For the years I have been at Dundee fabricators, I have had the opportunity to meet and interact with people from different nations. I have had the desire to talk about other people’s culture and way of life. I had the opportunity to speak to a fellow employee Abdi. He is an Egyptian citizen but had the chance to secure a scholarship, and he has been studying in the United States since he was in high school. Convincing him to go to an interview with me was not easy since he is always quiet and focused and he has no time to chat with other people. After having a short conversation with Abdi, he later agreed to meet me at the café over the weekend. We had decided to discuss the value of culture in Egypt.
The unique thing about Egypt is that people have always followed their culture in the way they dress, talk, and religion or even how they relate to other people. Even after the emergence of technology, people in Egypt value their culture as they maintained their mode of dressing and religion. Abdi then proceeded and said, “We respect our culture because we still take our traditional meals like blood and milk. In our culture, women should cover their bodies by wearing long dresses and also covering their heads. I wonder how other people can just walk half naked without even respecting their parents and elders.”
I began to understand that dressing code is very different in the United States. Abdi then continued, “In our culture, you can never hear arguments between young people and their parents. Elders are respected, and younger people should consult with them before performing any ritual.” I now came to understand why Abdi does not like any female in the workplace because he said that it is against their culture to marry a woman who once exposed her body to the public. The last thing we discussed with Abdi is greeting. He said, “In Egypt, passing someone without greeting them is considered to be rude. Additionally, people should greet one another with respect despite their age.” I learned that the United States is very different when compared to Egypt, but I appreciated how the Egyptian culture is rich in respect and moral values.
