Cairo - 21'000'000 humans beings!

Cairo is the second largest urban agglomeration in Africa (behind Lagos). The largest in the Arab world and the Middle East.
The he sixth-largest in the world.. 21.3 Million inhabitant. WOW.

When Umna picked me up at the airport I asked how long the commute would be. She said two hours. I thought she joked. She did not!

Umna lives with her husband. The second of her daughters just got married and moved out. Children live with their parents until they marry, no matter the age or gender.

When a man and a woman marry the who pays what is set.
The parents of the bride pays for the engagement party, the parents of the groom pay for the wedding.
If the bride to be does not have a engagement party, the cost for the wedding are split.
The apartment/house is paid by the parents of the groom. Furniture, electrical appliances and everything else one needs down to the teaspoon are split.
In Cairo, everything has with a wire (electrical appliances) is usually provided by the parents of the groom. In the countryside its the parents of the bride:-).

In 1998 a genius business man with visions sold sand in the desert to interested parties. He decided to build homes in the desert. It was the first big gated community built in the desert. The plans existed only on paper, it was a dream, hence the name.
It was a crazy idea back then. Umna and her family moved in in 2005. Coming and going they drove through the desert.
It's very cold here. Although it's 10-15 degree, it feels like below zero. A cold which possesses your whole body down to the very last cell.

I had a long day, so going to bed early.

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