2008 Winter Break

25^th Jan (Friday) - Winter holiday begins. Today, I am supposed to go to Makkah with Zaim and Izzat Hadi performing Umra but I have to call it off due to several reasons.

28^th Jan (Monday) - Go to Cairo.

30^th Jan (Wednesday) - Go to some association carnival with Haikal and Faeid. Haziq asks me if I could be one of the judges. I accept it for table-tennis contest, helping Haikal up. It’s the day Faizal, Hafiz and Halim arrived from Moscow. But I couldn’t meet them because they go straight away to Sinai after arriving at 2.00 am. At afternoon, Abdullah Tahir asks me to join Mansoura team for Win, Lose or Draw game. I accept it. We lose at semi-quarter round.

Cairo International Book Fair 2008

31^st Jan (Thursday) - Go to 40^th Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF) with Azrul Azly at 11.00 am. We arrive there at the General Office for International Exhibitions and Fairs’ ground, Nasr City approximately on 12 pm and visit Saudi’s booth before praying because there is too much crowd at the mosque. After praying, we go to every booth there. I buy A History of Modern Middle East by William L Cleveland and The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking by Dale Carnegie. We meet Faisal ‘Arif and Izzul at Hall No. 5 and continue our roam at the exhibition. Then, we go to District 7 after Maghreb prayer and have our dinner at Restoran Nil. I and Azrul returned to Sayeda Zeinab and both Faisal and Izzul returned to ARMA, Abbasia.

1^st Feb (Friday) - After Jumu’ah prayer, I go to some association’s carnival closing ceremony with Haikal and Yusri. At last, I manage to meet Faizal before he and his friends go to Asfour, Shoubra el-Khaima. I was so lucky today because three friends of mine treated me! First, by Yusri. Second, by Ust Jamal. Third by Haikal. Thank God and thanks to them. Then, I go to Sayeda Zeinab to stay at Faeid’s house with he himself, Haikal, Hanifah and Yusri.

2^nd Feb (Saturday) - I, Damak and Faeid go to Cairo International Book Fair. Entrance is free with Student ID, otherwise we have to pay LE 1. Wandering around booths selling international books, just for window shopping. Damak plans to buy Coloured Atlas of Human Anatomy and I manage to buy مصحف دارالصحابة في القراءات العشر المتواترة من طريق طيبة النشر . But, I have no idea what Faeid buy.

3^rd Feb (Sunday) - I planned to return home tonight but I had to cancel it. I go to District 7to attend editorial meeting for SKEK Issue No. 40 and No. 41. I am proud to be here and to work with great people of the top Malay magazine in Egypt. Muhammad Firdaus Mat Daud was replaced by Wan Mohd Hafiz as Editor-in-Chief. During this meeting, I manage to change ‘Perubatan’ column into ‘Kesihatan’ column. And I propose general election issue and it was accepted as mini focus of SKEK No. 40. After the meeting, I visit Lah Hussen’s house. We go to Rumah Perlis and have our dinner and some hard-talk there. The meal is Nasi Paprik. It is extremely hot, so as our discussion. Later, I go back to Sayeda Zeinab.

4^th (Monday) - CIBF is extended until Thursday, 7^th of February.

Mosque of Sultan Hassan

Mohammed Ali's Mosque

6^th Feb (Wednesday) - Approximately at 11.30 am, I go to Citadel of Salah al-Din (best known as Qal’ah Salahuddin) with Damak, Safwan and Baihaqi. We take taxi ride for LE 6 fare. We visit National Military Museum before praying Zuhr at an-Nasir Muhammad Qalāwūn Mosque. Next, we visit Mohammed Ali’s Mosque. It was built on the hilltop. Then, we enter a museum that was once al-Gawhara Palace. After that, we take a scenic view of ‘The Triumphant City’ (Cairo) before visiting National Police Museum. We return to Mounira at 3 pm and have our lunch (you can call it tea time ‘coz it’s too late in the afternoon) at Baghal Restaurant. The meal is ‘ish bread, shakshukah and shawerma. I pray ‘Asr and went to Akmal Huzaifah’s house to attend I-MAN’s editorial meeting. I am suffering of headache and ask Akmal for some painkiller. Then, I returned to Sayeda Zeinab - again.

7^th Feb (Thursday) - 8.30 pm: Bring Faizal and his gang to Mansoura from District 7. We try to take a van at Ramses Square. 30 minutes has passed and since we cannot afford to wait any longer as there’s no transport to go to Mansoura, we opt to move to Abboud Station to take transport from there. We arrive at Mansoura on 11.30 pm – too late for visiting people. Unfortunately for Ikram, we hit his house first and have kabbsah meal, thanks for his kind treat.

8^th Feb (Friday) - 3.30 am: Crazy thing I’ve ever done in my life. Staying for only four hours at home before returning to Cairo with Faizal and his fellas. Luckily, there’s a Peugeot awaiting for us at Utubis Gadid. The road to Cairo is covered by fog but thank God, nothing bad happens. We arrived at Abboud at Fajr prayer calling. We go to District 7 via Ramses and pray Fajr at ‘Ibad ur-Rahman Mosque (a mosque converted from a church). Faizal and his gang go to Souq Shafi’e (Cairo’s Sotheby’s) - somewhere around Mausoleum of Imam Shafi’e and Sayeda Nafisa Mosque, well, I donno exactly, while I go to Ust Din’s house. They return to Moscow tonight. Farewell and have a good journey.

What about 2009? Coming soon...