#Yes I am now on the Egyptian arabic train | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

poptod · 4 years ago

Text

jiāoqiǎnyánshēn (Ahkmenrah x Reader)

Description: jiāoqiǎnyánshēn (chinese, v.) - to have a deep and intimate conversation with a stranger.

Notes: for @hideamnos! a bit longer than my last couple of fics so I hope you don’t mind. the strange city happenings are all things I’ve seen in San Fran. As always, gender neutral. Word Count: 2.6k

Rain falls down from the sky in great sheets, battering down at your umbrella so harshly that you have to tuck it away to avoid flying off. Wind whips at your hair, biting at your exposed skin, pushing you to seek some sort of shelter, any shelter, from the fall-winter weather.

Nowhere is open. It has to be around midnight – you can't be bothered to check your phone, considering the last time you used it it was on 5% battery. The only light you can really see is the one near the train station, and with that singular sliver of hope, you run off in that direction. With the wind at your back, something finally goes right for you.

In the fluorescent light another man sits, skin that you assumed would've been dark in any other light paled in the station lights. The dull buzzing you usually hear is gone, beaten out by the rain, pounding harsh against the flimsy rooftop. With shaking hands you sit on the bench, curling up into a ball as though that would keep you warmer.

You won't deny that New York City has some strange folks – it's much like that in many other cities, though New York has to be the worst case you've seen of it. There was one point where a long line of monks, numbering somewhere into the fifties, walked down the sidewalk chanting some language you couldn't understand. This one can't be the strangest occurrence, though it is a little peculiar. His clothes are too nice to be a costume but it can't be anything else; a man wearing ancient Egyptian garb, donned entirely in gold and bearing a crown that looked far too heavy for his head. He's standing, carrying a tablet at his side as he stares off into the ink black of the city's night.

When it begins to hail he looks up at the sky, a calmness in his movement that you hardly ever see. Turning back down to the ground, he steps further inside the safety of the train stop, sitting down on the bench beside you.

"Come here often?" He asks in a humorous tone, a British accent shocking you mildly. With a chuckle and a wide smile, you shake your head, mumbling a small 'no.'

When he turns to once again stare at the empty railroad tracks, you let yourself examine him, his bone structure, the way his skin rests on his face – all very middle eastern, probably Arabic or Egyptian, or a mix of the two. It's becoming a bad habit at this point, staring at people's facial structure. Despite the fact that it'd probably make people uncomfortable if they knew you were doing it, it's good practice for you, what with your attempts to become a forensic pathologist. He's pretty, you note that as well – soft skin, sharp jawline, sweet eyes, pink lips – all leading to you blushing and looking away when he notices your stare.

"You're curious, aren't you?" He says in a quiet voice, but you can tell he doesn't mind your intrigue in him.

"Well... yes, but I'm used to not figuring out why people do strange things," you say, recalling the fifty monks and the one woman wearing only dog leashes as clothes. Your comment earns you a tiny smile from him.

"My name is.. Ahk," he says, removing his hand from the many folds of his clothes, holding it out for you to shake. You do so, noting nice fingernails and a firm grip.

"I'm (Y/N)," you respond, releasing his hand.

"I'm from the Natural History Museum, here in New York. The Egyptian exhibit," he says, and for a moment you wonder what the hell he's talking about, before remembering they created a new exhibit recently. Some sort of attempt to 'bring history to life' by hiring actors.

"Oh, you're the actor playing that boy king," you say in recognition, secretly proud that you remembered that.

"He's... he's not really a boy," he laughs sweet, a wide grin and crinkles around the eye – you can't help but continue noting how handsome this man is.

"How old is he then?" You ask, scooting closer in a fashion that made sure he wouldn't recognize what you were doing. This was too good of a chance to lose so suddenly.

"I – um, he died when he was around seventeen," he stutters out, blushing when you both know that's still a very young age for a king. "But – but he would've... grown up."

"All of us would've grown up. Doesn't mean that fellow is 4,000 years old now," you snort.

"Yeah..." he chuckles nervously, "right."

"Are you interested in Egypt or.. is it more of just a job for you? It seems interesting nonetheless," you say, leaning in. Stories have always been a staple of your life, the woes people go through and the accomplishments of humanity – everyone has something interesting about them.

"I'm actually from Egypt," he says, confirming what you'd deduced earlier. "It's a bit like returning to my childhood. I.. um, I lost my parents at a pretty early age, so it's a little difficult sometimes, since my job sort of.. reminds me of that part of myself, but um – I, uh, I still enjoy it."

"I understand. I lost my father recently," you say in a soft voice, your gaze drifting to the hail covered cement as you recall your father. He'd always been much nicer and closer to you than your mother. "It must be difficult. It's great that you've been able to enjoy yourself, though. When did you leave Egypt?"

"... in my twenties," he says after blipping out for a moment, which only makes your sentiment for him warmer – maybe you have a thing for airheads. "I left to go to Cambridge."

"Really? Wow, that's a nice school," you say with a sigh, already shuddering just imagining how expensive it had to be. Not even factoring in the fact that University in itself can be expensive, Ahk is Egyptian and had to be a foreign exchange student, which only ups the price.

"Yeah, I had a mildly pleasant time there," he chuckles, and you laugh as well – you wonder for a moment if you could manage to get his number.

"Here's another question for you, if you don't mind my asking," you say before being promptly interrupted by him.

"Only if I can ask you a question after."

With a sheepish smile you nod, realizing you've been bombarding him with question after question, and leaving him little time to figure out anything about you. He adjusts himself in his seat, and waits patiently for your query.

"Why are you at a train station in the middle of the night wearing your work clothes?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he laughs, but proceeds to answer anyway. "A couple friends and I went out for fun since we weren't actually working, we, uh, we don't work on Tuesdays and weekends, but we do rehearsals and such on Tuesdays so it's... technically work? Anyway, we went out, had some fun, caused several statues to come to life and then we got separated because they got arrested for disturbing the peace, but I managed to escape, ever the lucky one –" you laugh when he says that as though it's a monumental accomplishment, "but I need to get back to the Museum before dawn.. my clothes, and all that. I don't have an automobile, so... train."

"Sounds like a hell of an evening," you say with a laugh, wondering what other hectic things this man could be up to.

He proceeds to ask you the same question, 'what are you doing at a train station at midnight,' but it doesn't process in your head when you realize he said he caused several statues to come to life. He had to be joking, but he didn't mention it, which he definitely should've since it's a very confusing and worrying statement to make.

"(Y/N)? Are you alright?"

"Hm? Oh, sorry," you rush out, registering he's been waving his hand in front of your face. He backs away when you finally react, though he continues to look worried, and asks you if you're alright. "I'm fine, I just.. remembered I haven't had dinner and I need to plan that when I get home."

"Oh, that's not good. Definitely eat something. But, uh, as I was saying..." you perk up again, "what are you doing here?"

"That's – that's a funny story, actually. I was off at an art exhibit, or at least I was planning on going to it, and it was a pretty late night one," you look down at your phone, which is now dead, "it was supposed to go till around 1 AM, not sure what time it is now but – I was, I was stopped at the door because, as it turns out, I had the wrong address. I didn't know that at the time, though, so I kept insisting I wanted to go inside. I sort of thought they might've been discriminating against me but I digress. I finally got inside, turns out I actually was at the wrong place. I'm honestly not sure what kind of party I walked into, but it was.. really odd. Decided to stay because it began to rain, but then somebody started stripping and so did everyone else and I decided it was time to get out, as many people would decide. I left the building incredibly disoriented and a little drunk, got a bit lost, and then the rain picked up and I couldn't see a thing. Eventually found my way here."

"That sounds a lot more exciting than my evening," he says after giving your spiel a moment to set in.

"Yes, well, at least no one got arrested. To my knowledge."

"Right," he laughs, looking down at the floor when you meet his eye. As his laughter fades he tucks in his lip, biting and discreetly rolling his tongue over the top lip, making your heart stutter in your chest.

"Hey, do you know where we are? I might be able to drive you back to the museum," you offer, something you can immediately tell was the right move to make. He sits up a little straighter, a spark of hope in his eye.

"Would you do that? That'd be wonderful, really. I'll die if I don't get back in time," he says with wide eyes, turning to you like you've just become best friends. You giggle and nod your head, thinking about the many strange things this man has said, and wondering if he has always been so different from others.

Unfortunately, neither you nor Ahk have much of an idea as to where you are, so you turn to the maps. Two of them sit on either side of the small rest area, illuminated by the pale light and protected behind glass. There's a marker telling you where you are, and while Ahk is absolutely horrible at reading the map, you manage to pinpoint where you stand.

"It's a good thing you're smarter than I am," he comments as the two of you head off, trying your best to stay out of the hail.

"I don't think I am. I think I've just lived here a while," you say, ducking beneath the overhang of a building roof. "You start to recognize patterns and such the longer you stare at things."

"Yes, I've..." he looks to you as though you're suddenly precious, "I've noticed. I used to look at the stars quite a bit when I was younger."

After going through both sopping rain and biting hail, the two of you are exhausted by the time you reach your car. You hadn't driven it to the function (it would've been much easier to find had you done that, but you didn't) and you hadn't left it at home either, but you distinctly remembered leaving it in an underground parking lot. The reasons as to your decision to leave it there are unimportant, and Ahk does not ask. Painted an alarming shade of red, your car was a gift from an eccentric aunt, and though it's tight to fit more than two people in there, the two of you manage.

Throughout the evening you've noticed things that are 'off' about him – the way he tells stories, how he recalls memories, his choice of words, his life in general, but sitting in the car with him has to be the strangest thing that's happened to you. It doesn't feel as though he's ever even been in a car, mesmerized by the blinking lights and the soft radio that comes from the surround sound system you have. So it's a fact in your mind – there's something about him that isn't entirely true, that isn't wholly normal, and the idea excites you just as much as it terrifies you. Maybe he's a prince. Maybe he's a murderer. You don't know, but he keeps up the happy energy that seems ever present in his company all throughout the ride.

Large lights dug into the ground shine bright onto the front of the museum, showing off the pillars and carvings and, of course, the ever-changing advertisement posters. The hail has lightened back into rain, though it's still freezing and biting when you walk him up the entrance. Your legs slow in the cold, sore to move and making your whole journey up the many steps just a little more difficult, but Ahk doesn't seem bothered by it. It's another thing that strikes you as unusual – he hasn't complained of the cold, or shown any of its effects at any point. His clothes only add to your confusion, as they're definitely suited towards warm, Egyptian weather, not hail and sleet.

"I want to thank you again for driving me here. I am indebted to you," he says with a small bow once the two of you are safe underneath the portico. Inside, all the lights are on, and it looks as though most of the actors inside are still in their costumes.

"It's not a big deal," you insist. "I'm happy to help."

"Still, you're very kind," he says, taking your hands in his, a sincere smile on his face.

"I, uh –" you stammer, blushing from the contact. "I enjoyed our conversations. Is... do you, um... is there any way I can, uh, contact you?"

He halts, and for a moment you think you misread the signals – maybe he isn't as interested in you as you thought, and the idea of that alone puts an anchor in your chest.

"I don't have any phones," he says, a sentence that sounds wrong but is technically correct, "but I'm here pretty much every night. I'm very dedicated to my job." He winks, and you can't help but smile.

"Then I hope I'll see you again, Ahk," you say softly, biting at your lip as your nervousness begins to get at you.

"I hope to see you again as well."

With that he leaves you starstruck, already dreaming of when you'll see him again.

#ahkmenrah x reader #Ahkmenrah #Night at the Museum #ahkmenrah x female reader #ahkmenrah x male reader #gender neutral reader #rami malek #rami malek character

203 notes · View notes

tired-college-student-writing · 5 years ago

Text

Tim’s Secret Weapon pt. 12

I’ve been slightly obsessed with @ozmav ‘s Damian Wayne/Marinette Dupain-Cheng pairing as of late, and just saw a post that has inspired me more than anything else has in months, so I felt the need to write it

Summary- Tim has always seen the numbers floating above people’s heads, been able to perceive their threat levels with a single glance. After being a hero for so long he thought he was desensitized to seeing high numbers above people’s heads until Damian brings a new friend home.

Part 1

Part 11

Part 12(HERE)

Part 13

____________________________________________

Jason had started cackling as soon as Tim explained why he was cross, pulling the ring from his hand and tossing it back to its proper owner. Damian Bruce and Alfred were intrigued by the prospect by the fact Jason was predestined to be a miraculous wielder. Dick, on the other hand, was pouting at Jason being ‘officially more of a cat than him.’

“You’re not a black cat,” Tim snapped, using the door frame to stay upright, glaring at the stark white number over Jason’s head, “He may claim he’s all about destruction but it’s who he was made into not who he is at his core.”

“What?” Jason huffed, “You’re the one that said my number went up to 15! I’m a cat now, I’m leaving the birds to join Selina.”

“No,” He nearly growled in frustration, staggering over to the couch, “Adrian is the real cat here. At his core, he’s sweet and kind and trustworthy, but he also has chaos at his center. He can destroy a person he believes deserves it without a second thought, tarnish a reputation permanently with no remorse if he believed it was the best course of action, manipulate a person into behaving how he wants with precision and grace without anyone realizing that the ray of sunshine would be able to do so. He’s literally destruction. You aren’t like that Jason, not at your core. You’re a true holder, but you aren’t a Black Cat.”

The room was silent as he finally finished and he couldn’t help, but look around at their stunned faces with confusion. Even the Kwamis had frozen from where they had been whispering on the side table, glancing between each other and Tim.

“What?” He snapped, too tired to deal with anything else tonight.

“You’ve only just met Adrian,” Kim drew out, “And just spouted off stuff I never knew about the sunshine boy with such confidence I’m pretty sure you’re not lying.”

“What do you mean? Of course, I know that stuff, can’t you guys tell it too? That’s just what I can tell from observing if I really wanted to know anything important about him I’d have to do research,” He explained with a groan as he leaned against Dick’s shoulder.

Dick just looked down at him in amazement, “No Timmy, most people can’t tell that kind of stuff just from spending a few hours with someone.”

“Huh? You guys never acted like I was crazy before,” He pointed out looking at his brothers.

“I always assumed you researched our targets before we needed the information,” Bruce hummed, “We had meant to ask you how you knew some of the skills you had listed when you had never met the heroes before making the entries in your journal.”

“I mean I did look up some stuff, but isn’t most of that stuff common knowledge?”

Jason snorted, “I didn’t know Bruce spoke Portuguese before reading his journal entry, replacement. I can say with confidence that there’s no video footage of B or Bats speaking or reading Portuguese anywhere or any reason you should know that before I even kicked the bucket.”

“I…” Tim tried to think back, to why he knew this information, where he had put together the man had known so many languages.

“Tim,” Marinette piped up, “What languages does everyone in here speak?”

“French and English.”

His deadpan earned an eye roll from her, “No, I meant past that. Start with your family and then my team, tell me all the languages. Go.”

He was skeptical of what she was trying to do but decided not to question it, “All the bat speak Mandarin, Spanish, Arabic, and BSL. Bruce knows Romanian, Portuguese, Dutch, Cantonese, and Greek. Alfred speaks German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Polish. Dick speaks Romani, Romanian, Dutch, and Russian. Jason has Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Cantonese, and Russian. I can do Japanese, Romanian, German and Polish.

Damian knows Japanese, Korean, Cantonese, and is just short of fluent in Romanian.”

His eyes turned to the Parisian teens, ignoring the surprise at their extensive list of languages, “ Adrian knows Mardiran and Japanese. Chloe knows Japanese. Kim is fluent in Vietnamese and is nearing passable in German. Max knows Korean and Safan. Alix knows Ancient Egyptian and Arabic. Kagami knows Japanese and Mandarin. Viperion knew quite a bit of Italian but wasn’t quite fluent. Marinette knows Italian, is nearly fluent in Arabic and… actually, I’m not sure what the last one is, but it’s ancient, something close to Sino-Tibetan I think?”

Eyes flashed around the room, before settling on Tim.

“Seriously?” Tim groaned, “None of you knew that?”

Jason's eyes flashed to Damien, “Since when do you speak Romanian?”

He scowled, the tips of his ears burning, “It was going to be a surprise for Grayson, I was hoping to be fluent by his birthday…”

Marinette broke in before any of the brothers could make a comment, “Tim, Damien only practiced Romanian when he knew everyone was out of the house. Nor should you know about the Guardian Language.”

“Guardian Language?” He whispered, head too fuzzy for him to process more than that.

She winced a little, “When the role of Guardian was handed over to me, the language of the Guardians was basically downloaded into my head. It allows me to read the Guardian Grimoire and perform the spells within it to heal kwamis, fixing broken miraculous or create potions to allow them different abilities they don’t usually possess. Usually, there’s a lot of training to be able to deal with the new knowledge being shoved into their heads but my gaining of the guardianship was more than a little unorthodox so I had to deal with migraines for about six months after. I had to decode the secrets for myself even with knowing the language.”

“I don’t even know what the Guardian is,” Tim whispered as the truth set it, “I really shouldn’t know this stuff about you guys…”

“Another aspect of your power, no doubt,” Alfred cut in, “Hardly the worst thing in the world for a detective to have intuition-based knowledge of the people he’s looking up, hmm?”

Tim laughed, “Thanks, Alfred.”

The butler merely nodded, “However, I am fairly certain Master Tim hasn’t been truthful about how much sleep he’s gotten this week and a miraculous drain is dangerous even when well-rested, I suggest suspending this discussion until a proper hour?”

Damien gave him an innocuous look, “ You tried to lie to Pennyworth? Are you completely braindead.”

“Panicking over my secret being out means lots of comfort coffee,” He groaned back as he attempted to bury himself in Dick’s side.

“Go to sleep Replacement,” Jason huffed, as Dick pulled the other man to his feet. Zombie Tim's duty was something they all had plenty of experience in. It wasn’t long before he was stripped of his costume and sweatpants and an oversized tee pulled on over his bike shorts.

Tim barely registered the lights being turned off as he was bundled into bed, half asleep already.

When Tim arose the next morning he was surprised to see it was only 8 am, seven hours after when he remembered his brother’s getting him to bed. Typically, after the kind of crash, he felt last night he needed a solid thirteen hours of sleep and two cups of coffee to feel this alive again. His answer came from the tiny horse resting on the nightstand.

“Kaalki? What are you doing here?”

“Kwami healing,” She offered in an attempt to be nonchalant as she floated up in front of him, “ Tikki is best at it but every Kwami, barring Plagg, can offer some form of rejuvenation to those who need it. My way of healing is to replenish the energy that has been lost in a timely manner. It was the least I could do after causing you so much distress last night.”

Tim frowned and offered a flat hand for her to land on, “Don’t do that, there’s no blame on you or Marinette or anyone else. Accidents happen, and it’s not like there’s an instruction book on miraculous and metas.”

She fidgeted, “I believe you are correct but I still felt bad for causing such harm to befall you.”

Tim just shook his head, “Either way, thank you. I feel amazing right now.”

She smiled, “Perhaps if you hurry you can join your family for breakfast, I heard they were setting out to leave soon.”

He quickly pulled on his clothes and did his morning routine in the ensuite before entering the main room where his family froze in place as they were pulling on coats and shoes.

“What the fuck are you doing up?” Jason hissed, ready to force him back into bed.

“Kwami magic has its perks,” Tim defended, hands raised in surrender as Kaalki floated next to him, “I feel more awake then I have in years.”

Alfred grinned, “Ah yes, I remember how Duusu would help us relax after battles. Well come along then,

Marinette squinted at him judgingly, trying to figure out how he was allowed out by his family before Kaalki darted from his jacket over to Max’s. Instead, she just huffs and begins leading the entire group of heroes towards her parents’ bakery, Damien quickly falling in step to her left, glaring at Adrian who had fallen into step on her right.

“SO, replacement,” Jason drawled, dropping an arm around the short brother’s shoulders, “I didn’t get to ask last night cause you looked more zombie then me, but if I’m not a cat, what am I?”

“I don’t even know where to start with miraculous,” Tim huffed, pushing the older man away, “Where would I even start with which miraculous to give to you?”

“Well, how about we give you a starting point,” Adrian asked, turning to walk backwards so he could look at them with a twinkling smile, “Miraculous are broken into two categories, indirect and direct. Direct miraculous powers affect the target of the power directly like the Bee’s venom freezing someone, while the Indirect affect the world around the target, like the Horse’s teleportation. The Black Cat and Ladybug fall outside of the groupings as they’re both direct and indirect. Indirect users can’t use Direct miraculous effectively and can even have adverse effects of transforming too long and vice versa. So does Jason feel like a direct or indirect holder.”

“Indirect,” Tim started, finding the words just started flowing as he stared at the 11 swirling about over his brother’s head, “Jason’s cocky and more stubborn than the Blue Boyscout if you get him going, but he’s also loyal to a fault and filled with so much determination I’m not sure whether to be scared or impressed. No matter how angry he is at someone, or how much he thinks they deserve the consequences of their actions he will be there to protect them by any means necessary. He may talk tough and act stupid but he’s unbelievably wise with instincts unparalleled by normal humans when it comes to trust and how to get out of sticky situations. He can and will kill, but only if it’s the only option left to make it out of a situation alive.”

Jason scowled and pulled on the end of his jacket sleeve as he looked away, “Geez, rip me open why don’t you?”

“Hey, you asked,”

Marinette stared at him with a cryptic eye, “No, he’s right I can see it. I think I know what miraculous to give you.”

Tim’s attention fell away from the conversation as Jason tried to pry the newly found information from the young Guardian. Because that was the least of his worries.

Not when his eyes landed on vibrant blue hair, strikingly familiar, attached to a man sitting on the wall around the Seine, strumming his guitar absentmindedly.

“Found you,” Tim said, causing the man in front of him to smile up at him.

“That was quick,” He laughed, the thick gothic steel-colored 13 made his blue eyes take on a silver hue.

“It’s easy to spot such a high number when most don’t reach past six,” He shrugged.

“You and I aren’t very different, you know?” Steely grey 13 offered, looking back to his guitar.

“I think the masks gave that away,” Tim mussed, “I’m Tim.”

“Luka, Luka Couffaine,” Steely Grey 13, Viperion, Luka offered easily, “And I meant past the masks.”

“How do you mean then, Luka?”

The younger man looked up at him and waved a hand at the chair across from him, “How about you take a seat, Uccellino, and we can compare notes on what it’s like to be meta.”

____________________________________________

Taglist: @vixen-uchiha @iggy-of-fans @mewwitch @roseinbloom02 @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @mochinek0 @royalchaoticfangirl @09shell-sea09 @mystery-5-5 @derpingrainbow @aloha-posts-stuff @hauntedfreakdeputyhero @maribat-archive @blue-peach14 @kae690 @zazzlejazzle @vincentvangoose @be-happy-every-day-please @xxmadamjinxx @celestiacq @peculiarlylostdreamer @dani-ari @melicmusicmagic @themcclan @nyctamaximoff @nataladriana9 @drama-queen-supreme @miraculousbelladonna @urbanpineapplefarmer @graduatedmelon @lexysama @hecate-hallow @ki117h3dr4g0n @vinerlover @interobanginyourmom @bluefiredemon @imanerddealwith @tinybrie @clumsy-owl-4178 @shizukiryuu @whogavemeaninternet @schrodingers25 @lunar-wolf-warrior @urbanpineapplefarmer @xxmadamjinxx @crazylittlemunchkin @littleredrobinhoodlum @rougemme @dur55 @phantommeow12 @kand-roo @silvergold-swirl @officiallyathiana @completelypeccable @redhoodsdoll @nataladriana9 @mariae2900 @northernbluetongue @sturchling @thesunanditsangel @reyna-avila-ramirez-alreanaldo @bobothyross @taoiichii @magnitude101999 @magicalfirebird @nataladriana9 @panda3506 @aquariusrunes @woodland-queer @sayarock121 @mindfulmagics @magic-miraculous @my-name-is-michell @naoryllis @slytherinqueen2432 @ilovefluffbutsmutisalsogreat @captainartsypants @nanakeid @legendaryneckjudgestudent @smolplantmum @the-real-ginakid @nyaabinch @elmokingkong @gentlemanoftimetravel @whitennerdiest@imbrium-mare @tired-butterfly @corabeth11 @aestheticnpoetic @amirahevens @sassakitty @letterlust @whats-she-gonna-post-next

312 notes · View notes

thelimeonade · 6 years ago

Text

About the Writer Tag ♦

Rules of the Game: Answer these questions and tag 10 blogs you’d like to know better.

Thanks you so much @mercurylwinter for tagging me in this! You are amazing! I love you!

1. Nickname: Lime is my nickname lol. [And it’ll be my official name in less than 2 years! YAAAY!] Or Limeonade. A certain somebody [A.k.a. @depressionbeanbag] calls me Rhyme though. Only one person called me ‘Apple’ before and yea no. Lime is the best for me :)

2. Zodiac: Pisces (March 16th)

3. Height: 5′1″\ 5′2″ , 155 \ 158

4. Time: 9: 39 AM GMT: +2

5. Favorite Band/Artist: I can’t pick a favorite!!! I really like Ariana Grande, Panic! at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Imagine Dragons and Michael Jackson... there’s so much more!

6. Song Stuck in My Head: Dancing’s Not A Crime by P!ATD

7. Last Movie I Saw: Last movie I saw was The Green Hornet [2011]

8. Last Thing I Googled: 5 foot 1 in cms, followed by, 5 foot 2 in cms. Lmfao. But before that... ‘Cigar Galaxy’

9. Other Blogs: Nope... don’t have the time lol.

10. Do I Get Asks: Yes I do and I fucking love asks! I love it when people ask me questions! I love to answer them! Please shower me with asks about anything!

11. Why This Username: well Limeonade is taken... but I’m the only Limeonade in reality so... THELimeonade

12. Following: 264

13. Average Amount of Sleep: As a person who suffers from insomnia quite often... I have no fucking idea.

14. Lucky Number: 7! Ever since I was a kid this number has been associated with everything good in my life! My godfather’s favorite number was seven. The grade in which I made the decision to change Education Systems from Egyptian to British was Grade 7. My birthdate (year, month, day and all) is a multiple of 7. My boyfriend’s player number in the school’s football team is 7.

15. What Am I Wearing: FLUFFY FUZZY PJS with a picture of a cow on the shirt in a tutu with a text saying ‘I’m Tutu cute’

16. Dream Job: Well to be honest... I have two. First one is: To be a writer and be able to share my imaginary worlds with people, help people learn important advice through my words or be inspired or defy the chains of depression. It sounds perfect. I also want: To be surgeon. I can stay focused for long periods of time without tiring or falling asleep or misunderstanding. My hands are quite steady and I am really interested in how the body works and how everything fits together.

17. Dream Trip: Everywhere. But for starters, Italy so I can see the art, listen to the music, taste all the food and at night just watch the stars and have a nice walk.

18. Favorite Food: .... is ‘everything’ an option?

19. Instruments I Play: *cricket noises* uhh... my parents never viewed it as something worth learning so now I feel awkward because I want to learn.

20. Eye Color: Really really really dark brown. Sometimes black.

21. Hair Color: Brown also! Darkest brown\ black!

22. Aesthetic: *clears throat*

Starry night sky, soft music playing from a CD player, graphite covered hands after drawing with charcoal, books piled around a room, combat boots, long coats, cold wind caressing your cheeks.

23. Languages I Speak: I speak English, Traditional Arabic, Egyptian Arabic fluently. I used to speak French and Italian fluently but I haven’t spoken in three years so idk anymore. I know some Spanish words in case I’m stuck, Turkish too for when I stayed there a month.

24. Most Iconic Song: uuuhhh... Not well known but iconic nevertheless. Higher by The Score.

25. Random Fact: I have 22 Australian Budgies and 17 of them are trained to some commands [by yours truly].

Tagging!

@mediocre-prose @farrradays @adenhamcreations @thescribesloft @atbwrites @juliawritesbooks @anonymous-ivplay @power-of-ages-writeblr @depressionbeanbag @hyba

#writer #writeblr #about me #about the writer #thelimeonade

14 notes · View notes

tipsycad147 · 3 years ago

Text

The Four Elements of Traditional Western Herbalism: Part One

The energetics of traditional western herbalism are fascinating to study and useful to know when it comes to working with the people we serve as herbalists.

Studying energetics, and especially the four elements, we can begin to synthesize the vast and varied traditions and cultures of traditional western herbalism from its astrological roots, its magickal foundations, and its modern breakthroughs. The language of energetics also offers us another way to speak of the experiences we have as people, serving to connect us back to our bodies, our thoughts, and our feelings so that we understand ourselves and our world better.

In this series I'll be focusing on one part of traditional western herbalism energetics: the four elements. We'll look at where the four elements intersect with humoral theory, the zodiac, and how we might begin to apply four element theory to our practice. My hope is that this will be a useful and clarifying introduction to the four elements of traditional western herbalism and that you'll feel inspired to bring some aspect of this theory into your own practice. Engaging with the four sacred elements helps to connect our practice as herbalists more deeply to the sacred and deeply interconnected aspects of our work - and that is healing in and of itself.

Traditional Western Herbalism Energetics

The four elements are part of the energetic system of traditional western herbalism which also includes concepts like the three spirits, the six tissue states, and other esoteric and astrological principles. The phrase "herbal energetics" gets used in a number of ways, including as an interchangeable term for herbal actions (i.e. astringent, digestive, emollient, etc.). In this course and my work in general, I use the term energetics to describe the ways that herbs are defined primarily through an elemental based system codified by ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Arabic scholars (i.e. the foundational cultural traditions of traditional western herbalism that made their way through Europe and eventually the United States). It's important to note that there are many variations of how the four elements are defined and applied in practice within traditional western herbalism - and even the ancient Greeks laid significant foundations of the elemental practice within traditional western herbalism that you see today contradicted themselves and each other when defining the elements.

In addition to ancient Greek and Arabic tradition, the works of Galen and Culpeper, my elemental practice is influenced by my training in the United States and the Physiomedical tradition. My magickal training and practice as a modern Pagan and Witch also shapes my understanding of the energetics of the four elements as the four elements are not only foundational in my healing practice, but my spiritual practice (which are inextricably intertwined). Ancestral and indigenous tradition as well as direct experience shape my understanding of the elements, too. It is important when studying any modality, but especially a culturally diverse and living tradition that is traditional western herbalism, that we seek out what works for us, engage with but not become hindered by what challenges us, and ultimately choose the path most relevant and inspiring to our work as herbalists and the land, people, and creatures we serve.

As always, I am trying to share with you what I have found useful and inspire you to improvise and adjust as needed.

Understanding herbal energetics is essential for understanding traditional western herbalism, astroherbalism, and the broader scope of medical astrology and lunar-centered healing work. What follows is a description of the four elements, starting with some of their ancient traditional western herbalism origins. Not all of these concepts will feel relevant to your own practice or maybe even of much interest, but I do think it is good to have passing familiarity with these concepts as they show up again and again in older texts on traditional western herbalism and medical astrology. Even though I don't use the language of the four humors in my practice, for example, understanding them has helped me better grasp the roots of healing philosophies of traditional western herbalism and informs my understanding of the six tissue states which I do use in my practice.

In other words, we'll be strolling through older concepts that describe the fundamental roots of traditional western herbalism practice, get to know the four elements from an ancient and modern perspective, and then conclude our tutorial with a look at ways we can become elementally-centered in our own life and practices.

Defining the Four Elements

Let's start with defining the four elements. In the Greek tradition (which was most likely influenced by older Egyptian practice) the four elements are categorized by the primary qualities as follows:

Hot

Dry

Moist (alternatively called Wet or Damp)

Cold

The four elements were further defined by secondary qualities moving from heavy to light as follows:

Earth: heavy, firm, stable, dense, sustained and enduring energy that centers and moves downwards

Water: moderate heaviness, soft, slippery, smooth, easily adapts to different shapes and spaces, receptive

Air: light, thin, subtle, adaptable, porous, moves energy upwards

Fire: absolute lightness, bright, very rare, transforms and transmutes energy into other qualities

To understand the Qualities and how they show up in modern western herbalism we have to do a bit of "yes, and" thinking. Yes, Hot is descriptive of temperature in some ways and it is far more than that. Within traditional western herbalism the vital spirits which give life to the body (also known as pneuma and similar in nature to prana or chi) was understood as warm and radiating life-giving breath. So Hot is describing the heat of life as opposed to the coldness of death. The element of Air, seen as delivering the breath of life throughout the body, is viewed as Hot in nature because life requires heat. In modern western herbalism we would describe many Air herbs as circulatory tonics helping to deliver nutrients, warmth, as well as strengthen the heart (one of the seats of pneuma in the body), carrying on the ancient tradition of viewing Air as an element of Heat.

Next, the four humors describe the processes of synthesization of the elements in the body and are a way of describing chemical reactions of the body (i.e. metabolic function). Developed during the Greek period of Hippocractic medicine, the Four Humors are:

Blood

Phlegm

Yellow Bile

Black Bile

The humors were seen as the human scale equivalent of the four elements found in nature. The Blood Humor, for example, corresponds to the element of Air which is Hot and Moist, plentiful in a healthy body, seen to be produced by the liver, and supportive of circulation and distribution of nutrients. In modern terms we would see the Blood Humor as, in part, a key component in the function of cellular metabolism in the body. As we'll see in a moment, even if the concept and language of humors is not widely used by herbalists trained in the western tradition (at least here in the United States), the way we talk about Air and its energetics in herbalism is still influenced by humoral theory. If you're wanting to learn more about humoral theory I recommend Graeme Tobyn's excellent book Culpeper's Medicine (full details in the resources below).

Finally, we have the concept of temperaments which is the way that the elements manifest in the body and personality of a person. In other words, the temperaments described a person's inherent constitution. Everybody is a mix of temperaments, though typically one or two temperaments are more prominent. Again, for more on the temperaments, I highly recommend reading Culpeper's Medicine by Graeme Tobyn. The four temperaments are:

Sanguine (Air-predominant Temperament)

Phlegmatic (Water-predominant Temperament)

Melancholic (Earth-predominant Temperament)

Choleric (Fire-predominant Temperament)

The four elements are also linked to the four seasons of the year because the body is a reflection of the world around it and the world a reflection of the body. The four seasons and elements are:

Spring: Air

Summer: Fire

Autumn: Water

Winter: Earth

Finally, the four elements were applied to the zodiac with each of the twelve signs seen as embodying one of the elements. The elements of each sign of the zodiac are as follows:

Air: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Water: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Fire: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

Earth: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

Now for a slight deviation into a bit more astrology but something which is very useful when understanding the nuance of the four elements. Each of these three signs within the four elements embody different aspects of the elemental quality. Within astrology there are three Qualities (also known at Modes as in "modes of energy") known as Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable.

Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) mark the beginning of a new season (Aries marks the start of Spring, Cancer the start of Summer and so on) and their energy is initiating. So Aries embodies the swift and initiating energy of Fire, like a sudden spark of flame or intense rise in heat like in a fever. Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) mark the middle of a season and their energy is slower and steadier (think of the phrase "fixed in their ways"). The energy of Leo embodies the steady and sustaining energy of Fire, like a long summer days or an oven fire. Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) mark the end of a season, when energy is starting to change direction and are very adaptable in nature. Sagittarius embodies the unexpected and adaptable nature of fire, at one moment lighting the tip of a small candle and the next burning through a forest.

So, as you can see, the quality of the element adds nuance to how it appears in a person, a plant or a condition. Looking at the qualities when it comes to healing work, cardinal energy can manifest in short-acting, acute conditions that quickly arrive but just as quickly pass. Fixed energy can manifest in chronic, inherited, ancestral, and difficult to treat conditions. Mutable energy can manifest as illness that lingers, brings about weakness, and is prone to recurrence.

What emerges from all of the element-based correspondences is a way of seeing the world and ourselves within it. The elements of our inherent constitution interact with the elements of disease (which the ancients would consider an excess or lack of one or more of the humors), the elements of plants, the elements of the seasons, and the elements of the planets and stars. For our ancient traditional western herbalism ancestors, wellness was obtained through elemental balance and attention to the ebb and flow of elemental lack and excess throughout the year and the entirety of one's life. Later on I'll give examples of how we apply this four elements based model to healing care.

The Elemental Temple, Garden, and Seasons

Since storytelling and metaphor is an ancient way of sharing knowledge and we are trying to study ancient wisdom for modern times, here are a few simple ways to imagine the four elements. The first two metaphorical meanderings are borrowed from my lunar rituals and healing series.

Imagine creating a temple out of clay. We need warm and damp (Air) material to initially build the walls of the temple. The heat begins to "cook" the clay that will eventually harden, but it is still early in the process where moisture is present, allowing for the malleability needed to form foundations and walls. Next increased heat and the arrival of dryness (Fire) transforms damp clay and dirt into increasingly sturdy and permanent boundary walls of our space. The walls are still fragile, not yet cool and completely sturdy, but they begin to give shape to our desire of what we hope to bring into our sacred space. After the heating and drying energies of Fire, cooling along with continued dryness (Earth) is required to enable the walls to completely harden - now the temple space is ready to be lived and loved and held in. Cool and damp energies (Water) are necessary for redesigning and reworking a temple space after it has been lived in for a while, bringing back the cool damp of malleability to reshape a space.

For my garden-minded folks trying to create the best batch of compost, the right balance of heat and moisture (Air) are essential to beginning the process of breaking down plant and food material into rich and nutritive soil. Next is the height of heat with the right amount of dryness (Fire) to burn off excess damp. Cooling and drying (Earth) happens next and the compost is ready to be used in the garden. Finally, cool and damp (Water) compost that has been watered and seeded is ready to support the growing cycle in the garden.

Finally, we can think of the elements in terms of the four seasons. The element of Air brings exuberant, outward-moving energy of new life through heat and just the right amount of damp to warm up the land and waters after winter. In summer we are in the height of heat and dryness where the element of Fire reigns and the energy moves upwards. Autumn brings much welcome coolness and moisture, often with rains and the start of the decomposition of plant life that started to die back at the end of summer and through fall. Autumn energy is diffusive, helping the energy of summer settle back down towards the earth. Cold and dry energies of Earth are found throughout winter as energies slow and turn inwards.

None of Us Perfect, All of Us Whole

Having worked with the four sacred elements since the beginning of my studies starting with their magickal application and then their medicinal one, I've come to appreciate one of the lessons reflected back at us when working with this particular system. Each of us are born whole and holy with certain elemental dispositions. Some of us are more fiery and quick to act, others of us are slower, steadier and more considered in our actions. Some of us have an ocean's worth of capacity to feel, others an endless line of energy for philosophizing and storytelling. Each of us have all four elements within us, but we are not born perfect and completely realized. We come to know ourselves and our world by seeking out what we need to support our self-awakening and the greater consciousness of our communities. Within the framework of traditional western herbalism we do that, in part, by finding ways to support the elemental energy we have in abundance and seeking out ways to enrich parts of our elemental self that need extra support.

Your abundance of water nurtures the spaces within me which need to be filled up with Water's wisdom. My earthiness supports the longevity of your airy visions. We feed and hold and support eachother by allowing ourselves to come into balance through engagement with the earth, its people, places, and creatures. We are meant to find one another and heal together. We are meant to come into balance - and fall out of balance - within beloved community.

The Earth of me loves the Earth of you The Air of me loves the Air of you The Fire of me loves the Fire of you The Water of me loves the Water of you All is whole whole and holy

🌿

I hope you enjoyed part one of our exploration of the four elements of traditional western herbalism. The ancestral philosophies which have formed traditional western herbalism are fascinating and I think that the four elements offer a lot of room for innovation and inspiration. Be sure to check out the additional resources below if you’re looking to dive in deeper.

If you are curious about exploring the seasonal nature of the four elements, my witchcraft and weeds series does just that - check out the posts for:

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

Sign-up for Magick Mail to get notified when part two comes out and we look at elemental imbalances. Until next time, be well!

http://www.wortsandcunning.com/blog/the-four-elements-of-traditional-western-herbalism-part-one?

0 notes

theexistentialistdancer · 5 years ago

Text

On (Cultural) Appropriation

A number of months ago, I came across some images on Instagram that left me angry. They were of a famous Russian bellydancer who had visited China, and she had done a whole photo shoot in Chinese clothing, complete with a wig and yellowface makeup. Admittedly, the photos were beautifully done, and her photographer and stylist had created a fantastic scene for the shoot. However, the photos made me so angry, to the point where I wanted to comment in all capital letters to her to stop appropriating my culture. I stopped short though, because despite the anger that I felt about this very white, privileged girl wearing obvious yellowface, it prompted me to think about myself too.

You see, I am always careful to not be a hypocrite. We all have blind spots and have mistakes in this world of intense racism, and I want to make sure I’m addressing my own issues if I’m going to speak on others’ behavior. Also, I am mixed Chinese and I definitely pass for almost anything besides Chinese. Even though “American-Born Chinese” is part of my own cultural heritage, I never want to be the one accusing someone else who might be mixed that they aren’t actually part of that culture or tradition; I myself have been interviewed by Chinese television about why I love kung fu as their “token white girl,” and the interviews are almost always abandoned when they realize they are talking to a mixed Chinese girl (with direct connections to the first Chinese martial arts school in NYC) instead of the white girl they wanted to interview. I know how it feels to be told that I’m not “____” enough, and it hurts if you have previously felt the pain of racism and discrimination to suddenly be rejected by that identity which had become part of a badge of honor. After suffering and finding identity in oppression, to be suddenly lumped in with the oppressor is shocking and painful. Once I had an ex tell me that now that I’m with a white guy, I’m white now. It was NOT pleasant. As a result, I shy away from angry responses to people when I don’t actually know their story.

However, another level of this story is that it made me really examine my own relationship with being a bellydancer. I am American, and without a DNA test, I have no idea if I have any Middle Eastern/North African/Turkish (MENAT) background (if that means anything anyway). I have no cultural claim to Middle Eastern dance, nor do I speak the language, understand from a personal perspective the dynamics and sacrifices it takes to be a dancer as an Egyptian woman, or even come close to fully understanding the complexities of navigating the social systems in Egypt. Yes, I live here, but I live as foreigner. I have indeed sacrificed much in my life to become a performer, but these are the same sacrifices I would have made if I had been a jazz dancer or done any other kind of performance art. When I go to Egyptian weddings as a guest, I could absolutely be the center of attention and take the “stage” and dance in a way to make it clear I have extensive professional training and “I know what I’m doing,” but to what end? What message do I send to the Egyptian women in the audience that I’m a guest at their event and performing in a way to take the spotlight? Is is my right because I love the dance and have been trained in it by Egyptians? Will I come off as an asshole? Because of these complex questions, I usually wait until I am invited to dance by someone to get up on the dance floor. I already attract attention by being the only non-Egyptian in the event, so I try to be as respectful as possible to the event organizers. I have many chances to have my own stage during my paid performances, and it feels like these community events are better for observation in most cases.

This brings up another topic: am I appropriating when I wear a costume and perform in Egypt? Are Egyptian audiences simply so used to seeing foreign dancers at this point, that they don’t think about it anymore? Am I taking jobs from Egyptian women by working here? The generally accepted definition of cultural appropriation is for the majority (in-power) culture to take what they want from a minority (disrespected/oppressed) culture and profit off of while simultaneously disrespecting and oppressing that very same culture. This question brought forth a lot of deep questions for me about how I feel about overarching Egyptian culture. How do I feel about the relationship between culture and religion in the country? How do I feel about ahwah culture, or how people do business, or the kiss-on-the-cheek greeting that is customary? How do I feel about the treatment of women, and do all these dynamics “work” for this country, or am I critical of it because it’s different than what I am used to seeing as “right?” As a social worker, how does my training and understanding of community apply to Egypt? Coming from a strongly-individualist society, how do I feel about Egyptian families and their emphasis on family ties? And, most importantly, if I find Egyptian culture to be abrasive and uncomfortable, where does that put me in terms of a performer of the art from this world? Do I still have a right to be a bellydancer, because I studied and trained from Egyptian teachers, if I truly do not like Egyptian culture? And further, do I have a right to make money as a performer if I find the culture to be in opposition of my own personal schemas and worldviews? As an American living in Egypt as part of an Egyptian family and experiencing culture shock, these are all questions I have grappled with in the last two years. No culture or society is perfect, but where we draw the line in criticism of foreign cultures is an important question. America has a long history of trying to impose its own beliefs and systems on other countries through war or other tactics, and I personally ask myself every day about these questions of balancing constructive criticism in my own circle of control versus coming off as that “know it all” Westerner who wants to tell another country what they are doing wrong. It is one thing to love the celebration aspect of a culture, such as weddings and parties, but to understand the entirety of the country, we have to understand the intense struggle that results in these equally elaborate parties. As dancers, are we willing to be in the struggle? To know how much families work and grind and fight for every bit of their success so that way they have a reason to celebrate? Do we love to watch men from Upper Egypt perform Saidi dance or Tahbib but also feel that Upper Egyptian men are scam artists that cannot be trusted? Are we subconsciously racist against the people from the culture while loving the dance and profiting from it?

Not surprisingly, there are even more levels to this discussion that cannot be covered in one long, overly-thought-out essay. I think the biggest challenge I have faced as a dancer is examining what I have given back to this art form and this country, which includes respect and understanding for viewpoints that are different than what I am used to seeing in the USA. As a social worker, I try to employ Egyptians for all the work that I do here. I attempt to build better communication between tourists and tour guides whenever possible, because I want to be sure that miscommunications do not result in reinforced stereotypes of the “Arab merchant” trope (more on that later). Surely, it’s not enough, and I am positive that I will continue to struggle with these questions as time goes on and the dance world in Egypt becomes even more saturated with foreign dancers. I don’t want to sound like I am giving myself a big congratulations for attempting to contribute to the community; I often question if I even have a right to be here at all. In fact, this whole paragraph could be very problematic in lots of ways without even meaning to be: yay for the hero foreign woman who has come to “save” Egyptians (insert facepalm).

Am I justified in my anger at the yellowface photos? Absolutely. But I am also grateful that seeing it prompted me to do a deep self-examination of my own actions and my own portrayal of Middle Eastern dance, and to always proceed with caution. As artists, I fully believe it is important to always revisit these questions and check in to see how we are doing in our beliefs and representation of the cultural dances we are representing. I also believe that if an artist finds themself hating the cultures of the MENAT region, voting in ways to exclude people from these countries, and otherwise participating in racist behaviors, they have no place participating in this art form any longer.

In closing, I hope that anyone who reads this also does a deep personal examination of themselves and why they love this dance, why they are interested in the MENAT region of the world, and in what ways they may be harming or benefiting the real people of the culture. We do not live in a bubble, and orientalism is real and painful to these parts of the world. How can we approach this art form with humility and respect? As long as I continue to live here and oscillate between feeling like I’m home versus an outsider, I am positive I will continue to grapple with the questions raised here, and I fully expect to have to “check in” with my feelings in the future.

I also hope that it prompts us all to check our inner biases and triggers and not make broad assumptions about people’s lives based on an outward observation. We have no idea what others might be going through in their journey.

#bellydance #bellydancer #appropration #culture #egypt #art #self #growth #racism #colonialism #middleeast #middleeasterndance

1 note · View note

geraldmazzame8-blog · 5 years ago

Photo

Tima Deryan

She does not fit into the clichés that many people in the West have of Arab women. Fatima, called Tima, Deryan does not stand in the shadow of a man. She is cosmopolitan, self-confident and independent. She has founded a company in Dubai where she lives – and she is a mountaineer: Tima has already scaled five of the “Seven Summits”, the highest mountains of all continents. Mount Everest and Mount Vinson in the Antarctica are still missing from her collection.

On 23 March, the 26-year-old will fly to Nepal to climb the highest mountain on earth. On the trek to Everest Base Camp, Tima will certainly pay special attention to the yaks. In October 2017 on her way to Island Peak, she was attacked by a yak when she had just crossed a bridge over the Dudh Kosi between Phakding and Namche Bazaar. She was flipped over by the yak. The horns hit her at the thigh, Deryan was slightly injured.

Tima, how did you become a mountaineer?

On the summit of Aconcagua (in 2017)

I was born in Kuwait, my family moved to Lebanon when I was two years old and then moved to Dubai when I was nine years old. I‘ve been always into sports in general. During my teenage, I was into bodybuilding and then started bungy jumping by the age of 16. I then started my scuba diving and got my advanced PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) license, then I thought I should also get my skydiving license and I did.

In 2015 I attended a speech by Omar Samra, the first Egyptian man to climb Everest (in 2007) and I was reminded about my goal: I’ve always wanted to climb Everest ever since I was 14. I have visited Nepal five times and flew over Everest twice and I always said I will climb to the top of this mountain one day. So I took the first step to see if I like mountaineering or not and took off to climb Mount Elbrus in Russia. This was when I got hooked and my mountaineering journey started.

How would you describe your character?

I’m am a strong woman both physically and mentally. I love laughing and I enjoy the simple things in life. I‘m a minimalist, so to me it’s all about the experience rather than material. I have two jobs when I’m not on the mountain, one is in finance, the other is my own business which means I work hard for my money.

I‘m a loud person when I’m happy and I try to control it. I would consider myself between both an extrovert and introvert at this stage in life. Mind over matter is what I believe in. A positive, balanced and happy life is what I try to achieve all the time.

On the ladder across a crevasse (on Island Peak)

Which of your qualities do help you the most in the mountains?

Believing that I’m strong, being positive and laughing (especially when the altitude hits me) and of course now that its all about mind over matter which I actually tattooed on my hand as a reminder.

What does mountaineering mean to you today?

I honestly wish mountaineering is my job but this doesn’t work in my world. My dreams are big and I need to earn a lot to be able to achieve them. So now mountaineering for me is a run away from the standard city life and mainstream world. It‘s when I refill all my positive energy and boost my confidence. It‘s when I’m in peace with myself and I push all the limits happily. It‘s when I rebalance my thoughts and mentally heal. Mountaineering is literally my heaven on earth and happy place.

How do you prepare for Everest?

While rock climbing

Given that Everest has been a long time dream of mine, when I decided that I want to do it, I discovered that it takes about two months! As a newbie, I continued climbing for three years until I gained confidence and learned enough to take such a decision.

As for training, I do my strength training from 6am to 7am then I’m off to a long day at work. I come back and do my HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) in the evening.

I run ten kilometers one or two times a week, do indoor climbing two, three times a week and I’m always hiking over the weekend.

How do you finance the expedition?

I’m a minimalist, I live with my family so I really do not spend much of what I earn. Everything goes into mountains and trips. As for Everest, it is a launching event for my new company Yalla Cleaning (an online portal for cleaning industry). Part of my initiative is contributing to cleaning Everest, so currently working with the Nepalis on how I can help to bring the trash off the mountain through a system.

South side of Mount Everest

What are your expectations for Everest?

I think anyone wanting to climb a mountain would have the ultimate goal of reaching the top. For Everest, my ultimate goal is definitely reaching the top but I am very well aware that things might go against my expectations. The fact that I have the chance to spend around 50 days on the mountain, be there and live the experience, it is way too beautiful. But to top the cake with the cherry, it’ll be great to come back home with the summit! So I really do not have a lot of expectations besides – expecting the cold, stainless-steel ladders, Khumbu Icefall, crevasses, and the epic basecamp life!

A woman as a mountaineer – there are not many in the male-dominated Arab world. What resistance did you have to overcome?

I always say the Arab world is in a transition phase. It is true that it is male-dominated but women are rising up in all domains. Women in the Middle East are achieving the impossible whether it is in fitness, business, culture, music and entertainment.

Nepal, I’m coming

As I started my mountaineering journey, it was difficult to convince my family to travel alone knowing that I will be disconnected and they might not hear from me for a while. It was very hard for them to accept it but I managed to convince them. Otherwise, I did not really face a lot of difficulties kick-starting my passion.

As for society, I usually have a lot of respect from both men and women when they know what I go through to reach the peak. Just like in any other part of the world, some people think I’m too crazy and my future will be complicated. I don’t really bother explaining instead I climb more and prove them wrong. It’s all about action at the end of the day.

How do Arab men react to your mountain successes, how do Arab women?

Both Arab men and women react in a beautiful way towards my summit successes. It makes me so happy to hear “we are proud of you”. I must say, I do get challenged by some men when it comes to fitness so they can prove a point. I accept it for fun. Whether I lose or win doesn’t matter but I make sure my message goes through which is: Women are strong creatures with a high pain threshold.

Is there also a message that you want to give to Arab women by climbing Everest?

On expedition (to Denali)

Yes. Through my Everest climb I would like to demonstrate that an Arab woman is able to fight all sorts of limitations that society imposes upon her. She can earn her freedom only by action. If she wants something she must work really hard to get it! Being strong does not mean not being feminine enough. Being strong is way more attractive than being “soft”.

Arab women are still going through the phase of being independent and doing anything on there own. Most women still find it difficult to date to depend solely on themselves. So If I can climb Everest and depend on myself on the mountain then they can do anything. All it takes is courage and hard work.

I want Arab women to know that they are beautiful, they are strong and they can conquer the world. But only with the right mindset.

P.S.: By the way, the first Arab woman on Everest was the Palestinian Suzanne Al Houby, who reached the highest point at 8850 meters in spring 2011.

0 notes

nemothesurvivor · 8 years ago

Text

The Wedding of Fareeha Amari and Doctor Angela Ziegler

Pharmercy Appreciation Week Day 6: Wedding. @pharmercyappreciationweek

A/N about translations: Because I can't speak German or Egyptian Arabic, expect some wonky translations. On the Subject of Egyptian Arabic, the translation to English was, well, let's just say, off. As in, I have no idea what the heck is going on there. So I put the approximate English pronunciation, followed by the actual way to write the words. See the end A/N for actual translations.

"I promised you a special stream today, and I am here to deliver!" Hana exclaimed, talking into her phone. "Are you prepared to get up close and personal with Overwatch? Of course you are. And today, you get to attend a wedding." She turned the phone to face Fareeha standing next to her. "And here's the lucky bride-to-be. Well, one of them anyway." Fareeha looked at the mirror, observing Hana as she broadcast a behind-the-scenes view of the wedding. Hana wore a three-piece suit with a pink tie, her bunny logo emblazoned in the center. "Hopsotch23 wants to know who the lucky lady is. Care to say who, or do you want to keep it a surprise?"

As Fareeha turned her head, Satya pushed it back into place. "Don't move," Satya ordered as she continued to perfect Fareeha's hair. Satya was also wearing a three-piece suit, though her tie was blue and her jacket was currently hanging next to the door, next to Fareeha's dry cleaning bag.

"They know who it is," Fareeha said.

Hana waited a moment before nodding. "Yes they do. PharahIsBae wants to know if you really want to do this."

Fareeha cocked her eyebrow. "What was that name again?" she asked.

"Just answer the question," Hana said with a smile. "For your fans."

Fareeha started to nod, Satya quickly holding her head still. "I've never been more sure of anything."

Angela sat on a bench in the ballroom, across from Genji and Zenyatta, both of whom were wearing two piece suits. "That is a lovely dress, Doctor," Zenyatta said. The dress being discussed was a high top, floor length white dress with 3/4 sleeves.

"Thank you," Angela said, looking at her dress for the thousandth time today. "Hana put me in touch with a seamstress in South Korea who made her professional outfits. She made it just how I wanted."

"It's your weddin'," Jess said, walking between Angela and Zenyatta. "No sense in settlin' for less." Angela glared at Jesse. "Sumthin' wrong, Angel?" he asked. Angela pointed at Jesse's cowboy hat. "I'll take it off for the ceremony," he said. "Promise."

"Why are you even wearing that hat in a suit?" Angel asked, shaking her head.

Jesse sat down in the front row, stretching his arms out as far as he could. "I always have my hat," Jesse said with a grin. "'Sides, with everyone around here in suits 'cept you, it helps me feel special."

"For a man with a bounty on his head, I would imagine you would want to blend in," Genji said. "Though I have to wonder. Dr. Ziegler, why did you ask everyone to wear suits?" He leaned back and gestured to his clothing for emphasis.

Angela stood before twirling. "I've always dreamed of a wedding where everyone wore suits, except for me," she said. "Now only if Jesse would take off the hat."

Jesse smirked. "I think Fareeha wouldn't mind me wearin' it."

Bastion beeped in surprise as Emily barged the room. "C'mon loves!" she exclaimed. "Don't want to be late for your own wedding, do ya?"

"What?" Fareeha asked, trying to stand.

"Sit!" Satya ordered, slamming Fareeha back into the chair, then holding her down as she squirmed. "We are not going to be late." Fareeha stopped squirming, but didn't relax. Satya then turned her head to face Emily. "I have perfectly timed how long each preparation will take," she said. "We are still on schedule."

"But the wedding starts less than an hour," Emily said, pointing at her watch.

"Does it?" Hana asked, pointing to a clock on the wall.

Emily glanced between her watch and the clock on the wall. "But how did–" She interrupted her thought with a sigh. "Bloody hell Lena. That's the last time I let you borrow my watch. Sorry."

"It is fine," Satya said. Fareeha relaxed with a sigh, letting Satya look over her hair one last time. "I am finished with your hair. Hana, let us give Fareeha privacy to get dressed." Satya put on her suit jacket. "I will help you with your makeup when you are ready," she said to Fareeha before walking out the door.

"Do you want me to leave my phone here?" Hana asked. Fareeha shot Hana an emotionless stare. "That's what I thought. We'll be back in a moment with the lovely bride-to-be, but in the meantime, I'll field your questions." Hana stared intently at her phone as she and Emily walked out the door.

Fareeha was left with Bastion in the dressing room. She locked the door before pulling her dry cleaning off the hook. "Nobody comes in until I say, got that?" she asked the omnic.

Bastion beeped a confirmation as Ganymede chirped.

Lena walked into the room before plopping down next to Jesse. "What's wrong, sugarplum?" McCree asked. "It won't do t'be mopin' at a weddin'."

"I just got off the phone with Emily, and she is not happy with me," Lena said. "I borrowed her watch the other day, and all my blinking made it fast. Made her think they were running late for the wedding."

"Relax," Jesse said, patting Lena on the back. "Mistakes happen. And with Satya there, I doubt they would let time slip away." Realizing what he said–and who he said it to–he quickly added, "Uh, no offence."

"None taken," Lena said. "So, Angie, did Jesse tell you that he said it would be okay if Fareeha wore her Raptora suit to the wedding?"

Jesse watched a cheeky grin erupted on Lena's face. "You did take offence, you–" Jesse stopped mid-sentence, feeling eyes burning into the back of his skull. He slowly turned around, seeing Angela glare at him worse than when she saw his hat. "Uh, she didn't believe me," Jesse said quickly. "You know she wouldn't do that, right?" Angela continued to stare down Jesse.

"I assume it's your fault my daughter-in-law has a frown on her face," Ana said, walking down the aisle. Jesse ducked his head, hiding his face. "It's supposed to be a happy day for both of my daughters, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Jesse said. Ana held out her hand and made a simple gesture with her fingers. After briefly hesitating, Jesse handed over his hat. Ana put it on her head, tipped it at Angela, then walked off towards the entrance. Jesse watched as Ana put his hat on a hat rack before sitting down next to Reinhardt and Torbjörn. "This is cruel and unusual punishment," Jesse muttered.

"Is it as cruel or unusual as being murdered by your own brother?" Genji asked. Lena simply cleared her throat.

Angela smiled as Jesse started to backpedal. "I do wonder what Fareehali is going to wear," she wondered aloud, thinking about what Lena said. "She wanted it to be a surprise."

"Shotgun!" Hana yelled, running to the limousine waiting outside. "Wait, I need Fareeha to be on camera. Nevermind."

"It's a limo," Fareeha said. "I don’t think we're supposed to sit up front."

"Touché," Hana said.

Emily stepped past the two and opened the door. "Your chariot awaits, milady."

"Why, thank you," Fareeha said, stepping inside. Hana, Satya, and Emily followed after, with Ganymede flying in before the door shut. Bastion parked itself on a small trailer attached to the back of the limo. As the limo drove away, Emily started messaging Lena.

"So, Fareeha," Hana said, training her phone on the woman as Ganymede settled on Hana's head and toyed with her hair, "chat wants to know how you proposed to Angela."

"I suspect it was over dinner," Satya said, interrupting Fareeha. "Such a serious question requires a formal setting."

"Nah," Emily said, looking up from her phone. "I bet you went on an adventure together, and you proposed in the most picturesque of places, like on top of a mountain."

"How about we get an actual answer," Hana asked, looking between Satya and Emily, "instead of speculating one?"

Satya and Emily nodded, and all eyes turned to Fareeha. "Well, Angela and I went out on a walk around Switzerland," Fareeha said. "We stopped by the old Swiss base and paid our respects, then we visited the hospital Angela worked at before joining Overwatch. We spent the rest of the day sightseeing, and on the way back to the hotel, we stopped by a pier to watch the sunset. There, Angela asked me to marry her, and I said yes."

Everyone stared at Fareeha, dumbfounded. "Angela asked you?" Emily said at last.

"She was always better at managing the relationship," Fareeha said. "She figured out that it was the right time to ask."

"I never took you to be a passive woman," Satya said.

Fareeha crossed her arms across her chest. "Just because I am a soldier does not mean I have to be in complete control of my relationship. It takes two people to be a couple, after all."

"That," Hana said, looking at Fareeha over her phone, "makes sense actually. Dad_76 wants to know if there's going to be an after party."

"Dad 76?" Satya asked. "Is that Soldier?"

"No," Hana said, shaking her head. "That's one of the viewers. Everyone has at least a dozen fan accounts. Even Ganymede here has one." The bird chirped at the name.

"There's going to be," Fareeha said, answering the question. "Angela wants a proper wedding reception, so she's getting one. You helped set it up, remember?"

"Yeah, well the viewers don't know this," Hana said. "Since you're the star today–one of them, at least–I figured you should be the one to tell them."

"Excuse me," the driver said, using the intercom in the limo, "we will be arriving shortly."

Emily started bouncing in her seat. "Oh, I'm so excited for you!" she exclaimed. "How're you feeling, love?"

Fareeha shifted. "Nervous, actually," she said.

"No time to be nervous!" Hana exclaimed. "You've got to sweep the love of your life off her feet!"

Fareeha sat up straight and nodded, beaming.

Lena's phone buzzed. She picked it up, her face immediately turning into a giant smile. "They're pulling up right now!" she yelled.

Ana immediately ran out the door, while everyone in the chapel rushed to their seats. Zenyatta floated from his seat next to Genji to the altar, where he hovered behind a podium. Angela followed before standing in front of the podium, smoothing her dress as she did. Hana entered the room, speed walking to her seat. Emily entered shortly after, sitting down at the organ in the corner. She warmed up by playing a couple of scales, then gave a thumbs up towards Ana, who poked her head into the door. Ana nodded, then shut the doors.

Angela stood, hands folded together as she looked at the doors. Emily started playing the organ, filling the room with the Bridal Chorus. Angela smiled as the iconic music signaled for the doors to open. Satya opened the doors, carrying the bouquet down the aisle. Bastion was next, though the robot simply entered the room before stopping next to the doors. Finally, Fareeha and Ana entered.

Fareeha wore a royal blue dress, with cap sleeves and a bateau neckline, and a golden necklace and bracelets. She walked in perfect step with her mother down the aisle, a happy smile on her face. Angela, dumbstruck by Fareeha's beauty, latched onto the smile, returning it as she tried to regain her senses. Ana and Fareeha separated as the pair approached the altar, the former sitting in the front row and the latter stepping in front of the podium. "You look lovely," Angela said, holding out her hands.

"El helou bi shoof el helou (الحلو بشوف الحلو)," Fareeha said, taking Angela's hands.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Zenyatta said, raising his arms to each of the brides, "we are gathered here, not to witness the beginning of what will be, but rather what already is! We do not create this marriage, because we cannot. We can and do, however, celebrate with Fareeha Amari and Dr. Angela Ziegler the wondrous and joyful occurrence that has already taken place in their lives, and the commitment they make today.

"Fareeha and Angela, remember to treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Take responsibility for making the other feel safe, and give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficulty and fear assail your relationship, as they threaten all relationships at some time or another, remember to focus on what is right between you, not just the part that seems wrong. In this way, you can survive the times when clouds drift across the face of the sun in your lives, remembering that, just because you may lose sight of it for a moment, does not mean the sun has gone away. And, if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight."

Zenyatta nodded towards Fareeha. Fareeha, acknowledging the gesture, looked Angela in the eyes and said, "Angela, I have never cared for anyone else as much as I care for you. You are the engine that powers me, the armor that protects me, and the fuel that boosts me ever higher. Without you, I am nothing, and for that reason, I promise to protect you and the world you live in."

Fareeha glanced at Zenyatta after a second of silence. Zenyatta, understanding, faced Angela and nodded towards her. Angela returned Fareeha's stare and said, "Fareehali, I cherish every moment with you. You are the wind beneath my wings and the fiery passion in my heart. My käferchen, I could not imagine a life without you, and I would risk the world if it meant you coming home." A single tear escaped from Angela. As she went to wipe it away, Fareeha pushed Angela's hand down before gently wiping the tear away. "Fareehali, I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Angela and Fareeha looked at Zenyatta, ready to continue. The monk made a motion with his hand. Bastion stomped up the aisle, holding a small pillow with two rings on it. "Wedding rings are made precious by our wearing them. Your rings say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bound together. Let these rings also be a sign that love has substance as well as soul, a present as well as a past, and that, despite its occasional sorrows, love is a circle of happiness, wonder, and delight. May these rings remind you always of the vows you have taken here today." The omnic stopped near Angela and Fareeha, and they both took a ring. Ganymede chirped as Bastion stomped off to stand by the doors.

Fareeha took Angela's left hand, slipped the ring onto her finger, and said, "I give you this ring, a symbol of my love, as I give to you all that I am, and accept from you, all that you are."

Angela looked at the ring on her finger, smiling with another tear threatening to break free. It did not get the chance, as Angela composed herself before putting a ring on Fareeha's finger and said, "I give you this ring, a symbol of my love, as I give to you all that I am, and accept from you, all that you are."

Zenyatta looked at both Fareeha and Angela. They nodded. Zenyatta continued with the ceremony. "We who have come together today have heard the willingness of Fareeha Amari and Dr. Angela Ziegler to be joined in marriage. They have come of their free will and in our presence, have declared their love and commitment to each other. They have given and received a ring as a symbol of their promises. Therefore, by the power vested in me by the Shamboli Monastery, I take great pride and pleasure as I declare them spouses for life.

"You may now kiss." Fareeha and Angela wrapped their arms around each other's necks before kissing. It was a short but passionate kiss, ending with the newlyweds touching foreheads with love in their eyes."Ladies and Gentlemen, for the first time, Mrs. Fareeha Amari-Ziegler And Doctor Angela Amari-Ziegler."

Everyone stood and erupted into applause. Fareeha and Angela, hand in hand started walking down the aisle, joining their gathered compatriots. Ana stopped the pair to hug them both, whispering in Arabic. Reinhardt and Torbjörn were next, each hugging the brides while saying congratulations. Emily asked the newlyweds to throw the bouquet at her, getting a half-shocked, half-happy look from Lena. Jesse hugged them both, making a joke about being Angela's adopted brother-in-law. Genji offered his kind words next, then he held Hana's phone while she did the same. Bastion beeped and Ganymede chirped as Fareeha and Angela passed by. Satya was last, and she simply congratulated the two as she opened the door and led them to the limousines outside. Everyone else followed close behind, already talking and joking about the newlyweds. Satya opening the door of the lead limo. Fareeha and Angela got in, alone, before the door shut.

Fareeha sighed, sinking into her seat. "I don't think I've ever been that nervous in my life," she said, fiddling with Angela's ring as she talked. Angela didn't respond. Fareeha looked over, seeing pure passion in Angela's eyes. Fareeha sat up straight, allowing Angela to sit on her lap and lay on her wife.

"Ich liebe dich, käferchen," Angela said softly, leaning close to Fareeha.

"Ana bhibak, yamaem (ٲنَا بَحِبِّك, حمامة)," Fareeha replied, just as soft. She wrapped her right arm around Angela's waist while interlocking her left hand with Angela's right. Fareeha pulled her wife closer, and for the rest of the limo ride, two people were one.

Fareeha stepped out of the limousine before helping Angela out. Satya grabbed both of their arms, pulling them together with their backs towards the entrance to the garden. "What's wrong?" Angela asked, worried.

Satya pulled out a small makeup kit from her jacket pocket. "You two had too much fun," she said simply. Fareeha blushed, shock plastered on her face. Angela blushed as well, though she simply smiled. Satya touched up their makeup before escorting them to the door.

"Any particular reason you did that?" Fareeha asked, blush now gone.

"It would have bothered me until it was perfect again," Satya said. She opened the doors to the Serenity Garden. Inside, at the center of the winding rows of plants and trees, a long table stretched from one end of the courtyard to the other. Most of the wedding guests were sitting at the table, chatting about nothing. Fareeha and Angela wound their way through the garden before taking their seats at the head of the table. Satya took the seat closest to Fareeha, tapping on a small tablet.

"What do you think?" Hana said, plopping down in the seat across from Satya.

"It's better than I could've imagined it," Angela said. "The limousines, the garden, and I imagine the food as well."

"Do you take me for a cheapskate?" Hana asked. "Of course the food is high quality. Had to settle for a bargain bin DJ, but I think you'll like him."

"When we gave you our wish list," Fareeha said, "I didn't expect you to actually get everything on it. This must have cost you a fortune."

"You only get one shot at the perfect wedding, right?" Hana asked. She blinked a couple of times, worry passing over her face. "Right?"

Angela giggled as Fareeha said, "I don't think we'll be needing another wedding."

Hana visibly relaxed, muttering in Korean. "I don't think another wedding like this is in the budget for a while," she said.

"Hana, really," Fareeha said, "you didn't have to do this."

"But I wanted to," Hana insisted. "It's not like I'm spending my massive fortune on anything important, like restorative efforts in South Korea." She waved her hand dismissively. "Besides, everyone pitched in. Some more than others." Hana made a point to glare at Jesse, who was sitting at the other end of the table. Jesse waved back.

"Truly, we appreciate it," Angela said. She made a heart with her hands at Hana, with Fareeha joining in shortly after. Hana, smiling, copied the gesture.

"Hello hello!" All eyes turned to the DJ booth in the back as Lúcio waved to the gathered patrons. "I heard there was a very special event today, and I just couldn't resist joining the party. Can we get a big hand for the newlyweds?" Compared to the civil clapping earlier, everyone started cheering and yelling as the clapped, with Reinhardt's booming laugh louder than anything else. As the clapping quieted down, Lúcio said, "I have been informed that our caterers will be along shortly to take your order. Now how about we get this party started?"

Just before midnight, Fareeha looked around as she danced in a slow circle with Angela to Queen's "One Year of Love." "I think the party's over," Fareeha said.

"Why's that?" Angela asked, head laying on Fareeha's shoulder.

"Reinhardt and Torbjörn are asleep on the table," Fareeha said, "Lena, Emily, and Satya left about an hour ago, Genji and Zenyatta just left, Hana and Lúcio are watching something on Hana's phone, and my mother is sipping tea with Jesse and Ganymede."

"Our mother," Angela mumbled.

"Our mother," Fareeha agreed. "We should call it a night."

"No," Angela said.

"No?" Fareeha asked.

"I don't want this night to end."

Fareeha smiled. "I know." After a moment of silence, Fareeha swept Angela off her feet and into a bridal carry.

"What are you doing?" Angela asked, head still on her wife's shoulder.

Fareeha did not respond, instead walking over to where Lúcio and Hana were sitting. "We're calling it a night," Fareeha said.

"No, we aren’t," Angela muttered.

Lúcio nodded as he and Hana stood. "Sounds good," Lúcio said.

"No, it doesn't," Angela complained.

Lúcio shook his head as he said, "Hana and I will take care of the cleanup. You and sleepyhead here can just head home and relax."

"I'm not tired," Angela mumbled.

"You haven't take your head off me for the past twenty minutes," Fareeha said, walking away from Lúcio and towards Ana and Jesse.

"And why should I?" Angela asked.

"You shouldn't." Ana smiled when she saw her daughter and daughter-in-law approaching. She put a finger to her lips as Jesse opened his mouth. Fareeha gestured towards the passed-out Reinhardt and Torbjörn, and Ana nodded. Ana gestured towards Jesse to follow her as she stood. Jesse followed close behind, tipping his hat at Fareeha and Angela as he passed them. Ganymede, no longer getting attention from Ana or Jesse, perched on Fareeha's free shoulder.

"Where's everyone going?" Angela mumbled.

"Home," Fareeha replied, walking towards the exit. "It's late." Ganymede chirped as she flew to Bastion, who was standing by the doors. It opened them when Fareeha gestured towards them with her head. "Say good night to Bastion."

"Good night," Angela said.

Bastion beeped a response, followed by chirping from Ganymede. "They say good night," Fareeha said, walking outside.

"I didn't know you speak bird," Angela said. "Can you teach me?" Fareeha didn't reply, unsure of how to answer. "Fareehali?" Angela finally pulled her head off of Fareeha's shoulder so she could look her wife in the eyes. "Can you teach me how to speak bird?"

Fareeha hesitated a moment before saying, "If that's what you want."

"I would like that," Angela said, laying her head back down. Fareeha walked to one of the two remaining limos and struggled to open the door. The driver jumped out and ran to the door, opening it for the newlyweds. Fareeha mouthed her thanks as she climbed inside and sat Angela in a seat. After being buckled in, Angela asked, "Fareehali?"

"Yes?" Fareeha asked, sitting next to Angela.

"Was today just a dream?"

Fareeha wrapped her arm around Angela, pulling her close. "What makes you think that?"

"It was too perfect." Angela put her head onto Fareeha's shoulder. "I hope it's not a dream."

"It wasn't."

"Good. Ich liebe dich, Fareehali."

"Ana bhibak (ٲنَا بَحِبِّك), Angela."

The limo started moving down the road. Fareeha rested her head on top of Angela's, listening to her breath. "Hey, Angela," Fareeha said, leaning forward slightly. Angela was asleep, unfazed by her name or Fareeha's movement. "It can wait," Fareeha mumbled, laying her head back onto Angela's. And a short time later, Fareeha too was asleep with her wife.

Sorry if your favorite OW character didn't show up. Everyone else is off saving the world in one way or another, so not everyone could take the day off to attend the wedding.

I probably screwed up the translations. Let me know if they are wrong and I will attempt to fix them. Also, if you can assist me in how to actually translate Egyptian Arabic to English, please help. I tried. Fareehali: Swiss-Germans add -li to the end of a person's name to show affection (even though Angela doesn’t speak Swiss-German, I liked the idea). El helou bi shoof el helou (الحلو بشوف الحلو): Beauty finds beauty (from this Tumblr post: http://karkatinq.tumblr.com/post/156889448096/headcanon-that-pharah-is-the-cheesiest-girlfriend)

Ich liebe dich: I love you

käferchen: little beetle ana bhibak (ٲنَا بَحِبِّك): I love you

yamaem (حمامة): dove

#pharmercy appreciation week #pharmercy #angela ziegler #fareeha amari

93 notes · View notes

revenantscholar · 5 years ago

Text

Something else about precise wording in magic.

When I work on texts, every little dot matters. Literally. If I misread two dots above a letter in Arabic for one, it is a completely different letter, because they are the same shape except for the dot. I was trained not just as a historian, but a historical linguist, and that is one of the foundational concepts of phonetics and phonology as well.

Now, guess what? Ancient Egyptian, being a language remotely related to Arabic, i.e. its own branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family, did not write most vowels by conventions. Vowels are reconstructed tentatively and imperfectly, going back from Coptic, which uses the Greek alphabet, but which is a much later development, and which has a few dialects itself.

This means that we can only rely on the consonant “skeleton” of the word. We do not know if the one conventionally called Seth and written stẖ or swtẖ was pronounced Sutekh, Seth, Setekh or something else. We have no idea what the vowels at the time of the writing were, we only know that the body of the word subsequently changed to swtj or stš.

Hundreds of years later, Coptic rendered it as Set, and Greeks, adopting it to their pronunciation, as Σήθ, which was pronounced with a different vowel in Greek back then than it would be now.

Fine, you don’t want to invoke Seth. How about the NTRW themselves? Well, you spell only the consonants, because that’s all we have. But wait, the T is not a T. It is symbolized in Egyptological writing with a line underneath, i.e. nṯrw. The sound is most akin to a soft “ch” in English, (the sound as it gotcha) so the closest pronunciation of the consonants would be n-ch-r. W is the plural, and as a semi-vowel, it often represents a glide, “oo” in common English spelling.

The vowels themselves? We don’t know. Egyptology uses the vowel “e” as in “pet” to fill in missing vowels. That’s just a convention. There is no science behind it. So if you say Neter for nṯr, you are already wrong twice. If you say Netcher, you are a little closer for the consonants and not for the vowels.

I am saving my final snarky comment for those who pretend that they are sticklers for precision, but cannot for the life of them distinguish the different sounds of “h” in Egyptian. Ooops, knowing Arabic would help. Who would have thought that? But I’ll post about the h sounds later. Let’s go back to magic.

Wrong pronunciation shouldn’t work, as it would have been incomprehensible and even laughable to Ancient Egyptians. Even the world’s best Egyptologist would need a couple of months to make himself fully understood with a time machine, because he/she would need to relearn the vowels.

Wrong pronunciation shouldn’t work, but it often does. That brings us back to... emojis (which I dislike myself, as I said before, but accept for others) and INTENT. And hard work as well as fun. Because intent also means blood, sweat and tears. Intent often takes years of concentration. Intent in this sense is also known under other words, such as focus.

Have I proven my credentials yet, oh ye of little faith (using King James Bible English here, because y’all have a Protestant hangover that the NTRW are jealous gods who will smite you down if you mistake a ritual step)?

0 notes

topfygad · 5 years ago

Text

14 Top Tips for Visiting the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt: The Ultimate Guide

These 14 top tips will answer all your questions about visiting the Pyramids of Giza so you’re well-prepared for the magical day when you see the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

If seeing the Pyramids of Giza isn’t on your bucket list then I don’t know what is. The Great Pyramid of Giza is an incredible example of human engineering and construction. Its sheer size and scale rivals any structure built within the last few hundred years. As one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it is the only monument on the list that is still standing today.

I realised my own personal lifelong dream when I visited the Giza Plateau. I loved it so much that I went twice during the same trip! Here are my best tips to help you plan your visit to the Pyramid Complex of Giza.

Looking for something in particular? Use this table of contents below to jump around using the links.

Table of Contents

Map of Egyptian Pyramids of Giza

This map shows you all the locations mentioned in this guide. Click on the pins for more information.

Tip: For a larger view of the map, click on the icon in the top right corner. If the icon is hidden and you’re viewing this on your phone, go to landscape mode. Technology, eh?

Why were the Egyptian Pyramids of Giza built?

Nearly 5,000 years ago, Giza became the royal burial ground for Memphis, which was then, the Capital of Egypt. Within 100 years, three successive generations of the ancient Egyptians built the three pyramid complexes to serve as tombs for their kings.

When were the Pyramids built?

The Pyramids of Giza were built during the 4th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom from around 2613-2498 BC. The oldest and largest of the Pyramids, the Great Pyramid, was built by the 4th-Dynasty king, Khufu (2589-2566 BC.)

Who built the Pyramids of Giza?

For a long time, it was believed that the Giza Pyramids were built by slaves. This theory dates back to the Ancient Greeks, however, the idea that the Pyramids were built by slaves is a myth and has never had any archaeological proof.

It wasn’t until 2010 that an archaeological team led by Dr. Zahi Hawass discovered several new tombs that belonged to the workers who built the pyramids of Khufu and Khafre.

Archaeologists now agree that the men who built the pyramids were, in fact, highly-skilled workmen, not slaves.

These tombs were built beside the king’s pyramid, which indicates that these people were not by any means slaves. If they were slaves, they would not have been able to build their tombs beside their king’s.

Dr. Hawass

Where are the Pyramids?

The Egyptian Pyramids are located within the Pyramids complex on the Giza plateau approximately 25km (15 miles) south-west of Downtown Cairo.

These pyramids include the Great Pyramid of Khufu (aka Cheops), Pyramid of Khafre (aka Chephren) and the Pyramid of Menkaure (aka Mycerinus) and the smallest of the three main Pyramids of Giza.

The pyramids were purposely built on the West Bank of the River Nile because the Ancient Egyptians believed that the East side of the Nile (East bank) was for the living, because the sunrises there, whilst the West Bank was for the dead (where the sun sets).

As you travel around Egypt, you will notice that all tombs are located on the West Bank of the Nile.

14 Top Tips for Visiting the Egyptian Pyramids of Giza

1. When is the best time to visit the Pyramids of Giza?

In general, the best time to visit Egypt is during the winter. More specifically, the best time to visit the Pyramids of Giza is after the morning rush of tourist buses. I recommend going to the Egyptian Museum first thing in the morning, this was you’ll miss the tour buses which arrive at the Pyramids between 9:30 am – 10:30 am.

Another the benefit of waiting a bit longer is that it will give more time for the haze of pollution to clear up a bit. Yes, Cairo is very polluted, particularly in the mornings.

2. How do I get to the Pyramids?

The Mortuary Temple of Khafre

Giza Pyramid Complex is only about 18 kilometre from Downtown Cairo however, Cairo is a heavily trafficked city. Using the public transportation available in Cairo, there are three different modes of transport you can use to reach the Pyramids.

Taxi

Taking a taxi to the pyramids is by far the easiest option as there is very little effort required on your part. From anywhere in central Cairo, you can flag down a taxi on any main street and ask to go to the ‘Haram’ (this is what the pyramids are locally known as).

The only downside to taking a taxi is that you might get stuck in traffic. On a good run, it will take thirty minutes to reach the entrance to the Giza complex. Worse case scenario it could take closer to an hour if not more. There are three different kinds of taxi services available in Cairo:

Black Taxi – Black taxis are the oldest of the three. Don’t be surprised if they don’t have a meter or air-conditioning. White Taxi – White taxis are the modern version of black taxis complete with a fare meter and air-conditioning. Yellow Taxi – Yellow taxis are the most expensive, professionally serviced and can be pre-booked over the phone.

Tips for taking a taxi:

I always recommend taking a white taxi. Before you get in, make sure you agree on a price and don’t be afraid to bargain hard for a good rate. Expect to pay around 40 LE (Egyptian Pounds) from anywhere in Downtown Cairo.

If you prefer, it is possible to pay extra and have the taxi wait for you until you’ve finished visiting the Giza Pyramids Complex to then take you back to the hotel. While the option is there, keep in mind that the complex is huge and you could easily spend all day there. Plus, you don’t necessarily need to do this as there are plenty of taxis servicing both sides of the complex from the main entrance and exit near the Sphinx. I did, however, choose to pay extra for a taxi to come inside the complex and drive me around. This came in handy when I wanted to go around to the panoramic lookout which is far away.

Uber

Uber is the best, most convenient and still a very cheap option. The best part is that you won’t have to worry about haggling for the best price. Expect to pay around 60LE to the pyramids from central Cairo.

Public Bus

An even cheaper (yes, it’s possible) way to get to the Giza Pyramids from Downtown Cairo is by taking the public bus. The buses are comfortable and some have air-conditioners. Tickets are only 2.50 LE.

If you’re visiting the Egyptian Museum in the morning (which I highly recommend), located on the main road behind the museum are buses 355 and 357 which will take you to the Giza Pyramids complex.

If you’re staying near the Tahrir Square area it’s good to know what these buses also pass through here.

Micro-Buses

Locals, aka Cairenes, take the microbus (pronounced ‘mee-kro-bas��) these small vans are usually crowded, uncomfortable and can only seat 12 passengers.

Since no destinations are signposted, it can be tricky to use them at first. They do, however, then to depart from normal bus stops.

Microbuses are useful for major routes such as reaching the entrance to the pyramids from the Giza metro station.

Micro-Buses will only stop if there is an available seat on board. The fare will vary depending on the distance you need to travel. This can be anywhere from LE2 to LE5 and is paid once you take your seat on board.

Metro

The Cairo Metro, like any metro, gets really crowded during peak hours (7 am to 9 am and 3 pm to 6 pm). Avoid these time by starting your day early and returning after the rush.

Plan your journey by using www.cairometro.gov.eg and clicking on ‘English’ in the top left corner.

Cairo’s Metro Network doesn’t cover the entire city, but for a visitor, it’s perfect as it includes all the major tourist attractions. It’s efficient and very cheap. All single trip fares are LE 2.00 no matter how far you travel. There are four metro stations in central Cairo: Attaba, Md. Naguib, Sadat and Naseer that will take you to the closest station to the Giza Pyramids complex. After a 15-20 minute journey, get off at El-Giza station. From here it’s another 10 km to the pyramid complex entrance.

Exit the station and head down to Al Haram, this is the main road leading to the pyramids. Cross to the other side and catch either bus 900 or 997 or a microbus to the pyramids. All buses will drop you one kilometre from the entrance.

Tips for taking the metro:

Metro stations are clearly marked with a large red ‘M’ in a blue star.

Keep your ticket until you complete your journey, you’ll need it to feed into the turnstile when exiting

The metro opens around 6 am with trains running every 5 minutes until closing at 11.30pm.

Ladies, there are two carriages located in the centre of each train reserved for women only (men will be kicked out). Look for the blue ‘Ladies’ signs on the platform so you know where to wait to get on the right carriage.

Since the roads will be chaotic, the bus driver may forget to tell you when to get off, so it’s a good idea to ask a friendly passenger to alert you just in case.

Tips on getting to the Pyramids of Giza:

Most Egyptians don’t understand the word “Pyramids”, so make sure you learn the Arabic word for them, especially if you’re taking a taxi there. Haram also means. The strict translation of the Arabic word ‘harim’ means (a prohibited place) and is from the verbal root ‘harama’ (prohibited), designated as ‘haram’ (a pyramid). (Source)

There are two entrances to the pyramids complex. One entrance is near the Great Pyramid of Giza, the other is near The Sphinx. You can enter via either, but if you catch a bus, you’ll arrive closer to the Great Pyramid of Giza entrance.

3. How long does it take to get to the Pyramids of Giza?

If you’re travelling by road, the journey can last anywhere between 30-90 minutes. Cairo is a heavily trafficked and congested city so be prepared for severe delays. The best time to leave is either side of rush hour.

If you’re travelling by train then bus/microbus, allow 45 minutes.

Going to Egypt? Get my free Arabic travel phrase guide.

4. What are the opening times of the Pyramids of Giza?

The Giza plateau is open 8 am – 4 pm daily. The Giza Pyramids are open 8 am – 4 pm daily (5 pm in summer). The Solar Boat museum is open 9 am – 4 pm daily (5 pm in summer).

5. How much time do you need to visit the Pyramids of Giza?

How much time do you have? Haha No, but seriously, time will fly once you’re inside the complex. I recommend allowing most of the day to explore the entire pyramids complex. I arrived just before 11 am and left right on closing time at 4om and I still didn’t want to leave.

My advice? Soak it up. Don’t rush your time here. Find a quiet spot and enjoy the view. Who knows when you’ll be back to see them again.

6. How much are tickets to the Pyramids of Giza?

Tickets to the Pyramids and Sphinx area costs 120 LE (60LE for students). To go inside the Great Pyramid, it’s an additional 300 LE (150 LE for students).

If you are taking a tripod inside, you’ll need to purchase a tripod ticket for 20 LE. This is standard practice all over Egypt.

7. Can You Go Inside the Pyramids?

Yes, you absolutely can! You can go inside The Great Pyramid of Giza, Khafre’s Pyramid, Menkaure Pyramid, and Mers Ankh Tomb. Included in your ticket is a free visit to the middle pyramid of the three satellite pyramids of the Queen of Cheops.

While most people, including local guides, will try and talk you out of going inside The Great Pyramid of Giza, saying it’s not worth paying 300 LE (USD$16) for, I still recommend going inside. But it all depends on how interested you are in the pyramids.

For me, I had to go inside. After all, I travelled all that way, so why not, right? Located in the core of the pyramid is the King’s Chamber. While there’s nothing to see in the King’s Chamber per se, other than an empty sarcophagus, it’s the experience of walking through the 9 metre (30 ft) high Great Gallery and seeing the inner workings of such an incredible monument.

If you’re not already planning on going, I highly recommend going to the Egyptian Museum to see the mummies and beautifully decorated tombs. Don’t miss the Royal Mummy Room!

Tips for going inside The Great Pyramid of Giza:

The Great Gallery inside the Great Pyramid of Giza is very narrow and you may feel claustrophobic. Reconsider going inside if you suffer from claustrophobia.

Allow 30-40 minutes to complete your visit inside The Great Pyramid of Giza.

Cameras, including phones, aren’t allowed inside. You can leave your items at the entrance with the guards. They will give you a ticket in exchange. Don’t lose it! You’ll need it to collect your belongings afterwards.

It’s super humid inside the King’s Chamber, so take some tissues with you to mop up that forehead.

8. Camel and Horse Rides

As I mentioned in my things to know about Egypt guide, the camels and horses at the pyramids are malnourished and badly treated, so it’s up to you if you choose to go on a ride anyway.

If you do decide to take a camel ride, make sure you’re not hassled into paying more than the fair price. In order to crack down on scamming tourist, signs have now been put up showing set prices for camel rides which are 50 Egyptian Pounds for 30 minutes.

9. What should I wear when visiting the Pyramids of Giza?

Also in my Egypt travel tips guide, I explain how you can pretty much wear anything you like in tourist areas such as the pyramids. However, you might find it more comfortable to wear breathable material like linen so you don’t have to put sunscreen all over your body. These linen pants are a great option (these are cute too) or a maxi-dress if you prefer.

Definitely wear a hat. Your head will catch the sun and tender for a few days afterwards.

Perhaps the most important item will be your footwear. You’ll be walking a lot, mainly through sand and dirt, so wear comfortable and breathable closed-toe shoes.

10. What should I pack when visiting the Pyramids of Giza?

It’s can get really hot whilst visit the Pyramids complex. It’s dry, dusty and since it’s a dry heat, it won’t be as obvious how much fluid you’re losing through sweat. I highly recommend taking three litres of water per person and keeping some in a thermal bottle to keep it cool and drink later in the day.

Take sunscreen and apply it before you go out in the sun. Wear sunglasses, a hat and take an umbrella just in case you need some shade; because there is none!

11. Can you buy food inside the Giza Pyramid Complex?

There is only one (but very good) place to eat in inside the Giza Pyramid complex. This outdoor buffet restaurant is located right near the Sphinx with excellent views. From here you can enjoy a delicious meal in the shade under the watchful eye of the Sphinx.

Before you leave, make sure you order an ice-cream from the ice-cream stand next to the buffet. It might take some time to prepare your order, but it’s totally worth it. Choose your flavour and toppings and watch as the proud ice-cream man whips up the best ice-cream you’ll have on your trip!

If you still can’t get enough of the pyramids, after you leave the Pyramids complex, head to the top floor of the Pizza Hut. Located just outside the pyramids complex directly in front of the Sphinx and watch the sunset over a pizza.

12. Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids

Go back in time and see the history of the Ancient Egyptians and the Pyramids in the daily Sound and Light show located near the Sphinx. Booking a ticket is essential, however, you can also watch the show for free if you stay at a nearby hotel with a rooftop terrace such as Pyramids View Inn Bed & Breakfast or Panorama Pyramids Inn.

The Sound and Light Show runs at 7 pm, 8 pm and 9 pm during the winter and 2.5 hours later during summer.

13. Solar Boat Museum

Don’t forget to see the boat! What boat I hear you ask? Oh, just the boat that was buried at the foot of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

It’s unclear if it was used to carry the body of Khufu from Memphis to his tomb, (markings suggest it had been sailed before) and was buried for the pharaohs own journey across the heavens or it was buried for the sun-god himself.

Either way, this impressive full-size ancient Egyptian boat took 14 years for experts to put its 1,200 pieces together.

14. Bonus tips for visiting the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt

Climbing the Pyramids – Once upon a time you could climb the pyramids, however, this is no longer the case. But then again, it also depends on who’s working that day. A guard let me climb up just long enough to take the photo above, but that was it. It any case, it’s best to ask.

Toilets – There are toilets near the Sphinx and at the entrance to the pyramids complex before going through security.

Panoramic Viewpoint – There is a panoramic viewpoint you can go to but it’s a bit far to walk in the heat so you may want to get a lift there. Either take your taxi which you paid extra for (like I did) or take a horse or camel. This viewpoint is where all the tourist buses stop, so it gets busy. While it’s a nice spot, it’s not the best perspective of the pyramids. To get a more iconic shot as seen in this photo, you’ll need to walk out into the dunes for about 15 minutes. Hardly anyone does this so ita ’s nice opportunity to just take it all in without being interrupted.

View from the panoramic viewpoint

Conclusion

I hope this guide has answered all your questions and helped you feel more prepared for your trip to the Pyramids of Giza. If you still have any questions or concerns, please reach out and leave a comment below. I’d be happy to help where I can. If not, then I wish you a wonderful trip! Shukran for reading!

Planning a trip? Don’t risk it. I never travel without getting travel insurance. I used World Nomads for my trip to Egypt.

Let me remind you again why Egypt is amazing and watch my Egypt vlog below.

youtube

Like it? Pin it for later

Sources Independent UK | Eyewitness Egypt

Over to you!

Which of these tips did you find the most useful? Is there anything you would add? Tell me below! Let me know using the comments section below or join me on social media to start a conversation.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post.

Like what you see? Subscribe using the form below to have all of my posts delivered directly to your email.

<![CDATA[#optinforms-form1-name-field-containerdisplay:none#optinforms-form1-email-field-containerwidth:78%]]>

source http://cheaprtravels.com/14-top-tips-for-visiting-the-pyramids-of-giza-egypt-the-ultimate-guide/

0 notes

argotmagazine-blog · 5 years ago

Text

Shimmering in Sequins: What It's Like To Be A Belly Dancer

As a little girl, my family frequented Pharaoh’s, a dumpy Egyptian restaurant located in a strip mall. Despite its outward appearance, Pharaoh’s had the best falafels this side of the Nile, and brought in belly dancers to perform every weekend. It was my father’s way of exposing my sister, Nadia, and I to our Egyptian roots, which was difficult to come by in Orange County, CA.

I speak roughly three words of Arabic, so I never understood what my baba was saying to the owner. What I did understand was the belly dancer. I wanted to be her. She wore a glittering scarlet costume adorned with sequins, and every inch of her shimmered. Her stomach was bare and her skin was golden. Her raven colored hair flowed down her back, and golden bangles swung from her wrists. In my eyes, she was a princess.

She would teach Nadia and I basic ways to shake our hips, and put the gold bangles on our wrists. She once folded a dollar bill with her stomach and gave it to Nadia. The belly dancer was always met with cheers, claps, and smiles--everyone loved her. I swore that one day, I would be rewarded with cheers, claps, and smiles, and wear a costume where every inch of me shined.

A few years ago, I traveled with my baba to visit Egypt, our original homeland. Our cousins set up a cruise along the Nile River for us, where our tour guide Ahmed educated us on faceless Gods, ancient burial methods, and hieroglyphics. None of which baba remembered and would have to be repeated to him every day. On our final day on the cruise, Ahmed informed us that we would be receiving a real treat: belly dancers.

This sent the other tourists into a tizzy. I presumed--based on their excited chatter--that most had never seen a belly dancer before. I wasn’t so much excited but curious, since I had fulfilled my dream and become a belly dancer. I wondered how a dancer in the homeland would differ from one in America.

Baba, Ahmed, and I took our seats around a cramped table while we waited for the show to begin..

“Have you seen belly dancers before, Yasmina?” Ahmed asked, motioning for a waiter to bring us some tea. My father grinned at the tourists, who were currently trying to belly dance.

“Yes, well I actually am one. I’m trained in Egyptian cabaret,” I replied.

“Oh?” Ahmed raised his eyebrows. “Does your baba know about this?”

“He does, and he’s not happy about it,” I replied, graciously accepting a cup of tea. I noticed out of the corner of my eye one of the tourists successfully managed a shimmy.

“Oh, well you know how Egyptian men are.” Ahmed squeezed a bit of lemon into his tea. “They love to watch belly dancers, but Allah forbid their own wives or daughters are one.”

“I find that ironic, considering Egyptians invented belly dancing.”

Ahmed nodded. “Well, Egypt is still a rather conservative country.”

From what I understand, belly dancing, aka raqs sharqi, originated in Egypt thousands of years ago. The term “belly dance” actually originates from French, danse du ventre, which means “dance of the stomach”. Although belly dancing is often associated with early pagan rituals for fertility, but there is no concrete evidence for this. In fact, it’s rather difficult to trace the history of belly dancing. However, belly dancing does help strengthen the muscles needed for childbirth.

The dance was not designed to arouse or entice men — women would perform the dance for other women, never in front of men. Many of the movements in belly dance appear to come from India (such as the sliding of the head) and traditional African dance.

As time went on, men began to belly dance as well (especially in Egypt). Their dance form was a bit different from the women’s, and frequently included canes and swords. During the 1800s, a group called ghawazi would perform outside of coffee shops and in streets. As more foreigners came to visit Egypt, the dance style itself changed. Since more Europeans traveled to Egypt, ballet and ballroom dance was incorporated. By the 1920s, numerous dance clubs hosted belly dancers, whose costumes had changed to match the motif--dancers began to wear glittery costumes that was far less traditional.

In 1893, belly dancing made its way to America. A dancer nicknamed “Little Egypt” made her debut at the Chicago World’s Fair, where her movements were interpreted to be rather vulgar. Thus belly dancing began to get confused with burlesque. However, during the 1970s and 80s, American women began to embrace belly dance as a more feminist movement. Despite this, the dance still frequently has sensual undertones associated with it, especially in America. Americans tend to be rather awkward around belly dancers. I have had quite a few men shy away when I danced close to them. They buried their heads into their phones, much like a gopher burrowing into a hole. This reaction is preferable to leers and jeers, which is never appropriate at a belly dancing show.

The first dancer took the stage. His skirts were made up of the Egyptian flag. I became dizzy as he spun and spun, ripping off each skirt to reveal another flag. The crowd roared with every spun.

“He’s a guy belly dancing!” Baba exclaimed, clapping along with the crowd.

“Apt observation,” I muttered. Ahmed hid a smirk.

“I’ve never seen a man belly dance,” Baba continued, still amazed.

“There are male belly dancers, I’ve danced with a few.”

“In America you have male belly dancers?” Ahmed is now surprised.

“Yes, well we have far more women. But I’ve met a few men who dance. There was a boy in my first dance class.”

“When did you first start dancing?”

“In college. I just really liked it.”

“Of course you were good at it,” Ahmed grins, “You’re Egyptian. It’s in your roots.” I can’t help but blush at this comment.

While I had always dreamed of being a belly dancer, it wasn’t something I had actively sought. It was difficult to find classes for girls, and my parents were adamantly against the idea. Baba wanted me to continue swimming, just I always had, and my mother did not have the money to pay for them.

When I got to college my academic advisor proclaimed that I needed an elective. He whipped through the course booklet, his eyes darting from course to course. He stamped his finger on one and let out a triumphant yell.

“Belly dancing! I’m going to sign you up for belly dancing!”

“Ah…” I didn’t want to say no. He was in control of my academic future, and I still wasn’t sure if he was capable of murder. “Okay.”

“You’re Egyptian! You’ll be great at it! Plus you need another outlet besides writing, writing can be quite draining.” He sprung to his feet and began to move his hips like a wounded hippo. “Look at how fun it is! You’ll love it!”

To my surprise, he was right. I was a natural at belly dancing. I had never taken a dance class before, yet belly dance felt as natural to me as walking. I quickly became one of the star performers and my teacher took me under her wing, grooming me into the dancer she wanted. From that moment on I was hooked, I was on my way to becoming the shining dancer I had always wanted to be.

The male belly dancer finished one last spin. The audience, now on its feet, was ready for the next dancer. A squatter Asian woman rounded the corner. Her pink costume twinkled under the lights. Her stomach was bare, revealing luminescent skin. Like any dancer, her face was caked in makeup. I was a bit disappointed by her costume. I knew that she wasn’t properly trained in Egypt. If she was, she would be wearing netting and a far more conservative costume.

“She’s a bit too fat to dance,” Baba blurted out. Ahmed buried his face in his hands. “Aren’t dancers usually skinny?”

“Baba!”

“What? It’s true. She’s chubby.”

“Well, belly dancers come in all shapes and sizes. There isn’t a particular body type for it, that’s what makes it such an inclusive dance.”

“Huh. Well I think she’s too fat for that costume.”

“Just stop talking please.”

The crowd wasn’t as enthused with this dancer as they were with the first. I couldn’t blame them, her moves weren’t precise. She dropped her hips on the wrong beat, her feet were not pointed, her shimmies were not exaggerated. She had been trained, but not properly. I was surprised to realize that I was a better dancer than the one in Egypt.

“She’s off,” I muttered to Ahmed. “She’s not hitting the moves correctly.”

“You should get up there and show her how it’s done,” Ahmed teased. Baba was now looking at his phone.

“No, I’ve never danced in front of Baba. He might kill me.”

Ahmed laughed at this. I wasn’t joking. Baba was not keen on my choice of dance. Once he realized he couldn’t deter me from dance, he tried to sway me towards ballet. I have done a little ballet, but I find it to be far more difficult. This may have to do with the feet placement (in ballet your feet point out, whereas in belly dancing they point in) or due to the fact that a crowd at a ballet is simply not as spirited. I have also noted that not all body types are accepted in ballet, which is rather strange for me.

Our belly dancer was now pulling random tourists up to the stage, most of which were more than happy to oblige. Baba, Ahmed, and I snickered as they attempted to sway their hips as smoothly as she was, only to look like the hippos from Fantasia. This did not seem to bother them, as they laughed and tumbled into one another.

“Are you going to dance, Baba?” I teased. I’ve never seen Baba dance. Even at weddings, he shuffles in the background, staying close to the cake.

“No,” He grinned. “I prefer watching this. But I do know how to dance. I will dance with you at your wedding, you will see.”

Ahmed and I exchange a brief smirk. “How do Americans handle belly dancers?” Ahmed asked, as Baba resumed playing with his phone. “Do they like them?”

I didn’t want to reveal that my best audience in America was actually a group of pugs. For a while, I danced with a charity group called “Raqs for Paws,” where we danced to raise money for animal shelters. We were asked to perform at an event called “Pugtoberfest,” where every pug owner in the Orange County area dressed their pugs up and brought them out to socialize (the pugs even had a costume contest; Batpug won). As I twirled on stage, a rogue pug broke free from his owner and circled me. They barked their approval and tried to lick my toes. The pug eventually ran back to his owner, and I greeted my admirer when I finished dancing. They gave me a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

“Have you ever danced anywhere other than America?” Ahmed continues. The dance floor is getting crowded now. The tourists have stopped caring whether or not they look like hippos and are busting out their best moves, which seems to consist of shuffling side to side and dabbing.

“Yes, Australia. They are the opposite of Americans. They love belly dancers. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crowd love belly dancing so much!”

During my stay in Australia, I joined a theater troupe. The one skill I had that no one else did was the ability to make a figure eight with my chest, a skill that wowed my troupe. They began to call me “Hollywood” and would frequently comment on how hot I was. I was amused by this, as no American had ever found my dancing to be this intriguing. When I finally danced at our theater showcase, the crowd was on their feet. They cheered, whistled, and clapped--not a single person shied away. The Aussies were living for my dance, and I wasn’t quite sure how to handle it. I smiled and swayed, hoping no one tried to swoop me up and carry me out. At the end of my number, they gave me a standing ovation. Flattered, but unsure of what to do with such attention, I ran backstage and hid.

“Oi!” One of our stage hands approached me. I was not hidden properly. “My mate thinks you’re hot. Wants ya numbah.”

“Oh! Well, I have a boyfriend.” This wasn’t a lie. I also wasn’t used to men being this direct.

“Thass alright, I’ll tell him to piss off then.” I peeped from the side door as the stage hand approached his friend, who was watching a number from Wicked.

“She’s got a boyfriend, so piss off then!” The stage hand smacked his friend’s head.

The dancing was beginning to wind down. The tourists had grown tired. They shuffled back to their seats, ready for some tea and baklava.

I sat back, remembering one last time I had danced. A group of little girls, dressed in pink tutus and crowns, oooh’ed at my own costume, a glittering scarlet costume adorned with sequins. Gold bracelets dangled from my wrists.

“Oooo look at her!” A chubby finger pointed at me. “She is beautiful!”

“She looks like a princess,” Another swayed from side to side.

“Are you a princess?”

I bend down to their level. The girls grab my skirt and run it through their fingers. I take off one of my bangles and slide it one of their wrists.

“No, I’m not a princess. I’m a belly dancer. If you keep dancing, you might get to become a belly dancer too.”

S.M. Mikesell is a writer living in Los Angeles. She has written for Huffington Post, HelloGiggles, and been a featured writer for Plume. She loves to travel and eat. Most of her travels are based on where she can eat delicious food.

#dance #dancing #culture #belly #ethnicity #performance #S.M. Mikesell

0 notes

renatedagmarmilada · 7 years ago

Text

we/lab st barths Human Research/ wanted some real blacks, Africans, to break in your home, but they wouldn't- we asked one or two.. So now we want some winos to break in and rob you and .. loads more stuff gone which I hadn't checked...

The Queen can't protect Fekete’s life outside the UK... exactly... NO and any country on the program and there are many, will continue the outrages on Fekete and her sons..

Do the coast guards know about the situation under the island, the webbing is slowly loosening and floating away and should be seen to, urgently?? yes, some do, there is an undercurrent from somewhere, Christ it is coming from somewhere, where---------oh, under .............

Human Research were a little known group, but have this amazing powerful machine in their hands- //the group have always been used by dictatorships to destroy unwanted aliens.. ie Gulags, Auschwitz, Belsen etc USA brought all Belsen programs post war and developed them... but as they have laws and get heavy prison sentences for misuse on their population, KISSINGER paid UK St barths Human Research -thick as thieves with USA/mainly run by former Russian Jews I have on good au...

quote - to lab st barths Human Research. Fekete is under the protection of the Her Majesty the Queen, do not try to kill her..or there will be trouble for all of you.

EVERY EFFORT OF FEKETE'S TO BE USED .. by ours....the labst barths Human Research close and distant families and lab staff before, brain storm all your work as...

we have been changing all Fekete's bank accounts since 1991 to her detriment and loss for her and her penniless children..they came with nothing in after the war, the lab jews want them to leave with nothing but damaged bodies from remote testing...

EVERY EFFORT OF FEKETE'S TO BE USED .. by ours....the labst barths Human Research close and distant families and lab staff before, brain storm all your work as well as copying it-- Lauren Fielding, nee Lara Goldstein Redbridge --demanded: -- all jewesses and jews of our families and friends should copy and sell her work, making their own reputations on it, if only by innuendo''--//because my family lost all keeping jews safe back at home??//

Spain,quote -- we don't care about poor talented people like Fekete-refugees from eastern europe--- we are happy to have the rich jews, talentless though they be, come and settle here..

someone asked me why I do not go out and get these cheats and copyists- when I know what they are doing..and who many of them are...I did go to solicitors, a straight forward private court case costs £10,000 with no guarantees of winning...and the lab has the trickiest solicitors in the world from the Health Ministry, who know every trick and how to win no matter what the situation is- there is no real law in the UK.. Also with the internet it is very difficult to prohibit anything so I didn't try- as long as I had the originals.--- now all stolen-- and also being used by New York Human Research ... 1,600 paintings, 1,000+ sketches and 2,900 poems Now the lab operatives have had every scrap stolen -- John Fielding paid the operatives a couple of hundred each to send in thieves, then the thieves were also paid..all written work and all art work.... and are sending thieves in to steal those drawings I have done in the last weeks at 35 Gallery and Millenium Gdns Sheffield - and prints I have -- it is serious ---- as long as credit is given to the painter and writer, most of us can do little about it, but once the originals were all stolen, 35 years of constant daily work, for which I gave up our lives, I realised it was big art theft- both lab and thieves are selling my work.. and getting Royalties .. and our GOVERNMENT and the LORDS permitted this..because several of the men at the Ministry of Health, including the Minister were sleeping with the bossess of St Barths Ministry of Health.. well she had it and knew how to use it....and they are all corrupt devils anyway. No artist worth their salt would do such a thing anyway- an artist creates and when copying comes into play biographical data is given -- that is the rule, both in writing and painting.... the lab has machinery from the USA which means any one of the press a stick too hard and I am dead, not under torture...I still want to live.. my death will not bring these evil sadists to law, infact FIELDINGS Redbridge have bought a villa in Spain and not a small one-- all the jews are off to Spain again..

has anyone been to that city in Albania which is run by an artist Mayor-- I so want to see it...

operative st barths Hum res quote- Faye Fielding daughter of John Fielding exhibition- is all your work mixed and one is a direct copy- You did one of how you ...

operative st barths Hum res quote- Faye Fielding daughter of John Fielding exhibition- is all your work mixed and one is a direct copy- You did one of how you remember you children taken by train to your last children's home.. Her father told her to copy it and say it was the Kinder transport../I clearly remembered the snow, the cold and three nuns coming to meet us -and the pine trees/ they are still not satisfied now that they have proof 3 million germans died- and all the figures were wrong- Faye said she got the ideas from a foreign woman /me!!!!- not copied paintings as originals stolen and scattered/- and added-- ''I was going to add a drunken old cow /I don't drink/ and then I remembered everyone knows you. You taught in London colleges as well as abroad and several painters in London and Sheffield and Grimsby know you well.''

'Aden'-thief Egyptian Upperthorpe by Infirmary Rd Sheffield.. broke into my home twice. stolebox with 75 paintings- 50 left bottom cupboard by his sofa and tv. 5 paintings given to wife to give to friends for daughter school to lie and cheat. 2 he gave to friend. Rest his small children scribbled on. also 10 art blocks, his children scribbled on.. second break in stole more stuff.He stole paints etc. Was given choice of two houses to live in- formerly Springvale Flats..See him each evening at Tescos standing by the reduced stuff- told arabs I left doors open. To get to my door you have to get through 6fthigh gate, with lock on inside, conservatory door and then..//''leave your home for ever''/

lab st barths human research quote --We hack into all Fekete's accounts- and sometimes change them.here and in some countries abroad..not all.

CHINA- given the same powers by lab st barths hum res- fed in to their their students the work of famous past painters etc-- so they should learn in this way, whilst being watched. This I find very good- at art college, we had one day when we would go to the library and study, often copying the work of great artists we admired and our very first exam in art history was to copy a work of our favourite great artist and write about him and his methods.. as always, showing the way..

the lab machine copies dreams - Anna bossess got the lab women to write them up as their own stories, with her tweaks added and subtracted..especially Debra secretary..and now all their illeg children Harry Irwin's 20 or so in particular and all the rest of them have half a dozen or so each. If they weren't using me and mine, I wouldn't care two hoots what they do in their country-- I have learnt too much of its reality.

former operative ALYSON st barths Human Research for many years has copies of every single painting and sketch

0 notes

imtanyc-blog · 8 years ago

Photo

An Ethnic Actor, 101

I am a 6’3”, male, Egyptian-American actor/singer with dark-olive skin, a receding hairline, an Average/Athletic build, and headshots that show my array of beard styles. These are the traits my potential bosses first see when I walk into an audition room. Thankfully, while I may look very Egyptian to Egyptians and am often asked to audition for Arabic roles because of my fluency in Arabic, I am ambiguous enough to fall in the roles of a Spaniard and Latino, Baltic, Greek, Frenchman, and Italian, depending on my hair/beard style. I’m also ethnic enough to fit a variety of minority roles, commonly: Indian, Pakistani, Malaysian, and Philippine (yes, it has happened).

For a minority actor, this is the jackpot! My ethnic ambiguity opens the door to many opportunities outside of my birth-race and provides me a better opportunity to pursue the field of acting versus portraying (which is a lot more difficult for minorities who look “too much” like one minority). It does, however, require me to do more research for my roles, giving me the best solution for how to approach the audition room, and how to give the right first impression.

Giving the right first impression.

This is an important factor for young working actors and singers, who typically spend 80% of their profession auditioning; because, often as is the case in this industry, the first 5 seconds of your greeting and the first 5 seconds of your audition-piece are to what the ‘panel of judges’ really pay attention.

That may seem different to those on the other side of the table, but it’s what we as actors learn and tend to experience. I question, though, what the right impression even means? In elementary school we were taught it means being the ‘best person you can be’, or event more vaguely, ‘being yourself’. While this, ultimately, is the best approach and impact for actor in an audition room, to more specifically “resonate or vibrantly project the unique side of yourself that matches your character,” it is also the greatest fear for actors. Think of when someone asks you to do something serious that’s a bit embarrassing. We always tend to insert a joke or sarcasm to in our performance, when we are essentially embarrassed and add humor to invalidate our performance, so that we can say to ourselves, after we finished, that it wasn’t our best attempt. An actor, very similarly, has the constant battle of investing herself/ himself fully in acting; but thus, to gather the right techniques and confidence in one’s skill is the purpose of teaching and training.

Now, let’s say that I am an amazing actor and I have overcome the confidence and skill to consistently ‘project myself vibrantly’ in an audition. How, then, do I know what part of myself to project? Even in acting a scene, we never work to imitate a character, but to put ourselves in the situation and body of that character, with their language and movements intact, while still maintaining a strong bond with the core: me. The idea of a sensory bank itself, a 101 lesson in acting, is to layer the experiences of a character with real-life experiences. For example, in class I was asked to do a couple of the prison scenes from JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHINCOLOR DREAMCOAT, and, during class, was asked to go under the stage for 20 minutes and crawl around. This was in order for my body to gather a strong sensory bank of an atmosphere that may simulate a prison, so that the emotions I enacted later didn’t come from a televised dramatization of a prison, but from a real, core, sensory experience.

That being said, the ethical standard is that there is no core experience to being a race. There are, however stereotypes to a race, which (believe it or not) is a goldmine for me, because a stereotype means a direction from which to build experiences; and, as I mentioned earlier, being an ethnically ambiguous actor meant I have to audition for many races; and with each race is the genuine stereotypes of its culture. These stereotypes are taught as the “archetypes” of a character (aka the typical, instinctual TV projections). Hard to admit, but for the roles I was given, embracing these archetypes are what helped me to better embrace the character, and they were often the roles I was given

I could ramble on about the ethical boundaries of archetyping a race, but for young actors, we are taught and often feel that we have no real influence in the industry; and we are too busy competing with the millions of actors who are following these expectations of archetyping and signing for roles! That being said, the debate for us doesn’t come from whether or not to archetype in the audition room, but from whether or not to audition... I have, as most ethnic actors will admit, put myself in many uncomfortable auditions for the sole purpose of getting a foot into the industry; and just as Aziz Ansari displayed, in the first episode of ‘Master of None’, of going into an audition for a ‘taxi driver’ and being asked to do an accent on top of his line, I too was brought in for a role as a taxi driver and asked in the audition to add an accent on top of it. But unlike Aziz’s character, I didn’t question the direction and went head on with my Arabic accent, which is what I’m sure they were implying. It didn’t faze me on whether adding an accent was ethically right or wrong. In honesty, it got me excited for the audition because they asked for something more from me; and one truth in this field is that direction means interest.

.There was one audition process in particular that was a bit difficult for me. It was for the role of Tariq, a Muslim Terrorist in New York, on the tv-series ‘Blue Blood’. The audition was an ‘over 5’ (which basically means lots of money) where I was asked to speak in Arabic and broken English. Now, I was raised Muslim, and while I currently have it as a back-burner in practice and faith, I have tremendous respect for the culture and religion; and I cringed in the moments I was auditioning as if in the middle of time square, screaming Allah’s name in vain right before blowing myself up... This was hard for me, because I felt as if was actively ‘archetype-ing’ the ‘extremist muslim’ persona that I have battled against since I was a little kid in Alabama, the same stereotypes that got me and my brother in many fights and intense arguments. I was, therefore, surprisingly relieved after being told in my final call that “the higher producers have just told us that we are changing this role to Caucasian. Really sorry, but great job!” Awkward to have been told that on my final call-back, but at the same time, I felt, in a way, guided outside of the generic role of a terrorist that currently pairs so well with my looks.

Moments like this make me question whether acting is even the field that I want to pursue. Did I take years of training and preparation to be cast as the typical Islamic Extremist? While this is only a minor category in the vast world of Theater, TV, and Film, it is my easy way in. “Maybe once in”, I would say to myself, “I’ll stop doing these roles and start pursuing my humanitarian side of taking roles that only challenge thought, promote peace and a battle against stereotyping my people.” Easier said than done; and sad to admit, but I am still excited when being offered to audition for other ‘over 5’ terrorist roles in a major network show, because I am an young actor, and I have to do whatever possible to get my foot into the industry, right?

I don’t know the answer to how theater should be written, or ‘what sells’ in the industry. All I do know is that to audition and get roles like Tariq is all I can do as an actor right now, or, at least, all I feel I can do. This is why I actively pair my career with the hobbies of writing and composing stories that promote my true beliefs - to preserve, in a way, the childish notion of maintaining my purity when diving into a pool of corruption.

While this may not have taught you anything, I hope it does give you a glimpse of at least one layer of burden for the ethnic actor, and I hope it impresses the importance of what we as millennials in theater choose to work on and why. Most importantly, I hope that IMTA (which is Arabic for ‘when’) we as young artists in theater become the leaders of our industry, we will overcome the temptations of money and power that currently motivate our works, and, instead, working on writing the better write, right?

-Kareem Elsamadicy, Brooklyn 2017.

0 notes

topfygad · 5 years ago

Text

14 Top Tips for Visiting the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt: The Ultimate Guide

These 14 top tips will answer all your questions about visiting the Pyramids of Giza so you’re well-prepared for the magical day when you see the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Looking for something in particular? Use this table of contents below to jump around using the links.

Table of Contents

Map of Egyptian Pyramids of Giza

This map shows you all the locations mentioned in this guide. Click on the pins for more information.

Tip: For a larger view of the map, click on the icon in the top right corner. If the icon is hidden and you’re viewing this on your phone, go to landscape mode. Technology, eh?

Why were the Egyptian Pyramids of Giza built?

When were the Pyramids built?

Who built the Pyramids of Giza?

It wasn’t until 2010 that an archaeological team led by Dr. Zahi Hawass discovered several new tombs that belonged to the workers who built the pyramids of Khufu and Khafre.

Archaeologists now agree that the men who built the pyramids were, in fact, highly-skilled workmen, not slaves.

Dr. Hawass

Where are the Pyramids?

The Egyptian Pyramids are located within the Pyramids complex on the Giza plateau approximately 25km (15 miles) south-west of Downtown Cairo.

These pyramids include the Great Pyramid of Khufu (aka Cheops), Pyramid of Khafre (aka Chephren) and the Pyramid of Menkaure (aka Mycerinus) and the smallest of the three main Pyramids of Giza.

As you travel around Egypt, you will notice that all tombs are located on the West Bank of the Nile.

14 Top Tips for Visiting the Egyptian Pyramids of Giza

1. When is the best time to visit the Pyramids of Giza?

Another the benefit of waiting a bit longer is that it will give more time for the haze of pollution to clear up a bit. Yes, Cairo is very polluted, particularly in the mornings.

2. How do I get to the Pyramids?

The Mortuary Temple of Khafre

Taxi

Tips for taking a taxi:

Uber

Public Bus

If you’re visiting the Egyptian Museum in the morning (which I highly recommend), located on the main road behind the museum are buses 355 and 357 which will take you to the Giza Pyramids complex.

If you’re staying near the Tahrir Square area it’s good to know what these buses also pass through here.

Micro-Buses

Locals, aka Cairenes, take the microbus (pronounced ‘mee-kro-bas’) these small vans are usually crowded, uncomfortable and can only seat 12 passengers.

Since no destinations are signposted, it can be tricky to use them at first. They do, however, then to depart from normal bus stops.

Microbuses are useful for major routes such as reaching the entrance to the pyramids from the Giza metro station.

Metro

The Cairo Metro, like any metro, gets really crowded during peak hours (7 am to 9 am and 3 pm to 6 pm). Avoid these time by starting your day early and returning after the rush.

Plan your journey by using www.cairometro.gov.eg and clicking on ‘English’ in the top left corner.

Tips for taking the metro:

Metro stations are clearly marked with a large red ‘M’ in a blue star.

Keep your ticket until you complete your journey, you’ll need it to feed into the turnstile when exiting

The metro opens around 6 am with trains running every 5 minutes until closing at 11.30pm.

Since the roads will be chaotic, the bus driver may forget to tell you when to get off, so it’s a good idea to ask a friendly passenger to alert you just in case.

Tips on getting to the Pyramids of Giza:

3. How long does it take to get to the Pyramids of Giza?

If you’re travelling by train then bus/microbus, allow 45 minutes.

Going to Egypt? Get my free Arabic travel phrase guide.

4. What are the opening times of the Pyramids of Giza?

The Giza plateau is open 8 am – 4 pm daily. The Giza Pyramids are open 8 am – 4 pm daily (5 pm in summer). The Solar Boat museum is open 9 am – 4 pm daily (5 pm in summer).

5. How much time do you need to visit the Pyramids of Giza?

My advice? Soak it up. Don’t rush your time here. Find a quiet spot and enjoy the view. Who knows when you’ll be back to see them again.

6. How much are tickets to the Pyramids of Giza?

Tickets to the Pyramids and Sphinx area costs 120 LE (60LE for students). To go inside the Great Pyramid, it’s an additional 300 LE (150 LE for students).

If you are taking a tripod inside, you’ll need to purchase a tripod ticket for 20 LE. This is standard practice all over Egypt.

7. Can You Go Inside the Pyramids?

If you’re not already planning on going, I highly recommend going to the Egyptian Museum to see the mummies and beautifully decorated tombs. Don’t miss the Royal Mummy Room!

Tips for going inside The Great Pyramid of Giza:

The Great Gallery inside the Great Pyramid of Giza is very narrow and you may feel claustrophobic. Reconsider going inside if you suffer from claustrophobia.

Allow 30-40 minutes to complete your visit inside The Great Pyramid of Giza.

It’s super humid inside the King’s Chamber, so take some tissues with you to mop up that forehead.

8. Camel and Horse Rides

As I mentioned in my things to know about Egypt guide, the camels and horses at the pyramids are malnourished and badly treated, so it’s up to you if you choose to go on a ride anyway.

9. What should I wear when visiting the Pyramids of Giza?

Definitely wear a hat. Your head will catch the sun and tender for a few days afterwards.

Perhaps the most important item will be your footwear. You’ll be walking a lot, mainly through sand and dirt, so wear comfortable and breathable closed-toe shoes.

10. What should I pack when visiting the Pyramids of Giza?

Take sunscreen and apply it before you go out in the sun. Wear sunglasses, a hat and take an umbrella just in case you need some shade; because there is none!

11. Can you buy food inside the Giza Pyramid Complex?

12. Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids

The Sound and Light Show runs at 7 pm, 8 pm and 9 pm during the winter and 2.5 hours later during summer.

13. Solar Boat Museum

Don’t forget to see the boat! What boat I hear you ask? Oh, just the boat that was buried at the foot of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Either way, this impressive full-size ancient Egyptian boat took 14 years for experts to put its 1,200 pieces together.

14. Bonus tips for visiting the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt

Toilets – There are toilets near the Sphinx and at the entrance to the pyramids complex before going through security.

View from the panoramic viewpoint

Conclusion

Planning a trip? Don’t risk it. I never travel without getting travel insurance. I used World Nomads for my trip to Egypt.

Let me remind you again why Egypt is amazing and watch my Egypt vlog below.

youtube

Like it? Pin it for later

Sources Independent UK | Eyewitness Egypt

Over to you!

Which of these tips did you find the most useful? Is there anything you would add? Tell me below! Let me know using the comments section below or join me on social media to start a conversation.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post.

Like what you see? Subscribe using the form below to have all of my posts delivered directly to your email.

<![CDATA[#optinforms-form1-name-field-containerdisplay:none#optinforms-form1-email-field-containerwidth:78%]]>

from Cheapr Travels http://cheaprtravels.com/14-top-tips-for-visiting-the-pyramids-of-giza-egypt-the-ultimate-guide/ via http://cheaprtravels.com

0 notes

topfygad · 5 years ago

Text

14 Top Tips for Visiting the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt: The Ultimate Guide

These 14 top tips will answer all your questions about visiting the Pyramids of Giza so you’re well-prepared for the magical day when you see the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Looking for something in particular? Use this table of contents below to jump around using the links.

Table of Contents

Map of Egyptian Pyramids of Giza

This map shows you all the locations mentioned in this guide. Click on the pins for more information.

Tip: For a larger view of the map, click on the icon in the top right corner. If the icon is hidden and you’re viewing this on your phone, go to landscape mode. Technology, eh?

Why were the Egyptian Pyramids of Giza built?

When were the Pyramids built?

Who built the Pyramids of Giza?

It wasn’t until 2010 that an archaeological team led by Dr. Zahi Hawass discovered several new tombs that belonged to the workers who built the pyramids of Khufu and Khafre.

Archaeologists now agree that the men who built the pyramids were, in fact, highly-skilled workmen, not slaves.

Dr. Hawass

Where are the Pyramids?

The Egyptian Pyramids are located within the Pyramids complex on the Giza plateau approximately 25km (15 miles) south-west of Downtown Cairo.

These pyramids include the Great Pyramid of Khufu (aka Cheops), Pyramid of Khafre (aka Chephren) and the Pyramid of Menkaure (aka Mycerinus) and the smallest of the three main Pyramids of Giza.

As you travel around Egypt, you will notice that all tombs are located on the West Bank of the Nile.

14 Top Tips for Visiting the Egyptian Pyramids of Giza

1. When is the best time to visit the Pyramids of Giza?

Another the benefit of waiting a bit longer is that it will give more time for the haze of pollution to clear up a bit. Yes, Cairo is very polluted, particularly in the mornings.

2. How do I get to the Pyramids?

The Mortuary Temple of Khafre

Taxi

Tips for taking a taxi:

Uber

Public Bus

If you’re visiting the Egyptian Museum in the morning (which I highly recommend), located on the main road behind the museum are buses 355 and 357 which will take you to the Giza Pyramids complex.

If you’re staying near the Tahrir Square area it’s good to know what these buses also pass through here.

Micro-Buses

Locals, aka Cairenes, take the microbus (pronounced ‘mee-kro-bas’) these small vans are usually crowded, uncomfortable and can only seat 12 passengers.

Since no destinations are signposted, it can be tricky to use them at first. They do, however, then to depart from normal bus stops.

Microbuses are useful for major routes such as reaching the entrance to the pyramids from the Giza metro station.

Metro

The Cairo Metro, like any metro, gets really crowded during peak hours (7 am to 9 am and 3 pm to 6 pm). Avoid these time by starting your day early and returning after the rush.

Plan your journey by using www.cairometro.gov.eg and clicking on ‘English’ in the top left corner.

Tips for taking the metro:

Metro stations are clearly marked with a large red ‘M’ in a blue star.

Keep your ticket until you complete your journey, you’ll need it to feed into the turnstile when exiting

The metro opens around 6 am with trains running every 5 minutes until closing at 11.30pm.

Since the roads will be chaotic, the bus driver may forget to tell you when to get off, so it’s a good idea to ask a friendly passenger to alert you just in case.

Tips on getting to the Pyramids of Giza:

3. How long does it take to get to the Pyramids of Giza?

If you’re travelling by train then bus/microbus, allow 45 minutes.

Going to Egypt? Get my free Arabic travel phrase guide.

4. What are the opening times of the Pyramids of Giza?

The Giza plateau is open 8 am – 4 pm daily. The Giza Pyramids are open 8 am – 4 pm daily (5 pm in summer). The Solar Boat museum is open 9 am – 4 pm daily (5 pm in summer).

5. How much time do you need to visit the Pyramids of Giza?

My advice? Soak it up. Don’t rush your time here. Find a quiet spot and enjoy the view. Who knows when you’ll be back to see them again.

6. How much are tickets to the Pyramids of Giza?

Tickets to the Pyramids and Sphinx area costs 120 LE (60LE for students). To go inside the Great Pyramid, it’s an additional 300 LE (150 LE for students).

If you are taking a tripod inside, you’ll need to purchase a tripod ticket for 20 LE. This is standard practice all over Egypt.

7. Can You Go Inside the Pyramids?

If you’re not already planning on going, I highly recommend going to the Egyptian Museum to see the mummies and beautifully decorated tombs. Don’t miss the Royal Mummy Room!

Tips for going inside The Great Pyramid of Giza:

The Great Gallery inside the Great Pyramid of Giza is very narrow and you may feel claustrophobic. Reconsider going inside if you suffer from claustrophobia.

Allow 30-40 minutes to complete your visit inside The Great Pyramid of Giza.

It’s super humid inside the King’s Chamber, so take some tissues with you to mop up that forehead.

8. Camel and Horse Rides

As I mentioned in my things to know about Egypt guide, the camels and horses at the pyramids are malnourished and badly treated, so it’s up to you if you choose to go on a ride anyway.

9. What should I wear when visiting the Pyramids of Giza?

Definitely wear a hat. Your head will catch the sun and tender for a few days afterwards.

Perhaps the most important item will be your footwear. You’ll be walking a lot, mainly through sand and dirt, so wear comfortable and breathable closed-toe shoes.

10. What should I pack when visiting the Pyramids of Giza?

Take sunscreen and apply it before you go out in the sun. Wear sunglasses, a hat and take an umbrella just in case you need some shade; because there is none!

11. Can you buy food inside the Giza Pyramid Complex?

12. Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids

The Sound and Light Show runs at 7 pm, 8 pm and 9 pm during the winter and 2.5 hours later during summer.

13. Solar Boat Museum

Don’t forget to see the boat! What boat I hear you ask? Oh, just the boat that was buried at the foot of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Either way, this impressive full-size ancient Egyptian boat took 14 years for experts to put its 1,200 pieces together.

14. Bonus tips for visiting the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt

Toilets – There are toilets near the Sphinx and at the entrance to the pyramids complex before going through security.

View from the panoramic viewpoint

Conclusion

Planning a trip? Don’t risk it. I never travel without getting travel insurance. I used World Nomads for my trip to Egypt.

Let me remind you again why Egypt is amazing and watch my Egypt vlog below.

youtube

Like it? Pin it for later

Sources Independent UK | Eyewitness Egypt

Over to you!

Which of these tips did you find the most useful? Is there anything you would add? Tell me below! Let me know using the comments section below or join me on social media to start a conversation.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post.

Like what you see? Subscribe using the form below to have all of my posts delivered directly to your email.

<![CDATA[#optinforms-form1-name-field-containerdisplay:none#optinforms-form1-email-field-containerwidth:78%]]>

from Cheapr Travels http://cheaprtravels.com/14-top-tips-for-visiting-the-pyramids-of-giza-egypt-the-ultimate-guide/ via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Cheapr Travels

0 notes