Birthday Bus

On the way home last week we discovered it was the little twins 7th birthday.  Being the only children on our staff bus ride home to Maadi, we love to talk with them and of course tease them both:)  First we sang happy birthday to them in an obnoxious and embarrassing way a 7 year old just cringes to, when in front of 20 adults.  However, it did not stop there because you cannot live in an Arab world without singing happy birthday in the local language, so the chanting continued.  Now, with a bus full of international educators you are going to get a few multicultural experiences.  One language led to another, Spanish turned to Russian, then French, Italian and Korean.  Each person had a different language to share with the bus and in the end Natalie and Thomas received "Happy Birthday's" in eleven different languages.  Then their father topped it off in sign language.

It was a moment where you sit back and realize even the simplest things in life, like singing a song, can help you become aware of something extraordinary.  And I reflected on how crazy it is that I am currently kickin' it in Egypt.  But truly, the best part about this place are the people that surround me.  They are so interesting and diverse, I have so much to learn from each of them.  I think it was the first moment I realized I am here for the right reasons.

Susan G. Koman, Race for the Cure. Giza, Cairo, Egypt.

Hayah's Pilgrimage to Mecca

There are two large religious holidays in the Muslim faith.  The first one I experienced in Egypt was that of Ramadan, a month long journey of fasting for the sake of God, or Allah.  This is also a time of prayer in attempt to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds.

The second holiday, Eid al-Adha is celebrated by Muslims to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, as an act of obedience to God.  But then, as the story in the Quraan states, Allah intervened and asked Ibrahim to sacrifice a ram in place of his son.  And to this day, Muslim families around the world take part in this sacrifice each year.  Eid al-Adha is celebrated directly following the two week pilgrimage to Mecca, called Hajj that also happens annually.

"The Hajj (Arabic: حج‎ Ḥajj) is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is currently the largest annual pilgrimage in the world,^[1] and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so. The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to God (Allah in the Arabic language).^[2]"

I believe to be very fortunate as I was able to witness a well produced simulation of Hajj.  (Special because any man not of the muslim faith is not permitted to enter Mecca to observe these events at any time).  The Arabic, Religion and Quraan teachers at Hayah developed an incredible event for our students to see first hand what it will be like to visit Mecca in their future.  From the stamping of their "passports" at the "airport into Mecca" to circling the "Ka3ba" seven times.  Each ritual observed at Hajj was also observed at Hayah's simulation (with only slight adjustments).

Here is the Hajj journey, Enjoy!!


Step 1- Wodu' (ablution): is the Islamic act of washing parts of the body using water. Muslims are required to be clean in preparation for ritual prayers. 


This washing includes:

• Washing the face once.
• Washing both the arms including the elbows once.
• Performing masah of one fourth of the head.
• Wiping both the feet once up to and including the ankles.

Step 2- Putting on Ibrahim's clothes:  All men should be dress exactly the same in white cloth, without trim, tied together over the heart.  Women are allowed to wear what they choose as long as it covers every part of the body except their face and hands.

**Almost all students at this school are Muslim, with the exception of a few ex-pat teacher's children.  My favorite is a first grader named Natalie.  Her and her family are from Minnesota and have some strong midwestern roots:)  She is a doll, full of life and loves to experience new things.  Because of those attributes, she was the bravest of all ex-pat kids and decided to "participate" in the simulation.  Natalie and her father, Steve, dressed in the traditional clothing and observed all the rituals with her classmates.  It was so neat to watch her.  A side note, these rituals are pretty intense, even for myself, as an adult,  the chats, movements and uniform dress were pretty overwhelming.  She was very brave to endure something so foreign to her.

Step 3- Prayer:  Every Muslim in the elementary, both student and staff, lined facing east and began their prayer to Mecca.

Step 4-  Passport Acceptance at Airport

Step 5- Tawaf Al-Qudoum (circumambulating): Circle the Ka3ba seven times in an counter-clockwise direction.  During this time, three different Dua'a were recited together as a group.

For instance, the Dua'a recited when first seeing the Ka3ba: "Alahoma zed hatha al bayt tashrifan wa ta'ziman wa mahabatan wa refa'a"

The Ka3ba- Mohammad's home

Ibrahim's footprints

Abdel-Rahman (Taco) in traditional dress

Step 6- Jabal Arafat (Arafat Mountain):


Pilgrims climb the mountain and stand in contemplative vigil and pray and recite the Qur'an, near a hill from which Muhammad gave his last sermon, this hill is called Jabal Al Rahmah (The Hill of Forgiveness, Mount Arafat). This is known as Wuquf, considered the highlight of the Hajj.

Collecting seven stones

Step 7- Mennah / Mozdelafa:  Each Muslim collects seven stones to throw at the Devil

The pilgrims leave Arafat for Muzdalifah, an area between Arafat and Mina, where they gather pebbles for the next day's ritual of the stoning of the Devil (Shaitan).













Step 8- Al Shahed: Stoning of the Devil

The Pilgrim says: "Allaho Akbar", then throws the seven small pebbles.

At Mina the pilgrims perform Ramy al-Jamarat, throwing stones to signify their defiance of the Devil. This symbolizes the trials experienced by Abraham while he was going to sacrifice his son as demanded by Allah. The Devil challenged him three times, and three times Abraham refused. Each pillar marks the location of one of these refusals

The "Devil" is inside the arch. 

Step 9- Tawaf Al Ifada (Circumambulating):  Circle the Ka3ba once more as the pilgrim says: "La Ilaha ila Allah wahdaho la sharika lah"



On this or the following day the pilgrims re-visit the Masjid al-Haram mosque in Mecca for another tawaf, to walk around the Kaaba.  This symbolizes being in a hurry to respond to God and show love for Him, an obligatory part of the Hajj.










Step 10- Sa'i between as-Safaa and al-Marwa: Walk between the as-Safa hill and al-Marwa hill.

The pilgrims perform sa`i, running or walking seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah. This is a re-enactment of the frantic search for water for her son Ishmael by Abraham's wife Hagar. As she searched, the Zamzam Well was revealed to her by an angel, who hit the ground with his heel (or brushed the ground with the tip of his wing), upon which the water of the Zamzam started gushing from the ground.

The Route of Hajj

5th grade teacher, Marcy, and her son, Ali, after Hajj

"Four and below, take it down low. Five or above, give it a shove"

...Then I asked my students, what does 26 years old round to?

"Miss, you are closer to 30 than you are 20".

"Thank you for that," I replied.

What a good birthday with my Cairo amigos.  I was not expecting much of a night but when I walked into my favorite Thai restaurant 17 minutes late for our dinner date (weird, I was late, but I think it helped the surprise) I found 15 of my friends sitting at a table waiting to eat!  After dinner, the lights went out and the waiter passed candle sticks around to everyone as they brought out a HAWKEYE cake.  I sat back and thought; I am celebrating my 26th birthday with some pretty incredible people I have known for less than three months while slammin' down a Tigerhawk cake (per my favorite Canadian, Amanda) in Cairo, Egypt--  I don't know if I will ever experience this scenario again, but I am going to relish the unique moment for a while.

Year 26 will bring..

• Marathon #2 with my best friend: same distance, different continent
• Teacher turned Tour Guide: Feb, March, April, May & maybe more..
• More Red Wine
• Freedom
• Ragbrai with the Beavers
• Larger Book collection, new and old
• Mt. Kilimanjaro climb
• Eat Massamon Curry in Thailand
• Make new friends, visit old ones
• Emails with Gram Jo