Writing

I come bearing gifts

by Chevvy, posted in Poetry

I give you the gift of

Understanding

knowing how sad

and lonely you’ve been.

So when a new play-friend

comes along, you want him

exclusively for you

to come and play with

your beautiful toys

I give you the gift of

Compassion

concerned for your wellbeing

when dark days find you

in a menacing dream or

make you do the cruelest

thing instead of acting

with God’s love

I give you the gift of

Abundance

God’s gift of wide open blue skies

and endless starry nights , his

bounteous gifts to share.

I know that I have no dominion

to take away or judge.

I understand the stairs we

have to climb, trusting that

some kind soul will help

me up instead of pushing me down.

I give you the gift of

Joy 

to give you a smile that truly

lights up your face and takes

away the frown. Come walk

with me among God’s flowers

and leave the gadgets behind

so that our art is truly inspired

and not a mechanical thing

Finally, I give you the gift of

Forgiveness

to ease your anger and free

your pain and not look at me

this way again. I forgive you.

The Egyptian Tea seller

by Chevvy, posted in Travel

I was just fascinated by the idea of someone selling glasses of tea in the centre of peak traffic. This was around midday, schools were closing for the day and children were navigating their way through a traffic rush that was unending. Cairo had all manner of vehicles on the road including a  whole family (mother, father and two children on a motor cycle most not wearing helmets) For me – trying to cross this busy razzmatazz of traffic was quite something since there were no traffic lights on this long and busy ring road. If you were a local,you’d understand the signals. but I …. I was in a panic

But returning to the tea seller – here was a lesson in entrepreneurship. I guess on a hot day in the middle of peak traffic, people get thirsty. Always – I imagine transporting this scene to my country and realise that while we can learn from and copy each other’s practices – it would never be quite the same without the broader prevailing culture, norms and values of that society. But still, this was a great experience!

Egyptian Tour-Part 1

by Chevvy, posted in Travel
Mount Sanai

I remember scrolling through an Airline magazine and being magnetically drawn to the stark beauty of Mount Sanai. I decided almost in an instant that I wanted to travel there and take my own photograph. I was impulsive back then and had a good reason to cultivate this dream. My husband’s milestone birthday was coming up.

Our trip to Egypt took place almost at the cusp of the first uprisings there in 2010. In fact we spotted a number of election campaign posters upon arrival. For me, it was both a rich palette of experience and pleasure, an awesome walk through history, a spiritual sojourn as well as an awakening and learning about myself. I was particularly intrigued by a picture I took which begged so many questions when I compared it with my own country.

Street scene in Cairo

I wondered how the washing was strung up, I wondered about the scrap  heap on the roof and the many unfinished buildings I saw, I wondered about the crossover of urban and rural lifestyles and at the same time I was beguiled by all the great people we met. Are you still travelling with me?

Travelling is a great teacher. I learnt to appreciate the orderliness of my own country despite the fact that we complain about traffic lights not working or taxi drivers behaving badly on our roads and the accompanying road rage. Yet, in the same breath I marvelled that a  city as large and dense as Cairo with over 20 million people could survive without road rage and accidents. I stood trapped on the pavement not sure how to navigate across the road through an unceasing rush of traffic. Then later, watched school girls walk through the rush of old and battered vehicles without fear or hesitation.

Lunchtime traffic in Cairo

On one evening, we sipped our Egyptian tea in a restaurant close to that busy street, much quieter then, as people shut doors behind them, In front of us, men huddled around their shisha pipes. Despite the seeming chaos of this concrete jungle still languishing in its carelessness of many rules that others held sacrosanct, I enjoyed my short stay in the desert city, happy in the thought that I would finally make my way home.