“At the heart of a tragedy, there are colors of joy,” wrote Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh to his brother in their last correspondence. The situation in Egypt in recent years has certainly become increasingly challenging; from the political crises that began in early 2011, to the waves of murder, terrorism and imprisonment affecting many citizens.  And now the soaring prices. Many observers believe the current crisis could get worse amidst the volatile regional situation.

“At the heart of a tragedy, there are colors of joy,” wrote Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh to his brother in their last correspondence. The situation in Egypt in recent years has certainly become increasingly challenging; from the political crises that began in early 2011, to the waves of murder, terrorism and imprisonment affecting many citizens.  And now the soaring prices. Many observers believe the current crisis could get worse amidst the volatile regional situation.

Sex, drugs and cabaret

Does that mean that life has stopped? Never! The streets are still busy, weddings are held on a daily basis and shops have not lost their customers. Egyptians remain jubilant regardless of the crisis, striving to create happiness: through sex, drugs, a vacation on the beach or even dancing to the point of exhaustion at a late night street ceremony for a wedding.

Endless joy

Correspondent’s Pleasure Dossier certainly does not claim to be a comprehensive portrait of Egyptian joys, pleasure vices and moments of jubilation. In a country with over 90 million people, there are millions more ways to happiness. While we understand the dossier only scratches the surface of these pleasure domes, it introduces readers to the many shades of play that manifest themselves everyday, often away from the spotlight, in Egyptian society. We only highlight some in order to remember that despite the challenging conditions, there are always colors of joy.

For notes on cannabis consumption, read on here.

For more on weekend sex habits, try this.