I've had the opportunity to visit Cairo, Egypt, twice: once in 2008 and again in October 2010. During my most recent trip, I didn't sense the impending riots we are witnessing today; however, I did wonder why the Egyptian people weren't organizing a revolution, much like the Americans did in 1775.
When people ask me today, "Aren't you glad you got out of Cairo before all the rioting began?" I reply, "No. The Egyptian people were always friendly and welcoming. Most of them went out of their way to help me, and I always felt safe. Cairo is one my most favorite cities in the world." As the people of Cairo often said to me, "We love tourists. We welcome everybody." I noticed how the religious and ethnic groups lived so peacefully together compared to other Middle Eastern cities that I've visited. They are a tolerant people.
Looking back, maybe they are a bit too tolerant, especially of injustices done to them.
An Eye-Opening Experience
My first visit to Cairo in 2008 gave me a great perspective into the lives of Egyptians. I was staying at a four-star hotel that had a business center. Invariably, whatever I asked to get done did not get done. My room was dirty and had a pervasive musty smell. The showers had corroded tiles and poor water flow. When I would ask for towels, for someone to fix my non-working phone, or for anything else, I was always told, "Sure, we'll be right there." Half the time no one showed, and the other half of the time, the issue wasn't solved.
Frustrated, I finally went to the reception desk and gently and politely asked what was going on -- why can't these basic needs be resolved? The man behind the desk replied, "They are doing their best. Please be patient."
After inquiring as to whether the documents I left them had been faxed (a request I made two days earlier,) I was told, "Not yet. Sorry. We're still having a problem with our fax machine."
While I wanted to get angry, I did not. Instead, I stopped and took a good look around. I immediately noticed how tired the man at the front desk looked. I learned that his name was Sameh. I asked him to please to explain to me what the issues were in this hotel and with other businesses. He said life was tough, challenging, but we don't want sympathy. "I get two hours a night sleep if I'm lucky. I work nearly 20 hours a day. I work in this office for nine hours and then at a body shop for eight hours. I sleep in my car, return here to the hotel, and take a quick shower in one of the available rooms."
I then asked him why he was working so much. He said that he needed the money. "How long will you have to keep up this schedule?" I asked. He replied, "If I want a family, my whole life."
Then I gently asked how much he earned, he said, "$20 per month." My jaw dropped. Granted, $20 buys a lot more in Egypt than it does in the states, but still, it's a measly wage. At the most, he could afford only the most basic of necessities: an old, small, musty home with several family members pitching in to help with the mortgage, meager food, some clean drinking water, a few clothing items, and nothing more. He certainly couldn't afford a wife or family. At that moment, I no longer cared if the sheets in my room were changed, if the room smelled, if my phone worked, or if the shower was functioning properly. I simply wanted to help my new friend see a future for himself.
Taking an Emotional Toll
The riots in Egypt today stem from legal and political issues, including police brutality, state of emergency laws, lack of free elections and free speech, and corruption, as well as economic issues such as high unemployment, food price inflation, and low minimum wages. The people want a new government that represents the interests of the Egyptian people.
Is that really too much to ask?
From my experiences, the Egyptians are a group of smart, talented, and proud people who simply want a better life for themselves. I recall walking around Cairo with my camera and taking photos of everything including the poverty and the homeless. Each time I would take a photo of something negative to them, the people would say to me, "That's an ugly picture. Please don't take photos of our negative side. That's not who we are and not how we want the world to see us. We want others to see us at our best."
But the conditions in Egypt aren't just about money and material possessions. It's also about the emotional toll the economic issues have on people. For example, while I was there, I met a Muslim woman named Aalia. She has been looking for a husband for more than 10 years. Her family turned away two men who wanted to marry her because they didn't earn enough money to support a family. Today, Aalia is 35-years-old and feels like her chance for marriage is gone. "Once you're over a certain age, men don't want you anymore," she said.
Aalia's story is not unique. In a culture that puts great emphasis on marriage and where family is literally everything people have, not being able to marry and have children is a devastating blow.
A New Sense of Happiness
When I returned to Cairo in October of 2010, the situation from 2008 had not improved. Aalia was still single, Sameh was still earning only $20 a month, and the overall conditions looked unchanged. When I spoke with friends I had made there, they expressed a sense of being unfulfilled, but they still didn't complain much. They were, at some level, happy.
Even when I interviewed people who live in the City of the Dead -- impoverished people who literally live in the cemeteries -- they overwhelmingly said that they feel blessed. Their focus is on the love they have for each other -- their families -- and not on material things. In fact, the closeness of the families there inspired me.
I asked them, "If you had the opportunity to receive $1 million and live in a mansion, would you take it?" They all said "no." Family was more important to them. If they had $1 million dollars their family would be torn apart and they would lose their priorities, which were God and family. As a Hollywood life coach who works with A-list actors and entrepreneurs, I was struck by the stark contrast between the Egyptians and the people back home. I couldn't imagine any of my clients -- or anyone for that matter -- not wanting an extra million dollars. The definitions of happiness that various cultures adopt was amazing.
A Hopeful FutureDespite everything the people in Egypt have endured, they have always proven to be caring, hospitable, and generous to me. This was never more evident than when I flew from Luxor to Cairo in 2008 and had the opportunity to sit next to internationally renowned Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass. We talked the entire flight. When we arrived in Cairo, he insisted on giving me a ride to my hotel (a three-hour drive due to traffic). I repeatedly told him that was not necessary, as I knew he was a busy man. But he kept telling me, "No worries, no worries." He was both gracious and generous, like most of the people I met in Egypt.
My hope for the people of Egypt is what all people want for them: higher pay, more job creation, more freedoms and liberties, and a better standard of living for all the citizens. As we all watch the events continue to unfold, let us remember that we're watching real people just like us -- people with real lives, real concerns, and real dreams. Let us all have compassion for the Egyptian people and do our part to increase understanding of their incredible plight and their very special culture.