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PERSONAL EXPERIENCES IN MIDDLE EASTERN LIFESTYLE
BY MELODY FALCONER-POUNDER
Editor’s note: In the July 22 edition of the Bayfield Breeze, we met Carolyn Scotchmer, a woman with local ties, who recently returned to Canada after working as a tour leader in Egypt and Jordan. The focus of the article was her work experiences. In this issue she reflects on her time in the Middle East on a more personal level…
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| One of Scotchmer's postcard style photographs. This one of the Siwa Oasis in the Western Desert. |
“Living in the Middle East taught me a lot of things - just because things are done differently elsewhere in the world, doesn’t mean that our approach is better. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t and most often, it’s just different,” said Carolyn Scotchmer.
She is the daughter of Howard and Nancy Scotchmer, of Bayfield, who recently returned to Canada after spending two and a half years working as a tour leader in Egypt and Jordan.
Scotchmer had wanted to visit Egypt since she was a child learning about it in fourth grade, so when the opportunity arose for an extended vacation, that was where she decided to go. She spent five weeks in early 2006 traveling through Syria, Jordan and Egypt. Immediately upon returning home she started trying to figure out how she could go back.
She had spent part of her time in Egypt on an organized tour, and the leader had suggested that she consider applying for the job. She applied with the company she had traveled with, The Imaginative Traveller. They hired her at the end of May 2007. She then embarked on her new career as a tour leader, residing in Egypt.
“Probably the biggest thing people have to get used to is how friendly and open people are. I saw it in my group time and time again, and felt it myself as well. In the touristy areas people are dependent on us for their living, so they tend to come at you fairly strongly and always seem to want something. But if you wander through a more local neighborhood, or get away from the tourist spots, people are always still approaching you. Egyptians just like to be friendly – if you watch them with each other they do the same things – strangers are always striking up conversations on the street.
“The other thing that was a bit strange was how interesting I was – it took me a while to get used to the fact that I was ‘exotic’ looking and that almost everywhere I went, people would stare at me. It can be a bit disconcerting at first,” the red headed, Scotchmer recalled.
Scotchmer found that once people realized she wasn’t “just a tourist” and that she spoke some Arabic, “they really lit up.”
“They loved the fact that I was choosing to live in their country, and were very friendly and welcoming,” she said. “Unfortunately, that also made me excellent marriage-material in their opinions, but I found that, despite the reputation of Egyptian men as being aggressive and forward, as soon as I said no, they would respect my boundaries and back off.”
Scotchmer discovered that Egyptians seemed to generally really like Canadians although they did have preconceptions about our climate.
“It’s pretty hard to convince them that the temperatures actually go above 30C, and that it doesn’t snow all year,” she said.
She went on to say that cold weather scares them. The Sinai Mountains are about the only place in Egypt where the temperature ever drops to 0C.
“The Jordanians understand the cold a bit better. It usually snows in parts of Jordan once or twice a year, and it’s not unheard of for groups to get snowed in at Petra.”
She herself discovered that there are only two seasons in Egypt: summer and not summer.
Not summer is warm during the day and cool at night. According to Scotchmer, it feels colder than it actually is because places are not heated properly.
“Mt. Sinai is freezing at night in not-summer; occasionally, it will even snow at the top,” she said.
Summer is hot at night and even hotter during the day.
“If you live there you really do get used to 45C heat, but it’s pretty hard on the tourists,” she said.
She found the food in the Middle East to be wonderful although quite high in carbohydrates.
“I always told my groups that it was far easier to be a vegetarian in the Middle East than on a low carb diet,” she said.
She described the food as quite fresh, not particularly spicy, but flavorful.
“They don’t eat a lot of processed foods and the seafood around the Red Sea is amazing,” she said.
She described the cost of living to be much cheaper compared to Canada. However, the average Egyptian makes less than $5,000 per year and many make much less than that. An expensive restaurant meal would cost $20, but for less than $1 a person can eat at the local falafel or koshary joint.
Scotchmer described koshary as Egyptian comfort-food.
“It is virtually a carbohydrate bomb – rice, macaroni, spaghetti, lentils, chick peas and fried onions in a tomato sauce, served with a side of lemon-cumin sauce and hot sauce. Yummy!” she explained.
For anyone planning to travel to the Middle East, Scotchmer would encourage them to learn some Arabic.
“It is a good idea to know a few words – a lot of tourists in Egypt know nothing about the country and knowing a couple words of Arabic proves that you know a bit about what you’re doing and removes you from the category of ‘easy prey’ for all those in the business of making money from the tourists,” she said. “To hire a taxi in Cairo costs almost nothing relative to here, as long as you can find a driver that won’t rip you off. This becomes easier to do if you speak some Arabic.”
She explained that Egyptian Arabic is different than classical Arabic, but is understood by much of the Arabic-speaking world since that is where most of the Arabic movies are produced. She also said that most people working with tourists will speak some English, especially in Jordan, and it is possible to get by without knowing any.
Her work as a tour leader prevented her from experiencing a lot of Egypt’s big holiday celebrations, however; she was able to spend the Feast of the Sacrifice at a friend’s house in December of 2008. The Egyptians’ holidays tend to centre round the home and family.
She explained that the Feast takes place 70 days after the end of Ramadan and celebrates the sacrifice made by Abraham. Every family that is able will buy the best animal they can afford. Then when the day arrives they will sacrifice the animal and keep just what they need for themselves. They give most of the meat away to those who can’t afford to buy an animal.
“It’s a bit disconcerting leading up to the day because you see growing numbers of pens of sheep, goats and cows in the street, and you know why they are all there,” she said. “The night prior families get together and celebrate. The atmosphere is a bit like Christmas and I was really happy to spend it with a family. I was expected to watch the sacrifice the next day, and I did. It was a strange experience, standing around watching the family cow have its throat slit with everyone watching me to see how I would react.”
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| Young boys having fun in the Red Sea. The backs of camels took the place of diving boards. |
Following the sacrifice, the family will work together to cut up all the meat, dividing about half of it up among the extended family. About an hour later people will start coming by the house. They will be each given a bag of meat, some pasta, and some other household essentials.
“Finally we sat down to eat a stew of fresh meat and liver, although I had to pass on the liver,” she said. “Because it is to remember the sacrifice, they don’t rinse away any of the blood from the animals from the streets, and the smell around town is pretty overpowering until it dries. In the evening, everyone heads out into the streets for special fairs and markets. It was a great experience, although I could live without watching a sacrifice again.”
During her time in Egypt, Scotchmer made some life-long friendships, including one with a feline, she affectionately named Khalood, meaning Eternity in Arabic.
Khalood appeared as an orphaned new-born kitten near an Egyptian friend’s flat in Dahab. According to Scotchmer, Dahab is notorious for the cats living everywhere, but most Egyptians don’t have pets.
“It’s a foreign concept in a society where many people struggle to feed the human members of their families,” she explained.
Scotchmer’s friend saw first hand what a rough life the kitten was having.
“One day he was outside when he saw the kitten wander into a shop and the man literally threw her out. She hit the wall across from the shop before landing in a little mound.”
Feeling sympathy for the creature, Scotchmer’s friend decided to take her in but had no idea what or how to feed her.
“I met her when I went to visit when she was about 3 weeks old and I fell in love with her as well. She lived with him and he nursed her through her first few months, and I would come and visit as often as I could, and bring her kitten food which was impossible to find in Dahab,” she said.
Scotchmer went on to say that Egyptian cats are generally smaller, being a different breed, but given her rough start Khalood is smaller than most; about six pounds at just over a year-old. The cat also appears to have some coordination issues and minor vision problems.
“We decided that she would come with me to Canada. It turns out that it’s much easier to get a cat into the country than a person. She’s settled in wonderfully well. She has more energy here because it’s not so hot, and she now has some cat toys which she never had before. She misses my friend, but other than that I would say my Egyptian cat loves Canada. But I’m not so sure she’ll feel the same once winter comes,” she said.
Scotchmer has now been back in Canada for just over a month and has settled into routine with a new apartment and job in Toronto.
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| Scotchmer, and friend, on a visit to the Red Sea. |
“I still miss Egypt, and all the people that I left behind there, but I’m happy to be home. I was away for almost two-and-a-half years, coming home only once during that time to visit. I’ve had a great time seeing my family and reconnecting with friends, and the weather has been great. There were also all kinds of little things that I missed, like all the trees, and being able to go anywhere without people staring at me. I don’t even really mind the rain since I haven’t seen much of it in the last two years. I love Egypt and Jordan, but I can live without the 45C temperatures in the summer.”
Scotchmer believes she has changed in so many ways on this adventure. Being a tour leader taught her a lot about people, about how groups work together and about herself.
“I can easily tell the difference between an inconvenience and a crisis, and can deal with either appropriately. My donkey-riding skills are without comparison here, and I’m not too shabby on a camel either. I also know how to sail a felucca with some assistance and can direct a taxi anywhere in Arabic.
“Not to sound cliché but it’s also taught me to appreciate a lot of things that we take for granted, we really do have far more opportunity here than people in a lot of the world. But in our drive to have more, we’re not nearly as good at appreciating what we do have,” she said.
Scotchmer concluded that although it wasn’t always easy; her time working as a tour leader in Egypt and Jordan was probably the best thing she’s ever done.
“And I’m sure that I am not done with the Middle East…I know I will go back to visit as often as I can manage.”
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| Two boys from Dahab, Egypt were all smiles for Scotchmer and her camera. |
LINFIELD WILDLIFE AREA
Bill Linfield was a dedicated conservationist whose legacy will live on in the form of the Linfield Wildlife Area. Thanks to a land donation from the Linfield family to the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation (ABCF), future generations will have additional opportunities to appreciate nature while habitat, water and soil resources are preserved.
On July 18, a dedication ceremony to recognize the family’s bequest to the ABCF was held at the site of the donated property. It is located west of the Pavillion Road and Goshen Line intersection, southwest of Varna and north of Zurich. The donated property is about 95 acres in size, including 70 acres of active farm land and 25 acres of natural areas.
Present at the land dedication ceremony were Linfield’s wife, Linda, and their daughters Leslie and Hayley, as well as other family members.
Linfield was an elementary school principal and a former Chair of the ABCF. He died in February 2008 but, before his death, he and Linda talked about donating the land.
The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) intends to develop additional windbreaks, grassed waterways and tree plantings on the property in the coming years. Rental income from the farm land should help defray the costs of maintaining the woodlot, valley and trails.
Hiking, bird-watching, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and fishing will be permitted activities in the wildlife area. Snowmobiles, dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles and hunting will all be prohibited there.
Also recognized in the Linfield Wildlife Area name is Linfield’s father, Allin, a member of the first generation to steward the land.
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| A dedication for the Linfield Wildlife Area was held recently. Those who attended had an opportunity to view plans for the site. (Submitted photo) |
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| Three-week-old Khalood was rescued from the streets of Dahab, Egypt. |
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| Scotchmer's Egyptian feline, Khalood, at 11 months. |
RATEPAYER'S ASSOCIATION
If, among other local topics, you are looking for information on water quality and Blue Flag status, you should plan to attend the annual general meeting of the Bayfield Ratepayers’ Association (BRA), Aug. 1.
All ratepayers are welcome to attend this meeting which will be held at the Bayfield Community Centre beginning at 10 a.m.
A number of reports will be given and members of the council for Bluewater will make comments.
Individuals interested in becoming a member of the BRA board are invited to contact Dave MacLaren.
GLAD DAYS AHEAD
During the month of August, Gladioli are sold throughout Canada to heighten the awareness and understanding of Epilepsy.
This year Glad Days will be held in Bayfield on Aug. 6-7.
The flowers are sold in bunches, with five stems in a bunch. One bunch costs $5, while 2 bunches sell for $9.
If you would like to order some Gladioli in advance please contact Kathleen Siertsema at 519 565-2479. The flowers will also be available at the LCBO Plaza and Bayfield Foodland on the dates listed.
Proceeds from the sale go to support Epilepsy Huron Perth.
BRIDGE CLUB
The Wednesday Evening Bridge Club has been busy during the month of July with two sessions being held.
On July 8, Jan McCaffery and Lillian Martin posted the high scores and then on July 22, Alice Brandon and Pauline Dallas took the honors.
The club meets on alternate Wednesdays at 7 p.m. at the Bayfield Lions’ Community Building. The next games will be played on Aug. 5. All are welcome to join in the fun.
PIONEER PARK
Aug. 3 is the date set for the 23rd Annual Pioneer Park 5KM Fun Run, Walk & Roll.
The event is organized by the Pioneer Park Association as an annual fundraiser for this village landmark. Registration will start at 8:30 a.m. The entry fee is $5 and all proceeds go to the park.
Prizes will be awarded in categories for running, bicycling, walking, and in-line skating. All ages are welcome. The walkers will depart at 9:30 a.m. and the other racers will depart at 10 a.m. Helmets are required for cyclists and encouraged for skaters.
All residents and visitors are invited to come to the park and watch this great community event. For more information contact Ann Laudenbach at 416 516-5523.
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Pioneer Park will play host to a popular local musical group on the evening of Aug. 8.
The Pastels, from Goderich, will encourage those in attendance to take a trip down memory lane with their nostalgic musical style.
The concert will begin at 7 p.m. Attendees are reminded to bring their own lawn chairs.
For more information please contact John Manness at 519 471-2280.
ANGLICAN
From now until Jan. 3, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto has on exhibit one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century: the Dead Sea Scrolls. Members of Trinity Anglican Church would like to invite the public to visit the exhibit with them.
The church is sponsoring a bus trip to view the exhibit on Sept. 23. The cost for the trip is $89 per person taxes included. The trip will include deluxe motor coach transportation, a meal, admission ticket to the ROM and a tour director on the coach.
The scrolls were discovered from 1947-56. Bedouin goat-herders made the discovery in a series of caves off the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea. The scrolls were authored between 200 BCE and 68 CE. Over 900 separate documents were unearthed, pieced together from over 100,000 scroll fragments.
Among these ancient manuscripts are the oldest-known copies of the Hebrew Bible, hymns, prayers and other important writings. They are a link to the ancient Middle East and to the birth of Judaism and Christianity. Over 200 biblical manuscripts are more than a thousand years older than any previously known copies of the Hebrew Bible.
To reserve a spot on the bus please call Joyce Lambert at 519 565-5023 as soon as possible.
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Trinity Church will present “Twenty-four years of the Ultimate in Recycling” when they host their annual Bayfield Antiques Show and Sale on Aug. 7-9 at the Bayfield Arena.
Over 30 professional antique dealers from across the province will bring an array of quality antiques and collectibles to the show.
The Gala Evening Opening Celebration is set for Friday from 7-9 p.m. This festive evening includes refreshments and music by Cactus Jam. Attendees will have an opportunity to meet the vendors, browse and purchase unique items for their collection. Tickets for this special night are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Gala tickets are available now at The Bayfield General Store on Main Street.
Show times for the weekend are Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission on these days would be $5 per person. On these dates the church members organize a café at which they offer a delectable array of sandwiches and homemade sweets alongside coffee, tea or a summery beverage.
For more information contact Janet Snider at 519 565-5549 or email janetsnider@tcc.on.ca.
PRESBYTERIAN
Rev. Susan Moore, of Knox Presbyterian Church, invites all in the community to join her for a summer book study. The study entitled, Catch Your Breath, will be based on the book of the same name by Don Postema. The sessions will be held at Knox Presbyterian Church every other Thursday from 10-11:30 a.m. The next session is set for Aug. 6. Included in the study will be a look at labyrinths and the traditions surrounding them. A meditative walk to the gardens at 13 Clan Gregor Square to experience a labyrinth first hand is also planned.
Visitors and local residents are invited to Knox Church, Bayfield to rest, pray or meditate through the hectic summer months. The doors of the church will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday, from now until the end of August.
Knox, Bayfield will play host to the Joy of Music to be held on July 29 at 7 p.m. All are invited to attend this concert featuring the Knox Choir and St. Andrew’s United Church Choir in addition to some very talented soloists.
The Annual Knox Summer Sale is planned for Aug. 1. This sale is always a bargain hunters’ delight featuring household items, jewelry, purses, books, toys and other treasures.
UNITED
The members of St. Andrew’s United Church’s 3Ms Group will be traveling to Bright on July 30 to experience the Walter’s Dinner Theatre, Country Gospel program.
The United Church Women will soon be kept busy baking pies for their upcoming fundraiser at the Bayfield Fall Fair. On the afternoon of Aug. 15, the ladies will run their always popular pie booth in the Bayfield Arena.
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