Time continues to pass fast, I returned to chilly, sunny Germany more than a week ago, but I still want to add some more lines on these two weeks in Cairo and their good mix of daily routines and extraordinary things happening on a daily basis at the same time.
Being back at Kalimat (the language school) feels as normal as everything else, only getting there on the first Sunday for registration teaches me something new about Cairo traffic: It takes me 20 minutes to find a free taxi at 2pm, all the others have what looks like about ten school children piled onto their seats. My traffic calculation based on experience in Ramadan and during summer holidays proves to be quite useless. In the morning before the courses, however, traffic is fine and at noon I walk back. Traffic is an issue whenever thinking of activities beyond Zamalek and Mohandeseen: I don’t see Reem again after she and her brother picked me up from the airport because this city is too big and the streets too jammed to cross between our neighborhoods in times of the day when we are free. And I only see my host sister once for a quick coffee after school for the same reason…
After having seen a 40 years old picture of Tahrir Square looking all green and calm and quiet with just some occasional cars and looking at the carefully designed decorations in the Arab League Street and its side streets that have not been kept in good condition gives me a melancholically mixed feeling about the city’s and country’s potential and the rough road they are currently on.
Gameat Al Dawal Al Arabeya (Arab League Street)
Inside Zamalek life is much easier. No need for cars (though there are lots of them, mostly crossing through with a lot of noise), many of my friends live or work here and I am very happy to have Pizza with Ahmed during lunch break or sushi and shisha with Marissa and a friend of hers at 26th of July one night. Two Americans and a German exchanging world views in Cairo, the mother of the world. These are moments when the world seems both huge and tiny at the same time and I feel like I am at the very right place in it.
The afternoon before I leave I carry my heavy bag all the way down 26th of July (I bought two huge dictionaries) to Marissa’s and Cade’s place where I will spend the last night. The plan is to join Ahmed and his friends for a St. Patrick’s Day party in the British Club later. I want to eat koshary before I leave Egypt so Marissa and I go to Top Alex just around the corner, probably one of the very few places in Zamalek where at least the big menu on the wall is solely in Arabic. Only moments after ordering two tin bowls filled with the steaming mix of rice, noodles, lentils and chicken peas and two cups of spicy tomato sauce appear on the table. Delicious vegan dish, though it does make us a little sleepy.
After the change of location, Irish live music and coke wake us up again at the British Club which has an open night for the St. Patrick’s Day party. Everyone wears at least some green and I don’t remember when I last saw a group of such mixed ages have so much fun, after some warming up everyone dances, claps and sings along with the band who sometimes encourage quite an exhausting speed of jumping and dancing. It really is a perfect night.
The next morning is a mix of goodbyes and not feeling as if I am leaving at all. So many people to talk to after the service, so much I’ll be back, inshallah. Injy stops by shortly to say goodbye as she has a lot of work at home these days and we didn't get round to have coffee. Then the usual group heads for lunch, this time at an Egyptian diner not far from the church, some tables and benches in the street, the men have just finished their Friday prayer and start to prepare chicken, rice, soup and salad in the open kitchen. The air has the temperature not noticeable as warm or cold, some leftovers of last year’s Ramadan decoration sway overhead, the food is just what we wanted and everyone enjoys this combination of Sunday and first day of the weekend. I talk to Johnny who works for the US embassy about switching between different places and countries and how it’s not difficult for me - especially as coming back after a short time spares me the culture shock - which also makes leaving not all that hard. But the feeling of fitting in here also tells me I need to return to Egypt not too far in the future.
It is already early afternoon when we return to Marissa’s and Cade’s apartment, so I just grab my bags and we have to say goodbye. It is a bit strange to pass by all the places that were parts of my daily commute last year only when leaving the country this time, but I also enjoy the ride through this part of Cairo. Traffic is smooth on Friday afternoons. The taxi driver doesn’t speak any English and also doesn’t slow his speed of speaking Arabic, I am delighted that we can discuss which terminal will be right for me (my schedule doesn’t tell) and I can answer most of his questions.
No problems at the airport this time (last year my flight was cancelled), so I spend an hour in the crowded, but silent waiting area at the gate listening to Arabic, English, German and Turkish flight announcements and three hours in my window seat trying to take photos of Egypt and the sunny Southern European coasts and mountains, many of them still topped with thick winter snow.
A short layover in Vienna, an hour's flight through the night and a bus and subway ride later I find myself back on the dark street walking to Christiane’s house an hour before midnight. Friday lunch and Cairo seem very close, this same dark street two weeks ago feels like an ancient memory. Looks like I made the most of these two weeks and Egypt and my Cairo friends made it the best for me.
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