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

Mohamed tells us what he likes about winter, and how it is special in Alexandria.

فصل الشتا خلاص على الابواب. كل واحد ابتدى ينزل الهدوم الشتوى و يشوف ايه اللى ناقصه عشان يشتريه و يرتب هيتعامل فى روتين حياته اليومى ازاى. انا عن نفسى بحب الشتا لاسباب معينه، منها ان لبس الشتا احلى و اشيك و فيه نوع من الاناقه. الشتا يعنى راس السنه قربت باحتفالاتها و اجازه الكريسماس، و لو الواحد معاه فلوس ممكن يقضى الكريسماس بره. كمان الشتا هو الوقت اللى اتجوزت فيه و بحتفل فيه بعيد جوازى. حاجه كمان ان النزول فى الشتا من البيت بيبقى اقل من الصيف و ده بيخلى الترابط الاسرى للعايله اكتر. المشكله بقى انى من الاشخاص اللى بيسقعوا بسرعه جداً. مش بستحمل الجو الساقعه خالص. و عشان كده انا بحب الصيف اكتر من الشتا. الصيف يعنى البحر و البنات الحلوه، انما الشتا يعنى الصحيان بدرى الصبح فى عز البرد عشان تروح الشغل. ده غير ان الطرق كلها بتبقى غرقانه ميه و السواقه بتبقى خطر اكتر من الصيف. الاسبوع اللى فات زرت اسكندريه بلدى الام. و فى اسكندريه الشتا ليه طعم تانى خالص غير باقى مصر. يمكن عشان هى بلد ساحليه، يمكن عشان هى البلد اللى اتربيت فيها. المهم انها ليها طعم تانى خالص. القعده على القهوه مع الصحاب و انت بتشرب الشوكولاته السخنه و انت شايف بره الدنيا بتمطر على العربيات و الناس ماشيه بالشماسى و صوت البحر و الموج العالى. كل ده بيخلى اسكندريه ليها مذاق جميل فى الشتا.

The winter season is knocking at our doors. Everyone is starting to get out their winter clothes, and make a checklist of what to buy, and arrange how to deal with their daily routine. As for myself, I love the winter for specific reasons. For example, winter clothes are nicer and more chic, and have a certain elegance. Winter means the new year is near, with its celebrations and the Christmas holiday, and if you have money, you can spend Christmas abroad. Also, winter is the time when I got married and I celebrate my anniversary in it. Another thing is that we go out less in the winter than in the summer, which increases family bonding. The problem is that I am one of those people who gets cold very quickly. I cannot tolerate cold weather at all. And that’s why I love summer more than winter. Summer means the sea, and hot chicks, while winter means for me getting up early in the cold weather to go to work. Not to mention the fact that the roads become covered in water and driving is more dangerous than in summer. Last week, I went for a visit to Alexandria, my hometown, where winter has a different feel than the rest of Egypt. Maybe because it is a coastal city, or maybe because it is my hometown, where I was raised. But anyway, it has a different feel about it. Spending time in the coffee shop with friends while you are drinking hot chocolate and you watch the rain as it pours down on the cars outside, people carrying umbrellas, the sound of the sea and the roaring waves. All this gives Alexandria a lovely feel in the winter.

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