Sunday, September 17, 2006

saudi vs egypt

i used to live in saudi until 1997.


Is living in
Saudi Arabia better than Egypt? It’s a tough question and it's been going in my mind since I was a kid. When I was with Kariman's friend in Cilantro we were talking about the differences between here and there. We finally came up to the conclusion that Saudi Arabia is a safer place, but that's only because you're locked up in the same compound so you have very limited experience. Also, almost all of your interactions are with foreigners so you're basically meeting more civilized people. In Saudi you're more up to date with the rest of the world, and you're also speaking two different languages on a daily basis. When you return to Egypt in the summer it's always a big deal and people appreciate you more and you try to make the best out of your time by going to movies and plays …etc

But to live in Cairo, that's a totally different story. The loud noise and crowded streets are what make it special. Egypt has a much richer culture than saudi, and maybe anywhere else in the world for that matter which makes the sense of loyalty to the country grow inside you gradually i guess. I guess the main difference between Egypt and Saudi is that here you interact with people more. Self independence is more possible and effective in Egypt, but it also comes with responsibility of course.

Overall I prefer Egypt, but it’s a close call.

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