10 Things I admire about the Egyptians

Spending the last couple of weeks here in Egypt, I've had the chance to witness "a day in the life" of many Egyptians... Here are my favorite attributes:
1) Coolheadedness: Witness the sheer volume of traffic here in Cairo, and you'd want to rip your hair out. They do it day in and day out with a minimal amount of arguing or complaining.
2) They're happy: Take a glance around here in Cairo, and you'll see a lot of Egyptians smiling. Whether it's smoking the Sheesha, riding the bus, talking with friends or window shopping, they look happy.
3) They're hard workers: From the hotel staff in the resort towns (Gamal and Momo) to the touts in the streets, they're always ON, trying to make a buck, or a pound, in their case. They're always ready, willing and able to put on the hard sell, enter into deep negotiations and spend what we'd deem an eternity coming to a final offer for a good or service.
4) They're very patient: Along with 3, they'll wait their turn and then take a long as they need to accomplish what they want.
5) They think on their feet: Any of the touts has a story to keep you engaged, regardless of where you're from, what your name is, or what you're interested in. They'll adapt their story to direct you in one of many directions depending on where your interests lie.
6) They realize the value of customer service to westerners: To get the tip or western dollar, they'll cater to your needs and pretend to like you, even if they don't. I truly believe they do like us though, if for no other reason than they know we have money.
7) They're courteous: With 20 million people in Cairo alone, they realize that a certain level of human decency is necessary for co-existence. In traffic, they'll honk, let you cross the street (or do their best to miss you) and flash their lights to signal their intentions. Even the touts use "Welcome" and "Thank You, Enjoy Your Stay" frequently.
8) They have a vast social network: Everyone knows a guy who knows a guy... to you get you a deal on whatever you want. Plus everyone has the confidence in their network that it's the best around.
9) Most are devoutly religious: Many can be found at the Mosques multiple times a day or stopping what they're doing to do their devotions. With many different levels and interpretations of Islam around, the culture seems to be tolerant of how far you'd like to take your faith.
10) Best of all, they have humor: Their humor is subtle, quite dry and they'll frequently pull one over on you, only to bust out laughing at your reaction. You realize that they find our culture and all its idiosyncrasies very funny.

~S