On understanding Egyptian culture; is it possible for an expat?

When we first came to Egypt, I concentrated on learning more about the Arab and Egyptian culture in general. I read books on the history of Egypt, the origin of Islam, literature by Egyptian authors, travel books, and current texts on the religious, political and cultural development in the region. Over the past month, my interest has deepened and I’m trying not only to collect knowledge about the culture but to understand it on a more personal level and even adapt where applicable. There’s only so much you can learn from books though, and when I compare our integration into the Egyptian society with our former life in Belgium, it's a poor match .

Courtney & I probably know the Belgian culture better than any other. It’s not only because we lived there for so long, but because we - all on our own - had to figure out everything from how to file taxes and get our car re-registered every year, to arrange play dates for our children and attend PTA meetings. At times, life was quite difficult; filing taxes in Belgium is difficult, and setting up accounts and maintaining them with a handful of companies – water, gas, and electricity – is a challenge, as is the administrative system in general. The other day though, Courtney & I agreed that if not entirely, it’s to a large extent courtesy of all our hardships in Belgium that we came to understand and appreciate the culture so entirely.

We don’t have to deal with any of the practical responsibilities here in Egypt – everything from residency to rent and services is taken care of by the university. It is really, really nice not having to deal with all that anymore; no bills to pay and no time-consuming, frustrating interactions with the authorities. Still I wonder, are we missing out on something that would help us understand and appreciate the Egyptian culture?

Is our convenience here in Egypt inescapably accompanied by ignorance?