Korba

On the next weekend I get to know this popular part of Heliopolis by detour: There is an Anglican church here in which a new reverend recently took up his ministry. My congregation in Zamalek, were he served before that goes to visit him and his family after service. After a long drive we reach the compound including a small church, a house serving as vicarage and community hall and a patch of grass between them. The church has recently been renovated and a stone wall confines the whole assembly, creating a green oasis of peace and (relative) quiet in the city. We share food, play with the kids and talk enjoying the summer Sunday afternoon atmosphere.

The Anglican St. Michael's Church

After a good conversation with the reverends daughter I set off to explore the architecture and shops of this popular neighborhood. To begin with I find a place where I get very good ice cream in an even better cone! I walk around eating, still appreciating that Ramadan is over and I can have ice cream on a sunny summer afternoon and enjoy the beautiful buildings. After not finding anything much but books on (Christian) religion and Egyptian monuments (in English, Arabic and German) in a typical combination of book store and stationary shop, I once again end up in one of the big modern book shops, this time not Diwan, but Shorouk. Actually I like it even better. The air conditioning is not too cold, the music is very nice and there is a large children’s section. I am looking for voweled books, that means texts for early readers which include the small signs indicating the short vowels otherwise not written in Arabic script. I look at a book with large illustrations and some three sentences to each side. I am both surprised and exhilarated as I recognize the story to be set in Hamburg: The little girl asking whether it is supposed to be like that (that her canary died) is not walking through just any German park, it’s the Stadtpark with the landmark of a huge former water-tower now used as a planetarium. Of course, I have to get this book! I thoroughly look at the English section, especially the translations from Arabic, make some notes on which books to get later in Germany if possible as I don’t want to risk too much with the Lufthansa baggage limit. I also enjoy the rich display of modern well designed Arab books, though I cannot even understand the titles. I sit down for a while testing some English books I definitely need to get soon. When I feel up to some more walking in the sun and get up to leave the shop, I pass by an Arab copy of Hitler’s “Mein Kampf”. I saw this in another shop before, but it still horrifies me… Well. I still like the shop and wonder if I shouldn’t.

Korba - with somewhat confusing street signs: they both carry the same name pointing to different directions...

I get home to Sainte Fatima shortly before sunset. The light and the smell of small fires on wagons over which some men roast corn, instantly reminds me of Easter, springtime, the bonfires we make in Northern Germany in the Easter night. For some reason the whole evening has an air of a new beginning to it.