Mafeesh Mushkella

Mafeesh Mushkella

When I travel, I always try to learn as much words and phrases of the local language as possible in that short period of time. And there are always some phrases that keep repeating in conversations. And when you recognize their meaning it almost feels like you have a special talent … As if you have somehow become a part of that little world. Same was with this Egyptian/Arabic phrase “mafeesh mushkella”. Egyptian version of “hakuna matata” meaning “no problem, no worries”. It popped up in every situation and opened many doors to us. Everything is “mafeesh mushkella” in Egypt. To me it was a symbol of people’s laid back mentality there. It is also the best phrase to describe our 2-weeks’ stay in April in this history-rich country. Despite the country’s political unrest, with media covering only bad news, we literally had “mafeesh mushkella” – no problems.

 

Welcome Back!

The uprising and political instability, but more than that, the media portrayal of the Egypt has had a devastating impact on Egypt’s tourism. This is concerning, since tourism is one of the nation’s most important sectors in economy. It offers jobs to almost 12% of the population. And while Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh somehow managed to retain the label of “safe” destinations, bad news we hear and read every day discourage tourists from coming to Egypt’s most interesting parts: Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Sinai. Prior to coming to Egypt, some people also tried to discourage me from travelling there. I remember one friend saying: “But, you know there is a war there?” Luckily, I was assured by my Egyptian friend, our host, that it is quite safe, despite some turmoil after the death sentence of hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood supporters. Afterall, I thought to myself, he should know, he lives there, drives to work to Cairo downtown every day and he is still very much alive and kicking. 

I guess, majority of tourists worldwide were not given the same assurance. The number of tourists we had come across during our stay in Egypt could hardly fill one big hotel. Sadly, because Egyptians were so happy to see us, greeting us with pristine smiles and shouts: “Welcome back! Welcome to Egypt!”

No Rush
Tourists now have a unique opportunity to enjoy cultural heritage, museums, the pyramids, temples and mosques with nobody rushing them out. Since there is literally no crowd at the main sights, you can take all the time you want to explore the magnificent monuments and take pictures with no one ruining the background.
The best portrayal of the extent to which the tourism has shrunk is the main attraction: the Cheops pyramid in Giza. Before the revolution tourists had to wait in line for hours if they wanted to step inside the biggest, most magnificent pyramid. Because of the large numbers of tourists wanting to get in, they had to limit the number of people to maximum 300 tourists a day. And if you wanted to be among those 300, you had to buy tickets at least a day or two in advance. Now there is no need for that. You buy the tickets at the sight and simply walk to the entrance. No line, no waiting. 

The Choice is Yours

Even the coast (well, I can only speek for Hurghada) is not crowded right now. Mainly locals (Egyptians) are staying in hotels. And some Russians, too. The time is right for you to get a good deal, since most hotels are not fully booked. With a bit of luck, you can get a very good price for a top-notch 5-stars hotel and thus the best for your money. While the entrance fees and tickets for main sights went slightly up (they have to make up for smaller number of tourists), you can almost always negotiate the prices for tours and adventures. Just be persistant and smile … Show your interest in the person who is trying to sell you the package. Personal questions break the ice with the locals. When you open up to them, they kindly embrace you and you have yourself a new friend. And a special price (just for friends). And if you are really lucky (as we were) you get a boat taking you on a snorkelling trip with only 6 tourists on board. Your own private boat for the same amount of money. Even the coral reefs are best when less crowded. The fish seem just as curious about you as you are about them. 

However, sometimes you have to forget politeness. As tourists are rare, the locals who sell souveniers struggle for your attention. Once they spot a tourist, they glue themselves to you and follow you around, trying to sell you anything: from cheap stone carvings to a botlle of Coca Cola. The best advice our brilliant tour guide Manal Salem gave us was: ignore them. (Unless you really want to buy that Indiana Jones hat.) This is hard, especially for someone who is genuinely nice to people and finds it hard to look away when someone speaks to them. Looking at the bright side – you get free life lessons on how to say “no” to people. Because if you don’t master it then and there, you will be surrounded by a crowd of salesmen everywhere you go. The fact is: once you start talking to them, you will end up buying something you actually do not have the need or desire of buying. Besides, negotiating and convincing them that you don’t need another statue of sphynx will usurp much of your precious energy and time. 

It’s the People

In general, people will not give you a hard time there. On contrary. If an Egyptian friend invites you to his/her home, it is not just a polite gesture. And you will not regret saying “yes”. You will be treated as a part of the family, and they will make sure you try all their national dishes and leave with a smile on your face. And if you judge a country by its youth, then Egypt is open, curious and accepting. Even veiled women do not conceal their interest in you. Go to Egypt with an open mind and heart and expect the best. 

 

To me, travelling is not (only) about visiting the places you once read about in school books or admired in the movies. It is more about meeting people, feeling their culture, exploring their way of life, experiencing new things and finally – making memories. It is like having a platonic love affair with the country you visit. If it ends with “mafeesh mushkella” you can be sure that it will stay in your heart forever as a beautiful memory. And it will leave you wanting more. 
My Egyptian friends, I’ll be back! 
Insha’Allah. 😉

Take me anywhere

This question caught my attention today: “Your local electronics store has just started selling time machines, anywhere doors, and invisibility helmets. You can only afford one. Which of these do you buy, and why?”

My choice would definitely be “anywhere doors”. If I had them right now, I would open them and find myself on a beautiful island somewhere in Indonesia or the Pacific Ocean, or maybe in Cairo at my friend’s house, or in Bosnia helping people clean their homes after the floods. And when I would feel like escaping this world, the doors would take me to a dreamland, like Narnia. As a child, I wanted to have a closet just like Lucy …

I don’t need the time machine, because I think the past must remain in the past, and the future will come eventually. The past helped me become a person I am today. Sure, it would be nice to visit the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, or to return to your childhood. However, you have to learn how to live and enjoy the present moment.

Why not the invisible helmet? Though it sounds tempting, it could actually make you feel bad and complicate your life. Do you really want to see what someone is doing behind your back? It could only hurt you, and what do you make of that information? Learn how to recognize the good people in your life and let go of the bad ones. Sure, it would be fun to sneak into some places you have no access to now, but frankly, I am not interested in other people’s lives. The only purpose I see in having an invisible helmet would be to help reveal the secrets corporations, governments and politicians are covering up to people. If the helmet would help me change some things in that respect, to make a better future for all of us, then I’d consider it. But actually, you would need the anywhere door to make it. 😉

Floods, nana and her cake

Meet the humble people of Bosnia. Although they are experiencing one of the worst catastrophies after the war, they haven’t lost their soul.

journalists for animals

Yesterday we visited Olovo. If I had to describe what we saw there in one word that word would surely be sorrow. Along with us, a Red Cross vehicle also headed for Olovo. When we came to town we were surrounded by a sad atmosphere, of people ejecting water from their cellers, cleaning their flooded houses and apartments, lacking in food and water, hoping things will get better, and thanking us for coming by to ask how they were doing.

After Olovo we headed for Zavidovici. We passed trough the flooded villages of Bogdanovici, Krizevici, Solun, Kamenito. “Angel” activists gave away animal food, for those who had nothing left to feed their pets. We could not reach the Rjecica village as it was too dangerous, even in a terrain vehicle to cross the Krivaja river. The locals say that the situation is desperate. They say that the villagers there fled…

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Unrest

Every now and then I write a poem. Though my poems usually follow no rules and probably some would not consider them poems at all, they are, however, feelings put in words. I felt the need to do it again. This “poem” captures some of my current thoughts and feelings … If it touches other people too, I will be happy.

Unrest

Into the depths of my soul 

You have sunken your fingers of wisdom,

Pointing to the unrest inside,

Making sense of indescribable mess.

The quiet voice struggled, 

It struggles no more.

You gave it strength and confidence

I know … I have to let it go,

And trust.

 

Rethink. Recreate. Redream.

Recent loss of my job made me rethink my life. What do I really like? Who am I? Who I want to be? What makes me happy? What goals do I want to achieve in life? It felt like somehow I have lost myself somewhere on my way from the 20s to 30s.

I craved for the answers long before I lost my job. I knew I needed to be stopped somehow. I needed a change in my life. Being a part of downsizing at our company felt as a relief in some weird sense. It enabled me to do just that – stop and think. Suddenly, I had time. A lot of time. So, I started doing what I always liked doing: reading, and creating: exploring different kinds of art and enjoying simple life pleasures. For the past 10 years I was so immersed in my work that it somehow killed my creativity. Although, the funny thing is – I thought my work WAS creative. Then, having a piece of mind and all the time for myself, creative ideas of how to spend my free time started popping up. And in the middle of all these ideas fighting for my attention, I noticed there was one idea, sitting quietly in the corner, glancing at me shyly and I recognized it at once … It was my childhood dream: the idea of becoming a writer. I was sobered up immediately. I knew it: I want to be a writer! I always wanted. That was the reason I studied journalism and English language in the first place. It came as close to writing as I thought possible. It might sound as a cliche, because so many people want to become writers, but the difference is that I believe it will happen. Probably even sooner than I think.

One of the first steps towards my goal was of course: renewing my blog. I started it a few years ago, but due to the lack of time and inspiration, I never really took it seriously. The times have changed now. The blog is now a part of the bigger picture. It is a tool for me to achieve more writing discipline and practice my writing skills. However, I want also to inspire people, hence I chose the name: “Good Karma”. It has little to do with the actual spirituality, although the concept of Karma is very close to me, and I do believe that everything we do, comes back to us (good and bad things). “Karma” is also a shortened from “Karmelina” (my real name) and some people actually call me that (I admit, I didn’t like it at the beginning, but the nickname started to grow on me). And “good” is also a value I value. I am a firm believer that you should “think good, do good and be good” in order to receive the same back. So in my blog, I will try to focus mostly on positive aspects of life, since one of my goals is also to become a better person than I am.

If you want to read more from me, check my old blog GoodKarma.