Luxor
As the transfer bus left my airplane and approached the arrivals terminal at Cairo International Airport, I smiled, feeling a sense of peace at the culmination of a 15+ hour voyage, and a growing anticipation at the prospect of arriving at what was to be my home for the next two months.
My family had moved to Egypt during my sophomore year in college, and I had visited the past three Christmases. Now it was May 2009, and I was embarking on a summer of firsts: my first summer in Egypt, my first real living experience in Egypt, and my first forage into the working world of adults.
I waded through the swarming sea of people just inside the airport’s sliding glass doors, searching for the embassy expediter holding a sign with my name on it.
“Miss Siobhan Stewart” It was the first time they’d gotten the spelling right. He was standing in a group among other men with signs; I walked over and greeted him, raising my voice to be heard. This was where it began: the crowds, the jostling, the staring, the endless span of faces.
“Welcome you, Egypt,” he smiled. It was a phrase I would hear often, despite attempted explanations that I had been here before.
Temple in Luxor
At around 31,580 people per km², Cairo is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. As the population increases, so do the heights of the myriad apartment buildings – if ground space is limited, airspace will have to work. All too often, building codes are dismissed with a bribe, and huge sections of the jammed, unending buildings are disasters waiting to happen.
Bribes are commonplace in Egypt, indelibly woven into the system as a misguided fix to the extreme dichotomy between poor and wealthy. In the same way that tips are assumed in the salaries of servers in the States, bribes and “tips” in Egypt are important supplemental income to an impoverished nation.
“Tips” are expected for every assistance: givingdirections, taking a picture for you, “helping” you find a taxi – almost any interaction. Using a toilet (hamam) in any building (museums, airports, etc.) will inevitably begin with a tip to the man or woman holding the toilet paper.
Being constantly badgered for “baksheesh” (tips) was initially frustrating; as an expat, I was not a tourist and felt entitled to being treated like a resident.
My father would occasionally remind us of the extreme poverty of the locals who surrounded us — the armed police guards who protected our house were making 300 Egyptian (54 dollars) per month. Most Egyptians made much less.
“I try to keep in mind,” my father explained, “that when I’m bargaining over a few Egyptian pounds, I’m often making a big scene over about 50 cents.”
My older brother expressed similar sentiments: “I always feel like a jerk when we arrive at our massive, walled house, and I hand the taxi-driver a few pounds.”
The Arabic Language
Still, while there was definite room for generosity, we didn’t let ourselves get taken complete advantage of.
“Eskoon fil Ma’adi!” (“I live in Ma’adi” – an expat-filled suburb of Egypt) I announced heatedly to yet another taxi-driver charging me six times the going price. He grinned and rattled off something in Arabic, exploiting my limited knowledge of the language. I smiled and shrugged helplessly. We bartered a bit more, I in my broken Arabic, he in his tourist-tailored English.
Egyptians always wanted to know where I had learned Arabic, and always told me how good I was (clearly getting carried away in their excitement). I would explain that I had grown up in the Middle East, mostly in Oman and Dubai, and had picked up some Khaleeji (Gulf) Arabic. This information would make them laugh with a new appreciation for my shaky language ability and accent – pronouncing my “g’s” as “j’s” among other differences.
There are many different dialects of Arabic, splitting off between countries and dividing further between regions. A scholar learning Classical Arabic will be understood relatively well across the spectrum, but will probably have difficulty keeping up with the local dialect – however, he/she will have a definite jumpstart on learning the dialect.
A Westerner traveling in Arab regions and speaking classical Arabic is somewhat akin to a foreigner traveling through America speaking old English, with “thee’s” and “thou’s.” However, Classical Arabic is the overarching/scholarly dialect, and isn’t a bad choice for a first attempt at the language. A second choice would be Egyptian Arabic – it is understood throughout Arab nations due to its well-loved films and soap operas.
Tourism Police
But isn’t the Middle East Dangerous?
Growing up in the Middle East and returning to America every summer, I was always assaulted with a barrage of questions from well-meaning acquaintances.
“Isn’t it, like, really dangerous?”
“So, did you grow up with the Taliban and stuff?”
“Do you live in the pyramids?” (I honestly hope that one was a joke.)
The most common question was that of safety, which was incredibly amusing to my family, considering the places we were living in. Anyone who has ever lived in Oman or Dubai knows how safe these places are. Egypt, though incredibly different than Oman and Dubai (pollution, population, history, topography, etc.) is also relatively safe.
My mother, who often lies awake at night when visiting her parents’ suburban house in Connecticut (with relatively high robbery rates), has no problem sleeping at our house in Egypt. Though part of this security comes from huge walls and a personal guardhouse – which, at any given moment, has three young military men with AK 47’s – mostly the sense of safety comes from being in a fairly safe city.
Pyramids at Giza
As a rule, Egyptians are not violent people. Crime, especially violent crime, is low in Cairo, especially considering its population and poverty. Walking around, even at night, is usually very safe. Western girls will often be verbally harassed, but this is something that is often easily ignored. Egyptians will stare, sell, and beg at foreigners, but they won’t harm them – tourism is appreciated as vital source of income for all Egyptians, and there are Tourism Police for further tourist protection at every tourist site.
It is upsetting and ironic to me when the “dangerous” label is applied as a blanket term to all Arabs or Muslims. In my experience, Arabs have always been exceedingly kind and hospitable.
Waiting for our Tour Organizer
On a visit to Luxor, instead of sending us to some overpriced tourist restaurant, our tour organizer, a sweet Egyptian woman in her late twenties, arranged for the driver to drop us at her apartment for lunch. We were dropped at a dusty courtyard, surrounded by beige old apartment buildings. She came outside, modestly dressed with a scarf covering her hair, and led us into her building.
Inside, scarf removed, she sat us down on a small couch, chatting to us with excellent English, as she bustled back and forth between kitchen and dining area.
“I’m a very good cook,” she grinned. “I made some foods that I hope you’ll like.” She had made several American dishes for us – we thanked her though, of course, we would have preferred authentic Egyptian cuisine.
She brought out plate upon plate of bread, chicken nuggets, spaghetti, and french fries. My American friend who was visiting, turned to me with panicked eyes.
“Do we have to eat all of it?” I assured her that there wouldn’t be any great offence if we didn’t finish everything in front of us. The woman’s husband arrived from work, and we began our meal.
“Eat, eat,” they pressed us, passing us the platters of food when it looked like we were slowing down. Sometimes they didn’t bother asking, simply piling more food onto out plates. “Eat, eat.” We ate.
Cairo
There is no other way to put it: I loved my summer job. Working at the Public Affairs section of the Embassy was rewarding, interesting, and all consuming. I admired the embassy’s emphasis on respecting the culture – dress modestly, be sensitive about your words and actions. I also loved working alongside the local hires; Egyptians who helped with translations, connections, and insight into the culture.
A cloud of nostalgia and exhaustion settled over me as I waited for my departing flight from Cairo. I was leaving behind a summer of paradoxes; the tiny community despite millions of people, the laid-back Egyptian mindset contrasting the frenetic barterers, the ancient, beautiful artifacts amidst the dilapidated high rises and extreme pollution.
All of these aspects culminated into an unforgettable experience, and combined they had truly “Welcome me, Egypt.”
President Obama's 2009 visit
Tips for living in Egypt:
-Dress modestly, especially women. Egypt is Muslim country; you already attract attention as a foreigner, don’t negatively add to it.
-Lucille’s Burgers in Ma’adi: Scott McLeaod of Time Magazine famously called them, “the best hamburgers in the worlds.” Well, they are pretty darn good
-Get out of Cairo. Make sure you visit Luxor, Alexandria, and Aswan. These cities are rich with ancient temples, tombs, statues (Valley of the Kings, etc.). A cruise on the Nile (see link below) is a comparatively inexpensive and wonderful way to travel.
-Take a felucca on the Nile. Feluccas are small sailboats which you can rent very cheaply by the hour. It is amazing how peaceful they can be, even in the heart of rush hour Cairo.
-Bargain wisely. If you aren’t sure you want something, walk away — you’ll definitely see it again at another store, and if you walk away, they’ll often drastically reduce their prices.
-Don’t buy souvenirs at tourist sites (the pyramids, museums, etc.). You WILL get ripped off.
-Learn a few words of Arabic. Locals will respect you more, and you’ll fit in better.
-Take the metro. It’s only 1 pound (20 cents) per trip and is fairly easy to navigate. There’s a ladies car for women. It can get really crowded, and is considered unsafe by some, but we used it for a couple years without a problem.
A few links:
State Department Internships:
http://careers.state.gov/students/
State Department Careers:
http://careers.state.gov/resources/index.html
AFS Exchange Program for Students
http://www.afsusa.org/usa_en/focus_on/high_school/26
Nile Cruise:
http://www.nilerivercruise.com/?source=google
