Surviving Cairo.

There is this love-hate relationship between Cairo and Cairo-rians. They hate her, can't stand her, but can't stand life anywhere else but in her arms. She is cruel and ugly. 

Vulgar , but magical.

When I first met Cairo, she confused me. She bewildered me, just like she still does. 

It's the only city where Chinese food is expensive. 

She is a living contradiction. She sucks the life out of you every day while struggling through her traffic jungle, sweaty and swearing. And then at night, while having your sweet tea, she sends her nightly breezes and brings you back to life.

She is a goddess. An ugly goddess. 

It’s literally the city that never sleeps, it puts NewYork to shame.

To survive Cairo, you have to forget all what you think you know about driving, because in Cairo, people drive like there is no tomorrow, and for some it turns out to be true.

To survive Cairo, you have to train your stomach , because with pollution in the air, foul and taamia for breakfast and koshary for lunch, Cairorians have stomachs made of steel.

To survive Cairo, you need to be able to stay up late, in a city where people start grocery shopping at 12 am, just because they can.

To survive Cairo, you need to be a dreamer, because in a city of 20 million anything is possible.

To survive Cairo, you need to be an optimist, even when you have no reason to be.

To survive Cairo, you need to fall in love with her, head over heels. To dive into her streets, with no looking back.