In response to comments that previous articles about Alexandria were not specific enough or representative of the Alexandrian experience, one of our readers has contributed his own insight. This is the updated version of the original article Things Only Alexandrians Will Relate To, but this time written by: Mazen Khalil from Alexandria
Any one can feel free sending us their contributions on Sendus@eb8e7f6d53.nxcli.net
Alexandria is our epitome of home here in Egypt. Contrary to popular belief, Alexandria is neither the second largest, nor second most populated governorate in Egypt. It’s among the smallest in area and largest in population though.
Naturally, just like anywhere else, we have our own things that make us special:
Alexandrian Seasons
Alexandria in the winter is breathtaking. This season we have Alexandria all to ourselves, where the rain comes to sweeps the streets, and the sea waves put on a spectacular display of beauty and rare destruction. Alexandria in the summer though…
The summer madness and chaotic flocking of “tourists” from all over the country taking over the long strip from Gleem to Mandara is crazy. If only they would stop going out in their underwear!
Hangouts
Alexandrian hangouts aren’t as limited as one may believe, but yeah, they aren’t that many either.
Wanna go fancy? Go to Fouad St, Kafr Abdo, Mirage, or Downtown!
Wanna sit by the sea? There is nothing more than cafes from the absolute beginning of Alexandria to the absolute end.
Wanna go to a mall? City Center or Green Plaza are the places to go.
If you love your food cheesy then you’re definitely a fan of Alban Swesra! The Suhoor there is so crowded it’s uncanny! Right beside it is Hammooda. That’s a place famous for its “Shisha Me3assel” all over Alexandria.
After Hambaka was closed down in Smouha it opened two new cafes and is still going strong. There you can find hundreds of young men playing estimation, dominos, and Playstation. It’s a spectacle indeed!
Then you have our most famous Ahwa of all: Al Togarya/Al Watanya, where it’s impossible to keep quiet, and interesting conversations are always struck.
Don’t even get me started on the dish parties in Montazah, or biking in Al Maamoura.
Alexandria has a lot more to offer, I was just scratching the surface.
Language
This has been discussed over and over and over and over and over again, so I’m going to say just this: grammatically, we are correct.
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
This is the best thing in Alexandria! This is the place that has made it possible to have a strong civil work community, and taking an amazing place like the Bibliotheca as our venue was just awesome. Many projects have been brought to life in the Bibliotheca.
It’s also a great place to study and read in absolute silence.
Don’t get me started on the epic summer festivals the bibliotheca hosts! They get all the bands and singers that the Alexandrian youth would like to see live, and pack it in one sweet, sweet summer festival making you wonder where you’re going to get the money to attend all of them. It starts in August this year.
Tram Convenience
The tram isn’t exclusive to anyone. We have ALL taken it, and most of us constantly do. It runs from the Mahattet Al Raml all the way to Victoria. It’s always awesome to hitch a 5 minute ride instead of taking a cab. Then there is the less famous Tram Al Madina running in specific routes inside Alexandria, not only parallel to the sea strip.
How everyone knows everyone
On each social level everyone knows everyone. Ever heard of the six degrees of separation? Well, here in Alexandria it’s down to one or two MAXIMUM. You meet random people sometimes only to find that you have over 30 friends in common.
