posted
When I came to Egypt I was known as a cheerful kind person. Since coming here I have changed. A few weeks ago I came very close to shouting Yalla Donkey at some creep who was hanging out his window saying"go home". and taxi drivers who try to charge me two to four times the price drive me to distraction. I am afraid that if I stay much longer I will become one of those women you see fist fighting on the street.
Posts: 153 | From: Egypt | Registered: May 2006
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posted
You make the transition very easily after living in Egypt......politeness goes out of the window....... It happened to me! One too many rude bus drivers trying to rip you off, and you're ready to slap somebody!!! But.... I survived 4 years in Hurghada.... so it's not all bad!!! Posts: 4238 | From: USA | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
Don't worry Zaphire, as Samia said you'll learn quick enough how to handle these interesting little happenings...nothing like looking like a foreigner and expected to be dripping with money everywhere you go. Just be FIRM and use your attitude as much as you can, if you have to raise your voice and get pissed off, so be it, usually when that happens they realize the fight isn't worth the hassle.
p.s. you saw women fist fighting in the street? what part of Egypt ??
Posts: 13440 | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
But it will change your personality, living here. When you go back to your country you will find you are afraid to trust anyone anymore, sad really.
Posts: 95 | From: New York, New York, so good you have to say it twice! | Registered: Apr 2007
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posted
Haven't you noticed Egyptians are always yelling at each other? You have to do the same to survive, niceness doesn't always work!
Posts: 1039 | From: Cairo | Registered: Sep 2002
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Citizen, I have noticed that...but I think it begins when they're young...the parents constantly yell at the kids and the kids yell at each other...and whatever happened to the notion of anything worth saying of value doesn't NEED to be shouted? Once someone yells at me I lose all respect and will walk away...I don't play that game. But when in Rome....
I think it is an ego game in Egypt, somehow the louder the bark the harder the bite? I have no respect for people who act like that (and by the way it isn't all Egyptians but the majority I have seen in the streets). I just refuse to be taken advantage of.
BTW, has anyone ever seen women fist fighting in the streets?? I have never but have seen many of the men doing it.
Posts: 13440 | Registered: Feb 2006
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quote: BTW, has anyone ever seen women fist fighting in the streets?? I have never but have seen many of the men doing it.
No never.
I know what you mean about some but not all shouting. I saw my fair share. But most of the people I was around, were calm and gentle mannered. I guess it has a lot to do with where you are too. Or maybe I was just lucky.
Posts: 2133 | From: Redneckland | Registered: Oct 2006
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If you hang around family and friends you mostly won't see it, but living day in and day out here forces you to see things you might not notice otherwise. I've seen a sword fight in the street! Now THAT was exciting !!!
Posts: 13440 | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
I don't know...but I was pretty shocked. We were walking down the street (nightly stroll) and I heard a lot of commotion and in passing a side street, I see a lot of movement, I turned to look and saw a group of about 4 men fighting and another group trying to ward off a man with a sword (actually not a sword like we think of it, more like a machete) and women screaming and people running! I had a HUGE smile on my face and stopped to watch and my husband grabbed my arm and pulled me away so fast I could hardly take it all in. I'm so stupid I looked at it as entertainment (had never seen something like this before) and he was angry that I wanted to stop and see everything go down.... He says it happens but not often...not sure if I believe that 100%. Posts: 13440 | Registered: Feb 2006
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it already happened to me (without the street women fighting part)... 10 years in this country,,ive changed many times..gained stuff & lost stuff.. fuk it anyway. (I DUNT MEAN THE COUNTRY)
Posts: 74 | From: cairo | Registered: Jul 2005
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yoU KNOW WHERE EVER U GO THERE WILL BE SOMETHING , BUT I KNOW WHAT U MEAN ABOUT THE FIGHTING AND THE YELLING, I HAVE BEEN THERE FOR OVER 5 TO 6MONTHS AND I HAVE SEEN A LOT, I EVEN SEEN THE EGYPTIAN MEN THANK THEY ARE BETTER THEN THE WOMEN, AND THEY ARE THE BOSS AND THE WOMEN DON'T HAVE SAY SO,,, SO TAKE IT FOR WHAT IT IS WORTH,,,,,,THE YELLING WILL GO ON,
Posts: 26 | From: usa | Registered: Apr 2007
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posted
The more fighting I see is amongst the men (or the mothers to the children). Men seem to like to solve problems in public with seeing who can yell the loudest and strongest, the loudest wins. The mothers are very vocal openly towards their children and say really mean things to them sometimes...to openly insult your own children and do so in a public place seems pretty harsh to me but, then again, it is a different culture.
The only thing I really have a big problem with is parents who hit their kids (especially in public). I read it really humiliates a child to be hit by a parent and if you do it in public it's even worse, it chips away at their ego and self esteem. I see it all of the time here, it's almost as if the parents (mothers mostly) have no self control. How do you teach a child to control themselves by not having control of YOURSELF? Posts: 13440 | Registered: Feb 2006
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what part of Egypt ??
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I have never but have seen many of the men doing it.
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