What’s your father’s name?

Each time I travel to Egypt I need a visa which I can buy just before the custom desks. I land, walk to the customs, get the visa, queue and finally give my passport to the officer. Systematically they look at me, then back to my passport, then back to me and start speaking in Arabic. Each time I smile and explain I don’t speak Arabic.

“Why?”

“You have Arabic roots? Why don’t you speak Arabic?”

And there I go explaining my case which inevitably leads to: “what’s your father’s name?”

I don’t know why they need my father’s name, each time I enter Egypt AND each time I leave the country. By now my father’s name should be in all their systems. Each time I have to explain that my father is Lebanese, give his name, and address the question on why I still have the same name as him (i.e. I’m not married) and don’t speak Arabic.

I really wish they could put a note in the system so I can spare myself the whole story each time I go to Egypt and the extra 5 minutes with the officer. But apparently that’s not an option.

Maybe next time, I'll bring my father with me :)