The Year of the ... Flat-Nosed Beef!!

We have now passed the Occidental and the Oriental New Years so let’s have good ones of both - please?

And so saying, duty calls and back to work again after the holidays ... although more of holidays later! Having turned up in the Middle East as I do frequently, I have been struck in a couple of cities by their willing acknowledgement of the Chinese New Year that has just passed. A number of shiny pagodas built in traditional Chinese style and colours ... and also a number of dragons again in Chinese style.

Dragons? But it’s not the Year of the Dragon - and here of course I am making a huge assumption that the majority of people who read my occasional words are familiar with the Chinese zodiac of 12 animals and the years with which they are associated. [For those not in the know do feel free to look it up and click the link]. Anyway, the next year of the dragon is not until 2024, whilst this year is the year of the ... pig. Not an animal that finds any favour in the Middle East amongst either the Islamic or the Jewish worlds. Chinese companies are therefore having to tread carefully with their advertising in this region if they wish to retain the goodwill of their local consumers, although I do not for one moment suggest they should use the wording I have used above. That particular description is something I came across many years ago in one country in the Middle East where some US expatriates had arranged to receive some goods derived from the offending animal, but referred to it (successfully - but only once I understand!) as per the title.

The pig, incidentally is the last of the twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac (the Rat being the first through a bit of smart manoeuvring ), and is reputedly rather slow and lazy but has the positive characteristics of being good-tempered, kind hearted and positive. That said the collection of people born in the year of the pig include such characters or personalities as Hilary Clinton, Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, O J Simpson, Lance Armstrong, Elon Musk, Woody Allen ... hmm, draw your own conclusions from that lot!!

But where was I? Oh, yes holidays before getting back to work. Who’s not been been to Egypt? Well although I have been going there for some time on business every couple of months, I had never progressed beyond Cairo city. It is true that on a clear day I can just make out the pyramids from the office I use, but of course the ancient history of Egypt is just phenomenal so it was time to use the holiday period to pay a visit, even if we could not do it justice by seeing absolutely everything, but OMG!

Cairo is noisy, busy, chaotic, unfinished - and how people manage to cross the street and arrive at the other side unscathed - relatively - is quite beyond me. We had a go at doing it once, but in the end we were assisted by a kindly gentleman who helped us cross “Cairo-style”. I felt rather like I was the old lady in London that I helped to cross the road at traffic lights. Anyway, Cairo - the Museum, the bazaar, then Pyramids - Sphinx - the first attempts at pyramids at Dahshur and those at Saqqara plus the Coptic Church, the Great Mosque in the Citadel, The mosques of Sultan Hassan and Al Rifai, and the synagogue - all visited. Then we headed for the Upper Nile - Luxor and Aswan.

You think you know your history? Well perhaps you do, but to stand next to it, look at it, have an Egyptologist read the hieroglyph and explain what went on ... is just awesome and that's not a word I generally like using given its general meaningless usage today, but unless you are devoid of any senses at all I cannot think of another word so descriptive. It is mouth-opening.

We - four of us, could not have done this without the services of our Egyptian guide Medhat who was knowledgable, explained with real interest and passion and had a sense of humour. Of course, you say, he could have told us a complete load of rubbish and we would have believed him because we knew no better. Sure he could - but when you then go back and read up to get more detail on what he told us, and when you know about his history and his study of Egyptology and his attempts now to further his education for a doctorate, and the respect accorded him by other professionals - he would have to be a darn good actor to have pulled this one off if he was not being straight with a couple of cynics for an audience. (Happy to pass on his details for interested people).

We sailed down the Nile watching the scenery of countless paintings unfold in real life;

we "templed" until we thought we could do no more and still remain interested ... but then we went and did more! You may gather there is a degree of enthusiasm here.

I know that Egypt has not enjoyed a stable and peaceful time in recent years. Tourists have been scared away due to random attacks. The economy has suffered, inflation is still high, but there are signs of stability and improvements, accepting that nowhere is perfect. Recent natural gas finds will make a difference to the economy and tourists are definitely beginning to reappear. So all I can say is take the opportunity to go see for yourself an ancient world, which gave so much to our development. Go with an open mind, get a good guide or you will miss so much, and I do not think you will be disappointed.

Now how did I get there from flat-nosed beef?