Nosy Egyptians

Egyptians are nosy (as per the title of this post). It seems that they can't keep their ideas and opinions and intrusive questions to themselves. Don't get me wrong, I think in some sense we are all "nosy" in that we like to know tidbits about others' lives. But Egyptians take it to a new level.

For one, Egyptians are very interested in knowing whether or not a woman is pregnant. If she is, MABROUK, if she isn't, WHY? Just a few weeks after I first got married, the "are you pregnant" questions began. To be honest, I was expecting them since I know many Egyptians are without boundaries. But the questions have become tedious now. Every time we bump into someone we know (or someone my husband knows, since I don't know anyone!), they always ask is there anything yet? And by that they mean IS THERE AN UNBORN FETUS IN YOUR WIFE'S WOMB?

We were shopping for baby gifts a few weeks ago for one of my pregnant family members, and even in the stores, people would look at me, then look at my stomach to see if there was anything. Argh!

Well we came to an unorthodox solution...now whenever someone asks if I'm pregnant, I say that my husband and I agreed that he would carry the first child. And that seems to shut them up.

HAH!

I was on a microbus yesterday, driving on Alexandria's highway that runs along the sea coast. It was surprisingly cold and windy for Egypt. When I looked to my right and saw the winter sea, it was absolutely wild; waves as far as the eye could see, all eventually crashing violently onto the shore.

It was intense, mesmerizing. But then I noticed that no one else besides me was looking at the sea. I was alone in wonderment, except for an old man wearing a heavy jacket just standing on the rocks, staring into the depth of the sea.

It makes me wonder if I will ever be too busy or sad or lonely or preoccupied to see the sea.