Cairo Time

---

[Soft piano melody]

[Background chatter]

[Airplane roaring]

[Ruffling papers]

- Reason for visit?

- I'm here to see my husband.

[Stamping]

[Background chatter]

- Taxi! Taxi!

- No, thank you.

- Ms. Juliette?

- Oh.

- Unfortunately your husband

has been delayed in Gaza.

I'm Tareq.

His security officer

at the United Nations.

- Oh yes, yes,

of course! Tareq.

Oh, it's a pleasure

to finally meet you.

- It's a pleasure

to meet you, too. May I?

- Oh, thank you.

- Thank you.

Mark said he would call you

when you got to the hotel.

- Mark is all right?

- Mark is fine. Please.

- I've heard so

much about you.

- As I have about

you. This way.

[Traffic]

- Tareq! Tareq!

[Woman speaking in Arabic]

- Excuse me.

[Motorist honking]

Please.

- We would love to welcome you

to the wedding in Alexandria.

- Oh, excuse me. This is

a very old friend of mine.

And her daughter.

This is Ms. Juliette.

Um, I worked for her husband.

- For her husband.

Juliette. Like

Juliette and Romeo?

- Yes.

- How beautiful.

- Thank you.

- I am Yasmeen.

- Oh, Yasmeen. It's

a beautiful name.

- Shukran.

- We've been

invited to her wedding.

- Oh! Uh, well thank you,

and congratulations.

[Exchanging goodbyes in Arabic]

[Background chatter]

Thank you.

[Middle-Eastern music

on the radio]

Oh no, I haven't

had a cigarette

since I was a teenager.

- Do you mind if I...

- No.

[Channel changed to pop music]

Oh, no. I liked the one before.

- You're familiar

with Arabic music?

- No, not at all.

[Switching to previous channel]

- It is Umm Kulthum -

mother of Egypt.

- She has a

beautiful voice.

- Yes.

- The heat is remarkable.

- It is at its worst

at this hour.

- It's November.

- It's the first thing

tourists notice.

- How can anyone complain

about the heat when women

are dressed like that?

- They're accustomed to it.

How is your, uh, work?

The, uh, magazine, isn't it?

- Yes. Um, busy.

Always busy.

I'm happy to get away.

[Song in Arabic]

How long do you think the

flare-up at the camp will last?

- I don't know.

But Mark is okay.

- Oh, congratulations

on your retirement.

- Thank you.

- Do you miss it, the UN?

- No. I took my

father's coffee shop.

- I heard about that.

- It occupies me.

- Yeah. Mark says it's the best

coffee he's ever tasted.

- Naturally I would have

to agree with him.

- He also says it's not

the same without you.

- He has a good heart.

[Middle-Eastern song]

How are your children?

- Oh, they're good. Thank you.

Um, they're gone.

Out into the world.

Finally.

[Sarcastic laugh]

- Must be nice to have

more time to yourself now.

- My son is on his honeymoon

and Emily just

finished university.

She's having difficulty

though finding a job.

- What is her specialty?

- Creative writing.

What?

- How will she make a living?

- Well, she's doing

something she loves.

[Middle-Eastern song]

[Traffic]

I'm so glad

I finally came

to the Middle East.

- I never understood

this "Middle East." Middle...

Middle of where?

- Cairo.

- Cairo it is.

- [Man]:
Here's your passport.

- Thank you.

- And your key.

[Clinking]

- Any messages?

- No, I'm afraid not.

Oh, there is this one

envelope waiting for you.

- Oh.

Everything's fine.

- If there is anything

you should need, please.

- Uh, how do you say

thank you in Arabic?

- Shukran. Shukran.

- Shukran.

- You'll be fluent

in no time.

[Background chatter]

[Soft music]

[Traffic outside]

[Motorist honking]

[Phone ringing]

[Picking up the phone]

- Hel- hello?

Oh, Mark!

Where are you? Hi.

[Clearing her throat]

No.

Oh, I'm fine. I'm fine.

Oh, I can barely hear you.

Um, how long do you think?

Huh?

How is it now, hmm?

Oh, Tareq is lovely.

Yes. I thought

he would be older.

We ran into a woman

named Yasmeen?

Oh, really?

[Laughing softly]

I thought so. Yeah.

No, I can't.

I can't stay inside that long.

I'll go crazy.

You know me. Hmm.

Oh, we have your embassy event.

Do you think you'll be back?

I don't want to be stuck

with the Petroleum Wives.

[Laughing softly]

Oh, I hope so too.

[Laughing again]

Oh... Oh, I miss you.

Yeah, I love you. Mm-hmm.

[Middle-Eastern music

in the background]

Hello?

Hello?

[Call to prayer in Arabic

from loudspeakers outside]

[Traffic]

[Call to prayer from afar]

[Diffuse chanting]

[Traffic and background chatter]

- Big family!

- No. Just work.

[Traffic]

[Background chatter]

[Motorists honking]

[Speaking in Arabic]

Shukran.

[Motorists honking]

[Background chatter]

[Kids screaming excitedly]

[Speaking in Arabic]

- Ah, you're beautiful.

- F*** me.

[Amused background chatter]

[Speaking calmly in Arabic]

[Middle-Eastern song]

[Background chatter]

- Oh! I'm sorry.

- Oh, no. That- it's all right.

It's okay.

- There is no sign.

- It's all right.

It's okay. Would- Do- Do you-

Do you have the time?

Do you know what time it is?

- Time? 2pm.

[Background chatter and music]

- Excuse me.

- Oh, um...

- I'm sorry. I'm disturbing you.

- No, not at all. Not at all.

This is Ms. Juliette.

- Hello. Hello.

- Coffee? Uh, tea?

Uh, juice?

- No, thank you.

- Cigarette?

- I'm going crazy.

- Is there something the matter?

- Oh, uh...

No, I'm... I'm fine, I...

You know, Mark warned me about

wandering the streets alone.

Men keep following me.

- You're a very beautiful woman.

- Hmm...

It's been years since, uh,

men, young men, have, have...

- You find that hard to believe?

[Bubbling sound]

Why don't I take you

to the Pyramids?

- Oh, uh, Mark and I

made a promise

we'd see them together.

- Of course. Of course.

Then, uh, let us walk.

- Okay.

- Bye-bye.

- This way.

- Why is everyone staring?

- This caf is for men.

- What do the women do?

- Oh, other things.

- No one said anything.

- No, that would be rude.

- Right.

I like your dress.

[Piano playing

in the background]

- This is a galabia.

- Hmm.

- Thank you.

[Middle-Eastern song]

[Background chatter]

- They're quite

something, aren't they?

- I promised Mark,

my husband, I would

see them with him.

- Mark Laroche?

That was silly.

- Why?

- He could be

held up for weeks.

- Then weeks it'll be.

- I'm Kathryn.

- Juliette.

- Pretty name.

- Thank you.

- Juliette! We've been

looking all over for you!

- Hello.

- How are you?

- You look absolutely

gorgeous. Cairo suits you.

- Thank you. Thank you.

- Uh, I'm sorry.

It's just hell there.

Mark couldn't get away.

- He's fine?

- Yeah, of course.

- We'll see you at

the luncheon tomorrow.

- Goodbye.

- Bye.

[Background chatter]

[Middle-Eastern music

and cries of admiration]

- I've been here

for 6 months now

and have yet to see

the real thing.

- Your husband

works for the UN?

- Boyfriend. And yes.

It's been a bit of a

nightmare, actually.

He's been recalled

four times.

Hasn't had a

break in a year.

- Four times.

You must be looking forward

to going back home.

- Sure.

- They are ridiculous.

[Man singing in Arabic]

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