Funny story in Cairo.

I went to the museum with my friend yesterday. When we got out from sadat metro station, we weren't sure which way to go, so we were discussing the direction. One man popped out and ask my friend where you going? We told him museum, he said museum is this way, and go underground then cross .....etc. Then he asked,  welcome to Cairo, where you from? what you think about this city? ...etc. When he learned my friend is from American, he said " I was in Chicago few weeks before" " I've been D.C, New York, Hawaii, you know Hawaii?" " my daughter Married to an American" "I'm a doctor here" ... I couldn't remember all the dialogs because he said lots craps,  but what I do remember is he speak fluent English, and he was irresistible passionate and friendly while he spoke all these stuffs. ( try to speak like your old friend, find out commons make you feel he is real close to you and try to earn even just little bit trust from you.) then he said quite spontaneously " come, I will show you how to get to museum, and NO MONEY, NO MONEY,I'm a doctor.".  By the way, he was, in fact, speaking to my friend all the time, not me. So I literally followed them and listened them talking, laughing... And I was thinking- oh man, i was lost my way in downtown another day, wondering around and nobody even care! So i suppose I'm just not 'white' enough to get attention. But well, it's ok, I can understand that.  After 2 minutes, We reach the cross, he told us go underground then turn right something, which is wired because thats looks like underground highway and doesn't have sideway! "but" said him" today is saturday, the museum only opened at 1, so now is too early" "come to my office, I'm a doctor" his 'office'  just few steps away from us, and it turned out to be a perfume gift shop. " have a sit, you're welcome to our country" " what you want to drink?".    "Wow," I was thinking, " I don't think that's a good idea" so I look at my friend try to eye contact with him" Do Not Drink". But he wasn't look at me, he seems happy..... " you must take it, you are our guests, you know our tradition here" he says. So we said water is ok, and thanks.  And I just realized,They only bought one bottle of water, and I didn't get any! I asked "is this is your shop" "yes, I'm big boss here" " this is my son" he introduced a man just came out from inside office, who looks fat, white, tall, and 'the big boss' is thin, very dark, short, and they don't looks like each other at all. But since duck can has a panda son, so, everything is possible.
Then he was showing us his Egyptian tradition art paints, on that kind traditional papers, " look these art works, I did them, do you like it?"   " yeah" I said that because I have to. I have seen some real tradition art work at a Giza shop before, so I can tell he did lots rubbishes. "whats you names?"     we told him our name, then he said. " I want put you name on my paint, now choose one picture you like".       /OK, This Is Not Good! I knew once they put your name on, you will be kidnapped.  'I need get out here' I thought. So I set on phone alarm, and pretend pickup an emergency phone call.  I was fake call outside the shop, my friend still inside. When I finished the call went inside to 'save' him out, and I saw he is paying.......I think about several hundreds L.E.
We finally got out there, and it all happened very fast. I still didn't believe what just happened. How we get in there and why? How we end up pay money? And when you got time to think about it, it's kind stupid. But I think we can all lost in few minutes sometime, and also many people don't used to refuse others, especially to those  overwhelming enthusiasm. We  arrived at the museum( not through underground) before one o'clock, it's opened.

To those Badaxx: We had an employee years ago, he is in charge of weighting goods. And he always use a magnet to reduce the weight and report actual weight  so that he could eat benefits between the difference. But he didn't notice that sellers know what he up to, and he also didn't notice that sellers adulterate the quality. He was enjoying his little trick, so did the seller! He thought the sellers are stupid, and so they thought about him! In the end, we bought lots of junkies, and he lost a five-year-wage accumulated job.
So you gaining while you losing, and think well What you are gaining and What you are losing!! Keep eating the seed for planting this country will just getting "better and better"! One thing I can tell is the museum has much less people than 4 years ago.

To Expat: true, you can't trust any stranger in any country, but here you even need to pay attention about ask direction on street. After all, that's what we want at first place. And end up in the gift shop...
Protect yourself well, sometime friendly and  politely can set you in trouble here, they sure will use them as your weaknesses. If you are a  rich and uncovered meat, flies wouldn't bother fly miles to bite you! And they are everywhere! Especially in downtown!


Later afternoon in Downtown, people on street:" hello friend! Welcome to Cairo! Would you like to visit my perfume shop?"
"no thanks, we had enough shopping today" and we all laughed.

And NO MONEY, turned out to be YES MONEY, and LOTs.