Category: Cultural Differences

So, the Good Doctor and I were have dinner at one of the upscale restaurants in Zamalek.

I had my hat with me. It is an “Australian Walking Hat”. It is a wide brim, ventalated hat. I am often hailed as “hey cowboy” here while wearing this hat. Etc.

The waiter asked about the hat and asked if it was common to wear such a hat at night.

I said, not usually. It is more for during the day to keep the sun off my face and head. But since I left the house several hours ago when the sun was still up, and I had not yet been home. I still had it with me.

He replied: “Ah. Because I have seen these kind of hats in America, but not at night.”

It seems that he spent a month in Memphis (the one in Tennessee) as the “Exhibition Manager” for a load of Archeological artifacts that were on loan to a museum there.

He is trained as an Egyptologist.

That is his day job.

His night job is waiter/bartender at a swank restaurant.

Knowing what I know about government jobs here, I would be willing to bet he makes a lot more money at his night job, than he does at his day job.

Interesting fellow.

Many Muslim Egyptian men have prayer bruises on their foreheads.

Some of them are quite large and pronounced.

I have spent some time looking at people as I sit in public places, and I have watched men pray.

From what I know of physics and my observations of the topography of some men’s foreheads, I fail to see how these bruises could be formed in the shapes and sizes that are exhibited.

There are many here who are quite convinced that these bruises are enhanced. I have heard many explanations as to how this is done. The most painful sounding one is with a hot iron. Ow.

These bruises are referred to, somewhat derisively, as zebiba (prune) by those who have no bruise. Either “secular” Muslims or Christians.

The largest bruises are on lower income individuals, though one will sometimes see one on a well dressed, more weathly looking individual.

And most of the bruises are on men 40 and younger. Again there are exceptions.

We have now visited 3 other mainly Muslim countries (Morocco, Qatar and Jordan) and have not seen these on any other Muslims other than Egyptians.

If my suspicions and the comments of others are true, and these bruises are enhanced, it is obviously some sort of display of piousness.

Interesting.

Anybody who has ever worked in the US knows what I mean by the corridor nod:

You are walking down the hall and you see a coworker or acquaintance.

You nod, maybe say “How’s it going” in passing. Neither of you break stride.

That is unpossible here. At least with those attuned to the culture.

There is a much more formulaic greeting ritual, for lack of a better word.

If it is the first time you have seen this person today:

• Stop.
• Shake hands.

Handshakes here are not like handshakes in the US.

Man-to-man, it is a firm clasp. No real shaking, just a clasp.

And then there is the cheek kiss. Men here will do the 2 cheek air kiss while clasping hands. This is taking a great deal of getting used to for me. I remember the first time this happened to me with a man. Boy, taken out of context that could be problematic for my political career.Anyway..

It was awkward. I am getting better at it, but I just know I am gonna “go left” when I should go right and headbutt someone and break his nose.

Woman-to-Woman, it is kind of a limp clasp, again with the 2 cheek kiss.

Man to woman is more problematic. The woman has to be the initiator of any contact. Do not attempt to shake her hand unless she puts her hand out first.

I remember when I learned that lesson: I met an Egyptian woman and stuck my hand out. A look of confusion and embarrassment came over her face and she barely stuck her hand out. At that point I realised I had screwed up. I took her hand very lightly and gave it a slight squeeze. It was like grapsing a dead fish. Whee.

After all that comes the:

• Ezaik? (How are you). This is INVARIABLY answered with
• Al Hamde-le-lah. Which loosely means thanks be to god. There can be a “Kwaize”, which means “OK”, followed by the Al Hamde-le-lah. But most times, the “ok” is dropped and the response is just “Al Hamde-le-lah”.
• Repeat in the other direction.
• How was the weekend, or whatever
• Then, depending on the frequency of seeing this person, another round of air kissing and a
• See you soon, Insh’allah

If one knows a lot of people, it can take a significant amount of time to walk a block or down a busy part of campus.

It is one of a myriad of reasons why everything takes longer than one would think.

I have spent more time at doctor’s offices in the 5 months I have been than I have in 5 years in Seattle.

Haven’t found anything seriously wrong yet, but we’ll keep looking! [I am not a hypochondriac :-)]

Anyway:

• Prescription drugs

They’re aren’t any. Well very few. With the exception of tranquilizing drugs, anything that is available in the country is available at any pharmacy. Walk in, tell em what your complaint is, walk out with drugs.

I got a package of 12 Ampiclox. (A combo of 2 different anti-biotics) for LE7. about US$1.20.

Have trouble sleeping? A 10-pack of valium.

My doctor was a little confused when, after he told me to take the antibiotics for a throat infection, I asked him for a prescription. He just wrote it down on a pad of paper so I would remember what to ask for.

• Giving blood.

This has been a little scary. I have had a couple of very professional blood draws. And one that left me bruised and resolute to never allow that person to even swab my arm prior to drawing the blood, never mind actually sticking me with a needle.

• Cleanliness.

Spotty. It is important, though not easy, to differentiate between an old, paint peeling room that is clean, from an old, paint-peeling room that is not clean.

Oh and I did get a chuckle from a technician that put on clean latex gloves, then proceeded to touch just about everything in the room. Including exiting and entering the room at least 3 times to fetch items while wearing the gloves. I guess it kept her hands clean..

• Cost.

I went to see an Ear/Nose/Throat specialist. (Nagging sore throat. ended up with an antibiotic which seems to have cleared things up.)

Anyway, after talking with him he said “that will be LE100. (about US$18). He made out a receipt for me and I paid him directly. He put it in his pocket.

So I take the anti-biotics he prescribed and go back to see him in 3 days. He says I am doing well and tells me to take them for another 4 days. Then to come back in a week. No Charge.

I go back in a week. Good progress. Come back if it flares up again. No Charge.

So apparently, that LE100 pays for some number of visits? or is a flat fee for that ailment? I dunno.

• The last issue, and a surprisingly difficult one is one of “privilege”

The university maintains a clinic on campus. Faculty, Administration and Staff, as well as their families can use that for free. There is walk in as well as appointments. There is also a small pharmacy on site. Anything there is free, though you must talk with a doctor first. Which is also free.

There is a pecking order at the clinic, even for walk-ins.

Faculty (and Faculty spouses), get priority. Then “admin”, which are the “professionals”: secretaries, administrators etc. Then “staff” which is the maintenance and janitorial help.

I have gone in to see the doctor on a walk in basis, and there have been at least a dozen people waiting. I wrote my name down and sat down to wait. I was the very next person called.

This same prioritization applies to private doctor’s offices and clinics, as far as I can tell. I have gone to a doctor off campus and have had the same thing happen. I had “an appointment”. Though doctor’s appointments mean less here than they do in the states.

I walked in and there were a half dozen or so locals sitting around waiting to see the doctor, but I am the next person called in.

I have to admit that I feel just a little quilty about it.

2 facts:

1. It is not possible to (legally) buy non-egyptian alcohol by the bottle in egypt except at duty free upon entry.

I have only seen one non-egyptian produced beer here, ever. And that was Paulaner Weizen only available during Oktoberfest at the Marriott. [This isn’t even a very good example of Weizens, btw]

One cannot purchase foreign wine anywhere. The “best” one can get is wine made from grapes imported from South Africa or Lebanon.

2. Pork products are even harder to come by than alcohol. Though we have finally located a reliable source for “american” bacon. His canadian bacon is almost inedible due to the salt content.

Anyway, we have read about the “Italian Club”. Supposedly great pizza. [There are lots of clubs here. British club, Greek Club, etc. They cater to ex-pats of the respective countries. They typically charge a LE5 cover for non-members. That is just shy of US$1. Haven’t found an “American club” yet. And I am not sure if I would join if I found one.].

So we go for dinner this evening.

THEY HAVE IMPORTED ITALIAN WINE. They were out of the reds, but we had a very nice dry Italian white. They poured a splash into my glass to taste. I raised it to my nose and inhaled it. My eyes rolled back into my head and a look of “I have died and gone to heaven” crossed my face.

I don’t think I can describe how much this means to have found this. While Egyptian beer is merely boring and tasteless, Egyptian wine is downright offensive.

But it gets better.

They had prosciutto. And real salami. And mortadella.
Now, it ain’t Salumi’s but it brough a tear to my eye.

I think this places needs to go into regular rotation in the restaurant list.

Dinner for 2, with an OUTRAGEOUSLY priced bottle of wine: 200LE. About US$35.

It gives one reason to soldier on…