And that was how it happened: I arrived and fell in love… with the sea 😊. As I mentioned in my previous article, I had only planned to stay for a few days. But I loved being by that beautiful sea, enjoying the weather and the peace and quiet after the bustle of Cairo. Before long, I could picture myself dancing there and making that experience my own.
I spent eight months in the city and its surroundings, experiencing the changing seasons from late spring into early autumn.
I lived in a secluded area away from the centre, with unpaved streets. The children and most of us—myself included—would walk barefoot from our homes to the public beach, at least until the heat made that impossible.
During my first few days, I met a man on public transport who rented me his entire house for next to nothing. Soon afterwards, I began receiving offers to dance at private parties in El Gouna.
One thing led to another, almost as though it had all been arranged in advance. I simply embraced the opportunities because they were what I wanted.
Meeting a Libyan-Egyptian family was a blessing. They invited me to dance at their celebrations time and again, and our paths crossed in the most unexpected way. I walked into a bakery where a song by Umm Kulthum was playing and, before I knew it, Asalia was moving to the music. A young man sitting there with his coffee noticed me. He happened to be looking for a belly dancer for a party that week, and went on to invite me to so many wonderful celebrations.
To be honest, this was my first private party in Egypt, and it was quite an exclusive, intimate gathering. I must admit I felt a little apprehensive. Would the guests be all men? A mix of men and women? I had plenty of questions.
To my surprise, the moment I stepped inside the house, I felt completely at ease. Most of the guests were couples. This extended family had a wonderful time, and so did I. Whenever they came to El Gouna, they would call me. I loved every minute of dancing for them and practising languages afterwards. What a joy it was to be part of those celebrations!
I have spent a little longer on this story because, without meeting that lovely family, my time in Hurghada would have been very different. Not necessarily better or worse, but certainly different.
By then, I had already made up my mind to stay in Hurghada: a spectacular coastal city where life felt like one long, gentle summer.
Those months were intense and full of discoveries. Above all, I immersed myself in dance. In Spain, I had been dancing once a week, or twice at most. Here, I could have danced every day if I had wanted to, but I chose a different rhythm.
I want to give a heartfelt thank-you to two dancers I hold very dear, Julia Mendez and Kehyle. They became my confidantes. Beyond being wonderful performers who devote themselves heart and soul to dance, they helped create a space where we could support one another. We would share the latest story about—let's call him Ahmed I—or what Ahmed II had done, laugh together, and send photos with messages like: “No, I haven't just stepped out of the shower; I've been dancing in 39°C heat! How long did your hairstyle last today?” We laughed so much. The little time we spent together meant a great deal to me, and I will always be grateful. We became friends, talked into the early hours, and they made me feel cared for. I love you both!
During my brief time there, I did not want to churn out performances like churros at Valencia's Fallas festival.
I wanted to dance about four times a week and leave time for myself: to explore, travel to Luxor and other beautiful places such as Marsa Alam and Al Qusir—whose name reminded me of Alcàcer, where I grew up—meet other artists, and learn more about the culture by spending time with Egyptian women. Their lives are a subject I find particularly fascinating. I also enrolled in an online course and, in a place where I would never have expected it, completed my TEFL training to teach English as a foreign language. Who would have thought?
One unexpected detail: everyone in the TEFL WhatsApp group was Egyptian except me, and they often posted assignments and explanations in Arabic. That gave me a real incentive to improve my reading and writing. They used both Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Arabic.
Did you know Arabic has different dialects? You might be surprised by how much it can vary even within one country, let alone across the Arabic-speaking world. Modern Standard Arabic is used in the media and in educational and legal documents, but it is rarely the language people use in everyday conversation. That deserves a post of its own 🙂.
That's all for now, my dear Asalias and Asaliyos!