Come Back Later

While in a nearby village on an errand we parked across the road from this shop. Naturally it was closed in the morning sunshine. I suppose it only opens after dark. 

Turnip seller Abu Sir

 In the fall when they plant the berseem for the winter the villagers plant turnips as well. Sometimes they are planted in with the berseem crop and harvested with the second or third cutting of the berseem. Other times they plant them along the borders of the beds and harvested as needed. Turnips in Egypt are generally eaten raw like the radishes that are closely related. I like to cook the greens but this isn't a common dish. Generally they are cut and pickled in a simple brine solution and eaten as an accompaniment to almost anything.  She was enjoying  the winter sun in Abu Sir and snacking on some of her wares.

Just In Case You Were Wondering

Life in Egypt is just a teeny bit schizzy these days. On one hand we have a bunch of bozo Salafi parliamentarians who want to ban ballet because it is pornographic, and on the other hand we have mannequins modeling outfits like these in a normal upper middle class mall in Maadi. Are these the new Salafi militia uniforms?

Who Knows Where The Clothes Go...

 This seems pretty weird to me, but a lot of clothes bought in North America and Europe are made here in Egypt. We have local shops that sell seconds at extremely reasonable prices and you can get name brands for peanuts. But once the clothes have been shipped out, they start their way back here, among other places. Many people tire of their clothing before it wears out and they sell or donate items in North America and Europe. Very often these second hand items are shipped back to Egypt where they end up in Wekala el Balah, an area of Cairo known for inexpnesive clothing and fabric. There they can be bought off racks, as seen above, or in bales sight unseen.

Another Sign Of The Times

Well, after all, the MB are also known to be shrewd businessmen.

Colourful Cleaning

Village families don't own cars for the most part and there are no shops out here so salesmen come out and wander about with pickup trucks, donkey and horse carts and motorcycle trucks filled with goods that households might need. This man is the local version of the Fuller Brush man.

Truth In Advertising

I bought a case of white vinegar a few days ago to use in cleaning my lawn sprinklers. We have a lot of calcium in our water and it gums up the valves and outlets. But I love the carton. The brand name is Ganna (heaven, I believe) and it is almost 5% degree vinegar, whatever that is. But even more important it must be new, as it warns us to "Beware tradition"...... or maybe that just means it won't clean my sprinklers?

Life with Islamic Government

This sign was in the window of a pharmacy in Maadi. I don't find it terribly repressed...much less subtle.

Village Entrepreneurs

He isn't much older than his customers, and since it was Sham el Nessim weekend, I figure this was probably a temporary job to pick up some pocket money. The plastic bags are full of cotton candy and the seller announces his presence with the aid of a particularly raucous horn.

My Favourite Line

I know that the intentions of Carrefour are good, but their sign makers have this odd way of making puzzling signs. Every time I see this one I want to go to the line but I'm not quite sure why. I find shopping one of the most disabling activities on the planet.

Quiet Shops

I was taking some friends to Coptic Cairo the other day and we noticed a new shopping area near the entrance to the area. It was cool, quiet, well laid out and maintained.....and empty. Most of the shops carried the handicrafts that various NGO's and charitable groups produce. This young woman had fabrics and embroideries from Upper Egypt.

Small Business

Commerce needn't be multinational. Sometimes it's having a carton with some bars of soap displayed on it.

Fruit Of The Winter

Friends of mine from outside of Egypt usually look at these things and simply wonder what on earth they are. The English name for them is Cape Gooseberry, although I don't believe that they are actually related to gooseberries at all. Locally they are called "harankash". They remind me of the tomatillo that is used to make chile verde in Mexico, sort of a small green tomato that has a similar covering. They have a sweet tart taste and are very refreshing. With the police still not really in evidence in the streets, the vendors have been busy.

Going Christmas Shopping

Who says that people in Egypt don't believe in Christmas shopping? This mural at the entrance to the Dandy Mall near the entrance of the Alex/Cairo desert highway. I think it gets the message across.

Fussball At The Harley Shop

Harley Davidson and Cairo don't usually roll off the tongue together. After all, with our traffic roaring down the highway isn't usually an option. Be that as it may, there is a Harley Davidson shop in Zamalek and another in Mohendessin. And the one in Zamalek has a nice fussball game to play with.

Christmas Shopping at the Fair Trade Shop

We have a lot of choices of places to shop for handicrafts here but my preference is for the shops that make sure that the artisans get their fair profit. This is a shop in Zamalek near 26th of July that carries fabrics, clothing, jewelry, baskets, rugs, pottery, embroidery...just to name a few.

Tis Almost The Season

That's right, it's mid-November and time for all good residents of Cairo and Giza to prepare for the Christmas Bazaar Barrage. We have at least half a dozen Christmas bazaars (or is it bizarres?) here to help everyone out with their Christmas shopping. And we need them! Egypt celebrates Christmas twice, on Dec 25 and on Jan 7, to accommodate all flavours of Christianity and because no Egyptian can pass up a good party. Artisans, small businesses, and charities sell items at these bazaars and a portion of the sales go to various charities. And for all of you in snowy climates, sorry about the sunglasses and tans, but what can we say?

In-Road Market

A couple of young men were selling fish, shrimps and crabs in baskets of ice one furnace-like day in Giza last week. I guess this takes a drive-through to a new level.

Empty Food Stalls

By the third day of the Feast, salad vegetables had gotten to be a bit scarce around the house, so we ventured in to the Maadi souq. This is pretty much what we found for the most part....empty stalls. Usually you'd have trouble pushing your way down the alley. We found some tomatoes and cucumbers and called it a day.

Those Cairo Guard Cats

Two of Maadi's itinerant felines decided to take a break on the front steps of a shop on a quiet day.