When I arrived in Egypt in our hotel, I immediately asked for Internet connection. The guy at the reception looked a little surprised and wanted to send me to the internet café in the hotel.
I told him I don't want an Internet café but only a WIFI connection as I have my own computer. He looked again at me as if I suddenly had transformed myself into a little female ET and stammered that I still have to go there to buy a card.
I arrived at the Internet Café which was a bar with 4 computers and freezing cold. Arrived a guy who asked me what I wanted to drink. I said I don't want to drink I want a connection to Internet. He too looked at me with 3 question marks in his eyes and explained that for that he has to call the "chef", but anyway what kind of card would I need and if I could play games.
I said I am not interested in playing games I have to work. Work ??? he said as if this word had been just created. There were cards for 1 h at 5 € to be used in one shot which I found very expensive, and one week at 50 € which I could use whenever I wanted. I choose the 1 week card. His eyeballs almost popped out and he said : what ??? "400 (Egyptian) pounds ??? do you have such a lot of money ??" For once in my life I felt like Rockefellers daughter.
He said "I call the chef, just a minute". He disappeared and I waited. After 10 min I went outside because I felt deepfreezed. The airconditionner was working too much. Another 15 min and he came back with another guy. I explained my problem again, showed him my little notebook and wanted the card.
Ah, he said, for that I have to call the chef. Another one probably because he was chef too. Now we were two chefs, one normal person and I. The three disappeared asking me to wait for a moment. I inspected the the computers, could have easily gotten drunk with all the Whisky and Wodka bottles standing at the bar, but nothing happened. Another 15 min went by and then came the chef's chef's chef and asked me what I wanted. I explained for the 3rd time what I wanted. You have to be patient and friendly nobody knows what the words "quick or hurry up" means. Time is no money here.
Ok he said, switched on a computer and under the watchful eyes of the two chefs and the bar boy, he wrote down on a little carton which he had torn out from a chips box (not computer chips but eatable once) handed it to me and then all three of them watched me what I would do now.
I typed the userword and password which the chef of the chef of the chef had given me and was logged in ! They were startled ! I am now the Computer queen and like a bushfire the news that a woman (and not the youngest one) could handle a computer went through the whole hotel ! Ha ! I am watched now like a very special creature in a zoo !
