Living here, it's hard not to complain. It is virtually impossible not to complain. When we try we end up with sentences like "I'm not complaining, but i hate this traffic" or "I'm not complaining but so-and-so service sucks!" or "I'm not complaining, but its taking forever to process my visa." The truth is, we are complaining. And sometimes it's okay to complain, because there i a difference between complaining and whining. But i'll leave that comparison for another post.
Then comes the point where little complaints evolve into angry cursing. The voice of the growing need to get out of this city gets louder and louder. Here's the catch: it is very difficult to accept that kind of anger when it's coming from someone other than yourself. I'll defame Cairo, and complain about it, and curse my way through it's traffic. But when someone else does it, the nationalist in me wakes up. Only then do i feel a thriving love for this place and furious anger at the source of slander.
We are the generation that has never had an incentive to feel the sense of nationalism generations before us experienced. We don't know about war or foreign occupation or even involvement in major political conflict. We have no reason to love. Our particular segment of society takes nothing from this country. When we need schooling we go to international schools. When we need medical attention we seek it abroad. What we wear is seldom made in Egypt. We even outsource entertainment. When was the last time you went to see an Egyptian-produced movie? Better yet, how does the mount of Egyptian entertainment compare to foreign entertainment in our lives? It is a steep ratio and i dare you to claim otherwise.
Our moments of passion show at rare occasions. Like when we watch Essam El Hadary kneel down on the ground in thanks to a game won. Or when we can see the bright, bold colors of our flag dancing out of windows and cars all over the city. Personally, i get the nationalistic rush of blood to the head when others curse Egypt, especially when the cursing is targeted at Cairo.
I love this city with all its pollution, noise, incompetency driven frustrations, traffic, friendliness, warmth, grayness, colorfulness, but mostly for all its soul. I take great pride to have come from a place like this, with its past heritage and its present aura.
Every once in a while Cairo will upset me, so i will get angry with it. And other times it will upset someone else. And in my biased love for this place i cannot take anyone else dissing my Cairo.
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