Mamas, don't let your daughters grow up to marry Egyptians

For his birthday present from the Embassy last week, Brandon got to be duty officer. The week started out mildly enough, with our Thursday date night being interrupted by somebody who thought that being an AmCit would get him out of jail for illegal drug possession.

Friday Sabbath was concluded with flurry of phone calls between the US and our apartment. Somebody had come over here to marry a local a few weeks ago, and now her sister was calling from the States to have 'them' do something about the threat of physical violence her sister was hanging under. Evidently the woman's finger was in grave danger.

This morning, after getting to bed an hour late last night, we had the unexpected pleasure of a 3:45 AM phone call from someone else's mother concerned about her daughter. The daughter had married an Egyptian and he had disappeared. What should a poor mother do? She really didn't have the money to fly her daughter back to the States, and what would happen to the children? All were pertinent questions. For somebody else. And during normal daytime working hours.

And then 45 minutes later somebody else called about their daugher/sister/female relative who was in mortal danger from... you guessed it her Egyptian boyfriend.

As a final blessing upon a most unpleasant beginning to a long day, the water has been out since we woke up and shows no sign of returning any time soon.

So, to sum up: Don't let any female friends/neighbors/nieces/granddaughters/acquaintances/co-workers/daughters ever marry/date/be friends with/hang out with/talk to any Egyptian male (or other non-American). Relationships are difficult enough between two people of the same culture without throwing in all of the attendant baggage of a different culture.

And if you or someone you love goes ahead and makes that mistake, please remember that if you so feel the need to call the U.S. Embassy and get them to Do Something (which generally consists of loaning people money to return to the States; the Marines are only here to guard the Embassy, not you) please make note of time differences. Because that poor person that you're talking to at 3 AM might have a wife. And three kids. And all will suffer because of your or your loved one's stupidity.