eudaimonia & anagnorisis

This weekend was a nearly hedonistic.

On Thursday night we piled on to this overcrowded little bus for a 6 hour drive to Hurghada. At 2am we found an absolutely gorgeous safari boat awaiting our arrival. The weekend, all of which was spent drifting the Red Sea, was literally a page out of some luxury paradise brocure, the crew cooked outstanding Middle Eastern food fresh at every meal and third-story deck provided a bed beneath a blanket of black sky and thousands of stars…. Life was literally: Wake up. Eat. Dive. Nap. Dive. Eat. Chill. Eat. Nap. Eat. Dive. Eat. Dive. Chill….for 48 hours. I’m attracted to SCUBA in a purely practical way: eff the fish and the reef - I feel like I am invading their habitat and I get stressed out thinking I am going to knock some poor creature’s entire life of growing into coral dust with one kick of my fin… The simple sensation of being underwater, not having to worry about floating or breathing, is what captures me. It’s fascinating to watch how people behave underwater, too. I’m interested in taking the rescue diver course, but that would require me to take the advanced diving course first… then again ship wrecks and night dives might be too tempting to pass up. This may become my new addiction.

also, Ramadan has begun and the city is entirely different. The streets are quiet, shops are closed... during iftar the untrained eye would think the city was abandoned... but inside resteraunts and houses people are breaking fast with sweet dates, tea, and course upon course of food. Before I left my mum asked me what I was most excited for and I told her this month, so inshaAllah it will be as sweet and generous as expected. Ramadan kareem.