All over the world, tourists are mostly welcomed by citizens of the host nation and when it is during a competition like AFCON 2019, they are always readily available to help out in simple tasks of navigation with their own form of kisses.
Egypt, being an Arab nation is not like the regular cosmopolitan countries you see everyday. There is a consciousness among everyone, especially their ladies regarding the opposite sex. Some of us call it restraint while to them, it is discipline.
Back in Morocco in January 2018, I experienced something similar but not really as extreme as being witnessed in Egypt. Moroccan ladies are beautiful, not always in hijabs and do really interact with the opposite sex in the public, but same cannot be said here.
My Moroccan experience was further blown up in Russia, a carefree European country where smoking and deep kissing in the public – inside trains and buses alike – reigned supreme. Well, I also enjoyed my share of an unexpected “holy kiss” in Volgograd as narrated in my diary then. (Read: Russian peck, better than Nigerian kiss.)
In Egypt however, there is a slogan by their ladies. Whenever they see a young man approaching, ostensibly to take pictures or shake hands with them, you hear; “Don’t touch!” You’re free to take pictures with them, but it is in the most spiritual manner.
This pretty lady in the picture above is perhaps the best I have got in terms of interaction with the opposite sex. She is a Volunteer with the AFCON Local Organising Committee (LOC) and was the announcer inside the bus, on our way to the Giza Pyramids.
At a point, she said; ask me anything and I will do for you. Guys change am for her! “Did you mean anything?” They asked. “Yeah, anything.” She initially replied, to her, she thought it’d be Water or instructions ?. But when guys repeatedly chorused the question: “Anything?” That was then she “soji” and replied with some warm, further charming smiles.
Well, I capitalised on that to get closer and had some interactions with her inside the very humid Pyramids. Her name is Marai, slim, decent height lovely with a lovely set of teeth.
I looked closely at her modest and finely lined tattoo and concluded that, “dis one na soji Arab”. I saw one at last. Before I asked if she’d be willing to follow me to Nigeria, one of her colleagues had whisked her away. Poor me.
Thursday was a day after the win over South Africa and it was indoor things almost all through for me until four of us went to see the Madagascar vs Tunisia game at the Al Salam Stadium. There, we bowed further in admiration of the Egyptian infrastructure with questions like “God, when, for Nigeria”, running on our lips.
Friday was for the Eagles training and it ended with an interesting gist about Egyptian Nite club. I will tell you that on Saturday’s diary. I received a protest from one of my diary followers on Friday that they prefer I do a daily own and not every two days, so I will have to readjust.
Thanks for the feedback Mr Deji Gbenro, more feedback will be appreciated as well.
Cheers to a great weekend.
ALOHA
I wanted to protest too, but I thought of your busy schedule and I called off the protest.
Saw the video of your unexpected Russian peck then ???
Well done Sir.