Culture Shock! Egypt - A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette

Culture Quiz 283

SITUATION 3

You decide you want to have a few people over to your
house for an informal gathering—just sitting around and
talking. One of your favourite friends is a local taxi driver and
entrepreneur (on the side). But you really want to have some
of your Egyptian business acquaintances, some of whom are
professors, over as well to meet some of your home country
friends. Who do you invite?

 Invite them all over at once. They can all mingle around the
punch bowl and buffet. It will be good for your Egyptian
friends to meet people from different social strata.
 Invite the taxi driver and his family at one time, your
business acquaintances at another.
 Forget it, just invite foreign friends, it is easier.

Comments

It would not be socially appropriate to invite the taxi driver
and business acquaintances at the same time. Choosing
 would place all of your Egyptian friends in an awkward
position and would not change the existing social structure
one iota. Choosing  is the best choice for being able to
share an evening with all of your Egyptian friends.  would
certainly not insult anyone, but would definitely limit your
social circle.

SITUATION 4

You are a man doing business in Egypt. Your colleague,
Mr Moustafa, invites you to a meeting at his house for six
o’clock on Wednesday evening. When you get there (you are
15 minutes early), you hear scuffling behind the door and
a small voice tells you, “No one is at home.”.

 You scream, “Of course you are home, I hear you.”
 You try to explain that you have a meeting with Mr
Moustafa at six, but that you are a little early, and insist
that you be allowed to come in.
 You try reason, explaining that your taxi just left and that
it is too hot to wait on the porch.