(AFP Photo)
Traditional ahwas (coffee shops) are a staple of most streets in Cairo. Small tables spill out over sidewalks and people, often mostly men, get together to drink tea, play backgammon, and talk about their days and the state of the nation.
The only nights when the relaxed atmosphere changes is when there is a football match on; chairs all point in the same direction and advice, admonitions, and insults are hurled at the screen when deemed necessary.
On Friday night many coffee shops lined up chairs in front of TV sets and audiences flocked together to watch the first episode of Bassem Youssef’s Al Bernameg since his arrest, proving that the arrest did nothing to dent his popularity in Cairo.
