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Day: I have no idea because I have not been as diligent as I promised I would be with this log thing-

Today was an adventure. I have been desperate to get my hair braided before school starts, to find a job and to find a flat. The combination of these three seems to have addled my mind, because I did the unthinkable: I approached a stranger. Now before mayhem erupts in the streets, I have to say I picked my stranger well. Fresh off the Metro in Tahrir, I had just ended a rather disappointing job interview. No pity please; the interview was perfectly lovely, however I could not provide the school with what they needed: a full time teacher in the mornings. The only disappointment came from my inability to help them. But back to the adventure.

Taken in the Library at Alexandria.
I thought it was sort of profoundly related to this post though

I was walking about looking for the juice stand that Kia, that’s Malahkia the Magnificent to you, had pointed out to me the day I first met her (and went to look at the flat she eventually came to live in). I was positively parched. Now thirst in Egypt is very different from thirst in the States. I don’t know how to explain it, just that it happens more often and that for some reason it seems deeper. Anyway as I tried to find this juice bar that I had only been to once, relying on my photographic memory I grew too tired and finally despaired of the whole endeavor, planning on heading back to the AUC old campus to drop by Hardee’s. There was the added difficulty of needing to call Mahmoud to give our address to the taxi cab driver; he wasn’t answering his phone, so I couldn’t just go home. 

When I turned back I happened upon a young black woman decked out in a Burberry purse, and pointy flats. She wore a loose neon t-shirt and skinny jeans and was about to step into a clothing boutique. Her hair…her hair was braided, somewhat messily, with that African blondish color I was so partial to in my youth and a vast assortment of colors I had not expected, neon pinks and greens to name a few. In my thirst ridden, fresh mango juice deprived state, I approached her and asked, “Do you speak English?” She turned, somewhat startled and then smiled. “I do! Can I help you?” And then the whirlwind began.  I asked her about her hair and about the interesting jewelry she was wearing and before I knew it, we were gallivanting across Tahrir together. She showed me the small store she bought her rings from and I in turn accompanied her to get her cell phone back fixed. I should add to the mix that she called her hair weaving friend and tried to bargain on my behalf, only to then spot two Sudanese ladies walking buy, stop them and then solicit their services. How she can tell they braided hair I will never know, but they did and the date was arranged. Her name was Cleopatra (not her birth name I’m sure) and she had come to Egypt to reconnect with her roots. From what I gathered, she was Cleopatra reincarnate. 

Now before you dismiss her as a kook, I have to say that I was rather moved by her mysticism. I have my own faith and stand by it, but there are elements of the unknown that her motley collection of beliefs seemed to address that interested me in an academic sort of way. She had a wide knowledge of all things esoterically inclined (she mentioned the moon quite a bit), and if you add to the fact that she didn’t look a day over twenty six (despite the fact that she claimed to be forty something) you have a very charismatic young woman surrounded by happy circumstance. Everyone around us seemed to know her or like her for lack of knowing. She seemed to be, and proved herself to be, one of those people that things just happen around.  We ended our day talking about dreams that we had had (evidently one of hers had referred to a “lucky girl” whom we both agreed could be me) and books we had in the making. We exchanged numbers after some drinks at a rooftop bar (though I got baked chicken with chips and water) and when Mahmoud FINALLY answered his phone, she helped me find a taxi and I was on my way home. It was a day for the history books, because I took a chance and it finally, finally paid off, just like in the movies.