Seven Girls

My Islamic architecture class took a fieldtrip this weekend to the Northern cemetery, where we visited various Fatimid shrines. Then we piled back into our minibus in search of the shrines of the Seven Girls. Our professor wasn't sure that we would be able to find them since, despite being the earliest mausolea (how do I pluralize this?) in Egypt (dated to 1010 A.D.), they are at risk of being demolished. Houses have been built all around them and only four of the seven remain. There are no markers, no real entrance, and the only protection they have from the encroaching community is a short, stone wall.


The kids appear to have a great time playing here, however, especially when their pet albino donkey comes out to run around. Every child should have a pet albino donkey.


I don't usually take pictures of kids, especially since I then feel compelled to give them change and I don't especially like to encourage these kids to beg, but this boy and girl were so adorable (and pose-y!) that I couldn't resist. I have been seeing a lot of children lately that I find completely adorable. . . There must be something wrong with me.


The night before this fieldtrip was what we Americans like to call the second greatest day of the year: Halloween (the greatest night of the year is Christmas). I went to a party at my friends' place, which is blissfully within walking distance of my apartment. Coem to think on it, there are no less than four apartments in which friends of mine live which are within walking distance of this place.

Three separate individuals looked at my costume and and asked me whether I was Little Red Riding Hood. But I wasn't wearing any red! Nor a hood! Obviously they were behind in their injections of childhood nostalgia juice.

Here I am with my giant puppy companion, mid-serenade.


There was a picture of the puppy and I where I looked a bit more human, but I accidentally deleted it from my camera. Oh well, here's some more pictures: