Cairo Chronicle, Issue #5, November 2, 1999
Well, life is going pretty well at the end of two months abroad. We are both starting to get the hang of living here, Nigel is well-contented, the end of the first term is the end of this week. That means school is 1/4 over already!
One of the most impressive things we have witnessed in Cairo to date was the Guiseppe Verdi opera "Aida" at the Giza pyramids. The stage was located on a sand dune (or is it a sandy hill?) overlooking the two largest pyramids. The gigantic structures served as a breath-taking backdrop for the opera. In looking at the scenery it was in some ways hard to imagine that it wasn't painted on Styrofoam board! The stage, placed in an open air amphitheater, was wooden construction (Barbara insists that it also included plaster and metal), with myriad trap doors and hidden entrances. Two hydraulic sets were also included. The first one operated a dome-shaped cover, which receeded to reveal a set of stairs to a temple. The other operated a gigantic arch that rose high above the dome-shaped cover and was at least three -quarters of the stage's width making the stage's height seem to double! Words just escape us in describing it. The stage was lit by spot lights and stage lights, as well as tall flaming torches (yes, real flames, these) as was a separate tomb/temple to the right of the audience. This separate tomb was at least 100 yards from the actual stage, and it took the chorus and company quite a while to get from the stage to this remote set. The chorus was well over 100 people (I counted at least 127!) and the quality of the production was among the best I've witnessed -- stage or screen! There were no subtitles, so you had to know Italian pretty well to catch all the nuances (or be married to an opera fanatic who knew every bit of the opera by heart). We were unable to take our digital camera -- we were warned that it would be confiscated! -- but we did manage to get two (deux, zwei, dos) pictures on Barbara's Advantix camera. It was extremely difficult for Todd not to constantly look at the pyramids in the background and be awestruck at the majesty and beauty of those massive stone monuments, while listening to some of the most beautiful Romantic Period music he's heard. Todd was dressed in a suitcoat, tie and khaki slacks, while Barbara was gussied up in a sweater-blouse and floral skirt. We had been forewarned to dress warmly, but nothing prepared us for the kinds of temperatures we endured. Let's just say that the temperature that day had been in the mid to upper 80s in town. By the time we got to the site at Giza at 7 p.m. (which is in the desert, by the way), the temperture had dropped considerably. It reminded me of Abilene, Texas, during football season. The temperature kept dropping as we found our seats and watched the performance. We felt sorry for the performers who wore loose-fitting, in some cases airy, costumes. By the end of Act 2, it was downright chilly. Barbara was trying to keep the cold wind from chilling her feet, and Todd was trying to make his suitcoat get warmer. The heat of the people nearby did help some, but just wasn't enough to satisfy. There were some quite humorous moments during the opera that let you know you were watching a live performance. Firstly, there were the inadvertent (we hope) horking noises that were picked up by some lead actor/singer's microphone. At one incredibly moving and tense scene, where the audience is holding its breath, this "KHOICK" sound comes out of the microphones, as if someone is not only clearing their throat but about to spit it to the ground. Luckily, the audience (and we of course) couldn't help but chuckle at the faux pas. Secondly, there were the trippings and slippings and "running commentaries" that were overheard through the floor microphones on stage. The choreographers giving cues and tips to dancers during the intermissions (one after each act) without any thought to turning down the microphones.
Barbara's first program was on October 28th. Each class learned a song and also practiced the Monster Mash for an all-school sing along. Well, she had judged that the students could learn the songs pretty quickly, so she only gave them about a month to work. Unfortunately, holidays and free days (rewards the kids earn for being good) got in the way, and it cut the time down to three weeks. By the last week, the 4th and 6th grades were pretty much ready, but the 5th grade was sadly behind. Also, the sound system had to be set up just so, and she ran around like a maniac during any free break trying to get it settled. This on top of rescheduled classes, and extra practice time... Well, the day finally came, and after checking that rugs were placed on the cement floor just so, learning there would be no monitor, and only 4 microphones, she somehow gave three tests, practiced with the soloists, and got the program going. The beginning was chaos. Imagine a herd of students trying to be seated by their teachers, with EVERY parent, aunt, uncle, grandmother, grandfather, etc. coming to greet THEIR precious little boy or girl. On top of that, everyone was trying to get to their places on stage, which ended up being different than practiced. But all in all, it went very well. The kids sang well (even 5th grade - who were threatened within an inch of their lives according to one teacher) and the surround-sound Monster Mash gave Todd goose-pimples. Barbara was just glad it was over. 3 more programs and counting...
Well, the comforts of home are sure hard to come by sometimes. There were just a few things that Barbara needed from home - namely, special vitamins and food bars. She thought, "I think I'll try having it shipped here. It would cost a bit more, but it would be worth it..." W..E..L..L, after 2 weeks of waiting, DHL finally delivered a letter, stating the package was in customs. Every day they would promise to see to it and deliver. They would pay the customs for her. Well, it seems vitamins are considered medicine here, and strictly controlled. They ended up charging almost 100% of the value of the items! And the box looked like it had gone through a steam press, body-slammed by Hulk Hogan AND Steve Austin, and then used in a soccer game. After much screaming (Todd) and crying (Barbara), we forked over $160. The "normal" duty is usually 25% to 40% of the total value.
On the other side, Barbara had asked Todd's mother to send a few baking items a day or so after ordering her vitamins. Well, after all the hullaballoo with the first one, we expected the worst. There was powder in the container (jello mix, pudding mix, baking soda, spices, kool-aid) so we completely expected the package to go to the chemist for analysis. The package went to the main post office downtown. A scary thought, since we had to go at night, without a translator. We walked into an old building near the fire station, past some clerks who directed us upstairs. If you remember the station used by the Ghostbusters, you'll get an idea about the kind of building we entered. The stairway was like something out of the Victorian slums, which reminded Barbara of her scenes in "Oliver!" Halfway up, the clerk asks "Passport?" Oh NO! Barbara had left her purse at home, fearing the crowds, and (of course) the passports were in it.... After frustratedly explaining that we lived in Heliopolis, and had come away without them, Todd flashed his only form of identification: His Texas Driver's License. Never had Todd thought he would need it in Cairo (of all places). After seeing the ID, our guide said "mish mushkileh" (no problem) and took us upstairs. They allowed us to redeem our package through the Texas Driver's License. The moment of truth came as they delivered our box to us. Except for a small dent in the side of the package, the box arrived undamaged, and we paid about 39 LE ($12 US). Opening the box (the best part) proved to be like Christmas a few months early. You should have seen Barbara's eyes as she found the extracts and sugar-free pudding (a commodity not found here!) -- wider than they already are.
:-) :-) :-)
We would like to say to everyone who has asked us about sending things our way - DON'T DO IT!! We have seen the ugly side of the picture, and want to avoid it again. The pretty side was still a bit troublesome, and you never know how valuable they'll think something is... If you have something special, write us, and we'll either have you send it to our US address, or to a friend who will be going home for Christmas, and has agreed to bring some things back for us. We'll pay excess baggage costs for her if needed.
Well, we love and miss you all, hope you are having happy lives as we are!
Love,
Todd and Barbara
