At the Citadel of Qaitbay Since my first visit to Egypt, I have been fascinated with the majesty of the people, culture, streets among many others. It was normal to see animals so integrated into every-day life. While visiting the Citadel of Qaitbay located in the Coastal city of Alexandria, I spotted a tiny stray kitten hiding in the corner of a room. I stepped back, gave it space, but other tourists went in and crowded the poor thing. Out of panic, the cat kept stepping back on the window ledge until it hit the air with its back paws. Grasping at the ledge with its front paws, it was so tiny it wasn’t able to hold itself up and it fell to the ground. Unfortunately, this story doesn’t have a happy ending. I ran to the ground floor and was held back by adults around me; at such a young age, it wasn’t deemed appropriate for me to see what was left of the kitten. The panic in the small kitten’s eyes, the reach of empathy that is intangible but definitely still there, has stayed with me. Throughout my life,…
