Published Date: April 25, 2008 By Meshary Alruwaih, Staff columnist
Two weeks ago, I was feeling bored with my routine and was struggling for some inspiration. So I thought I should leave Kuwait for a few days to refresh my thoughts and look for new ideas and stories. I set off to Cairo in Egypt. It's a lively city, a place where 15 million people interact with each other. They exchange unrestrained emotions, creative vocabulary and playful views on life. The result is endless social drama that never fails to stimulate your mind and lighten your soul.
That's what I was hoping for. This time, however, Cairo was anything but pleasant. Cairo is about people, It's not about malls and skyscrapers. A construction boom in Cairo won't do much to change the city. But a collapse of people's hope for a better future will affect its soul. And let me tell you something about its people. When they lose hope, they put it out on your face. They become rude beyond belief!
Rude behavior was the connected 15 million people. There is a network of rudeness that carries all human interaction in the city. You feel there is a 100 million dollars prize for the rudest person, and believe me the competition is fierce.
Hostility has come to dominate almost every activity in Cairo. Even something like flirting which is considered tender by definition, turns into a verbal volley. Sometimes, it is used as a form of physical abuse to humiliate women. Let's just say that the way the youth of Cairo flirt makes our guys on the Gulf Street appear to be thorough gentlemen!
Do not get me wrong, I'm not happy about portraying Cairo in a bad light. After all, I'm half Egyptian and I was born there. But what I saw there is worth writing about. Let me narrate two separate situations where I was humiliated for no reason. On my first day in Cairo, I went to a small, charming looking book store. I was browsing a book, ironically about the morals in Islam, until the salesman scolded me : "You cannot browse the book", I politely replied: " It's ok I'll buy it". He violently grabbed the book off my hand, threw it on the shelf, and said "I don't want to sell this" "mesh ayzeen nbee'". I left the bookstore in a state of shock!
Next day, I was walking on the pavement. A group of young policemen who were securing the area for the opening ceremony of a new restaurant. Even before I approached them, a young police man looked at my direction and shouted "go to the other side walk, you son of a dog", "emshee al raseef el tani ya ibn el kalb". I looked behind me thinking he was shouting at someone else. I never thought it could be me. I was wearing a nice blue shirt tucked in, nice black pants, and shiny shoes on. I looked decent. But he was kind enough to repeat the insult twice!
I was so depressed that I didn't leave my hotel room on the third day. As I boarded the Kuwait Airways plane, I knew I fell out of love with Egypt, even though Abutrika remains close to my heart.
posted
I'm sure he'll receive a lot of hate mail for his criticism of the country.
Many feel that way, I can't imagine being treated like that, but everyone's experiences are different. However, about this:
quote: Rude behavior was the connected 15 million people. There is a network of rudeness that carries all human interaction in the city. You feel there is a 100 million dollars prize for the rudest person, and believe me the competition is fierce.
I thought it was funny, he should try going to my home city in the states and driving in that rush hour traffic and get a sense for the rudeness there. Posts: 13440 | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
I think I told about my last visit to Cairo, ad also about that I've mentioned the rudeness of the people...so, he is right! My husband insists that it is not Cairo who has changed, but it is me, because I started to understand more and more..., people always have been like this, but you didn't mention...it's a polight way which means that I was to stupid to notice... Posts: 7202 | From: EU | Registered: Nov 2006
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posted
My best friend is Egyptian, she's from a poor area in Cairo (now living in the States), and her first trip abroad was to visit me in my country. The first day she arrived, we went to this store and it was full of people. Someone walked on her foot, and this person apologizes of course -my friend couldn't believe it, she kept saying, my God, here, people apologize when they push you/walk on your feet!!! It made me smile, and I never forgot her remark! True is that where she comes from, women are really rude sometimes. But I tend to start feeling tired with all these bad comments on Egypt. This guy comes from a few days trip and allows himself to criticize this country. I find it rude actually. Yes, ok, some people can be rude, but I don't know a single country where there would be no rude people. And come on, how can he compare Kuwait with a country like Egypt, that is strugling with so many economical problems? I'm fed up with this kind of comments, really.
Posts: 78 | Registered: Dec 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Tilutine: My best friend is Egyptian, she's from a poor area in Cairo (now living in the States), and her first trip abroad was to visit me in my country. The first day she arrived, we went to this store and it was full of people. Someone walked on her foot, and this person apologizes of course -my friend couldn't believe it, she kept saying, my God, here, people apologize when they push you/walk on your feet!!! It made me smile, and I never forgot her remark! True is that where she comes from, women are really rude sometimes. But I tend to start feeling tired with all these bad comments on Egypt. This guy comes from a few days trip and allows himself to criticize this country. I find it rude actually. Yes, ok, some people can be rude, but I don't know a single country where there would be no rude people. And come on, how can he compare Kuwait with a country like Egypt, that is strugling with so many economical problems? I'm fed up with this kind of comments, really.
If you are earning $30 a month enough to buy a kilo of sugar, 100 grams of tea, 10 kilos of tomoates, 5 killos of pasta, 5 kilos of rice, 1 kilo of cooking oil in order to feed 6 people for one month, do you think you will even notice stepping on someone's foot or having your own foot stepped on?!
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Exiled, totally agree with you. Doesn't prevent to notice this difference in behavior, and enjoy when nobody's stepping on your foot, right?
Posts: 78 | Registered: Dec 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Tilutine: Exiled, totally agree with you. Doesn't prevent to notice this difference in behavior, and enjoy when nobody's stepping on your foot, right?
I guess so; I mean if we put ourselves in such peoples' shoes then it would simply be the grace of god that would prevent us from insanity.
Posts: 2418 | Registered: Nov 2007
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posted
So, social economical status has to do with bad manners?
-------------------- “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.” Posts: 7202 | From: EU | Registered: Nov 2006
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quote:Originally posted by ?????: So, social economical status has to do with bad manners?
Who is talking about ‘bad manners’, we are talking about walking around in zombie like state where people are oblivious to practically everything and anything. Imagine yourself with 200-300 L.E a month with a family of six, and when you do please tell us your room number in abassiya Posts: 2418 | Registered: Nov 2007
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posted
Being rude becomes a habit. I know people are stressed and overheated but Cairo brings just gets on my nerves. Maybe it's the noise pollution.
Posts: 153 | From: Egypt | Registered: May 2006
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posted
Poverty has nothing to do with it, sorry, nor is being oblivious to bumping into people or stepping on the feet. I used to think it was coming from a populous place, but I've been to New York where it is super crowded and people will avoid to do these things and will (often) apologize (unless it's some teenage punk kid). I think in Egypt the people just assume and get used to the fact that it isn't intentional. It does bother me though, and I've pushed back purposefully out of frustration.
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posted
So many people in Egypt have been poor in the past also and have somehow tried to financially make ends meet and still they were friendly and helpful - at least that's what I experienced as a foreigner.
zaphirelee Member # 11074 posted 25 April, 2008 08:45 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Being rude becomes a habit. I know people are stressed and overheated but Cairo brings just gets on my nerves. Maybe it's the noise pollution.
Maybe that how most inhabitants of Cairo feel?
Posts: 30135 | From: The owner of this website killed ES....... | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
I've had a similar experience in a downtown bookshop. I went in and said hello, and the guys snapped What do you want? I mean can't I say hello? on the other hand the people in the Madbuly bookshops are always nice.
But I do agree with Exiled, Egyptians are under unbelivable stress. The other day, the local paper in my suburub said "fury over late buses"I mean if the Aussies are upset because the buses are 10 minutes late, can you imagine what the Egyptians feel like with cramped buses, the traffic, the garbage, the pollution, the unemployment,the unfairness etc. Egyptians are under unbelievable stress, and of course it's going to reflect in their behaviour. They are human beings after all.
Posts: 4446 | From: Egyptian in Sydney | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
I do feel the stress- especially in Cairo. I really sometimes see it in their eyes. But the noise pollution of Cairo alone would drive me insane...it's just too much. Perhaps the writer just happened upon a few people who were having bad days at the same time.
Posts: 13440 | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
I'm not arguing that they are not rude, there is a lot of rudness in Cairo, I am just saying what with all the stress they are under, I can't see how they'd be polite. I've never been to New York, but I doubt that it's as stressful as cairo.
Posts: 4446 | From: Egyptian in Sydney | Registered: Mar 2005
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quote:Originally posted by * 7ayat *: I'm not arguing that they are not rude, there is a lot of rudness in Cairo, I am just saying what with all the stress they are under, I can't see how they'd be polite. I've never been to New York, but I doubt that it's as stressful as cairo.
7ayat there is no semblance whatsoever between NY and Cairo. NY (the 5 boroughs) actually has tranquil areas with spread out housing e.g. homes with yards, many parks, and also keep in mind that several million people work in NYC but actually live in Connecticut and new jersey. So there is a big difference between night and day in NYC. Cairo is crowded day and night, also despite the crowds, Manhattan is very organized including the traffic as the traffic lights are automated and timed so traffic is able to move in synchronized fashion, there are also highways and major arteries, tunnels and bridges and yes it is chaotic during rush hour but it is also very peaceful at other hours. New Yorkers on average earn around 45K a year compared to the peanuts earned in Cairo, New Yorkers don’t have to worry about waiting several hours in line to buy mere bread. Cairo is also almost 4 times more crowded than NYC on a per square mile basis. Simple put NY is the capital of the world with massive revenue and income and if NY were a country on its own it would be on par with France and the UK!
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There are more poor as rich people, and they are living all around the world. I think there are more poor as rich countries. Nevertheless it isn't this way that all these people are rude. There are enough Asian countries who are as poor as Egypt is, and the people are not rude.
-------------------- “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.” Posts: 7202 | From: EU | Registered: Nov 2006
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quote:Originally posted by With a name like Smuckers: ^^^ You're right in that but only because NY is much more organized.
NY is way more organized,but rude as hell,too.
some people are rude everywhere...try the Dominican Republic...i spent 10 miserable days there because the people were so effin' nasty. i also thought SOME of the people in Frankfurt were rude when i worked there for a few months and i really couldn't get over the Tahitians and their snobbiness. i lived in NYC for 8 years and i loved every minute of it...sure, some people are rude, but some are really awesome, too. i'd sometimes get lost and just ask people on the street for directions and they'd always be polite and help me out. i find the same in Cairo...the minute i ask for something or speak to someone or smile at someone, the whole mood changes. everyone is under a lot of stress in Cairo and it does suck when you are trying to get off the metro and hoards of people are pushing you back onto it, but hey, that's Cairo!
Posts: 422 | From: American living in Maadi, visiting in the States for awhile | Registered: Jul 2006
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quote:Originally posted by ?????: There are more poor as rich people, and they are living all around the world. I think there are more poor as rich countries. Nevertheless it isn't this way that all these people are rude. There are enough Asian countries who are as poor as Egypt is, and the people are not rude.
I don't think all Cairenes are rude. The drivers, and sales people suck. On the other hand I think Egyptians waiters, and hospitality stuff are the friendliest and nicest in the world. Besides despite all the agression in the city, if you are lost, or youre hurt people will go out of their way to help you.
Posts: 4446 | From: Egyptian in Sydney | Registered: Mar 2005
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Just a thought is the rudeness directed at all- or just forgeiners ?, who come on vacation and flash large amounts of money around . If I lived on 300 pounds a month and saw someone spending that on a dinner out . I would most likely be rude too. I know JLO always gets on my nerves when she buys shoes that cost what I pay in rent.
quote:Originally posted by tootsie: I know JLO always gets on my nerves when she buys shoes that cost what I pay in rent.
Well yeah because she can afford it! I like her!! Posts: 30135 | From: The owner of this website killed ES....... | Registered: Feb 2004
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