What a Feeling

Ever since Ramadan started, it has been a goal of mine to help out at one of the “Table of Gods” that exist throughout Cairo. I refer to them as Ramadan Tents, and I probably mentioned them in a previous blog post. They’re basically designed to feed poor people. And one of the principles of Ramadan is that if you can’t fast, you must feed 10 poor people.

I’ve eaten at them three times. But not because the food is free or because I have some sick desire to steal food from poor people. For one, it’s a cultural experience not to be missed and I won’t lie…these tents feature the best rice in Cairo. I still maintain to this day that the first meal I had at the tent close to my work was the best meal I’ve had to date.

To return the favour, I went and helped serve food today. Words cannot describe the experience. It was simultaneously the coolest and most rewarding thing I’ve probably ever done. Volunteer work in Canada just doesn’t compare.

It started off with my accomplice, Megan, and I trying to work out what we could do to help. One of the guys there spoke a bit of Russian, so he greeted me accordingly and we were able to work some stuff out.

There were only a couple of patrons sitting, waiting for that all-important eating hour. So, we served them date juice, bread, sweets, and provided each with a spoon. After a few minutes, more and more people started to pile in. My main job was to take a tray full of sweets and deliver one sweet to each person.

It was great. People were thanking me in Arabic, Russian, German, English, Spanish, and French. I was doing my best to speak Arabic back, but I could really only ask them if the food was good and say “You’re welcome.” And the best part was that most were sincerely thankful for the food they were eating, and not because of the novelty of some white person serving them.

We met one guy who spoke English quite well and had a dream to live in Canada one day. He helped us out a lot and was able to direct us to various tasks that needed doing. There was also a group of three guys who were learning Russian. So, I stopped the serving for a bit to talk to them in. I found it amazing that we were speaking to each other in a language they had only been learning for two months and I hadn’t spoken for a year. Ironically, I’ve been speaking Russian with an Estonian girl lately, so I was actually a bit prepared to talk to these guys.

What made the entire time was when an older woman, wearing a golabeya, said a heartfelt “Thank you” to me as she left.

I just wish I could’ve done this more often.