China comes to Cairo

Last week I was very excited as my lovely students from Shanghai were here, in Cairo and coming to see my show at Fairmont Nile City!

I had been watching their postings from their sightseeing trip round Luxor, Aswan and the Red Sea the previous week and my heart was already warmed by seeing them enjoying Egypt and all the amazing beauty it has to offer! Good for them and good for Egypt.

I really enjoyed dancing for them on thursday night. I always really enjoy it when friends come to see my show. That night I was lucky enough to have dancer friends from London, Manchester and Brazil in my audience too. Double lucky!

I also took the opportunity that night to do a little celebration dance for Egypt's new President and wore my famous Egyptian flag costume. Everyone went a bit crazy! The staff in particular were very excited by that (more excited than they had been about the famous Safinaz dancing at my venue the night before!). They expressed great pride in me as 'their' dancer and were touched to see that Egypt's 'fresh start' means as much to me as it does to them.

The faces of the Egyptians in the audience when I pulled up a couple of the Chinese group to dance with me was very amusing.

After my show I sat with 'my Chinese' as I affectionately call them and they surprised me with the most touching and personal gift... during my stay in Shanghai last year, they had a professional photographer follow me around classes and outings. Then they took these photos and made them into this coffee table book for me, so that I would always have a reminder of the fun we had when I was there.

They were slightly out, on the first page,  in the years they said I have been in Cairo- I have been in Egypt now 8.5 years... not 14... but I do hope still to be here in 5 years, so maybe that will become true eventually!!!

Everything that is written in English on one page, is also in Chinese... its beautiful.

I was stunned, by the thing itself and that my impact on them had been so great, in the time I was there, that they felt they wanted to do this for me. I think Chess the cat likes it too...

We had wonderful nights out...

We went out and about on a photoshoot in Shanghai...

... and on the last day we put on a show for each other... I performed in a fun costume by Sagat costumes...

Brosis were such a professional and welcoming team. it was a real pleasure to work with them.

it was the last page of the book that was the real tear jerker though... a personal note from the students..

I miss Shanghai and all 'my chinese'...

However I am really happy to see some of them here in Cairo, inspired to come from all the stories I told them about life here. They are loving it. The only complaint I have heard from them about their experiences here is that they don't much care for the food. However, having lived in Shanghai for a month and eaten many different types of food there, I have to say sorry Egypt, but I too prefer the food over there too!

It's great to see them have such a fun time here, seeing dance shows and taking workshops at Nile Group festival. So happy to see tourists back in Egypt again.

Thank you so much to all those who took me to China, and then thought to make the fabulous book of memories for me. My life is enriched from having you all in it.

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your week here in Egypt, and I hope to see you all again in China very soon!

A list of 20 great things to do in Cairo for tourists

I am often asked by people visiting Cairo what else they can do besides the usual tourist stuff here in the city. This has inspired me to write this, by no means exclusive, list of some fun things to do if you get a chance to come here, or indeed to tick off your to do list if you live here!

Nb-I have shamelessly stolen all the photos from this from google searches. Apologies to all photographers- if you want your pic photo credited pease just ask! 

These are in no particular order.  How many of these have you done? And can you suggest things I have missed?



1- Wander round streets of Zamalek.... Lots of wee boutiques, art galleries and cafés . Safe and easy area to walk in Cairo.

2- visit the flower show at the botanical gardens in dokki. Which runs all of May. (Not very interesting the other 11 months though!)

3- walk from citadel down to khan el Khalili. Pass by the blue mosque and the tentmakers area.

4- om khalsoum museum and nilometer in Manial. It doesn't taken long so take picnic and sit in grounds after enjoying the Nile view.

5- take the metro to Mari Girgis.Visit Coptic museum and churches. Walk to the Nile for the river bus back downtown

6- the zoo. It suddenly makes you appreciate zoos in other countries. 

7- Make /buy a picnic and hire a felucca on the Nile for a few hours. Best at sunset. Been there done that? Make it a wee shaabi boat and blast up the volume and dance in de Nile !

8- catch a Bellydance show. Hint Hint- there is a good one at fairmont Nile city every tues and thurs night!

9- baladi bar hop round downtown, admiring the French, Italian and British architecture along the way. Www.baladibar.com 

10- St Simons church carved into the mokkatam rock, passing through the zabaleen (rubbish collectors) area. Smelly, but an eye opener to how some people live!

11- Mohamed Ali mosque (citadel) and police museum then sunset in el Azhar Park.

12- sit in the outside terrace restaurant at the Marriott hotel, Zamalek and imagine the life story of the variety people around you. Plus the Marriott ceilings just HAVE to be seen and admired!

13- live it up - gather a few friends together and hire a yacht for an hour or two. Less expensive than you may imagine and you can pretend you're in a Duran Duran video.

14- Dashour- the red pyramid and the bent pyramid! Always quiet and stunning.

15- take a Bellydance class to learn to dance 'Egyptian style' -hint hint -I know a good teacher! ;-)

16- Egyptian museum in Tahrir Square. Ancient and recent history together in one place.

17- Saccara pyramid museum and tombs. Take care, the tombs close before the rest does and should not be missed!

18- Cairo opera house. Great shows most nights and a large air conditioned modern art gallery too if you need some escape from Cairo noise and heat.

19- day pool use in any of the lovely 5 star hotels along the Nile/ by pyramids. I strongly recommend Fairmont Nile City- yes I am biased since I work there, but you can see ALL of Cairo and the pyramids from the Sky pool!

20- I could write a list and not include it - the Giza Pyramids with or without camel/ horse ride and lunch at Mena house hotel after.

Dancing at Bab el Nil restaurant at Fairmont Nile City, Cairo

I've been working here officially two months now... And I am really happy.

The staff and very friendly and respectful- Seems like that should be a given in a five star hotel, but in my experience as a bellydancer in Egypt for the last 8 years respect is something we seldom receive. It is such a relief.

A beautiful venue that I can call home. To be dancing in the same place each time is something I have done in Egypt for years, but at last I feel appreciated and at home in this one. When I am dancing on stage I feel like the audience are my friends. That we are all just out to enjoy our evening as much as possible. That we are all in it together. I feel like I used to feel in Edinburgh when I organised all the dancing at a local Moroccan restaurant, Walima. That it was my place. Bab el Nil is my new home.

I have control. Over when I dance, where I dance, how I organise my show. Again. Such a relief to be trusted in this rather than micro managed. It means I end up doing more, giving more, so do my band, and we all enjoy it more.

I am being paid well enough to be able to treat myself to the pool/gym/spa membership here at the Fairmont. So before work I come to the pool for a couple of hours, then do a workout or stretch, have a lovely power shower before getting ready and resting in a beautiful lounge with a herbal tea or iced lemon water. My quality of life has rocketed up.

Oh and then there are the wedding bookings that are flooding in...

I'm not writing all this to boast or brag. Rather, I am very aware that often my blog posts of late have been quite negative... So I decided it was only fair if I share the bad stuff with you, that you get to hear that those hardships have been worth it. The roller coaster is on the up at the moment. Long may it continue!

Thanks for sticking with me through the lows... Come and join me at Bab el Nil some Tuesday or Thursday night and enjoy the ups too....

Saidi swing

When dancing Saidi I feel
Tall, strong, empowered
Asaya raised proudly
I swing
You duck
Coward!

R Kelly tribute

I swear I don't even try
Time stops and doesn't pass by
Like wine fills a cup
Dance fills me right up
And then I feel I can fly!

Shake it.

What is Bellydance?
I'm glad you ask,
There's a lot more to it than
Shaking your ......... Hips.

Why I dance. No6.

This dance is from Egypt

But I'm from the North

So I moved here from Scotland

To dance at the source

Photo by Fady Nada

Why I dance. No5.

Dance frees your soul

Dance keeps you strong

Pump up the bass

Rhythm pulls you along

Photo by Aimee Taberer

Why I dance. No4.

I must learn how to laugh

Without shutting my eyes

But then I'd be thinking

Not free

More like lies..

Photo by Aimee Taberer

Why I dance - no3.

Dance is a long journey

Full of work, aches, and pains

The reward? 

See their faces, 

See the joy your art brings.

Photo by Aimee Taberer

Why I dance- no2.

I dance my love

I dance my pain

Dance eases sorrow

And keeps me sane

Photo by Kay Taylor 

Why I dance - no1

Dance when you're winning

Dance when you're down

Dance creates joy

To Banish that frown

Photo by Aimee Taberer

Boredom: depression's friend

It's so easy to complain about things in Cairo... Things never seem easy. I have a tendency to be more negative than positive, which I know isn't healthy, so I will try to remember the things I take for granted and be thankful for them too...

I have done this once before, many years ago, written a blog about all the good things about living here... And here goes again...

Tonight I am writing this on my ipad, in my changing room, - I have a changing room and an ipad!

Waiting between sets for my band to start, - I have a band!,

Between sets on stage - I have a stage!

At Bab el Nile restaurant in Fairmont Nile City Hotel- I have a contract in one of the loveliest hotels in the city and work visa to boot!

It's quiet tonight- but there is still work!

And the people are here are all Egyptian- I have Egyptians in my audience!

The wind is freezing- but freezing is relative,I'm dancing outdoors in April, ie it's not UK.

My labisa (dresser) failed to answer her phone yet again so I am here alone again - I normally have a dresser! AND a very Scottish point here- I have saved tonight the cost of her earnings!

Because I am alone and sitting in costume - a very pretty saidi costume!

I cannot go and tell my band their break is over- I get to decide my running times!

So I just have to sit and wait til I hear them play again.....

......And that was the point they started to play!!!


In Egypt I often get down. Yes, in a dance way, but also in a mood dip kinda way too. Doing even the smallest things seem daunting and difficult. Even just charging my phone, or paying a bill.  I get wound up by the smallest of things and yet other massive issues will land on me and I'll brush them off easily as if they were a mosquito. Rhyme and reason don't seem to play a part. I am often angry, frustrated, stressed, but never bored.  Never ever bored.

I remember my entire childhood going around saying I'm bored, over and over again.

I found my solution: Cairo.

Heightened emotions, negative and positive, but never boredom- that opposite of emotion. That dreaded, flat, dead state that drains me and allows the depression to grab hold. On the roller coaster of emotions that is Cairo, exhaustion is more likely to hand you over to the devil depression rather than boredom.

I must remember the emotions are good. Even the negative ones: anger and frustration.... And I must keep remembering to search for the good in each situation. That's my challenge. Wish me luck!

Oh, and by the way- when the band did play again, despite my frustrations in the changing room that inspired this blog entry, I went on to do one of the best shows I have done in a while. I felt alive and empowered and full of joy and strength. My band and I were on fire. The audience with us, small in number but large in spirit. (And by that I do not mean they were drunk!!) I left work feeling so much better than I had arriving there.

And that has to be the ultimate upside to all of this;  Doing my job makes me feel great.

Hurrah for Cairo and for dancing, and especially for dancing in Cairo!

And a huge thanks to Kay Taylor of Farida adventures who took this fabulous photo of me on stage at Bab el Nile.  Not the same night, but it's the first shot I have of me in action at my new venue! 

And.... Just in case it needs said... That smile is genuine!