288 CultureShock! Egypt
as a Westerner would in a business proposal. Fortunately,
he, too, realised what had happened and started thinking
American. In general, however, don’t count on most
Egyptians thinking things your way. Even if they have a
very good command of the language, subtleties will be
overlooked! Also, we Westerners, especially Americans,
use words in English differently at different times and in
different places. Someone whose native language is not
English may know only one or possibly two meanings
for a word or a ‘sound-alike’ word. The subtleties of word
usage are not always known by someone who is not from
where you originate.
Don’t assume you belong
I recently made the exact opposite blunder. I requested
information I needed from an Internet community to
which I belong. I assumed that because I was a member,
it did not matter that I was American. Wrong again!
The list master politely informed me that I needed to
take out an advertisement on their webpage if I wanted
information from the group to use for ‘proprietary’
purposes. The cultural blunder? I assumed we were
talking in Egyptian terms. I had asked as a friend and
member of the community for assistance, and received
a response in American business terms. Oh well, live
and learn!
Don’t get drunk and rowdy in public, and don’t even
consider driving drunk in Egypt
Yes, it is true that Islam forbids alcohol consumption. It
is also true that alcohol consumption is legal in Egypt.
Do Egyptians drink alcohol? Some do, which explains
the need for the new drunk-driving penalties. Am I telling
you it is a cultural blunder to drink alcohol in Egypt? Yes
and no. What I am saying is that the perception of alcohol
consumption is somewhat hypocritical. Egyptians assume
that if you are from the West, you must drink alcohol.
This is based on overgeneralisation and the practices
Egyptians see among tourists. Do bear in mind that
alcohol consumption is perceived as a major example of
foreign decadence. My suggestion is this: if you are going