egyptians have many
fine attributes to
recommend them. Their hospitality is
charming, their sense of humour is keen and
their history is virtually unparalleled. But
punctuality is not a cultural virtue.
To the locals, everything is
bukra
(
tomorrow) or
insha’Allah
(
God willing). Sometimes a
malesh
is even thrown in for good
measure; a word that means anything from “No problem” to
“
There’s nothing you can do, so have a cup of mint tea and
stop worrying.” After all, in a country with 5,000 years of
history, what’s one extra day?
Take the seemingly simple task of purchasing a train ticket.
After queueing for ages, you finally reach the glass window
and catch the attendant’s eye – just in time for them to get
up, walk away and return with a cup of sweet tea and a falafel
sandwich. Apparently they have no qualms about chewing
and slurping in front of the waiting customers, and certainly
wouldn’t disrupt their digestion by continuing to sell tickets.
Shops provide a similar experience. Let’s say you’ve
decided to have a relaxing day strolling around the world-
renowned open-air museum of Luxor. But wait – you’ve
forgotten your sun cream. At the nearest pharmacy, a
souvenir seller tells you the pharmacist has popped out to get
some
koshary
(
rice and chickpeas). An hour later you’re finally
admitted, but there’s no sun cream today – the supply truck
from Cairo didn’t turn up.
Bukra, insha’Allah
.
For those unused to the Egyptian sense of time, it’s
frustrating, but it doesn’t take long to slip into the gentle flow.
After all, why would you want to rush a sunset sail on the
River Nile when you’re lying upon silk cushions, a cool drink
at your side, gently drifting along past Luxor’s riverbanks,
watching a landscape unchanged for centuries?
This slowness can even improve some things. North
African dishes call for meat, fish or vegetables to be stewed
for hours in
tagines
(
traditional clay pots), the only way to fully
absorb the spices.
Thanks to living in Luxor, I’ve come to realise that time is a
gift to be relished. It might not move quickly, but it’s fast
enough. If something doesn’t get done, there is always
tomorrow – or the day after. And even if it isn’t –
malesh
.
British-born Ruby blogs about family life with her Egyptian
husband at orangesbythenile.blogspot.co.uk
“
Have a cup of tea and
stopworrying”
Life in Luxor can be slow going – and that’s its charm, says local blogger
Ruby Tuesday
O N T H E
G R O U N D
L U X O R
ILLUSTRATION
TANG YAU HOONG
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T H E R E G U L A R S
