April 27, 2010

I love waking up to the sounds of Agouza and the man pushing his bread cart through the street yelling at the top of his lungs. I love walking out of my flat, saying good morning to the guards and being greeted with kisses and a warm embrace from the beautiful woman on the corner who sells me bread. I love buying fresh melons off of the donkey carts draped with grass and passing men praying in the street next to ahwas full of men smoking shisha and playing dominos or backgammon. I love wandering into my favorite bakery where the owner knows exactly what I am looking for- date bars. I love that they are like 2 cents! I love waiting until evening and going to the nut man who proposes to us girls everytime we go. I love that I am not even fazed by the fact that half the time there are maggots or sand mixed with the nuts (especially the ones he gives us to try and we have to eat and react positively in his presence). I love that I can get a taxi, and always count on a good laugh simply because I try to speak in Arabic and always say things wrong. I love the simply life I have been given to live here in Egypt. I want nothing more than to take this simplicity with me back to America and to spend my days being intentional about hospitality (especially to strangers), choosing people over performance, and seeking God seriously for authority and spiritual strength to exchange the natural instinct of exclusion for a God honoring attitude of embrace.

Maasalaama Misr. I will miss you...but I will be back.