In Egypt you can get pretty much anything delivered. I’ve had a 10 LE bottle of vegetable oil delivered to my apartment, and know people who will routinely call out for a single pack of cigarettes or a coke. But what I saw today was on a different level.
I was about to get in the pool at my gym when I notice an attendant scurry over to a woman standing in the water. He takes a cigarette from her and carefully carries it over to her friend who is lounging on the pool deck, waits while she takes a single drag, and then delivers it back to the one in the water.
The amazing thing was how casual and routine the whole operation seemed. It was only when I was swimming and turning it over in my mind that I grasped the full absurdity of the situation.
The only mitigating factor I could possibly think of would be that it was her last cigarette. But this clearly wasnt the case because I could smell her chain smoking for the remainder of my swim.
Also, it’s still Ramadan and this was about 30 minutes before Iftar (when people who are fasting can start smoking again). I just hope the pool guy wasn’t a smoker. In any case, he needs to start reading some more of this guy.
3 thoughts on “Smoking in the pool”
As a former Cairene myself, your observations above are a pleasure to read. I’m very glad I’ve come across your blog — both interesting and well-written. Keep up the great work!
I have to agree with shbadr. Your blog is interesting enough to make me a fan. As for the pool incident, yes, it is amazing to know that such people are around in a third world country like this where (I don’t know) over 50% of the population can’t afford bread. Anyways, keep posting.
Pingback: Iran in the Gulf « Friday in Cairo
Comments are closed.