A thoroughly modern meeting
By Annie Higgins, Financial TimesPublished: Nov 06, 2003
http://search.ft.com/ftArticle?queryText=annie+higgins&y=13&x=25&id=031106001333&ct=0
From Dr Annie C. Higgins.
Sir, Salamander Davoudi ("Rooms for Cairo's restless renegades", October 22) invites us to new art gallery viewings in Cairo: "A wealth of modernism lies at your fingertips: just look in the phone book." The greatest indicator of modernism to me is the existence of a viable phone book! When I was serving a summer study-tour in Egypt some years ago, one participant had the first name of his father's cousin's friend's former colleague in Cairo from decades before, whom he wanted to look up. Phone books were non-existent, and I was told that if I did chance upon one, it would not have correct or current information. So I used the old-fashioned method, and asked strangers about a Jewish doctor with this particular first name. Result: someone knew of him and his whereabouts, so my American visitor met him in person. It was quicker than finding a phone book, and as modern as any meeting can be.
Annie C. Higgins, Chicago, IL, US
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