In the three months that I had been living in Egypt prior to going to Lebanon I probably lost somewhere between 5-8 pounds. Thats what happens when you live off of food you can make in a microwave/hot plate/water boiler. So I was looking forward to eating home cooked meals for a week like you wouldn't believe!! I had also heard stories every day about the amazing food that I was in store for from Raina nearly every day leading up to going to Lebanon. The things that were on the top of my need to eat list were tabbouleh, chocolate croissants, fattoush, and falafel. But never would I have guessed how much food I was going to eat that week or how many different types of food I was going to eat.
I ended up in Lebanon during 'Eid, and part of the holiday is a feast. But I swear to you I feasted EVERY night. The first full day I was in Lebanon I hadn't yet figured out that one I need to eat slowly so that I am not encouraged to keep eating after I am full, and two my stomach hadn't yet expanded to be able to accommodate the amount of food I was now eating compared to my meals back in Egypt. So at around 3am after my first full day in Beirut I got sick...and the wonderful food I had been enjoying all day payed me a second visit. :-( Thank-God Raina came and found me and helped me clean up after myself and shove me into bed. (SORRY RAINA!!!)
But nonetheless....you all seriously need to eat some Lebanese food. Come find me in the US and I will cook some for you! Let me describe to you a normal eating day. Wake up and drink tea and/or Turkish Coffee, eat fruit, chocolate croissants, that cheese filled stuff, lentils with olive oil, mint, and lemon. Lunch would be Mana'esh bread filled with cheese or zatar...which I don't know how to describe..., hummus, lots of flat bread, wara 'inab grape leaves filled with rice and/or meat, tabbouleh parsley salad usually eaten on lettuce leaves (AMAZING), fattoush also salad like, or we would eat out and eat normal restaurant food, and we ended with fruit and coffee/tea for desert. Dinner was usually more of an experience one night we went to a restaurant right on the Med...you name it it made it's way to our table that evening. But the reason we went out that night was to eat fish, don't tell my father, but I ate an entire fish that night! It was a once in a life time experience :-P One of my favorite dishes I ate the whole week though was loubia bi zeit green beans, olive oil, garlic, and tomatoes (YUMM). After we went to the movies (Will come in another post soon) Raina's cousin Fadi took us and his family out for falafel...and I must say Lebanon totally does falafel better than Egypt.
All in all Lebanon was a fabulous eating adventure and I would encourage everyone to visit Lebanon in the future...even if it is just for a day so you can drink Nescafe from a street vender on the Med and drink a Lebanese beer, smoke argila, and munch on maza in one of the cafes lining the cliffs!
Much Love,
~S
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
December 14, 2009
December 6, 2009
Lebanon part one of a few!
I don't think I can even accurately describe to anyone how amazing Lebanon was. Beirut is beautiful, you can walk along the cornish at sunset sipping nescafe from a street vender (probably the best coffee I have ever had) and watch the sun set over the Med, you can sit in a cafe in the recent remodeled downtown, enjoy a fabulous meal and smoke argila under the watchful eyes of the most beautiful mosque I have ever seen, you can hit up a mall and shop (or in my case take absurd amount of pictures of Christmas decorations), and you can see buildings with bullet holes in them and holes bigger than me blown into the sides from bombings. My trip was eye opening and so enlightening. I was able to talk to people who have seen war, who have been refugees, who have had bullets fly into their houses. I wasn't getting my information from a book, a newspaper, an article, I got to hear first hand peoples experiences and it was so moving.
But most importantly I got to live with some of the nicest people I have ever met. Raina Zantout's family was so very kind and I couldn't have asked for better people to spend my break with. They stuffed me full of amazing food at every meal (I loved it so much I wend and bought a Lebanese cookbook) and after every meal and before bed every night and for snacks during the day we would drink Turkish Coffee (which I learned how to make!!!) and Tea. Tante Fatme (Raina's Aunt) was SO kind and saw to our every need, she reminded me so much of my Grandmother and I loved sitting with her before bed while she had her evening cigarette and listening to her stories. Tante Nooha (Another Aunt) cooked a majority of the food and I WISH I could learn all of the recipes she has in her head! Tante Farida (Aunt number 3) was always willing to share stories and making sure Raina and I were safe and sound. Amu Najib (Uncle) provided a nice balance to the estrogen filled house :-P and Raina's Aunt Tante Nour from down the street would often come and visit and we went there once too to visit (her house was SWANKY!).
We were in Lebanon during 'Eid al-Adha which celebrates Abraham's extreme devotion to God that he would even sacrifice his own son Ishmael to God because that is what God had commanded. However, after the sacrifice had been performed God comes to Abraham and tells him that a sheep was sacrificed instead and God had saved his son because Abraham was able to transcend his love for this world to show his extreme love of God. This is also why during 'Eid al-Adha sheep are sacrificed and their meat is donated to the poor. 'Eid al-Adha follows the month of Hajj and the festivities last for three days. So during these three days many visitors came to Beit Zantout and I got to meet many family friends and relatives. Raina's Aunt who lives in Texas was in town, several of Raina's cousins who live outside of Lebanon were around and of course everyone who lived close by came to visit. Everything reminded me so much of holidays back home. I come from a large family and LOVE family gatherings because of the complete chaos with tons of people crowded together.
I am so happy I went and I can't wait to share more of my stories with you!!!
Much Love,
~S
But most importantly I got to live with some of the nicest people I have ever met. Raina Zantout's family was so very kind and I couldn't have asked for better people to spend my break with. They stuffed me full of amazing food at every meal (I loved it so much I wend and bought a Lebanese cookbook) and after every meal and before bed every night and for snacks during the day we would drink Turkish Coffee (which I learned how to make!!!) and Tea. Tante Fatme (Raina's Aunt) was SO kind and saw to our every need, she reminded me so much of my Grandmother and I loved sitting with her before bed while she had her evening cigarette and listening to her stories. Tante Nooha (Another Aunt) cooked a majority of the food and I WISH I could learn all of the recipes she has in her head! Tante Farida (Aunt number 3) was always willing to share stories and making sure Raina and I were safe and sound. Amu Najib (Uncle) provided a nice balance to the estrogen filled house :-P and Raina's Aunt Tante Nour from down the street would often come and visit and we went there once too to visit (her house was SWANKY!).
We were in Lebanon during 'Eid al-Adha which celebrates Abraham's extreme devotion to God that he would even sacrifice his own son Ishmael to God because that is what God had commanded. However, after the sacrifice had been performed God comes to Abraham and tells him that a sheep was sacrificed instead and God had saved his son because Abraham was able to transcend his love for this world to show his extreme love of God. This is also why during 'Eid al-Adha sheep are sacrificed and their meat is donated to the poor. 'Eid al-Adha follows the month of Hajj and the festivities last for three days. So during these three days many visitors came to Beit Zantout and I got to meet many family friends and relatives. Raina's Aunt who lives in Texas was in town, several of Raina's cousins who live outside of Lebanon were around and of course everyone who lived close by came to visit. Everything reminded me so much of holidays back home. I come from a large family and LOVE family gatherings because of the complete chaos with tons of people crowded together.
I am so happy I went and I can't wait to share more of my stories with you!!!
Much Love,
~S
November 25, 2009
Leaving Egypt
I have been thinking recently about the things I will miss when I go home, the things I am excited to leave, and the things I can't wait to go when I get back home...here are a few.
Things I Will Miss
~The amazing weather every day! It makes waking up in the morning so much easier!
~The wonderful people I have met!!! I hope that we can continue our friendships when we go back to the states!
~It being normal to have two girls and two guy hold hands or walk with their arms around each other and forbidden/scandalous for a boy and a girl to walk hand in hand.
~Speaking with my minimal Arabic skills.
~Being able to travel to places I never even dreamed of seeing so easily.
~Bargaining for things.
~The exchange rate...I don't want to be poor again :-(
Things I Won't Miss
~Getting a lot of unwanted attention from men
~People saying, "Welcome to Egypt!" EVERY time I go out.
~The greasy overpriced food on campus.
~Being SO far away from civilization.
~Getting ripped off because I am white and blonde.
Things I Can't Wait To Do
~DRIVE MY CAR! I can't wait to be able to go places again!
~Drink a cinnamon chai late!
~See my friends!!!! (Helen and Heather I expect a swing and poi date ASAP! Megan, will you be in any shows when I get back?! Everyone else I want to see you too!!! Facebook me and we will figure something out!)
~Have a much needed heart to heart
~Rock with my Mommy.
~Eat some amazing food that I am hoping my Dad cooks....chili, pecan pie, mashed potatoes, and corn bread....hint hint :-P
~Seeing my brother and sister. I know through Skype that my brother Sam has grown up SO much in these past few months it is just crazy. He is 14 years old and looks and sounds like a man! But he is still as goofy as ever! I also missed my sisters first semester of college. I so wish I could have gone up and visited her!
~Go see the river!!! I need a day back at daffodil valley, wrapped in a blanket, looking at the sun setting over the river...with all the time in the world just to think and figure some stuff out.
How I have changed
~I have realized that there is a lot in this life we cannot control and I have become a much more calm and peaceful person after accepting this.
~I have learned that I know SO little about the world and the people in it.
~I realized that my education in the US was pretty horrible in that I never learned anything about international history. I have learned more living here in 4 months then I have learned in my 20 years of living.
~I have learned how to hide important details about myself extremely well. Sometimes I shock myself with the half truths that I can make come out of my mouth.
~I have learned that I can coexist with a group of people that I grew up being told by the media and some of the people around me were "evil", and "oppressive". And most importantly I learned that these two adjectives are by far the worse adjectives to describe the people I come in contact with on a daily basis.
Much Love! I'm off to Lebanon!!! I'm spending Eid with my friend Raina and her family in Beirut!!! Be back on December 1st!!!
xoxo
~S
Things I Will Miss
~The amazing weather every day! It makes waking up in the morning so much easier!
~The wonderful people I have met!!! I hope that we can continue our friendships when we go back to the states!
~It being normal to have two girls and two guy hold hands or walk with their arms around each other and forbidden/scandalous for a boy and a girl to walk hand in hand.
~Speaking with my minimal Arabic skills.
~Being able to travel to places I never even dreamed of seeing so easily.
~Bargaining for things.
~The exchange rate...I don't want to be poor again :-(
Things I Won't Miss
~Getting a lot of unwanted attention from men
~People saying, "Welcome to Egypt!" EVERY time I go out.
~The greasy overpriced food on campus.
~Being SO far away from civilization.
~Getting ripped off because I am white and blonde.
Things I Can't Wait To Do
~DRIVE MY CAR! I can't wait to be able to go places again!
~Drink a cinnamon chai late!
~See my friends!!!! (Helen and Heather I expect a swing and poi date ASAP! Megan, will you be in any shows when I get back?! Everyone else I want to see you too!!! Facebook me and we will figure something out!)
~Have a much needed heart to heart
~Rock with my Mommy.
~Eat some amazing food that I am hoping my Dad cooks....chili, pecan pie, mashed potatoes, and corn bread....hint hint :-P
~Seeing my brother and sister. I know through Skype that my brother Sam has grown up SO much in these past few months it is just crazy. He is 14 years old and looks and sounds like a man! But he is still as goofy as ever! I also missed my sisters first semester of college. I so wish I could have gone up and visited her!
~Go see the river!!! I need a day back at daffodil valley, wrapped in a blanket, looking at the sun setting over the river...with all the time in the world just to think and figure some stuff out.
How I have changed
~I have realized that there is a lot in this life we cannot control and I have become a much more calm and peaceful person after accepting this.
~I have learned that I know SO little about the world and the people in it.
~I realized that my education in the US was pretty horrible in that I never learned anything about international history. I have learned more living here in 4 months then I have learned in my 20 years of living.
~I have learned how to hide important details about myself extremely well. Sometimes I shock myself with the half truths that I can make come out of my mouth.
~I have learned that I can coexist with a group of people that I grew up being told by the media and some of the people around me were "evil", and "oppressive". And most importantly I learned that these two adjectives are by far the worse adjectives to describe the people I come in contact with on a daily basis.
Much Love! I'm off to Lebanon!!! I'm spending Eid with my friend Raina and her family in Beirut!!! Be back on December 1st!!!
xoxo
~S
October 13, 2009
September 24, 2009
What's Been Going On In My Life!
Hey everyone! A lot has happened in the past few weeks! I have been to Luxor and Aswan in Upper Egypt and am currently in my hotel lobby in Turkey waiting for my room to be ready! When AUC decided to close until October 4th I knew I was going to travel but I never expected to have done so much in such a short period of time.
I went on a Nile Cruise with the school and I met some absolutely wonderful people who I feel really comfortable and close with!!! We visited three tombs in The Valley of the Kings; Ramses VII, Ramses IV, and Ramses IX, and I was shocked by how much these tombs have been preserved over the years. In the Ramses IV tomb you could even see brush strokes in the designs that were painted on the walls. Every surface was nearly covered with color from floor to ceiling; there were spots where some of the paint had been chipped away. The most shocking part about visiting The Valley of the Kings is seeing how much land the tombs that they have found take up. And when you look around and realize how much time and man power it would have taken to create one tomb it is mind blowing.
We also visited many temples; The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon, Karnak Temple, Horus Temple, Sobek, Haroeris Temple, and The Temple of Philae. (Truth be told...once you see one temple they all start to blend together!) However, I learned that when touring temples with incompetent tour guides Lonely Planets, and friends who speak other languages are wonderful things to have! All of the temples were beautiful and will hold a special place in my heart.
Our last stop was at the High Dam and Lake Nasser. I think that Lake Nasser is probably the most beautiful man made thing ever created! It was also crazy to think that I was SO CLOSE to Sudan!
(The Nile...on the way to Philae Temple)
To get to all of these places we flew to Luxor then sailed on a cruise ship to Aswan and stopped along the way. The Nile was beautiful and sailing was peaceful. It was a perfect way to spend Eid!
Then we got back to school and my friend Alison and I planed a trip to Turkey and Greece! I know my life sounds so horrible right now. But if it makes you feel any better I still have homework to do and need to keep up with all of my assignments for classes!
Much Love! xoxo
~S
I went on a Nile Cruise with the school and I met some absolutely wonderful people who I feel really comfortable and close with!!! We visited three tombs in The Valley of the Kings; Ramses VII, Ramses IV, and Ramses IX, and I was shocked by how much these tombs have been preserved over the years. In the Ramses IV tomb you could even see brush strokes in the designs that were painted on the walls. Every surface was nearly covered with color from floor to ceiling; there were spots where some of the paint had been chipped away. The most shocking part about visiting The Valley of the Kings is seeing how much land the tombs that they have found take up. And when you look around and realize how much time and man power it would have taken to create one tomb it is mind blowing.
We also visited many temples; The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon, Karnak Temple, Horus Temple, Sobek, Haroeris Temple, and The Temple of Philae. (Truth be told...once you see one temple they all start to blend together!) However, I learned that when touring temples with incompetent tour guides Lonely Planets, and friends who speak other languages are wonderful things to have! All of the temples were beautiful and will hold a special place in my heart.
Our last stop was at the High Dam and Lake Nasser. I think that Lake Nasser is probably the most beautiful man made thing ever created! It was also crazy to think that I was SO CLOSE to Sudan!
To get to all of these places we flew to Luxor then sailed on a cruise ship to Aswan and stopped along the way. The Nile was beautiful and sailing was peaceful. It was a perfect way to spend Eid!
Then we got back to school and my friend Alison and I planed a trip to Turkey and Greece! I know my life sounds so horrible right now. But if it makes you feel any better I still have homework to do and need to keep up with all of my assignments for classes!
Much Love! xoxo
~S
Where in the world is Sarah?!
Hey everyone! I know you all are thinking...wait didn't Sarah just get back from a trip....and the answer would be YES however I am leaving tonight at Midnight for another excursion! I am going to Istanbul, Turkey from Friday September 25th until Monday September 28th then I am heading to Athens, Greece until Thursday October 1st.
School will then hopefully start on October 4th! I promise a nice long post when I get back from the other side of the Mediterranean!
xoxo
~S
School will then hopefully start on October 4th! I promise a nice long post when I get back from the other side of the Mediterranean!
xoxo
~S
September 18, 2009
Off to Upper Egypt!
I am going to get on my bus to the airport at 3am my time (9pm East Coast time) and my plane is at 6:45am to Aswan. Then head to a ship in Aswan to see the High Dam, the Temple of Philea, and a felluca ride around Kitchener's Island, and the Aga Khan Mausoleum. The second day we are going to a temple shared by two Gods Sobek and Haroeris of Kom Ombo. Then we will sail to Edfu and see the Horus Temple. That night we will sail to Luxor and on day three we will see; the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, and the Colossi of Memnon. Finally we will go see the Karnak Temple and the Luxor Temple. Then back to Aswan. Hop on a plane and back to Cairo in time for dinner on Tuesday!
I will have lots of stories and pictures up hopefully by Tuesday evening! Much Love! And Happy Rosh Hashanah (on Saturday) and Happy Eid el Fitr (on Sunday) !!
xoxo
~S
P.S. Check out my videos on YouTube! http://www.youtube.com/user/Sarah8104
I will have lots of stories and pictures up hopefully by Tuesday evening! Much Love! And Happy Rosh Hashanah (on Saturday) and Happy Eid el Fitr (on Sunday) !!
xoxo
~S
P.S. Check out my videos on YouTube! http://www.youtube.com/user/Sarah8104
September 1, 2009
What's on the Agenda
Here is what I will be up to for the next few days!
I had my first day of Survival Arabic today! I can now say hi 3 different ways and goodbye 3 different ways. I can say where I am from and how to say my name. I also learned numbers and letters...kinda (we went through it REALLY quickly so I am not sure how much of it will stick. I know I will have it after the first semester though!) I think that the class will be very helpful and the people who aren't taking the class are pretty much hating life right now because they are running out of things to do.
I also have a few trips planned for the next few days.
Tonight I am going to Khan El Khalily. Khan El Khalily is a market in downtown Cairo. We are going at 9:00 pm I know it sounds late but that is early for most people here. I have been at a grocery store at midnight and there were whole families there and I mean everyone! (little babies is strollers, toddlers...) I think that Cairo is really the city that never sleeps!
Tomorrow I am hopefully going on the Nile River Cruise. But the bus leaves at 5 from Zamaleck and I have class until 5:30 tomorrow....so I might be going I might not be. It all depends on the bus system which can be pretty chaotic around here and if I can get out of class early. I really want to go though! I have heard only amazing things about them. I would be going for Iftar, and while we are there there would be tons of entertainment!
Then Thursday I am going to do a Bedouin Night out in the desert! We go and eat dinner then ride horses....I'm not really sure of all the details I have just heard that it is absolutely amazing.
Sadly I can't do the pyramids on Friday because of my class :-( I am really sad about that. I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to go. But it is at the same time my class is. I think a group of people that I have met are going to go to the pyramids on a weekend later in the semester when it is cooler so I will defiantly jump on that!
Lastly I am on the waiting list (2nd in line!! I REALLY hope that I get to go on this trip!!) to go to Luxor and Aswan. It is a 4 day 3 night trip to so many places further south in Egypt.
I guess that is all for now. I am also planning to go up to Alexandria one day with some friends in the future as well. I hope that everyone is having fun back at home!
Much Love,
~S
August 22, 2009
Ramadan: Outsider Looking In
Ramadan (the abbreviated version)
Ramadan marks the ninth month of the lunar calendar. It was in this month in the year 610 that Muhammad began to receive the Qur'an. So it is during this month each year that Muslims fast from food, drink, and sex from sun up to sun down. This practice is written in the second book of the Qur'an entitled The Cow (Al-Baqara). By fasting one is supposed to feel more connected with God by realizing human dependence on God's blessings. Fasting is also one of the five pillars of Islam and is required for all Muslims to follow unless you are sick, old, or menstruating. What does this pose for me going into a Muslim country in the middle of Ramadan?
I am going to try my very best not to eat or drink around people who are fasting. (I used to fast with my friend Fatima during Ramadan so it wouldn't suck so much not eating with everyone else at lunch. So I think I can still do it!! Crosses fingers!) Plus I think that fasting in general is a very good way to get in touch with your body and realize how much we are dependent on many other things. I am also excited to experience Ramadan in Egypt because I have heard that Egypt does Ramadan unlike any other country.
I also think that it is so wild that the school completely changes their class schedule to accommodate Ramadan. Classes in the morning start earlier in order to accommodate the large evening meal to break the fast at the end of the day. (Plus I guess everyone else is up from eating their big morning breakfast...)
I am excited to see what I think about everything after a few weeks in Egypt! I will be sure to update!
xoxo
~S
Happy Ramadan Everyone!
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