Culture Shock Egypt

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The author generally did a good job of trying to capture the spirit of the Egyptian culture. However, it seems to me that her main source of information was acquaintances who were doing their best not to offend her and who were doing their best to make Egypt look good. That makes the information she presents not accurate at times and she sometimes recommends crazy things that only locals will be capable of safely doing. The first thing that you are likely to notice is a myriad of typos - missing vowels - that the book is studded with. Then come strange recommendations regarding almost everything. She actually makes riding a bus sound like an everyday practice that is not going to be threatening. Try doing it in real life and you will find that getting on and off a bus can indeed be a true life hazard. She mentions getting around using the subway, which is only feasible for foreigners during certain times of the day. She also recommends that people convert to Islam before getting married to Egyptians - something that must never be recommended. Some of the Egyptian terms, like the term for a janitor, is misspelled. Her description of the Cairo traffic is quite accurate and so are her recommendations regarding social interactions. The book is full of broad generalizations though. When interacting with Egyptians, it is often wise to remain alert and actually ask about everything. Her explanation of the concept of honor and reputation is just weird. It seems to me that the author was trying her best not to offend anyone. She actually provides a very rosy picture of Egypt and its customs. She accepted the explanations offered by the Egyptians surrounding her for granted. In other words, she is biased simply because people do not provide the simple truth to you when you're a foreigner. She sometimes presents government propaganda as truth, and she fails to mention that a foreigner is likely to get ripped off when shopping. There are a lot of reliable taxi companies nowadays with functioning meters - more expensive, but feel safer, so her recommendations regarding taxis is relatively outdated. I recommend that you decide for yourself whether her recommendations are feasible or not when you get there. That's where you will be able to actually judge for yourself. Interacting with the locals instead of being confined to the expat community is always wonderful, but always stay on your toes. Through my experience, some culture smart books were actually able to accurately describe the cultures of the countries that I have been to. To, this one sounds as if the author has a strange form of Egyptomania.