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!