If you ever get the chance to travel or stay for a while in Egypt, here you have some tips about how to get the real Egyptian living style.
1. Take the minivan!
To really feel you are part of the landscape you have to give up to your own car, taxi, Uber and to take the microvan or even a tuk-tuk ( if you really like adventure). These are not expensive, it will cost you few pounds, even less than 2 L.E.
2. Have a specific local breakfast.
For a complete Egyptian style you must have a real Egyptian breakfast: foul (mashed fava beans dish), falafel or tameya ( Egyptians call it like this usually) which is again fava beans fried donuts, salad (tomatoes, cucumber, onion all together in a slightly spicy dressing) and pita or the Egyptian bread ( must try this one instead of the libanese bread). Also you will get eggs, boiled oror as scrambled eggs. Take the boiled and mix them with the foul ...fat, heavy, but great. After all these to set down you must take tea. Here is a culture of drinking tea anytime, anywhere.
3. Go to any coffee shop and tell stories with your friends, while having shisha.
After every good meal you have to get a shisha and tea or coffee to any local cafe (ahwa). These are local cheap places where Egyptians prefer to gather and stay long time
4. Go and buy your groceries alone from the kiosk in the corner of the street, using Arabic as much as you can.
After you will shop your groceries alone and I don't mean at the supermarket, but at that small shop you will have in your neighborhood. Try to learn some Egyptian Arabic words and use them as much as possible. This way you can say you are living Egyptian way.
5. Sleep the whole day and wake up in the evening, go out with friends and eat shaorma and khebab after 1 a.m
6. You have to "survive" a Ramadan month in Egypt.
This is one of the hardest but lovely months in the year for Muslims. They have to fast during the whole day, till sunset. Try to fast and see how much you can resist by going to work and not eating or drinking anything. Anyway this month has a joyful spirit at night because everyone goes out, meeting family or friends and there are lights and decorations everywhere.
7.The call to prayer (Azaan) becomes your time mark, to know what time is according to the prayer.
It Means you live as Egyptian if you can tell what time is till your alarm will ring in the morning after hearing the first call to pray.8. If you can cross the street and arrive the other side safe.
As chaotic is the traffic here this is a skill to develop fast. Crossing the street here is a secret and silent language between you and the driver. But anyway the traffic is not silent at all here.
9.To drive in the rush hour when there are over 40 degrees Celsius.
It's a hell to drive or be in traffic in the middle of the day under a burning Sun. Resist this and keeping calm or try to make a way out the line as any Egyptian.
10. You live in Egypt for a while nownow, but you didn't visit any touristic point.
Most of Egyptians don't visit not even once their own touristic spots. I met many Egyptians telling me they never saw the pyramids close by...
Comments
Post a Comment