This morning Kris and i braved the Cairo traffic frenzy ( eg. absense of any system at all)to transport ourselves to the Ramses Wissa Wassaf Art Centre. 3 buses and more than a few beads of perspiration later the journey, which could have passed for a Hollywood high speed cop chase, came to its final destination. Thankfully the art centre was just the tranquil haven that we needed to bring our heart rates back to normal.

The centre was established as an experiment for Wissa Wassaf's philosophy that all children are endowed with a creative power that is generally stifled by the modern lifestyle and education system. So he gave a group of the village children looms and wool and taught them ways to express their imaginations through tapestry, pottery or batik. The first children to join the project are now in their 60's and weaving tapestries that have become internationally famous and which take anythign up to 3 years to produce. The pictures are all of natural scenes or village lifeand are woven with wools which are coloured with natural dyes. They are so intricately designed they are quite mesmirising and even more amazing becaause of the fact it is commpletely created from a picutre in their heads which they do not draw down on paper first of all.

The success of the weaving has given the whole village an income, school and education that they could never have imagined otherwise in such a poverty striken area through the use of traditional skills and crafts which with a bit of inspiration have been completely rekindled when they would otherwise have become dying trades! Its fantastic. I have already asked if i can be added to the scheme but unfortunately i am too old and my creative abilities are beyond help!!!. I mentioned that this could provide them with an even greater challenge and so they have said that they might try and teach me the basics!!!!!! Maybe this could be my hidden talent that i have never realised!!!!I have almost wanted to become a famous tapestry weaver! Or atleast it is another potential proffesion which i havn't tried out yet. ! I have made it my quest in life to try everything out untill, may be one day, i will find something i am truelly amazing at naturally without having to make any effort!!!!! I live in hope.

What ever will she come up with next i hear my mother say.