Suzanne's camel poses for a picture. Joe taking a break on the quad.








Suzanne enjoying tea in a Bedouin room.

July August 2005

JULY-AUGUST NEWSLETTER
2005
Marhaba! That is Arabic for hello. Well, it was another exciting couple of months for us with the highlight being our trip to Egypt. We were there a week prior to the bombing at a Red Sea Resort. We stayed at a Red Sea resort but quite a ways south of Sharm el Sheikh. We’re glad that we were not there at that time of course but it seems that now-a-days there’s no truly safe place to go. When we were discussing our vacation plans and where we’d like to go, London was one of our choices. Some people thought we were picking a dangerous place to go to when we were considering Egypt but no one thought anything about us going to London. As luck would have it, London would have been a bad choice because the first bombing occurred while we were in Egypt. So I say, live life, have fun, and pray for peace!

20 YEARS AND COUNTING
On July 1st, Joe “celebrated” 20 years in the US Air Force Band. I put the word celebrated in quotations because I’m not sure it’s the correct word to describe his time. Here are some other choices that might work: survived, enjoyed, endured, tolerated, suffered, lasted, benefited from, profited from, etc. He has one more year here in Germany and then he will retire. Then a new life will begin.

SAYING GOODBYE IS HARD TO DO
One of the benefits of military life is that you literally have friends all over the world. It also means you must say goodbye or hopefully, see ya’ later, to those same friends. We have been lucky in that we have not moved much. In fact, in 20 years we have only moved 3 times. We lived in New Jersey for 6 years, Virginia for 10 years, and Germany will be 5 years. However, here in Germany the turnover is quite high for a myriad of reasons. Most tours are only 3 years. We were able to extend to 5 years which makes us long-termers compared to many of our friends. We have been to so many farewell parties, that I am simply tired of saying goodbye. Most of these people we will probably never see again. Some we may cross paths by chance. And a small few, we know we’ll see because they moved to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois which is close to where we will retire. I’ve said goodbye to 3 friends from school, we’ve said goodbye to about 5 people from the band (and more in August), and we said goodbye to one of Joe’s hockey buddies. Please pardon my language, but saying goodbye is damned hard to do!



HURGHADA, EGYPT
You are probably wondering how we ever selected Egypt as a holiday destination. Actually, we didn’t. It wasn’t on our list of places to see. In fact, we only had European places on our list. We considered several options including London, Ireland, and Spain. Before we were sure we would even get a vacation, we considered a short trip to Berlin. We decided to talk to a travel agent when Joe’s leave time was approved and she mentioned Egypt and how much she loves it there so we kept an open mind and looked into it. We selected a beach resort and the price was unbelievably low. We spent 7 days in Hurghada, Egypt at a 5 star Red Sea Resort Hotel. We spent several days at the beach with water that is incredibly clear. It’s a turquoise blue like none we’d ever seen before. The Red Sea is the saltiest sea in the world and you couldn’t keep from floating in the water. I always thought it was the Dead Sea that had that claim to fame, but they say it’s theirs. Everyday we would sit out on the beach, reading our books, lollygagging in the water and just plain enjoying life when all of a sudden we’d hear a strange, magnified sound. It seemed to be coming from one of the hotels. It almost sounded like moaning. As the moaning continued, we realized that a mosque was right there on the beach promenade and the men were completing their prayers. They pray 5 times a day and lunchtime is one of the times. We’d also hear the same moaning prayers as we sat at a pub sipping a beer or glass of wine in the evening. This seemed quite a contrast and I wondered what the people really thought about all the tourism in their country. Egypt is not a wealthy country and the tourism has brought a lot of jobs and money into their country. The dichotomy can be quite confusing.
Speaking of jobs, we did not see one woman working anywhere at all. This country’s religion is mostly Muslim. And the traditions are quite different from what Americans and Europeans are used to seeing. Prior to our trip, I did as much reading and research as I could to be prepared to visit this country. While directly in the resort area, it is appropriate to wear typical beach clothes. But when entering any other areas, women should dress as modestly as possible. Although the temperature was about 100 degrees everyday, I still brought long sleeve blouses and skirts or pants that would cover my knees. I was not trying to act like a Muslim but I do think it is important to be respectful of the people and their culture. The Europeans did not adhere to this and I think the Egyptians are used to it but still feel uncomfortable around the scantily clad women. We made a friend, Ali, while there and he spent a little time explaining the Koran to us when we went on an outing with him (I’ll tell more about that later). It is their belief that there is one woman for the man. No other man can have her. She should always be covered head to toe with the exception of her face and sometimes her eyes only. Her body is for her husband only. The logic behind this is that if a woman dresses provocatively, other men will look at her. As Ali said, “Thees is not correctly.” Those other men may think of her when they go to sleep and according to the Koran, this is the same as violating her and is against the religion. While I do see the logic, I don’t think I’ll be converting anytime soon!
Egyptians are very nice and polite people. They have a pleasant aura about them that seemed to permeate everything around them. They all speak English which was good except that I didn’t get to practice the few Arabic words that I learned. They also speak German. This part of Egypt was probably visited by about 90% Germans with Russians next and then a smattering of Brits and people from the Scandinavian countries. When they would hear us speak English, they immediately thought we were from England. It seems that non-native English speakers do not hear the lilting accent that we do. After realizing we were not British, they tried Norway, Ireland, and Sweden and were shocked to hear we were Americans. Most of them had never seen an American before. We were like some kind of anomaly! Several of them even asked if I had a single sister. I said yes and was offered 100 camels for her! I’m sorry, Stephanie, but I just think you’re worth more than that. Hee, hee. On one outing we were referred to as, USA! And on another outing we were called America. When we went snorkeling, the captain of the boat asked my name. I told him and he said that Suzanne is an Arabic name. I assured him that I ‘m not Arabic but he said they call her Suzi. If you know me at all, I don’t answer to anything but Suzanne. Suzi just doesn’t suit me. But on that trip I was either Suzi or Miss America.
So now you know that one of our outings was an all day snorkeling trip. This was the highlight of the trip. We went to 4 different islands including the Giftun Islands. Apparently the Red Sea is famous for its coral and unusual fish. There are fish there that are no where else in the world. I think scuba divers would be familiar with this place. I bought a disposable underwater camera and tried to capture the beauty that I saw. The captain took me under his wing and took me out to places that no one else got to see, including Joe. I guess this American got special attention. I am not a fish aficionado so I don’t know the correct names of the fish I saw but here’s my own names for what I saw: rainbow fish, black/yellow fish, torpedo fish, jellyfish, manta, moray eel, black/purple fish, starfish, anemones, and so many beautiful colors of coral. I literally swam through hundreds of jellyfish and didn’t get stung once. The drivers of the boat would throw out bread crumbs and hundreds of tiny black and white fish would swarm us. It was an amazing experience and one we won’t soon forget.
Our other outing was with Ali. We rode quads or 4x4 vehicles with about 15 other people into the Arabian Desert. After donning a scarf around our heads and faces we learned how to operate the quads. We spent about 45 minutes driving out to visit with a Bedouin tribe. This was probably one of the most humbling experiences we’ve ever had. In my research, I learned that it is impolite to take pictures of the people without asking and often they will deny it. In this case, we were able to take pictures freely because the Bedouin people had a deal with the tour company we were with. As you can imagine, the desert is very hot. I expected that but I didn’t realize just how hot it is in Egypt. They average anywhere from 1-3 days of rain and those are only 10 minute showers…..per year! So this was truly a barren desert. There were no living plants anywhere. It was only dirt and sand and more dirt and sand. The Bedouins do dig wells but the water is only drinkable for their camels. The deal they made with Ali was that he could bring tour groups out in exchange for bottled water. Not money, not food, but water. When you see how these people live, you understand that they literally have nothing but a few items in their possession. Their homes are made of straw and sticks strung together with string. The “Big Boss” as Ali called him, had a concrete structure that was probably about 8’x8’. We first were served tea and had the opportunity to smoke the shisha pipe. We then walked around their living areas then had a camel ride. That was not the most comfortable thing I’ve ever done but definitely an experience. After being out in the heat, Ali took us to the “store” in case we wanted to purchase something to drink. It is incredible how the Egyptian people can take the heat. I suppose if you’ve been living in that environment your whole life, your body adjusts. Ali was very considerate of his many European and two American friends. The “store” was just another hut, at best, where they sold us water and soda. I imagine that are practically millionaires in their eyes. After enjoying our drinks we went on to visit a 62 year old woman whose job was to make flatbread for the families. She made the bread with flour and water only and cooked it over camel dung. Ali explained to us that she had a ring in her nose and her face covered which indicated that she was a married woman. We then headed over to the arts and crafts section of this village. Here, the women made jewelry, herbal medicines, and rugs. The Bedouin people are very famous for their handmade rugs. They are usually made from camel hair. Joe just purchased 4 rugs from Turkey for our new home, so we didn’t buy anything from them. I know that this deal they have with Ali has been very important to their survival. Just before dinner, Ali showed us the one tree that was living in the desert. It is called the “Love Tree”. Each couple went and sat in the tree and kissed. When it was our turn, he wanted to see if Americans were better kissers than Europeans. No matter where we go, we seem to stand out! But rest assured, we gave our all in honor of our country.J We finally took a break and were served a traditional meal by the Bedouin men. The day ended with a climb up the dunes to view the sunset. It was an absolutely beautiful sight. We drove back across the desert and literally collapsed into bed that night.
Shopping in Egypt is an adventure. The markets, or souq, have everything you can imagine. We wanted to get something unique but not too pricey. We were not looking for trinkets. As you can imagine, we are always looking for something different to put in our new home. Joe has had more experience with bargaining and how to ignore them. Me, being me, fell hook, line, and sinker. As I mentioned previously, Americans are a rare site in Egypt. When they found out our nationality, they used every gimmick in the book to get us into their store. One very nice man kept us captivated for 30 minutes in his store. He said, “We make no business today. I just show you. This is how I do business.” He proceeded to explain each and every item in his store. He directed his questions to me, not Joe and asked what I liked and how much I thought it was worth. I tried not to say anything but realized that we were not getting out of there unless I said something. We semi- argued about prices and he said he wanted to see us again. He took Joe’s hand and said, “I promised you we make no business today. I kept my promise. Now, you will come back to my store?” Joe said yes just so we could leave and then the man said, “American promise? Because I know American promise is good promise.” Joe promised and we got out of there as fast as we could. If we could, we’d give him an Academy Award for effort. By the way, we did not honor our American promise. A few days later, we were exploring another part of town in the morning when most shops are not open. Unfortunately, the perfume shop was open. We tried to walk away when the store owner was calling us to come in and look. Finally, he caught up with us, found out our nationality and asked us to please come sign his book of visitors. He had never had any Americans in his store before. I knew exactly what was happening but fell for it again. Joe was slightly unhappy with meL Of course, we had to sit down to write in the book, then all of a sudden, some tea appeared on the table for us, the door closed and the show began. I even told him I didn’t wear perfume and he said that was because I didn’t have Egyptian perfume. After 30 minutes we finally got out of there and I promised not to let it happen again. I did keep that promise but it wasn’t easy.
Our last night in Egypt was spent in our room. We decided to sit out on the balcony, have a drink and watch the entertainment from there. We were just talking and enjoying the atmosphere when Joe noticed that his glass was empty. Being the dutiful wife that I am, I got up to go inside and fill it up. I had a bit of trouble with the door and realized that it was locked and we were stuck outside on the third floor balcony. At first we laughed, then we began to panic and I was trying to figure out how to repel of the balcony while Joe tried to wiggle the door free. After a good 15 minutes, he nearly took the door apart and got it open and we were saved. We decided we’d continue the evening in the comforts of our hotel room.

We wondered if this trip would have been so easy to take as far as customs and passport control go if we’d gone from the states. I think it would have been much more difficult. We were traveling with a German company and Ott is a German name so no one knew we were Americans until we showed our passports. Egypt thrives on tourism so it was no problem getting a visa or going through customs and lines moved amazingly quick.. This is just one more wonderful opportunity that we were able to take advantage of while living in Europe. Remember, just one more year left for you to come see us.J

FREE ENTERTAINMENT WHILE PERFORMING
Joe recently played a gig at a local festival. If you live in Germany, you can find a celebration going on just about every day of the week but definitely every weekend. This festival was in a town called Imsweiler and was held on a small airstrip. If you saw it, you’d think it was more of a field. It was a hot air balloon festival and to see these beautiful balloons sailing across the mountains is a wonderful sight. There was plenty of entertainment which included the Jazz Combo that Joe was playing with. There were helicopter rides, airplane shows, fire dancers but mostly food and beer. That is until the body painting started. I’m sure you’ve seen people have art air brushed onto their bodies but I’m pretty sure you have not seen what we saw. A quite attractive, fit and young girl simply took off her top and two people began to air brush a shirt onto her upper body. It took about 45 minutes and was stunning when it was completed. However, for us uptight Americans, it was a bit shocking. You couldn’t help but stare. I wondered to myself, “Am I staring at this naked woman or am I simply in awe at the artwork being done on her body.” Joe will tell you that as a man, he was admiring the artwork. Hmmm…….what’s his version of artwork? Lucky for the band, they were on a break during this particular entertainment of the evening.
ZOE DEPENDENCY
As a member of the Air Force, Joe must keep fit and in shape. All members of the Air Force are now required to run a 1 ½ miles a minimum of 3 days per week. Joe does this grudgingly only because he doesn’t enjoy running. I used to but it lost its luster a few years ago. Well, long story short, he talked me into joining him and we are running about 3 miles which is nearly 5 kilometers. The base was sponsoring what they so lovingly call, a 5K Fun Run. Once again, Joe talked me into joining him in the fun. I agreed but was worried about completing it. I had no desire to win or have a good time, I just wanted to complete it. I had some serious anxiety about the venture. Let me explain. When we go by ourselves, we take Zoë. We walk about a ½ mile which gives her time to do her business. Then we run a little over 2 miles. On the first mile, Joe takes Zoë’s leash in his hand. On the second mile, I wrap the leash around my waist and she helps me keep up a good pace with Joe. The last ½ mile is walked as a cool down. The “fun run” did not include any walking and although it is unimaginable, Zoë was not invited. You have no idea how much I depend on her 4 little strong legs to keep me going. Well, you’ll be happy to know that my 2 little legs survived the run and didn’t give out on me. Now, I’m hooked on running again and there’s a glimmer of that lost luster coming back.