Why Burning Man is the Best Basic Training for Living in Egypt

• Burning man takes place in Black Rock City, in the middle of the Black Rock desert in Nevada. Cairo is located in the middle of the Western desert in Egypt.
• Most of the year the weather is hot during the day and cool at night. Be prepared to be sweaty and hot walking around in the sun, but feel the need to wear a jacket and a scarf at night.
• There are dust storms in both locations with white out conditions. At burning man, most people know better and carry with them some sort of dust mask, goggles, and/or bandanna. Here people are usually caught off guard, but are more prepared if they sport a head scarf. Either way, the wind starts blowing and you can see the clouds of dust/smog/trash start kicking up in the distance and you know to roll up the windows or run like hell for cover.
• No rules for traffic here or there. No one takes turns, no one stops (not even for pedestrians), and larger vehicles are usually packed with people like sardines in the most unsafe of fashions. It's a free for all!
  
• No matter how hard you try to keep doors and windows closed in your apartment/tent, a thin layer of dust manages its way into everything you own.
• You have to tote your own water everywhere. At Burning Man, you’re in the middle of nowhere, so the idea of running water or main water source is out of the question which means you have to pack and ration out the water you use for the duration of the festival. In Cairo, there is a large water source (the Nile), and running water is, yes, very much the norm, but think twice before you drink it. Even those who can tolerate the stuff avoid it due to the terrible chlorine smell and taste, as well as the rumor that it carries high levels of mercury. You'll be adding boxes of bottled water to your budget for sure.
• People are out till all hours of the morning and night.
• Events and people scheduled to be at an appointment or event may or may not be there. In most cases, all works out for the best, some of the people meant to be there show up, and it’s usually still a party.
• Bright, flashy, blinky things populate the landscape at night. We’re talking sensory overload. Burning Man, anything and everything from bicycles to domes to art cars to human beings are covered in shiny things. In Cairo, cabs, buildings, storefronts, small alleyways, clubs, etc. are all covered in bright flashy things. New store or shack openings are the best. Expect large speakers, terrible singers, and flashy old fashioned x-mas lights slung from the buildings above.
  
• Water bottle showers. At Burning Man, unless your equip with a fancy-smancy solar shower with an anti-grey-water tarp, plan on taking a shower with a water bottle. In Cairo, apartments come with all the typical necessities, including a shower and hot water heater, but sometimes, for no apparent reason, the water is turned off for random amounts of time. We keep a stock of 2 liter water bottles with tap water on Paul’s fridge for this very reason. In need of a shower? Heat tea kettle, carefully pour water into 3 or so water bottles, stand in tub…presto! Showering capabilities!
• Lazy? Shower only a couple times a week? Depending on the level of dust in the air, expect especially moldable hair. Who needs hair gel when you can do it the natural way with sweat and dust? Beware, supreme laziness, or lack of showering capabilities may result in unwanted dreadlocks.
• An intense feeling of dryness, especially on the hands and feet, that never seems to get better no matter how much lotion you put on. Again, it’s the dust. There it lives in your tent and your sleeping bag; here it lives in your furniture and your bed. Any moisture is absorbed immediately by dust.
• Incessantly dirty finger nails. At Burning Man, eh…that’s life…that’s what you get for attempting to live in the desert for a week in a tent. Here…dude this is civilization. You can’t go clubbin’ lookin’ like you just finished weeding your garden.
• An inability to take pictures at night with a flash. When developing photos, small blurry dots obstruct your view and ultimately ruin the image you were going for. Yup, you guessed it, dust.
• The cult-like gathering of people around a symbolic figure or thing. At Burning Man it’s “the Man” which is set on fire while thousands gather to run around it and have a huge inebriated/drug-induced celebration. In the Middle East it’s Mecca, essentially a black box where thousands gather to pray around each year.