“Please describe me Egypt in one word…”

Cairo, the 17th May, 2009

“Please describe me Egypt in one word…”

*** I´ve mentioned my friendship and love for my dear teacher Mahmoud Reda many times. More important than anything, I´ve referred how marvellous it is to have someone who understands you and appreciates the way Mahmoud does to me. Even more important…how great it is toshare that rare kind of relationship where you can fully be yourselfand enjoy moments of deep, insightful meaning and love. When I am with Mahmoud, I become the child I never left behind. We dance together, we share everything, we joke and say naughty things to each other and laugh like children with no worries in the world. He´s the firstperson I show a new choreography I´ve just made and he does the samewith me.The thing I most cherish in this relationship is how much fun we havetogether, allowing ourselves to be spontaneous and simple likechildren in the nursery.More than 50 years of age difference separates us but that never represented an obstacle to mutual understanding. It has been quite the opposite and I learn, learn and learn from Mahmoud´s experience oflife and all the incredible lessons he has to teach me. The cute andcrazy thing about Mahmoud is that he acts like I have too much toteach him too and that´s simply sweet…

*** As we left from his downtown studio in the end of the afternoon,we were speaking about being GRATEFUL for what we have, treasuring and enjoying it being aware that there are so many unfortunate people inthis world with no health, no home, no family or friends to count with, no work or ways of survival, nothing.Just the gift of being born and living in this world – when it could have passed so well without us! – is something amazing to be grateful for.

*** “ I agree with you, Mahmoud. I do. And I thank God for all the incredible blessings He offers me everyday. While driving in Mahmoud´scar, the conversation continued as I asked him to give me one word to describe Egypt.From all the words we came up with, the one I choose for myself is WONDER.Egypt is a constant wonder, for the best and for the worst. Wonder for all the contradictions, for the ugly I choose not to focus on and forthe beautiful I have to pay attention on a daily basis to be able tocreate art and be happy in this crazy place where I live.

*** Before reaching home, I passed by the supermarket where I watchedin AMAZEMENT a scene of its own kind: the butcher row was full ofexposed raw meat looking and smelling like hell. There were bloody animals hanging with their heads down and all sorts of wobbly bits of everything I couldn´t – and wouldn´t – want to identify hanging around the place. I almost fainted with the smell and this outrageous view(adding the fact that I am not a meat lover…it´s just gross forme…don´t ask me why!).At the same time, there he was…the butcher himself wearing his also bloody apron with a dreamy look in his eyes listening to “Alf Leyla weLeyla” by Om Kolthoum. The melody, the words and the feeling in the butcher´s face couldn´t be more distant than the context they found themselves and yet all matched in an odd, incomprehensible harmony cut and made both in heaven and in hell.

*** If Mahmoud was here, we would laugh a lot. No one would understand us, that´s for sure. And yet we wouldn´t care cause we´d both know about the irony, the contrast and the lunatic quality that turns this country into such an unique place.
*** How can you describe Egypt in just one word?! That was a silly proposal.