Khamsin

The last two days of February saw a shift from milder temperatures to sandstorms as the infamous khamsin winds blew in from the desert. Though Wikipedia claims they raise the temperatures, it’s not the case now. The sandstorms block out the sun and the howling wind cuts right through you. The buildings at AUC, largely made of sandstone, blend in with the sky, particularly in New Cairo, which is smack in the middle of the desert.

The sandstone and sky are the same color

In Ma’adi, roofs and sky are the same color. Our balconies have piles of dust along the leeward edges.

Khamsin dust

Ma'adi trees and sky in the sandstorm

Our local midan in the sandstorm

Foolishly, we washed white towels and hung them outside to dry. In an hour, this is what they looked like.

Clean becomes dirty

You know things are bad when the website weatherunderground.com has “sand” as the forecast.

Sarah and Mark sweating to the oldies

Side effects include scratchy eyes, dirty clothes, sinus misery, and anyone with a sensitive respiratory system gets very sick. It is so nasty outside that we are ordering more things to be delivered rather than brave the streets to pick them up. The forecast and historical data suggest this won’t last long, and indeed, the weather broke by Saturday. It’s mild, sunny, and clear, and one hopes will be so for a while. I went to the gym, saw Sarah and Mark, and enjoyed viewing the Pyramids while working out.

See those pointy structures on the horizon? View from the gym.



We had our first big dinner party Friday, sparked by Salima Ikram, a colleague from AUC and one of the world’s most famous Egyptolotgists. Salima and I had planned on getting together, and it turned into a potluck with a wonderful group of folks in Ma’adi, partly to celebrate Salima leaving her hip neighborhood of Zamalek and venturing to bourgeois Ma’adi. 

Harris prepares for guests

I prepare as well

The food was wonderful—one of our guests, Randi Danforth is not only the senior development editor of the AUC Press, but bakes the best bread I’ve ever consumed—and we really yukked it up. Refreshing adult beverages abounded, conversation flew, and Harris and I had a great time. Sarah and Mark Mineart came, as did Bob Williams (Randi’s spouse), and Eden and Nate Bowditch. It was cool to realize that even without the resources we have at home to give a party, we can do it here. BTW, look up Salima. She has her own website (salimaikram.com) and even a Wikipedia entry.

Dinner at the coffee table

Buffet was yummy

Randi and me, bad photo, I know

Saturday evening I broke my “nothing on a school night” rule and we went to the opening of an art show at a gallery called Darb (which means “path”) in Coptic Cairo, near the famous Hanging Church. The space is spectacular, multi-levels with interesting galleries and a rooftop with a gorgeous view of the courtyard in front of the gallery. 

Darb exterior

View from Darb rooftop at night

The students were lively and excited, their work often transgressive, and always conscious of the revolution, and it was a lot of fun to see students and colleagues informally.

Costumed student

Farah, one of my students, with her work

Lively gallery scene

Harris and Bruce Ferguson in the gallery; not sure what to call Harris's expression...

The week ended with a visit to the classic Windsor Hotel in downtown for the launch of a gorgeous new book on the Grand Hotels of Egypt in the Golden Age of Travel (pre-war, not, alas, today). The hotel retains its slightly shabby atmosphere, and the book launch party put on by AUC Press in its Barrel Room was a real bash. Guests were requested to wear 1940s attire, and though some anachronistic liberties were taken, many (like Salima) were note-perfect.

Book cover of a luggage sticker, depicting tea at the Mena House terrace with a view of the Pyramids

Windsor Hotel in its heyday

Windsor Hotel lift and attendant. It's the oldest working lift in Cairo

Salima and me, book party; fuzzy but you get the idea

Now comes a busy work week followed by a trip to Alexandria and Siwa Oasis for a few days with Tarek Swelim. The winds have died down, and ISA, the winds of change will continue to blow softly. Our local informant, Emad, does confess to nagging worries that as the presidential candidates file and the elections take place, that things will not really change.

BTW, en route to the Windsor Hotel, we saw this truck carrying a load of…camels. Only in Egypt. I am also continuing my project of photographing stickers on taxis and trucks.

Camels On Board

More taxi stickers