On Cities and Starting Fresh in Familiar Places

When I was nineteen and moved to Toronto, the CN Tower was my Eiffel Tower. From my residence hall on Devonshire, I could see the CN Tower as I crossed the street for breakfast. Walking to class, down St. George, there it was. It was this romantic symbol that chided me into exploring the city more, loving independence, and new spaces. When I would discover a new part of town, I would have this feeling like I was conquering Toronto. China Town: check. Queen St. West: check. Little India: Check. I was Napoleon, maybe younger, maybe taller, but just as emboldened and in love with my new lands.
In London, I set out ready to lay claim. But as the double-decker buses splashed passed me, too full to stop and let me on, and I showed up to class, late and wet, a slightly more antagonistic relationship was developing between my city and I. Why would London not simply bow to me? Days of impossibly long line-ups and dull skies seemed to be a sign that London was laughing at me, as if she were saying: What? You think I’d give Oliver Twist a rough ride and let you get off easy? Haven’t you seen Pretty Dirty Things? Don’t you know I make newcomers sell their organs to stay here? There were the days when my mastery of jogging the the canal made me feel like I brought London to her knees. I would celebrate the sweet successes of a bargain lunch ate outside in a square. Yet, at the end of my time, despite the successes, I felt I disengaged before a true victory was won.
It isn’t until now, after a year in Cairo, that my desire to discover and conquer has disappeared. I never approached Cairo with the same attitude that I brought to Toronto or London. I was too knowledgeable in Cairo’s heat and crowds and general stubbornness, to ever think that I could ever conquer it- but more importantly, I never had the desire. I felt that if I could simply survive here, that would be an achievement. And here I am, surviving.
After a year of working as an Egyptian civil servant at the Ministry of Manpower and Migration, I baked them a farewell brownie and waved goodbye. My latest work digs aren’t so new. I’ll continue working on youth employment issues and Egypt’s National Action Plan for Youth Employment at the International Labour Organization. I’ll also be reading for the Islamic Studies graduate program at the American University in Cairo. Which means: I now carry additional id cards and sport new email addresses. What smacks of new beginnings more than a shiny new email address?