Growing up Canadian in an Egyptian household wasn't always straightforward. All the fun holidays and traditions were forbidden as my parents either interpreted them as either Christian or Devil Worship.
After Christmas, all the teachers and kids at school would talk about what presents they received. I received nothing. For a while I thought Santa never came to our home because I was bad at some point. Easter was okay. My mother thought the rabbit and eggs were cute. We colored boiled eggs and ate them from breakfast. I had to explain and reconfirm the tooth fairy leaving money under my pillow ritual to my parents several times, I remember their laughter and giggles. Halloween was a big one and I absolutely insisted on participating. My parents let me, but on several conditions and compromises. I would make all the decorations, ghosts, pumpkins and bats, but they would go up on the windows Halloween evening and would be taken down the next morning. I could carve a pumpkin put a candle in it and leave it outside for just a little while. My mother would take it in before it spoiled from the candle or cold and make pumpkin jam. I got to go trick or treating but my parents never gave out any candy.
Our community center in Ottawa was large and active with many programs. A new addition was the drum room where all the kids in the neighborhood would get free drum lessons for a $5 deposit. I was so excited and wanted to play the drums badly. Michael Jackson was at the height of his popularity and Prince was just coming out with a wicked drumming video. I asked my mother for the $5 deposit and was refused. This was too strange for her, no one of any class in Egypt played the drums. A few days later at school my teacher asked me to go to piano lessons at lunch recess. I said I wasn't in piano, she said yes you are, your mother called and enrolled you. Since I had expressed an interest in music, she enrolled me in piano as it was refined and classy. Piano would make her proud but drums would not. The thing is, she never asked me or told me anything about piano. Her wishes always superseded mine and with no consultation. There was also karate, but that was too dangerous. Sleepovers were forbidden and dangerous too. Summer camp was a definite no, they might have fed me pork there. Michael Jackson came to Montreal during that time. All the kids at our community center got free tickets to the show. We were going to be bused there and back. all the kids from school were going too. Like everyone else at the time I was enthralled with Michael Jackson and his Thriller album. My father was dead set against this and resented popular culture. He felt Michael Jason's popularity was unnatural, in conflict with Islam, and elevated him as a false deity. It was sacrilegious. The community center worker pleaded with my dad to let me go, my father's response stills rings in my ears "No, we are Egyptian...No, we are Egyptian". To this day, I regret not being able to play the drums or go see Michael Jackson' Thriller tour.
After Christmas, all the teachers and kids at school would talk about what presents they received. I received nothing. For a while I thought Santa never came to our home because I was bad at some point. Easter was okay. My mother thought the rabbit and eggs were cute. We colored boiled eggs and ate them from breakfast. I had to explain and reconfirm the tooth fairy leaving money under my pillow ritual to my parents several times, I remember their laughter and giggles. Halloween was a big one and I absolutely insisted on participating. My parents let me, but on several conditions and compromises. I would make all the decorations, ghosts, pumpkins and bats, but they would go up on the windows Halloween evening and would be taken down the next morning. I could carve a pumpkin put a candle in it and leave it outside for just a little while. My mother would take it in before it spoiled from the candle or cold and make pumpkin jam. I got to go trick or treating but my parents never gave out any candy.
Our community center in Ottawa was large and active with many programs. A new addition was the drum room where all the kids in the neighborhood would get free drum lessons for a $5 deposit. I was so excited and wanted to play the drums badly. Michael Jackson was at the height of his popularity and Prince was just coming out with a wicked drumming video. I asked my mother for the $5 deposit and was refused. This was too strange for her, no one of any class in Egypt played the drums. A few days later at school my teacher asked me to go to piano lessons at lunch recess. I said I wasn't in piano, she said yes you are, your mother called and enrolled you. Since I had expressed an interest in music, she enrolled me in piano as it was refined and classy. Piano would make her proud but drums would not. The thing is, she never asked me or told me anything about piano. Her wishes always superseded mine and with no consultation. There was also karate, but that was too dangerous. Sleepovers were forbidden and dangerous too. Summer camp was a definite no, they might have fed me pork there. Michael Jackson came to Montreal during that time. All the kids at our community center got free tickets to the show. We were going to be bused there and back. all the kids from school were going too. Like everyone else at the time I was enthralled with Michael Jackson and his Thriller album. My father was dead set against this and resented popular culture. He felt Michael Jason's popularity was unnatural, in conflict with Islam, and elevated him as a false deity. It was sacrilegious. The community center worker pleaded with my dad to let me go, my father's response stills rings in my ears "No, we are Egyptian...No, we are Egyptian". To this day, I regret not being able to play the drums or go see Michael Jackson' Thriller tour.
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