Thursday, May 7, 2009

What would be a useful gift to give an American, going to live in Egypt from May until September

What would be a useful gift to give an American, going to live in Egypt from May until September?
My daughter is leaving for Cairo for 3 months, as part of her study of Arabic language. I am trying to think of some useful things to send with her.
Egypt - 10 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
egyptian money laptop homemade goodies
2 :
calling card
3 :
a fan, water, lol
4 :
A Summer hat just like this one ....seriously!
5 :
Necklace, or a camera as digital or such. Egypt is a BEAUTIFUL site so cameras will be useful.
6 :
i suggest you get her a laptop, a camera , a cell phone , and lovely cotton t-shirts , comfortable jeans and sneakers .pls remember a hat/cap to protect her from the sun. such gifts are practical and useful for your daughter in Egypt .
7 :
Hi, You must be so proud of your daughter (happy mother's day btw!) ~a camera of course ~I would bring whatever toiletries the girl uses everyday like.. anything she is particular about since it may cost more or not be available in her brand, etc. ~anti diarrhea pills and chocolated laxative, certain feminine products ~Quality trainers: Nike, Puma, etc. are more expensive here so If he needs new running or walking shoes soon I would get them at home ~Something to remind her of home. (cookies you baked, a photo, etc.) ~Emphasize the COTTON clothing! ~If she is bringing her laptop get her a plug adapter from any travel store found in a mall. the plugs here are 2 round prongs. Don't waste bringing curing iron or hairdryer.. won't work there. but her chargers for phones and cameras will work fine. ~Spending money if you can spare it.
8 :
sun block cab moisturizing cream long cotton cloth((i advice her not to wear shorts or Minny skirts)) noumber and location of her embassy antihistamine cream for insect bite pain killers for the period anti diarrhea's pills
9 :
Most of the essentials she will need (soap, shampoo, etc.) will be easily found here so no need to waste precious space in the luggage. Some things she will have a harder time finding, that I suggest you pack : over the counter medications. Tylenol, cold and allergy meds, first aid ointment, anti-itch cream (for bug bites). Because all medications are available without a prescription in Egypt (even antibiotics), there is not a huge market or selection of over the counter meds Americans have become accustomed to. In addition, those that are available are often not as potent as those in the States. So perhaps you could put together a "first aid kit" for her with travel size packets and bottles. That would be a useful gift. As for the other answerers who suggested a calling card or cell phone it is important to note that calling cards are not used that much from inside Egypt to call out. Depending on where she is staying a land line may be hard to even come by. A cell phone won't work unless, of course, you pay a huge astronomical roaming fee to your carrier. The mobile phones in Egypt operate on GSM. For 250 LE (approx. $45) she can purchase a phone and sim card upon her arrival here in Egypt. This will be better for 2 reasons: 1. Any incoming call she receives will be free, meaning you can call her using a calling card from your home and she won't have to pay anything for the call. 2. It only costs pennies (50 piasters) to send an international SMS (text message). Also again, incoming messages are free for her, so you can message her as much as you want. I would also suggest a good gift (and must have item) would be one of those Green Dot Prepaid VISA cards available at Walgreens or CVS. Don't waste your time with travellers checks - they are not readily accepted in Egypt and she would have to find an American Express or Thomas Cook office to change them into cash. With the Green Dot prepaid VISA she can simply use the card at any place that accepts visa, or she can make a withdrawal at any ATM. ATM's are everywhere and then she won't have to worry about exchanging money or carrying large amounts of cash. The withdrawals would be in Egyptian pounds and the visa network automatically calculates the currency conversion when it shows you your balance online. The fees are significantly lower with the Green Dot cards than with a regular ATM card attached to a bank checking account. I think it costs $4.95 per month to maintain the card and only a few dollars (or small percentage) for each overseas transaction. Anyway, it is less than the fees she would be charged to exchange cash at a bank or exchange office. If you need any more info you can feel free to email me through my profile.
10 :
I'M EGYPTIAN so please hear from me...... she should bring with her the fundamental things that i'll not talk about , but i'll tell u something better than stuffs anyone can guess she may need, first of all Egypt is a very safe country so dont be afraid on ur daughter,she may go out anytime she would like till 3am as she is in popular places. she must respect the feelings of egyptian who are almost muslim by wearing decent clothes, avoid talking with sarcasm about islam or any of the egyptian heros with egyptian or near to them ears. Egypt also has everything she could buy from the tin till the rocket so give her money with ur prayers to come back happier and better than she went. As i told you sir that Egypt is so safe and people (us are so friendly by the testimony of all tourists but also she may follow her sence and avoid any suspecious situations. Greetings from Egyptian boy You and all of your family are Welcome to Egypt TUT-ANKH-AMON :-/

Friday, May 1, 2009

I need to know all the requirements for me a U.S citizen to move 2 and live in Egypt

I need to know all the requirements for me a U.S citizen to move 2 and live in Egypt?
Please & thanks for any and all info. But I need someones help-I'm not picky just as long as you give me accurate information:) Well my fiance lives and is a Citizen of EGYPT, I am American Citizen, wish to move to Egypt and marry him. With that being said, what are any & all the requirements for me to go to him in Egypt & live there?
Egypt - 2 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
The answer to this question is that it is an intractable business housing in a total of 1001449.00 acres 68470000 citizens through the rendering of the Republic
2 :
Its relatively simple, you go and get a 30 day tourist visa at the airport, then you can get up to a 5 year "touristic residence" extension in your passport at the Mogamma building downtown....for marriage you will need a paper from the American Embassy (also near downtown) stating that u are free to marry. (check the US embassy in Cairo website for details as if youve ever been married it can be a bit more complicated. You must be a Christian or a Jew to marry a muslim Egyptian, and you will have to sign papers attesting to this. You get married downtown also, and pay the small fee, have your witnesses (they will provide if u dont have any) if u are muslim you need a wali (guardian) You will need some passport photos also....living in Cairo is miserable however, dirty, crowded, full of corruption, but the paper work isint very difficult.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Is it possible for a american women to live in Egypt independently

Is it possible for a american women to live in Egypt independently?
Is it possible for a american women to live in Egypt independently? well the reason why i ask this is because i would like to work and stay in Egypt for at least a year to study arabic ,and my question is it possible for a foreigner to work and study in Egypt,and if so where would a foreigner most-likely work thanks :)
Ramadan - 10 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
I think if you ask this question in the [Travel > Africa&MiddleEast > Egypt] section, you will get better and more accurate responses. People who actually are living in Egypt frequent that section.
2 :
I am sure you can. It is "LIBERAL"
3 :
very very very very risky ( and possibly even riskier than that )
4 :
It is very possible. For more details information contacts your country embassy for Egypt.
5 :
Honestly, A women in the middle east cant really live independently, She can be robbed, raped, killed... Ive been to the middle east, and whenever i am alone, I have like 10 guys follow me, One time i visited Saudia Arabia, I swear i had a guy and his friend, in his car follow me to my hotel, i let my brothers come out, then they ran lol. â™¥eveee
6 :
sure if so where would a foreigner most-likely work idk it depends on your field,grade and efficiency.
7 :
You should check the Egypt travel section...there may be good information there. Check Egyptian government websites (there are several listed on the Wikipedia page for Egypt) and the US State Department travel information. One problem that you'll face, particularly in cities, is harassment. Reliable reports indicate that sexual harassment and sexual intimidation is rampant in Egypt, regardless of whether the woman is wearing Islamic or western clothing. The police are uninterested and the women who are harassed, followed, and assaulted are typically blamed for this nonsense. If you do decide to go, you should just be aware of the problems that women face there.
8 :
I don't know about Egypt. But you can do it very safely in Abu-Dhabi, Bahrain and Qatar. All are Arabic speaking. Qatar is very expensive in terms of housing. Bahrain is ok. Abu-Dhabi is expensive as far as housing goes but so are the salaries. For a cheaper alternative try "Oman". All the above countries are liberal and SAFE. Saudi Arabia is safe, but I don't think a foriegn woman can live there without a husband. As far as Egypt goes, I would imagine as follows: - There are good and bad everywhere. It is a matter of what is the ratio. I think the bad in Egypt are far more than you would be expecting. Therefore not advisable. If you have a boyfriend who is an Egyptian, then try to persuade him to find a job in Abu-Dhabi or Dubai.
9 :
You can live in just about any country you like as long as you have some money.
10 :
I lived in Egypt, with an Egyptian family, but I am a women and would and could do it on my own, no problem. You just have to be smart. If you live in Cairo, don't wear anything more revealing than a t-shirt and jeans (keep your shoulders, knees, everything between covered) unless you are with male friends or are in a particularly liberal area (like Zamalek). The same is true for Alex, Aswan, and Luxor, just no "unless". Otherwise, until you figure out how liberal the area is, stick with loose fitting long sleeved shirts and pants/skirts. Don't look guys in the eye you don't know, it can be considered a come on. If guys call out to you in the street, don't respond. Even saying "fuck you" in Arabic will seem like you're flirting back. Don't give guys you don't know well your number if you don't have to, because, in my and my friends' experience, they will call you and call you and call you. You can have Egyptian guy friends and even boy friends, but get to know the area and the people first. I'm not sure about Cairo, but at least in Alex it isn't really safe for girls to be on their own at night after 11-12, or to be at certain hangout just for guys (unless you're with male friends). Don't publicly kiss your male friends, but holding hands/linking arms should be fine. This all sounds kinda extreme, but you'll figure it out. Those are just extreme things, and you'll be super safe in Egypt. If you decide to move to Cairo, I'd recommend the neighborhood of Mohandiseen, but there are a ton of nice places. If you decide to go to Alex, Ibrahimayya-Sporting-Cleopatra, Mostafa Kamel, Zizinia, Victoria, Sidi Bishr are all really nice places, though Alex is full of cool neighborhoods. Don't think you'd have to wear a veil or stay inside all day. There are tons of fun things to do, especially in Cairo, and being a girl won't change that, it'll just complicate it a bit. I dunno about work... You'd need a job probably with a foreign company, though maybe you could teach English on your own? You could volunteer, but I think it's kinda hard to get work in Egypt as a foreigner. It's really easy to study Arabic, though, cause there are classes and you can practice everywhere and it's not as scary as it seems. Mish lu3'a s3aba zay btfukr, sa7? (: You'll love Egypt.