“I accidentally moved to Cairo.”
With that one sentence, Ben Jenkins pressed upload and inadvertently opened one of Egypt’s most viral moments of the year.
On January 27, New York-based comedian A.J Tik Tok Explaining that he was stuck in Egypt for a longer period than expected. the reason? His little dog, Croissant, wasn’t old enough to return to the United States until he was six months old. What was supposed to be a short visit suddenly became an extended stay.
“It was this video the next morning that I realized I was stuck in Cairo,” Jenkins says. Egyptian streets. “I just woke up and said, ‘I’m here.’
The Internet was there a lot.
The video has garnered more than 3.8 million views and nearly 900,000 likes, instantly turning Jenkins into Cairo’s newest serendipitous resident online. What could have been a logistical headache became a digital love story between a confused American comedian, his expressive dog, and an entire country willing to adopt them in the comments.
Arwa, a social media user, wrote: “On the bright side, you are in Cairo! Enjoy hehe.” Tik Tok While another user, Fifi, commented: “Welcome to Cairo, my love.” Another user summed up the collective mood perfectly: “This is unfortunately quite creative.”
From two weeks to three months
Jenkins wasn’t planning to stay. He originally came to visit his Egyptian best friend for “two or two and a half weeks.” Croissant, now five months old, joined the trip as part of what Jenkins describes as a puppy’s “socialization window,” a crucial developmental period when dogs adapt more easily to new environments.
Instead of a short cultural adventure, he found himself juggling pet regulations and delayed travel plans. So departure had to wait.
First, Jenkins did what comedians do best; He turned chaos into content. “I’m a comedian, so I post a lot of random, silly videos,” he explains. Didn’t expect much. “I didn’t realize how powerful a silly personal story would be to resonate with so many people,” he admits.
However, the Egyptians remained addicted to it.
Cairo with new eyes
Since that first viral post, Jenkins has been sharing his daily Cairo anecdotes with the world: funny street encounters, observations about traffic, café culture, and Ramadan nights.
“The way people communicate with car horns… as much as I understand it is its own language, that’s impossible for me,” he jokes.
Rather than just being frustrated, Jenkins was fascinated and curious about life in Cairo.
“I love Egypt very much, honestly,” he says. “I’m very curious, I find the lifestyle here and the culture very interesting and fascinating to me, and it’s something I really want to understand.”
This honesty has led to his TikTok videos going viral account Reach nearly 50,000 followers.
In the digital world where some foreigners portray Egypt as overwhelming or messy“, Jenkins makes himself the joke. He laughs at his own confusion. He embraces the hype. And most importantly, he tries to fit in.
Jenkins has been taking Arabic lessons, practicing phrases in his videos, and proudly trying out everyday greetings and slang. He asks followers to correct his pronunciation. He repeats words until he understands them correctly. Instead of staying outside comfortably, he tends to awkwardly learn.
It’s not polished, which is exactly why people love it.
And the audience responds.
“Having so many strangers on the Internet interested in my life right now, I wasn’t really expecting that,” he says. “I’m so overwhelmed.”
Meet and greets and a growing community
Communication goes beyond the screen.
After his videos gained significant attention, Jenkins hosted two mini meetups with followers who were watching his journey. What started as casual TikToks turned into real-life interactions, building a community.
What he initially saw as an inconvenience began to feel different.
“A big part of coming to Egypt was to spend more time with myself…to come somewhere exciting and different,” he says. Staying longer allowed him to do just that.
“My life has completely changed since I left America,” he says. “Maybe this is a blessing in disguise.”
More than just a viral moment
Behind the humor lies something more personal.
Jenkins has spoken about the loss of his brother, a loss that reshaped his world long before Cairo entered the picture. Croissants entered his life during that period of grief. The puppy was not just a travel companion, he provided comfort and calm emotional support.
In many ways, croissants became part of Jenkins’ recovery. Walking him through the streets of Cairo, photographing their daily adventures, and building a routine around his care. These small actions created structure during a time that could easily have felt unstable.
Is he really leaving?
Jenkins stated that he intends to leave Egypt in mid-March. But if its content makes one thing clear, it’s that plans can change.
He has become comfortable here. He has adapted to the rhythm, noise and energy of late night. He has built a following that resembles a cheering section more than an audience. He repeatedly emphasized how much he loved being here.
“I love Egypt so much, honestly.”
So, although mid-March may be the official plan, staying a little longer does not seem impossible. After all, this whole chapter started with an accident.