date like an
egyptian issue no.1
the guide for foriegners
www. datelikeanegyptian.com
contents
editors note the social class how to approach an egyptian women a male foreigners “experience�
editors note
Dear readers, First of all i would to welcome you to “Date Like An Egyptian�, it has been a pleasant journey for all whom have worked on this guide to dating Egyptians. My team and I felt like inter-culture relationships have not been Explored here in Cairo, therefore we felt the need to fill foreigners in on what its like to date in Egypt. Please note that dating differs depending on class and between urban and rural populations. We have targeted Cairoians which are middle-high class, but we have also mentioned briefly what its like to date people from all over the continent. Thank you, Mai Abbas
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the social class A majority of Egypt’s population is Muslim, and might date according to Islamic traditions or rituals, though differences occur depending on class and between urban and rural populations. In cosmopolitan cities like Cairo, individuals might not follow traditional customs prescribed in either traditional Muslim or Coptic practices. Egyptians with more liberal lifestyles might date others casually, but with discretion, since they live in a traditional society with conservative views about the male-female relationship. But we would like to advice foreigners, for example, that public displays of affection, such as holding hands or kissing, are generally shunned, to avoid provoking disapproving reactions from others. Outside of work and university settings, men and women generally do not socialize freely together unsupervised, even as just friends; socializing in public generally occurs in groups in public places like nightclubs or restaurants. However if you are a female foreigner please beware of those sneaky waiters, bodyguards, taxi drivers and tour guides. We don’t like to classify people according to their social classes however, when it comes to a certain class “Lower class” these men could use you easily whether its to steal a kiss or a grind every now and then, or if its to woo you and make you fall for them so they can marry you and take your nationality. Foreign women are perceived as open minded in Egypt if you’re a faired skinned blue eyed women, they will immediately think you’re open to whatever! So ladies beware, getting into a relationship with someone that doesn’t come from your social class means he will probably not meet your social standards.
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how to approach an egyptian women
1 Well if you meet a girl you’re attracted to in lets say in a supermarket, coffee shop, restaurant, bar
or even in any public transportation. YOU SHOULD NOT APPROACH HER! It’s different here you can’t randomly introduce yourself to a women, because it’s not a norm here.
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You will probably meet a women in your workplace, with a group of dudes or at a bar, and you will know when it’s okay to approach they usually give you a “look”, which sounds creepy but totally happens!
3 It’s rare for a man and a women to go out on a date alone, you will probably have a group date. 4 Some girls are actually open minded though if you want to meet women like that then you need
to know where to go out, however we urge you to wait for an opening from the women because you don’t want to get your ass kicked by a boyfriend or a relative!
5 The work place is a good place to find women, does not sound professional but its completely normal here, people do it all the time.
6 Sometimes women are very shy and will not approach you or give you an opening so try to just drop a smile, or a good morning.
7 Women also have these fantasies about foreign men so take care, some women will really stereotype you either into a douche or prince charming and both can be very dangerous.
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a foreigners experience
Chris Benette is a British citzen living and working in Egypt. He’s been working as a teacher in AIS for the past 6 years he’s a 29 year old who is currently in a realationship with an Egyptian woman.
Q: Living in Egypt must be completley
diffrent from what you’re used to back home, what was the dating scene like for you these past 6 years?
A: It was probably the hardest thing i had to go through here, at the beginning i didn’t know anyone i was home most of the time completely alone for the first year or so, until i made a group of friends at work “mostly men” and they started introducing me to all kinds of people, i think i just needed someone to guide me and tell me what was acceptable and what was not.
Q: How many relationships did you get into,
and were the women all egyptians?
A: Three relationships, and no when i first started to date here i dated a co-worker she was American. So it was still “easy” did’nt have to completley transition yet. Then i dated an
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Egyptian but it was very brief and now my current girlfriend.
Q: Why was the first relationshipwith the
Egyptian woman brief?
A: Well i didn’t really understand what it was like to date a Muslim woman and i didn’t know some requirements had to be met to date her. At the start we would hangout like friends when we both knew there was more to our friendship, however when things started to get serious my serious was completely different than hers. She wanted me to meet the family and she kept pushing for a proposal, she said if we don’t get engaged and if i don’t consider converting then our relationship would have to end, because this kind of relationship was not acceptable for her family or her reputation. So i felt rushed and i ran for the hills.
Q: How long have you been in your current
relationship and is it diffrent from your past relationship? A: Three Years, it’s completely different because we have the same mentality, she grew which basicallymeans she grew up watching the same shows i did, she was exposed to the same toys, music, books, lessons and so on. We both know that relationships take time and we both understand that we did grow up in different countries so we both have different traditions and values, however we are willing to compromise and learn from one another.
Q: Where did you meet your current
girlfriend?
A: We met out on the streets of cairo i was actually trying to understand what the cab driver was trying to tell me, and she came and saved the day and we headed into the same coffee shop and we started talking.
Q: Have you met the family? A: I met the family two years into our relationship when we both thought it was time and that it would be nice to see where she grew up, not because of marriage pressures. They’re still a bit shaky about the religion differences but they are understanding. It was weird meeting an Egyptian family for the first time, they are actually really loud but it’s love i could see it on their faces. There’s always a lot
of food and a lot of people it was very warm and family like, and they always seem to want to feed me, i learned that saying no thank you does not work you will drink and eat even if you don’t want to.
Q: Do you have any advice for the foreign
men that live here or might move here?
A: Yes i do, rule number one make a friend or two preferably Egyptian they will show you the ropes they’ll introduce you to women. Rule two: Random hook ups are so rare so make sure you still have a group of friends that are foreigners. “Sorry needed to be said” Rule Three: if she’s pressuring you, you don’t have to do what she wants unless you really want to. Rule Four: cat calling is a no no, even if its just a “How you doin” Rule Five: Hang in there, no need to rush anything.
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