Egypt never Ceases to make me Smile – By Hala Mohamed

Egypt Never Ceases

To Make Me Smile

Yes. Egypt makes me smile! The word "Egypt" just makes me recall good memories.

Longing:

Egypt is where my people are. Egypt is just where I had spent my past twenty years! I've always wanted to experience that mystery feeling Egyptians get when they are abroad! How does it feel when they hear "Egypt", or when they see an Egyptian there?!! I know they feel nostalgic, but what else?! I want to experience missing home; missing that mysterious warmth, missing the streets; missing 6th of October Bridge and El-Mehwar road, missing their creamy crispy smooth traffic on a 4pm Wednesday!! And most important, missing the expressive Egyptian faces.

          The January 25^th Egyptian Revolution:

Egyptian people have long been known for being passive; waiting for events and incidents to take place, only so we would react. Actions were not our thing. "What can Egyptians do?! … Nothing!"  claimed the pessimists and the disappointing creatures! Egyptians did everything they could possibly and impossibly do. They risked their blood and souls. Who am I to talk about these great people? May God Rest their souls. May they rest in peace.

Enjoying the traffic:

I was with my mother on El-Mehwar road a week ago, it was sunset time. The traffic was not that smooth, so I was lucky enough to enjoy that very special scenery! I saw a bird, it was flying high high above me. It looked so free and peaceful, as if the sky belonged to only it. Eye candy, the way it held one wing in the air was breathtaking, and then how it lowers that wing to be in the same horizontal position with the other one to keep its balance was everything from eye-brow raiser, jaw opener to neck turner! Beautiful. I smiled and I got goose bumps! At that time, I had to envy owls that have the God-given ability to turn their heads in a 180° direction!

Jokes:

Egyptian people are famous for their very good sense of humor – some common gene that does not have to do with poverty or richness! It's well known that Egyptians can make up the perfect hilarious jokes at the worst times. Famous writers, artists, painters do it, and the simplest people win the cup!

Egypt's weather:

We don't stand Cairo's burning sun, the hot dry air, or the dusty wind. "If winter could last forever!" And we are not very big fans of the so cold air which make our bones ache! We are not in love with the rain and its traffic consequences; be it if you're walking, or if you're driving and you're in a rush! "If summer could last forever!" Ask me and I answer, "You can keep yourself warm on a winter night. But in summer, what do you do?! If we could spend the whole summer on a beach, then let summer take over!"

          Women from Upper Egypt:

I've always wondered and still do. How do those great women do it?! I haven't witnessed a single one of them dropping something from the many stuff she's carrying on her head, not to mention the fact that she might be carrying her kid on a shoulder, as well! How does she cross a street that is absolutely nothing but a bunch of drivers fighting over the superman title for passing first?!

She's the super one!

          What I love most about being Egyptian is being recognized. What could be greater? What could be greater than listening to an Egyptian peasant say, "I belong to this land and that soil. I've always depended on them for living. I will die on that very land!" What more inspiration do you want?!