Well, I finally got a job teaching, and it's in Cairo. Not my first choice, however I've been doing some research and I think it will be pretty cool. I'm a 32 year old single guy. What's life going to be like for me? How's the dating scene?
I'll probably hook up with the Cairo Hash House Harriers cause I like to run.
Is Maadi the place to live? I know people talk about having a unique experience in a new country, but I like to be as comfortable as possible, because I want to be at my best teaching.
I'm not too concerned with the revolution as I feel it can be avoided by not going to certain places.
Does anyone have any insight on what to bring along?
Tell me about your positive experience in Cairo. It is much appreciated.
Life in Cairo
Wrong place
Dating Scene??? You picked the WRONG place, it could be worse. Second to that the "REAL" night life scene is pretty underground. Its also going to be REALLY expensive, I hope you signed with the American school.
Maadi is one of "the" places to be if you want western comforts.
What to bring:
1) Shoes, if your anything above a size 9.
2) Very easy to wash fabrics like cotton and linen. Most places dont have dryers. The sand/dust gets into and on everything.
3) If you have a laptop, the optical drive is going to grind to a halt sometime after a few months.
4) Deodorant anti-perspirant. There not the same or as strong as the ones in the USA.
5) Switch to disposable contacts if you wear contacts. You will go through them like crazy and after a month you cant get them clean anymore, and there likely to be pitted.
6) If your loyal to any kind of health beauty product plan on identifying a source that will ship or bring it with you. Disposable razors any other type is scarce. Mouthwash is also difficult to come by. Basically you can find just about any TYPE of item but something specific may be simply unavailable.
7) Leather jacket's and other clothing (boots) should be avoided.
8) Forget about your electronics outside of a laptop. Maybe your mobile phone, if its unlocked, uses a sim card, and you have a travel/universal charger.
9) Medication, and I mean vitamins, herbals, etc too. Get your prescriptions written in empirical (chemical) formula. (Tylenol is not Acetaminophen it is Paracetamol). Condoms.
10) Learn some Arabic, forget trying to read it.
11) Talk to your bank before leaving, transactions from Arab countries tend to draw attention.
Maadi is one of "the" places to be if you want western comforts.
What to bring:
1) Shoes, if your anything above a size 9.
2) Very easy to wash fabrics like cotton and linen. Most places dont have dryers. The sand/dust gets into and on everything.
3) If you have a laptop, the optical drive is going to grind to a halt sometime after a few months.
4) Deodorant anti-perspirant. There not the same or as strong as the ones in the USA.
5) Switch to disposable contacts if you wear contacts. You will go through them like crazy and after a month you cant get them clean anymore, and there likely to be pitted.
6) If your loyal to any kind of health beauty product plan on identifying a source that will ship or bring it with you. Disposable razors any other type is scarce. Mouthwash is also difficult to come by. Basically you can find just about any TYPE of item but something specific may be simply unavailable.
7) Leather jacket's and other clothing (boots) should be avoided.
8) Forget about your electronics outside of a laptop. Maybe your mobile phone, if its unlocked, uses a sim card, and you have a travel/universal charger.
9) Medication, and I mean vitamins, herbals, etc too. Get your prescriptions written in empirical (chemical) formula. (Tylenol is not Acetaminophen it is Paracetamol). Condoms.
10) Learn some Arabic, forget trying to read it.
11) Talk to your bank before leaving, transactions from Arab countries tend to draw attention.
-
tgrear2008
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2010 11:50 am
- Location: Seoul, Korea
Hmm, I figured dating wouldn't be too bad as there seems to be lots of expats living in Cairo. No worries though, if I have to holiday in Bangkok, so be it.
Really expensive? Like, more expensive than Seoul? I hope not, food and consumer goods seem to be expensive here.
Bring condoms? I guess not all hope is lost, haha.
Thanks for the list! Really appreciated.
Really expensive? Like, more expensive than Seoul? I hope not, food and consumer goods seem to be expensive here.
Bring condoms? I guess not all hope is lost, haha.
Thanks for the list! Really appreciated.
Well
Yeah but all the expat woman are married, or wont have anything to do with a "teacher". You wont be rich enough to date a local thats a hottie. Yeah, more expensive then S.K. Buying condoms in Cairo is like buying p-orn elsewhere.
Cairo is an unrivaled travel springboard---African and European possibilities are limitless. Red Sea vacations are outstanding, easy and inexpensive. The weather is a major highlight. August and September are hot, but there is always a nice breeze. November-April is the most comfortable weather you will ever experience---sunny, slight breeze and low humidity. The cost of living is very low in Egypt. Restaurants are inexpensive and of pretty good quality. You will do fine. American cereals, potato chips, etc are expensive, but you will make do with alternatives. House help and taxis are cheap. Nice little running community in Maadi. Great running in near-by Waadi Digla. I wear size 11 shoes and had no trouble finding shoes. My lap top held up just fine. You will have a great time.
-
tgrear2008
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2010 11:50 am
- Location: Seoul, Korea
Awesome, I never really thought too hard about the weather, but now I'm pumped for that. I just thought it would be hot all the time.
As for scoring imports, I'm not really picky about my food. I will be bringing vitamins to pick up the slack.
Yeah, I was looking at the cost of living website Numbeo and it listed Cairo at a 53% (100% being NYC) and Seoul at a 72% or something. The website said it updated every 2 weeks and it seemed like it was legit. I guess I'll find out, but I don't live extravagantly.
Definitely excited for travel opportunities.
Thanks for the breakdown Gipper.
As for scoring imports, I'm not really picky about my food. I will be bringing vitamins to pick up the slack.
Yeah, I was looking at the cost of living website Numbeo and it listed Cairo at a 53% (100% being NYC) and Seoul at a 72% or something. The website said it updated every 2 weeks and it seemed like it was legit. I guess I'll find out, but I don't live extravagantly.
Definitely excited for travel opportunities.
Thanks for the breakdown Gipper.
-
wannateach
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2011 4:31 am
Cairo's not expensive at all. Alcohol can be a little pricey, but it only seems that way because everything else is so cheap. If you go out most clubs have a cover charge. A metro ticket is only 1 pound. Taxis are super cheap too. Food is only expensive if you buy imported stuff like peanut butter or cereal, but there are local alternatives.
Definitely join the Ace Club where Hash harriers meet. Great place to meet people, fun atmosphere. If you end up in Heliopolis (another nice area) join the British Club. Sign up for the Cairo Scholars listserv through the University of Texas. It's a really great resource for expats.
Try to learn some Arabic. Private tutors are really cheap, but I'd start out with classes. Learning to read isn't hard at all. You can learn the whole alphabet in about 4 weeks and it really impresses people. Most signs are in English, but it's always appreciated when you try to speak the language.
And if someone won't have anything to do with you because you're a teacher, you'll probably want to stay away from them anyway :)
Definitely join the Ace Club where Hash harriers meet. Great place to meet people, fun atmosphere. If you end up in Heliopolis (another nice area) join the British Club. Sign up for the Cairo Scholars listserv through the University of Texas. It's a really great resource for expats.
Try to learn some Arabic. Private tutors are really cheap, but I'd start out with classes. Learning to read isn't hard at all. You can learn the whole alphabet in about 4 weeks and it really impresses people. Most signs are in English, but it's always appreciated when you try to speak the language.
And if someone won't have anything to do with you because you're a teacher, you'll probably want to stay away from them anyway :)
-
markholmes
- Posts: 100
- Joined: Mon May 07, 2007 10:54 pm
Most places don't have driers, but things dry in 30 minutes between March and November.
Cairo is very dry, so you don't sweat much even when it's reaching the 40, meaning weaker deodorant (if it is weaker) isn't much of an issue.
Optical drives and contacts have not been an issue for us.
Razors of all sorts and mouthwash are readily available, as are condoms (I'm pretty sure I've seen them in pharmacies on open display).
We have had no problem transfering money to Canada and the UK from Egypt, however, if you have a PayPal account call them before you leave and tell them where you are moving to. We didn't and they suspended our accounts when we tried to use them in Egypt. So far they have not reopened them.
Maadi is the place most westerners live. It's ok, but hardly the international community that it's built up to be. If you drink you are pretty much restricted to only a few venues. The ACE Club is the most popular. Beers are 10 LE (about US$1.60) and there appears to be a dating scene, although being married, I'm hardly in a position to comment. The BCA is a more sedate, larger and more relaxed.
Large cans of beer from Drinkies liquor store cost 6.5 LE (US$1) a can. Wine starts at US$7 a bottle. They deliver.
Most things you need on a day to day basis are quite cheap. Anything imported is expensive, but usually there is a reasonable local equivalent for a fifth of the price.
Whether Maadi is the place to live depends on where your school is located. Is it going to take over an hour on a bus to get there every day? Where do all the other teachers in your school live?
Cairo is very dry, so you don't sweat much even when it's reaching the 40, meaning weaker deodorant (if it is weaker) isn't much of an issue.
Optical drives and contacts have not been an issue for us.
Razors of all sorts and mouthwash are readily available, as are condoms (I'm pretty sure I've seen them in pharmacies on open display).
We have had no problem transfering money to Canada and the UK from Egypt, however, if you have a PayPal account call them before you leave and tell them where you are moving to. We didn't and they suspended our accounts when we tried to use them in Egypt. So far they have not reopened them.
Maadi is the place most westerners live. It's ok, but hardly the international community that it's built up to be. If you drink you are pretty much restricted to only a few venues. The ACE Club is the most popular. Beers are 10 LE (about US$1.60) and there appears to be a dating scene, although being married, I'm hardly in a position to comment. The BCA is a more sedate, larger and more relaxed.
Large cans of beer from Drinkies liquor store cost 6.5 LE (US$1) a can. Wine starts at US$7 a bottle. They deliver.
Most things you need on a day to day basis are quite cheap. Anything imported is expensive, but usually there is a reasonable local equivalent for a fifth of the price.
Whether Maadi is the place to live depends on where your school is located. Is it going to take over an hour on a bus to get there every day? Where do all the other teachers in your school live?
-
dreamgiver
- Posts: 82
- Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:00 am
-
markholmes
- Posts: 100
- Joined: Mon May 07, 2007 10:54 pm
Yeah
Yeah i really didnt, I sweated all the time there. The deodorant is all alchohol based and didnt have the Aluminum Tetra Chloride in it. It was all roll on stuff. The razors were really OK, I just switched too two bladed disposables instead of my Gillette Sensor heads, that were unavailable. Mouthwash wasnt hard to come by but it was all Listerine type and I was using the Crest Pro Health, but even "Scope" was difficult to find. All those things are always in expensive import stores.
I couldnt find a pair of Nikes in a size 11 anywhere. My optical drive stoped working after a month, the tech at the school said I had sand in the split optics and would need to replace the drive (and this was a MacBook with the sony drives without a tray).
I got a lot of questions from the clerk who sold me the box of condoms and EVERY person in the store was looking at me. Bank of America suspended my account when i tried to transfer money to my account. They didnt reopen it until i returned to the states for a holiday to visit years later.
Its one thing to be able to get a drink or a beer, there were a couple pubs/club/hotel bars easy enough. But a real clubbing, . scene is all underground and quite.
I couldnt find a pair of Nikes in a size 11 anywhere. My optical drive stoped working after a month, the tech at the school said I had sand in the split optics and would need to replace the drive (and this was a MacBook with the sony drives without a tray).
I got a lot of questions from the clerk who sold me the box of condoms and EVERY person in the store was looking at me. Bank of America suspended my account when i tried to transfer money to my account. They didnt reopen it until i returned to the states for a holiday to visit years later.
Its one thing to be able to get a drink or a beer, there were a couple pubs/club/hotel bars easy enough. But a real clubbing, . scene is all underground and quite.
-
tgrear2008
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2010 11:50 am
- Location: Seoul, Korea
I've heard the Aluminum stuff isn't good for your body. I don't really have a wide selection of deodorants here in Korea so I take what I can get. LOL
Thanks for all the good info. I can live in Heliopolis or Maadi. The school housing is in Heliopolis, but is shared. I can get a stipend and rent my own furnished place in Maadi if I choose to do so, which I will. The stipend is enough to get a decent place according to my standards. Coming from a crappy hagwon apartment, almost anything will be a step up.
Pretty psyched to be teaching high school math.
I'm not really a club guy. I like to have a couple beers and shoot pool or throw darts. Compared with my small midwestern town upbringing, I'm sure Cairo will have the nightlife situation covered for me.
Thanks for the bank and Paypal heads up Psyguy and Mark. I will be sure to contact Skank of America before I head out. I really need to close my account with them, sheesh. Worst. Bank. Ever.
Wanna teach, I'll definitely check out the Uni of Texas info, and the different clubs.
Props to all the members of this forum. Sometime soon I'll have a couple years under my belt and be able to contribute my own info.
Thanks for all the good info. I can live in Heliopolis or Maadi. The school housing is in Heliopolis, but is shared. I can get a stipend and rent my own furnished place in Maadi if I choose to do so, which I will. The stipend is enough to get a decent place according to my standards. Coming from a crappy hagwon apartment, almost anything will be a step up.
Pretty psyched to be teaching high school math.
I'm not really a club guy. I like to have a couple beers and shoot pool or throw darts. Compared with my small midwestern town upbringing, I'm sure Cairo will have the nightlife situation covered for me.
Thanks for the bank and Paypal heads up Psyguy and Mark. I will be sure to contact Skank of America before I head out. I really need to close my account with them, sheesh. Worst. Bank. Ever.
Wanna teach, I'll definitely check out the Uni of Texas info, and the different clubs.
Props to all the members of this forum. Sometime soon I'll have a couple years under my belt and be able to contribute my own info.
I've lived in Cairo for 11 years and the availability of various goods has improved dramatically over this time.
Condoms available on the counters at petrol stations (along with "lube") as well as at pharmacies and Carrefour. Feminine hygiene products seem to fill the aisles at the various supermarkets, whereas before, females had to discreetly ask at the counter - to then have it yelled across the shop for everyone to hear! Nearly every type of shower gel / shampoo / deodorant etc is available; especially in ex-pat areas
Never had a problem with my laptops except in the early days when the power used to flicker on and off but this was sorted with a "thingy" (technical term for those not as up to date as me on technology) that kept the current (or whatever) at the correct level
Nightlife is not so much underground but more burned down in some cases - petrol bombs during the revolution. Still several places to go ranging from the decidedly dodgy (cold beer and warm "ladies") to the extremely upmarket night spots with strict entrance policies.
No problem dating local "hotties" except that most of them don't date unless they are engaged (and you'll be expected to convert to marry). Several of my staff have married very attractive Egyptians
Maadi has several options: ACE Club (where the Hash are based), BCA (where the Rugby Club is based) plus pubs that you couldn't really take your mother to
There is a thriving pool league as well as a darts league. Both are based around the various ex-pat clubs plus there is a pub in Mohandiseen called "Bullseye" that is a dart "specialist" pub
If you wanted to, you could bankrupt yourself (no matter what school you are at) by doing the "I'm only eating imported baked beans" type of thing. If you eat at 5 star hotels, it comes at a price - eating locally is much cheaper. A beer in a 5 star hotel will cost you about $8-00 but $1-60 in the ACE
Cinemas with all the latest films range from 15 Egyptian pounds (for early shows at the various malls) to 100 Egyptian pounds for the VIP cinema (reclining armchairs etc)
The biggest thing to look out for is the dreaded "plus plus"! Service charge plus sales tax. This adds 22% on to your bill (and the waiters still expect a tip
Condoms available on the counters at petrol stations (along with "lube") as well as at pharmacies and Carrefour. Feminine hygiene products seem to fill the aisles at the various supermarkets, whereas before, females had to discreetly ask at the counter - to then have it yelled across the shop for everyone to hear! Nearly every type of shower gel / shampoo / deodorant etc is available; especially in ex-pat areas
Never had a problem with my laptops except in the early days when the power used to flicker on and off but this was sorted with a "thingy" (technical term for those not as up to date as me on technology) that kept the current (or whatever) at the correct level
Nightlife is not so much underground but more burned down in some cases - petrol bombs during the revolution. Still several places to go ranging from the decidedly dodgy (cold beer and warm "ladies") to the extremely upmarket night spots with strict entrance policies.
No problem dating local "hotties" except that most of them don't date unless they are engaged (and you'll be expected to convert to marry). Several of my staff have married very attractive Egyptians
Maadi has several options: ACE Club (where the Hash are based), BCA (where the Rugby Club is based) plus pubs that you couldn't really take your mother to
There is a thriving pool league as well as a darts league. Both are based around the various ex-pat clubs plus there is a pub in Mohandiseen called "Bullseye" that is a dart "specialist" pub
If you wanted to, you could bankrupt yourself (no matter what school you are at) by doing the "I'm only eating imported baked beans" type of thing. If you eat at 5 star hotels, it comes at a price - eating locally is much cheaper. A beer in a 5 star hotel will cost you about $8-00 but $1-60 in the ACE
Cinemas with all the latest films range from 15 Egyptian pounds (for early shows at the various malls) to 100 Egyptian pounds for the VIP cinema (reclining armchairs etc)
The biggest thing to look out for is the dreaded "plus plus"! Service charge plus sales tax. This adds 22% on to your bill (and the waiters still expect a tip
-
dreamgiver
- Posts: 82
- Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:00 am