B: Birds

Since I am not in Egypt at the moment and did not travel with my folder of photos, I’d thought I’d take the opportunity over the next couple of weeks to highlight some other photographers and resources.

Daniele Occhiato has shared some AMAZING photos of birds from several of his trips to Egypt and Sinai on PBase.com. I dream of being able to take photographs like him! And of having his camera and lenses.

His latest photos of birds in Egypt from his trip in April/May 2009

My favorite from this set of photos are the ones of the Squacco Heron. What a beautiful bird!

Enjoy!

B: Balancing Bread

Balancing Baladi Bread

This talented vendor has gone beyond balancing just the one tray of baladi(local) bread on his head! He carried this triple-decker load through iftarcrowds just minutes before sunset at the famous Al Hussein Mosque. This could possibly be more challenging than riding a bicycle through traffic.  :)  Learn more about baladi bread here.

M: Men

M is for Men

And this lovely man is Shaban who worked as our bow-wab (doorman) in New Ma’adi for over five years. He was the best bow-wab I have ever had – such a hard worker and he always had a smile on his face! This photo was taken at his house in Imbaba when he invited us over to meet his family and share a meal. Shaban no longer works as a bow-wab and I hope he is enjoying his well-deserved retirement!

C: Creative Commons

Okay, time for the truth about Creative Commons and the answer to:

What does it mean if a photo is released under a CC-license?

While there is no ONE right answer to this question, there are definitely some wrong ones. Let’s consider the questions from my previous post:

* It does more than just tell you the photographer or author.

* You can download the photo for free, but you can’t always do whatever you want with it.

* You do not need to ask permission to use CC-licensed work.

* Sometimes you can alter and even sell the work.

* You never have to pay to use a CC-licensed work.

So, what is Creative Commons and what can you do with these photos? Creative Commons is a non-profit corporation that provides licensing material to creators who would like to share their work for free.

There are 6 licenses that creators can choose and each one has different restrictions. Here’s my summary of each:

C: Creative Commons

Sorry – no Egypt today – let’s talk  licensing instead.

Some of you may have read the information in my sidebar about my blog being released under a Creative Commons (CC) license and wondered what it was all about. I’d love to share more information about this project because it is especially useful to teachers and students – and other aspiring writers. Let’s start our discussion by finding out what you already know – or think you know – about Creative Commons:

C: Camel Hoof Tree

C is for the Camel Hoof Tree

Bauhinia variegata is known in Arabic as “Khuff el-Gamal“, or the Camel Hoof. Notice the shape of the leaves resembles a camel’s hoof. Common names in English include Orchid Tree and Mountain Ebony. According to the book The Street Trees of Egypt, “the tree is native of India and China, and is used for food, medicine, dyeing, tanning, gum, and for farm implements.”

S: Sheesha

S is for Sheesha

These sheesha pipes – a popular buy for tourists – were on sale at the Khan el Khalili. Sheesha pipes are also known as hookahs or nargiles – and a variety of other terms in the different countries where they are used. Smoking sheesha is a popular pasttime for people in Egypt – usually for men in coffee shops, but more and more women are smoking sheesha. The water pipes are used to smoke flavored tobacco – traditionally honey-flavored. Apple is another typical choice at most cafes and at some coffee shops you can find flavors such as melon, mixed fruit, apricot, cherry, mint, strawberry, and even cola or cappuccino.

Read more about sheesha smoking in Cairo in this EgyptToday article.

G: God’s Table

G is for God’s Table

Or Ma-id-it Al-Rahman, as it says on the sign in Arabic – “the table of the merciful God.” Not the best picture but I thought this was a great use of a neighborhood garden that otherwise goes unused. Wealthy Egyptians set up God’s Tables during the holy month of Ramadan and serve free iftar (breakfast) meals to poorer families and workers who could not make it home in time. This particular table even allowed “take-away”!

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Ramadan Book Special: Now Until September 20th

20% Discount on Direct Purchase from Author

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Get a hardcover copy of An ABC Escapade through Egypt for $16!

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B: Bet-tow

B is for Bet-tow

Another tasty Egyptian bread! I’ll have to suggest this word to my husband for his Arabic Audio recordings because you have to hear this word, I think, to know how to pronounce it. (The ‘ow’ sounds like ‘now’.) You may also see it spelled bettaw, bettai, and bettawa. Made with corn and fenugreek, bet-tow is a staple for the fellaheen (peasants) in rural areas. Every time I have had this bread, it has been unleavened and crispy – which is why I like it so much – but in the recipes I’ve found the bread is always leavened. Here’s one to try. It usually comes in circular loaves 50 – 60 cm across. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me to get a shot of the loaves unbroken. I purchased the bet-tow in the Ma’adi souq (market) for LE 6/kilo (just under $1) and the woman broke the loaves to fit them in the bag.