Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Home Again

photo taken by my dear friend, Sara, from Ramblings of a Restless Mind


Yesterday (night) I stood in a window on the twenty-seventh floor of a building in Zamalek. I stood there and I could see the city lights, I could see the Nile wearing the city lights with such pride. As if it was trying to tell the few people who ever get to look at it with appreciation; " I can't believe it either, look how much this place has gone through, and yet we both survived."

Yet we both survived. We always survive, that is what is so special about Cairo. Cairo has survived layers of history, and with each layer, naturally, her skin became thicker and thicker...and she became temperamental.

My love for this city goes beyond reason. I love its traffic, it's noise, it's smog...I love the beautiful sunrises and sunsets, I love the Nile, the old buildings and the ugly new ones.
I love the duality of it all; how huge capitalistic buildings hide the informal settlements behind them, how walls hide the most interesting stories behind them. I love that even though it's a huge city, and even if you live in a huge apartment building, you will still find someone there for you when you are in need.

It's a city where you are never alone. It was only yesterday that I realised that my love for this city goes beyond its beauty - which is not apparent if you don't look for it. You need to look for it, you need to look around you with curious eyes...My love for this city goes beyond it, and I only realised it when I said "because Cairo is home."

Cairo is home. 

I found home! It has been there all along, and I was just too timid and stubborn to admit it.