SUMMERTIME

Here is a smattering of random observations . . . .

Lately, it has been very hot and more humid than normal.  As much as I can't stand being cooped up in an apartment all day, we really have no choice if we want to beat the heat.  About the only reason to go outside right now is if we go swimming.  There has been a silver lining to all this time at home.  Due to the alignment of circumstances largely out of our control, we ended up in an unexpected situation where I find myself homeschooling our twin daughters for their first year of kindergarten.  It has turned out to be a most pleasant surprise!  Before I had children, I taught Second Grade.  So I'm not so intimidated by the prospect.  And I am absolutely cherishing this extra time with my children that I otherwise would be losing had I packed them up and shipped them off to school.  I would have been perfectly fine with that arrangement and I have no strong objections to public or private schools and their large classrooms.  But I am keeping very busy with planning their curriculum and teaching them about the world around them.  I have a little classroom set up in the corner of my spacious front living room.  I have the alphabet running across the ceiling.  A dry erase board hangs on the wall next to a large-scale calendar.  The girls have desks and tables and their crafts and artwork adorn the walls.  My daughters so far have been little sponges.  A and B are loving Kindergarten and they are soaking up each new thing I teach them.  It has been so special to have such a pivotal role in their first learning experiences of reading, writing, history, science, math, etc.  It is truly an honor to be the one to give them these priceless skills of literacy and other essential skills for life.  We LOVE reading good books together and I have really enjoyed the nostalgia of revisiting some of my childhood favorites.  We are also watching the first season of Little House on the Prairie on Blu-ray.  I remember watching it as a child and I get such a kick out of seeing my girls love it just as much as I do.  If being "cooped up" indoors to avoid the scorching desert sun is like this all the time, then I think I'll be able to survive the summer heat just fine.
 

A and B in our school area.

 
Our small church congregation is even smaller during the summer.  A few months ago we had 20 children and around 45 adults.  Now there are only 6 children (half are mine) and less than 20 adults.  We are busy with our callings or service responsibilities.  Last Friday, my husband taught the adult Gospel Doctrine class,  which he does every week.  He has enjoyed teaching the Old Testament while living in Egypt.  I taught the children sharing time in Primary and the women in Relief Society.  In Primary, my girls gave the talk, scripture and prayer.  It was a little stressful doing all the preparation for our assignments but it went well and we were glad that we could help out.  (Update:  I wrote this paragraph a month ago and now our primary has doubled.)

We decided to not subscribe to satellite or cable here in Cairo.  I think we are the only home without a satellite dish.  We use Netflix and Amazon.  We have plenty of TV and movies to choose from and I like that we can be selective in our choices.  My latest favorites on Netflix have been "Breaking Bad", "Grey's Anatomy" and "Friday Night Lights."  I love being able to watch the episodes in order one after another... although I have to admit that sometimes this is a problem because it's very easy to go to the next episode instead of going to bed.  

Ramadan is the month of fasting for Muslims worldwide.  Ramadan reminded me a little of the Christmas season for Christians.  Beautiful decorations adorn the streets and porches across Egypt.  People are focused on giving money and food to the poor.  Each evening ends in a feast to break the fast.  Those with means provide meals to those without.  Several street corners throughout my neighborhood were set up with makeshift outdoor dining areas where the poorer sections of society would congregate for a free meal.  It was truly impressive.  I saw one "table" set up in the middle of the road that extended for hundreds and hundreds of feet from one end of a city block all the way to the end of another.  After the sun went down, there were celebrations with food and fireworks.  This year it was observed mostly during the month of July.  It was interesting to experience firsthand.  Devout Muslims fast from food, water, chewing gum, smoking and sex during daylight hours.  Although I did not fast, our lives were different in July.  It was almost impossible to find a restaurant that made food during the day or delivered food before 8:30 PM.  The traffic was quite a bit lighter and the air quality a little cleaner (less exhaust and smoke).  I cooked at home all month.  It was fine, but I always enjoyed having the option of ordering dinner and having it delivered if I didn't feel like cooking. Or if the power was out.   

My neighbor's front porch Ramadan decorations

 
Speaking of power outages... HOLY COW!  We lose power for at least an hour at a time, multiple times per day.  Every.  Single.  Day.  The times are staggered and intentionally unannounced.  I consider myself lucky if I can finish a load of laundry without interruption.  Or finish bath time with my girls without it going dark while the shampoo is still in their hair.  I breath a sigh of relief each time I have dinner cooked and ready to eat before the power cuts.  Everything is electric in our apartment so we often find ourselves dining on cold entrees (sandwiches or cereal).  Amazon Prime can't deliver a newly-ordered patio gas grill soon enough!  I really try not to complain about the electricity outages.  At least we have electricity and A/C and a home to live in.  I am surrounded by so much poverty here that causes me to reflect on all of my blessings.  I am so grateful for all that I have and I am grateful for these experiences that put so much into perspective.

 

OLD CAIRO aka COPTIC CAIRO

OLD CAIRO aka COPTIC CAIRO

Cairo, Egypt is an ancient city with a rich history and diverse culture.  Nowadays, most people recognize that Egypt is the most populous Arab country in the world.  Of its population, today the vast majority of Egyptians are Muslims.  But did you know that there are millions of Coptic Christians living in Egypt?  Of course thousands of years before Jesus Christ the ancient Egyptians were practicing their own forms of religion and theocracy.  But Christianity was introduced to Egypt by Saint Mark long before Islam ever formed.  For centuries, Christianity spread throughout Egypt before the introduction of Islam.  I have been surprised by the many similarities and shared principles between Christianity, Islam and Judaism, but that is a discussion for a separate blog post perhaps some other day. 

My family and I had the recent pleasure of exploring Coptic Cairo, one of Cairo's most ancient centers, also referred to as Old Cairo.  Just last night I was reading to my daughters the Old Testament story of baby Moses being discovered by Pharaoh's daughter concealed in a basket and floating in the Nile River among the reeds.  And then I find out as my husband is reading aloud to me from Lonely Planet's Discover Egypt guide book about the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Coptic Cairo, "The adjacent spring is supposed to mark the place where the pharaoh's daughter found Moses in the reeds, and where Mary drew water to wash Jesus."  As if that wasn't enough exciting history, the Church of St. Sergius & Bacchus is "built over a cave where Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus are said to have taken shelter after fleeing to Egypt to escape persecution from King Herod of Judea, who had embarked upon a 'massacre of the first born'."  So without further delay, here are the highlights of our morning excursion:

ROMAN TOWERS OF THE BABYLON FORTRESS

Outside the ruins of the Roman Towers

THE HANGING CHURCH

Ornate hybrib Islamic/Christian details. Crosses are woven throughout otherwise traditional Arabic designs.

C figured she would help stoke the flames of the incense burning at The Hanging Church.

Inside The Hanging Church.

Apparently this is one of the most highly revered icons inside The Hanging Church.

Mosaics in The Hanging Church courtyard.

The Hanging Church. We love every detail of culture, art, architecture, design, etc. that surrounds us.

CHURCH OF SAINT GEORGE

This is the Church of St. George in Coptic, Cairo. It's Greek Orthodox.

We were admiring all the newly-restored artwork and chandelier inside the Church of St. George.

This is the little Chaplet of Saint George with an impressive mosaic mural. Somewhere before this photo C lost her enthusiasm for seeing all this "old stuff."

BEN EZRA SYNAGOGUE

Once a Christian church, the Jewish Ben Ezra Synagogue sits inside the greater Coptic Cairo grounds. Some say that the baby Moses was pulled from the basket in the Nile River near this spot (although the Nile no longer flows in this part of Cairo).

Although not on our itinerary because our little girls can handle only so much "old stuff" in one day, this part of town also includes the exquisite Coptic Museum and Africa's very first mosque, the Mosque of Amr ibn al-As.  I find hope in humanity's peaceful coexistence knowing that for centuries this little piece of real estate has been home to Christians and their churches, Muslims and their mosque and Jews and their synagogue.  I was treated to a sweet example of proof of this when Shaima, our Muslim tour guide, surprised each of my daughters with their own Coptic Cross necklace at the end of our tour.  We all really can - and should - get along.  I think it takes more effort to hate than it does to tolerate and even love.