Even in Egypt, she finds reminders of home

Sheila Marcantel Ivory, her husband Jeff Ivory, and her children Vivian, Gabriel and Chase, recently took a visit to the Great Pyramids of Giza; the family currently resides in Cairo, Egypt.

Jamie Anfenson-Comeau

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By J. Anfenson-Comeau
jamieenews@bellsouth.net

Cairo may be almost 7,000 miles from Louisiana, but Eunice native Sheila Marcantel Ivory said she still finds little reminders of home while living in the capital of Egypt.
“I’ve made friends in Egypt who are from Erath, and some from Eunice. So we have our own little Cajun celebrations,” Ivory said.
Ivory, a 1990 graduate of Eunice High, recently visited her hometown with her family after spending a year living in Egypt.
Her husband, Jeff Ivory, a Maine native, works as a Division Manager of Human Resources for Transocean Inc., an offshore drilling company, with whom he’s currently stationed in Cairo.
This is the third overseas posting for the Ivory family, the last one having been in the small Persian Gulf nation of Qatar.
Ivory said that Egypt is a refreshing change from Qatar.
“It’s so big, it’s very interesting, very busy; the Egyptians are very, very friendly,” Ivory said.
“Tourism is their (Egypt’s) number-one industry, so they’ve had a lot of exposure to Western culture,” Ivory added. “There are Christians in Egypt, in large numbers, whereas in Qatar, everything is run by Muslim law.”
Ivory said she’s found Egypt to be a very tolerant nation, with many friendly people.
“They’re very proud, which they have a lot to be proud of. They love our new president; in fact, we were congratulated many times.”
Ivory said that when President Barack Obama spoke in Cairo last month, the reaction was ecstatic.
“It was a very, very happy time. People were on the street, just watching his speech on TV. It was very moving, and it was a very comforting experience, to be there, and have that kind of response,” Ivory said.
Ivory’s three children, Chase Cormier, Gabriel Ivory and Vivian Ivory, attend an American school in Cairo, which Ivory said works hard to immerse its students in the culture and language; eldest son Chase is fluent in Arabic, for instance.
Living in Maadi, a suburb composed mostly of foreign nationals, Ivory said it’s not necessary to speak Arabic, but it helps.
“It’s certainly not necessary to get by, but it does help,” Ivory said. “Just to be able to say greetings is nice, and people appreciate it.”
“Sometimes people want to use you to help practice their English,” Ivory said.
Shopping, Ivory said, is an all-day experience, even in a bustling metropolis like Cairo, the largest city in Africa.
“They don’t have anything like Walmart; everything is in small marketplaces,” Ivory said. “They have different markets for different things. Sometimes they’re totally out of something you need, so you just have to go without.”
“They’ve definately gotten more Western products, just in the year that I’ve been there. Tobasco sauce, that’s everywhere; they have Crystal brand hot sauce, even grits,” Ivory said.
While in Egypt, Ivory and her family have had the opportunity to visit some of the nation’s historic sites, including the Saqqara Pyramids and the Great Pyramids of Giza, the only surviving Wonder of the Ancient World.
Ivory said she’d encourage educators and others to visit Egypt.
“I would encourage teachers to look into the international teaching scene, or anybody,” Ivory said. “The first time I crossed the Atlantic was when we moved over to Qatar. I do not, by any means, consider myself a world traveler, and if I can do it, anyone can do it. it’s a lot of fun.”