Apartment success!
After a long, painfully hot, and terrifying-tiny-elevator-filled apartment hunt (apartment is “shaqqa” in Arabic) through the depths of Cairo’s fanciest neighborhoods, we have settled on a nice little place between the neighborhoods of Doqqi and Agouza, on the left bank of the Nile. Living on the left bank, and calling it that, is all part of my strategy to make Cairo the bohemian Paris of the 21st century. Without the black turtlenecks, of course. We’ll stick with pith helmets and linen button-downs, thank you very much.
So, the shaqqa. (That was the first Arabic test – who passed?) I will post photos as soon as we move in proper, which will be tomorrow evening. But a little description is important to set the stage and wet your appetite for the pix.
To those of you who have spent time in Japan, you will understand when I say the living room reminds me of a love hotel. The floor is black tile and the kitchen is a little thing behind a bar – which has neon green Christmas lights strung under it. The white walls are tinted with years of grime, but there are new couches, which are of the type featured in rent-to-own commercials. Of course, the TV (with satellite!) is attached to the wall on a little swivelly deal. All in all, pure pimp.
But what really sold me on the place was the elevator. It opens directly into the living room. Sweeeeeeeeet.
-Thrashin Badger
Tags: Egypt, Tag Index
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