... all included with our day trip! The company was excellent as well, as I sat with some of the ladies I'd been hanging out with all day. (including my friend Noura's mother who had taken me under her wing in the morning).

Finally, at 2 am, thanks to a new friend who gave me a ride from where the bus dropped us off downtown, I got home. 20 hours of photography, 200 ok pictures - about 40 that I consider "good" and loads to think and talk about. All-in-all a good day.

WAKE UP CALL!

Tomorrow morning I'll be up EARLY for a trip to Alexandria with my photography club. I think we're going to places I've not been before (but as most trip info has been disseminated in Arabic, I can only guess at most of the plan for the day). Anyway, the pics should be up to Flickr, and a post about my trip should be here, some time next week.

Up at 5:30 am and I'm off to meet the bus at 6:15. Thank goodness the cappuccino store is 24 hours!

and again

Another guest, another discovery.

Last week, for just a few days, one of my dear old best friends Seanie came to visit. We did the usual - pyramids, dinner at Abu El Sid (really good Egyptian restaurant in my neighborhood where I dined on Quail for the first time - YUM!), walking around...

But as with my last visitor, there were new discoveries (beyond the quail appetizer).

First, the pool at the Cataract Hotel near the Sakkara pyramids. It's a great way to cool off after a morning in the desert, it's not far from the Giza pyramids, and you can pay just to use the pool. (My good friend Therese and I plan on frequenting it often in the future).

The next discovery was probably the best - the Sawy Culture Wheel in Zamalek. A performing arts space and gallery (built under a bridge) that is not only a great use of public space, but is also a reminder of the Creative Alliance back home, which I've been missing very much lately.

Completely by happy accident, we saw a great live concert billed as "In Memory of Abdel Wahab, Hossam Sameer Presents the Great Composers' Master Pieces on Oud accompanied by his Musical Band" (copied exactly from the original). Mr. Sameer was a charming man (I assume by the crowd reaction, as my Arabic allowed me only to grasp 5 words of his introduction) and he and his Oud were amazing. Equally worthy of praise was his Musical Band: a percussionist on tambourine and beatbox; a zither player; a flautist; a violinist; and a cellist.

Towards the end of the first set, a tiny old woman, easily in her 80's, was brought onto the stage to much fanfare and acclaim from the crowd. Up until this point, we had noticed people in the audience occasionally singing as the band played, but we now realized everyone had received a program with all of the song lyrics printed (in Arabic) as they came in. This little old woman grasped the microphone stand to steady herself and sang with the band as the crowd went wild clapping and singing along, and cheering. Occasionally she would wiggle her hip or get a little shoulder move going, along with a mischievous glint in your eyes and you could see that, in her heydey, this was a very sassy lady. The crowd loved her so much that, despite it obviously not being planned, she was brought up again after the intermission to sing another song. The band stopped playing before the last verse and she turned around with her hand on her hip and made a joke and they started playing again until she was done singing. The moment was heartwarming and brilliant and made me so glad to have moved here and taken this journey.

I have no pictures from the evening except for this one, of a wedding car outside the florist shop as it was being decorated for a wedding procession:

Kate's Visit

M'friend Kate just visited. We went to Alexandria (still love it!). After dinner, we discovered the fish museum, with loads of plaster fish in plaster fish environments and a giant whale skeleton. My FAVORITE kind of museum: i.e. quirky, unexpected and a little bit awesome! (and only $1 admission!) Made me think of my fellow quirky museum enthusiasts back home.


On Kate's last night we took a felucca ride (still love that too!). My friend's mom, who was visiting as well, made smoked salmon sandwiches, we ate chips and silly lollipops, and the Nile, that tricky vixen, stole my sunglasses; a small price to pay for an amazingly beautiful night and sunset (and being able to see the tippy-top of the great pyramid from the boat).

Istanbul Is Incredible!

I am not very good at "vacation planning," I prefer, rather, the more haphazard "adventure planning" - which means very little planning at all.

This time, my lack of planning resulted in me landing in Istanbul the weekend of the Tulip Festival.

I don't think my accidental timing could have been perfect. Tulips lined all the major streets, filled the gardens of the Blue Mosque, the parks, Topkapi Palace, and even could be found in tiny pots welcoming visitors to shops and restaurants.

Unfortunately, the festival, combined with Spring Break in the states, meant a crush of tourists in the major landmarks. I arrived at Topkapi Palace (Sultahmet) early enough to avoid most of the crowds, but when I emerged from the Archaeology Museum there I found that what seemed like 1,000 busses had all dumped out their tourists on the site at once. Fortunately, many of those tourists did not seem to want to pay the extra money to see the Harem, which is really all I wanted to see (was it posh? was it beautiful? was it amazing? yes to all three!). I tried to see other parts of the palace museum, but I don't do well in crowds and had already been on the palace grounds for 2 1/2 hours (a large chunk of time when you only have 2 days to explore!) so I moved on.

I had read and heard about a "covered bazaar" and followed the street signs (up hills, down hills, up hills) in that direction, stopping for two things: lunch(!) and a picture of this man:

I love the idea of a bunny telling my fortune, but the bunnies looked like they had it in for me and I was in too good a mood to ruin my day with a bad fortune!

The bazaar was crazy packed with people and, as it is covered, was more like a mall than my hometown Khan-el-Khili (and much more expensive!) so I shopped a bit elsewhere on my way back to the hotel to clean up for dinner, for which I had special treat planned for myself.

As I don't often get fresh, delicious seafood here in Cairo, I had gone early in the morning to the fishmarket on the Sea of Marmara so that I could photograph the men taking in the fresh catch of the day. I got there a bit too late to see them unloading the boats, but was very impressed by the beautiful Octopus, Scorpion fish, Sardines, and many many other yummy looking fishes. As I walked around taking pictures, I noticed that the back of the fish market hosted seaside dining. I knew that would be the place for the freshest, most delicious selections of the days catch, so that evening I returned, wallet at the ready (as it was not cheap!). I enjoyed deep fried mussles with a garlic cream dipping sauce, fillet of swordfish, grilled, with fresh greens...and for dessert? a beautiful plate of fresh fruit!

I concluded the night with a beautiful sunset walk along the promenade where people sold nuts, popcorn, and candy. A group of funny old men invited me to join their barbecue (which I politely declined), loads of men and young boys fished along the walkway, and lovers sat on the rocks holding hands gazing at the sea. A few enterprising souls had set up balloons, cans, and bottles on the rocks with a bebe gun on the walkway charging people to shoot at the balloons, much like the boardwalk back home.
The next day I explored "New City" starting with a view of the whole city from the top of Galata tower, which was beautiful. From there I wound my way around and down to the ferry docks and jumped on the next ferry that was leaving - with no idea where it was going.

and, kids, that's how I first step foot in Asia.

See, Istanbul is a divided city, half in Europe and half in Asia. By hopping on the ferry, I had landed myself on the Asian side (and there was a decidedly different feel to the buildings - particularly the architecture of the mosques and foliage). I only wandered around briefly, then got back on the ferry, this time bound for another port altogether, back in the tourist area. On the boat a kindly old woman tried to fix me up with her son, who was there visiting with one of his sons. Really nice guy who's lived in Minneapolis the last 13 years. It was fun chatting to them about life in Istanbul vs the states. The grandfather of the man tried to get me to join them for a walk (I think, he didn't speak any English, but was very smiley and friendly and probably in his 80's - he wore a cap and brown overcoat; looking just like the old man from "Under the Tuscan Sun" that leaves flowers at the shrine each day), but I declined as I was getting VERY hungry.

I walked across a bridge, explored a bit more, took pics at ANOTHER fish market, took a ride on the 2nd oldest metro in the world (i.e. avoided climbing another hill) and wandered around until I found:


THE KABAB PLACE.


I was the only tourist, I got 3x as much food as I had anywhere else on my trip, it was DELICIOUS and it was only about $10. The menu choices were: Beef, Chicken, or Chicken Livers and then they just brought loads and loads of plates of veggies out and all these skewers of beef!

I know, I know, with me, it's always all about the food...

Finally I concluded my trip with shopping. Tons of shopping. I have many many pictures involving shopping, and many souvenirs to show for my shopping. Usually I bartered, sometimes with better results than others (it always depends on my mood, this whole bartering thing). Most of all though, I leave you with this: one of my favorite things from the whole trip was drinking tea out of the tiny tulip-shaped tea glasses that Istanbul is known for. I bought some with tiny gold stars on them for myself, and some for xmas presents to bring home. But this was one of the first pictures I took on the trip because as I enjoyed a coffee next to the shop being run by a guy who just moved back to Istanbul after 7 years in Wisconsin (I couldn't make this stuff up and neither could they - you can always tell when they are making up the "Oh, I lived in..." - this guy had the whole cowboy thing going on and was missing the quiet and remoteness of Wisconsin something bad).
so right, anyway, I leave you with tea...

Will Write Soon!

I'll blog about my AMAZING 2 1/2 days in Istanbul very soon, once my pics are uploaded and I've recovered from the arrival back into the heat and bustle of Cairo.

decisions decisions

I am quite sure I am not a rational decision maker at 4am.

However, as I could not sleep tonight to save my soul, I've just booked a three-day vacation in Istanbul over the coming break.

I'll get back just in time to clean my apartment and greet my first guest.

Shopping in the Khan

Today, after attending my conference downtown, I went to the Khan-el-Khalili for my first shopping trip there.

The last time I went to the Khan it was a Friday and absolute insanity, so I steeled myself for a mad-cap shopping adventure...

but surprisingly found none.

3pm on a Sunday found a near-empty bazaar, few tourists, and many shops closed. Fortunately, I was able to find notions to glue to "uniforms" for the play I'm costuming, bed spreads I will use as couch covers, pashminas (that I overpaid for, but whatever - not by more than $4 usd a piece) that will also be couch covers, yarn for fake dreadlocks for the play, 2 blouses for the coming hot hot summer (it was already 90 degrees today!) . . . all for a mere pittance!

In addition to that, I had FUN! I knew just enough Arabic to make the touts second-guess all their trying to hard-sell their wares and bartered REASONABLY even though I knew I could get things a little bit cheaper (but what's the point of bartering over only a dollar or two?)

Cairo does have it's very cool moments.

So Cool

Even after 7 months, and despite the fact that I see it every day, I still can't help but smile each time I see the Nile glittering in the sun.

Yesterday, it was even so clear that we could see the pyramids, all three, in detail, from the Ring Road by the Citadel.

Caroline and I were so excited we were squealing - and to think they are always RIGHT THERE.

What I'm Reading

Being that I'm an English Teacher, I figure it's been a while since I did a post about what's been good on the bookshelf. Fortunately, I've had time to catch-up on reading since Christmas and here's what I have:

Current: The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak: I've only just begun this novel, but it is an interesting portrait of East-meets-West.

Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje: This was a creepy novel about government corruption during the civil war in Sri Lanka. Eastern ideas vs Western Ideas in a woman returning to her homeland after living in America. A mixture of themes of homecoming, mystery, suspense, and tragedy. Very good, interesting read - though a bit sad for my vacation reading.

Married to a Bedouin by Marguerite van Geldermalsen: a non-fiction auto-biographical account of a Kiwi woman who marries into the Bedouin of Petra in Jordan. Really fascinating and something I could definitely relate to as a Western woman trying to find her way in a new land with a new language and different culture.

Stalking the Wild Dik-Dik by Marie Javins: A single girl takes off alone on a round-the-world over-land journey. This book is the autobiographical account of her trip overland from South Africa to Cairo. Very interesting, a new and different perspective on places I will never go and inspiration to travel to Zanzibar sometime soon.

That's it - any recommendations for what to read next?

Cyprus

So, last week I went to Cyprus - the Greek side - for a little R&R with my friend/ co-worker/ choir director, Dan.

Being that it was not tourist season, the streets were nearly empty, and peace and quiet rained down on us from the heavens. Rain also rained down on us from the heavens on the last day, but that's ok, because rain is a novelty for us - being that it has only rained here in Cairo twice properly since August. Watching the gathering storm clouds approach from the Mediterranean while we sat on a high-hilltop in Paphos and ate an amazing lunch (pork and sweet potatoes for me, kebab pita for Dan) was exhilarating.

Overally, Cyprus is lovely, but what makes it so wonderful is the hospitality of the people ... and the food.

Exhibit A: Moussaka, perfect, fresh ingredients, melt-in-your-mouth sauce; at an outdoor cafe situated next to the medieval castle, on our first night

The trip did end up being a bit more expensive than we had anticipated, mainly because we've gotten so used to paying $1 USD for cab fare Cairo; not $10 USD for the same distance in Cyprus. Also, I had to eat mega-delicious, enormous, sit-down, event-style meals twice a day to be sure I enjoyed as much Cypriot cuisine as possible. There was Moussaka, Lamb with Green Beans and Potatoes (just like mom's ham-stringbeans-potatoes that I miss so much), pork and sweet potatoes, seafood risotto, seafood spaghetti, grilled haloumi, a mixed-mezze in Lemesos during which plates of food kept coming for nearly an hour, and fresh salads with little more than a sprinkling of olive oil and pepper for dressing.

I walked about 5 - 7 miles a day according to the map, usually walking at least 3 miles before lunch by myself, exploring the island and the sites. I went to the Tombs of the Kings at 8 am just after they opened and was the only person exploring for the first hour I was there. As it is an enormous site of natural caves and wild flowers that end at the sea, it was a beautiful, haunting, peaceful bit of exploring I'm guessing few people get to enjoy in such isolation. We went to the Paphos Archaelogical Site and saw ancient mosaics, the Medieval Castle / Byzantine Church / Turkish Prison in Lemesos, gardens, beaches, and churches. It was a good bit of exploring, my only wish is that I had gotten up into the mountains and villages away from the more touristy areas.

Overall, though, it was the recharge I needed.



Next week: Istanbul!

Photo of the Day

A group of my peers from my photography club, whom I very much respect, nominated my picture "Broomstick man" (the extreme close up of the old man from my previous post) as "Photo-of-the-Day." This means a lot to me because I really struggled with exposure on that trip and I'm still getting used to my new camera.

It also means a lot to me because I greatly respect them as photographers.

Hooray!

El Manyal Sheeha Ferry

Today's In Focus outing was to take portraits of the riders of the El Manyal Sheeha Ferry. The ferry is not far from my house and goes El Manyal Sheeha which is just the other side of the Nile from where I live and just South of the pyramids at Giza. This trip was just back and forth on the ferry for about 2 1/2 hours "people watching" with our cameras.

I honestly would not have even known that ferry was there had the group not met there.

I really enjoy hanging out with the photographers, even though I don't understand most of the conversation. Most of them have some English, so we share pictures and tips - I think they are finally warming up to this Westerner hanging out in their midsts. They are all lovely and invited me to join them for breakfast today, but after a late night out last night I needed to come home - maybe next time :)

For now, I've included a few of my portraits in this post. I struggled a little bit with exposure today (the sun was in, the sun was out, we're in the ferry, we're off the ferry) but overall got some good shots that I'm happy with.