As Americans, if we tell someone we'll be there at a certain time, it's expected that we'll be there. However in Egypt, time is not as strict as it is in the west. When Mona and I were going to Nasr City, I asked her "How much longer?" and she would say "5 more minutes." 20 minutes later I would ask her again and she would say, "Oh, just 5 more minutes." Needless to say, it was much longer than just "5 minutes." Bus drivers, taxi drivers, waiters, will say the same thing. If you're meeting someone, they will tell you "I'm almost there!" even if they're an hour away. Egyptians run on their own "Egyptian time," which basically means they are never on time, so Mom, if you're reading this, Egypt is the place for you.
Ok I'm headed out. Be back in "5 minutes."
