Hard Rock Cafe Cairo

After the Pharonic Village, Deb and I worked up an appetite for BOTH FOOD and COLD DRINKS! Poor Deb got a little loopy, since we didn't get a chance to sneak away for something cold like we did yesterday at the Giza pyramids. Her voice got raspy, and she really got hot as the morning dragged on without her giving in to the need to quench her thirst. I was so proud of her because she hung in there until we got to Hard Rock Cafe Cairo, where the "western world" environment gave us the freedom again to eat and drink to our hearts' desires. Touring Cairo during Ramadan has been challenging, since it is considered rude to eat or drink something in front of someone that is fasting. Since 90% of the country is fasting, it's been very difficult! Undergoing a couple hours of "PC" fasting have earned an even greater respect for Muslims in our book! Especially, since they are observing this spiritual ritual for about 12 hours daily x 30 days--- all covered up and in the throes of the desert heat! Totalllllly unbelievable!!!

This bartender was hilarious and so spirited!

Here's Deb downing her THIRD glass of cold iced tea in 10 min.

And may I add that my passion fruit slushy was also deliciously refreshing? The bartender put 4 straws together, so my straw extended out a lonnnnng ways. Too Too Funny! LoL.

Because Muslims don't eat pork, they replaced all the pork entrees (i.e. ribs and bbq sandwiches ) with lamb. The latter intrigued us, so we decided to give it a try.

It was soooo good, except um, er.... I pulled a "Shirley" by getting the knife stuck in the ketchup bottle. LoL. Since nothing came out when I tried to pour ketchup on my fries, I got the bright idea to stick my knife in the bottle, and um.... got it stuck! Debbie had to to yank it real hard for it to come out!!! Oh, the life that we lead as Laverne and Shirley. LoL.

Posing with our very kewl and very hip waiter Emad. Fo' shizzle!

I was so digging Hard Rock's ceiling! I really liked this saxophone chandelier. Kewl, huh?

And of course, you can't be at a restaurant during Ramadan, without sighting of a fanus or two.

We left Hard Rock re-energized and totally satiated....

and with a little souvenir in tow fo' sho. LoL.

Déjà Vu at 55

Debbie landed safe and sound, and was met joyously at the airport by yours truly. Within a couple hours, we had our first Laverne and Shirley-esque encounter. LoL. For her first meal in Egypt, I decided to take her to Restaurant 55. I had enjoyed myself so much the weekend before, that I felt inclined for a repeat visit. On the way there, I suggested that we walk in single file from the car to the restaurant bc the street was very narrow. We were no more than 5 min from the restaurant, before I turned around to see if Deb was keeping up. Well, she was close behind me. So close that when I turned, she bumped into me and stepped on my flip flop and ripped the thong out of my Roxy's. We had to go back to the car with me on one good flip flop (or just a flop?), and head back home so I could change shoes. LoL. This was sooo typical of us!

We finally arrived , and Deb was blown away by the decor.

We chose to eat outdoors, so we could enjoy the ambiance.

Debbie wanted to smoke shisha, so after our meal we smoked

grinded peach.

Deb and I are such kindred spirits, bc she's not afraid to dive into

unchartered waters. LoL.

Debbie got the hang of it quickly, and by the end of the night was

teaching me how to blow peach smoke out of my nose. It tickled!

I really liked the peach. I've had apple and apricot before, and I

can honestly say that I liked all three equally well.

By the end of the evening Deb's jet lag started to kick in, hence

signaling our cue to leave. We had a good first day of the visit.

Tomorrow we head to Giza to see the pyramids. Stay Tune!

4th of July Plans & Lessons Learned, etc.

week-end is fast approaching and unlike past Independance Day celebrations, I'll be doing the local scene instead of hitting the road. Should prove to be a fun-packed holiday week-end! A formal gala at the US Embassy on Thursday. Picnic and fireworks show on Friday. Red,White, & Blue margarita PAR-taaaay on Saturday. Rooftop BBQ on Sunday. And on Monday!!!!!!! The "Broadway Musical Review" will be at the Cairo Opera House performing popular musical excerpts from "Grease" and "West Side Story". Whew! I'm already tired. LoL. So, what are your plans?

LESSONS LEARNED:

As I close this, I'd like to share with you valuable lessons learned that I gleamed from past Independence Day week-ends gone awry: 1) When applying sunblock, don't forget your feet! Nothing's worse than having to put on shoes on puffy blistered Fred Flintstone feetages. 2) Do not play in the ocean right after sucking down chili dogs and cherry koolaid. Unless of course, you like the color red. 3) When admiring fireworks, do not sit directly under them as they come raining down. 4) Refrain from substituting gasoline as lighter fluid for your charcoal grill! Happy 4th of July!

Summer Sistas Pledge

Preface: Last night gentle breezes and sounds of summer urged me to dress in light fabrics and summery colors for a dinner outing I knew would look great in cute strappy sandals I got in Italy several summers back... what changed my mind on said Italian strappies was the deplorable state of my toes and feet that needed a major Sally Hansen pumice stone overhaul. I've had a hard time finding a decent pedicurist in Egypt, where the culture finds viewing the bottom of one's feet extremely offensive. Sigh, so I've inexpertly have had to do my own, and in typical Gina-procrastination-fashion, failed to give myself a much needed pedicure. This has therefore prompted me to steal this cute excerpt from my sister Pamela's blog (that, btw, she got from another).... and hope that all the "Sistas of the World" unite on this very important summer pledge:

The Open-Toed Shoe Pledge

As a member of the Cute Girl Sisterhood, I pledge to follow the rules when wearing sandals and other open-toed shoes:

1. 
   I promise to always wear sandals that fit. My toes will not hang over and touch the ground, nor will my heels spill over the backs. And the sides and tops of my feet will not pudge out between the straps.
2. 
   I will go polish-free or vow to keep the polish fresh, intact and chip-free.
3. 
   I will not cheat and just touch up my big toe.
4. 
   I will sand down any mounds of skin before they turn hard and yellow.
5. 
   I will shave the hairs off my big toe.
6. 
   I won't wear pantyhose even if my misinformed BFF, co-worker, mother, sister tells me the toe seam really will stay under my toes if I tuck it there.
7. 
   If a strap breaks, I won't duct-tape, pin, glue or tuck it back into place hoping it will stay put. I will get my shoe fixed or toss it.
8. 
   I will not live in corn denial, rather I will lean on my good friend Dr. Scholl's if my feet need him.
9. 
   I will resist the urge to buy jelly shoes at Payless for the low, low price of $4.99 even if my feet are small enough to fit into the kids' sizes. This is out of concern for my safety, and the safety of others. No one can walk properly when standing in a pool of sweat and I would hate to take someone down with me as I fall and break my ankle.
10. 
    I will take my toe ring off toward the end of the day if my toes swell and begin to look like Vienna sausages.
11. 
    I will be brutally honest with my BFF, sister, mother, co-worker when she asks me if her feet are too ugly to wear sandals. Someone has to tell her that her toes are as long as my fingers and no sandal makes creepy feet look good!
12. 
    I will promise that if I wear flip flops, I will ensure they actually make correct "flip-flop" sounds while walking, and I will swear NOT to slide or drag my feet while wearing them.
13. 
    I will promise to go to my local nail salon at least once per season and have a real pedicure (they are about $25 and worth EVERY penny).
14. 
    I will promise to throw away any white/off-white sandals that show signs of wear... nothing is tackier than dirty white sandals.
15. 
    I will promise (I added this myself) that I will abide to all of the rules above, or else my fashion license gets revoked for the summer. A Happy Sole is a Happy Summer!

Happy Summer, my Sistas!!!

Hair-Did Faux Pas

So, I'm getting my "hair-did" in a country where women predominantly cover their hair.

I'm always self conscious when I get a hair cut. I have short hair and long hair is the preferred length here, so I usually hide behind a magazine while I'm at a salon.

Today, I was looking at a magazine that was left behind by a German client. Flipping through it, a section featuring trendy pantsuits caught my eye along with the word "lesbisch", which was mentioned throughout the article. Turning to my multi-lingual hairdresser, I asked what the word meant.

Without skipping a beat, she pointed to my hair and said, "lesbian".

The ground opened up then, and I slithered through it.

Please call 911. I'm trapped in the Middle East with lesbian hair.

I married George Clooney

Never mix a recently returned dream vacation with a George Clooney movie fest. The combination of both could result in a very bizarre dream. Let's take me for example. Last night I dreamt I married George Clooney. (Didn't I say it was bizarre?) I'm still reeling from the morning after befuddlement, because after all I was married, albeit on a subconscious level, to George Clooney. It felt so real that when I awoke, it compelled me to write it all down. Coincidentally, I had found a kewl blogging project the day before. Uninspired, I had put it aside. My dream, however comma, was the catalyst that inspired the "I married George Clooney" sequence below. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did creating it. Shall we commence?



My dream opened to sparkling sapphire waters at an exotic resort on the sandy beaches of Bali, where George Clooney had defected from Hollywood to live the life of a half naked pool boy heavily oiled in Banana Boat products.

George, having only gazed at me for no more than a second (as he would in real life), fell madly in love and asked me to marry him.

George and I had an outdoor beach wedding that rivaled Pamela Anderson's. (The Baywatch bombshell had formerly walked down sandy aisles with Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee and rock n' rap singer Kid Rock.)

The world heralded my marriage to the world's sexiest bachelor.

We celebrated our Bali honeymoon within the confines of a champagne fluted glass-tub filled with Dom Perignon. We were drunk with happiness.

But as true Hollywood romances go, signs of a troubling relationship began to present itself.

And soon, tabloids began airing pics of George's infidelity.

Our "W" to the "E" were no more, and I awoke from my dream somewhat sadden.... but inspired nonetheless, to record said events within this blogging project.

Now, it's your turn. Click on this link and populate the fields. Cut n' paste and enjoy the creative journey!

I Shared a Toilet with Ann Curry

Today was a crazy day at work and one that was totally unexpected. First of all, we got word that Admiral Mullens (Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff) and a host of press people were coming to visit us today on their way to Afghanistan. What?!? And that wasn't all. Ann Curry from "The Today Show" was one of the news folks coming onboard. What?!?

Soooo, fast forward the situation. Ann Curry is sitting in the conference room across from my office. She has arrived early and I can hear her voice as I'm typing up a report on my computer. I eavesdrop shamelessly as she talked about growing up as a Navy brat and being familiar with the military life of moving around often.

I stayed in my seat, not wanting to appear as a rabid fan, by going in there to introduce myself and gush about how I enjoyed the show, blah, blah, blah... what she thought of Katie Couric's boyfriend... and what was her REAL opinion of the show since Merideth Vieira came onboard. You know. Girlfriend talk. But alas, I didn't go in there.

Instead, I continued to type up my report until I got up and used the private bathroom next to my office. As I was leaving the loo, I bumped into her as she was waiting to go inside. She smiled. I smiled back. I may have even given her the "Wazzsup?" nod. Who knows. It happened so fast.

As I returned to my computer, I heard the toilet flush... and realized that Ann Curry and I just shared the same toilet.

The End.

[Epilogue: Ann later approached me as she was leaving to see if I wanted her sandwich. She had ordered box lunches for her and the crew that went uneaten, and she didn't want them to go to waste. So, later on that afternoon after all the visitors left.... me... and Ann Curry's sandwich... had quiet time to reflect on the weirdness of the day.]

Toe Jam Free BFFs Seek Pedicures

It ain't easy being cheesy....


Before: Khristin did NOT want her pre-pedicured
toes photographed.... um, here's the compromise.

After: "Pretty n' Pink" completed.


Before: B'bye gnarly toes!

After: Helllllooooo "Wine n' Dine"!!!
(Who thinks up these nail polish names???)

I was looking at my gnarly toes the other day and 'bout went into a conniption fit meltdown. I was DESPERATELY in need of a pedicure! Already, I felt sorry for the person who was going to do my tootsies. A BIG tip was in order for the poor pedicurist undertaking this challenge... sigh.

I called Khristin and we made plans to get our pedicures done today. Prior to our visit, I conducted a li'l prepwork:

1) Shave legs (the "but it's winter" excuse was no longer going to fly). Check.

2) Inspect toes for toe jam. Check.

3) Slather feet with "smells-good" lotion from Christmas gifts stash. Check.

My meticulous preparations completed, I picked up Khristin and we beelined to her favorite nail salon. Note: For the record I made specific requests to get our tootsies done by Asians because...

1) I gotta keep my people gainfully employed due to the woeful state of our economy.

2) No one knows toes like my peeps.

3) I love being asked right away, "you got boyfween? fu special pwice, you get pedicule special fu special pwice.... then you get boyfween."

I want boyfween. Hence, I get pedicures.