Journal by author: Farrah

1. Whipcrack thunder, lightning and dense tropical rain

   By Farrah 28 Jul ‘08 News

   As I got off the plane, my specs steamed up immediately. The weather gave us a suitably dramatic welcome to this fiery archipelago, home to the largest Muslim population of any country on earth: INDONESIA.

   The massive schlep from Cairo to Jakarta has battered my brain and I almost jumped out of my skin in fright as we passed the baggage carousels, which each feature a sinister, life-size model of a Komodo dragon. Apparently they can even eat horses. I think I'd better get some kip - more from Jakarta tomorrow!

2. Transit Islamic: some uncomfortable observations.

   By Farrah 27 Jul ‘08 News

   This zombifying 25 hour journey has not been without a few interesting moments. Earlier, Masood inadvertently stood on the hem of a veiled Muslim lady's black, all-enveloping abaya in the queue for boarding. For about ten minutes she stood still, silently waiting for him to realise his mistake, but wouldn't turn round and tell him. Eventually, another man pointed it out.

   At Singapore, where we had to change planes, I saw the largest proportion of women with headscarves of the whole trip so far. These petite South East Asian ladies wore their hijabs with funk - bright colours, interesting fabrics, jeans and little halterneck or spaghetti strap dresses worn over long sleeved tops. I think lots of them were migrant workers in the Gulf. I liked their style.

   The queue to get through security was immense and snaking. A mature man dressed impeccably in a white robe and headdress in the Emirati way looked up and down the line, identified a section of likely migrant domestic workers from S.E. Asia at the front of the queue and coolly pushed in before them.

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3. Osama in the cockpit!

   By Farrah 26 Jul ‘08 Osama found

   We're en route to our next exciting destination and currently in transit somewhere in the Middle East. We found a superb Osama entirely unexpectedly on the plane from Cairo - in the cockpit!! Our ears pricked up at the pre-flight announcement. It began with some Quranic recitation invoking God's blessing and protection on the passengers and journey and then introduced captain and crew - Osama was flying the plane!

   With some precision schmoozing and persuasion I managed to meet the delightful First Officer Osama. He couldn't take part in the lovehearts malarkey 'cos of the rules of his job, but he did tell me what he loves: flying people safely to their destinations. There was a certain poignancy about this encounter. I wish I could have talked to him for longer.

   I read an article today about Queen Rania of Jordan who is on a mission to break down negative stereotypes about Arabs and Muslims. I wonder what she'd think of our mission? Maybe I should get in touch with her and see! Let me know what you think.

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4. No Big Apple

   By Farrah 26 Jul ‘08 News

   Half way through our mission and we are ready to move on from Egypt. However, I’m dismayed to tell you that we’ve had some problems with our ambitious circumnavigation of the globe. There are two crucial destinations that are at the heart of the issues we are gently trying to navigate.

   The first of these is Pakistan. Masood and I are both of Pakistani blood, though born and raised in England. Loads of our home-grown Muslims in the UK are of Pakistani origin and there is no question that the Pakistani connection is vital and personally meaningful to us. As heartbreaking as it is for me to say it, the 7th July bombers had Pakistani roots just like me and Masood. We need to get to Pakistan and connect, somehow. But we’re having some trouble with visas.

   The other destination that I feel we need to make is New York. I don’t need to explain why this great city is important for us to visit – what happened there changed the world and millions of peoples lives. Waves of negativity ensued. In itself, the city of New York is so mixed, so rich, so vibrant and tolerant - I'm desperate to meet the Osamas of NYC. Unfortunately, our official journalists visas to go to the States are being delayed and we may not make it.

   So where to next? Somewhere with lots of Muslims… somwhere completely different to the Middle East. A place with the biggest Muslim population on earth! Can you guess where it is?

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5. Arab stallions at the 3 pyramids

   By Farrah 25 Jul ‘08 Osama found

   Could you bellydance with candelabra on your head?

   Last night was surreal and spectacular.

   Masood and I had the honour of being invited to a huge Egyptian wedding held on the banks of the Nile. Complete with a troupe of bejewelled - but not skin-baring - bellydancers, the bride and groom entered the room to a cacophony of traditional drumbeats and joyful pipes.

   The captive guests provided us with a prime Osama-hunting opportunity, but I felt Britishly awkward about going for it. It felt rude to Osama-hunt at a wedding! Luckily, the groom’s brother was very enthusiastic and we struck one.

   Only one Osama, however, left me with a sinking feeling. I’m getting worried about numbers, despite having met some cracking characters in Cairo. Then Ramy, our friend, had an idea. He told us that in the summer season when Gulf Arabs visit Cairo, the desert behind the pyramids of Giza is a hotspot of horseriding, dune buggies and general frivolity at the hour of sunrise. So we went to the pyramids at 5am to find some Osamas.

   We found three, including our first Saudi, who was applecheeked, cheerful and very positive about the project. The scene was breathtakingly beautiful and intensely dreamlike – I had to pinch myself.

   

6. Marketplace Madness!

   By Farrah 24 Jul ‘08 Osama found

   Back in northern Nigeria we established that the market is one of the best places to find Osamas. Having trawled the more touristy sections of Cairo's main market earlier this week, we aimed for somewhere a little grittier today and traversed the glistening model pyramids and scarab pendants to reach chunky silver markets and finally, textiles.

   We found loads of Osamas, but the shouting crowds, grime and heat were intense. People went absolutely nuts as the search gathered momentum. One Osama took us to another Osama who took us to another. This is exactly how we dreamed it would be! The only drawback was that the heckling was massive and it was hard to record. Since I don't speak Arabic, it was hard at times to tell whether the crowd were angry or just really, really excited - it was the latter.

   Several Osamas had left their stalls to pray. The call to prayer over Khan El Khalili from the magnificent entrance mosque was haunting and beautiful as the green minaret lights switched on at dusk.

   My personal favourite Osama from today was the lovestruck Koshary seller who wouldn't reveal the object of his affections by name but was clearly utterly besotted by her. He could think of little else as he fried onions and simmered lentils all day dreamily.

   

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7. Where can we try the best traditional Egyptian sweets in Cairo?

   Quick update by Farrah 23 Jul ‘08

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8. A simple question - you'd think....

   By Farrah 23 Jul ‘08 News

   Osama hunting is not as simple as it may seem. For starters, finding the Osamas is tricky business, especially when it's nearly 40 degrees C in the shade and you can hardly hear yourself think over Cairo's insane traffic. Lots of Osamas run a mile at the sight of a camera. Then there's getting them to hold the sign up at the right angle and tell the camera the information. Finally, there's the burning question, the one we've all this way to ask them: "What do you love?"

   All too frequently the answer is "Er...um...what do you mean what do I love?" It takes a surprisingly long time to find out, but I can almost always spot when they're a millisecond away from spilling the beans. A little smile appears on their lips - It's a sweet little smile acknowledging that someone actually wants to know.

   Yesterday we had a very refreshing change from the usual pattern of egging our Osamas on to open up and bare their heart's greatest loves. We found our first non-adult Osama in the streets of Cairo, and his parents were happy for him to take part in Osama Loves. We asked him in Arabic what he loved, and without hesitation he spat it out with a broad smile:

   "I love bananas."

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9. Saving soufflés and a sobering car crash in Cairo

   By Farrah 20 Jul ‘08 News

   "CHEF OSAMA! I'VE GOT ALL YOUR BOOKS! YOU SAVED MY SOUFFLE!!"

   cried an apple-cheeked Egyptian mother in a hijab. Walking though Khan El Khalili market in Cairo with one of the most famous Osamas in the world was not easy. Constantly approached by adoring fans for autographs, photos and cooking tips, this was a glimpse into the life of a celebrity among Arabic-speaking communities worldwide. Chef Osama, whose website had more hits than Gordon Ramsey's earlier this year when his new season aired, is a phenomenon.

   In the glittering alleys of Cairo's finest bazaar he led me to the spice market where apothecaries sell wonders in coloured sacks and jars beneath stuffed sharks and mysterious gnarled husks. Then we were off to the kitchen so he could teach me to make “koshary”, a traditional Egyptian dish. Lights, camera, action: his TV crew filmed the demonstration for his show and we made our way down to the Nile to eat on a felucca by sunset.

   As we began to haggle with the boatman, there was a huge commotion. A car had crashed spectacularly merely a few hundred meters away from us and had overturned.

   Luckily, there was only one person hurt, alert and talking, but clutching his left forearm in agony. It didn’t look good – it was clearly badly broken, very deformed and in need of urgent orthopaedic attention. Worryingly, his fingers were numb and the blood wasn’t properly flowing to them. We rang three ambulance services but none of them were able to make it. Someone told us there was a hospital nearby so we took the casualty there ourselves. The contrast between this place and my own hospital back home, St Mary’s, was striking. For all the problems that plague it, I’m glad we have the NHS and I think it does a decent job, all things considered. Of course, I might be biased….

   Though the poor man’s injuries could’ve been a lot worse, especially looking at the mangled mess of the vehicle, I found the whole experience quite stressful. Probably because I’d been imagining the worst, heart racing, as we approached the wreckage. By the time we got back to the riverbank, it was too late to catch the sunset. Chef Osama has agreed to meet us again to tell us what he loves, and in the meantime, we’re back on the hunt. Our best score-zone so far has been the market, so here's a picture of sunny minarets I took yesterday from the entrance to Khan El Khalili.

   

10. I smell cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and coriander in Khan El Khalili – we’re about to meet one of the most famous Osamas in the world…

    By Farrah 18 Jul ‘08 News