Travel: From Cairo, with a smile

Marketplace - the Middle East @ Work

The thing I'll remember most about my trip to Egypt is definitely the people. Egyptians are perhaps the warmest, friendliest folks I've ever met.

When you pass them in the street, they'll say, "Welcome. Have a good day." They say "have a good day" even at night or when it doesn't make sense to say it. You can't help but smile. And that's the one thing Egyptians do a lot - smile. And the kids? They are precious. They swarmed around me everywhere I went and wanted to speak English and shake my hand. What is your name? How are you? Welcome to Egypt!

There was a security guy on my hotel floor who looked like a secret service agent. The first time I passed him, I kind of gave a little nod and said hello. I wasn't sure the protocol for greeting a security officer. He responded with a big smile and a warm greeting. It's very charming. My housekeeper made a point of talking to me every day.

The hotel staff, the waiters, the shopkeepers - everyone goes out of their way to provide good service. They earn their tips for sure. It's quite a departure from much of the customer service in the US. And these people don't make much money. I kept asking myself, how can they be so pleasant when their lives are so hard?

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