Cairo, the 15th September, 2010

More joys of Cairo...

It´s true that you´ll always find what you search for with all your might.

I learnt, no matter what, to search for beauty and joy in everything.

When I walk in the streets of Cairo, dirty and messy as they famously are, I search for a detail that will make my day and show me some beauty.
This is the food for the soul.

It may be an egyptian dove covered in dust browsing the ground for food, a forgotten tree struck by a sun ray, an old man filled with wrinkles and a wornt out turban, a colourful peasant "gallabeya" hanging from a balcony..the list is endless.

I search for BEAUTY and I always find it (this is the way to keep me clean from all the madness around me) so here are some more joys of my hated/beloved Cairo:

1. Sitting by a baladi coffee-shop drinking tea and watching an old egyptian movie with my favourite dancer: Naima Akef.

2. Spending the night at my "secret" place for baladi music at the Hussein (not revealing names here to keep the privacy of my "secret" place).

3. Laughing at the jokes of egyptians because they usually are the funniest people on earth.

4. Attending the "Mawallid" at Sayeda Zeinab, my favourite place for these events.

5. Smelling the fresh air and watching the whole city at our feet from the famous Mohamed Ali mosque.

6. Feeling surprised with rare gestures of generosity and kindness from complete strangers. Apart from all the evilness I´ve seen around here, I sometimes get tears in my eyes by witnessing moments of great, unexpected humanity coming from complete strangers.

7. Eating with my musicians in my favourite baladi restaurant in the Pyramid Street. All the famous typical egyptian delicacies with real "home made" taste on plastic towels covered with flowers and an atmosphere that makes me feel warm from inside.

8. Accepting the invitation for an over the top sweet tea with shop owners in the Hussein. No purpose or goal to it. Just chatting and, on the way, learning some more intriguing facts about egyptian mentality.

9. And so many other joys...I discover every day.Because I search for it.