Communicating Egyptian Style 249as possible and stop talking, petrifi ed they may actually have
to touch another person or smell their breath. Adjusting to
close proximity with others requires time. You will probably
never be completely comfortable with the typical personal
space distance in Egypt, but you will adjust.
Smiles
As mentioned before, it is quite acceptable to smile and make
limited eye contact in mixed-gender social circumstances
among friends and acquaintances or to smile through the
course of normal conversation. Of course, men should be
extremely cautious to avoid smiling beyond a casual greeting
smile at Egyptian women under all circumstances. Directed
smiling at women you don’t know may be interpreted as
rude, a sexual approach and/or as an insult because it shows
a lack of respect and compromises an Egyptian woman’s
reputation. In extreme situations, making this type of
inappropriate approach could result in her male relatives’
retribution for their family honuor or their approach to you
to establish a marriage contract (which was probably not
your intent). Remember, among more conservative single
Egyptians, mixed-gender contact other than with close
Bargaining over the price of a camel—personal space takes a back seat in
Egypt but eye contact is important to show trust and sincerity.