I have been here now two weeks. I am nowhere near understanding the culture or expectations but I do have some observations.
Obviously this country is jam packed with the most and oldest stuff in the world. It's something else to be looking at paintings done 3000 years ago!!! Or wandering through temple ruins 2500-3000 years old or more. It's impossible to even begin to see a fraction of it. I love the rock paintings. Some of them are still so colorful and bright. Here in Luxor there is just tons of tombs with paintings.
Egyptians are some of the friendliest and most hospitable people I have ever met. I probably get invited for tea 10-20 times a day. Sadly I refuse most of these invitations. For one it is impossible to have tea that many times, and secondly I have learned to usually refuse if I am alone and it is a man (an it's always a man asking I haven't had a woman ask yet). But I have had a few opportunities when with another westerner to visit in some of their homes and be fed. This has never happened in any other country I have visited. It's very cool.
I do not understand the role of Egyptian women whatsoever. From a westerners perspective it would be easy to make assumptions, but these would be false. Just as the assumptions that are made about Western women are often false. I try as much as I can to say hello to women and catch their eyes and smile. Very few women work in restaurants or stores, but when I find these businesses I try to frequent them more often as this is more comfortable for me and also gives me a chance to talk to them.
Twenty million times a day I get asked "where are you from" "what is your name" "where are you staying". Often I turn it into a joke saying I'm from Japan and my name is Suzuki. This turns into a laugh which is a good way to avoid answering the question. Otherwise I have found myself chased down the street with them calling out "Canada Dry" or my name.
Egypt is a very poor country. So getting hassled to buy stuff is understandable as people are just trying to feed themselves. It is frustrating at times and I try my best not to get too frustrated.
I hate the comments I get from men. But this is the way it is. I try my best to dress conservatively. This is all I can do. I have not yet been inappropriately touched so that is good. I think they way I dress has something to do with this.
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4 comments:
The adventures of Pam is heating up with constant posts and comments, keep posting and I will do my best to comment. Egyptian people sound like quite the characters, it looks like it is scorching over there. I would be melted into the ground by the third day I bet. Where is your next stop?
Mike
Sounds like you are getting a good handle on things and are learning to survive in a setting with a very different worldview than your own. Observe, be objective, be wise and enjoy.
Dad
Dad telling someone to be objective?
You never got invited for tea in Viet Nam? It must have been because you stayed on the tourist trail too much. Do you think you'll survive the rest of the trip?
Hey Pam, glad to hear that the trip is going so well. You have received two calls that wanted/needed a response. The important one was from the faculty of nursing. The contact name is Pam( go figure) and the number is 474-6375. The other one was from Reflection dental health about participating in something, she was mumbling alot so I didnt quite understand the entire thing. But anyway, keep enjoying Egypt, there are alot of envious people back here in -45 windchills.
Brad
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