Juxtapositions

I'm sitting in the Cairo Airport with about an hour to go before take-off so I thought I'd whip out the ol' laptop and see if, per chance, there was an open wireless connection... and, like so many places here, not only is there internet, but it's free! I find this amazing on both counts: absolutely nothing is free in this country; if it's possible to affix a price to something, the Egyptians have figured out how to do it (the cost is never much, mind you, but something is always expected). Moreover, the fact that there is ubiquitous internet access in a place where materials are often transported by donkey surprises me... I think what this really speaks to is the dichotomy that exists between rich and poor.

As a foreigner here, I'm outside of the class system and have few opportunities to see it in action. Every now and again though, I get a glimpse... mostly this happens at in the locker room of my gym: there are always a couple of attendants who, based on some relationship I am unable to sort out, assist certain women before and after their work out. This form of "assistance" involves just about anything... they will unpack your bag and hang up your clothes, turn on the shower for you and make sure the water is the right temperature, prepare snacks and tea for you, and so on. I have a viscerally negative response to watching this go on--partly because I am perfectly capable of getting a towel for myself, thank you; partly because of the way in which the women at my gym order around those who are serving them.

While surprising to me, I think this sort of interaction is fairly common in countries that are "developing," in which human labor is still cheap. In the same vein, I believe every single business in Cairo delivers... this includes McDonald's, the dry-cleaner, the milkman, and the corner store. Once your order arrives, either the doorman will bring it up to you, or you can lower down a bucket off the balcony and have the goods sent up that way. Incredible.