Sensibilities and sensitivities when in Egypt - Page 5

Mya · 07-15-2008, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shanazel

The former even has a name, which is French and that I will now proceed to get wrong: something like partegar? French speakers, please help?

Close! partager means to share or divide so it would follow that what you're talking about might have that name.

lizaj · 07-15-2008, 07:46 PM

I was concerned last night when a student informed me her husband had had a shisha in Sharm...not at first of course but then she said it was full of Wacky Baccy and he and his friend were ..well shall we say very happy after the experience. What alarms me is she then presumed this was the norm anywhere in Egypt.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I always assumed one would get into deep deep sh$t if caught imbibing in drugs in most places in North Africa and that goes for Egypt as well. We all know you can usually get what you want anywhere in the world but it's a risk depending on laws and moral codes of the country.
Yes we all know that you can obtain interesting and high quality stuff in Moroccco, that doesn't mean to say the authorities condone it and you won't get slung in an unsavoury jail if caught.
The advice I was given regarding my prescription drugs which are codeine based is to make sure I have my prescription with me as places in the Eastern med. and North Africa are not at all fond of opiates!

Caroline_afifi · 07-15-2008, 08:15 PM

The Shisha must have cost a fortune! Wacky backy is not given out liberably (although very widely used). It is also very expensive. Even Bungo is not cheap enough to give away for the price of a Shisha.

Caroline_afifi · 07-15-2008, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by masrawy

Hi Caroline it is perfectly fine if you disagree with me. I have been proven wrong many times before, and learned a lot from too.

The list I made is purely from personal experience as Egyptian born and raised in Cairo until the age of 19. With this brief background I have to say that generalization is a bad thing, the points I made as well as other have made through this thread all depends on where in Egypt this situation is ,and whom you'r with.
Now for taking leftover you stand correct it is better to put it in a good use but unfortunately some Egyptian might frown when they see you asking for leftover. I have my nephew walked away from me for asking to take leftover for his dog at home we were at a local shesh kebab place.
As for babies someone in the thread have mentioned the evil eye ...yes that's it Egyptian have a firm belief in evil eye you may not notice it but they will be reciting some Qranic verses if they suspect that you have the evil eye thing going on. Furthermore they will try their best not to show it to you they are truly frightened. Having said that there is a rules of engagement in situation like that if you approach a child you need to say some words in Arabic like besmlah mashalah this may make them a lettel comfortable.

As for sharing Mezza you're right Mezza is shared. But here again it depends on where you are in Egypt. If you're in the countryside at someone home food get put on the tablia in several plates and everyone dig in. sharing is very okay in this situation, now if you are in Cairo at arestaurant that's different. Westerner might order two meals each eat half of it and then switch plates... not desirable in Egypt people will not kill you for it but they don't like it.

Hi Masrawy,

Yes, some people get embarrassed about Doggy bags and my kids do!
It is quite acceptable to do so in restaurant these days though.

You are also correct about the evil eye but if you say Bismallah masha Allah
then it is usually ok like you say.. So can you folks remember this when you see a baby!

Bism el saleeb for a Christian baby (in the name of the cross)
But dont ask me how you tell the difference.
Most people will not go crazy if you dont say it as they understand you are a not local (and may say something themselves after you leave).

khanjar · 07-15-2008, 11:01 PM

Ok, if the Egyptian males are interested in signs of effeminancy, how would they react to a long haired, bearded male visitor to their country. I ask this, as I am long haired and bearded and I am thinking to partake on the Jules Verne Nile cruise at some point in the future.

I just wish to know where I might stand, as with me I take people as I might find them, and with this have no wish to offend anyone.

Caroline_afifi · 07-16-2008, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by khanjar

Ok, if the Egyptian males are interested in signs of effeminancy, how would they react to a long haired, bearded male visitor to their country. I ask this, as I am long haired and bearded and I am thinking to partake on the Jules Verne Nile cruise at some point in the future.

I just wish to know where I might stand, as with me I take people as I might find them, and with this have no wish to offend anyone.

A good friend of my husband and I is a compser in cairo Called Hossam Shaker
he has longish hair and a beard and is very cool

.
He is also the cultural advisor for the Red Sea Governorate.

Outside of Cairo (on the cruises) you will be fine too. Some people may look out of curiosity (depending how long your hair is) but these people have seem more sights than we have!

Kharis · 07-16-2008, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caroline_afifi

The other thing I want to raise is about the wearing of galabiyas outdoors.
I met a dancer years ago who wore a galabiya out everwhere with a scarf wrapped around her head. She told me it was cool to blend in with the natives. I dont want anyone to be under the impression that this is the case as it really is not. Egyptians in tourist areas are used to seeing just about everything from Kylie hotpants to galabiyas so nothing really shocks them anymore, but walking around Cairo in a galabiya is more likely to attract attention or ridicule and make you stand out as a tourist.

And this is exactly how Westerners look and are viewed when they try too hard to behave like someone outside their own culture.

Kharis · 07-16-2008, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lizaj

To tell the truth I don't like seeing people her in the UK wearing shorts ( I mean the very short variety) while shopping. I also hate to see bikini tops on the main street ,and saw that for the first time last summer. There used to be all kinds of unenforced rules about dress and manners that made us what we were. Upper class and working class..whoever polite clothes polite people.

I hate seeing little girls dressed as porn stars and tacky T shirts and high heels, I hate vulgar messages on T shirts but hey ho old fashioned me ,I bemoan track suits and football shirts worn by the sorts of folks who obviously find it a problem to get off the setee in the first place

I'll second that.

Kharis · 07-16-2008, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by da Sage

masrawy in blue:
hello to all
Here are some things on the top of my head that will drive Egyptian crazy

1.Showing the soul of your shoes.
I knew that one.
2.looking at someone's food in restaurants.
Really? I always do this, to decide what to get.
3.sharing food at restaurants.
Hm...I'm not big on this, but it never would have occurred to me that that it would offend anyone I wasn't sharing with.
4.asking for doggy bag at restaurants.
OK...any reason why? Is it just not done?
5.looking at the babies/children of people at the street (you don't know) or giving compliments of how cute they look.
Is that the evil eye thing?
6.Chewing gum.
Is that just because it makes us look American?

I recall walking down a street in Cairo, with a girl who was smoking a cigarette. She got constant abuse. Was hissed at... told off... etc. In the end she stubbed it out.

masrawy · 07-16-2008, 12:55 PM

hi Kharis

Quote:

I recall walking down a street in Cairo, with a girl who was smoking a cigarette

yep that' too is not desirable

women usually smoke at home. night club I would think is OK for smoking girl.

07-15-2008, 11:01 PM	#45 (permalink)
khanjar Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: England Posts: 442	Ok, if the Egyptian males are interested in signs of effeminancy, how would they react to a long haired, bearded male visitor to their country. I ask this, as I am long haired and bearded and I am thinking to partake on the Jules Verne Nile cruise at some point in the future. I just wish to know where I might stand, as with me I take people as I might find them, and with this have no wish to offend anyone. __________________ I am a dream to some...and a nightmare to others.

07-15-2008, 07:46 PM	#42 (permalink)
lizaj Moderator Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: UK Posts: 1,240	I was concerned last night when a student informed me her husband had had a shisha in Sharm...not at first of course but then she said it was full of Wacky Baccy and he and his friend were ..well shall we say very happy after the experience. What alarms me is she then presumed this was the norm anywhere in Egypt. Correct me if I'm wrong but I always assumed one would get into deep deep sh$t if caught imbibing in drugs in most places in North Africa and that goes for Egypt as well. We all know you can usually get what you want anywhere in the world but it's a risk depending on laws and moral codes of the country. Yes we all know that you can obtain interesting and high quality stuff in Moroccco, that doesn't mean to say the authorities condone it and you won't get slung in an unsavoury jail if caught. The advice I was given regarding my prescription drugs which are codeine based is to make sure I have my prescription with me as places in the Eastern med. and North Africa are not at all fond of opiates!

07-15-2008, 08:15 PM	#43 (permalink)
Caroline_afifi V.I.P. Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Liverpool UK Posts: 1,285	The Shisha must have cost a fortune! Wacky backy is not given out liberably (although very widely used). It is also very expensive. Even Bungo is not cheap enough to give away for the price of a Shisha.