Let me tell you, Cairo is no Paris. I have been living here for seven months now. The adjustment was hard, but I’ve come to love it, because it has changed my perspective on life and the world around me. I’m looking forward to sharing the weird and wonderful details of this journey with you. But first, let me introduce the setting.
You've done a great job of summing that up. And well done for learning to embrace this kind of chaos. It can be quite profound to step so far outside a comfort zone and still find a form of tranquility.
So funny that I've discovered your newsletter just now. We're into our second month of living in Bangkok, and it's been an education in dealing with a kind of chaos, vibrant helter skelter existence that most Westerners just aren't used to. And while I've learned to love and embrace it, I've suspected that other cities, including Cairo, rise to an even more chaotic magnitude than I can imagine. And you've just confirmed that.
But I'm delighted to read that you've come to appreciate it for what it is. Who knows -- perhaps one day we'll experience it for ourselves.
I hope you do get to experience Cairo one day! I have never been to Bangkok--I’m hoping to make it there in the next couple years--but I’d hazard a guess it has prepared you well for visiting Egypt. :)
You've done a great job of summing that up. And well done for learning to embrace this kind of chaos. It can be quite profound to step so far outside a comfort zone and still find a form of tranquility.
Thank you for the kind words, Zak! I agree--finding tranquility outside your comfort zone can be very empowering.
So funny that I've discovered your newsletter just now. We're into our second month of living in Bangkok, and it's been an education in dealing with a kind of chaos, vibrant helter skelter existence that most Westerners just aren't used to. And while I've learned to love and embrace it, I've suspected that other cities, including Cairo, rise to an even more chaotic magnitude than I can imagine. And you've just confirmed that.
But I'm delighted to read that you've come to appreciate it for what it is. Who knows -- perhaps one day we'll experience it for ourselves.
I hope you do get to experience Cairo one day! I have never been to Bangkok--I’m hoping to make it there in the next couple years--but I’d hazard a guess it has prepared you well for visiting Egypt. :)
Inshallah, Insh'Allah, indeed.
Stop looking for logic. Find quietude. The same can be said in Italy. Or wherever one finds themselves.
So true, Jan--I’ll be carrying that attitude with me when I leave Egypt, to wherever I end up next. Thanks for reading!
So glad you enjoyed it, Harold! And happy to have you here! Lucky for me, Egypt is an endless source of writing material. :)