Zamalek

So I finally moved house! I am now officially a Zamalek resident. To people unfamiliar with Cairo, this should sound totally romantic. I live on a tiny island on the Nile that sits between the two sides of Cairo (Giza and Cairo). In huge contrast to my previous neighbourhoods in Cairo, this one is a bit of a yuppie area, with mostly foreigners, rich Egyptians and a plethora of foreign embassies. I am very proud to announce that I live 100m from Baskin Robbins, across the street from Jo Sushi, and the Nile is a 90 second walk from my building.

It’s interesting to see how simple my needs become. I am currently ecstatic because in this new apartment:
1) I have air conditioning
2) I have a lift (that goes both up and down)
3) I have a television (bonus being it was made in the last century)
4) I have proper couches you can lie down on.

It's definitely about time I lived it up here in Cairo — my friends here can attest to the rough living I’ve done here — nearly a month on someone’s floor, 2 months of climbing 6 flights of steps, and 2 months of sharing a flat with 5 people in a 3-bed. And all without any air-conditioning (you may think I’m a princess, but try spending an evening constantly trickling with sweat, and you’ll be kowtowing to the air-conditioning people just like I am). And yes, currently, what with living in Zamalek, working in Maadi (two of the most foreigner-heavy areas), you could call me a typical expat out of touch with the realities of Cairo — but damnit, I've done my time. Hell, I've LIVED IN Sayeda Zainab (the ghetto). My little white Persian kitty is GREY most of the time. Hmph!

In fact, so far, I have lived in Dokki, Mohandiseen, Sayeda Zainab and now Zamalek. I like the variety, its what keeps life in Cairo interesting. This move was also the easiest, I did the smart thing — borrowed suitcases from a friend, got a lift from another, and had it all hauled up in my beautiful new lift (and I didn’t even have to do any lifting!). How's that for living the bourg-lifestyle, eh? :P