My passage-trip from Cairo to Amman, by Ferry: Spring Break April 2013, AB Maritime

This could be part of my Spring break chronicles as an undergraduate student. Spring break 2013 began in April and I think we left for this (budgeted) journey on the 24th. This is how I described it as a caption for one of my Facebook pictures:

"Bus at 11 pm from Cairo, arrives at 6 am in Nuweiba, ferry leaves at 6 pm, arrives in Aqaba at 9 pm Jordan time, we catch a bus to the bus station and wait for an hour, instead we take a cab to Amman and reach at 5 am.
- Spring Break 2013."

The AB Maritime ferry
Courtesy of a friend N.O.

Yup, that's how we reached Amman all the way from Cairo. We booked our bus tickets (which I think were around 90 Egyptian Pounds) from Cairo to Nuweiba a few days before, along with the ferry tickets from AB Maritime (Can't remember the price, maybe US$ 100 one way).

It was myself and two other friends, all different nationalities. The bus was to leave at 11 PM. There were maybe around five or eight other passengers on the bus so that gave us enough room to sleep. And we finally reached say around 6 AM in Nuweiba, one of Egypt's cities in the East coast. Now why we took the early bus was because they, at the ferry office, told us we had to be there before 12 noon. If you've never been to Nuweiba, then you won't understand our condition. It was like one of those villages where you can't just sit anywhere, just like in those movies, and I'm glad it was morning.

We were looking for places were we could rest our aching bodies but it was very difficult, and the "security" at the ferry docks said the gate would open a little before 12. We keep asking around for places we could stay at and someone mentioned a Hilton (I think) which was close by. A Hilton?! Okay, we go walking there, it's like walking through a desert, nothing on either sides except for creepy old houses and the blasting heat. It's funny how we see mirages and assume the place is near but it just .. isn't. And finally cave in to a taxi that happens to pass by to drop us to the hotel. No worries, we only paid 5 pounds.

So we reach there in our not so glamorous outfits and walk into this place .. this place filled with old white folks in swim suits! Imagine walking from village to resort. So we ask about room prices and they were just out of our budget and take the breakfast meal, which is open buffet. I think it was around 200 pounds per person. But that's okay! We were hungry and we know how to work with open buffets. Keep in mind it was like maybe around 7 AM. Oh and I forgot to mention I had to submit two essays, so I was "working" during our trip. The receptionist also mentioned that we were only allowed to stay at the restaurant and not go to the beach side ... okay ..

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After we've fed ourselves well, my friends were just too sleepy. Both of them went to the pool side and slept on those sunbathing chairs, talk about making the best of what you have. And while they were sleeping it off, I had to work on one of my essay and I was worried at the same time, because I'm a bit of a "don't break the law" sort of person. Just a bit before 12, they rise from their majestic somber, and proceed to get ready. Oh, we made use of the bathrooms alright. (I actually woke them up suddenly, one of them got pissed at me)

So we leave to the ferry docks. We pass through x-Rays and stay at the waiting room, which looked like a slaughter house for cows. You must understand that the people who were there were not .. middle class. Not that it bothers me, it's just, you sort of draw attention to yourself when you're no longer in places you usually go to.

And we wait, and wait, and wait, and wait. That's all we ever did. Until it was finally almost 6 PM! And we get to board the fabulous ship that exceeded our expectations (no sarcasm here). It was really clean. It was smooth and took maybe around two hours to reach despite the warnings from fellow friends that it would take forever.

Not much pictures during this passage because of the crap we had to go through. So when we reach Aqaba at around 9 PM, they ask one of our friends to follow them to an office outside the ferry (passport stuff). And we wait at the docks. We wait and wait and wait. We get our bags and our friend's who just left. We then follow the crowd (with no sight of our friend) to an office after walking through what looked like a scene of the docks from GTA.

Hallelujah, we find our friend on the top floor of a shabby security building. We then proceed to go through corridors and x-Rays, like how airports operate. And then finally, the backdoor where buses and taxis wait for us. Just US. There were maybe only one more group. The funny thing is, though the ferry was packed with people, only foreigners which were a group of maybe 20 were taken through this security process. And we couldn't find them either because they probably took a different door or booked a tourist service which take care of them.

My friend (same passport person) walks towards a cab and make an agreement. Just as we were following the driver, another taxi drives past us fast, stops and gets out to argue with our driver. So we freak, cancel and hop on the empty bus we find because it was public. Just three of us where in. This was almost 11 PM. Yes, it took us that long. And the bus finally decides to leave. And we were glad. Because the way from the port to a city in Aqaba was so empty. I don't know if we would ever be lucky to find a cab while walking to the main road from the port.

We reach a bus station in the city and feel better surrounded by people. The bus waits and waits and waits. It's around 12 and still doesn't move. It's waiting for people to fill it up, but even the people become restless. So maybe around 1 AM, the same friend looks for a taxi service (they call them that) that would only move once filled with four passengers. He agreed to 12 Jordanian Dinars each but no no, that's not how it works. Of course he'll ask for more later 915 each). So we were like F this, we're taking a cab to Amman. And we did. It was a long ride, three of us and one strange passenger in the front. Some of us doze off from time to time. And we finally reach the house of our Jordanian friend at around 5 AM. Yes, we reached.

We finally reached. Then showered and slept.

Jackass driving, take 3

Yesterday, while at the traffic light near Salmaniya (Sana on my left, that furniture place straight ahead), witnessed stupidity. While it was the turn for the cars on my right to go straight ahead (Green lights), a car on the opposite side clearly thought he should take a leap of faith that day. He took a turn while the cars on my side began to proceed. If they haven't slowed down, they would have hit the side where I saw a little girl sitting, obviously with no seat belts. That mofo was lucky.

And while driving in a converging lane, I clearly having the front advantage already past the convergence, tada! a wild pickup appears to my side. The driver decides to go as fast he (it was a guy) can in attempt to be just ONE car ahead ... in a not-so-busy day ...

Creative Photography, always the best with the up-and-coming

One of his works under Fine Art
Kyle Thompson

I recently came across an article of a photographer who apparently never took formal classes on this before. His work is just amazing. I tend to use this word a lot.

It's sort of surreal. It's like what Dali would do if he had a Canon and a tripod. I have a thing for unusual scenes, I even "attempted" to paint a tree with a mouth, out of which it wraps its tongue around a girl. So this guy's work pretty much pulled me in.

For those who look for inspiration, he is definitely one to look for.

His name is Kyle Thompson, born in 1992, and his website shows some of his work.

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One of his works under Fine Art
Kyle Thompson

My brief opinion on Expressionism Art

Expressionism is a wonderful technique to express emotions rather than realistic drawing. For many, this is a good opportunity to make mistakes and draw with feelings rather than precision, or at least that's my take on it.

Expressionism was inspired by art sometime from the 19th century onwards. It was during the age of many things like religion, the art scene, social problems, wars. It was a way of letting out. Much like cartoonists on newspapers today but more on the not-so-humorous side. It was all about color and expressing one's view on the world. Every art form is linked together in one way or another.

From what I understood of Expressionism is that it depicts the artist’s feeling of something.

For example, if I saw people with sad faces in a poverty area, I would paint a gray background with black blocks for houses and smudge figures of people depicting that they are fading away. This way I try to transmit a message to viewers to show that there is nothing there and they have nothing to live for. There may be contradictions that it is not really how ‘they’ feel but I would argue that this is how ‘I’ see it.

If ever I master painting, I would exploit the magnificence of colors. I have come to learn over the years that colors is a wonderful tool for controlling one’s emotion. Light cool colors will give us a feeling of calmness, red of anger or agitation, yellow of happiness and so on. What I wish to create one day is a portrait of someone’s feelings using only colors. It will either have a plain background of a particular color and the person standing inside with all the colors of their feelings or/and vice versa. The intricate detail will be amazing just to look it, at least for interested people.

Why not give it a try?

What makes you anything: Have Arabs lost their sense of Inherited Fashion?

Here is another piece that I wrote maybe three years ago on Arab traditional fashion. A good example on writing skills at an amateur stage. Keep in mind, these are opinions of mostly undergraduate students studying in an American university in Egypt. Very opinionated, don't consider this as a generalization of Arab traditional fashion.

The Kafiya scarf

Dazzlllee - with sequins and colorful shrouds! What is your version of an Arabic outfit? Is it necessary to retain traditional values? And what is it that makes you a part of a race?

What is tradition? In simple words, it is simply the preservation of cultural values over time. Values however, is not only restricted to morals, habits and food but also clothing—fashion. Every country has its own traditional clothing from the colorful Kimonos in Japan, the Kanga in Kenya and let us not forget the Sari that Indians proudly wear even in a foreign country. These countries and others have preserved this icon of identity over generations as ‘their’ fashion. So what is ‘Arab Fashion’?

Thai student studying Arab Studies described Arabs as “those people who consider themselves Arabs sharing particular collective ideas such as tribe, culture, language and religion (in some cases)."

First of all we need to familiar ourselves of the term Arab. Arabs, modernly in geographic terms, are known to be those mostly who come from West Asia and North Africa. Most of them may share common languages, culture and traditions. When outsiders think of the word Arab, they always think of the image. They would describe their image of the outfit as “colorful and long, pretty ornate with embroidery and stuff like that,” Political Science student from the US said. Another student when asked about what he thinks when the term Arab is pointed out the words: “Hijab, white Thoub and the Kafiya."

So People from the West and Far East have a colorful idea of the clothes ‘Arabs’ may wear. Either that or veiled and let’s not forget the famous Kafiya. This is what most people would argue is what the whole world sees.

So do we still conserve our traditions? In another way, do we still wear traditional clothings from time to time? A few others like Petroleum Engineer student from Yemen and Communications Media Arts student from Egypt have said that they did wear it but only for occasions such as the Thoub and Galabeya.

Mostly seen among Arab Gulf countries
Alternate spellings used The Thoub or Thobe is a garment with long sleeves and the length varies depending on the country’s tradition. It is mostly seen in white but there have been instances of other colors like brown, dark blue and black. The Galabeya or Jelabiya is known to be used by the Persian Gulf women and is also seen in Egypt. It is used as a casual or evening wear. Egyptian student studying Marketing Communications said that she does “not like it” and an Egyptian student studying Biology explained that he “normally don’t find it important to wear or pretty."

And why don’t we wear these traditional clothes if not for special occasions. It seems that we’ve had a lot of influence from the West. We are certainly influenced by them through mass media. The effect it has is not only to the Middle East but reaches globally. Another Egyptian studying Communications, when asked whether she wore any traditional clothes answered, “No, because it is trendy to wear Americanized style of clothes like jeans."

Maybe westernization is a modern term for many. So what would we describe a ‘Modern Arab’ as? French student studying Biology says that a Modern Arab is usually “westernized” from what he sees in his university. When asked whether there is anything for them to retain their traditional image, he explained that “there is no link between the clothing and culture."

Well, that means clothing is not important to retain traditional customs. Another Egyptian studying Communications said: “It is not really important to wear traditional clothing and it all depends on your personality."

However, it is not seen as something necessary as Egyptian student studying Journalism said: “I don’t wear any traditional clothes because I don’t own any, and also there is no reason that requires me to do so."

Then again, does wearing these traditional outfits really make you an Arab?

Giving you the 3ein: Every bad thing is probably because of someone giving you the EYE!

This is so embedded in my head that I sometimes think it's because of the EYE that I am condemned to such an unfortunate fate ... no! it's coincidence, an event, a happening! If the power of the EYE were true, I'd cast it at that couple who wouldn't shut up at the cinema!

What is the EYE dun-dun! It is like let's say, a part of superstitions? Something like that. When someone stares at you for too long, and your pants tear, then yup, it's probably their fault. Or if you had this amazing haircut and your hair falls off the next day, no it's not a result of all that chemical you put in your hair, yup it's the EYE. Or as it said, the Ein. (eye in Arabic)

I bet that Hollywood movie "The Eye" was inspired by this cultural belief!

Here are two things I remember that I have heard from people:

• During the Gulf Cup, I believe in 2012. Cousin of a cousin (how surprising) was telling me how Oman won one of the cups in previous years because of ... wait for it ... a spell that they've cast on the field! Freaky! Wow! (Might not really be Ein, I guess I should put this under the category of spells and potions.)
  
• My cousin who has dogs, and loves them. Those dogs had lots of pups and they all died except for the first two. The vets reason: Either of an infection or ... wait for it ... the EIN!

Ahh .. I just lost a lot of calories. NIGHT! Gotta hide from the Eins during the night!

Free shisha, ladies!

One of the entrances to Extrovert Cafe, Adliya. Courtesy of a friend TW.

If you're a shisha addict, or just enjoy it from time to time, there's a place in Adliya called Extrovert Cafe that has ladies' nights on Mondays and Wednesdays.

We've actually stumbled across this maybe two years ago, and ever since, their offer still stands. However, it wasn't as obvious as before as they used to hang posters about it. Now we simply assume. So I think it's not valid after midnight, as they almost charged us once but changed it when we told them we were there since 9 PM. I'm guessing it's from 7 PM to 11 PM. But don't take my word for it. And don't expect them to tell you.

Weird story. It's been a while since we've been there so I ask my friend to call them and make sure. She does, and the guy tells her to just come and we'll see ... So he doesn't give a straight answer despite that the offer still stands, instead he just asks us to come and see what happens. It's a great trick if there is no offer but in this case, I'm not sure.

Anyhow, it's not a bad place, really nice, cozy and sometimes too cold but there's an outdoors area. We usually go there and get maybe a drink each, and split for food if we're feeling hungry. The prices are standard, not very expensive.

The place is in Adliya, close to a group of cafes like Bindaira, Don Vito's and Maggie's. Not hard to miss. If you know where the massage place Dassange is, then it's right close by.

On a different note, smoking is bad for health, bwaha.

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