Top 3 Culture Shock Stories from my Egypt life.

#3.  Everyone in Egypt exchanges phone numbers when they meet.  Which means, Andrew has about 100 random phone numbers from random people he has met all over Cairo.  When one of those random people (a man he once met at the airport) called, he told Andrew that he was "coming over for dinner" and to "have that nice wife of yours make me something good to eat."
I mean... that could happen anywhere.  But still.  Really random man?  Really???  I don't cook.  And that's definitely not how we roll.


#2.  In Africa, it takes a village to raise a child.  Which also means, members of that village are allowed to discipline your kid when you're not around.  The other night during the world cup final game, there was a group of little boys fooling around on the steps in front of the TV store where we were watching.  They got a little rowdy and next thing we knew the store owner was out and "disclipining" one of the boys.  I was shocked at first; is that his Dad??  Is he allowed to do that?  The kid was FINE, and he wasn't beating him by any means, but the way the shop keeper handled the situation was... shocking to me.  I think in America we are so careful with boundaries like that, especially when it comes to disciplining a child, but here, if you're parents aren't around and you're causing a scene, you better believe one of the elders around you will put you in your place. 


#1.  There's a group of men that sell goods by our metro.  Andrew is fairly good friends with all of them, especially one named Mahmoud, who periodically sends goodies home with Andrew to give to me, like street grilled corn, popcorn, roses, or cans of coke.  [Clearly, he knows the way to my heart.]  We love Mahmoud sooo much.  Some of the other guys that hang there?  Well, not so much.

They are all very devout Muslims, and some of them think the Muslim way is the only way.  One night Andrew and I were walking home after a nice dinner at a fancy restaraunt nearby.  We walked by the tunnel and one of the guys from the usual gang was still there- the one who always tries to convert Andrew to Islam and gives him lessons on Mohammed daily- He pulled Andrew aside and started talking in a hushed tone, ya know, in case the wife who doesn't know Arabic actually hears the Arabic being spoken?  They whispered for a few minutes and I later learned that the conversation went a little something like this:
Friend:  "Andrew, you must learn to leave your wife at home!  She isn't supposed to be out with you, ever, especially just the two of you!"
Andy:  "Well, that's not how we do it in America.  I know it's different here, but she is my wife and we do things together and spend time together, so it's ok."
Friend:  "I know, I know, it's different in America.  But here, I leave me wife at home where she belongs!  You need to leave your wife at home too, she shouldn't be outside walking next to you!"

We understand there's a cultural difference here.  There are many complicated Egyptian rules involving religion, class, manners, and we won't get into those.  But I think me walking home with my husband is completley acceptable (we weren't even holding hands, in fact, I was walking BEHIND him!) and sometimes I just want to scream, "GET OVER IT!!!!" when people get their panties in a twist about stuff that is so silly and trivial to us in America. 

Other than those, there hasn't been any serious "culture" shock for me.  I feel really comfortable and at home in Egypt and in the Egyptian culture I've been exposed to thus far.  If you talk to some other people on the program, I'm sure they would have some stories for you. 
I think Andrew and I have been blessed with the capability to comfortably adapt to our surroundings, whether we're in the States, or in Mozambique, or France, or Egypt.  
We just kinda go with the flow.

Have any of you readers been out of the country?  ...Do you have any tales of culture shock to share with us???

Here's to 3 more weeks of our beloved Egypt life,
Megs