A Thoughtful Reflection on Egyptian Culture...

i.e., I no longer will maintain the cultural relativity, my butt stance. At least for the duration of this entry.
before you continue reading, look at this picture: http://virb.com/458278556709923/photos/1314926/fullsize
Full credit to whoever put that up, smile, or something? Go you.
So now, if you have looked at that picture, please continue reading. Otherwise, you will just be confused.
So, just as a brief background, I found this picture while stumbling around the internet. This was shortly after my friend's friend's mom (unsuccessfully) tried to convert me to Islam, so I was pretty much like, yeah! Go the west! Open affection, open minds! We rock!
And then, as per usual, whenever I think anything that isn't loaded with all sorts of subtleties, I later changed, altered, and rearranged that thought. And it led me to make all sorts of observations about this culture, myself, and the west. Which you will now have the great privilege of reading.
The first thing I realized is that this picture is really really hypocritical. It's trying to depict the West as open-minded and the East as a closed place that discourages affection between men and women. Well, if the west is open-minded, it's a pretty big leap to make to think that this picture can accurately summarize relationships between men and women in the Middle East, or even just in Egypt. (I really do think these might be Egyptians. The man just looks, really, really Egyptian, like his clothes and everything. And the woman too.) And also, the west certainly has its share of marital problems, with a divorce rate of what, 50% or something. (I should write about the divorce procedure in Egypt. I actually think America has a lot to learn from how they do it here.) And this particular couple might just not be particularly affectionate, that's pretty normal in the culture here. It's really rare for couples to be openly affectionate in public here too, one of our teachers actually said that if a husband respects his wife, he won't be too affectionate with her in public because it's sort of disrespectful and will make her look disreputable. And actually, on this point, I saw a couple pretty much like the one in this picture, the man wearing the religious beard, and the woman a niqab, and they were like locking arms, and they were pretty old, and it was sooooo cute. So yes. Basically, if the West were such an open place, we wouldn't assume that wearing these sort of clothes and acting like this couple is doesn't mean that they aren't loving or are really close minded.
Also, the white couple just kinda bugged me. Like, how long will they be able to keep up that sort of affection? Sorry, that's just me being my cynical crabby old lady self. HOWEVER, this is relevant, because you find Egyptian couples doing the Egyptian equivalent of the white couple thing here, and it just bugs the crap out of me. Because the girls are always hijabed and you know, your model good Muslim girl, and then she's like out holding hands and being all pouty and flirty with her fiancee (who she could and probably will leave at any point). And you never see girls without hijabs doing this kind of stuff in public, because they can't get away with it. If they tried, everyone would just be like, you hair exposing whore, tempting our good muslim boys! Whereas, if you wear a hijab, go right ahead and tempt 'em. (let me add that the percentage of girls who engage in this sort of behavior is very small, but very visible. and that I'm not against the behavior, but the hypocrisy behind it. yeah). What was the point? I forgot. I'm sorry. Oh, that the white couple behavior doesn't mean they're any more loving. Just that they're more obvious and physical.
Which brings me to my next point. While there are all sorts of terrible men and terrible husbands here (and they are enabled by the culture since women are, in most circumstances, more or less powerless to them, or at the least, subservient to them, thus giving them the chance to be as tyrannical as they want), those who are good, really really respect women. As weird as that might sound. And also, I admire the fact that they take their faith so seriously, and really hold to it. As long as they don't try to convert me to it.
Well, that's all for now. Potentially more observations to be added at a later time.
Peace out, yo.
: ) E.