Have you ever lived in a country that wasn't your country but you were born and raised there anyway so you were raised as one of their people? This is my life story back in Egypt, or what I call her my second home.
I come from a Syrian/Palestinian family my father is Jordanian Palestinian and my mother is Syrian, I was so such an exotic person back in Egypt I lived like a queen in other people's eyes. It was amazing and nice to live like a different person for even a day. I could travel every summer of my life to Syria to visit my grandpa and my mother's family which were really open minded and we would have a lot of fun in Syria, Syria was a heaven on earth and how sad it is now after it's been destroyed. My grandpa would wait for us to come for the visit and he had this farm which had animals, birds and a big swimming pool. I remember every summer we would travel early just to help cleaning the swimming pool so we can swim as soon as possible! My grandpa is amazing, I could never forget all the memories I had with him.. It's so sad what's happening now in Syria, it breaks my heart and all I can do is pray for them to survive it, Unfortunately I can't be with my grandpa anymore and the last time I was in Syria was now 8 years ago which breaks my heart so much because I lost everything, everything I wanted is gone, the animals in the farm are dead, the swimming pool has been bombed, and my poor grandpa has started to lose his memory and forget who we are and everytime we talk on the phone now I hang the phone and cry because I can't believe that's my grandpa who was always my superhero, even superheros have a time when they start to disappear. Thank you grandpa for every moment in my life that was worth a thousand day back in Egypt, I thank you for taking care of me when I was baby and crying all day because I was scared of people and would only feel safe with you, Thank you for everything you've done to me and I love you so much and I pray only that I get to see you before you fly back to heaven.
On the other hand, I was never close to my father's family well of course I wasn't, I wasn't even close to daddy LOL! They were spreading rumors about me, telling my father things that never happened so my father would get mad at me and it was just crazy. I traveled to Jordan twice once when I was really a baby and I can't remember anything and the other was two summers ago, when I was 18 I got my nose piercing in Jordan and I was so happy I couldn't share my happiness with anyone I remember but I was staying at my mom's relatives' house so basically also not a father family. Oh dad I wish I could be proud of your family but I just can't find a happy moment that was with them!!??
So I never got the chance to visit Palestine which is on my bucketlist because I was never allowed to and because it's too dangerous there, I had to get a pass and it would only last for weeks or even less depending on the man who'd give it to me, it absolutely breaks my heart how I can't visit my country, my real country! This is hard but I was always really deeply in love with Palestine, how fancy the people of Palestine are and how humble they are, It makes me happy how they never left their country and moved somewhere else just like my father's family but here we are in Egypt and writing a draft about it as well.
I grew up in Egypt where the criminals were free to go, where the animals are tortured, where the kissing in public is not allowed. I grew up in Egypt where the old people ruled the country, denying the big part of the youth in the country for so many years. Egypt is a great country to visit for toursim no matter how much I write about the cities I went to I could never remember enough of the good places I went to there, although my father was always forbidding me from going here and there my aunts were always here and my uncle to take me away for a while. As I say it's a great place to visit and stay for toursim couple days, weeks or even months!! But not the best country to live in if you're not Egyptian, I'm sorry if you read this and you're Egyptian but it's the truth, although there are a lot of welcoming Egyptians but the majority of people who'd take advantage of us there is unbelievable!! I want to mention the great places my aunts took me to visit, the REA SEA BEACH is a MUST VISIT PLACE in HURGHADA. I want to thank you, Aunts for giving me the chance to spend the beautiful time in Hurghada, where I only felt like I was in heaven. Moreover not to forget the great food in Egypt and the sleepless nights there, Egypt has a lot of advantages before its disadvantages, you'd stay out till the next day and there shall be still places to go, Diners to eat at, Bars to drink at. You know what pisses me off the most? Is people assuming that the Middle East in not a place where you can drink and have fun when actually all you can dream of fun you can actually have it in the Middle East. Thank you Egypt for proving people wrong and for being there in the nights open and full of life.
I know Egypt isn't the best place right now, it's been going to the edge of hell for couple years now and that's when I left but remembering my childhood, my teenage years and the days and nights I spent in Egypt, I could never forget about you Egypt because you're my second home, my second country.. You were here for when I needed shelter and I appreciate that.
I would spend days with my cousin whom was my bestfriend, shout out for you DANA! I miss her so much, for the happy days we had together, for the many guys we'd run after, for the break ups we would be together for and for so much more, you were here for me and I know we weren't close when we were younger but we grew up ending up bestfriends and closer than the whole family and it's all thanks to you and thanks to your father. I miss you guys so much and I miss the days we'd spend together and sometimes I'd break in tears and the first thing that would come to my mind is going back and just starting all over for you guys.
I want to thank my bestfriend, Muhammed for the best time I had with him, he'll always be my favorite. I love you Muhammed and I want to thank you for everytime you stood by me and listened to my problems and I'm sorry that I wasn't perfect neither do I was always there but thank you for being in my life now and forever as we always said.
I'd like to show my love for Egypt and thank the Egyptians for everyday they were here for us and stood by our side before standing to their each other, I had my bad days in Egypt, I was sexually assaulted by Egyptians, my heart was broken by first love whom was Egyptian, I lost my beloved for a stupid Egyptian doctor who killed my aunt by mistake. I had my bad days when those who hated would threaten me to lock me and my family in jail for being non Egyptians, I had those days countless times, but going back to the good memories, Egypt I thank you for being my second home and my second country. To be more specific you're the only country that I actually have now and I know I can't go back now, I know how bad it reached, I know they'll throw me in jail they'd even kill me now for being non Egyptian but I still love you Egypt.
For the good days, for the friends and families that I still have, for the lovers that I left behind, for the school days that were the happiest, I thank you.
Places to visit; HURGHADA, SHARM EL SHEIKH, ALEXANDRIA, PORTSAIED.
In the end I just wanna mention, no matter how many countries you've been to and how many good people you've met, you'll never meet as funny and kind as the Egyptians and that's a promise.
