back from cairo and missed recent blast

Right, finally I've just set this up with some 'hacks' done to 3 column design layout from blogger standard template. So here are the first entry to recap the happening . . .

Relatively tired, , , my apartment in a mess (just finished the household chores) and my Visa application to Iraq was rejected. My next documentary project will start in October during "Ramadan". My local Egyptian producer is working to get it done for us with the help of some officials. Beside this downer, I had a great stay in Cairo, staying at her family home. We went to Aswan, riding donkeys (yeapp-ppy-doo) to valley of the kings, the fertile Nile valley, the pyramids of Giza, the temples of Luxor and Alexandria. Beautiful place, countless tombs, mosques, and museums. I captured loads on both my 'cameras'. Meeting the locals at the cafe was interesting affair. Yesss .. .

The cafe is part of Egyptian social life. Whether lost or found, you will always be near a cafe. Tea, shisha, juice, and some dominos or cards is all you need to ride out the dull hours. Don't expect a variety of shisha flavors, most have just apple (prefer the one I had in Dubai, much better choice) This is what she taught me: "Shisha tuffa wa shay koshri binana." (Apple shisha and real tea with mint). If you don't say "koshri" you get the liptons tea crap (not original). Not all places have real tea, but this increases your chances of organic karma. Now sit back, relax, and have some intimate conversation or watching the interesting road past by. Egyptian traffic will remain locked in your mind as one of Egypt's great national characteristics. And according to this article, it looks like it might have played a vital role in reducing the carnage from last Saturdays bombings:

"A working hypothesis was that the second vehicle was heading toward another luxury hotel when it got stuck in traffic. The two militants inside are believed to have left the truck in Sharm el-Sheikh's Old Market, setting it to detonate after they left the scene." Be grateful that whenever you are stuck in a traffic jam, it might save your life (lets live life easy, not to worry). However, even 500kg of explosives isn't going to get you in front of that donkey cart (smell really bad "pong") on Egypt's streets.

I have found out from this reporting "25,000 civilians killed in Iraq". In my documentary, I hope to convey a true sense of the Iraqi people's views of the war, rebuilding a country with new opportunity and the future of Iraq. The film will captures the voices and images of normal Iraqis: Mothers, fathers, children, religious leaders, the new government and even those who fight against the coalition forces. Currently, I am going through a new batch of reading material that I received from Jordan news agency.

I can't really sleep now, my throat are dried and painful, had to much shisha and I just found out that shisha smoking are as bad as smoking cigarette. I'm going to stop this shite habit now and see my doctor tomorrow, good night now . . .

Tags|Islamic|Singapore|Malaysian|Hatzputra