C.A.I.R.O.

I'm in Egypt for a six month internship at a newspaper called The Daily Star Egypt. I was supposed to be in Beirut right now, but, well, after that little kidnapping/bombing/shock and awe/Chaka khan incident last summer, Beirut was cancelled and Cairo was offered as a second choice.

Ok, ok. Everybody and their boyfriend has a blog, but due to popular demand (i.e. I have just so many friends) I decided to start an online journal not only for my own edification and documentation, but also so my far flung peeps can keep up with what I'm up to without a constant barrage of group emails.Yes, it's fucking self-centered and egotistical and I've openly belittled bloggers in the past, but well, I caved.

Please join me for some Arabian nights...

Flying into Cairo was a trip.

After purchasing some cognac on the tarmac at Athens Int'l Airport (booze in Egypt is brewed locally and is thus horrible) I found myself sitting next to two of the friendliest (and gayest) men in Southern Europe.

We decided to split a cab into downtown Cairo, as I had made a reservation at some budget fleabag joint near Midan Tahrir -- aka, Cairo's bustling centre.

Speeding into Cairo's undulating suburbs at 4 a.m. on an elevated freeway was surreal. Mammoth mosques towered above the freeway.

Crumbling apartment buildings topped with satellite dishes and prickly antennas stretched outward into the city. It hit me that Cairo – at about 15 million people – is absolutely fucking massive.

And like other third world mega cities, it also has a mega heavy, mega apocalyptic vibe.

We crossed the Nile and Cairo's sprawling megalopolis opened into two great forks of black water bordered by massive, glowing skyscrapers.

Next thing I knew, I was splitting a room with my new friends: one guy had his PJ pants pulled down and was doing yoga poses on his bed. The other dude had his robe tucked into a pair of tighty whities and was going through his bags looking for whatever he was looking for.

They were both hilarious and generous – in fact, they fronted me the cash I need for my room...still, I really needed to find an apartment.