Differences between Egypt and the Western World
February 23rd 2010 21:58
[U] Differences between Egypt and the Western World – [/U]
As I travel through the streets of Egypt in a taxi that’s not really a taxi, as every car seems to be, I see men and women in galabayas, and head scarves while they play cards, smoke sheesha and drink strong sugared tea out of small glasses. There are feral cats and dogs as well as the odd camel strolling the barren streets while cars beep and flash their lights at oncoming people. Although a simpler life it is here I can’t help but adapt so quickly. It’s not hard to feel a sense of belonging when the people are so welcoming and warm. Yes sometimes it can be dirty, or hot, or sandy but sometimes things just seem to fit so right here in the South Sinai.
Egypt is definitely still a developing country in the respects that it is growing and changing all the time. . There are indeed some huge differences that separate some Western societies apart from Egypt. 97% of Egyptians are Muslim and therefore it becomes apart of the life for everyone habituating here. While in the wider world there are countries with a mix of ethnicities and with that a mix of religions. They seem to walk side by side without any problems. The prayer to Allah is heard five times a day, and the day of prayer is Fridays, not unlike the Christian day of prayer on Sundays. There seems to be a certain social stigma that makes women want to have respect for themselves by only showing their faces and hands in public. Of course in private they are walking around the home in anything they like with their families out of the eyes of strangers.
Alcohol is not socially accepted, which can bring less social and behavioural problems and as a result the Egyptian people seem to hold more importance on work and family. Working long hours they can sometimes make work their home as well inviting and chatting and eating with friends in their workplace. You will see families hanging out in their respective businesses eating or chatting while customers come and go. You could say that people are not preoccupied with their own happiness but instead they want to share their knowledge, thoughts and laughter. The spice man in Asala, a small suburb out from the sea, once told my friend all the advice in the world when really he just wanted some spices. The old Sheik, as he liked to call himself, had all the time in the world to chat and share to some strangers.
The living conditions are less than perfect at times, as you can expect from a place like Egypt. With the desert as the backdrop there is a huge shortage of fresh water and fresh produce. It is common to have salt water in your showers and no hot water in the kitchen. It is essential to use bottled water at all times when cooking so as not to get sick. There is also no real waste system so no garbage truck will wake you up at 4 in the morning. Sometimes I see boys on the street collecting the bins waste from the main street, but the rest of the time I see goats, camels, and sheep picking up the scraps. People also burn rubbish at times, which doesn’t seem the best solution to eliminate global ozone damage. The sewage system is also very limited and can’t handle any toilet paper being thrown down the toilets as the system gets clogged. There are numerous signs behind every public toilet for the tourists and even when they have written it in 3 languages you still find paper in the toilet stopping the flow of Egyptian life.
` The idea of dating does not always ring true for most men and women here as most people I speak to are engaged or already married at young ages such as 18 and 19. There is an important role given to the women to produce babies and to look after the home, but compared to Western societies there are more important things to achieve before childbirth and family, which is work and study and traveling. These things don’t seem to even be an easy option for them, and therefore they do not set high expectation for things such as these. Although most of the women in Dahab, which is a small town, do not work, there are lots of working and studying women in places such as Cairo and Ismalaya. Women are beginning to take some lead in society to learn and achieve.
As I travel through the streets of Egypt in a taxi that’s not really a taxi, as every car seems to be, I see men and women in galabayas, and head scarves while they play cards, smoke sheesha and drink strong sugared tea out of small glasses. There are feral cats and dogs as well as the odd camel strolling the barren streets while cars beep and flash their lights at oncoming people. Although a simpler life it is here I can’t help but adapt so quickly. It’s not hard to feel a sense of belonging when the people are so welcoming and warm. Yes sometimes it can be dirty, or hot, or sandy but sometimes things just seem to fit so right here in the South Sinai.
Egypt is definitely still a developing country in the respects that it is growing and changing all the time. . There are indeed some huge differences that separate some Western societies apart from Egypt. 97% of Egyptians are Muslim and therefore it becomes apart of the life for everyone habituating here. While in the wider world there are countries with a mix of ethnicities and with that a mix of religions. They seem to walk side by side without any problems. The prayer to Allah is heard five times a day, and the day of prayer is Fridays, not unlike the Christian day of prayer on Sundays. There seems to be a certain social stigma that makes women want to have respect for themselves by only showing their faces and hands in public. Of course in private they are walking around the home in anything they like with their families out of the eyes of strangers.
Alcohol is not socially accepted, which can bring less social and behavioural problems and as a result the Egyptian people seem to hold more importance on work and family. Working long hours they can sometimes make work their home as well inviting and chatting and eating with friends in their workplace. You will see families hanging out in their respective businesses eating or chatting while customers come and go. You could say that people are not preoccupied with their own happiness but instead they want to share their knowledge, thoughts and laughter. The spice man in Asala, a small suburb out from the sea, once told my friend all the advice in the world when really he just wanted some spices. The old Sheik, as he liked to call himself, had all the time in the world to chat and share to some strangers.
The living conditions are less than perfect at times, as you can expect from a place like Egypt. With the desert as the backdrop there is a huge shortage of fresh water and fresh produce. It is common to have salt water in your showers and no hot water in the kitchen. It is essential to use bottled water at all times when cooking so as not to get sick. There is also no real waste system so no garbage truck will wake you up at 4 in the morning. Sometimes I see boys on the street collecting the bins waste from the main street, but the rest of the time I see goats, camels, and sheep picking up the scraps. People also burn rubbish at times, which doesn’t seem the best solution to eliminate global ozone damage. The sewage system is also very limited and can’t handle any toilet paper being thrown down the toilets as the system gets clogged. There are numerous signs behind every public toilet for the tourists and even when they have written it in 3 languages you still find paper in the toilet stopping the flow of Egyptian life.
` The idea of dating does not always ring true for most men and women here as most people I speak to are engaged or already married at young ages such as 18 and 19. There is an important role given to the women to produce babies and to look after the home, but compared to Western societies there are more important things to achieve before childbirth and family, which is work and study and traveling. These things don’t seem to even be an easy option for them, and therefore they do not set high expectation for things such as these. Although most of the women in Dahab, which is a small town, do not work, there are lots of working and studying women in places such as Cairo and Ismalaya. Women are beginning to take some lead in society to learn and achieve.
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