At the risk of sounding like a jaded traveler, I can honestly say that not many things have shocked me since arriving in Egypt. I knew there would be omnipresent sand, devil-may-care driving, jet lag, and a language barrier. I knew I would get sick and that I would get better. I also predicted that I would be happy here, and so far I’m right.
I’ve heard that the saying “time is money” only applies in Western countries. It is certainly true in the Midwestern U.S., where being fifteen minutes early for anything constitutes being on time. Here in Cairo, the school bus may or may not leave on time. (It may not even show up.) It might take several minutes to get directions to a place down the block. On campus, students always hug hello and stop to talk, even if they have thirty seconds to get to class. The leisurely pace and the uncertainty of routine activities can be frustrating, but I am getting used to it.
All this said, I was truly surprised for the first time when I was exploring the neighborhood around Tahrir Square this weekend. The area was packed with men and women of all ages- eating, shopping, and chatting with friends. My friends and I wove our way down a particularly crowded street, looking alternately for clothes and koshary. Then we saw a huge cart covered with pajamas and underwear standing in the road.
Dozens of girls and women were searching through the cart, laughing, and tossing nightgowns and Technicolor bras to each other. The purveyor patiently stood to the side and waited for them to make their purchases. Having clothes that were obviously for private use out in public appeared strange at first. However, there was nothing self-conscious about this scene. It was just girls shopping, something that is the same around the world. There are certainly stereotypes that women in Muslim societies are all introverted and reserved, but here public and private spheres were coexisting happily.
Shopping alongside the Egyptian girls in Tahrir made me feel at home. Even though we couldn’t communicate perfectly, getting a grin and a thumbs-up from across the fitting room was just fine by me.