Posted by Ruby on Nov 3, 2015 in Blog |

I was once obsessed with Ancient Egypt.  At high school we used to write letter to each other as if we were the kings and queens. I was so excited about going to see Sydney Theatre Company’s Antony and Cleopatra when I was 17 (ok, partly because Marcus Graham was playing Marco) that I turned up a month early. Then, when I moved to Paris, I kinda forgot about it all and got all
Frenchy. But a couple of months ago, an Algerian actresses who befriended me at the Oran Film Festival proposed I come with her for the castings in Cairo. The same night I met an Algerian writer/director based in Cairo who said I could visit any time and on the way home I passed a graffitied pyramid. It felt like time I paid a visit.

A google search quickly found me one of my subjects: Caireokee, a local group that became famous during the 2011 revolution who I contacted via Facebook and replied that they’d be happy to hook up; then for timing I found, perfectly the Cairo International Film Festival was having its 37th edition in November. Great! Press pass and accommodation organised I thought I’d quickly check out if there was a tap community. A post on Paris Tap Crew site and I find DanZone Studio want me to teach a class.

I’d forgotten I have family in Egypt! I call my aunt and uncle and they hook me up with the family. With any luck one of them will be be able to show me how to make a Koshary – one of the most famous dishes of Egypt (rice, spaghetti, macaroni, black lentils, chick peas, garlic, with spicy tomato sauce and fried onions). Otherwise there’s stuffed pigeon apparently! Just ask Anthony Boudain about it.

I’ll be blogging here, writing for Get Lost, Issimo Mags and posting on RUBY TV . Can’t wait to share the adventures with you.