Lying Half-Naked on a Roof, to Save Money

Eliane, Rima, Joelle, Melissa and Ghinwa are young ladies who, at the end of their school year, are waiting for the results of the official exams.

In a country where people lead day to day lives, unaware of what tomorrow may bring, these girls decided to enjoy their summer vacation their way and with at the least possible cost.

They made plans for a weekly tanning day where they lay on a roof, which changes every week depending on the host.  

The girls told MTV Website that they pick one day a week depending on their free time to lay and enjoy the sun.

“We gather here mostly to gossip,” said Joelle, pointing at the small bags of pumpkin seeds that the girls describe as necessary for the gathering.

As it appeared, the roof provided them with privacy as well as proximity to the sun that shimmers on their bodies and colors their skin week in and week out, giving them a tan desired by women of all ages.

They didn’t care about the boys looking at them from other rooftops. To them, enjoying the sun is far more important than other people’s thoughts and looks.

On another hand, Mrs. May, who is now in her 50’s, was disturbed by the topic as her eyes weren’t used to such a site. She is used to water tanks and cable dishes.

“This kind of behavior leads to more impunity and irresponsibility,” she said, adding that roofs should not be used under men’s noses, describing the sight as pure rudeness.

Madonna, a lady in her 40’s, noted that she finds tanning to be quite classy and not tacky as people seem to believe. She apparently benefits from her baby’s nap to soak up the sun but definitely not on the roof.

“It is far too exposed,” she said, adding that she prefers to do it on her terrace and uses blinds so as to secure a bit more privacy.

People in Cairo live in roof pads because they are lower in cost and in Lebanon the less fortunate tan on their roofs.

With the economy facing even further degradation, the roofs might not be enough to hold all those seeking chocolaty sun-kissed skin.

Article originally written in Arabic by Gisele Naim