Sometimes, it gets really scary.
At night, most of the streetlights are out, and I am just relying on the scooter lights, ultra-focusing to avoid hitting potholes. Really steep uphills, downhills, blind curves, zigzags, two-way street, cars in front of you, you name it.
Today, it rains too. Just before it rains, I see a snake crossing the road.
I am on my own. I am terrified. Yet, in the middle of it, I get the feeling being too scared, and being too excited, actually come in similar ways.
Also, I am really reflecting on what darkness entails. At home, when it is dark, it is not livable and not safe. As a woman, I just make a U-turn and find another road that has lights on it.
It doesn't seem to be the case here or in Sri Lanka. When I first arrived, I would be genuinely scared the moment the sun set.
After a while, you understand: light in Egypt is a privilege. Energy and infrastructure are just taken for granted. So the norm is light; when you see a street with no lights, it means it is probably uninhabitable, or on a travel road; anyway, not safe.
Here? It is dark and you see gatherings; it is dark and you hear music. I cannot explain it.
Thank Allah for our light, and for the feeling I have of being somehow safe, in the dark, too.