Southeast Asians may be Muslims, but the month of Ramadan only highlights the differences between their culture and Egyptian Islam. Gamal Nkrumah tries some satay with his Iftar Lush Southeast Asia has long been acted as a magnet for outside cultural influences -- Indian, Chinese, Arab and European -- and the hybrid nature of the culture is reflected in many facets of life, including language, national dress and eating habits. Indian and Chinese influences feature prominently in Southeast Asian cooking, which can be something of an acquired taste, especially where an Egyptian audience is concerned. Fiery spices and coconut milk are the key ingredients of many of their dishes. The abundance of tropical fruit and fish also give the region's food its particular flavour. Most Egyptians are fond of seafood, and often eat fish in traditionally proscribed recipes. But few Egyptians would want to break their fast with fish in Ramadan, let alone seek to quell their hunger with a hot Southeast Asian seafood dish. Yet among the Southeast Asian students enrolled at Cairo's Al-Azhar University, such Malay specialties as sour tamarind fish curry and nasi lemak, or rice cooked in coconut milk and served with anchovies, squid, eggs, pineapple and cucumber, figure high on the list of Ramadan delicacies. Where Egyptians prefer fuul (beans) for breakfast, Malaysians would rather have satay -- a skewered meat kebab dipped in a spicy peanut sauce as their ideal breakfast dish. Badah Berondam, a coconut concoction, is a favourite Ramadan dessert among Malaysian students in Cairo. While the main plat de résistance might be curried prawns, or prawn sambal, a tasty dish that is quickly prepared and the ingredients for which are not too difficult to find in Egypt. There are about 4,000 Malaysian and 6,000 Indonesian students in Egypt, the vast majority at Al-Azhar University. Most chose to study in Egypt to polish up their Arabic language skills while they pursue religious studies. They are here to study Shariaa (Islamic law) and fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) as well as the Arabic language. They are drawn to Cairo, despite the immense distance from their native region, because of Al-Azhar's outstanding international reputation. For these students, it is an honour to study the Qur'an and the traditions of the Prophet at the oldest university in the world. Like the five minarets of Al-Azhar, which compose a palimpsest of different architectural styles, the many cultural differences between the Southeast Asian countries are reflected in the variegated student communities here in Egypt. Indonesian students, in particular, hailing from Java, Aceh and the Muluccas, tend to mirror the rich ethnic and linguistic diversity of the sprawling island-nation. Yet, whatever cultural differences may exist among the Southeast Asian student communities in Egypt pale into insignificance before the enormous cultural distinctions between Egyptians on the one hand and their Asian guests on the other. Culture always matters -- and can often distance people, as much as it can draw them together. "We Asians are more introvert and reserved than Egyptians," Afif Pasuni, chairman of the Singapore Student Association in Egypt, told Al-Ahram Weekly. "Egyptians tend to be very outgoing. At first it was very intimidating for us!" Pasuni is well aware that the job prospects of Singaporeans who opt to study in Europe, the United States, Canada or Australia are much better than those who come to study in Egypt. "My decision to come study at Al-Azhar was guided essentially by spiritual reasons," he explains. "I was not thinking in terms of having a better chance of finding a well-paid job." There are about 100 Singaporean students in Egypt, roughly half of whom are women. The community has its own Student Club House in Madinet Nasr, which organises lectures, films, and tutorial classes for new students, as well as different kinds of debates and meetings. "We invite speakers, as we want to become better acquainted with Egypt and Arab culture," Pasuni insists. Though Islam is a common bond, even here there are differences of practice and attitude. "For us in Southeast Asia, Eid Al-Fitr is a far more important celebration than Eid Al- Adha," Pasuni told the Weekly. "In Egypt it is the other way round. Eid Al-Adha is Al-Eid Al-Kebir (the Big Feast), while Eid Al-Fitr is Al-Eid Al-Soghayar (the Little Feast)." Sometimes the unfamiliar can hold a special attraction. Like most Southeast Asian students in Egypt, Pasuni enjoys the seasonal changes. He comes from an equatorial region, where there are hardly any variations in weather patterns throughout the year. "I enjoy winter very much in Egypt. Before I go back to Singapore I want to visit all the ancient monuments in the south of the country, in Luxor and Aswan." The language barrier is the most intractable problem that confronts students who come from so far away to study at institutions of higher learning such as Al-Azhar. "We want to speak in classical Arabic, in the language of the Qur'an," Malaysian student Mohamed Shahid Bin Mohamed Nuh told the Weekly. "That is why we came to study in an Arab country." But the result is often disappointment. "We find that Egyptians do not like to speak in classical Arabic, they think that it is some kind of joke," Siti Zawiya bint Abdul- Hamid, another Malaysian student, said. Siti Zawiya, who has been studying for the past five years at Al-Azhar's Mansoura Campus, says that she would like to have more Egyptian friends, but added that it was not always easy to make friends as a foreigner. "Sometimes we feel that Egyptian students at Al-Azhar are not very interested in Asia or Asians," Pasuni agrees. "Perhaps had we been European or American, they would have been more eager to befriend us, even though we are culturally closer to them. We are Muslims, after all." According to Pasuni, most Southeast Asian students find their friends among students from other Asian nations, or from the African states. Relative wealth is also a fault line between those studying abroad. Singapore enjoys a standard of living comparable to the richest of Western nations. Malaysia is quite wealthy compared to most developing countries of the South, while Indonesia, on the other hand, is a more typical developing nation, with a sizeable segment of its population living below the poverty line. As a result, Malaysian students in Egypt can survive comfortably on the scholarships provided by the Malaysian government in the form of a loan. Most of them, however, augment their income with pocket money sent by their parents back home. While most Malaysian students at Al-Azhar are on government scholarships, most Indonesian students receive no financial assistance from their government. Instead, it is the parents that pay for their children's education. Most of the people we spoke to find Egypt a relatively inexpensive country to live in. However, they are quick to point out that electronic and high-tech equipment is far cheaper and better quality back home. The essentials of their new life, however -- food, accommodation and books -- are cheap and readily available here. Books in the Arabic language are especially sought after, as they are difficult to get hold of in their native lands. Apart from the differences in culinary tradition and food preferences, Ramadan religious rites are practically the same in Southeast Asia and Egypt. In the Sunni tradition, Asians take a date or two before the actual meal, but no stewed dry fruit: Instead, this first taste is followed by a spicy soup, and an even spicier meal. Despite the difficulties they may experience in trying to integrate into Egyptian life, many of these students from faraway find much to enjoy and admire in their adopted land. "I much prefer Ramadan in Egypt to Ramadan in Malaysia," Mohamed Nur Aziri Bin Adam told the Weekly. "In Malaysia, Ramadan is a strictly religious affair, through which Muslims seek spiritual regeneration. But in Egypt, it is a festive occasion: people celebrate the month with feasting and entertainment. It's much more fun than it is back home!"
