There's Nothing Like Home

In the past few weeks after I came to London I couldn’t help but really feel home sick and I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I miss Egypt. Though there are many things I didn’t and still don’t like about Egypt but for me it’s the place to be, I mean there is so much to be missed that couldn’t be replaced by any luxury or any sightseeing or greenery in the world. Some of the things I really miss about Egypt apart from the family, friends, work colleagues and food : 1. The Egyptian dialect:

The other day I was in the bus and I heard a man speaking in the Egyptian dialect, I was setting on a chair and my husband was standing in front of me, I couldn’t see the guy but just heard his voice, he was speaking about a fight and that he khalas not angry anymore and he was making it up with someone, I felt oh how sweet and I kept listening to everything he was saying until he toke off the buss.

I kept following him with my eyes, he was a grey haired man in his late forties walking with a stick, just looking at him made me feel home again, right then I wanted to jump off the bus and just walk beside him ask him how he feels here being away from Egypt and tell him about how much I miss it. 2. Maadi and Zayed:

When I was in Egypt I would always praise Maadi and say that no matter how beautiful Zayed is but Maadi is the best, now I feel bother were like heaven on earth. I grew up in Maadi that’s why I feel like every corner, every street shares memories with me, oh 9 street, Qouaider, bookspot, Beno’s and masjid Alrahman near the metro.

Zayed is a different story, I came to realize more about my self when I was in Zayed and I really loved the peaceful walks to and from masjid el-mohandeseen and the shopping trips to Hyper one, I can even now hear the “Radio Hyper one, Radio Hyper one” from the Hyper one promotional radio in the back of my mind. 3. The Athan and Qur’an before Jummu’ah: One Friday as I was preparing with my husband to go to pray in the masjid, which I take a train and a bus to be there, I just felt there is something missing, I don’t feel its Friday, Fridays in Egypt had different taste and feeling, I toke one of Al-Minshawy’s Qur’an CDs and played it I closed my eyes and I felt it all came back to me, I even downloaded a prayer time program so I can hear the Athan five times a day. 4. Saqia, Zedney and Opera house:

Since I was a kid my sister used to take me to arty places, and I came to appreciate everything that is artistic, everything that shows the beauty and uniqueness of our culture, a day or evening out in one of these places would equal a life experience to me, most of the times I attend an event or an exhibition I would feel uplifted and optimistic, I come out with the feeling that I want to devour beauty and peace around me. Felucca, downtown, Al-Fayoum...and most of all I miss me, the carefree, revolutionist and arty me in Egypt. Living in Egypt or not, want to go back or not, tell me what you really miss about Egypt the most or what you think you will miss if you left it one day?

- Silly Ellie