Cairo at night...
the subject of numerous awesome photographs , mainly targeting the 6th of october bridge from a bird's eye view
But let's land that birdie who's eye we're seeing through down to the ground
Who am i?
I'm your host, Le Fouda; a 21 year-old student with new lewd or promiscuous activities and practices (activities, no. Interests? hell yea !). I smoke casually & don't drink
I'm not gonna tell you about this amazing night i had with a stranger, nor that place i went to have a bite in that later turned out to be a weapons black-market
No, my specialty is emotional sensitivity & awareness. I'm here to tell you about the spirit of Cairo as you walk through it, no matter how you are or how you walk through it.
General feel is my thing, so please, enjoy what little I have to offer :)
Nocturne Cairo
*Background music: wooooooo!...*
The vibe of the city to me is defined by its people & what they focus on. As you walk around, the emotions of those around & what they focus on is automatically transformed to you...
Whether you're aware of it or not
Cairo at night feels like the paradox of the office lady in her little business suit in the morning compared to the bedroom feline she becomes at night in her house after she slips into something more comfortable...
Walking through Cairo in the morning, there's always a sense of disconnection from reality; as if "the Now" is none existent or no one pays attention to it, all attention is on what's to be done, everything is just a means to an end, and that end is just means to another end. And so on goes the hamster(s) in the wheel....
No attention paid to the now except by those who have the time like the people in kiosks or couriers waiting for the package to deliver when a good looking (not necessary) girl passes by or those who stop for the morning coffee or for a short break before spinning in that wheel again...
So goes the morning till dusk, around 5-6 where the Maghreb (sunset) prayer calls echo throughout that old town
Everyone's at home or on their way, attention is relaxed but separated; everyone's to himself enjoying that round of Hookah or cup of tea while slouching back & watching the TV or reading the papers. The simple stuff, that's what its all about
Others start dusting off the work day, make the calls for the outings that night & where to go while they order take outs
Enter the night.
"Curiosity", though sometimes shy, is the name of the vibe...
as you pay attention; eyes are not looking forward, they're always to the sides, at the stands, at others walking opposite to them. people are discovering what if that little space they're in offers what fulfills their little, tucked away desires.
From the simple girls sneaking looks at the dresses & shoes on sale to the simple guys turning their heads at the fancy cars & girls passing by them to the average guys & girls glimpsing at th each others opposing the traffic lights for signs "Is it him/er...? yes, wait no...just another loo..Ah, it's gone!"
There's always the feeling that their needs are not fulfilled; like a dress made out of non-matching pieces of cloths, odds & ends from here and there. While it lacks the aesthetics, at least it's keeping me covered, so the literating of the emotion goes
No matter the place, the feeling that the lacking of simple pleasures is always there;
Peace of mind, pleasure in a nice lady to make love to/a decent man to pay the proper attention...
The streets of downtown are like an inverted tomb; with the shops & bright lights with all the modern replicated pizzass trying & failing to look the part as the epitaph, lift your eyes upwards (you might be surprised how rare you do that, you're not alone) and you'll see the ruins of a time past
Generations ago used to call this place "home". The decorations on the buildings & apartment blocks, the signature of the foreign architect lies hidden on some buildings. The domes & small windows at the top of the roofs. The left-overs of the original paint & color
A city split into 2: one faux-modern and the other ruins of times past...simpler times
While i might not be acquainted at all with the Underworld & pleasure booths around Cairo, you can almost feel their 'size' as you walk by; you'll always get the feeling, while looking, that you're also beholding a locked box with engravings that vaguely hint to what lies inside, the size of course varies from area to another
Hmm..?
Do you like that view or should we go back to the bird-eye pictures on postcards ? :)
Both exist actually; welcome to Cairo
