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There aren’t many green, play spaces here in Cairo. Which is unfortuntate, especially as winter is approaching and it’s cool enough to spend time outside after a long, hot summer. But we recently joined a club – paid for by the company – which allows us access to some very nice play spaces for both Ali (basketball) and Sebastian (swings!). I like the swings too, although we did get told off because the swings are for the kiddos, but I convinced them it was ok for me and Sebastian.
Below are some pictures Ali took with his blackberry while we were out yesterday afternoon. Fun times. Sebastian was besotted with a little girl over on the swings, which is why he’s not looking at the camera in most of the photos!
Sebastian and I made a visit to the CSA (Community Services Association) on Sunday to stop in at the Garden Bazaar and see our favourite Thai ladies at the Cooks Day Off, where women (and sometimes men) make and sell food from their respective countries.
The Bazaar was very busy and it was challenging to find our way through with the stroller, but we made our way back to say hello. Sebastian is pretty popular with the ladies, as we all know, but the ladies at Cooks Day Off always get him to smile and laugh and I get to use my rudimentary Thai that I learned when living in BKK. And eat some yummy food that reminds me of living there too. Our favorite is the Thai food, but there is some good Indian food there and I get Ali some French stuff once in a while (it’s laden with meat) and I also get the night off of cooking. Everyone is a winner.
We didn’t purchase anything on this day and as we left the room, I was happy to see the Advance Society table right outside. After loading Sebastian back into his stroller, I decided to have a chat with one of the volunteers. The Egyptian Advance Society is an ‘organization for developing skills of children with special needs’ and they usually have a table at the bazaar. Sometimes they have students running it to get practice with making change, etc. The Advance Center is linked to the LRC where Sebastian has therapy. They teach older students so it’s not a place where Sebastian can gain from their services at this time. They do have a parents support group, but they hold their meetings in Arabic.
The Advance Society is building a new center and is currently fundraising for that venture. I mentioned my fundraising projects to fund Sebastian’s therapies and equipment to the volunteer. I was curious if I would be able to work with them on my next project. (A friend of mine is putting together a calendar with photos donated for the photo raffle. Some of the photos were offered as prizes, and some are new ones by the same photographers. It’s in very early stages, but will have to move quickly as we want to sell for the holidays. The main goal will be to reach out to people we don’t know this time! Stay tuned…) They were actually selling calendars, so it wouldn’t likely work for us to bother sell our calendars together but, I had a very good chat with the woman volunteering for their fundraising department. It was one of those conversations that makes you feel like people come into your life at that moment for a reason and vise versa.
She was showing me the plans for the new center being built that would have a heated pool. I inquired about hydro-therapy and she said hopefully. She also mentioned that a lot of the services at this new center were for children with autism. I replied that autism is really ‘popular’ right now. I immediately wished I hadn’t said this of course because she then told me her son has autism. Her reply was that ‘autism is the hidden disability.’ I said yes, but it’s also the one everyone is talking about now because for so long they haven’t talked about it. I didn’t mean this in a negative way and hoped she realized this. The reason for my abrupt comment could be attributed to my recent experiences of people/media/books/ focusing mainly on autism as the ‘it’ disability. An example of this is my trip to Borders bookstore in Michigan. There weren’t any books regarding cerebral palsy or any other special needs EXCEPT autism. There are a lot of kids being diagnosed with autism, yes. But there are also a lot of kids being diagnosed with CP and parents equally need information and support.
Aside from parents of kids with special needs needing support, we discussed the lack of education about special needs here in Egypt but how positive it is that the Egyptian community is being educated about autism through their organization. Unfortunately, children with disabilities in Egypt are generally kept at home because no one talks about disabilities or understands them. We talked about the need for the community to learn about other special needs as well and we began sharing our personal stories about our sons.
As we were talking about Sebastian she asked me when he was diagnosed. I told her that he had a traumatic birth and was not breathing when he was born and spent 16 days in NICU. I told her that we knew there would be the possibility of CP and that he was officially diagnosed at three months old with CP. I said that it was good since he’s been able to get therapy from such a young age. She had tears in her eyes and shook her head. She then told me that her daughter was also born in a traumatic birth and was also not breathing but that she died. I reached out to her. I could feel her pain. I felt so blessed to have Sebastian with me. I know that we have challenges, but had I lost Sebastian, I don’t know how I would have coped. I love him so much. And we are so blessed to have him in our lives. Exactly as he is.
While Sebastian and I were traveling 16 hours from Cairo to Detroit, via Amsterdam, Ali was busy working and attending his first Moulid. Below is a a short sequence of his experience and some photos.
A man stands above the crowd seeking entrance to the great mosque, admonishing or exhorting (it is hard to tell) the worshippers to remember God. In the room Egyptians claim houses the tomb of the Prophet’s granddaughter (Syria says her body lays there) men swarm to touch the silver frame of the oversized resting place.
A call comes out for prayer, and seemingly without a thought the men line up, hands to the sky, then heads down, then leaning forward, on their knees, then foreheads to the floor. Then heads up, down, leaning, standing, murmuring ‘Allahu Akbar’. And I am stuck between two lines, doing my best not to look out of place, shuffling forward and back to evade their prostrations. I had tried to exit the room as the prayers started, but an outstretched arm had stopped me. Once the extended prayer had finished, the man who had blocked my exit comes over to me. ‘Where are you from?’ he asks, a common enough question of a pale face in Cairo. ‘From Australia’ I say. ‘I am very sorry you did not have room to pray,’ he says, kissing my hand. I assure him I was not overly troubled.
As soon as the prayers end an even greater number of men enter the room, while in an antechamber a chorus of chanting begins and quickly rises to crescendo. An old man in a pale blue gallabiya rests against a corner of the tomb, letting out occasional plaintive cries. He seems oblivious to all but his most immediate surroundings, spittle on his cheek and a distraught look in his eyes. Hands reach out to touch the tomb and another man kisses my hand and wipes rose water across my cheek. I touch the tomb briefly and withdraw to the relative calm of the main room of the mosque before collecting my shoes and exiting to the humid night air.
writing by Alastair Sharp, REUTERS
photos by Tarek Mostafa, REUTERS
Wow. I feel blessed. Since we have started the fundraiser one week ago, we have raised over $900. We have had friends donate their time and photographs for our son. We have had friends donate financially. Some of the donations have been hundreds of dollars. That’s a lot of raffle tickets!
These generous donations are from people who probably don’t know a thing about HBOT or ABM. They may have heard of hippotherapy or at least theraputic riding. These donations are from friends that don’t even need to know about these therapies because they know us. They love our family and want the best for our son, just as we do. If you are a parent of a child with CP you will know a lot about these therapies and the dozen or so other alternative therapies out there (there are a lot). Because as a parent of a child with CP you do as much as you can to find out ways to help your child. As a parent in general you would know that you want the best for your child, whether he has special needs or not.
We are also not the first to come up with creative ways to help raise money for our child’s CP. One mom over at Better Than Normal makes party hats, crowns and now super hero capes to raise money for her son’s alternative therapies. I would love to create things too, but being in Egypt makes that difficult since I can’t guarantee items will make it through customs! (My mom only received one of her two scarves which I sent her.)
Being in Egypt we are very lucky that we have services for Sebastian. Very lucky considering there are only FOUR occupational therapists in the ENTIRE country. And just as we are thankful we have access to physical and occupational therapy, we feel that is not enough. We feel that there is more that we can do because of the research I have undertaken since coming to terms with Sebastian’s CP.
We are lucky that we have insurance that helps cover the costs of some of these traditional therapies. For some of the therapy Sebastian has received here, we have had to pay out of pocket and risk not being reimbursed. But that’s ok. Because this is what we do; we take care of our son. Our insurance does not cover the cost of any adaptive equipment. So when/if the time comes for Sebastian to need a gait trainer or a walker or even a special tricycle, we will have to find a way to pay for these things too. Our hope is that the therapies we choose will help him do things. But as every child with CP is different, so is the outcome of every patient in each therapy.
Cerebral Palsy is the most expensive disability to treat over a life time. If I can organize a fundraiser to help Sebastian get therapies NOW that can possibly help him sit up on his own, play with toys independently, self-feed, talk, crawl and even begin to take aided steps, then bring it on. I will tell everyone I know and everyone I don’t know to buy a raffle ticket. Going without a drink at the pub or a desert at a cafe can purchase one ticket (ok, going without two drinks or two deserts). And everyone doesn’t even need to feel pressured to contribute financially. Just spreading the news helps too. I have a friend I haven’t seen in over twelve years who has volunteered to work with her church community to help support us.
Thank you to each of you who have already donated your time, support, photos, and purchasing of raffle tickets. We appreciate it more than you can know.
I’ll leave you with this photo taken on his first birthday, nearly two months ago. The outfit is from my Uncle Brian, Aunt Kathy and their kids.
Waiting for a taxi after swimming class.
We went to Alexandria for a couple days last weekend. It was just before my mother-in-law was to head off after a three week long stint in Egypt, two of those weeks were hanging out with us and one was relaxing and site seeing on a Nile Cruise. Our big finale was a weekend in Alexandria, city by the sea. It was about ten degrees cooler than here in Cairo and the sea air was so refreshing. We stayed at The Crillon, the same place as last time. Although we didn’t have french doors opening up to a wide sea view this time, we had the suite which proved nice for getting Sebastian’s meals organised and relaxing in the side room as he slept in our bed. There was still a corner sea view, which was better than none at all.
Historical Library of Alexandria. This time we were able to visit the library and take a look around inside. Although we were greeted by the guard at the door with a very sombre face, “I’m sorry, there is a problem. You have a baby, so you cannot go in.” “No problem,” we replied, as we handed Sebastian over to his Granny to spend the next half hour with him so we could peruse the library. Very nice indeed. The library was rebuilt very recently on a site near to the original which dated back to the days of Alexander the Great [who founded the city and gave it its name]. It was destroyed during Roman times and any relics left buried beneath the sea. There are some artefacts in the museum located in the basement of the new library.
We also spent some time taking a walking tour in the city which lead us to a synagogue which is almost never open to the public, a museum of a poet long dead, and a bank which used to be a cathedral. We walked across tram lines and looked up at architecture influenced by the French and the British. The buildings in Alexandria are in much better condition than those in Cairo. They aren’t as dirty, or falling apart as much.
We found our way down to the Catacombs of Kom El-Shoqafa via a spiral staircase of over one hundred steps leading twenty feet below ground. Empty graves organised on top of one another in a very orderly fashion. Discovered in 1900 when a donkey fell through the surface, everything is very well preserved. I wondered how many other places beneath the ground we walked upon held similar resting places.
Not far from the Catacombs were colourful lanes, dirt covered streets lined with sorbet coloured buildings pushed up against the back drop of Pompey’s Pillar, the oldest standing relic in Alexandria.
We feasted on fresh fish at the Fish Market, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea at sunset. I ate my first lobster and I couldn’t help but think of the scene in the Little Mermaid where the lobster is trying to make sure he doesn’t end up in the boiling pan of water. I am still a vegetarian, but I have been eating some fish since I can’t have dairy at the moment. Perhaps my eating habits and beliefs are a story for another time.
Ali and I meandered through the market district at night while Moira watched Sebastian sleep (not literally, of course!). We were exhausted and only lasted about forty minutes in the wide world on our own. We even found ourselves reacting to loud noises as if Sebastian were with us.
We arrived back to Cairo at the end of the second night very late. But in Cairo, everything comes to life at nighttime. The streets were filled with people of all ages celebrating life. It was hot and dusty, the market abuzz. Everything is so big in Cairo. Busier. Louder. Dustier. Hotter. It was nice to have a break in Alexandria. I imagine we will head back every couple of months or so. Why not, it’s just a two and a half train ride away.
There were only a few photos of Sebastian in this round of photos, otherwise all the photos are public. I’ve just added them to the already existing Alexandria set on flickr. This is not the guest pass. Leave a comment if you’d like me to email you the guest pass, although if you have the first one it still works.
We traveled by train north to Alexandria for the weekend about a month ago. It was a two hour train ride and Sebastian was able to nap for part of it so we were able to read our books. It felt good to be traveling again. When you travel with a baby, everything is different. It’s not about writing in your journal, reading a book or playing cards on the long train rides. We took turns entertaining him and helping him fall into slumber. We took turns posing with him for photos in front of a landscape moving by as the train sped through the country side.
When we arrived in Alexandria we breathed in the cool, salty air while simultaneously locating a taxi to take us to our sea view guest house. The taxis in Alex are black and yellow instead of black and white as are the taxis in Cairo. But they are just as old and smelly. We zigzagged through the streets and everything looked different. Fresh. Cool. Colorful. It felt good to be somewhere new. Exploring again.
After feeding Sebastian ate his lunch while we listened to the sea above the din of traffic below, we headed out to the library. Alexandria’s library is famous, as it was once the largest library in the ancient world. Although now only a piece of engraved stone survives the original library. When we arrived we were disappointed to learn no children under six are allowed in. We were able to visit the museum in the basement and eventually finagled our way into the children’s library, but had to take turns peeking into the main library and it’s vast volumes of books. We thought about hiding Sebastian in our backpack, but as he was already sleeping and we didn’t want to wake him. 
It felt strange to not be allowed to do something because we had a child with us.
We ate at a posh hotel restaurant in the evening and Sebastian was able to fall asleep in my arms before the main course arrived. It was like being on a date with an additional appendage. A very cute and cuddly one. When we got back to the guest house we read some more and went to sleep as the traffic finally died down outside our window, four stories down.
The next day we would be leaving late afternoon. We took a horse carriage along the sea’s edge to Fort Qaitbey where we found ourselves getting an impromptu tour from one of the guards and taking lots of photos. Sebastian fell asleep on our walk back to the guest house and I was able to take loads of photos of the harbor nearby. There were men fixing their nets for fishing, harvesting shrimps, and children playing in the sand by the shore. Color was everywhere. Boats lined the harbor and dotted the horizon. The streets were occupied by people getting from one place to the next in carriages, on horses, in taxis, on buses, pushing carts and trolleys. Life was everywhere. I couldn’t snap enough photos.
We had lunch at the restaurant downstairs from our guest house and took some falafel pitas for the road. Our cab driver back to the train station was animated and impressed with Ali’s Arabic skills, until our luggage got stuck in his trunk. He was able to retrieve it eventually. The train back to Cairo was uneventful, Sebastian took and nap and had his dinner. We scared a young couple away with his pre-nap fussing, but they were forced to return to their seats in front of us by the staff on the train.
It was a refreshing trip. One of those places you hope to get to often to take a break from everyday life in the city. We’ll see.
Alexandria photo set. As always, photos of Sebastian are private, so leave a message for a link or check my Facebook page where I’ve posted the link there.
Tree Top Mop, originally uploaded by kara melissa.
I’ve finally been able to upload some photos (it took several hours) that I took while Sebastian and I were walking around our neighborhood about a month and a half ago one sunny afternoon. I also included some photos I took of our apartment for those of you curious about where we are living and are unable to come by for a visit! Since the photos were taken, we’ve started hanging art on the walls, but you can get an idea about where we spend our time.
Here’s the link for the Neighborhood set. I will update this set over time. It’s my intention that Sebastian and I take at least one photo walk a week. Maadi is separated into two sections, Old Maadi and New Maadi. We live in Old Maadi and our neighborhood is called Degla. I would like to take pictures of all the different neighborhoods of Maadi as well as share a bit of the history behind it as I learn it myself. Maadi dates back to when the British were in Egypt and has always been a place where many expats and well to do Egyptians live.
Beginning in the 1890s a group of closely intermarried Sephardi entrepreneurs quietly bought up fields along the railway that linked Cairo to Helwan. By 1904 they had amassed enough land to incorporate the venture. Landscapers were brought in, and building codes were laid down. Maadi, as the village was called, had grown by the 1930s into a smug and exclusive suburb people by Egyptian patricians as well as khawaga bankers and brokers. Alpine chalets abutted pillared and porticoed neo-classical mansions. Bougainillea hedges separeted Raj-style bungalows from steep-roofed manor houses that could have graced Surrey or Scarsdale. Garden competitions, Boy Scouts and Brownie troups, a sporting club with a golf course and a yacht club on the Nile, churches, mosques and a thriving synagogue completed this suburban dream. (p.181 ‘Cairo: The City Victorious’ by Max Rodenback)
You will notice a lot of trees. This is especially true for the area that we live in and more so of Old Maadi than New Maadi. It’s great for shade, especially in the summer when it is a NECESSITY. The trees and plants are watered daily by caretakers as it rarely rains here. I think it has rained three times since we moved here in August, for about five minutes each time! There is a constant layer of dust on all the leaves. The plumeria trees haven’t had many flowers so far. And we have a flaming tree in front of our building but it hasn’t been covered in red yet. I’m hoping for some blooms as Spring arrives. The green is why I wanted to live out here in Maadi. Well one of the reasons.
Often our weekends are spent relaxing and hanging out with walks around our hood: Maadi. Recently, we decided to venture out. A couple weekends ago, we went and explored Coptic Cairo. It’s just four metro stops from where we live, which is really convenient with a baby! We spent most of the afternoon in the Coptic Museum, learning about the history of the Copts in Egypt. Afterward we visited the Hanging Church which gets it’s name because it’s suspended over a passage. Inside there is an area with a glass floor to the suspension. The land surface has risen since the Roman period which means it’s more difficult to really see that the church is actually elevated/’hanging’. It’s a really old church (3rd/4th century) and is the most famous one in Cairo.
When we visited, Sebastian had just fallen asleep and there were a few other tourists meandering about, but mostly worshipers lighting the candles beneath an old picture of their favorite Saint. Balloons of all colours hung from the ceiling in celebration of Jesus’ birthday, which for the Copts was celebrated just a couple weeks ago on January 7th. There were no tour groups, but was a calmness in the air. We just seemed to float from one room to the next, snapping photos.
After seeing the ’sights’ we walked around the neighbourhood a bit and I practiced taking photos with the aperture setting on my camera — I’m trying to get back into taking pictures of life around us as I have been a bit preoccupied with my number one subject: Sebastian. While we walked around the side streets near the churches, I recalled our first trip to Cairo in 2005. My favourite place we explored then had been Coptic Cairo. The neighbourhood is so colourful, teaming with life around every corner. From the boy weaving a cotton sheet, to the old man sitting in the garage piled with tyres. Or the women sitting together in the late afternoon sun having tea and the little girls beckoning me to come closer to take their picture. The laundry hangs from the windows on the third and fourth floors, sometimes still and sometimes moving with ghosts in the cool breeze.
The people here are welcoming and lively. They watch you walk around and look at their lives and for a moment I feel like I can take their picture. But I don’t. My nerve has left me and I take shots of the buildings. I take shots of my husband and son. I move my camera and catch a glimpse of the policemen walking in front of us. I take a picture of a tree and shift the camera enough to get the old man in his chair, hiding from the sun. I take pictures of everything but the people. This is something I’m working towards. Getting the nerve to take their pictures too.
Take a look at the photos on my flickr site: Coptic Cairo Set. I’m also working on a photoblog with the goal of posting one photo a week highlighting our lives here in Egypt; Free As Trees Photography. It’s still in the starting stages, but check it out and stay tuned.
Happy Christmas, originally uploaded by kara melissa.
It was indeed. Our first Christmas with Sebastian, celebrated in Cairo. I carried him into the livingroom to see the gifts in front of the tree and his face lit up into a huge smile. Even if he didn’t fully understand what was going on, he was still very happy to spend the morning with mama and daddy, opening gifts, playing with new toys and listening to new stories. Ali and I enjoyed ourselves too. We took some videos of Sebastian on his first Christmas and eventually we will get around to emailing them to our parents. Hope everyone’s holiday season was full of love and joy, as ours was.
Even though you can’t seem them in his big smile, Sebastian cut his first two teeth while were were in Michigan, the bottom front two. They are almost fully grown and very sharp!
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