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Al-Zaieem
answers all your questions about Egypt. Ask him your question here.
Salaam, ya El Zaieem.
I am a hawaga from US, married to a Masreya from Masr. I have always considered
Masr to be my country as well as hers, because it is the cradle of all
civilization. However, I have never been able to deal with baksheesh in the
government offices and usual Egyptian bureaucracy. Is this the permanent
condition of Egypt? Is it going to get any better?
Or is it going to get worse?
Don't get me wrong, I still love Egypt, and given absence of this little anomaly
I would gladly spend my days living in Masr!
Hate to break it to you my friend, but the bureaucracy and corruption you speak
of is not so much a "little anomaly" as it is a full-blown societal
epidemic. Anyone who has ever had to deal with the Egyptian government can tell
a familiar tale of half-awake civil servants, needlessly complicated procedures
and fairly routine errands taking 10 times longer and involving 10 times more
people than is necessary. Sadly this phenomenon is fairly common in the private
sector as well.
Some blame Egypt's bloated civil service ranks on the socialist "jobs
for all" economic system put in place after the 1952 revolution. But Al-Zaieem
has read books speculating that it dates back to the days of the Pharaohs—when
an army of scribes, administrators and bookkeepers was required to handle the
logistics of building the Pyramids. Either way, it's not going anywhere any time
soon. Ditto for the corruption. From the massive sweetheart deals and no
interest loans that take place among the rich and powerful to the simple desk
clerk who couldn't feed his family without accepting bribes, corruption is an
inescapable part of the Egyptian system.
Al-Zaieem's advice to you is to decide just how badly you want to live here.
Egypt is a lovely, magical place but if you're that hung up on efficiency and
transparency, try Belgium or something.
What is Egypts landmarks?
Err…Egypt's landmarks is big and dusty and verrry old! Seriously, who
gives these people computer terminals?!
Zaieem,
I want to know all about the greatest singer and actor Abdel Halim Hafez. I want to know when he was born and what went on in his life and how he died.
A brief biography: Abdel Halim Hafez was born on June 21,1929 in the village of
Halawat in Sharqia governorate. He was orphaned at a young age, and raised to
adulthood by an uncle and aunt. Hafez graduated from the Academy of Arabic Music
in 1948. In time, he became one of the most beloved singers of his generation,
not to mention acting and singing in a total of 16 movies. Sadly, Hafez died
young—succumbing to complications from bilharzia (a water-borne parasite) on
March 30, 1977.
For more information on his life and career, plus pictures and song clips,
try these websites:
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/7218
http://www.mazika.com/halim/
http://egyptiancastle.com/music/Halim/halim01.htm
Editor's note:
If you really want to learn about Abdel-Halim Hafez, Ayamna Al-Helwa, by
Adel Hassanein, is the best place to start. With 200 pages, packed with vintage
photos, song lyrics, press clippings, musical scores, interviews and critical
analysis, the book is a veritable encyclopedia on Abdel-Halim. Hassanein is the
author of dozens of seminal works on Arabic musical literary heritage. Ayamna Al-Helwa
is one of his classics.
For more information on how to pick up a limited edition copy of Ayamna Al-Helwa: The story of Abdel-Halim Hafez, click here...
Did you like this article? Send your comments to comments@cairolive.com
Al-Zaieem
answers all your questions about Egypt. Ask him your question here.
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