Expats blaze path to greater understanding

Hear the one about Egyptians in China?

Mohammed Magdi, a China Telecom marketing team leader, moonlights as a headliner at a Shanghai comedy club, where he entertains his audiences while debunking stereotypes.

Funny stories can offer insight into a strange culture thousands of miles away, the 26-year-old Egyptian believes.

During the week, he promotes new China Telecom packages in Shanghai’s expatriate community, and on weekends he performs as a stand-up comedian at a local club called Kung Fu Komedy.

“People often have a lot of ignorance and misunderstanding about Egypt, Islam, Africa, and the Middle East. It’s not only in the Chinese community, but also among many other foreigners, too,” he said. “Living in a global, cosmopolitan city like Shanghai gives me a very good chance to tell my stories to a larger audience.”

Magdi said he wouldn’t go so far as to think of himself as a cultural ambassador, but the fact remains that many people don’t know anything about Egypt apart from instability and revolution. So he tries to break through the stereotypes with a performance that is funny but also thought-provoking.

“There are a lot of ideas that can’t be expressed in a very serious way — like racism, discrimination and stereotypes — and using comedy is a good way to make an impression and help people remember.”