Friday, October 27, 2006
Warning: Whinge File
Egyptian men are full of shit (sorry for swearing Hunter and Maclean - but that is the right word here - and there are a few more naughty words - be warned).
There's always a story for everything, an excuse as to why I'm being ripped off. And their stereotype of western women is so bad, they see us as whores, just there to behave toward in a way they would never dare to their own. They hold your hand - even shaking it - at any possible opportunity. It's like a sexual high for them. Talk about repressed. They'll even ask for a kiss - no Aussie man in his right mind would ask a stanger for a kiss.
I must say the white women don't help things, insisting on wearing skimpy tops and short shorts - but mainly it is the young ones 18-25 and in tour groups. And it is probably only 10%.
PS. After getting to know the other women on my Nile cruise, I asked them how they were coping. They have not had the trouble I've had. Both are with their partners, and even the blonde one has not had the sleeze. However Dinnika (the blonde) was separated from her husband for about 300m in a bazaar on one of our excursions and she said she was very aware she was treated differently alone. She was approached more, spoken to differently both in tone and in words, and she was constantly touched on the arms and hands. She said she didn't believe me til it happened to her. So it's not a misunderstanding of western women but women ALONE (even wearing wedding bands!). This must signal all that is bad to Egyptian men.
PPS. I asked the our tour guide on board outright what I was doing wrong (long pants, long sleeves, hat, glasses) and he said NOTHING. He said even the educated men in their heart believe women travelling alone are specifically here to source relationships and sex with Egyptian men. They think we are immoral. Even he believed that there was a sizeable segment of the market where European women came on 'sex holidays'.
PPPS. Mohammad, the guide, was totally professional the whole time he had our group, a complete gentlemen and never behaved in any way inappropriately. I have decided education on cultural differences is the only possible key - for both westerners and locals.
Egyptian men are full of shit (sorry for swearing Hunter and Maclean - but that is the right word here - and there are a few more naughty words - be warned).
There's always a story for everything, an excuse as to why I'm being ripped off. And their stereotype of western women is so bad, they see us as whores, just there to behave toward in a way they would never dare to their own. They hold your hand - even shaking it - at any possible opportunity. It's like a sexual high for them. Talk about repressed. They'll even ask for a kiss - no Aussie man in his right mind would ask a stanger for a kiss.
I must say the white women don't help things, insisting on wearing skimpy tops and short shorts - but mainly it is the young ones 18-25 and in tour groups. And it is probably only 10%.
PS. After getting to know the other women on my Nile cruise, I asked them how they were coping. They have not had the trouble I've had. Both are with their partners, and even the blonde one has not had the sleeze. However Dinnika (the blonde) was separated from her husband for about 300m in a bazaar on one of our excursions and she said she was very aware she was treated differently alone. She was approached more, spoken to differently both in tone and in words, and she was constantly touched on the arms and hands. She said she didn't believe me til it happened to her. So it's not a misunderstanding of western women but women ALONE (even wearing wedding bands!). This must signal all that is bad to Egyptian men.
PPS. I asked the our tour guide on board outright what I was doing wrong (long pants, long sleeves, hat, glasses) and he said NOTHING. He said even the educated men in their heart believe women travelling alone are specifically here to source relationships and sex with Egyptian men. They think we are immoral. Even he believed that there was a sizeable segment of the market where European women came on 'sex holidays'.
PPPS. Mohammad, the guide, was totally professional the whole time he had our group, a complete gentlemen and never behaved in any way inappropriately. I have decided education on cultural differences is the only possible key - for both westerners and locals.
# posted by The Essence of Good Taste @ 3:16 PM 
