Egyptian Tour Hits Right Note

The Scene: A first night on the town in exotic Cairo for the happy campers who signed up for the Music Center’s two-week tour of Egypt. After an exhausting day of viewing such legendary sites as Memphis in 100-degree heat, tour-goers enjoyed a sound and light show at the Pyramids of Giza, then dined inside a Bedouin-style tent at the Back of the Moon restaurant.

The Buzz: Mostly whispered comments about the sound and light show. The dramatic production, which had the Sphinx and nearby pyramids bathed in light, was in Arabic. One guest remarked: “I kind of liked it in Arabic. It was like watching an opera.”

Quoted: When some of the guests expressed consternation about the Arabic-language show, an Egyptian guest replied: “IBM.” Pardon? He explained this is a commonly used shorthand for three sayings: inshallah, which means “if God wills it,” bukra, meaning “tomorrow” and malesh, “never mind” or “no big deal.”

Dress Mode: A sort of California/Egyptian casual that saw Loretta Scherer in a turquoise and salmon water-silk ensemble and a brass cuff necklace embellished with a cutout of the eye of Horus, an Egyptian god who brings good luck. “I found it at a City of Hope benefit boutique in Los Angeles,” Scherer said. On her ears: matching brass earbobs adorned with the face of a generic Pharaoh.

Fashion Statement: Sheila Stern wore pants topped with a sequin-sprinkled T-shirt printed with bold and colorful abstract design, and explained she has two kinds of travel wardrobes, one for countries her husband, Steven, will visit (he dislikes traveling in Third World countries and stayed at home) and one for “Stevie countries” (countries he will visit). “Steven wouldn’t like this shirt,” she said.

The Food: At the sound and light show the revelers, not wanting to spoil their appetites for the dinner to come, sipped Egyptian coffee, tea or Stella, Egypt’s mellow lager. Dinner at the restaurant, decorated with dizzying and beautiful Arabesque motifs, included fresh tomato soup, green salad, lamb and beef on brochette, brown rice flecked with liver and for dessert Konafa, the special dish cooked up for Ramadan that combines a thin, grill-cooked noodle with ground peanuts and sugar.

On the Tour: Hannah and Edward Carter, retired founding partner of Carter Hawley Hale; Betty Deutsch; George and Vivienne Gish; Roberta and David Haft; Katherine Helmond, an actress on “Who’s the Boss?”; George and Phillis Jenkins; Doris Kelly; Sally and Garth Lee; Fran and Richard Muir; Howard and Vera Panosian; Rita and Morris Pynoos; Edward and Gloria Renwick; Richard Waldron; and Brian and Marlene Billington. (She planned the tour.)

Triumphs: With 105 travelers donating 20% of each of their $3,774 (per person double occupancy) fares, the Music Center stands to pour more than $40,000 into its arts coffers.

Point to Ponder: “Everybody fears time but time fears the pyramids.” --Old Egyptian saying