Impressions of Cairo
Last weekend I went on a last-minute trip to Cairo with a colleague. I literally bought the flight less than three hours before the plane left. I couldn’t be happier that I did.
The fact that Egypt is most definitely a “third world” country smacked me in the face the instant we walked out the door. Until this trip I hadn’t realized how relatively calm things are on the roads in Riyadh, how few people heckle you for cab rides as you exit the international terminal, and how by comparison, the city is clean, modern, and bright. That isn’t to say that Cairo wasn’t an incredible place to be, but more a confession that I had frankly nearly forgotten that Cairo IS, in fact, in Africa. In many ways it felt much more like Quito or Mexico City than Riyadh or Bahrain, the only other two major cities in the region I have experienced thus far.
Two other impressions of the city have really stuck with me from this trip. First, that the pyramids are literally right on the edge of town. As you cross the river Nile on the highway, you begin to see off in the distance, past the agricultural fields cultivated practically in the middle of neighborhoods, past the tall apartments in the distance, the tips of the pyramids. As you approach, you begin to realize that the neighborhoods around the pyramids run practically smack into their base. Once you reach the pyramids, however, you reach the desert, and there is very, very little to see in the distance.
The second realization was that the Nile is a HUGE river. Keep in mind that Saudi Arabia, which has deserts and a climate that looked very similar to the dunes at Giza, has no permanent rivers or lakes. By contrast, the Nile is truly massive, and allows vibrant green plant life to thrive along its banks that stands in sharp contrast to the many deteriorating buildings, dirty roadways, and deserts beyond.
On my second day in Cairo, after my colleague Magnus had already headed off to the airport to return to Saudi, I took a leisurely trip to the Egyptian Museum. While it was a mess of a museum, full to the brim with artifacts of staggering importance with little or no explanation or signage, once I found a knowledgeable guide, its secrets began to reveal themselves.
The man who led me through the place was actually an archaeologist by trade and training, and full of incredible stories of an empire that truly came to life for me when looking at the artifacts in the museum. He is actually going to be part of a National Geographic documentary on possible new cures to cancer which have been uncovered through examination of the DNA of mummies which suffered from Leukemia by had apparently lived for decades before dying of other causes.
The energy devoted to ensuring a shot at reincarnation through mummification and tombs just amazing, and the luxuries that existed for the royalty were staggering. It was incredible to see King Tutankhamen’s famous gold mask sitting rather inconspicuously in the treasures room, and to learn that one of the famous black stone sculptures (whose significance I have already forgotten) was actually carved with diamonds.
The trip was like an appetizer, and has left me with a strong desire to return to Egypt and explore more of the nation’s history through a visit to Luxor and Ramses Temple. Who knows, maybe I will find another opportunity sometime soon. Unfortunately, that seems unlikely unless my next project sends me to Africa.
For now, it’s off to Dubai on Tuesday for the total juxtaposition: a city with little history, but with a present and future built to dimensions which are almost impossible to imagination. I hope the experience is just as fascinating and rewarding.
Previous Lives: Uphill and Down in San Francisco
Today I was trying to remember the mailing address for Monitor’s office in San Francisco, and googled “Monitor Group San Francisco.” With a bit of amusement, I realized that a BusinessWeek article written about me (well, more like BY me) about a year and a half ago is the third hit that comes up.
I figure it’s worth linking to the article from here to say “yes, that’s me” and smile to think about how much has changed since then.
“Consulting is a fun job with a tough work schedule,” says this Georgetown grad, who bikes the famous hills to work each day
Mitchapalooza - Good Times with Good Friends
In just two days, I am heading back to San Francisco after more than three months living abroad. I return home having spent time in both in the dangerous, terror-stricken London, and the sunny-skied Riyadh. The occasion of this triumphant return? Mitchapalooza 2007.
The weekend involves relaxing, wine tasting, having fun in the sun, and eating great food up at the Russian River in Northern California. My friends and I take over my extended family’s cabin for two nights and take full advantage of Sonoma County and the ability to truly “escape” the city. Last year even included some great canoing and rope swinging into the river - hopefully a dry summer won’t mean water levels are so low that these are outside the realm of possibility.
Mitchapalooza 2006 was one of those great weekends when you can say for certain that you’ve had one of the best times of your life because you’ve spent the time with some of your best friends. Receiving a link to the t-shirt from ‘06 today made me remember just how great it was. A friend surprised me with the gift of 15 of these shirts for my friends and I to wear all weekend long.
Here’s to looking forward to Mitchapalooza 2007. Goofy Mitch-grin and all.
My Dream Machine: The Canon 40D
Canon announced yesterday the release of their new digital SLR, the 40D, which is the successor to the dated 20D and 30D models. It’s about time, since Nikon has had a far stronger model in the D80 for quite some time now. The 40D represents significant improvements in terms of LCD size, image density (megapixels), and quality.
Looks like I’ll be blowing a big chunk of change on a new camera - better start saving now! Given that my last vacation to Scotland generated over $200 worth of film development expenses, however, it will end up paying itself off in a couple years.
From Digital Photography Review:
Canon today introduces its latest digital SLR for advanced amateurs and semi-professionals: the EOS 40D. With a 10.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor, 6.5 frames per second burst performance, a newly developed AF system and 3.0” LCD with Live View mode, the EOS 40D makes significant advances in both performance and versatility.
Many thanks to Indranil on sending me this great news!
Day One in Saudi Arabia
My first full day in Riyadh was quite an eye opener. Having arrived last night after dark, it was the first chance I had to see the city. Our office, located on an upper floor of the architecturally fascinating and beautiful Al-Faisaliah Tower, has a sweeping view over the city below, which reflects the bright sun from its white and tan color. The desert is just visible around the edge of the city.
After months of working with colleagues connected only via conference call, it is refreshing to have a team of coworkers here to call my team. Since we will live, work, eat, and travel together over the next three months, there will be plenty of opportunity for me to get tired of them, but right now, I couldn’t be happier with the guys who are here.
Ironically, the first time in my consulting career in which I have had to wear a suit to work every day is in a climate where it rarely drops below 105 degrees F during the day. Even tonight, while I sit and write this, it is nearly 95 degrees. Of course, life here exists in the form of short jaunt from one air conditioned building to another, so it almost doesn’t matter.
And heck, after three months enduring London’s wettest summer on record, seeing a forecast that looks like this simply makes you smile:
