Egypt Interview (Week 2)

Q:  Hi Mrs. Bascharon.  Thanks so much for agreeing to do this Egypt interview.  I’m sure our readers will be fascinated to learn about your home country Egypt.  First of all, can you tell me what city or town you grew up in?  Approximately when did you live in Egypt and what was your life like then?  Did you have a large family?  Tell me a bit about them.  And finally, what is your favorite Egyptian food?

Hoda Bascharon, my best friend’s mom!

A:  I was born in a small town called Suez and then grew up in a town Ismaliah.  These are medium sized cities near the Suez Canal.  It was very European because of the British and French influence.  I lived in Egypt since I was born until I finished college and got married, approximately 25 years.  My life was great.  I had wonderful family and friends and because my town was very European it was very clean and modern.  I have 3 siblings, 1 sister and 2 brothers, all older than me.  My oldest sister stayed in Egypt the longest, one of my brothers immigrated to Australia and my other brother and I immigrated to the United States.  My favorite Egyptian food is stuffed grape leaves and my favorite dessert is baklava!

Baklava – Mrs. Bascharon’s Favorite Dessert
Photo: courtesy of Wikimedia

Q:  Could you describe your country’s flag?  Tell me a bit about the colors and design and why they were chosen?  

Red is Egyptian hardness and bravery at war.  Black is determination.  White is peace and honesty.  The shield over a golden eagle facing the right above a scroll stands for Egypt in Arabic. (t.answers.com)

Q:  What language(s) are spoken in Egypt?  Can you tell us the words for “Hello, how are you?” in that language?  

A:  Arabic (the Egyptian dialect) is spoken.  Hello in Arabic can be said several ways depending on one’s religious upbringing.  Christians will say, “Hello or Hi,” or “Salaam” which means peace.  Muslims will greet others by saying “Salaam Allekuhm.”

Q:  What are some of your favorite places to visit in Egypt?  And where do you recommend our readers visit if they were to win a dream vacation to Egypt?

A:  The pyramids in Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo, all the historical sites along the Nile River and Sharm el Sheikh which is a beautiful beach town.  I recommend that your readers visit all these places and Alexandria.

Giza Pyramids
Photo by: Ricardo Liberato, courtesy of Wikimedia

Thanks so much for answering these Egypt interview questions Mrs. Bascharon!  It has been very interesting to find out a bit about what your life was like in Egypt.  If you have any questions for Mrs. Bascharon please leave them in the comment section.