Egyptian life, than to imagine the rich, complex than imagined. Strong>
Reporters ◎ Pu Yifei real soft
crowd in Beijing in the summer, I look to distinguish the Yifei soft. The girl wearing a purple scarf in Cairo, long-sleeved trousers tightly to cover themselves, dangle high heels and short skirts in the crowd are like space-time tunnel drilled visitors. Thankfully I have a feeling – soft in the Yifei before the experience of dealing with several Egyptians almost make me crazy. Often at the appointed time will come when, sent a text message, told to a meeting, or have other arrangements can also ask about time, time again settled, but still not connected to the head due to various reasons; on the phone an agreed immediately return e-mail, but the delay disappeared, a few reminders, until they are embarrassed to be hospitality, promises to be a few enthusiastic, but also no reply so far. It is said that Egyptians do not need the table, mechanical time does not make sense for the Egyptians. Egypt Airport screen above the time display is a time with a ” ” sign to indicate a time period, was not too far off the mark as long as the late, one or two hours are on time range. Therefore, until soft Yifei witnessed the moment, I was not sure whether she will appear as scheduled. At the moment, she was at this precise time and space became a surprise down there.
Yifei soft Cairo University this year to get a scholarship to study Chinese, Peking University. I asked Yifei soft, the delay is not an Egyptian declined. She seriously thought that they should be really something. I said, you e on time. She said, I do not like always being late. “I was surprised Beijing too.” Yifei Sophie told me, “I came to Beijing, trying to fix the apartment in front of a new building, the site nothing except sand, but now, only a few months time, This building has formed a high-rise! too fast it may be Beijing, but foreigners who came to Cairo, Cairo will be slow to impress. “
Yifei soft old home is located in Cairo city, a man named Shu Bula (Shubra) place. Decades ago, there was a bustling center of Cairo. Yifei soft one there to rent a apartment, a rent that is nearly 40 years. “It was a too-old house, maybe 100 years now, we live in it, my father still alive, he is an agricultural engineer, a manager at an agricultural company, very good income, status also high. At that time, spent five Egyptian pounds at the heart of Cairo rent an apartment is a very expensive 13 years ago, he died. and most of the Egyptian woman as mother, full-time wife, did not work, by Dad Dad more than 1,300 Egyptian pounds per month pension raising three children alone, my 18-year-old brother, sister, 16 years old. many of the houses around are gradually torn down, this building can still still the old house. “Yifei soft say, stay in the house rent time in the past. “Because we have a good relationship with landlords and also know my mother does not work, so 30 years, they have not been to us how prices now, this place we have such a large house to rent 400 to more than 500 Egyptian pounds, but we monthly or 10 Egyptian pounds. Egyptians is about human feelings. “
This building is the three-story old house had to be demolished,” but the landlord do not want to split, he said to them He can improve the appearance of the house and look inside the facility. So, this building was left behind the old house, but the reason they promise not to split, because this position is no longer important. ” Sophie home in Yifei is still built around the new three or four storey small building. “This building should be completed several years to build.” She said. As a result, the heart of Cairo, many do not cover the house finished, steel stands out, no roof, which is home to people, Hanging clothes outside the window also. This is to facilitate the raising of floor at any time, however, when increasing the height, when to cap, always in sight. Shu Bula into a working class neighborhood now has a centuries-old mosques and busy crowded streets have become the forgotten corners. The 1960s to this century, between the number of residents in Cairo surged from 6 million to 15 million urban population density exceeding 1,000 people per square kilometer, the infrastructure has not been updated. I asked what her heart Yifei soft outline of Cairo, without thinking, she said: “noisy, crowded, covered with dust, chaos and busy.”
Chaotic and busy, I wonder if this is not the Egyptians character of the space to express, at least I have seen the Egyptian youth Hassam is a microscopic Cairo. Ditan Park in Beijing near the downtown area is not opened a small Egyptian restaurant, I sat him in the restaurant waiting for his long period of time, he has been busy. While serving his command staff, while greeting guests, while personally deliver the menu, while helping guests burned hookah, from time to time remember to greet a friend, pick up the phone to play a phone call, while they flew out on a motorcycle, too for a while and flew back, sitting next to me say a few words, and then got to busy this busy that. That night, his restaurant guests a total of 3 tables, but he is too busy. Of course, I am also anxiously waiting for his busy part of it. As in modern times to comply with the road, traffic in Cairo pedestrians walking through the car red light stop green light not by free will to act. Traditional collision time and the results of modern times, is Cairo that arbitrary density and extremely chaotic traffic.
lived in Egypt 10 years of well-known British correspondent and author John Bradley (JohnR.Bradley) told me: “There is a saying in Egypt, called BM concept of time ie Arabic of nshallah (God will), ukrah (tomorrow), a lesh (forget it) no one-time appointment, in fact, time is almost rude, waiting is a virtue, not allowed to complain when was regarded as an absurd, which not only based on ancient traditions, but also because Cairo is the world highest population densities, one of the cities worst traffic conditions, from the city side to the other side of time completely depends on the traffic. ” The traffic status, it depends on the will of God. Elapsed time of the traditional downtown Cairo, and thus gradually occupied a very small proportion of the population of the new rich and middle class abandoned. 10 years ago, in a lecture in Paris, a former Egyptian “pyramid” newspaper editor Mohammed Hussein sea Karl (MohamedHassaneinHeikal) have done such a comparison: both Baliruifu French engineer Housman Lane Avenue (RuedeRivoli) designer, and Muhammad Ali in Cairo (MohamedAli) Avenue designer. Years past, the former is bathed in the light of the city in the forefront of civilization, which already off the street. Well-known Egyptian writer, Tarui Ke Ottoman so described: drivers and pedestrians regularly against each other, yelling, cursing each other. Any retail store or service station, queuing has become a rare phenomenon. Wretched of the language can be heard everywhere, streets are crowded and anxiety.
Yifei Sophie told me that she and the vast majority of Egyptians, like, no matter where, 5 times a week will do every day. “Every day 4:00 to 5:00 a, 12:30 a, 15:00 am to 16 points once, 18 points to 19 points once, 21 points to 22 points again.” This is a sacred ceremony in the Egyptian life time . This time do not accurately perform, depending on the mind to grasp: “a few minutes in prayer, we generally do not answer the phone, knock on the door or if someone had bothered, then such a person time to re-do it again. “” I miss the time in Egypt, to the mosque, with songs that sound like chanting “Koran” is what kind of sound, whether I am right where, pray five times a day is a matter of course. ”
before departure to Beijing, Yifei soft received once or twice I saw her face, a distant relative of the phone, this phone let her excited. “He is my grandmother sister daughter son.” Yifei says Sophie, “he said, if there is any need help where to find them.” When my father was still alive, had been to the distant soft Yifei home, when the memory has been blurred. “I just remember his family villa very big! I do not know what they can live child, because he has a good number of quarters in Cairo.” Yifei soft on the wealthy distant relative grateful. 1300 Egyptian pounds by the mother alone, pension, simply can not let the three children receive a good education, but Yifei soft three sisters from small to most expensive private school tuition in Cairo to study, thanks to the distant relatives of the funding. Yifei soft beautiful Chinese and can speak English, modest, gentle demeanor, is not contaminated by lost in the hubbub of the working class neighborhood Shu Bula.
“grandmother sister daughter son, and his sister, one in Cairo opened a lot of private schools, factories and hospitals.” Yifei Sophie told me. She can not accurately describe the history of the distant relatives of fortune, rich life as isolated from Egypt in the palace within the walls of the secret, little known. “He and his sister is always busy, so there is no chance to see them.” “I in kindergarten, he said, just like my father, so I went to them to open the school. Father or not, he would like to by raising our own strength, do not want to accept the charity of others later, my father died, we went to school to study his opening, he did not personally meet us at school, but to lay a greeting to the principal, we reported on their own identity, they go to school, do not pay. “Yifei says Sophie.
“We never talk about each other family. Egyptians ashamed to talk about money, earn much, how many assets are privacy, just like you ask me how much my father pension, I How much is tuition fees, if in Egypt, many people will feel incredible. “but did not talk about it openly does not mean there secretly observe and try to figure out. Spent many years in Egypt, people say, the Egyptians face was even better than Chinese. In Egypt, social occasions, a small gift will make people look down, occasions such as wedding, the owner will secretly monitor the guests of the gift, manners and enthusiasm level, and then do the same back with propriety. Comparisons carried out in the dark everywhere, people are very concerned about the family dignity and honor. Yifei Sophie told me: “Because you are a foreigner, I was willing to tell you my personal life at school, I never do not want to talk to others, I rely on relatives to study here, which is dignity. “” Islam has a tradition of annual income according to a certain percentage of donations to help the poor. my mother had no income, only to receive his father pension, but she is still an annual contribution. “
Yifei soft that she is the beneficiary of her wealthy distant relative, she was grateful. Traditional kinship buffer tremendous wealth gap on her real-life impact, she deviated from my mind was a huge gap between rich and poor, and few social opportunities angered Egyptian youth image. But Yifei soft that when she learned that Mubarak was driven from the stage, she was “very confident, very proud.” For her, this is “amazing accident.” “Nobody thought this would be the result. January 25, there are many online discussion organized protest, but we are all accustomed to, disagree. Many times before, some people advocate revolution, but no one believed failed to do so, the government can always control I wish the day on January 25, to liberate the Square are in fact very little, but I think, is Tunisia Ben Ali to step down, greatly encouraged the Egyptians, more and more people flock to the broad liberation often “
I asked Yifei soft, you have angry? She answered, yes, this anger is the everyday nature. “I often hear about their neighbors, who were caught by the police on the street, or the police who went to hit a home I have anger at corruption, we are like the forgotten people – just look Cairo, like garbage like nobody will know. that changes in the desert for decades for the land resettlement schemes has been no trace of order in China completed the formalities, I spent six months, have in schools, hospitals and various bureaucratic inter-agency repeatedly running around like a circular motion. no explicit laws and regulations, they give not to do, depends entirely on the mood, if you want to save something, it would have pay – - bribery is part of everyday life, you will feel very stuck on. “
this routine experience, but also half-way from Cairo University Medical School drop-out Ha Sangmu have told me: “In college, some professors put their books and lectures sell high, expensive one to more than 100 Egyptian pounds, if you do not buy, can not participate in the examination. anyway, could not find work after graduation, I will simply drop out.” 2008, “Al-Ahram,” Egypt had conducted a survey of young people, why traditional Egyptian classical gentleman vanished. An Egyptian youth replied this way: “How can you expect a person working 16 hours a day, on a bus seat to someone else? If he end of a long work, but also row a two-hour long lines to buy a Government subsidized bread, why would he want to invite women or the elderly stand in front of him? life when you are overwhelmed when you attend to what is polite. “anger in this daily experience of reading space sublimated into the collective emotions. “In Egyptian movies, literary works in Egypt and news reports, you can see everywhere you angry tyranny and corruption almost every Egyptian will talk about his anger and disappointment.” Yifei says Sophie.
I asked Yifei her favorite soft cited a recent Egyptian literature. She said: “Aspen Varney (AlaaAl-Aswany) of the” Yakubien apartment “.” To “Yakubien apartment”-oriented, was born in Egypt up to the cost of the film in the history of the movie, box office records brilliant. Yakubien located in the heart of Cairo, was a land inhabited by celebrities, it records the passing of gorgeous Egyptian Prime glory. Aspen Vanni in the novel, here mixed with corrupt government officials, businessmen buying drug trafficking, the decline of the ideal gentleman immersed escapism, gay newspaper editor, totally disappointed and join the real religious revolution of radical youth, brutal ruthless police, fighting over the estate of the wealthy offspring and so on. 5 years ago, John Bradley was a shabby little in Cairo coffee shop to find Aspen Varney. “About 50 people gathered in the cafe, they pass a mini microphone, easy to make each other voices over the noisy traffic outside.” They come together to discuss family affairs and world affairs, that day, they talk about the topic is the Minister of Culture veiled comments. This scene is part of daily life in Cairo.
I am curious, is called a “dictatorship” under the control of Yifei soft gain reading experience how public space can exist. John Bradley told me: “About five years ago, the Egyptian media to obtain a considerable freedom of speech, there has been a lot of very outspoken and critical newspapers, including the influential” Today Egypt “(Al -MasryAl-Youm) and “constitutional newspaper” (Al-Dostour). they often criticize the president and his family, unavoidably expose corruption and tyranny. “I checked the check” Al-MasryAl-Youm “investors, One of the richest in Egypt Sawiris (Sawiris) family. From the family construction business started in the Nasser era, the family overseas business is limited, but in the Sadat and Mubarak, the government policy of friendly merchants, the economic strength of this family greatly enhanced. Family of several brothers were in Zurich, Berlin and Chicago university education, paradoxically, they are both liberal sympathizers and Cairo have very close ties, but also with Mubarak son Gamal enjoyed good personal relations. John Bradley said that Egypt then took place a surreal phenomenon: “You can buy in the street and free to read any opposition newspapers, but can not openly discuss what you read, because the secret Police are likely on your side. “why the Government would allow such a situation exist? “Because when Washington again criticized Egypt, he can pick up the newspaper said, Behold, they have the freedom to criticize me.”
Shakespeare may Yun
Egypt Lufthansa to Yun father, the girl is very well-known Arabic Cairo University professor, was invited to Peking done lectures. Her home is far away from Liberation Square Manny Rhoda (MannialdelRoda). January 25, that is, the first day of protests broke out, she did not go to the liberation of a wide normal “until my father saw in the demonstration on the Internet through mobile phone out of the video release, he decided to take to the streets the next day – he all requests to support them and I asked to go with him, he was worried about any eventuality, is not allowed in the I repeatedly begged, he finally promised to take with me to join the protest. “Sha Yun described the mood can be said: “I just excited to sing the ed Song For a while, she even fainted with excitement.” people around to help me up, give me bottled water, surrounded me, protect me. “Egyptian sociologist 萨米尔汉娜 has described the Egyptian daily life:” People seem ready to leap into the sky because of trivial things, grabbed each other throat. Historically there has been mutual tolerance of antiquity already disappeared. “And at the moment, the crowd of demonstrators in the crowded, Shakespeare may feel that returning to the self-Yun.” Few days, I did not see someone littering, and no one pushed. Everyone wants to change themselves, show the best side. When we finally heard the voice broke out of the change, we will support it from the heart. “
Shakespeare may Yun worked in another Arab country – the Sultanate of Oman had a boy.” Dad taught for six years in Oman, Arabic, my high school sophomore before returning to Egypt. Compared with most of the Egyptians, I think I was very lucky because we had to live abroad. “From Oman back to Egypt after a Lufthansa Yun economic situation can be much better than stayed home country of Cairo University.” We opened Roan home, my father bought a house in the Manny Rhoda. Big house, so we did some regret, is not such a big house should buy? Because of the mother, it is very hard to clean up. In substance, we do not lack anything: we have a house, have a car, although I have five brothers and sisters, my mother is a full-time wife, father to feed one person a seven, life is not easy, but compared to many Egyptians, Our life is much better. “
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Institute of Bi Jiankang world history researcher told me that after 2000 Egyptian pounds at a rapid rate depreciation, so many people who work to the Gulf countries have become rich after returning person, the income of civil servants far more than the Egyptian Government pledged to create by the public and private sector from 300,000 to 500,000 jobs, but more than high school degree graduates each year about 80 million people, jobs gap by cumulative, More and more Egyptians tried to go abroad to fight in 2006, approximately 8 million Egyptians (more than 10% of the population of Egypt, most of which less than 40 years old) for a green card; Since 2005, thousands of Egyptian Young people risk their lives smuggling boat ride and trek to the Greek coast of Italy; As of 2008, about 50 million people illegally entering Europe in 2005, Egypt Young Ha Sangmu travel to China with $ 800 in Beijing find a job, stayed, and slowly have their own restaurant, he bluntly told me: he is likely to find work at home, so his wife can not discuss with many Egyptian men, his main motivation to go abroad One is looking for his wife, such a result, Egypt older unmarried women are also particularly as the British, John Bradley have had this experience: “I rented a taxi in Aswan to the dam, the driver more than 20 years of age. On the return trip on the road, he suddenly stopped the car, close your eyes, recite loudly, “Koran,” the opening paragraph. Then he turned to me and very seriously asked: an you give me to the UK travel visa? quot;When the Bradley told him this is not possible, he” looked extremely sad. “He also met a computer repair to his youth in Egypt.” He has a degree in computer science, English, very fluent in a large software company trained, but because he does not matter, so he is almost impossible to record caries large companies, “he asked Bradley have the opportunity to work abroad, the young man said:” I want to give me some respect for a country. “
Yun a Shakespeare can be returned to Egypt from the Sultanate of Oman, despite his favorable material conditions, but their heart is not calm in 2008, global food and energy prices reached a high point of Egypt high domestic inflation led to massive protests and bread riots. “government prices people have to buy subsidized bread (the Egyptian government price subsidies are less than 1 cent price of bread, need to buy this bread queues. without government subsidies of more than five times higher than the price of bread), hard to squeeze, fear not wait a little longer to buy bread, and the results were stepped on, many people were killed. “It is sad the other side of the poor, is mysterious and great wealth.” We hear a lot of talk about presidential family wealth, until he stepped down, his wealth was officially declared out, than we thought it would be and more. “
Weekend night,” Dad always took us to the Nile River Club. Do not misunderstand the meaning of the club, it is designed to hold a gathering of university scholars. Where we gather together to witness the engagement of friends, or participate in common rituals, but also to discuss various issues. “I Yun Bai Tuosuo can help me to interview her father a few days later, a letter back, Professor, He told me, these gatherings in the club, “because we have a common idea together, and that is to overthrow the existing regime. We deliver a speech, recite poetry, tell stories, let us not forget that free, fair and change the meaning. We also talk about corruption. “Deeply corrupt social body so that he was” very dissatisfied “:” I believe in “Koran,” the sentence: od does not change the status of a nation, unless they change it. quot;
Shakespeare may Yun said, following my father took to the streets, is subject to personal life experience that goes beyond the emotional appeal.” Behind our motherland, which is the root of many problems in Egypt. We feel that Egypt had been exploited, Egypt is not our Egypt. Our country has lost a lot of principles, not fair at all. “Shakespeare may Yun said,” people do not just rely on money and life, not only for their own lives. Many people around me are living in day dreams, dreams of Egypt to develop. Disappointment is a common sentiment, for many people, like a kind of exile abroad. “Ha Sangmu also told me:” Egypt is not ours. There is a thief hiding, our low-cost natural gas sold to Israel, the commission put into their own pockets. The thieves also stole hide our income: Egyptian pounds less and less valuable, and my father salary is still negligible. “
Lufthansa to Yun father, said he remembered Umar Ibn Khattab (Umaribnal-Khattab) established by the Arab Empire,” At that time Egypt is an Arab Muslim country became , it is the best period in Egypt. “Egyptian writer Oscar Manta Lake told me that Egypt elite, this historical sense of failure is a collective psychology.” history of Chinese youth inherited the victory, but Egyptian youth inherited failure. “Looking at the world,” the 1950s with similar socio-economic conditions in Egypt, South Korea, has become an economic power and democratic country … … the ancient civilizations of India and China will be a huge success and wealth of the population into the development of productive forces. “And Egypt “in the past 200 years to create a regional empire, several attempts have failed, then we have experienced 35 years of distorted capitalism and too pragmatic, too dependent on the U.S. political project. It is left to the Egyptians strategic vacuum “.
Yun home in Shakespeare can be, women enjoyed full freedom and respect.” Mom is a free people. When he was young, she was the University of Alexandria, and later traveling to different parts of her era did not give her too much resistance and constraints. I think she was later made a full-time wife, perhaps because her dream was to be a full-time housewife and wife it. “Lufthansa to Yun parents have five children, which in Egypt is not that much, she this generation, many families of children with 9 or 10 brothers and sisters. Shakespeare to Yun father told me:” I am five children is a natural number, much, many. I thank God for the gift. Egyptians in Egypt wealth, as the Chinese of China wealth. “Shakespeare may Yun said that in addition to the religious factor, the Egyptian concept of the traditional family is also” lack of filial piety, three, be without “thinking.
Ta Leike told me that Egypt now has 60% of the population age In the 30 years of age, is the last generation product of economic optimism. “middle class in the 1960s felt the significant growth in the Egyptian economy, to 70 years, most Egyptians living standards have improved. In 1973, Egypt and Israel to end the hostilities of the war, 2 million young people in Egypt to return to their villages and towns, a family. Prosperity and peace, the atmosphere of optimism. To the Gulf country of 3 million migrant workers are brought back to Egypt wealth, so that people more confident of economic potential. These are encouraging people to have more children. Nutrition level, improvement of medical conditions, infant mortality, have contributed to Egypt population explosion. Egyptian government in the 1980s and 1990s to promote birth control, but to little avail. “If you do not modernize the Egyptian economy, there will not be today took to the streets of Cairo, against the Mubarak government youth.
Fertility patterns of the traditional lifestyle of being a modern beat. Nasaiernu Day , 35, is typical of the Egyptian middle class, a monthly salary of $ 2,500, he lived in private schools built middle-class neighborhoods of the city, 130 square meter three-bedroom monthly rent of 400-600 U.S. dollars. He has a 1-year-old daughter and 4-month-old son, he faces the situation with the Chinese people are very similar: private kindergartens at least $ 2,000 a year tuition, private schools and high schools will have 3,000 to $ 4,000 and he told me he did not intend to have another baby. Egypt Many of the younger generation with his idea is similar to the budget constraints of city life naturally control the population of urban life but also to strengthen a large number of graduates from the countryside into the city desire. “They are no longer willing to return to rural areas. Egyptian government had a series of programs, including preferential policies to university graduates in urban areas in places outside the new land, to foster a new type of farmer. But very few people willing to go – the last to those lands are concentrated in the hands of large investors. “
Yun of Shakespeare can be confident now in Egypt, although those incidents of violence she felt very sad, but her hope for the future:” Egypt is back. Use the resources of Egypt, the poor can become rich. “■