by Anna Woolfolk

Created on: June 28, 2007

As a graduate student at Cairo's American University, I have spent the last six months living in Egypt. When I made the decision to go, some people looked at me sideways. I can remember bartending in New York to save money for my move when one older male customer warned me, 'they hate women there'... then he turned around to greet the young girl he was cheating on his wife with. We love women more here? Do we respect them better?

It's so sad when we can come to definite conclusions about whole populations without ever experiencing the truth ourselves. It's pathetic when one exaggerates the bad things heard about others to distract from one's own faults. I think there are a few words for that kind of behavior- racism falls under the same category.

Traveling as a single woman in Egypt does come with a set of rules, just like walking alone in Brooklyn might. This isn't due to a cultural difference. An environment's safety for women has to do more with economics than what language the people speak, their religion or the color of their skin. All Arabs don't disrespect women. Some uneducated, immature, disadvantaged men in Egypt, however, might harass women. It's a sad reality of the Cairene streets, but there are things you can do to calm the intensity.

First, and most obvious, dress conservatively. Be respectful and cover up those oh so sexy parts that you would normally want to flaunt. Second, relax. In this hot, sunny society- people don't have the energy to hold a grudge or get worked up over nothing. When I first got to Cairo one of the things that especially got on my nerves was the hissing noises I'd get when walking alone. It's still kind of annoying, to be honest, but less so now that I've realized how often the sound is used to grab someone's attention- anyone's attention. Egyptians hiss and kiss the air at each other instead of whistling or yelling HEY' like we do so don't let it ruin your day. Often noises and unwanted comments will come from very bored young male security guards who sit on the side of the street for hours on end in the heat for less than one hundred dollars a month. If they do something to get your attention that's a little obnoxious, my advice is to let it slide. Don't even bother to respond, it's what they want: a little show, stimulation. Let the harasser say what he needs to and keep walking past. If you don't speak Arabic, these will be the times when the ignorance is bliss.

It's more comfortable to explore the city with a male partner-

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