"Hey Shorty, it's your birthday. Gonna party like it's MY birthday." *
July 20, 2004
Today is a day for anniversaries. First, we have Mr. Inkwell�s 25th birthday. Yes, 25th. Despite what BK told you I told him Mr. Inkwell, I KNEW it was your 25th birthday and NOT your 26th. Really, you must keep in mind BK�s alter ego, the Yobaby. Remember, Yobaby is...special. [Speaking of retarded boyfriends...after many years of being told to read her by Dolo and then the Notorious, I have started reading the fabulous Ladeeleroy�s Diary.This entry reminded me so much of many interactions I�ve had with BK over the years. Read it and weep from laughing so hard]. ANYWAY, happy birthday Mr. Inkwell. I wish I could be there to party with y�all this weekend, or even just to take you out to lunch today. Alas, I am not so lucky.
Today, also marks six months of my being in Cairo. My, how time has flown. My first three months here were really a blur of numbness, sleeping, job searching, depression, and ultimately despair. When I first got here I was kind of too numb to really miss anything or anyone. I would swing between brief periods of intense activity and then LONG periods of doing absolutely nothing. The life of any post-Ivy kid, really.
Happily this has changed, and I have quickly forgotten my lazy past life. This weekend was the first in a while where I sat at home and just did nothing for 2 days, not even going out with friends, and I have to say I was kinda going nuts. I even went into work for 4 hours on Saturday. AND? The house has never been cleaner.
Before arriving in Cairo I was really dreading the whole idea of moving home, living in Cairo, leaving friends. Naturally. I got here and sort of went on automatic pilot for a while. Now, I have what I think I can call a life. Some good friends, a decent job, a routine, some happiness. Something to do. I wouldn�t be telling the truth if I said I�m happy, but I�d also be lying if I said I�m unhappy. Things are okay. And okay is just fine for right now.
I realize though, that I generally give Cairo a bad rap in this here diary, and even in personal conversations with friends. But really, Cairo is a great city. People who are not forced to live here love it, and I myself used to love it dearly when I was younger. Three years ago though, due to various reasons, I fell out of love with it. But now, the city is growing on me [again] and I am starting to rediscover that love I used to have for Cairo, and Egypt in general. So now, a list of my likes and dislikes of this lady of the Nile:
Dislikes [always better to go from bad to good, right?] � the beggars (as covered in yesterday�s entry); the pollution; the traffic; the people for getting all up in your business and not for not understanding the concept of personal space; the day-time weather; the cat calls and silent dirty stares; the boys who �accidentally� hit your hand when walking past because they are so deprived of human contact; the fact that you can never find a taxi when you want one, or when you do the driver gets all snotty with you about destination and/or fare; when you�re not looking for a taxi, every taxi on the street slows down just as you�re trying to cross the street making it impossible to cross the street without getting knocked over the car speeding past in the next lane; the curfew; the doorman; the gossip; the propriety; the retail; the fact that you can never really take care of anything just by yourself; the fact that it is not Philly.
Likes � the people, and the fact that everyone is always willing to help; being near my family, and being able to spend these few months with my bro before he goes of to a new life and a new world in Miami; being �reunited� with Mini; the daytime weather went it�s mercifully breezy; the night time weather, especially while sitting out on the balcony; the fact that there is always something, somewhere going on; there is a story on every corner, every street, every moment of the day; the Nile, and the view you get when driving over any of its bridges; the produce, mmmm the produce; the suburbs of Cairo; our apartment, my bedroom, my street; the simplicity, yet complexity of life; the low-cost of fancy living; the amazing people that I meet here, who have been everywhere and seen and tried anything; the Jazz Club; Andrea on the Nile; Faluka rides; my brother, my sister (they were worth mentioning again); my job; hearing Arabic everyday, everywhere, on many different tongues; never knowing what to expect.
Well, that's it for now y'all. I'll try to get some scenery pictures up sometime.
XOXO
*I apparently said this to Mini on her birthday, and it amused her greatly.