serenity now

every day Kent, Chris P and I go to lunch. You could call the place a cafe. In front it has its Ta'amaaya, displayed for everyone to see. The smart ones pat the ta'amaaya before going in. Warm means its fresh and delicious, cold and you're in for an upset stomach. Everyday we go to the same place. It smells funky, its full of flies and other unknown insects but there's something about it. Time slows when we go to lunch, time for conversation, enjoying ourselves. After lunch we grab tea at the stand next door.

Today while at the tea stand with Kent, sitting on our plastic stools, enjoying the scalding tea, i realized how happy i was. There were a few beautiful white clouds in the sky, a wonderful little breeze, cats running around on the street, a few screaming children, a crazy car washer yelling at no one in particular, but I was happy. The odd feeling i had sent me back to Cornell sitting on the slope, back to my yacht club after a day on the lake, back to my porch sitting with friends. Here i was in Cairo, thousands of miles away from "home" yet I felt as ease, at peace, as if I had been here before.

It was an odd experience. Deja vu, i don't know. But its something I'm sure not to forget, one of those moments in time. Anywhere, any time, you can find a piece of home.