A Week in the Life: Cairo Edition
Olivia Mustafa
I remember reading the email from the Asian and Middle Eastern Studies faculty in August giving us the go-ahead to move to Egypt. After months of being in limbo, I was completely bewildered that it was actually happening. How on earth had we managed to get endorsed by the University to move to Africa in the middle of a pandemic? I thought it best not to ask too many questions, and before I knew it I was on a flight to Egypt. No two weeks in Cairo are ever the same, but here is an idea of what 7 days in the city may entail.
Thursday
In Egypt, as with many majority Muslim nations, Thursday is the last day of the working week. After a grueling 4 hours of online Arabic lessons, I’m eager to get as far away from my laptop as humanly possible, so we trek to Cairo Citadel and the nearby Al Azhar park for some much-needed green space and sunset views. In the evening we head to a felucca, one of the small party boats which light up the Nile at night.
The Mosque of Muhammad Ali at Cairo’s Citadel
Image Credit: Olivia Mustafa
Views of the city through the palm trees of Al Azhar Park
Image Credit: Olivia Mustafa
The sun sinks into Cairo’s skyline (Image credit: Olivia Mustafa
A Felucca boat on the Nile
Image Credit: Olivia Mustafa
Friday
The Friday morning lie-in is an essential part of Egyptian culture which I’ve learnt to take in my stride. Once I drag myself out of bed, we get an Uber to the leafy suburb of Maadi to wander around and drink limon nenea (ليمون ناناع), a lemon and mint juice drink which is as popular in Egypt as it is sugary. We attempt a pottery lesson taught in Arabic in the district’s Art Cafe.
The peaceful streets of Maadi (Image Credit: Olivia Mustafa)
The pottery wheel - much harder than it looks
Image Credit: Olivia Mustafa
Saturday and Sunday
Every trip across Egypt starts the same: with a very long coach journey, very early in the morning. This time we’re taking full advantage of the three day weekend to travel to the Red Sea coast, which has the dreamy combination of mountains, beaches and tropical waters. The days are spent sunbathing, snorkeling and pretending Arabic homework doesn’t exist. It’s a completely different world to Cairo.
Ras Abu Galoum beach
Image Credit: Olivia Mustafa
View from our villa in Sharm el Sheikh (Image Credit: Olivia Mustafa)
Some new friends in the Sinai mountains
Monday
Monday rolls around and we are snapped back to reality. The weekdays always start the same with online Arabic classes until the afternoon, but after that, we have time to explore. I catch an Uber to the satellite city of Heliopolis and meet with some Egyptian friends for food. Linguistically, it’s an uphill battle, but every moment of practise helps.
My friends Salma and Hala (Image Credit: Olivia Mustafa)
Tuesday
After lessons, we meet to do work in a coffee shop in the district of Zamalek, situated on an island in the middle of the Nile. Once we’ve procrastinated enough, some of us walk to a pop-up art exhibition, before heading to make dinner at our friends’ Airbnb in Cairo’s historic Downtown, who are visiting from Alexandria.
Will thought the art was pretty but I thought he was prettier
Image Credit: Olivia Mustafa
Downtown Cairo’s Talaat Harb Square
Image Credit: Olivia Mustafa
Wednesday
I spend most of the day sat at my laptop first with lessons, and later with my internship, which is predictably online. But in the afternoon I go to interview the Chilean ambassador with a colleague, which is one of the more random but interesting internship assignments I’ve been given.
Arguably my favourite flatmate (Image Credit: Olivia Mustafa)
As the end of another week draws closer, I order takeaway Koshari, Egypt’s signature dish, and collapse into my bed. I’m exhausted - but what else can I expect from Cairo?
A sunset view from my bedroom’s balcony (Image Credit: Olivia Mustafa)
