The Anafora Retreat Center

In the middle of nowhere, two hours’ drive out of Cairo is the Anafora Retreat Center. Intended as a place of prayer and silent reflection, this Retreat on the Cairo-Alex Desert Highway offers the perfect sanctuary and haven from the hustle and bustle of life. Anafora is run by the Coptic Orthodox Church and welcomes people from all over the world within its tree dappled precincts.

As soon as you enter, there is the Anamnesis building at the entrance, which serves the day visitors to the Retreat. Some distance away is the main building called ‘Anafora’, which means ‘sacrifice’. Here you can enjoy a cup of tea before going onto the terrace for beautiful views across the Retreat.

Bishop Thomas has designed all the buildings at the Retreat, using materials that people of Asyut use to build their houses. Bricks made of red mud and straw are used as the building blocks and afterwards the whole building is coated in mud and straw. The emphasis is on using natural materials. The thick walls and the natural materials ensure that the inside of the building remains cool, without the need for air-conditioning. In the distance, you can see the conference and training centre –it is called ‘Anastasia’ which means ‘lifting up’ in Coptic. At this training center, girls from the less developed region of Upper Egypt are trained in hairdressing, embroidery etc, thus equipping them to lead better lives. The Retreat welcomes day visitors as well as people who want to stay for a few days to enjoy the nature’s bounty. Individual huts for the accommodation of visitors have been arranged in the shape of a question mark. The dot at the end of the question mark is a chapel-indicating that all answers to the question of life can be found here. A few of the huts are white in colour, amidst the other earth-coloured ones, signifying that people of all nationalities and religion are welcome in the retreat-we may differ from the outside but we are all essentially the same.

The highlight of the Retreat is the meditation center. Beautiful architecture on the outside and aesthetically done up from the inside, it beckons visitors to enter and enjoy the solitude. There are no straight lines here, only curves and this makes for excellent acoustics, doing away with the need for a microphone. The floor is covered with woven multi-coloured rugs. There are benches and chairs along the sides for people who cannot sit on the floor. On the multi-coloured rugs are large pillows made of the same material as the rugs and are woven at the Retreat itself. To provide support while kneeling down, stools have been thoughtfully placed behind each pillow.

There is an opening cut into the ceiling in the shape of an eye through which light streams inside as also seven small plates of coloured glass set into the ceiling to let the light in. The back of the meditation center has brightly painted paintings that look like mosaics. The artist has made these designs using the ‘iota’ –which is the first letter in the name of Lord Jesus.

All visitors are offered free lunch, which is a simple fare of rice, beans, raw vegetables, freshly baked bread and a dip. The visitors have the run of the place and can either spend time in the mediation center or wander around the vast farm. A blue concrete moat runs around the Retreat and surrounds the chapel. Sometimes, the moat is filled with water from the underground springs, lending a charm and coolness to the place. This water is then pumped out and used to irrigate the vast rows of fruit trees and other crops, like the mango and date orchards and the geranium and the hibiscus trees.

Nature is revered at this Retreat and there is a small workshop on the premises where they make soaps and essential oils to cure a number of ailments, including for weight reduction and hypertension. All the products are made using the herbs that are grown on the grounds of the Retreat. The fruits are used to make jams and preserves and all these products are on sale at their shop on the premises. It is a marvel that amidst the aridity of the desert can be found such a flourishing farm. The proceeds from the sales of these products contribute to making the Anafora Retreat Center self-sustaining.

There is also a well-stocked library on the premises, where books in a number of languages can be found. In fact, the library is a nice place to spend time reading or just day dreaming. And if nothing seems to catch your fancy then enjoy the outdoors under the rough shade houses. Let your thoughts drift as you observe the myriad patterns made by the sunlight trickling in through the plam branches of the roof.

for a day visit call Sister Sara on 012 3812604

Banat Al Ghad:Girls of Tomorrow

A lot of my friends in Egypt often ask me whether I am aware of any NGOs that they can contribute their time to. There are a number of NGOs that are doing a lot of good work and are worthy of one's time and contribution. Here is the story of one such organisation -Banat al Ghad-that is working with street children, especially the street girls.

It was fascinating to talk to its Executive Director, Rania Fahmy, who took me through the starting up of the NGO and the expansions and developments that it has seen. Particularly interesting was to hear about the challenges that they face in convincing the parents of the street girls to let them live at the facility, rather than put them on the street.

You can read the whole story here.

Spa at the Four Seasons, Nile Plaza

Having a day out at the spa is the ultimate in relaxation. All the five star hotels in Cairo boast of spa services. I had the opportunity to review the spa at the Four Seasons at Nile Plaza for Community Times.

You can read the review here

Orchids in Egypt

When you think orchids, you think Holland. But a lone man grows orchids in Egypt and claims that they are even better in quality than those found in holland. He is a neurosurgeon by profession and took on growing orchids as a hobby.

For more information, check out my story in Community Times magazine.

The Ultimate Fuul Experience!

Anyone who has lived in the Middle East is familiar with fuul, a dish of fava beans which is the staple of the region. There are of course, variations from country to country-the kind that we had in KSA was mashed and creamier. In fact, for a long time, I just did not like the kind of fuul that I found in Cairo. Here, the fava beans are not mashed and it is usually prepared bland, with the tomatoes, onions, and the peppers added later on.

But then I had the fuul at Mahrouz and I can vouch for the fact that it is the best! Located in a lane near the Canandian embassy in Garden City, it is hugely popular. Nothing more than a little 'hole in the wall', there are plastic chairs and tables for ambience. But you come here for the fuul and not the ambience - and the fuul does not disappoint.

There is no menu and you have to pay close attention as the waiter rattles off the fuul dishes available-fuul iskandrany with tomatoes, onions, peppers and tahina (my favourite), fuul with shatta (chilli powder) and hot oil, fuul with butter, fuul with salsa and plain fuul. The eggtarians will just love their omlettes (spanish or regular) and the fried and the boiled eggs that can be ordered along with the fuul.

To mop up the fuul, there is the stack of baladi bread that is plonked on your table. Ask it to be heated and the hot bread enhances the taste of the fuul. You can also order side dishes of salads, white cheese and pickles.

Of course, there is no written cheque at the end and when it is time to pay, one of the waiters comes to your table, throws a cursory glance at the dishes and pronounces an amount. You are so satiated that you will not bother asking for the break-up. Also, the fact that it is not too much to pay for such a delicious meal will have you reaching for your wallet without any qualms.

However, after a couple of visits, just out of curiosity, I did figure out how the pricing works. It is generally, LE 6 for each plate of fuul and omlette, and LE 15 for every helping of salad. The figure is of course, rounded off to make it easier.

During Ramadan, the lane where the eatery is located is brightly lit with lanterns and rows and rows of tables are added to accomodate the hordes of people who arrive there during the suhoor. It can be quite an experience to have a suhoor meal at Mahrouz; however one must go early enough to grab a place.

The place is open from 4 p.m. till 4 a.m. everyday. The address is Haras Street, Garden City. It can take one a couple of wrong turns to find the place. Roughly, take the left near Nile Kempenski from the Corniche street and take the second left (it is more like a U-turn) and then take the first right. When you reach the crossroads, take a left (again it is almost a U-turn) and you are in the lane of Mahrouz.

It is All About Menus!

After the Otlob webiste (the ordering for home-delivery website in English), another website that can enhance the food experience for expats in Cairo is http://www.elmenus.com/. The tagline for the website says it all "It'a all about the menu!"

The menus of restuarants are listed on the website and it is possible to search for these restuarants by name. This is a boon, if for example you want to try out a new place but are not sure of what to expect at the restuarant. Through accessing the restuarant's menu on this website, you can avoid disappointments-both in terms of the food available and the prices.

If you are seized with the urge to eat a particular type of cuisine or even a particular dish, the website provides the possiblity of searching for restaurants offering that cuisine or dish. For example if you want to have a burger, then you type in 'burger' in the box provided for the search by cuisine and lo and behold!, all the restuarants that have burger on their menu will be listed together with details of the variety of burger and their prices.

You can search for restuarant menus by cuisine, by area, by special features (wi-fi, delivery, outdoor seating etc) or even use the website to get a list of restuarants and their menus that deliver in a particular area.

However, the website cannot be used to place the order at a restuarant. It does list the address, the timings and the telephone numbers of the restuarant. So, at least it does away with the necessity of saving the menus of your favourite restuarants for the purposes of ordering in food.

Their homepage has some interesting reviews of resturants by patrons, listings of the top five restuarants and the top 5 foods etc.

Eating around Cairo has never been so easy!

The Sun Sets Over the City

These days, have been visiting some long overdue places on my list in Cairo. A friend of mine who is as interested as me in discovering the hidden gems of Cairo, is leaving the country for a while. So, we are trying to see as many places as possible before she leaves.

A couple of weeks ago, we went to this place on Moquattam Hill , where it is possible to see the whole city spread out before you. the best time to go is a little before sunset. It is a beautiful sight to see the sun set, darkness set in and the lights in the city come on.

As is the case with most places in Cairo, there is no dearth of enterprising people who will sell tea and drinks to visitors as they enjoy the view.

To get there, once you are on the SALAH SALEM road, you need to follow it till you get to the turn off for going to Moquattam or the St Simon church in Moquattam. Keep following the road, you will pass a Tata Motors showroom (Indians will be more familiar with this name). And then there will be a turn off on your right to get into the moquattam city. Once you take that, then take the right and again keep following it till you come upon a number of cars that have been parked and a red rope is cordoning off the steep fall.

View From the Roof

Yes, Finally made it to the roof top of the Nile Zamalek Hotel! And am so glad! The view of the Nile is breathtaking and unbroken.

The weather these days is just perfect to spend time with a sheesha and tea, looking over the Nile and contemplating life. The place ahs salads, drinks and a few meat and chicken dishes on the menu.

But the real attraction is that one can order food from the neighbouring Blue Elephant restuarant and they will deliver it to your table on the rooftop. The place does some delicious Thai dishes and my excitement about the place is primarily because it has a number of vegetarian options and it can serve the vegetarian version of almost any dish on its menu. The place was formerly known as Sabai Sabai.

I got a great idea while sitting -it would be a great place to throw a party-the setting and the food are good. The 2 ingredients for a successful party!

How to get there? Take the left onto the Brazil street from the 26th July street. Keep going straight till the street curves on to another street (cant remember the name now) and on your right, at the corner, there is the Nile Zamalek Hotel. The entrance is from the side facing away from the road.

Dont get discouraged by the disheleved nature of the looby or the construciton work going on on the floor where you get off to climb the stairs to the rooftop. It will be worth the climb!

When Mr. Bachchan Saved the Day

March 8, celebrated world wide as the Women’s Day was to be the day when a million women would congregate at the Tahrir Square (Liberation Square) in downtown Cairo to assert equal rights and political participation in “New Egypt”.

Like many other women living in Egypt, I was at Tahrir at the designated time to show solidarity with my Egyptian sisters. I spotted a number of ‘foreign” faces among the women who had gathered at Tahrir but the turn-out of the Egyptian women was woefully low. I later on learnt that many had opted not to come since they were not sure about what to expect-after all, Tahrir was the scene of the 25th of January revolution, which had culminated in the departure of a President, who had autocratically ruled the country for 30 years. The Square had been witness to much drama, collisions, tears, anger, violence, deaths and even a marriage.

Though the President's departure had taken place almost aa month earlier, some people were still camped at the Square in tents. The hitherto innocuous square had acquired a new glamour and attracted hordes of curious onlookers.

A few enterprising people had put up tea stalls, complete with plastic chairs and tea boys to offer succour to those camped at the Square as well as their visitors. A few others insisted on painting the colours of the Egyptian flag on the palms of the people for small change. Some of the signs from the revolution were still strung around the square and there were different groups scattered around the periphery of the square, attracting audience by airing their grievances aloud -from unemployment, to bad conditions at their workplace etc.

For a couple of hours, I hung around, hoping to see more women arrive and for the proposed march to take off. A few did trickle but not enough to even start adding to the proposed million numbers. And there were more expatriate women than Egyptian. The 'foreign' women were ridiculed for being there, for supposedly not belonging. A friend told me that one expatriate lady, who had called Cairo home for the last 30 years, was even asked as to how much she had been paid to be there. She was understandably upset, as she felt that she had every right to take part in this march in her adopted home. The stories of personal attacks on foreigners were very distressing. The whole event degenerated into the men heckling and ridiculing the women, and things took an ugly turn when some of the men even chased the women down the street as they tried to leave Tahrir.

But fortunately, my foray into the Square has pleasant memories. I had not carried my passport and I was asked for identification at the entrance to the Square. When I said I am from Al-Hind (India), I was graciously allowed to enter. My Egyptian friend acted as the interpreter and I was able to interact with a number of people there. They were curious to know how the Indian democracy worked and whether we had the equivalent of the secret police. Since I carried a camera with me, I was asked to take photos, and hastily scribbled email Ids were thrust into my hands, with requests to email the photos to those addresses.

And then, of course, the inevitable, as any Indian resident of Cairo, must have experienced. I was inundated with requests to pass on regards to the Bollywood icon, Amitabh Bachchan. At one point, I sarcastically murmured, under my breath, “Yeah, right! He is my next-door neighbour.” My friend took it literally and translated it into Arabic, after which there were renewed requests and questions on Amitabh Bachchan.

During a quiet moment, I reflected again on the superstar power of Mr. Bachchan. Here, I was standing at a historic site, forever immortalised in the pages of world history, talking to people who had just orchestrated the downfall of a government and the conversation was still about Mr. Bachchan! He was the real hero that day-a day which had ended so miserably and which had not seen any heroes.!

This article of mine was published in Daily News Egypt.

Refugee films that hit homeBy Sankalita Shome / Special to Daily News EgyptFirst Published: June 16, 2009

The huge number of Sri Lankans who have been uprooted due to the crackdown on the Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by the government has made headlines recently. So has the plight of the Pakistani refugees streaming out of the Swat valley. In today’s strife-torn world, displacement and migration are becoming an integral part of our global existence — one conflict replaced by another and one set of refugees by another.

Against this backdrop, the Cairo Refugee Film Festival, in commemoration of World Refugee Day, comes as a breath of fresh air. “In Cairo, celebrations of World Refugee Day on June 20 have always been low-key and muted,” said Sara Sadek, community outreach coordinator with the Center for Migration and Refugee Studies at the American University of Cairo and on the organizing committee of the festival.

“No one can deny the reach of films,” said Mai Choucri, coordinator with Tadamon -Egyptian Refugee Multicultural Council and one of the festival organizers. “Films can bridge barriers and evoke strong emotions.”

The festival, which kicked off Monday, has many firsts to its credit — mainly being the first organized film festival associated with refugees. It is also the first time that such a diverse group of individuals consisting of humanitarians, lawyers, members of civil society and academicians, come together to showcase the lives and resilience of refugees through the medium of film. “There were teething problems, especially with funding and obtaining the right kind of films to screen at the festival,” said Choucri, “since we did not have a track record to fall back upon.”

Screening for the first time in Egypt is “SlingShot Hip Hop,” the most eagerly awaited film of the festival, which focuses on Palestinian hip hop bands and portrays the use of art as a form of resistance. “We had to walk the thin line between art and entertainment, fact and fiction, while deciding on the films to grace the festival,” said Sadek. “The films had to be an accurate account of the circumstances, at the same time engrossing enough to hold the attention of the viewers.”

The festival seeks to bring within its ambit the wide ranging nationalities of refugees and to move away from the stereotypical image associated with them. “Monkey Dance” is a narrative about Cambodian refugees in America who try to cling to their traditions and culture. At the same time, their children, born in America, struggle to balance their parents’ expectations and their own dreams.

“Berlari” (Running) is a poignant narrative about the Burmese community that has fled from military rule in Burma and is now living in Malaysia. “Iraqis in Egypt” is closer to home and chronicles the lives of Iraqi families living in exile in Cairo.

Unlike previous years, where only the academia and practitioners in the field were involved, this year’s celebrations have been brought into the public sphere, in a bid to inculcate empathy towards the refugee communities in Egypt. “The choice of the venue, Rawabet Theater in downtown Cairo has been with a view to make the festival accessible and to take away its intimidating ‘meant for academia’ label,” Sadek said.

Two art-based workshops were conducted over the last couple weeks complementing the festival. These workshops brought together Somali, Sudanese, Iraqi, Palestinian and Egyptian youth to encourage their creativity and give free rein to their imagination. According to Choucri, “the festival provides a platform to show how youth think and a chance to display their work before a larger audience.” At the photography workshop, participants were encouraged to photograph snippets from their daily lives they found inspiring. These photographs will be displayed at the venue of the festival. The outcome of the filmmaking workshop — two-minute portraits of the fellow participants — will also be screened on Friday, June 19.

For all those who believe in “cinema for a cause” and even for those who don’t, there are plenty of reasons to head to the Cairo Refugee Film Festival. The five-day festival will culminate on June 20 with a performance by Kanaan from the Palestinian Rappers’ trio as well as that of a band playing African and reggae music.

For more details, visit http://www.cairorefugeefilmfestival.blogspot.com/