Tag: blog

Categories
Blog

The End

If you don’t know, I am a middle and high school science teacher and I have been working at my current school for ten 𓎆 years now. Earlier this month was my last day at my school – I mentioned a couple of posts ago that I am making some transitions/changes in my life 𓋹 and this is one of them! I’m so grateful for the time I spent at my school and all of the wonderful students I got to teach over the past ten 𓎆 years. 

End
William and I with a geode at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC.

William and I are standing with a geode 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙, which started forming approximately 135 million years ago! While the size of this geode 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙 is awe-inspiring, when I was looking back on the pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦, to me geode 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙 looks like the Hubble Space Telescope images 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 of space. 

Nut 𓏌𓏏𓇯𓀭 was the Egyptian goddess 𓊹𓏏 of the night 𓎼𓂋𓎛𓄛 sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯 and the cosmos. Since my brain relates everything to ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, this reminded me of her and ancient Egyptian mythology surrounding Nut 𓏌𓏏𓇯𓀭 and the cosmos. 

In Middle Egyptian, the words for “night 𓎼𓂋𓎛𓄛” and “end 𓎼𓂋𓎛𓂝𓏛” are very similar words which I find very fitting for today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳. The night 𓎼𓂋𓎛𓄛 is the end 𓎼𓂋𓎛𓂝𓏛 of the day and the end 𓎼𓂋𓎛𓂝𓏛 of Ra’s 𓇳𓏺𓁛 journey across the daytime sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯, but it is also the start of his 12 hour journey into the Duat 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. I’ve always loved the words in the Book of the Dead 𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓏲𓇳𓏺𓍼𓏺 and the Amduat 𓇋𓏶𓅓𓏭𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 so I don’t see this change as an end 𓎼𓂋𓎛𓂝𓏛 right now…

…I will end this with a quote from one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs which is so fitting for me today; “It was the end of a decade, but the start of an age.” 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

Follow me @ancientegyptblog on Instagram and TikTok to learn all about ancient Egypt, hieroglyphs, mythology, culture and more!

Categories
Blog

Turtle Fossil

While ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 is my first love, geology is my second! “Geology” in a very broad term that means the study of the Earth’s structure, makeup and history! Geology isn’t just the study of rocks 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙𓏦 (that is petrology) but paleontology (the study of past life on Earth) falls into that category! I love when I am able to combine my love of geology with ancient Egypt! Read below

Turtle Fossil
William and I with the Turtle Fossil on display at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH)

William and I are standing with an extinct land tortoise called a “Megalochelys atlas” (it used to be referred to as the “Geochelone atlas”) and I always lovingly refer to this fossil as the “Smiling Turtle” because it looks like it is very happy! This big guy lived during the late Pliocene Epoch which was about two million years ago and is the largest land tortoise to ever exist!

In ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, turtles 𓈙𓏏𓄿𓆉𓏦 were seen as an ambiguous force because they were creatures of both land 𓇾 and water 𓈗. Turtles 𓈙𓏏𓄿𓆉𓏦 were also seen as the enemy of Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛, and in chapter 162 of the Book of the Dead, it is stated that “May Ra live, and may the turtle die.” The turtles 𓈙𓏏𓄿𓆉𓏦 that lived in the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 were mostly nocturnal (and definitely not as large as this one), which is probably why they were considered to be Ra’s 𓇳𓏺𓁛 enemy. 

Turtle Fossil
The very large Turtle Fossil on display at the American Museum of Natural History

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

Follow me @ancientegyptblog on Instagram and TikTok to learn all about ancient Egypt, hieroglyphs, mythology, culture and more!

Categories
Blog

Hatshepsut Brochure

My Nonno was the type of person to keep brochures of the places he visited, and I have always done the same because he always told me to! Looking back, I’m so glad he always told me to keep stuff because I love looking back and remembering the fun things we got to do!

Hatshepsut Brochure
Hatshepsut Brochure

I was going through some of my old stuff yesterday, and I found this wonderful little Hatshepsut Brochure! While this is just a piece of paper to most, I picked up this little audio guide ad while at the “Hatshepsut: From Queen to Pharaoh” exhibit that the MET put on in 2006! I remember loving it because it has a picture of my absolute favorite Egyptian antiquity on it! The white limestone statue of Hatshepsut will always be my absolute favorite piece!

My whole family came with me for my birthday and we had such an incredible day at that exhibit. The memories of that day are something that I will cherish forever. Finding this also made me really miss my Nonno; while I miss him so much every single day, finding this made it even more prevalent and I’m still feeling it this morning as I write this out. 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

Follow me @ancientegyptblog on Instagram and TikTok to learn all about ancient Egypt, hieroglyphs, mythology, culture and more!

Categories
Blog

In Memory of Nonno

February 12th is an extremely difficult day for me, as it has been four years since my Nonno passed away. Everything I do is in memory of Nonno. Below is an excerpt of a speech I gave honoring my Nonno at one of his services: 

I have always told people that my Nonno is my favorite person and my favorite teacher.  I’ll tell everyone I meet how much I love my Nonno and Nonna.  Nonno and I shared a love of ancient Egyptian history and this common interest created such a bond between us. My best childhood memories are the two of us looking through one of his hundreds of books in the basement while we sat at his desk or on the couch.  Half of the books in my own collection are actually his. Either because he gave them to me, or because I just took them.

In Memory of Nonno
Nonno and I in September 2013

The best day of my life was when we finally got to walk the streets of Pompeii together.  I had been waiting my whole life for those couple of hours. My sister said to me “he had been waiting his whole life for someone to care about that stuff as much as him” and she was so right. 

In Memory of Nonno
Nonno and I walking the streets of Pompeii together. This is my favorite picture of us.

My cousin said to me “eravete – e sempre sarete un team bellissimo.” You have been and always will be the most beautiful team. And we are. We are the book hoarding, history loving, rock collecting, Italian speaking, Pompeii exploring, drive the rest of the family crazy in museums team. And we always will be.

In Memory of Nonno
Nonno and I outside of Circus Maximus in Rome. My Nonno loved Roman chariots and chariot races!

While there are no words to describe my Nonno, I want to share something I wrote over 25 years ago, that he still has proudly displayed: 

My Nonno

My Nonno is so funny

He is very very silly

I love my Nonno very much

In Memory of Nonno
A poem I wrote about my Nonno on his cabinet.

——

I’ve been listening to the song “Il tuo sguardo manca” by Il Volo a lot leading up to today because the song really describes a lot of my emotions about my Nonno’s death. This line in particular: “ma non passa un attimo, che il tuo sguardo manca in ogni strada, ogni città, dovunque vado” hits especially hard because it is so true.

This whole website, my Instagram page, and everything I do is in memory of Nonno.

Categories
Blog

Revenge of the Mummy

I found this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 from 2004 and it was too good to not share!! As everyone knows, my absolute favorite movie is The Mummy and it was so exciting when the Revenge of the Mummy ride opened at Universal Studios!! One of the ways the ride was promoted was a Statue of Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 at City Walk!! 

Revenge of the Mummy
Me standing in front of the Statue of Anubis at Universal Studios Orlando to celebrate the opening of the Revenge of the Mummy ride.

I was about 12 years old in this picture (can you believe I was reading hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪) and finding this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 brought back the memories of how excited I was to see the Statue of Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 because it was exactly like the one in the movie! I wish this statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 was still at Universal Studios! 

Here is some hieroglyphic vocabulary that is associated with “The Mummy”:

𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 – Imhotep

𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 – Anubis

𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓏲𓇳𓏺𓍼𓏺 – Book of the Dead

𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 – Mummy

𓇋𓏠𓈖𓇳𓏺 – Amun-Ra

𓐍𓊪𓂋𓂋𓆣 – Scarab

I wish this statue was still there – I still don’t know why they would remove such an incredible recreation of a beloved movie prop!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

Follow me @ancientegyptblog on Instagram and TikTok to learn all about ancient Egypt, hieroglyphs, mythology, culture and more!

Categories
Blog

MALS Awareness

Story behind this picture: I was having such bad abdominal pain at the museum that I had to sit on the floor in front of the Temple of Dendur and was trying to distract myself by taking selfies. 

I’m Nicole and you know me as @ancientegyptblog and the girl that can read hieroglyphs! What most people do not know is that I’ve been suffering with horrible abdominal pain for over 15 years caused by MALS, an anatomical abnormality I was born with and is caused by a genetic condition that I have. 

MALS (also known as Celiac Artery Compression Syndrome) is a rare vascular compression disorder that affects about 1 in 100,000 people. It is so rare that most doctors do not know about it, and as a result, do not investigate it as a cause for abdominal pain. 

The pain I experience daily is horrific. I can only describe my pain as “feeling like someone’s fingernails are scratching the insides of my digestive system,” “hot lava in my intestines,” and “rocks in my abdomen.” I feel this pain all day every day and no medication/diet/treatment has offered any kind of relief from the pain. The pain that MALS causes is the EQUIVALENT of the pain experienced by end stage pancreatic cancer patients. The pain with MALS is caused by the diaphragm rubbing against the celiac nerves and the compression of the celiac artery. 

This may be TMI for some, but I’m not going to sugar coat my experience; my suffering needs to be known so maybe others experiencing similar issues can be helped faster than I was. 

My main symptoms with MALS are horrible abdominal pain triggered by eating, but it can also be triggered by drinking too much, standing or walking for too long, exercise, deep breathing, and long car rides. I also suffer with other bowel issues such as extreme bloating, malabsorption, nausea, and constipation so bad I have to drink a colonoscopy prep every single night and take prescription laxative pills each morning. I am also malnourished due to the pain I experience when eating. I basically have to choose: do I eat or stay hydrated because both eating and drinking enough is impossible. 

The only treatment for MALS is major abdominal surgery that involved the resection of the diaphragm/median arcuate ligament and a neurectomy of the celiac ganglion nerves. I will be undergoing this surgery on 10/18 (at the time this post is posted, I will have undergone the surgery already), which has a 90% chance of completely relieving me of my abdominal pain and hopefully restoring me of my ability to eat. 

The suffering I have faced is unimaginable. And most people don’t take me seriously because I “don’t look sick” and I hide my immense pain really well…until I can’t. MALS is also incredibly isolating because NO ONE believes the pain is real and it can take an incredibly long time to get an accurate diagnosis. 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

Follow me @ancientegyptblog on Instagram and TikTok to learn all about ancient Egypt, hieroglyphs, mythology, culture and more! 

Categories
Blog

Anubis in Disney World

Did you know you can find Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 all over Hollywood Studios in Disney World? Well, now you do!

There used to be a ride called “The Great Movie Ride” and there was an entire room dedicated to Indiana Jones! Since it was modeled after “Raiders of the Lost Arc,” there was a lot of ancient Egyptian stuff going on! “The Great Movie Ride” no longer exists, however, the Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 statues have been repurposed and you can find pieces of them in the park! 

Anubis in Disney World
Me in Galaxy’s Edge with the foot that belonged to an Anubis statue!

The picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 above is in Galaxy’s Edge and I’m am with Anubis’ 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 foot! Anubis’ 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 foot is hidden amongst the Jedi statues outside one of the stores! It’s so cool to have some ancient Egypt in a Galaxy Far, Far Away! 

Anubis in Disney World

The 𓏏𓅱𓏏 above is in a little shop and it’s Anubis’ 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 head from the Great Movie Ride! I was very excited by this find!

It’s so much fun to find little pieces of ancient Egypt everywhere I go! Next time you’re in Disney World make sure you look for Anubis in Hollywood Studios! 

I hope you’re enjoying my “Ancient Egypt in Disney” posts!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

@ancientegyptblog 

Categories
Blog

Ushabtis at the Magic Kingdom?

Leave it to me to find ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪, a papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 replica of a relief from Hatshepsut’s 𓇳𓁦𓂓 temple and a Sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 at the Magic Kingdom! While these are all replica pieces, it’s still such a fun find – you all know just how much me (and Nonno) loved ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪! These can all be found at the “Jungle Navigation Skipper Canteen” restaurant! 

Ushabtis at the Magic Kingdom
Replica ushabtis at the Magic Kingdom in the Jungle Navigation Skipper Canteen” restaurant with the papyrus which contains an image from Hatshepsut’s temple!

The ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 served as substitutes for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 and would perform labor or jobs for them in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. There are two 𓏻 common ways to write ushabti in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪: 

𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 – šwbtj – the earlier word that was used in Egypt and derived from the word for “stick 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓄿𓃀𓏲𓍘𓇋𓆱.” This is where the term “shabti” most likely came from! 

𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 – wšbtj – the “newer” form of the word used from the 21st Dynasty onward. This is where the term “ushabti” most likely originated from! My Nonno always said “Ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾” so that is what I tend to say as well!

The papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 is a replica of a relief from Hatshepsut’s 𓇳𓁦𓂓 temple at Deir el-Bahri 𓂦𓂋𓂦𓏥𓉐! This was originally meant to show Hatshepsut’s 𓇳𓁦𓂓 famed expedition to Punt 𓊪𓃺𓈖𓏏𓈉! 

Ushabtis at the Magic Kingdom
Me with a sphinx outside the entrance to the Jungle Navigation Skipper Canteen” restaurant at the Magic Kingdom!

This sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭 is in a crouching position, which to the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 meant that it was a guardian of a sacred place, such as a temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 or an important building. In this case, the “important building” is the entrance to the “Jungle Navigation Skipper Canteen” restaurant! 

I hope you’re enjoying my “Ancient Egypt in Disney” series!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

@ancientegyptblog 

Categories
Blog

Hippos at Animal Kingdom

Hippos 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦 are one of my favorite animals and I was so excited to see them so close on the animal trails at Disney’s Animal Kingdom! Hippos 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦 are on of my favorite animals not only because of ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, but also because of the blue hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯 on “It’s a Small World.”

Fun fact: hippos 𓐍𓃀𓃯𓏦 actually don’t swim much in the water 𓈗 – they like to walk along the bottom of bodies of water 𓈗! Why? Swimming expends too much energy! 

Hippos at Animal Kingdom
A Hippo at Animal Kingdom!

The hippopotamus 𓐍𓃀𓃯 is one of the animals that appears frequently in Egyptian imagery 𓏏𓅱𓏏 starting from the predynastic period! This is because the people of the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 needed to always be on their guard in regards to hippos 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦 since they could dominate both the land 𓇾𓇾 and the water 𓈗. 

Hippos 𓂧𓃀𓃯𓏦 are indigenous to the Nile River 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺, unfortunately though, they are now extinct in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. Just like animal species today, human expansion into habitats also played a role in population decline during ancient times. 

Even as ancient Egyptian culture evolved over thousands 𓆼𓆼𓆼 of years, Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 both feared and revered 𓇋𓌴𓄪 hippos 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦 due to their strength 𓄇𓏏𓂝𓏭 and power. While hippos 𓂧𓃀𓃯𓏦 were the most feared animals along the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺, images 𓅱𓏏𓅱𓏪 of them could offer protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜, such as in the form of amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪! 

Hippos at Animal Kingdom
A Hippo at Animal Kingdom!

Taweret 𓏏𓄿𓅩𓂋𓏏𓆗 is a fierce Egyptian goddess 𓊹𓏏 who is associated with childbirth. Taweret 𓏏𓄿𓅩𓂋𓏏𓆗 is always represented as a pregnant hippopotamus 𓂧𓇋𓃀𓃯 and was a household deity – she didn’t have any temples 𓉟𓏏𓉐𓏪 dedicated to her specifically! 

Here are some ways you can write hippopotamus in hieroglyphs: 

𓌉𓏏𓃯

𓐍𓃀𓃯

𓂧𓃀𓃯

𓂧𓇋𓃀𓃯

𓃯𓏺 

I hope you’re enjoying my “Ancient Egypt in Disney” series! Next time you’re in Disney, be sure to check out the Hippos at Animal Kingdom! They can be found on the animal trails and also on the ride Kilimanjaro Safari!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

@ancientegyptblog 

Categories
Blog

“It’s A Small World” Hippo

The first time I ever went to Disney World, I went with my Nonno and Nonna when I was four years old! When we went on “It’s a Small World,” I fell in love with the hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯 that winks at you! The hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯 became my favorite part of the ride, and even to this day, I look forward to seeing the hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯! And yes I’m sure this is an unpopular opinion but I LOVE going on “It’s a Small World!” It’s one of my favorites! I’m not going to lie – I still to this day will wink back at the hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯! 

"It's A Small World" Hippo
The hippo from “It’s a Small World” (top) and an ancient Egyptian hippo from the Brooklyn Museum

When I started studying ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 with my Nonno around when I was six years old, I always loved the hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯 statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 because they reminded me of the hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯 on “It’s a Small World!” It’s amazing how I loved the hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯 even before I started studying ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖! 

A lot of the hippos 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦 from ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 have lotus flowers 𓆸𓏪 painted all over them to associate them with rejuvenation! The hippos 𓌉𓏏𓃯𓏦 are most likely painted blue/green 𓇅𓆓𓏛 to represent the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 and rebirth. What’s really cool is that the “It’s a Small World” hippo 𓌉𓏏𓃯 also has flowers painted on it and is also that blue/green 𓇅𓆓𓏛 color! 

"It's A Small World"
A girl sitting on a “solar barge” in “It’s A Small World” at Walt Disney World!

I have also included the other scene that represents Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 in the ride – there’s a girl sitting in a boat that resembles Ra’s 𓇳𓏺𓁛 solar barge 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞, pyramids 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴𓏦 and a sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤! 

"It's A Small World"
The sphinx and pyramids in “It’s A Small World” at Walt Disney World!

 I hope you’re enjoying my “Ancient Egypt in Disney” series!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

@ancientegyptblog