When visiting a new place, well-travelled people often dissect every little thing, and probe their memory to determine when and where the same was last experienced. Similarities give security, which in turn gives comfort. But comparisons also dilute the exceptionality of the experience, reducing it to a mere addendum.
This happened to me when I landed in Cairo. Cairo is a sensory overload. Its urban sprawl, noises, smells, overwhelming chaos, all reminded me of a place where I once used to live Delhi. However, I had to dissociate myself from my past impressions if I were to truly enjoy this megacity. So, for once, I forgot where I came from. I stepped afresh into the hot air of Cairo, and into its ever-present pandemonium.