114 CultureShock! Egypt
Hospitality
‘Welcome! Welcome!’ Everywhere you turn, you will hear
this comforting refrain in Egypt. Hospitality is a keyword
in Egyptian life. The beginnings of some of the hospitality
traditions are unknown, but possibly some began in the
desert. People in the desert often offered shelter and food
to strangers, assuming that next time, they may be the ones
in need. No matter where it began, it is now an ingrained
tradition everywhere.
Hospitality takes many forms. Some will tell you that
by tradition, no matter what the cost to the host, one
should provide a guest three days of hospitality. Even
if hospitality is not taken to this extreme, you will see
some form of typical Egyptian hospitality everywhere you
turn. It may take the form of offering you tea in a shop.
It may even take the form of sending children to walk
with you if you are alone. A common form of hospitality is
inviting you to join the family for meals. They may well spend
what, to them, is an exorbitant amount on a meal for you,
even if doing so means they would not have money left for
other needed things.
Another form hospitality often takes involves being
out in a restaurant or café. You may well have suggested
going to the restaurant or café, expecting to pay for all
persons. However, when the bill arrives, you may find
that your Egyptian host insists on paying for all persons.
It would be very embarrassing to your Egyptian friend
for you to argue over the bill in public (regardless of
whether they can afford the tab). When this happens, wait
until you are out of the restaurant and quietly give your
friend the money. It is at this point that you can insist
without your Egyptian friend losing face. Even so, your
Egyptian friend may well tell you that it is ‘no problem’
and that you shouldn’t pay. Remember the rule of
three’s—allow them to refuse your offer twice, but
continue to offer until the third time. If they refuse the
third time, then it really is all right for you not to pay for
the meal.