🇩🇿 Oran Diaries: Where Spain Meets the Sahara

"Six months in this sun-drenched port city taught me: Oran moves to its own lazy flamenco rhythm." 💃🌞 🚗 The City That (Almost) Boomed ▪️ 2019’s glittering highway – Lined with abandoned Renault/Toyota showrooms ▪️ 2023’s comeback – "Geely cars just arrived! (Pray for spare parts)" 🚘 ▪️ Construction whiplash – "One skyscraper rises like Dubai, another site gets buried in red tape" 🏗️ 🗣️ Language & Culture ▪️ French rules – "My Arabic textbook gathers dust (eavesdropping is more fun!)" ▪️ Headscarf math – 50% wear, 50% don’t ("No side-eyes, just personal comfort") ▪️ Retail revolution – Female clerks! ("No small-town gender awkwardness here") 🌊 Mediterranean Love-Hate ▪️ "I’ve seen all the sea’s moods" – From glassy calm to angry froth ▪️ Verdict: "Postcard views can’t fix the sticky humidity" 😓 🏗️ Real Estate Roulette ▪️ "One site builds 3 towers in months; another fills its own foundation" ("Bring bribes or don’t bother") #Oran #Algeria #ExpatLife