The Cultural Dissonance

So I am now no longer in between realities, as I often thought about the anticipation of the cultural dissonance that shows up when we are coming home from another part of the world full of memories, stories, and emotion. I wasnt wanting the anticipation, but it is certaintly a feeling I am familiar with experiencing, although each time is a little different. Coming home is like its own passage into the unknown because Ive left behind my footprints and remnants of me in Egypt, now fully stepping into unknown territory as, "Savanna, who has been changed by yet another beautiful experience and peoples, now stepping into something new." It is absolutely true that when we have experiences in other cultures and places unlike our own, it allows us to stretch our minds of what is truly possible. It allows us to see things about ourselves that we did not know was there for healing, for expressing more love and joy into the world. It allows us to be humble and grateful for what we have at home and also for those that mirrored to us our humanness there, for we all want the same things. So being in the middle of realities, trying to find the place to integrate the two realities, well, can be the interesting piece. How I choose to show up and express myself now in my own country is the part that takes adjusting, as within me I feel I have been through something that I hold deep inside my heart, something somewhat unexplainable and unique. To articulate its magic to others is maybe not the point or the task, rather, to simply show up as the radiance and joy that I am, in addition to that unique experience that lives within me. We are a collective of memory, experiences, emotions, and attitudes. I am challenged now to see no separation between there and here, but just a flow of energy from across this beautiful planet to this country, where that magic can continue to be expressed. Egypt is truly full of magic and ancient wisdom.

As we become more aware and involved with peoples all over the world, it allows for us to work together, to see our similarities and strengths as One people. It allows us to see the contrasts yes, but to ultimately choose peace..to choose to participate in protecting and nourishing our planet....to choose love rather than fear.

For 2 days as I have been at home in the US, I have struggled emotionally with putting pieces together of what I just experienced. It is the peeling of the layers, every time, of who am I now? Every experience abroad has given me this opportunity to say to myself,"Ok...now with this experience and this magic, you know you are a changed person. Who are you now? And how do you want to express your gifts to the world?" The joys of growing....never stops. As I go day by day, working through the jetlag and processing of emotion and such, I trust that the gifts I received away will work themselves into my daily life here, giving me such a rich and profound wisdom inside to share with others, en sha' allah.

Blessed Be. Love, Me.

Alexandria & kushary

Today is the day I am heading back home to Colorado. It is hard to believe it has come so soon, and I feel a surreal feeling as I now have to prepare to reenter. Yesterday I was able to experience the great ancient city of Alexandria. The Great Alexandria Library was different than I had expected, modern and being used by students now, but such an important piece of history here. I had this idea that it would be half standing and the architecture old and worn. But then I had to remember that it had been destroyed by fire and other things a few times over the last 2,000 years and so they just finished rebuilding much of it in 2002. Some say it was Julius Ceasar who burned it down during the time of Cleopatra...It was just wonderful to think that this modern city was built on the ancient city underneath. The great lighthouse is now underwater because of an earthquake, but you can still see a castle/fort in the distance off of the peninsula running into the Meditteranean Sea. It was used to light the seas for so long. I am grateful for all I have learned here.

I also got to eat some kushary,(in photo with the food), a staple here in Egypt made up of chickpeas,lentils, vermicelli, rice, tomato sauce, grilled onion, spices, and da'a(lemon/olive oil) added. :) It was just as everyone said....filling and delicious. I paid about 1 dollar to eat a small bowl full. It wouldnt be Egypt without it. Fuhl (beans inside esh shamy(bread)) and falafel filled with tomaya, a garlic sauce is just wonderful too, although it fills my stomach for hours and isnt something I could eat everyday! Hence the reason so many live off of this food...filling, inexpensive, and comforting.:)

I became much more aware yesterday as we walked through the Souq (market) in Alex, of how asleep so much of the world is and is becoming. I see trash and pollution everywhere I go on a daily basis, am breathing such toxic air, amidst some of the most ancient and beautiful things on this planet. It comes to me that we must continue to educate others of being more aware of how we treat the earth and what we are throwing out the window. It is as though it is just no thought at all to throw a gum wrapper out the window, or consistently walk through garbage and think nothing of this. I try holding my judgments and yet, it is so apparent to me, so obvious that as I walk through neighborhoods here and the downtown city, the ground is filthy, covered in garbage and toxins. I am reminded to think about what I value and feel on the inside is what outpictures in the world around me. And this reality is on a global scale, that takes one person at a time to shift.

Another thing I am working through is integrity and accountability and what that means in relation to others and to myself. Ive always felt that words are powerful, but action is as well. I see this happen often here of justifications and excuses made for how we treat each other and why we may have hurt someone else...why someone feels justified for being late, breaking an agreement, or just not taking responsibility, period. As I have seen it show up quite frequently here, I am seeing it mirrored to myself and has me questioning my own integrity and how I follow through with my own commitments and responsibility. It feels at times that people are afraid to be honest, afraid to take responsibility for hurting someone else, protecting pride, ego, shame, guilt....whatever is covering the truth. Why not own up to your actions? It means we have to become awake...aware..conscious....aware that we are aware...to evolve. Because being exposed is too vulnerable for most. It is even more exaggerated for me when the culture and language are different than mine because misunderstandings become more obvious and real, and I am called to try communicating differently than I could have ever known and sorting through the layers upon layers of other people's excuses and justifications for not being true to themselves or for not showing up completely as they are. It can be a bit draining. You cant ask someone to be accountable or to have more integrity if they dont know what that means to them...if they dont know what being accountable is all about... All of these things I know I will continue to process as I return home....for now, please hold me in light and peace as I travel across the world...Thank you Egypt, for bringing me many gifts to see....

Savi

Pyramids and traffic

Well today was another army shower consisting of one pot of hot water, a semi-warm bathtub full of water, and a barrel full of water to rinse with. Every day here it seems they turn off the water for 6 hours unexpectedly so you have to keep bottles of water handy. There I am again, reminiscing of times in Ukraine, boiling my water to shower. Seems Im much more used to that I guess as its the way it goes.
Yesterday was the day to see the pyramids. I did get to climb up inside of the pyramid although it was hot, extremely closed in, and steep. Claustrophobia for sure. I loved every minute of it except that we couldnt photograph inside. I did however, get some video footage climbing up the pyramid as the guy outside thought it was a camera. I figured I was justified seeing how I was charged 160 pounds vs. Eslam's 10 pounds just to see it...30 dollars vs. 2 dollars just seems a bit much, but this is how it is all over Egypt. It seems some of their rules are just ridiculous, except that I can understand that the flash of a camera can ruin the coloring of the tombs heiroglyphics. It was a windy day, with people constantly following us, asking if we wanted a camel ride, photos, anything. It got to the point where I just was flat out over being friendly and courteous. I mean, when do the questions stop??? "Are you married, is she foreign, do you know they'll charge her more to get in? Do you have children? Do you want a photo? I give really great Egyptian prices for camel ride? I can take you around the desert for little price....." on and on and on....I think I was drained just by that...but Im thankful I did see the pyramids and I did ride a camel. Eslam spent at least 20 minutes trying to get the price down to what an Eygptian might pay, but the only catch was that we had to get some photos together. They finally only charged me 20 pounds for all the photos we want which was awesome considering they usually charge 70 pounds for one photo!!!! Ridiculous.
I had another crazy situation happen to me a few days back as I was travelling from Heliopolis to Zemalek, where I was staying and the taxi driver was quite friendly. He was trying to speak his English and speaking about how crazy the traffic is in Cairo. He was telling me too and assuring me that he was a good driver. I enjoyed the ride, as I was taking photos along the way of beautiful mosques and scenery. We came up to a traffic jam, as it is common in Cairo, and he had slowed down to let me take a few photos as he was approaching the jam. The police immediately pulled him over, asked him to get out of the car, totally repremanded him for "slowing up traffic" and proceeded to take his license and charge him a ticket for 250 pounds!!! 50 dollars for that....I was shocked. I felt horrible...he was being generous and the traffic was already stopped. So the rest of the way he was continually kissing his hand and praying out loud...I didnt know what to do but I felt I had a little to do with that. 250 pounds for my semi-decent out-of-the-window photos:( So...the bill came to be 32 pounds...I gave him 50, hoping that would help his emotion at least a little. I find this all so interesting because half the time, the police here really arent doing much. There are very little traffic lights, people make 3 or4 lanes of traffic when there should only be 1. They shouldnt even paint the roads because they're wasting their money. Traffic rules/laws are broken every second. Seat belts never worn, people getting their mirrors and cars hit/bumped....people randomly walking into the road no matter how fast a driver may be going amongst the donkeys, horses,and anything else you can possibly name that can move down a street. And a man decides to slow down in traffic for a photo op, and 250 pounds later, he's totally screwed. There doesnt seem to be a balance here.

So tomorrow I'll be enjoying a nice day with a new Egyptian woman friend here with her family and then Im off to Alexandria for the day before I head home. Cant wait to have fluffy pillows and a soft bed.....and all my favorite granola foods;)

Being Present

It is hard for me to imagine that Ive been all over this country in 3 weeks. Time has flown by, and Im not wanting to leave. I was just getting used to the culture, the language, and all the contrasts of here and there. I feel at ease and much calmer being here without the pressure of having do be in a state of constant doing. I can be who and what I want to be without the fear of whether I am doing enough, working enough, making enough money, etc. It is sometimes as if time just stops here and the busyness, the hustle and bustle of American life fades away, and all you have is to choose what you will do with the time you have. That is what is should all be about right? Being present to this moment and being in it wholly, completely, without force or manipulation. I have felt that I am enjoying and living every moment much more consciously here as I dont have all the distractions of life at home to take me from myself so easily. I am sometimes appreciating the curiosity and interaction from Eygptians as it is a way for me to connect as well, even if through body language. The weather has been so beautiful, windows open, prayers singing, and me sitting on this fold out couch sipping my nescafe coffee. It is so funny to me that every country I have every been in, Nescafe is usually a really big deal. Forget Starbucks...Nescafe and Lipton tea are staples all over the world. I had the chance to visit the Egyptian Museum, which is definitely a must see here. Luckily, I had seen much of it on my travels through Aswan and Luxor in the Valley of the Kings, Queens, and Abu Simbel near the Sudan border. The royal mummies were spectacular, just as I had expected, and the room was quite somber. There was a note on the wall asking that people be quiet in the room, tour guides not allowed in, out of respect for the dead. The 4,000 year old jewelry was in tact, looked brand new as though it was just being worn today....Tutankhamun's burial regalia and jewelry was fascinating....gold, gold, gold and so much beauty. They knew how to celebrate their dead and their life....and the afterlife. With the exception of me paying 160 Egyptian pounds (about 30 US dollars) vs. Eslam's 6 Egyptian pounds(1 US dollar) for the entire museum and mummy tour, it was fabulous to see it all. In a few days I will finally get to the pyramids and to seat myself on a camel.....lol.

On our journey through Luxor, we visited the Valleys of the Kings and Queens, and were able to go into the tombs of many Pharaohs and Queens. We werent allowed of course to photograph anything inside so I have no photos of the Valleys. I will soon post more photos on Facebook so that they are available entirely.

I am learning more arabic everyday, although it doesnt stick in my memory as easily as Russian did so far. The last week I have been in Cairo Ive been enjoying my down time, seeing the city, eating amazing Lebanese and Egyptian food for very reasonable prices, tried smoking some sheesha which was an interesting and sweet experience, and just taking everything in before I return home in 7 days. I am grateful to have seen most of this beautiful country and all its different places. Each place has given me a different insight into the people and this culture.

Magnetizing Beliefs

January 7, 2010
Im realizing yet again that Egypt magnetizes our beliefs. When we’re put into situations that may be different and uncomfortable, it always challenges us to see ourselves and what we believe about that situation, event, or outcome. I am noticing my resistance to conforming to the set values that women hold here as far as their role in this society and also to the expectations that the men have about women as well. I am constantly stared down so blatantly and curiously, that I have started to see my own femininity, modesty, and ways that I express myself in a much different way. I pay extra attention here as how I show up to others. I don’t care much about what others think anyway, but to save me some hassel, it is best that I draw the least amount of attention to myself. In many ways I think covering the head as many women choose to do here, protects them and also gives them their own comfort. I notice often that when exchanging words with Eslam, it is not really appropriate to do this in public. This has been something difficult for me as I am outspoken and assertive, and vocal about how I feel. So when something comes up for me, I have to usually bring it up privately, which isn’t often, or in a place where I wont shatter his ego or create a scene. I have this judgment about men here being so self-righteous and egotistical. Mostly because Im finding that our communication isn’t clicking either through a language barrier of semantics and jargon use, or because it just isn’t registering AT ALL. It is kind of funny sometimes because I have this idea that most of the male population back home can at least be somewhat in touch with their feelings and be able to try to articulate them. Well, it is just an idea Ive made up in my head and maybe Im totally over generalizing. Ive been lucky I guess in knowing men that are able to do this, to at least try expressing themselves honestly. However, here, it is expressive and feeling, but in a very dramatic, arrogant way. It isn’t rational. It kind of reminds me of High School drama in many ways with interactions here. He must prove something..prove that he is worthy of your attention. This idea of what it is to be a man..In many ways I don’t find it appealing or likeable, and in other ways I find that men back home could maybe learn a little bit from some chivalry. I think it has a lot to do with race consciousness and emotional maturity. It doesn’t quite feel authentic to me as image is so important. So it pushes every single button I have and is showing me more than Im willing to see at this moment. I know though, that it will all come into focus.

Aswan & Luxor

Aswan & Luxor January 2-6th
I took a 5 day trip with Eslam to Aswan, a beautiful city in what is known as “Upper Egypt” near Luxor and the Sudanese border. It is peaceful, relaxing, and the place where the Nubian people live. We took what felt like the longest train ride of my life! It was about 13 hours in “First class” seating during the day. It was quite an experience. Thankfully, since Ive been here, my stomach has held up pretty well with the food, shockingly. I only had one issue with what Im thinking was some hibiscus tea I drank in a Nubian village in Aswan. Eslam’s cousin is a very high up major with the Aswan Tourist police, and so he was able to have his police escort us everywhere for free. It was amazing. He even got us Egyptian prices for the hotel. We paid 10 dollars a night. As we arrived at the train station, a police truck appeared, my bags were taken, and we were driven to our hotel and to get some food. I was so exhausted with only 3 hours of sleep that I felt scared, not trusting, and just cranky. Food+Sleep+Shelter=a happy Savanna. I wanted to skip the formalities and all the talk, but of course, in this country, it seems common to greet each other, sit and have coffee or tea, and then go about one’s way. I was way too impatient for this, as we hadnt eaten in 12 hours. I am finding the challenges yet again with the language barrier, as it is a helpless feeling not being able to understand what others are planning and controlling for you. As many know me, I am not one to not want to be in the “know” and so having someone else take control in a country that Im unfamiliar with in translation, can be somewhat helpful but also quite unnerving. We were able to travel everywhere with a police escort if needed, and found our way around the city. I am so grateful to have had Eslam with me as I would have been hassled and harassed mostly everywhere by vendors and men. The Nile, referred to in Arabic here as “Nil” is so beautiful. We were able to travel to Philae island and temple where his cousin works to see the famous temple there. It is stunning. We then continued our way with 2 escorts to Nubia Island, where the Nubian people live. They are very dark in skin color, African, and quite friendly people. We were able to be in their village after normal hours, at sunset, to visit with a particular woman named Zuba. Zuba and her sisters are known for their henna tatooing. We took a “felucca” motor boat over to the island, and I quite an interesting experience. The boat filled up very quickly with covered women all in black from head to foot, each side reserved for men and women. Eslam and I were not allowed to sit on the same side as women and men are separated. I was the only white foreign woman sitting on the women’s side. The stares were curious, mysterious looking, and also intimidating to me. I was humbled of course, and did my best to respect them. As we got off of the boat, I noticed men speaking to Eslam very intensely. They were asking him about me and if we were married. I have come to understand in travelling with Eslam for 6 days, people are always staring, particularly because he is Egyptian and me foreign. It is like there are mixed judgements on both sides. One on his side in them believing he is taking advantage of a foreign woman for marriage and to leave the country and the other on me believing that I am promiscous and wild. We have mostly gone along with it because it makes things much easier in conversation and negotiation. People are much more willing to give us a break knowing he is Egyptian for sure but also knowing that we are “married.” I have had a good laugh out of this, but at the same time, I see how important it is here. We have had to sleep in separate rooms for sure the nights here, as they charge Americans double if not triple what an Egyptian would pay and also because it is illegal here to have relations with anyone you are not married to. No matter if we are travelling as friend or otherwise, we arent allowed. Thankfully, though, we have run into situations where he has been able to prevent people from totally taking advantage of me in dealing with money. They automatically respect him when they see that he is Egyptian. We travelled to Luxor 2 nights ago, staying in a one star hotel with no hot water, dirty at that, no toilet paper or towels. We were situated across from the Luxor Temple, but behind the Souq bizarre and across the street from the call to prayer tower. Ugh. Thank goodness for my earplugs! The bizarre is full of beautiful scarves, statues, Egyptian rugs, silver, and trinkets. We took an early day trip to The Valley of the Kings, Queens, and Hatchepsut’s temple. We had our own private tour guide and were able to walk into many of the tombs. I was amazed at all the elderly men working in the mountain with large rocks, escavating…wearing their long galabiyyas and scarves wrapped around their heads. Many of the tombs are closed for restoration or simply because the Egyptian government doesn’t want tourism to ruin the tombs. There is definitely an amazing energy about each place. Before, in Aswan, we took a private convoy to Abu Simbel, one of the most fascinating tombs in the world. We left the hotel with police escorts at 4am and I woke to the sunrise of the most beautiful desert. It was exactly as magical as I pictured it. Vast, big, sandy, beautiful desert with blue skies. There was a mirage that lasted for about 5 minutes in the distance that appeared to be water, but obviously wasn’t.:) I was grateful to Eslam’s cousin for taking us there. We dined in the police quarters and walked down the corniche on the Nile. The weather has been cool at night and warm during the day. I have had no idea of time or day which is quite liberating. Egyptians sleep very late and stay up late. Everyday Im learning new words in Arabic, a language I find pretty difficult.

New year's eve and heliopolis

January 4, 2009
I feel as though the days are one big blur, having no concept of time or days that have passed. Ive been here for one week and Ive managed to see so much in that amount of time, that I havent had time to continue with my blog. The headings are in Arabic because Im using the wireless in Suzette’s home. To catch up, Im posting some videos of the timeline of the places Ive been.
New Year’s Eve was a great day, although chaotic and interesting for sure. Eslam, my close friend travelling with me and showing me around, lives in Heliopolis, a suburb of Cairo. He took me to a very nice Lebanese/ Egyptian dinner on the Nile for New Year’s Eve. Hummous, Fattah, Kafta, Chicken Tiwook, and kebab was what we had for dinner. It was an incredible view, with small boats cruising the Nile with traditional Egyptian dancing. We left the area and headed for a coffee shop but walked a bit down a place with many shops and people. I cant quite get over people constantly staring at me, curious about me, but also interested to know why an Egyptian is with an American woman. At times I am so uncomfortable I want to hide my face, but it doesn’t change the comments and curiousity. I am just thankful for having Eslam with me to take me everywhere as I honestly cant see myself doing this alone. I would be stopped every second. We eventually ended up in front of aclub called “Solidaire” where live Arabian music was playing and about 30 men were standing out front waiting to get in. Suzette had warned me that most clubs depending on class, would be full of many men and few women. We listened and watched. A fight broke out and some man was standing there with his face bleeding. Traffic in the city was just crazy. As the new year came around, I was walking briskly through a maze of so many people, young and old, selling their goods on the sidewalks, socializing and acting crazy. The air was pretty toxic, no fireworks to be seen. I had a good time though.
The following day I was invited to Heliopolis, where Eslam lives to his home to have Egyptian dinner. I had no idea what I was about to experience, but it definitely made an impression. I am grateful that he allowed me into his world. We drove a ways through Cairo to an area that was like a big city within a smaller suburb. It is almost difficult to explain. It was mostly dirt roads and high rise buildings full of flats and ghetto looking homes/areas. There were people everywhere, walking, bicycling, donkeys pulling carts and people carrying goods to wherever. I was definitely not in my element and stuck out pretty badly. Thankfully, our taxi driver took us directly through town and I was able to capture the area through the window. Little 2 and 3 year old children were running around, with no shoes on, not watched by their parents. It was curious to me. So much of it reminded me of Ukraine as far as smells, appearance, and just the basic ideas of survival and protecting what you have. I was gifted with gifts from Eslam’s family, and ate delicious Egyptian food. It became quite clear to me the contrast of living. How so much of what I have, I do not need, and the people in this area would cherish, if even taking it out of the package. I was laughing because I thought of my stepfather Richard, who saves Christmas wrapping paper at home, and we’ve always given him a hard time for it. Whereas here, I had wrapped some presents, and everyone saved the paper here. Totally different perspective. I tried to keep my judgments and remain humble, although it was difficult. Seeing how water comes on infrequently, the flats very dirty, and many people inhabiting such a small space. What I noticed the most is the noise never stops. It is loud all the time. As we were leaving his area, Eslam asked me if I would cover to feel more comfortable because everyone would definitely be looking at me. I felt awkward,not knowing how to even wear a head scarf. Not only that, but I realized how clinched and up tight I felt, resistant to the idea completely, because I felt it somehow deprived me of full expression. Some women here would tell you completely the opposite as to why they choose to cover. It is their choice here. But Eslam didn’t want to draw extra attention to me….he was wrong. It actually drew much more attention to me because people wondered who this fair skinned blonde was under this scarf.;) I was completely overwhelmed, him grabbing my hand and pulling me through the streets, with absolute chaos going on around me. I was just submersed in this culture, in a very direct way. People don’t just glance and look away. They literally, obviously, stare you down. I was the only white foreigner in the place.My trust lay in Eslam’s hands as he got the taxi and all. Once I reached Zemalek, the area where I am staying, the anxiety hadnt quite subsided, but I just needed to process what had just happened.

a quick update

January 8, 2010
Hello everyone! I finally found a computer and internet access to use..this will be brief and probably many misspelled words as this computer has arabic lettering and most of my blog is in arabic;) lol. I dont have much time and it is a fortune to use the internet here at this conference. I have been travelling for about 5 days now to Aswan on the Nile, Luxor to see all the great temples and tombs, and now Im in Sharm el Sheikh for this Science of Mind Russian conference. It is warm, beautiful and the Red Sea is so blue...I feel like Im in little Russia as this entire city is mostly Russian. I was greeted at the airport by an Egyptian man, Hussein, who immediately spoke to me in Russian. I spoke to him in Russian, English and him, all three languages. lol. It was pretty funny. The staff at this hotel all speak Russian and assume that I am as well. I have about 80 videos and over 500 photos already that have been taken from my trip. I have been keeping record ofmy time with my writing so I will post once Im back in Cairo on the 12th.

Today, Ive finally had some alone time to myself. I took a short flight from Luxor to Sharm el Sheikh on the Red Sea. At this moment, Im staring out of this beautiful villa peering out to the Red Sea. This place is stunning and expansive. There are 3 nice bedrooms, 2 baths, a large living room area and kitchen, and a pool and sundeck outside overlooking the sea. It is paradise here. I can finally process all that has been happening. The Russian conference started today and I opened with some music which was kind of interesting. There are 4 Americans, 1 British woman, and about 40 Russians. As I arrived at the airport, an Egyptian man with a sign with my name on it appeared and spoke to me in Russian. I was laughing because he was fluently speaking to me, I was speaking to him in Russian and English, and he all of a sudden starts speaking English and Arabic. Multi-language.:) Sharm El Sheikh is primarily full of Russians. It is so bizarre as everything going on around like the mosques, prayers, and Egyptian culture, but filtered with signs in Russian cyrilic and Russian speaking Egyptians. The hotel is a five star resort right on the Red Sea. I’ll be singing twice a day and also providing meditation every morning and prayer when needed. I also randomly ran into an old friend from San Diego who decided to come. I walked in the room last night and there he was. We both said, ”What are YOU doing here?” hahaha…that was pretty funny, especially because I hadn’t seen him in 4 years prior in Ukraine.
It has just been an amazing adventure. I have seen ancient ruins, tombs,mummies, and of course the beautiful desert. I spent some time in a Nubian village near Philae Temple in "Upper Egypt" which is much closer to Sudan so the people are a dark black and so friendly. I have been travelling with Eslam, from Cairo, and thankfully he has been with me as I dont know how I would have done this trip alone. The staring and gawking alone from men here is pretty uncomfortable. Not only that, but they are very good at taking advantage of foreigners. I am doing very well, and finally feel I have caught up on my sleep. Im staying in this huge mansion on Suzette's villa overlooking the Red Sea withbeautiful gardens, date palm trees, and finally some hot water in the shower.(I spent some time in Luxor at a horrible hotel with no hot water, towels, or toilet paper.) hah. It has been nice to just sit and relax by the pool and feel the magic here.

I cant wait to post videos and photos. I have footage from everywhere I have been. I am now serving at this conference where I am the "musical guest" and also faciliating meditation near the beach every morning which has been great. All is very well and it has been nice to see some familiar faces in this context. Egypt is such a magical place and ...the food...is....amazing;)! so more soon once Im home. Please keep me in your prayers on the 12th for safe travel back to Cairo.

more soon...love,
Savi