# Introduction and a question



## princesa

Hello everyone,

I am currently living in Portugal and would like to relocate to Egypt, more specifically to Marsa Matruh. I have tried to look for information about the city but it is very scarce. Unfortunately, not being an english native speaker (despite translating from english into portuguese), puts me at a disadvantage because I would be unqualified to teach english in Egypt. Given the fact that translation is up and down, what other jobs could I do in Egypt, mainly online, to bust my earnings? At the moment, I have 109.000 EGP saved but I would not have thought that would allow me to start a small business. I was thinking gourmet chocolate since I know a lot of different gourmet recipes or perhaps buy a small shop and rent it to someone. I guess Marsa Matruh would be cheaper than say, Cairo. I do realize things are not good in Egypt right now, economically, but I am not looking for very expensive living standards. I went to Egypt a few times and fel in love with the country so much so that I felt at home there. I would be so grateful for your advice.

Thank you,

princesa


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## Gounie

I have stayed overnight twice in Marsa Matruh enroute to Siwa Oasis. It is a very Egyptian town, not many tourists and mainly busy in the summer months when everyone heads to the cooler north coast. My friend and I stayed in early October and the north coast was like a ghost town. Stunning beaches, even Porto Marina was very quiet. Right now it will be heaving.

Starting a business is not easy in Egypt. You have to invest 'x' amount of money to even be able to work in your own business. Otherwise employ locals. 

Not many gourmet chocolate shops where I live on the Red Sea Coast. Trouble is in 40 degrees it will melt before you get it home?

My advice would be live somewhere first before committing yourself to running a business. The rules for working here are you must obtain the job before arrival. You can stay here renewing a tourist visa annually, which is what I have done for the last 10+ years.


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## MaidenScotland

Welcome to the forum. 

Visiting and living here are so different I would suggest if you can afford then come and live here for at least 6 months and then decided if you want to stay. Tell no one that you want to start a business as quite simply they will be around you like bees around honey, and you will be robbed. say you are here to write a book or something


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## canuck2010

Agree with what others have said. Come for an extended vacation, Egypt is safe and your euros will go a long way as the economy is quite bad. It is possible for a foreigner to start a business, perhaps even a gourmet chocolate business in Cairo, but I think it would take much more than 100,000EGP to do it.


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## mamasue

MaidenScotland said:


> Welcome to the forum.
> 
> Visiting and living here are so different I would suggest if you can afford then come and live here for at least 6 months and then decided if you want to stay. Tell no one that you want to start a business as quite simply they will be around you like bees around honey, and you will be robbed. say you are here to write a book or something


So true....many people have suddenly found an 'ideal business partner' in Egypt... and found themselves ripped off of everything they own.. Not just Egyptian scammers, but expats too. 
I know of 2 different occasions when people have returned to Britain ripped off, not just by 'helpful business associates,' but also by so-called lawyers, trying to get money back for them.

Living in Egypt before you commit to anything is a great idea, as Maiden says. It can be a great experience, or totally the opposite. Never close all doors behind you.


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## princesa

*Thank you everyone*

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for the responses, I do appreciate it.
I am an english to european portuguese translator, so I would be working freelance. The idea of writing a book on egyptian culture especially life in the Siwa oásis appeals particularly to me, I have been thinking about it for quite a while but I would have to study their traditions and culture for at least 2 years to do that. 
The business idea came to me because especially in Brasil there are a lot of businesses like the one I want to set up but I do agree I need to live in the country for a few months to be able to do it safely.
If you do not mind, I would like to ask a few more questions. Given the fact that I work freelance, where do I stand as far as paying tax is concerned? I heard that working online would spare me from paying tax or that I could keep paying tax in Portugal rather than Egypt. The information in english about it is so scattered that I feel quite lost. How much would I need to live reasonably well say, in Marsa Matruh as opposed to Cairo for instance? Would 700 euros be enough? A friend of mine from Portugal who lived there a few years ago said that 400 euros in Marsa Matruh would be quite okay but it seems too little in my opinion. I really think i will enjoy living in Egypt, I have always felt at home there but I don't know a lot of people and I would guess that living in Marsa Matruh would put me yet in a more disadvantaged position than I would have had living in Alexandria or Cairo and this is another reason that I have joined the fórum, to know people. Once again, thank you for your responses.


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## Gounie

I have a couple of friends, he is German and she is Italian. They lived near me for many years working in diving and then started their own online translation business. After 10 years they wanted a change from Egypt and moved to Lisbon. Maybe you can track them down and chat with them? I think their business was called something like Hagenz?


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## Helen Ellis

If you want to teach English go ahead and do a TEFL course and teach it (unless your accent is very poor of course), your command of the language is clearly good enough. I can't imagine there are too many qualified English teachers in Marsa Matrouh so you'd still get some work. It probably wouldn't be enough to live comfortably on but it may just make the difference. You'd get to know people through the teaching too.

I have no idea what the cost of living is like there, but in Hurghada I could live very well on 700 euros a month, I usually manage on 3 or 4,000 egp excluding extras like medical and dental costs and holidays, but including clothing and the odd night out.


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## spiritstallion

Hello Princesa and welcome,

I`m Egyptian born and raised from Alexandria, but all my camping summer holidays with family for the last two decades was in Marsa Matrouh i have special love for the city , water and the "past" pure and untouched nature of the city, the Extremely Light Turquoise water there (much better than Sharm El sheikh) is due to the limestone nature of the white sand its hard even to keep your eyes open mid day without sungless due to the glowing sand.

Last i was there was back in 2007 so let me tell you some facts?

1- until early 2000s there was barely any foreign tourism or expats.
2-Lately though some Italian Large hotels strictly foreign i believe (actually beach compounds like in sharm and Hurghada) , i don`t know what is the context surrounding your choice of Marsa Matrouh by the way, but what are the positive points or recommendations that made you thought it might be good to go there solo as a foreigner?

3- The City is Ultra Cheap even in Egyptian standards afaik, taxis were so cheap, groceries are equal to normal Egyptian markets, only the Hotel services there are ultra costy in season .

4- in summer it has HEAVES of Egyptians yes  (i even stopped going) although not of international quality! (sharm and hurghada are much much better in that time of year quality of service wise)
5- In rest of the year expect to see a limited population, mainly Bedouin arabs.
6- i don`t know if the Schooling there has variations of private /english schools similar to those in Alex/Cairo or not.

Last, regarding English, its not that big deal i believe if you are going to teach lower grades just get the TEFL, being a foreigner is a big plus in that aspect.
My sister is an English teacher here and have been in different schools and knows how the market goes, also, if you had questions i might ask her for you.

Good luck.


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## spiritstallion

You have to differentiate the north coast from Marsa Matrouh though, "EL sahel El Shamali" or simply "El Sahel" is extending starting from Alexandria to 100 kms or 150 kms maybe, Marsa Matrouh is 300 kms near the Egyptian west borders, "EL Sahel" is Luxurious set of 10s of compounds such as Marina or Porto Marina, which get swarmed by Mid-class ++ Egyptians or maybe foreigners too.
They are only summer resorts without any activity or facilities in the rest of the year.


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## princesa

*Hello all,*

Gounie, Helen Ellis, Spiritstallion and all

Thank you for geting back to me. I really do appreciate your advice.
About the TEFL qualification, I would like to teach primarily online via skype. May I ask how long would the course take to complete? Could you recommend any good online institute please?
Gounie, thank you for the translation agency you recommended.
About Marsa Matruh, I chose it because it is a very cheap city but above all, because of its natural beauty. Do not get me wrong, I love Cairo, Alexandria and other egyptian cities but Marsa Matruh is almost like the countryside and that is just what I want at the moment.
About my accent, people say it is not heavy but I would say not like an english native speaker. Besides having a masters in translation, my only other qualification that would be accredited worldwide would be the CPE (certificate of prophiciency) from Cambridge university. The other experience in tuition I can add to that is teaching portugese to foreigners.
I do appologise for asking so many questions. I was not given the nickname chatterbox lightly.  Once again, thank you all for geting bak to me and appologies for answering so late.


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## Gounie

Do you use Google Earth? If so, search Marsa Matrouh. The natural beauty is out of town along the dramatic coastline. The rest is a concrete town surrounded by endless sand.

Here are some photos I took when my friend and I drove ourselves from the Red Sea Coast, via Cairo, Alex, north coast to Marsa Matrouh to Siwa Oasis. The trip took one week and we had gps and waypoints to guide us. We were just two ladies driving ourselves and I wouldn't do this trip now.

This album shows from the Red Sea to Siwa with photos of Marsa Matrouh town:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.37254963254.59866.665383254&type=1&l=285636608c

This is the nearest 'countryside' 360km through the desert south:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.37857178254.60414.665383254&type=1&l=81bfaa0707

The north coast from Marsa Matrouh via El Alamein to Cairo:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.37977278254.60550.665383254&type=1&l=8cdf91063d


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## canuck2010

This may sound a bit 'out there', but since you are Portuguese, have you considered Mozambique? I understand it is quite easy for Portuguese to emigrate there, and the Mozambique economy is growing quickly due to their discovery of natural gas, so there are many expats starting up businesses there. Could be a promising market for gourmet chocolate, translation, and teaching english.

here's a story about it; http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-22025864


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## Helen Ellis

TEFL course can take as long as a year or as short as 2 months depending on the provider and the number of hours you put in per week. I found mine on Amazon local (.co.uk) but I've seen courses on Groupon too. I have no idea if these course are accredited, but no one in Egypt worries about that anyway. Friends here have done follow on courses, with teaching practice, in Cairo and Alexandria. 
Courses can vary from 80 hours upwards, I doubt this is intended to include revision and lesson preparation time. as a translator you will already be proficient in English grammar, probably better than many native speakers, so that part should be easy. The rest is about how to teach English, official levels and what they contain, and planning lessons. 
Prices for course vary wildly, read the small print before choosing.
Good luck with it.


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## princesa

*Thank you once again*

Gounie, Helen Ellis Canuck2010 and all,

Thank you once again for geting back to me. Oh, to answer Canuck2010, my fiance is egyptian, so it would not be viable for me to go to Mozambique. I know a lot of people in Portugal, friends of mine, who lived there before the independence as well as Angola and they absolutely loved the country, culture and people. 
Helen Ellis, thank you for the tefl suggestion, I am looking for a course. However, I am a little concerned because people usually like a native speaker to get a grasp on the language. In a sense, I can't blame anyone for making such a choice, I would like a native speaker myself if I had to choose too. But it is worth a go. 
I am trying to find companies in Egypt which could possibly take on a portuguese speaker but that is not easy too. I would like to ask something kind of silly but do forgive my ignorance please. Do supermarkets offer online shopping with products on their website labelled in english? I would prefer it at first, since my arabic is virtually non-existent. Once again, thank you for your patience.


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## MaidenScotland

princesa said:


> Gounie, Helen Ellis Canuck2010 and all,
> 
> Thank you once again for geting back to me. Oh, to answer Canuck2010, my fiance is egyptian, so it would not be viable for me to go to Mozambique. I know a lot of people in Portugal, friends of mine, who lived there before the independence as well as Angola and they absolutely loved the country, culture and people.
> Helen Ellis, thank you for the tefl suggestion, I am looking for a course. However, I am a little concerned because people usually like a native speaker to get a grasp on the language. In a sense, I can't blame anyone for making such a choice, I would like a native speaker myself if I had to choose too. But it is worth a go.
> I am trying to find companies in Egypt which could possibly take on a portuguese speaker but that is not easy too. I would like to ask something kind of silly but do forgive my ignorance please. Do supermarkets offer online shopping with products on their website labelled in english? I would prefer it at first, since my arabic is virtually non-existent. Once again, thank you for your patience.



Yes all major stores, restaurants have websites in English no need to worry, you can even look at otlob.com for ordering from major restaurants,


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## Gounie

princesa said:


> Do supermarkets offer online shopping with products on their website labelled in english?


In the town I live the main supermarket has no prices on anything and the receipt is all in Arabic. There are computer scanners around the store so you can check the price. The difference between imported items and local is huge. A packet of crisps can be LE4 or LE40. He does stock a great range though and even products from the new Ikea in Cairo if you are into that sort of thing. It is tiny so searching products is difficulty and pushing a trolley will cause a traffic jam in the narrow aisles 

50km away, south of Hurghada, there is a shopping mall with fashion chains and a big Spinneys. More choice of supermakets in Hurghada with receipts in English.

In Marsa Matrouh everything will be in Arabic and no European style stores. The women are not only covered in black but they just have slits for their eyes whereas usually the face is exposed. Travel down to Siwa and the whole face including the eyes is covered in a traditional mesh. I have no idea how the kids recognise their mums when they come out of school!


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## Helen Ellis

Today I was told that at least one Egyptian lady is charging 80le per 45 minute group English lesson! She has a waiting list of pupils. Her English is not that correct either, so you'll have no problem with teaching English.
Most qualified TEFL teachers I know charge 50le for a private lesson here.


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## princesa

*Thank you and yet more questions*

Hello everyone,

I do appologise for delaying so much to get back to you.
I have decided to take a tefl course with a teaching business english variant. The online establishment has links to schools all over the world and the course will be accreditted by the teacher's college in the Uk. However, I will teach via skype, I think I would feel more confortable on a one to one basis, at least at first.
I would like to ask however, stepping acide from the first subject, should I find a position for instance, as a call centre agent, speaking portuguese, would I just keep renewing my tourist visa or would the company still have to get me a working permit? How does the tax system work in Egypt? I am asking because if I ceasse being a portuguese resident, it would be silly to keep paying 21% as I do now. 
Finally, could you recommend either a beginner's course in arabic or a private teacher who would have lots of patience to teach me? My arabic equates to a few sentences which make any egyptian person smile every time I speak. I remembre a story in particular. I said to one of my egyptian friends I love falafel, so she asks me "and tamiyah"? "oh, no I have never had that", I answered, only to find out to my greatest embarrassment that both are falafel. I think my problem with learning arabic is I have not yet understood the gramatical structure of the language, besides lacking in vocabulary of course.
Well, I think I rattled on for ages now, do forgive me. It is only that I have always so much to ask I always think it is better to condense it all in one post and then I will bore all of you less. Thank you for taking the time to read my message.


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## princesa

*more questions tefl this time*

Hello,

I hope everyone is fine. I do appologise for asking endless questions but hope someone can help me. I have completed my tefl certificate. However, I am looking into online tutoring or small groups due to very little experience. Despite having very good grades, I am aware that not being na english native speaker will lower my chances of geting employment. My question is, what is the best way to get private students or convence potential employers that despite a puré accent, you can be just as accurate as english native speakers?
Thank you once again for your kindness in helping me. Have a beautiful day.   


MaidenScotland said:


> Welcome to the forum.
> 
> Visiting and living here are so different I would suggest if you can afford then come and live here for at least 6 months and then decided if you want to stay. Tell no one that you want to start a business as quite simply they will be around you like bees around honey, and you will be robbed. say you are here to write a book or something


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## princesa

I do appologise for the horrendous mistakes. For some reason, I am not able to edit the message.


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## Helen Ellis

Try this site to help improve your Arabic. It's compiled by a Brit and his educated Egyptian friends who lives in Hurghada (he does the geek stuff they do the Arabic). New things are constantly being added plus you can ask questions on their Facebook page. Apparently there is a new teaching section added recently. Accents do of course vary throughout Egypt, and how they speak in Marsa Matruah may be different from Hurghada, which is different from Cairo, Qena, Aswan etc.
Egyptian Arabic Dictionary: home page
It's available in lots of formats so you can have it on your phone too, and of course it's free.


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## Helen Ellis

I don't know what your spoken English is like but your written English is certainly better than some so called teachers I have seen offering English lessons. 
I started out learning Arabic with the Michel Thomas method cd's. It's not a comprehensive course but it gets you started with the basics need to get around, order food etc. It's expensive, but good.


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## princesa

*Thank you once again*

Helen Ellis,

Thank you once again. It is very kind of you to say so. I try as much as possible to minimize my portuguese accent. I have lived in the Uk for the last 12 years, in the midlands. I suppose that has helped me to gage people's accents in the country. The problem is convincing people I could be as accurate as english native speakers are. I plan to let students listen to a lot of news items, to cover my accent but as my tefl tutor said, even in Britain there are a lot of accents so I would be kind of excused for having one in a sense. 
Thank you for the dictionary and the cds too.  I guess the best way to advertise my services would be in shopping centres and so on. Does online tutoring work in Egypt? I don't think I would have any chance with international schools. I am not being negative, just being terribly realistic.


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## Helen Ellis

There are certainly online tutors in Cairo, but of course it doesn't matter where you are apart from being able to collect to fee. Regards advertising, in Hurghada Facebook works best, there are many groups covering all topics. I have no idea about other areas of Egypt.


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