When I first moved to Egypt I was amazed at how the past and the present seem to meet in the city of Cairo. Caireennes consume the west. They like the clothes, the food, the music. The city is loaded with Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Chili's, and these eateries. You can find stores that carry all the name brand western clothing and shoes. The problem lies not in the consumption, but for the ones that cannot afford to make the purchase. Egypt has more than its fair share of impoverished. I always say the poor in America are rich compared to the poor in a developing country. My husband told me the other day he was in the hospital cafeteria with other doctors having a coffee and reading the newspaper. There was a flier inside the newspaper which fell out and it was an advertisement for McDonald's, or Hardees...one of the janitorial staff inside the cafeteria picked up the flier and my husband could tell her mouth was just watering over the picture. He told her never mind, these types of food give you a very bad upset stomach. Unfortunately, probably 60% of the population here could not afford to buy a value meal from McDonalds. To afford buying one of those meals probably would cost him/her a healthy part of their monthly salary. The gulf between the ones that have and the ones that do not is very present here in Cairo. I am sad to say, I have become desensitized to it partially. I can remember when I would walk to school and see the way people lived right next to me and how shocked and sad I would feel. Now, after walking past these folks for over 3 years and others like them, I have grown accustomed to it. That realization about myself bothers me the most. I felt this way when we traveled in Malaysia and Indonesia. The poverty was all too familiar and my reaction was indifferent. It is amazing what one can become accustomed to in this world. Thankfully, I have not become completely apathetic towards the needs around me. What I choose to do is help those that I can. I do things for the ones that are close to me, such as my maid, the ones in my neighborhood, and my school. I hope in time that poverty of this scale will be eradicated.
Until then,
A Woman of Egypt