The first thing I noticed after receiving word that I would be going to Egypt was the diversity of reactions people had, and how much age seemed to be a factor in those reactions. The response from my friends and other people was universally positive. As I can recall, none of them blinked twice at the fact that I would be going to a Middle Eastern country, or voiced any concern, even in jest, at my safety. Adults, on the other hand, were decidedly more mixed in opinion. Many of the conversations I've had with my family members have included markedly stern warnings to stay safe. According to my parents, many people they know have in private expressed surprise at their willingness to let me go and admitted they would not allow their own children to do the same.
My parents themselves have had wildly fluctuating feelings on the matter. On the one hand, they encouraged me to apply in the first place and are very excited for my trip and the opportunities it will afford me. On the other, they've been very concerned about my safety. Even before my acceptance, my mother began to doubt her ability to deal emotionally with my being over there, and at one point told me flat out she wouldn't be able to cope with the worry. She was backed up in this by my uncle, who, as a journalist who has lived all around the world, I was surprised to learn agreed with her assessment. Very begrudgingly, I agreed to not go if my parents couldn't deal with it; what else could I do?
Thankfully, once I was actually accepted, my parents changed their minds and agreed to let me go. Still, all of this left me wondering exactly why there was such a clear age gap in the responses I've gotten. Part of it is probably just natural; teenagers are usually willing to take more risks. Truth is, however, Egypt does not seem like an especially risky place to visit. It's a moderate country with a strong reputation for hospitality. It plays host to millions of foreign visitors every year. Although there have undeniably been some incidents of foreigners being hurt or killed in terrorist attacks, they seem to be few and far between, and most occurred in the tourist haven of the Sinai, far from Cairo.
My parents naturally want to feel as comfortable as possible with my journey, and I understand this. One thing they've attempted to do since I've finished school, in part to expand the network of people I could depend on while there, is to have me meet with as many Egyptian acquaintances as possible. As it turned out, I was able to meet with two of them. Both provided some useful insights into the culture and politics of the country. The sense I took away from the meetings was that the Egyptian reputation for hospitality and a focus on the family seems to be true. In both cases, I was offered the contact information for all their family members, along with a promise that said family members would show me around Cairo and/or make me a delicious home cooked meal. In one case, our guest drew out his entire family tree, going back 3 generations, and told me about everyone who was on it at how to contact them. I was very touched at how willing people seemed to be to open their doors to a complete stranger.
Of specific interest to me was the conversation I had with an Egyptian journalist who spent years working for a paper in Egypt and now covers the U.S. He told me that the Egyptian media was seeing great growth in terms of the diversity of opinions offered. There are far more alternative, non-governmental voices being heard then in years past. It will be interesting to look at the media in Egypt and how it operates in the existing political environment. I may also be able to contact someone who actually hosts a TV program on youth issues in Cairo. There are so many avenues of inquiry to explore; I really hope I get to delve deeply into them.
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