Ever heard of Egyptian planning and timing? Well, there is something that they call Egyptian
planning and timing, but in no way you can compare that to the standards of our modern
western society. Egyptians do make plans and schedules, but one thing you can be sure about;
that it will never go the way they planned it. Egypt and the Egyptians surprise you every day
in every way! This made my experience in Egypt one of the best ever!
Egypt is a very interesting country, an exploding population of over 85 million people on
a habitable surface the same size as the Netherlands (you can only live on the banks of the
Nile or in the delta, not in the desert!). The first thing I noticed was the gap between the rich
and the poor, the gap is huge. There is virtually no middle class in Egypt. And if you live in
Egypt and are able to spend your time and money on AIESEC you must be rich and from the
upper class. I met many AIESEC’ers and they really became my friends during my stay in
Alexandria. They helped me out with finding an apartment, introduced me at my internship
and took me around town to see sights, theatre shows and other cultural activities. We still
keep in touch through Facebook of course!
The internship I did was at the Egyptian American Center in Alexandria: A private
language institute, where I taught English to both youth and adults. Teaching English was a
informative experience. Not only did I improve my own English grammar and vocabulary, I
also learned a lot of teaching methods and skills. But the best part of teaching is of course the
interaction with the students. In my classes I always ended with a group discussion that could
be about any subject, but we often ended talking about the differences between my culture
and their culture. They gave me wonderful insights in their lives, how they deal with their
daily lives, how they feel about politics and about their attitudes towards family, marriage and
the relation between men and women in Egyptian society. But we also talked about shopping,
sports and movies and other things people normally do in their lives. They’ve showed me
that they do not differ from us as human beings. They want to live a happy life in which they
want to give the best to the people they love, and living in a chaotic country as Egypt that
can mean a life full of hardship, where you have to bribe someone every day to get what you
need. Nevertheless, wherever you go, the hospitableness and openness of the Egyptians is
heartwarming.
During my internship I had enough time to travel around the country. The history and
diversity of this country is amazing, and I am not only talking about the pyramids! In the
south you can meet a black Nubian at the Abu Simbel temple complex, in Siwa oasis you see
very conservative Muslims that descend from Berber Moroccans that take you for a desert
safari in a jeep, while Cairo is populated by 18 million ‘real’ Arabs who smoke shisha (water
pipe) in a bar every night!
Living in an Arab/Muslim country for some time is something I would recommend
to anybody! The NOUR project gives you an excellent preparation where you’ll learn about
Islam, Arabic language and the practicalities of living abroad. Make sure you have a well
arranged internship, combine it with some travelling and an open spirit, and you will have an
unforgettable experience!
