Summer Year 3 - 2011

Summer was a much needed escape after an insane year. I arrived in Baltimore a bit shell-shocked from life in Egypt post-revolution. I wandered zombie-like around Baltimore for the first week home while I also took an AP course at Goucher College and battled crazy jet lag.

Then, fourth of July weekend at my niece's 4th birthday party (where I was very happily surrounded by my 'other family' who have been my third set of parents and siblings since I was 12) - Lil opened her present and said "OOOOooo a magic wand! Thank you Aunt H! Bibbidi-Bobbidy-boo!" I just needed that little bit of magic: everything was right with the world again. I spent the next two days visiting friends and extended family, meeting new cousins and 'nieces and nephews' born during my year-long absence from Baltimore, hugging everyone in sight, and being happy to be alive.

I flew back to Cairo for a few days to meet-up with my roommate and then we flew off to Bali for a wedding on the tiny island of Nusa Penida. The Bali Posts speak for themselves, as do the pictures below.

Finally, it was off to Thailand (where I rode elephants, pet tigers, zip-lined through the jungle, ate amazing food, and sweat like I never knew was possible) and Singapore (two days of amazing food and wine....and orangutans) before settling back in to Cairo and catching up with friends as I started what I knew would be my last year here.

Candidasa, Bali, Indonesia

Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

Jimbaran, Bali, Indonesia

                                     

Bangkok, Thailand

Ayathuya, Thailand

Chonburri, Thailand

Kanchanaburri, Thailand

Singapore, Singapore

Year 2 2009 - 2010

Distraction from reading the news this morning seems like a good thing, so I bring you Year 2, my travels from September 2009 - April 2010. I actually didn't have many crazy adventures abroad that year, but I did have loads of visitors; which made life in Cairo interesting as I was suddenly not so much a passive observer as a tour guide and resident - suddenly I felt like I LIVED in Egypt; and that was very cool indeed. I also got to take one of my brothers on his first trip to Europe when we went to Rome in October; also very cool. There were also a random few nights stranded in NYC in a snowstorm while trying to get back to Baltimore, a conference in Bangkok, some mini-vacations to Cyprus and Alexandria, and my first trip to Luxor.

I am including one picture from Cairo that year, possibly my favorite picture I've ever taken. In Spring 2010, I visited the El Safa Center (a retirement home) with my National Honor Society students. There I met three sweet old ladies who wanted nothing more than to pose for pictures; and the results were the most beautiful portraits I have ever taken (and likely, the most beautiful I will ever take).

Rome, Italy

 

 

Pompeii, Italy

 

New York, NY

 

Baltimore, MD

  

 

Luxor, Egypt

 

Bangkok, Thailand

 

 

Cairo, Egypt

 

 

Limassol, Cyprus

 

Alexandria, Egypt 

The Tiger Temple

Walking up BEHIND a tiger where it cannot see you approaching in order to pet it seemed to me a stupid thing to do. I have cats. Granted, Fluffer and Squeak aren't huge jungle cats that could gouge out my spleen in one swift whack of their paws (though they do cause some wickedly nasty scratches when annoyed) - but if I've learned anything from having cats and dogs it is that you do not creep up BEHIND them to pet them. When you creep up behind a cat, then go to stroke them, they jump about a mile high and whap you with their paw; and then you get those nasty, superficial, not really dangerous (unless they get infected) scratches on your arm.

None the less, the signs as I entered the Tiger Temple in Katchanaburi, Thailand told me to follow all the monks' instructions - and that included walking up behind the little tiger (who was, thankfully, still smaller than some of my mom's Greater Swiss Mountain dogs) and stroke him from mid-back to tail. But what do you do when the tiger (on a leash) comes up behind you and begins sniffing and cuddling your backside (as happened to my friend?) - apparently you treat it like any pet (scratches behind the ear, pat its flanks) and it will try to follow you home - actually I don't recommend doing that, but that's what happened and I have the video to prove it.

A tiger nuzzles my friend
(*kids, do not try this at home!)

Petting a tiger was the most fun I had on my entire, month-long trip to South East Asia this summer. I had originally cancelled that part of the tour (which also included the train market, floating market, and some other stuff that doesn't matter at all because I got to PET a FREAKING TIGER!) because I had read some articles on the interwebs slagging off the monks and saying it was a den of abuse. Then, when I was in Bali, A told me she had done her own research, the anti-tiger temple sites were malarkey, and that it was the ONE THING I HAD TO DO and was the most amazing experience of her life. She wasn't wrong.

It was cool.

There was also an area where you could pet the big cats. BIG. You could also sign up to feed the baby tigers (had I only known, my whole day would have been spent at the temple). I never did those things - I never even saw the temple part of the temple, so absorbed was I by the small, dog-sized tigers that were cuddly and playful. The monks were very kind and helpful in guiding visitors around and advising on safety - you could also pet farm animals and deer - but NOT the ostrich, which I overheard a monk say could eviscerate you in under a minute.

(the scene just before I pet the tiger!)

The one sad thing about the Tiger Temple was the display of passive parenting. There were signs everywhere about controlling your children as, cute and cuddly as they were, these were dangerous animals that needed to be respected. Still, I saw ten to fifteen year old kids repeatedly running up and touching or 'patting' (read: whacking) the tiger's head and flank as it was lead to its next location. Meanwhile their parents stood by (said nothing) and watched their children get reamed out by a monk (first time I've ever seen a monk yell at someone) - all because they didn't seem to want to wait in line and pet the tiger appropriately when it was lying down and ready to be pet. I suspected this was a daily occurrence at the park as I saw it happen with another family as I left. It was the main topic of conversation on the four-hour ride back to Bangkok (so much traffic!) because you could see in the tiger's face that look of "just let them try it one more time!"

Being one for the rules, however, I followed the monk's instructions, overcame my fears, walked up behind the tiger, crouched down (one's head should always be lower than a monk's) and pet "Mack" the tiger and had the most amazing experience of my whole trip.

Bangkok in Brief

I was only in Bangkok a few short days that were mostly concerned with attending an absolutely FANTASTIC education conference. Still, there was time on the schedule to get away and explore a bit.


In brief, I can say I loved Thailand. First of all, there is food EVERYWHERE. Street vendors sell things I could not describe (or identify) as well as delicious looking dumplings, fried pork products, fresh juices, chicken, noodles, soups, and all manner of sugary good things. I had crab cakes (with ham in them!) that were baked into crab shells and tempura fried. I had stir-fried duck in holy basil and chili (twice!).

Bacon. Wrapped. Banana.

There - see - you get the gist.




It is also a very beautiful, clean, orderly city. The temples at the Grand Palace had mosaic-style turrets seemingly from fairy-tale lands. The people of Bangkok were kind, quiet, and gentle spirits (even the protests were peaceful).






Best of all, though, Bangkok was quirky. A hoola-hooping elephant for your next party? They've got it. A thai-Elvis? Got it. Unique gifts - got it in droves (esp for a lucky few of you!). Flea Markets? Oh heck yeah! Basically, Bangkok is a place I can see myself living and thriving - if living and thriving with indigestion from the incredibly spicy fare.