i've been in cairo for just over 2 weeks now, although it feels much longer. there's something about this city that makes a day feel like two, and no one is really sure what it is. my american friend and i were having this conversation the other day over one of our wifi dates.
maybe the days last longer because you always seem to be caught in a traffic jam no matter where you are or what time it is. maybe it's just the pace of life. families stay up late, and on the weekends, wake up late. if they go out, it's not usually before 4pm, after they've rested, eaten lunch, and taken their time getting ready. no one is ever really in any sort of rush. if something doesn't get done today, it just doesn't get done today. and not much is a priority. especially for my unemployed self. everyday i'm faced with 3 very simple priorities: what to wear, where i am going for wifi, and finding a non-career focussed job. this is a complete 180 from my lifestyle in nyc, where my daily to-do list was tens of items long and my metrocard got over-exercised daily at turnstiles all over the city.
i usually wake up around 11am and by the time i'm dressed and ready, it's 2 or 3pm. i've by now strategically located about 7 cafes with free wifi surrounding me. i have them all on rotation now based on the day, if or where i'll be going out later, or whether or not i'm hungry. i also factor in things like the cost for the taxi and traffic too. there's a cafe that serves delicious, but expensive food, and everyone who goes there is beautiful. there's another that serves crappy food, but is located adjacent to a fantastic schwarma shop that is so delicious and cheap, so i load up on sustenance there and take my time sipping on an overpriced coffee while i bum the wifi at the cafe. i now know the waiters, they know my order, and it never seems to be an issue that i sit for hours on end, never ordering more than just a couple of coffees or teas.
so for the most part, i spend my days writing my book, getting caught up on current events, with friends/family, and doing the job and apartment search. i don't need a job, but i want one. i want something simple, like teaching english, somewhere nearby, and i only want to make enough money to pay my rent. first time in my life that i don't care about how much money i'm making. the reality is that cairo is such a cheap city to live in that it's not putting much of a dent into my savings, but still, i can only take the idle life for so long. so i just want something to keep me busy and to earn some petty cash.
later i'll try to meet with some friends in either zamalek, downtown, or mohandesin for a drink. sometimes we have weirdos give us their numbers and we laugh them off. a lot of times we make fun of the broken english egyptian men try to seduce us with... we are pretty sure karma will get us and we won't find ourselves husbands. not to mention that every guy in cairo seems to be 25. what happens after 25? where do all the 25+ year old men go? sometimes i eavesdrop on every other english conversation taking place around me. and sometimes i ask the cute american or british guys for a light even though mine is right next to my pack of cigarettes. i eventually make my way back home around 1am and write until i fall asleep at 3am. then start the cycle all over again.
people keep asking me why i'm here. why would an intelligent, independent female with a stable career leave nyc for cairo? i have no real purpose in being here other than the fact that i want to be. and maybe things have been a little siderailed with the whole getting closer to my family thing, but it's not going to affect my choice in staying. i'm here for myself.
hopefully myself will soon find a job and a place to call home temporarily. yalla ba2a!
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