Insha'Allah

There is a saying used quite frequently here in Egypt, 'Insh'Allah'.  It means 'If God wills it.'  Even we as Christians recognize that it is important to recognize God's will in all things.  It seems, however, that frequent usage here has taken some of the religious meaning out of the phrase.  Everyone from the sales clerk to the driver to the waiter includes 'Insh'Allah' in nearly every statement.

Our friends who have lived here longer than we have tend to take this 'Insh'Allah' phrase rather cynically.  To them it seems that Egyptians are using it as a placeholder for personal responsibility.  And to be fair, Cairo is rife with examples of this usage:

Will the building I am building ever be finished (even though it has sat for over a month with no work whatsoever being done on it and multiple families have moved in already as squatters)?  Insh'Allah.

Will the shack that I live in ever have real walls?  Insh'Allah, and in the meantime I will decorate my shack for the holidays.

Will I receive a parking ticket?  Insh'Allah I will not, even though the sign says 'No Parking' in at least two languages.

Will the trash be collected?  Insh'Allah, and in the meantime we can all agree the sidewalk is the best place for it.

I am constantly reminding myself to 'look not to criticize but to learn and appreciate'.  There is room at times for productive criticism, but that is not my job here.  So I am trying to learn from and appreciate this culture that is wildly different from my own. 

The unfinished building from above does never seem to make progress.  However, it is providing a home for many people who may not have any other.  The owners of the building show no displeasure at the multiple squatters and even allow them to run electrical wires and use the water supply.  

Egyptians are extremely generous to each other and to their foreign guests.  More than once we have overheard a driver and a tour guide or guard arguing about who is to have the tip we have given to one or the other (even though they know we will tip the second person shortly!)  And we are constantly being given small gifts even though it is abundantly clear that we have no need of anything essential.

The shack in our neighborhood does seem to be made entirely of trash, and money is being spent on decorations rather than walls.  But the young boys who live there and play in the street outside are happy, healthy, and friendly- and they never ask for money.  Even the four year old knows how to say 'Hi' in English and wants to shake my hand when I walk past. (I would post a picture, but it is bad luck to take pictures of children here.)

If Egyptians are rather too hopeful in matters relating to parking violations, they are more than tolerant of double or triple parking, donkeys, motorcycles, camels, and people in their way as well.  No one seems to complain when they can't get through a street (as seen below) and they wait in good humor for whatever business needs to be completed.

As to the problem of trash, well, all I can say is 'Insh'Allah' someday the Egyptians will hear about trash trucks and street sweepers!