I don't want to sleep with you,
Cutting in line is rude,
Not all Americans are rich so don't try to swindle us at every turn,
Winter coats are not appropriate for 70 degree (F) weather,
It's impossible to always have correct change so don't look at me strangely when I give you 50 LE for something that is 10 LE,
Western movies are not representative of real life,
Ketchup does not go on pizza,
2 am is too late to be yelling in the courtyard,
Sidewalks are not trash receptacles,
Children should go in car seats,
I shouldn't have to tip you for telling me directions,
Just because you can't figure out how much a grocery item costs, doesn't mean you should refuse to let me buy it,
Why do your soap operas featured unveiled women when the majority in the real world are veiled?
Why do you cross highways?
McDonald's is not a classy restaurant,
Figure out what your English t-shirt says before wearing it,
Correspondingly, muscle shirts are for tools,
Cleaning does not consist of using a dirty broom to sweep the floor (and I shouldn't have to pay you for doing it),
Alexandria IS better than Cairo,
Your beat up 1979 BMW is not a luxury car,
Spitting and hacking is not attractive,
You did not win the 1967 war,
Lipton is fake tea,
$4 is an outrageous price for a Gatorade,
Where is your basil and oregano? Italy is barely 400 miles away,
Saying "Inshallah" (God willing) does not reassure me,
You frustrate me to no end,
but I know I shouldn't generalize you.
Many of you are lovely people,
so maybe we can make a deal . . .
I will try not to judge you based on my experiences with a lot of your people,
if you extend the same courtesy to me.
K? Thanks, bye.
Lukewarmly,
Ari
LOL. OOOOh girl. You make me laugh so much. No basil or oregano? That's gotta be painful. Oh well. I bet they have it in Alexandria..
ReplyDeletelove
Mark
I am Egyptian(born in Canada) I know exactly what you are talking about. I love my native country and my people dearly BUT the next time an Egyptian man says something to you... BLOW UP. Tell it to him straight in whatever language you can. Say, "Fear God" or "itaqi Illah" and he should recoil within seconds. It will make you feel a whole lot better that you stood up for youself. Trust me, I am a woman.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the perspective, Fatima. I've heard conflicting ways to deal with street harassment, and mostly its just to ignore it, otherwise it will reflect badly on me. However, I was at the point where I was about to scream and rant at anyone who said something inappropriate to me. Next time, I will know what to say. :D Ma'salem.
ReplyDelete~Ari
You're most welcome, Ari. Also might I add to that if this person decides to disregard the religious angle(perhaps out of prejudice or what have you)and still bothers you say "Howa Forga?" "Is it a show?". They know it's wrong but they still do it because everyone does it. When you ignore it, they won't know that it discomforts you. Sometimes ignoring them works sometimes it doesn't. In all cases, you have a voice. If it has gone further than howls to inappropriate touches, call on the neighborhood to whoop the heck out of him. There are no police but there are decent people who won't allow for that. Say, "ma-til-miss-neesh," meaning "Dont touch me".
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