Beautiful Egypt !

[Faris_Mee]

Faris, any pictures of Egyptian construction sites? I'd love to see how my Egyptian workmates do things :)

Construction sites in Egypt are pretty much standard. Red clay brick is the main material.


Now Bangaladesh, well now, that's different. Bamboo scaffolding. Even up into the clouds. Oooooohhhh scary stuff. How's this painters' ladder?

[Shereen]

MASHA'ALLAH


Cairo is beautiful indeed:)

[arclight]

Construction sites in Egypt are pretty much standard. Red clay brick is the main material.


Now Bangaladesh, well now, that's different. Bamboo scaffolding. Even up into the clouds. Oooooohhhh scary stuff. How's this painters' ladder?

I've seen bamboo scaffolding in Hong Kong. Scares the ***** out of me TBH. Side of a skyscraper, about 20 floors up, and this guy shinned up a new piece of scaffold. I swear the bamboo pole bent back at 45 degrees, and he was quite happily tying some chord to it.


The Health and Safety guys in the UK would go apolectic if they saw anything like that :)

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


as salam alykom


Shereen, arclight, or anyone else wanting to know more about Egypt, I remembered that I made a thread on Ramadan in Egypt which is really special.


http://www.islamsms.com/bb//index.php?...topic=2095&st=0


Insh a Allah will keep filling up.


Ahmed where are u? may Allah reward the reliable source u get the info from.

[Faris_Mee]

Here's something you don't see every day. A state of calm in waiting for the bus. And a driver happily willing to sit and wait. Then again as you can see there's still plenty of room left...





You catch a mini bus around Cairo - most trips cost less than a pound. Where as an equivalent taxi trip costs about eight pounds. However a taxi saves you money on cigarettes. The drivers puff away at such a rate you only need to inhale deeply in the taxi to get a 'fix'.


The rear windows in the taxis rarely wind down so you are guaranteed 'passive-smoker' satisfaction.


And there you go...


Told ya...





Plenty of room.

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


as salam alykom


Faris, Mash aAllah really jazakum Allah khairan for making me :)


I m so much enjoying your Egypt profile.


Just to add on the bus thing, 3 years ago a young female revert was here for a semester. Any way, she was able to give a description to people running to catch a full load bus with passengers hanging outside and standing on the steps who give hand to catch the runner and pull him in. She saw this as ultimate solidarity and compassion. Sobhan Allah.


Faris, I think i m going to sit and watch. I mean really living here makes me used to such scenes whereas u certainly put it differently.


Holding on for the next episode :)

[arclight]

One thing that amazes me when I see pics of eastern cities, is the way that the roads always seem so chaotic. No road markings, cars cutting left and right. How do people make it home in one piece :)

[Ahmed Abdullah]

Asalaamlu alikum,


I am still here :) Mulukhiah is very good. Just had a some the other night. Stuff is awesome on rice! Our Imam is from Egypt and he said driving in Cario is something else. Noboby pays attention to traffic lights or obeys any kind of normal laws we are use to here, driving bumper to bumper honking their horns, wait... that kinda sounds like Chicago. But they do obey the traffic lights for the most part. The bus pics are great.

[umm Zachariah]

Bismillah


Assalamu alaikum


This thread is really great, thanks for all the info an pictures :)


Something that you wrote Arclight made me smile.

the roads always seem so chaotic. No road markings, cars cutting left and right. How do people make it home in one piece

I guess it is the same more or less here in the northern part of Africa?...often this strange mixture of cars, people, animals and whatever on the roads. Trafficlights, well nice colours, but some do not understand their meaning...and still I also often wonder, how does it work, how do people and animals survive the traffic life? SubhanAllah.


Anyway following this thread with interest...

[Faris_Mee]

One thing that amazes me when I see pics of eastern cities, is the way that the roads always seem so chaotic. No road markings, cars cutting left and right.

Now those sort of remarks are a reflection on your lack of cultural understanding. Or perhaps cultural insensitivity. Maybe the traffic situation looses something in the language translation. A classic example of stupidity on the part of foreigners is the assumption that a cluster of white rectangles painted uniformily across a road indicates a "pedestrian crossing".





Understand this, they are not "Pedestrian Crossings!"


Look on them as traffic indicators for the motorists to know that there is a "multi-laning" zone ahead. And the number of gaps between the white sections are an indication of the "multi-laning potential" in the immediate vicinity. O.K?





Once a driver arrives at one of these "multi-laning" indicators, one slows down to a "pedestrian" pace and then the driver may select whichever lane he deems appropriate to ensure continued forward progress.





Do not be alarmed about traffic flow in Cairo. Things are just fine, thank you very much. Traffic, as you can see flows like patchwork. One can only stand back and admire the intricacies, delicate manouverings and precision driving that is a hallmark amongst the bustling streets of Cairo.





Anyway, should one become temporarily immobilized the locals are always more than happy to give salams and welcome the 'traveller' to Cairo.





And before you can fumble through your egyptian copy of the "Lonely Planet Foreign Language Phrase Book" for the appropriate response, Cairo's speedy taxis will have you once again on you way.