Rainforest Cafe
City Stars,
Nasr City
Cairo
Rainforest Cafe is an American theme restaurant that has recently opened a branch here in Cairo. As the name suggests, the interiors are done up in the style of a rainforest with robotic animals. Cairenes would be familiar with this concept as Planet Africa has had 2 branches in the city since ages. But in my opinion the Rain Forest Cafe is much better in terms of experience, food, service and entertainment for young kids.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Revolving Restaurant, Grand Hyatt, Cairo
. . . This is a lovely restaurant to take your date to with its awesome ambience, phenomenal food, panoramic view and attentive yet unobtrusive service. It is also a place I would recommend for formal business dinners or if you need to impress your (prospective) inlaws or anyone else for that matter. . . .
. . . The Salad St Jacques was pan fried scallops (slightly crisp on the outside, tender juicy & succulent on the inside), served on a crisp potato pancake with marinated red peppers and some greens. I would highly recommend this dish any day.
Read the entire review on My Restaurant Review Blog
. . . The Salad St Jacques was pan fried scallops (slightly crisp on the outside, tender juicy & succulent on the inside), served on a crisp potato pancake with marinated red peppers and some greens. I would highly recommend this dish any day.
Read the entire review on My Restaurant Review Blog
ICAE Diwali Function at Mena House Oberoi
Had a ball of a time at today's Diwali function held by the Indian Community Association in Cairo.
Met a lot of old friends, made some new ones. The decorations were awesome and felt like being back in India with bright diyas and colorful rangolis all over the place.
Usha Uthup was in town, to perform for the function and she got the crowd on their feet (although some of them were on their feet just to capture her on camera)
Good Indian khana. Over 800 guests. This was a diwali party to remember!
Met a lot of old friends, made some new ones. The decorations were awesome and felt like being back in India with bright diyas and colorful rangolis all over the place.
Usha Uthup was in town, to perform for the function and she got the crowd on their feet (although some of them were on their feet just to capture her on camera)
Good Indian khana. Over 800 guests. This was a diwali party to remember!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
What to look out for when renting in Cairo
EgyptianSanks: Renting in Cairo
Sankalita, a friend of mine has an awesome blog too.
This particular post of hers talks about what the prospective renter needs to consider before signing the lease in Cairo.
Its quite a comprehensive list and highly recommended reading for those coming in to Cairo and who need to rent a place.
Sankalita, a friend of mine has an awesome blog too.
This particular post of hers talks about what the prospective renter needs to consider before signing the lease in Cairo.
Its quite a comprehensive list and highly recommended reading for those coming in to Cairo and who need to rent a place.
Alcohol @ the Grand Hyatt, Cairo
Most of you would have heard about the ban on sale of alcohol at the Grand Hyatt, Cairo a couple of months ago?
Well, we were at the Hard Rock Cafe today and they are serving alcohol.
We ate at the revolving restaurant last month and they were offering alcohol too.
I made a search and found this article on the net. Rumour is that alcohol can be ordered in room service, but I'm not sure how true that is.
Well, we were at the Hard Rock Cafe today and they are serving alcohol.
We ate at the revolving restaurant last month and they were offering alcohol too.
I made a search and found this article on the net. Rumour is that alcohol can be ordered in room service, but I'm not sure how true that is.
Warning : Car stealing modus operandi
Heard about this from a friend.
Seems there is a new technique going around. a motorbike comes and hits a car from behind. When you get out of the car to check your damage/yell at the other driver, another associate slides into your driver seat and drives away. The motorbike guy also speeds away simultaneously.
I can't be 100% sure about the accuracy of this information as it hasn't happened to me or anyone that I know directly. But it is a good idea to take your keys out of the ignition and with you, if you step out of your car for any reason.
Seems there is a new technique going around. a motorbike comes and hits a car from behind. When you get out of the car to check your damage/yell at the other driver, another associate slides into your driver seat and drives away. The motorbike guy also speeds away simultaneously.
I can't be 100% sure about the accuracy of this information as it hasn't happened to me or anyone that I know directly. But it is a good idea to take your keys out of the ignition and with you, if you step out of your car for any reason.
New Pyramid discovered in Saqqara plateau
A new pyramid has been "discovered" in the Saqqara plateau. It is being hypothesised that this 4,300 year old pyramid belongs to Queen Sesheshet the queen mother of King Teti, the founder of Egypt's Sixth Dynasty.
The pyramid is the 118th discovered so far in Egypt, and the 12th to be found in Saqqara.
See pictures on BBC News
News Report at yahoo.com
Watch Slide show at yahoo.com
The pyramid is the 118th discovered so far in Egypt, and the 12th to be found in Saqqara.
See pictures on BBC News
News Report at yahoo.com
Watch Slide show at yahoo.com
Saturday, November 08, 2008
An experiment for Arabic speakers who read this blog - MEME
I received a lot of interesting comments on my last post Arabic adventures in Egypt
So I'd like to conduct an experiment/ throw down a challenge for those readers who live in Cairo and speak Arabic (with any degree of fluency)
The challenge is to go around town (no sitting at home) on your regular business - catch a taxi, order lunch, go to the market, deal with clients and customers - whatever it is that you do on a daily business. But the challenge lies in the fact that you can ONLY SPEAK IN ENGLISH. No French, no Arabic, no other language, only English - not even an Aiwa or an alatoul.
When you have done that, you can
1. write a blog post and link to this post.
2. write a blog post & leave me the link to your blog in the comments on this post
3. write down your experience as a comment on this post.
I'd love to see what stories you have to tell at the end of such a day. and it would be interesting for you to see what a non-Arabic speaking foreigner/expat/student goes through in the city.
So I'd like to conduct an experiment/ throw down a challenge for those readers who live in Cairo and speak Arabic (with any degree of fluency)
The challenge is to go around town (no sitting at home) on your regular business - catch a taxi, order lunch, go to the market, deal with clients and customers - whatever it is that you do on a daily business. But the challenge lies in the fact that you can ONLY SPEAK IN ENGLISH. No French, no Arabic, no other language, only English - not even an Aiwa or an alatoul.
When you have done that, you can
1. write a blog post and link to this post.
2. write a blog post & leave me the link to your blog in the comments on this post
3. write down your experience as a comment on this post.
I'd love to see what stories you have to tell at the end of such a day. and it would be interesting for you to see what a non-Arabic speaking foreigner/expat/student goes through in the city.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Where to you can buy/shop for cheap used and new books in Cairo
My friend Allison of Cairo compiled this information and since it was so interesting and comprehensive, I requested her permission to re-post it here, which she graciously allowed. Thanks Alli.
Buying books in Cairo.
Went downtown yesterday and went to check out Attaba for books since someone was mentioning it previously.
Take the metro to Attaba Station. Take the exit named Attaba Sq or Attaba Garage. Walk out the exit steps and you will be right next to the booksellers.
There are around 100 new kiosks all with arabesque designs and each has good lighting installed. They are the same size as the previous ones, but now each has an address to make it easier to locate a favourite [Big Grin]
The book kiosks are open every day including Fridays from 10am till 9pm, best time to go would be around 12ish to make sure that they are all open and plan to finish before 7ish as some start to close around then.
Types of books
Thousands of Arabic books.
Medical Textbooks ( in English )
Engineering books
IT books
All sorts of Arabic textbooks
Islamic books , tapes and CD's
All kinds of magazines, and periodicals
Stacks of English books mostly used including thousands of novels in both hardback and paperback, the stuff you see in every bookshops at home. Lots of trashy novelettes [Razz]
The classics i.e. Shakespeare, Dickens, Bronte.
Books on learning English and teaching English.
English magazines like Chat, OK, Readers Digests, Cosmo, Good Housekeeping, National Geographic, Bella, Computers, Cars, Body building, Health, etc etc. Both used and new but maybe a few months old.
Miscellaneous Books and magazines i.e. biographies, technical,Politics, History etc.
Tolstoy, Solzenitzen stuff.
There is a fair selection of French, German, Russian,Greek books dotted around, with more languages.
Old rare book kiosks.
Childrens books.
You can find fairly recent books and very old ones too.
I would say that only 1% of the book keepers will hassle you. The rest will let you browse in peace and if they dont have what you want they can direct you to another kiosk who might. [Smile] They are mainly older men who are friendly, but in a nice way [Wink]
Prices vary.
I found one guy who was a real darling. Very polite, helpful who has 2 shops. I bought a load of books and he charged me under 10le a book.
He is at numbers 83 and 84 kiosk.
name Mahmoud Kasem tele:0101218948.
I told him that I would put his name on ES and if any member goes to him and wants to buy books, he will give them a fair and honest price. [Wink]
All you do is tell him the word (ES) he will then know I sent you .
Enjoy your books folks
Buying books in Cairo.
Went downtown yesterday and went to check out Attaba for books since someone was mentioning it previously.
Take the metro to Attaba Station. Take the exit named Attaba Sq or Attaba Garage. Walk out the exit steps and you will be right next to the booksellers.
There are around 100 new kiosks all with arabesque designs and each has good lighting installed. They are the same size as the previous ones, but now each has an address to make it easier to locate a favourite [Big Grin]
The book kiosks are open every day including Fridays from 10am till 9pm, best time to go would be around 12ish to make sure that they are all open and plan to finish before 7ish as some start to close around then.
Types of books
Thousands of Arabic books.
Medical Textbooks ( in English )
Engineering books
IT books
All sorts of Arabic textbooks
Islamic books , tapes and CD's
All kinds of magazines, and periodicals
Stacks of English books mostly used including thousands of novels in both hardback and paperback, the stuff you see in every bookshops at home. Lots of trashy novelettes [Razz]
The classics i.e. Shakespeare, Dickens, Bronte.
Books on learning English and teaching English.
English magazines like Chat, OK, Readers Digests, Cosmo, Good Housekeeping, National Geographic, Bella, Computers, Cars, Body building, Health, etc etc. Both used and new but maybe a few months old.
Miscellaneous Books and magazines i.e. biographies, technical,Politics, History etc.
Tolstoy, Solzenitzen stuff.
There is a fair selection of French, German, Russian,Greek books dotted around, with more languages.
Old rare book kiosks.
Childrens books.
You can find fairly recent books and very old ones too.
I would say that only 1% of the book keepers will hassle you. The rest will let you browse in peace and if they dont have what you want they can direct you to another kiosk who might. [Smile] They are mainly older men who are friendly, but in a nice way [Wink]
Prices vary.
I found one guy who was a real darling. Very polite, helpful who has 2 shops. I bought a load of books and he charged me under 10le a book.
He is at numbers 83 and 84 kiosk.
name Mahmoud Kasem tele:0101218948.
I told him that I would put his name on ES and if any member goes to him and wants to buy books, he will give them a fair and honest price. [Wink]
All you do is tell him the word (ES) he will then know I sent you .
Enjoy your books folks
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Arabic Adventures in Egypt
Yes, I mean the language, not the culture. Not for this post at least.
This post was triggered by an anonymous comment on my Omar Effendi blog post This comment resonated deeply within me as I have faced the same question numerous times here in Egypt "Why don't you speak Arabic?"
Well I did try my best, I can speak enough Arabic to bargain at the khan, with a taxi driver, shop at a grocery store and order a meal at a restaurant. I can understand a fair bit more, provided the person speaking isn't talking at full speed. But that is the limit of my Arabic language skills and I have not yet felt the need to learn any more than that (If I don't use a language regularly, I forget and I have never done well with learning a language in a classroom setting - blame it on the 3 compulsory languages we had to learn in primary school) My Egyptian friends happily and obligingly translate for me when the need arises.
But do I want to explain this to every person who asks me this question - most often taxi drivers, shop keepers and the like? - NO because it really isn't their business. Unfortunately in Egypt a lot of people do think that it is.
A lot of Egyptians do believe that just because you are here in this country (no matter how short a stay) you SHOULD learn Arabic. Its almost like they believe that Arabic is the lingua franca of the world. (Kind of like the Americans -WORLD SERIES in Baseball)
I don't deny that it is a widely spoken language and it is a beautiful language to learn to read, to be able to appreciate some classical works, but this isn't my calling. I already speak 4 languages fluently and a smattering of another 6 or so and that works for me.
I have no objection to an Arabic speaker not being able to converse with me in English, I will find myself a helpful translator. But I do object to the disdainful and scornful looks that I'm given by some who figure out that I've been here for awhile but can't speak the language fluently!
This post was triggered by an anonymous comment on my Omar Effendi blog post This comment resonated deeply within me as I have faced the same question numerous times here in Egypt "Why don't you speak Arabic?"
Well I did try my best, I can speak enough Arabic to bargain at the khan, with a taxi driver, shop at a grocery store and order a meal at a restaurant. I can understand a fair bit more, provided the person speaking isn't talking at full speed. But that is the limit of my Arabic language skills and I have not yet felt the need to learn any more than that (If I don't use a language regularly, I forget and I have never done well with learning a language in a classroom setting - blame it on the 3 compulsory languages we had to learn in primary school) My Egyptian friends happily and obligingly translate for me when the need arises.
But do I want to explain this to every person who asks me this question - most often taxi drivers, shop keepers and the like? - NO because it really isn't their business. Unfortunately in Egypt a lot of people do think that it is.
A lot of Egyptians do believe that just because you are here in this country (no matter how short a stay) you SHOULD learn Arabic. Its almost like they believe that Arabic is the lingua franca of the world. (Kind of like the Americans -WORLD SERIES in Baseball)
I don't deny that it is a widely spoken language and it is a beautiful language to learn to read, to be able to appreciate some classical works, but this isn't my calling. I already speak 4 languages fluently and a smattering of another 6 or so and that works for me.
I have no objection to an Arabic speaker not being able to converse with me in English, I will find myself a helpful translator. But I do object to the disdainful and scornful looks that I'm given by some who figure out that I've been here for awhile but can't speak the language fluently!
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