The Histories by Herodotus p.121-122: Egypt is Crazy Opposite Land

(Commonplace Book)

From The Histories by Herodotus 

There is also the fact that the Egyptians themselves, in almost all their customs and practices, do the exact opposite of the rest of mankind. In Egypt, for instance, it is the women who go to the market and do business, while it is the men who stay at home and weave; and while people everywhere else do their weaving by pushing the weft upwards, the Egyptians push it downward. Men carry loads on their heads; woman on their shoulders. Woman urinate standing up; men squatting down. Their homes they use for defecating in, while the streets outside are where they eat--this is on the principle that anything which is embarrassing but unavoidable should be done behind closed doors, while anything that is not the cause of shame should be done in public.  Whether a god is male or female make no odds, since women are banned from serving and priests, and only a man may officiate in a temple, be it that of a goddess or of a god.  So ns are under no obligation to care for their parents if they do not wish to; daughters, however, are under strict obligation to do so whether they are willing or not.