Learn Arabic as it is really spoken. Listen to and read Egyptian Colloquial Arabic.

Reem tells us about her recent visit to Cairo Tower… and what she saw from way up there.

بما انى من اسيوط، و دى مدينه صغيره بامكانيات صغيره مقارنة بالقاهره اللى هى عاصمة مصر، عشان كده القاهره بتعنيلى مدينة الاحلام. من فتره واحد من احلامى دى اتحقق، و هو كان انى ازور برج القاهره. تخيل كده انك بتشوف المدينه الكبيره كلها من على ارتفاع ميه سبعه و تمانين متر، و ده بيساوى تقريباً تسعين دور! واو! فيه جمال كده؟! و فى الواقع، الحقيقه مكانتش اقل جمالاً ابداً عن التخيل. كان منظر رائع، مش ممكن يتوصف ابداً. لازم تشوفه بس! قبل ما اطلع البرج، تحت كان فيه زى شجره ضخمه ليها افرع كبيره نازله منها. كان باين انها فى المكان ده ليها آلاف السنين. كنت مشدودالها تماماً. و بالرغم من انها كانت مبهره بس كانت مخيفه شويه. لزقت فى دماغى من ساعتها و فضلت مرتبطه دايماً بالزياره دى. فى قمة البرج، كان فيه شوية منظارات “تليسكوبات” للناس اللى حابه انها تبص بنظره اقرب. حجزت تذكره و استخدمت واحد. المنظر كان اقرب شويه، بس طبعاً مقدرتش اشوف كل التفاصيل. بس انا حسيت انى شفت كل حاجه او تخيلت، مش عارفه اوى. شفت ناس واقفه فى طابور عشان تشترى عيش. و شوية عيال صغيره طالعين من مدارسهم بيجروا ورا بعضهم. شفت ولد و بنت ماسكين ايد بعضهم و فيه ابتسامه حلوه مرسومه على شفايفهم. فوق هناك، انا اخدت نفسى كانى ماخدتوش قبل كده خالص. و ساعتها حسيت فعلاً بالسلام الداخلى.

Since I’m from Asyut, which is a small city with small facilities compared to Cairo, which is the capital city of Egypt, so, Cairo means to me “The City Of Dreams”. A while back, one of my dreams came true, which was to visit Cairo Tower. Imagine that you are seeing the whole big city at an altitude of 187 meters, which is equivalent to almost 90 floors! Wow! What beauty! And actually the reality wasn’t less beautiful than the imagination. It was such an amazing view that can’t be described. You just have to see it! Before I went up the tower, downstairs there was something like a giant tree with huge pendulous branches. It looked like it had been in that place for thousands of years. I was totally fixated on it. And although it was impressive, it was kind of scary. It’s been stuck in my mind since then and has always remained connected to this visit. At the top of the tower, there were several telescopes for people who wanted to take a closer look. I booked a ticket and used one. The view was much closer, but of course, I couldn’t see all the details. But I felt that I saw everything or imagined [I did], I don’t really know. I saw people standing in line to buy bread, and few kids coming out of their school running after each other. I saw a boy and girl holding each other’s hands, with lovely smiles drawn on their faces. Up there, I took a breath as if I had never breathed before. And at that moment, I really felt inner peace.

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