Elizabeth's Cartouche or Nameplate

This is my nameplate or cartouche(Elizabeth Nisperos) in Egyptian Hieroglyphics done in a papyrus. Egyptians used cartouches for pharaohs, queens, & officials in the ancient kingdom. I was in Cairo in 1993 and the New Pharoah's Papyrus turned my name into an ancient hieroglyphic format. I was surprised papyrus is just a tall grassy reed that grows behind my house.

When I was growing up in Guiwan, I remember our neighbor was the Sultan or Datu of Taleksangay Haiji Faisal Nuno, friend of the Sultan of Brunei. The Sultan or Datu owned the village of Taleksangay and his voice was the law. Though a Christian, a Catholic , I sometimes tell other folks I was a Moslem so they will think twice before messing around with me.

I was exposed to the culture and rituals of the Moslem world. One time I asked Aki, our Egyptian guide, "How many wives do you have? Aki said, "Just one. I can hardly support one wife."

I asked " Do you celebrate a marriage or a birthday for a week?"He said "No" .
I said, "Our neighbor the Sultan celebrated his birthday or the marriage of his son for a week." My beautiful teacher Lilia married his son. My pretty cousin Edwina married his other son and they changed her name to Fatima.
Aki replied, "Now, there's a difference, your neighbor is a Sultan."

I didn't realize then the significance of having a neighbor for a Sultan . I thought it was an ordinary happening. My writing residency teacher said , "Oh, not everybody gets a Sultan for a neighbor.That is something special. Write on it."