When you hear people talk about Egypt, you usually hear things about the latest political unrest and other not so savory facts about the country.  I have had my own personal experiences with Egypt and my opinions about it are much different than what is portrayed by the media and movies.

My dad was stationed in Cairo for several years and when we left our current domicile in Ohio, I remember it was a rainy day and I wore my favorite blue slicker that was quite fashionable at the time.  We were on the plane for what seemed like days and I was relieved to get off of the tiresome flight.

My first thought was that I should not have this slicker on.  As I reached to take it off, I was stopped by the representative from the U.S. Embassy that was there to greet us.  He asked me if I had on a long sleeved shirt and that if I did not I needed to keep the jacket on until we got into the Suburban that was waiting for us.  I thought this odd as he explained to me about the cultural differences and how my bare arms were sure to offend.

I rode in silence wondering what my Dad had gotten us into.  I was awe stricken by the beauty of the people that we passed.  I loved the traditional dress.  I wondered how they were not melting into puddles of sweat because it was so hot.  What I noticed more than anything as we were led to our new apartment is how proud they were of their land.  Each and every Egyptian that we countered smiled warmly and welcomed us.

I was young but I knew how different this was from the Americans that we had just left.  My first impression of Egypt was that they could teach us a thing or two!