Recently a woman wrote a column in a Dutch national daily newspaper about tattoos and for a brief moment I thought I was back in Egypt. In an ill-structured tirade, she explained how tattoo-sporting humans are all rude, low-class and generally and utterly vile. Even the, in the last paragraph, haphazardly introduced fellow citizen of […]
I am thinking about death. There is a cheery opening for a column. Death has been around all of us this past year, people close to me have lost loved ones, I lost a friend and in the countries of the Arab world many young people have lost their lives in violent encounters between the […]
I have been ranting. Loudly, consistently, and true to form, repeatedly. I have been known to rant on occasion, being an opinionated Dutch woman predisposes me to such utterances, but I had been more composed of late. Age, boredom and a general effort on my part to be gentler have all contributed to a quieter […]
I did something today I had not done in years; I stood in front of the mirror and looked at myself. At length. Normally I spend maybe two minutes per day in front of a mirror; clothes clean and no labels hanging out, I am good to go. An occasional evening out may inspire me […]
Being naked is no longer the same. Growing up in a conservative household, one of the reasons I feel at home in Egypt, is the fact that both the Dutch and Egyptians believe being naked should be confined to the bathroom. Not having any brothers I was completely oblivious to the fact there was […]
I am the only white woman in Cairo. And apparently I am very busy, or at least much busier than I actually am aware of. Being a famous and fabulous writer pays off, you get invited to all the cool parties and your presence is highly sought after. And being the consummate social animal […]
I love words. When I was small, my mother would read to me when I was sick. Safely tucked in on the couch, I would listen to her tell of magical beings and far away places, my fever enabling my visits to these unknown realms in my mind. I nearly regretted getting better. One […]
Traditionally my father starts my birthday with an early phone call and this year was no different. Or so I thought. I have always loved celebrating my birthday. I start nagging people weeks in advance that the day is imminent, and it is the only day in the year that I happily wake up early, full […]
Alter Ego. Literally translated from Latin it means ‘the other I.’ I admit I had to look that up, six hours a week for years of ‘Veni, Vidi, Vici’ having obviously gone to waste. I find the ‘Other Self’ to be a seductive concept, if I disregard the Jekyll/Hyde and multiple personality angles. It […]
In the last few weeks the overriding theme in my life seems to be one of loss. We all lose things frequently, it is a fact of life that nothing is ever permanent, new things take the place of old ones on a regular basis. When I was a child and I had lost something, […]
