248 CultureShock! Egypt
Pointing at people is equally insulting in Egypt, as it is in
the United States and Europe.
Beckoning someone to come to you by holding the hand
palm up, curling the forefi nger several times, is considered
rude and commanding. If you want someone to come over
to you or to indicate that you want to talk with someone,
hold the right hand up, palm facing outward, and close
all four fi ngers back and forth to the palm.
If you want someone to go away, hold the right hand out,
palm downward, and either move it laterally back and
forth or move it as if scooping something away from you.
It will also be understood if you use this gesture with the
right arm hanging down by your side or just slightly in
front of the leg.
If you want someone to wait, calm down, go slowly or be
patient, hold the right hand out, palm upward, touch the
thumb and fi ngers together, and them move the hand up
and down.Space
Personal space is really a Western concept that is foreign to
most Egyptians, especially in public. Much of this probably
relates to differing concepts of the ‘self’ as interpreted through
alternative cultural perceptions. To the Westerner, ‘self’ means
all of the body, the shell of the individual, i.e., the tangible
person. To the Egyptian, the ‘self’ resides somewhere deep
within the core of the shell, closely tying the individual with
the more representative meanings of honour, morality and
character, i.e. the symbolic person. The way this translates
into behaviour is quite simple: Westerners prefer a minimum
communication distance of about 46 cm (18 inches), whereas
Egyptians prefer 23–25 cm (9–10 inches).
Don’t be surprised if you fi nd yourself backing up when
talking with an Egyptian. I have watched conversations
proceed down a hall or across a room when a Westerner
could not adjust to very close proximity when talking.
Closeness when talking in the United States or Great Britain
is reserved for intimacy or secrets. Even when stuck in an
elevator, Europeans and Americans often back as far away