The Quiet Zone Effect

She patted my back gently but firmly. I looked back and she murmured something in Danish. I did not have a clue what she was saying, but I could sense anger in her voice. “Sorry, but I don’t speak Danish,” I said with a smile. “But at least you can read English,” she said in a serious tone. I looked up to where she was pointing and there was a sign saying “Quiet Zone”.

 

Obviously, no yelling, talking or even talking out loud on mobile phones was allowed. The Egyptian press group, which was invited by the Danish Egyptian Dialogue Institute (DEDI) to witness and experience the Danish elections, had just entered on the underground after a series of visits and tours to different Danish political parties and institutions prior to the September elections.

 

Our excitement and desire to exchange our opinions and feedback gave way to a thunderous conversation. Having a “Quiet Zone” in the metro seemed like a macho campaigning for women’s rights, judging by the Cairo underground.

 

Understanding a different culture does not happen through reading books only or watching movies or hearing about it from others! It happens by seeing and experiencing. Whether it is a “Quiet Zone” in the metro, or a lunch at the “Folketinget” (Danish Parliament), or coffee with the Conservative Youth Party, or a tea with the Social Democratic Youth Party, or even a meal of raw meat and an unheard of desert at the famous “BioMio” Restaurant, it all means a better understanding of others.

 

Needless to say, a few days of getting in direct contact with a different culture does not by any means a complete understanding. Let’s say it is a mere starter to know what this culture is all about! The greatest asset about diversity is enjoying it.

 

Learning about differences is great fun. You have the luxury of gaining knowledge about others without having to follow their rules.  I was extremely astounded with the “Quiet Zone” to the extent that I indulged in a bout of self-pitying for not having a single “Quiet Zone” in my beloved Cairo! However, after I recovered, I discovered that I would love to enjoy a “Quiet Zone” every now and then, but not eternally!

 

Different cultures have different perceptions of silence and private space. They also have different practices regarding social norms, political correctness and even body language. No matter how much differences there are, we are all the same. We have the same fears, worries and sources of happiness and joy. The recipes might differ from one culture to the other, but the final results are more or less the same. Agreement is not the other side of the understanding coin, but respect and accepting are.

 

Leonardo da Vinci once said that “the noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding”. Right he was!

 

This reflection is written by Amira Khairy, Features Editor at Al Hayat daily Pan Arab newspaper, during a press trip organized by the Danish Egyptian Dialogue Institute to Denmark in September 2011. The trip brought together a group of Egyptian journalists and editors to experience the Danish elections.