# Burglary attempt



## hyper_janice (Jan 13, 2012)

I was in the back of my apartment chilling and heard a loud noise. Sure enough someone had pushed the screen door in and was standing there looking at me. I started yelling and cussing and he jumped off my balcony onto the building-in-progress next door. I see him running down the road the whole while I'm yelling.

Husband came and took measurements for a metal grate. I hope it's installed soon. My house gets awful hot when the sheesh is closed.

Sure seems like a lot of crap is going on lately. Maybe the hot weather has baked people's brains. Maybe it's cuz Ramadan is coming soon and people need a little extra money, but what the hell! I sure do find it hard to correlate the religious attitudes and the thievery that goes on.


----------



## expatagogo (May 31, 2010)

hyper_janice said:


> I was in the back of my apartment chilling and heard a loud noise. Sure enough someone had pushed the screen door in and was standing there looking at me. I started yelling and cussing and he jumped off my balcony onto the building-in-progress next door. I see him running down the road the whole while I'm yelling.
> 
> Husband came and took measurements for a metal grate. I hope it's installed soon. My house gets awful hot when the sheesh is closed.


I'm so sorry this happened!

You can be assured he left the same way he came in. I have two balconies that are accessible by flinging a leg over from a building under construction next door, so I keep them locked up tight. Please, for your own safety, do the same - if you haven't already.



hyper_janice said:


> Sure seems like a lot of crap is going on lately. Maybe the hot weather has baked people's brains. Maybe it's cuz Ramadan is coming soon and people need a little extra money, but what the hell! I sure do find it hard to correlate the religious attitudes and the thievery that goes on.


I struggled with this, too, and I've come to the conclusion what I'd been doing was applying my own western, what you see is what you get, naivete onto what is really outward cultural symbols of identity, not religion.


----------



## Lanason (Sep 1, 2009)

All our downstairs windows and doors have grills...... not that anyone can get past our secuirty guard - he tells me if i forget to lock the car door


----------



## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Sadly burglary is becoming more common.. but it is not unique to Egypt.


----------



## Whitedesert (Oct 9, 2011)

expatagogo said:


> I'm so sorry this happened!
> 
> You can be assured he left the same way he came in. I have two balconies that are accessible by flinging a leg over from a building under construction next door, so I keep them locked up tight. Please, for your own safety, do the same - if you haven't already.
> 
> ...


 Janice, "what you see is what you get", are you serious? I have not lived in the US, but in the West generally speaking nothing is ever what it seems to be, EVER. There are thieves everywhere in the world, in every country, in every culture and that has been the case for millions of years. What do you want from the Egyptians? A declaration that because they are Muslims or Coptic Christians they wont rob you? Many of them will of cause not do that, but many will, especially the desperate ones. I dont think you should have a set of moral rules for the US, and a different set of rules for Egypt.


----------



## hyper_janice (Jan 13, 2012)

*BS*

Where I lived in the USA, I left my door unlocked. No one ever held a knife to my throat, tried to enter my house uninvited, grabbed my ass while I walked down the street or put on a peker show in front of my house. 

As I have lived here for 4 years now, I know I'm not there. I take precautions (so many so I feel stifled). I no longer go for walks, I don't open my door to feed anyone that says they are hungry, I have a 23 inch knife that sits in my bedroom so I can grab it quickly, I keep my camera ready to take pictures so I can get a pic of someone doing something nasty, I keep wire ties in my purse in case my husband's X shows up and I have to restrain her, I have gotten a restraining order also for her, I have even contemplated carrying a retractile cane (sharp point one end, heavy on the other) so I could go for walks.

What do I want from Egyptians? STOP ACTING LIKE ANIMALS! Don't give me that **** that they are desperate or it's part of their culture. I have been hungry when I was young and refused to succumb to the temptation of thievery. The thieves I have seen are young men and obviously not hungry. This means their parents have coddled them and not taught them honor, decency, morals, or ethics. 

There is an attitude of the young here that says give me, not help me learn so I can take care of myself. Granted, it is not all of the young but this is prevalent attitude of the young here. Take, take, take and don't expect anything from me! This is a bad attitude, not a cultural symbol. I don't think "Are these Muslims or are these Copts" while these people are stealing and acting like they are beyond reproach. But later I do see the mosques full, the women wearing veils to proclaim their love for God. Don't these young men's mothers see money come into the house or spent and wonder and ask where it came from? In many cultures the women and men are the consciences for each other to help both keep honest.


----------



## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Whitedesert said:


> Janice, "what you see is what you get", are you serious? I have not lived in the US, but in the West generally speaking nothing is ever what it seems to be, EVER. There are thieves everywhere in the world, in every country, in every culture and that has been the case for millions of years. What do you want from the Egyptians? A declaration that because they are Muslims or Coptic Christians they wont rob you? Many of them will of cause not do that, but many will, especially the desperate ones. I dont think you should have a set of moral rules for the US, and a different set of rules for Egypt.




I think it is the pious act that annoys many..


----------



## Whitedesert (Oct 9, 2011)

MaidenScotland said:


> I think it is the pious act that annoys many..


 More than anything else I am saying, when you are in Rome...if not you just make your own life miserable. So they are pious, I agree, we are pious in other ways. In terms of what Janice say she does now? - that can not be good or sustained. If it is that bad, it is time to pull the suitcases closer.


----------



## Eco-Mariner (Jan 26, 2011)

I was robbed just outside of Rome. It turned my whole life upside down and changed the course of my actions towards others. 

What are you suggesting? That when in Rome go round robbing locals for spite?


----------



## Whitedesert (Oct 9, 2011)

Eco-Mariner said:


> I was robbed just outside of Rome. It turned my whole life upside down and changed the course of my actions towards others.
> 
> What are you suggesting? That when in Rome go round robbing locals for spite?


 I am suggesting you read this first. 

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do means that when you are visiting a new place, you should try to do as the people do who are from the place. 
Example: "I can't eat that." Reply: "Oh, give it a try. When in Rome, do as the Romans do." 

People from different places have different ways of acting, so it is important to try to do things the way people do who are from the place that you are visiting. 
Example: "Are you sure we can eat this with our hands?" Reply: "Why not? All of these people are. When in Rome, do as the Romans do." In practice this means adapting, and adapting is not helpful if you compare everything with "back home".:ranger:


----------



## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Whitedesert said:


> I am suggesting you read this first.
> 
> "When in Rome, do as the Romans do means that when you are visiting a new place, you should try to do as the people do who are from the place.
> Example: "I can't eat that." Reply: "Oh, give it a try. When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
> ...





One of the first things said to me and I know also to others when they arrive is.. dont trust him but you can trust me...... why?


----------



## Whitedesert (Oct 9, 2011)

MaidenScotland said:


> One of the first things said to me and I know also to others when they arrive is.. dont trust him but you can trust me...... why?


 That in itself is not unique to Egypt, applies to most Arab speaking countries. The thing about it is, that after a while, when you have been here a while you discover that those you can trust, you can trust absolutely, rare in the West. I know I can trust my driver absolutely, there are many others I cannot trust. One thing I can tell you, as westerners we can pull being dishonest off at a much higher level than most Egyptians, because generally we have grown up much more aloof in our version of the nuclear family, whereas the locals are still babies at it. They grow up in co-dependant families, so quite frankly they still need to learn a lot about bulls*itting, something most of us have down to a fine art.


----------



## hyper_janice (Jan 13, 2012)

Eco-Mariner said:


> I was robbed just outside of Rome. It turned my whole life upside down and changed the course of my actions towards others.
> 
> What are you suggesting? That when in Rome go round robbing locals for spite?


Exactly what I thought!


----------



## hyper_janice (Jan 13, 2012)

Whitedesert said:


> More than anything else I am saying, when you are in Rome...if not you just make your own life miserable. So they are pious, I agree, we are pious in other ways. In terms of what Janice say she does now? - that can not be good or sustained. If it is that bad, it is time to pull the suitcases closer.


My dear, I eat with my hands, I accept the temperament differences (actually I have these extremes at times also), I visit my husband's relatives. 

I was married to 2 other husbands (USA) who treated me like ****, sat on their asses while I worked, beat me, played around with other women ......... so now you're telling me it's not sustainable to live with a man that treats me well (yes, he's not perfect but what a honey bunny!) to go back to the States to find another homar just to divorce them at the age of 55? My dear, although I live in the land of hell, I have refuge in a sweet sweet man! That is something priceless, worthy of endurance of all the jackassses in the world (which by the way, I have met quite a few!). Humdulah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Lanason (Sep 1, 2009)

hyper_janice said:


> My dear, I eat with my hands, I accept the temperament differences (actually I have these extremes at times also), I visit my husband's relatives.
> 
> I was married to 2 other husbands (USA) who treated me like ****, sat on their asses while I worked, beat me, played around with other women ......... so now you're telling me it's not sustainable to live with a man that treats me well (yes, he's not perfect but what a honey bunny!) to go back to the States to find another homar just to divorce them at the age of 55? My dear, although I live in the land of hell, I have refuge in a sweet sweet man! That is something priceless, worthy of endurance of all the jackassses in the world (which by the way, I have met quite a few!). Humdulah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I really admire your perseverance - sounds like you have had a tough time both in the States and here. Make the best of what you have.


----------



## expatagogo (May 31, 2010)

Whitedesert said:


> Janice,


I said that, not Janice. If you're going to use the quote feature to take a swipe at someone, the least you can do is swipe at the right person.




Whitedesert said:


> "what you see is what you get", are you serious? I have not lived in the US, but in the West generally speaking nothing is ever what it seems to be, EVER.


Translation: Let me start off by saying I have no idea what I'm talking about, but I'm going to talk about it as if I know what I'm talking about, just so I can talk about it.

From an informed discussion point of view, that's a losing strategy, don't you think?

But really, do go on. I'm sure you watch television and movies, so you know exactly what our lives are like in the US. Tell us all about how we (Americans) are and what our lives are like, etc., because talking for the sake of talking, even if one admits they have no idea what they're talking about so they have no choice but to resort to sweeping generalizations, does have entertainment value. You type, I'll giggle. 



Whitedesert said:


> There are thieves everywhere in the world, in every country, in every culture and that has been the case for millions of years. What do you want from the Egyptians? A declaration that because they are Muslims or Coptic Christians they wont rob you? Many of them will of cause not do that, but many will, especially the desperate ones. I dont think you should have a set of moral rules for the US, and a different set of rules for Egypt.


Project much? You certainly must because I've never said any of that.

Oh yeah, I forgot. You're talking for the sake of talking.

Carry on.


----------



## expatagogo (May 31, 2010)

Whitedesert said:


> quite frankly they still need to learn a lot about bulls*itting, something most of us have down to a fine art.


Please, don't include me in the "us" grouping as that's not part of my moral compass.


----------



## Whitedesert (Oct 9, 2011)

expatagogo said:


> I said that, not Janice. If you're going to use the quote feature to take a swipe at someone, the least you can do is swipe at the right person.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 or the translation could be: I don't really know how to handle another persons subjective or objective point of view, so I get angry, and then nasty...shame, it must be hell to live like that.


----------



## expatagogo (May 31, 2010)

Whitedesert said:


> or the translation could be: I don't really know how to handle another persons subjective or objective point of view, so I get angry, and then nasty...shame, it must be hell to live like that.


Nope, just calling it like I see it.

Let me explain something, because you've never been to the US so you wouldn't know.

Legend has it that when George Washington, the first President of the US, was a child, he cut down a cherry tree in his father's yard. When his father saw the tree had been cut down, he asked the young George if he did it. George (allegedly) answered, "I cannot tell a lie..." and confessed to his deed.

In the US, from a young age, that story is pounded into our heads to enforce honestly as a value. As a result, Americans are pretty generally trusting souls, and we'll give anyone a chance until they prove we should do otherwise.

Just food for thought.


----------



## Whitedesert (Oct 9, 2011)

expatagogo said:


> Nope, just calling it like I see it.
> 
> Let me explain something, because you've never been to the US so you wouldn't know.
> 
> ...


 wrong on all accounts. Been to the USA several times, the last time being last year to visit family in Atlanta, yah, can you believe that I have family in the US, Atlanta and Chicago...you make way to many assumptions, and in the process make a real fool of yourself.


----------



## Whitedesert (Oct 9, 2011)

hyper_janice said:


> My dear, I eat with my hands, I accept the temperament differences (actually I have these extremes at times also), I visit my husband's relatives.
> 
> I was married to 2 other husbands (USA) who treated me like ****, sat on their asses while I worked, beat me, played around with other women ......... so now you're telling me it's not sustainable to live with a man that treats me well (yes, he's not perfect but what a honey bunny!) to go back to the States to find another homar just to divorce them at the age of 55? My dear, although I live in the land of hell, I have refuge in a sweet sweet man! That is something priceless, worthy of endurance of all the jackassses in the world (which by the way, I have met quite a few!). Humdulah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


 Janice, just like me you are in the twilight of your years. The US was not the bad party, the previous experiences were, it is people who hurt you. Now in Cairo you say you have a good hubby, great! hold onto that. Start there, but you must become o/k with where you are, or eventually this will infiltrate your relationship with your husband like slow poison. You and your husband deserve to be happy. today, not tomorrow. Find a way to make the place work, or find alternatives. Your happiness depends on it. It is not places that kills our joy, it is people, and sometimes that includes ourselves. Good luck and God bless Janice. Remember, you have the right to be happy.


----------



## hyper_janice (Jan 13, 2012)

Whitedesert said:


> That in itself is not unique to Egypt, applies to most Arab speaking countries. The thing about it is, that after a while, when you have been here a while you discover that those you can trust, you can trust absolutely, rare in the West. I know I can trust my driver absolutely, there are many others I cannot trust. One thing I can tell you, as westerners we can pull being dishonest off at a much higher level than most Egyptians, because generally we have grown up much more aloof in our version of the nuclear family, whereas the locals are still babies at it. They grow up in co-dependant families, so quite frankly they still need to learn a lot about bulls*itting, something most of us have down to a fine art.


You said "as westerners we" does that mean you are a westerner? Your profile says you're from south Africa, did you live in the "west"?

You said "we can pull being dishonest off at a much higher level" does that mean you are dishonest? If you say no then why would you say we can, how would you know you can?

Supposing you were from the "West", you said "We have grown up much more aloof in our version of the nuclear family" does that mean your family is aloof? Just in the USA (I'm presuming you consider that part of the "West" there are many cultures and the "nuclear families" in each of these cultures differ. To make such a all-inclusive statement is a bit uninformed. 

You said the Egyptians are "babies" at being dishonest, and from the looks of things I have seen, babies do not have compulsive disorders that make them lie incessantly to the point their minds have no other options than to lie.

You said they grew up in "codependent families", what family is not codependent? 

You said they still need to learn a lot about bull*****ing, but I don't believe anyone should learn this nasty trait. And you said "most of US have it down to a fine art". Why in heaven's name would you want to associate yourself with the loosing "art" of BS'ing? 

Now I am wondering with all these confessions of pride in your attitude of BS'ing, why would any of us want to associate with you, let alone even read what you've got to say. :confused2:

By the way, if you're going to pretend you are who you are not, be more careful with your wording. For someone in your twilight years (which by the way 55 is not, as my grandmother is 102), as a BS'er you appear to be a bit unwise for your age.


----------



## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

This is going no where other so, time to say Closed


----------

