One of the things that we humans are similar to, even if our places and cultures are different, is our view of the cities about which people often have wrong views. Even if someone has not visited it and heard it from someone who spoke to him, he said: “Or the brothers communicate with each other on the basis that it is a city of immorality. The best thing is to be far away from the land of immorality.” Or he entered into the opinion of the group’s impressionistic view or stereotype.
In the past, they used to tell us: If you go to Europe, European women will be attracted by dark hair, an oriental look, and tanned skin. When we went, we found some of us who were darker in color working in train stations. When you mention the Scandinavian countries, especially Sweden, you find your listener swallowing his saliva and laughing. And he looks at you in a malicious way on the basis that he understands the situation and the topic, and that Sweden is a country of pornography and personal freedom, a country whose women travel more than they cover up, and religious fanatics view it as the basis of the affliction and misery of the world, and that its residents will hasten the Day of Judgment.
The visitor to these countries, especially Sweden, will not find in them a quarter of what people say. What is found in any Arab capital in terms of drums and flutes, you will not find in somewhat conservative Sweden. As for Denmark, it is like any European country, except for the two capitals, London and Paris. Their people make a living. Some of them are in their fishing boats, and others are in their various jobs, and for them a woman is more than three men in bearing the hardships of life and the fatigue of work.
As for Norway, its people sleep at the sunset call to prayer, after they have had their chicken dinner, because they are an early people, and they like to work before the rooster crows, while Helsinki is like any forgotten northern island, there are no strangers, everyone is close, and their religion is work and honesty, and ignorance is a fighter. They have good education, love their environment, and have no aspirations to invade their neighbors.
These are special views about some cities, and what they may suggest to you, but there are those who share our point of view, even if their culture differs, and the corners they inhabit are far apart. Among these cities are some that suggest to you old age, such as Damascus and Athens. Others look like a woman wearing jeans and a T-shirt. A white T-shirt. Paris is a woman who grows with you. She looks like a tall blonde wearing a “taire” that adds to her beauty with a royal nose. Addis Ababa is an African girl like an ebony stick, swaying like serpents, and guarding the temple priests. Nairobi is huge elephants, with all this green grass in the forest. Madrid. A gypsy singer, with a passion for sugar and poetry. Rome is not much different from the old hyena, which is her logo. Hong Kong is a big company. Bangkok is a girl in a nightclub. Beirut has things from Turquoise.
There are cities that make you feel soft, like Istanbul, and others that are solid, like Sanaa. Some are long, like Buenos Aires, Argentina. Some are fat and stuffy, like Moscow. They are ascetic cities, cities that have a taste of seduction.
Dignified cities, cramped cities, cities like the warmth of old women, while plastic cities remain, cities without features, and glass cities that do not know compassion.
Do we buy a travel ticket, carry extra bags, towards a hollow city, holding the arm of a hollow woman? Or do we embrace evil for a woman of love and atmosphere, who has all this glow and this fire, or do we fly with friends who are the regrets of time and wind, the sultans of the sea and the wind?
We are similar, even if we differ and are far apart, in that there are women like cities… and cities like women, and between them the life escaping from one joy to another is divided!
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