December 19, 2007: Eid

There are two Muslim feasts, or Eids, in the year -- the big one at the end of Ramadan, to celebrate the close of the month of fasting, which straddled September-October this year, and the one that closes the annual Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, which was only a few days before Christmas this year.

Momen, our staff-bus driver, invited my the two office girls, Steffi and Tanya, and me to his parents' place in Safaga for an Eid feast. Why he chose the three of us I'll never know -- he speaks no English (despite ongoing attempts to teach him, but it's all in one ear and out the other so much that I've given up) and my command of Arabic isn't strong enough to really ask him why. Anyway, it was a nice evening in his humble home, with some nice traditional Egyptian food.

Momen reaches for an Egyptian cabbage roll ("chrom," though I'm not sure if this is the word for cabbage or a cabbage roll). Not as good as Brian's, but pretty tasty nonetheless:


Momen, Tanya, Steffi and I enjoying the feast:


A close up of some stuffed zuchini:


Steffi and Tanya Two, full-up and feasted out.







Ahmed, aka Toni, Steffi's adoptive brother.



I gave my camera to Momen's little sister, and ended up with these photos, a bit of an insider view of the house.
The women, where they belong:


Momen's sister Safa'. I love the audacity of her pose. Dig the gold shoes.




Not sure who this girl belongs to, but she looks like she'll cause no end of trouble for her parents in a few years.