Story

Hey guys,

I was hanging out with a friend last night, and he told me a folk story from his tribe. You ready for it?

So there was this guy who was really strong. He used to live in the mountains, and his whole tribe was afraid of him. He used to come down the mountain, pick up a camel, then throw it on top of the mountain. Then he would climb back up the mountain and eat the camel. If he saw a camel that he wanted, he just took it.

Finally the men in his tribe get together and decide that they had to do something before this guy eats all of their camels. So they decide to send six young women from the tribe up the mountain for him to sleep with them. So he does. The first one dies, then the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth. The only one who survives is the sixth. But she stumbles back down the mountain, and she's in pretty rough shape. Then the guy comes down the mountain. He's hungry and he wants a camel.

So he picks up a camel and throws it on top of the mountain. But when he does, he breaks his back. So all of the men in the tribe come and beat him to death.

So I guess the moral of the story is don't throw camels on top of mountains! Actually, he told me that this is a story that they tell to young men if they start running after women. Kind of an interesting story, huh?

Funny story . . .

Okay guys, I just had a random experience happen and I'm not sure whether I should be offended or complimented

A bit of cultural background first. Nobody walks on the sidewalks in Egypt. Everyone walks in the street. In fact, the only people who walk on the sidewalks are tourists. For some reason Egyptian sidewalks are really high, and it's just simpler to walk in the street. So, it's an easy way to spot a tourist. That being said . . .

I was wearing my galabiya and sidari (a vest that a southern bedouin tribe wears, a very recent gift from a friend) and walking down the street. It was pretty dark on the street. A taxi came down the road behind me, and a European man stuck his head out the passenger window and screamed, "get out of the road you f---ing farmer!" (I'll leave the blanks to your imagination) I just stood there in the street for a moment, kind of lost for words. My first reaction was, "you're not in your country, man." But I decided to take it as a compliment, and walked off with a smug grin on my face. I think this is the first time I've been mistaken for an Egyptian.

Odd combination . . .

Hey guys,

So, I've got a friend who works at one of the hotels in town making bedouin coffee. He's from a small village in the south of the country, and is a pretty cool guy. I hang out with him every few days. I was visiting him a couple of nights ago, sitting on the ground, leaning on a camel saddle, slowly roasting coffee beans over a fire. If you closed your eyes, you'd feel like you were in the middle of the desert. It was a wonderful time.

Anyway, I spent a few hours with him, then was heading back to my place. I heard some music, and I could tell it was a live band. The drums are always the give-away for me. Anyway, I wandered over and found a band from New Zealand playing in front of the hotel. I stood and watched them for a while, then headed home. It just seemed like a very odd combination of activities for one day. Hanging out with a bedouin, roasting coffee; then hanging out with lots of foreigners, listening to a live band. They were a great band though!

I swear I know you!

Okay guys, funny story from the last week.

I needed a vacation. I feel guilty saying it since I live at the beach, but I had to get out of town for a couple days last week. I realized that I hadn't left my town in about seven months, and was culture-shocking pretty hard. So I took a couple days to meet up with some friends in the Sinai. It was a great time, getting to wear shorts and all! :)

Anyway, I was waiting at the Sharm El Sheikh airport for my flight back. I saw a lady sitting at the gate who looked really familiar. She looked like someone that I used to work with in Oregon. I wasn't sure if she was who I thought she was, so I sat somewhere where I could look a little closer without being too obvious. (Yes, I know this makes me sound like a stalker!) She had her head down, but when she looked up I was certain. She even had a mole in the same place as my friend, so I was positive it was her. We took a short bus ride from the terminal to the plane, so on the bus I approached her and introduced myself.

She waved me off without even really acknowledging me. Okay, fair enough. A single lady in Egypt probably gets approached by dozens of strange men every day. So it was no big surprise that she didn't want to talk to me. But on the flight she was sitting directly across the aisle from me. And of course I peeked during the flight.

We get to our destination, and we're all standing around waiting for our baggage. At this point our mystery lady takes off her shawl and I see the same tattoo that my friend has. So I decide that I've got to try again. So I walk over to her, only to get blown off again. Okay, fair enough. I blow off tons of total strangers every day.

I get my bag, go outside, and get a taxi. As I'm loading up my bag, I see mystery-lady negotiating with the taxi parked next to me. She gives me an odd look as my taxi drives away. So I'm still curious. Was this lady who I thought she was, or am I totally out in left field?