# Best and Worst



## Nick Pendrell

For those of you already living in Egypt - what are the best and worst things about living there?


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## Malak

Best things are the people, the weather, the 24hr get anything you want at any time, children can go everywhere, the fresh food. In Cairo, the Shoubra markets, bartering,family.
Worst things are the constant baksheesh (or expected tipping), costs of living are high against the standard salaries, as a women, the constant hassle and not just for forigen women for all.


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## alottogive

i was out there twice last year with 2 different woman, one was touched up by a shop owner and the other one by a taxi driver whilst i was in their prescents.


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## Malak

Unfortunately it happens, but it seems to be getting worse. Depends where you live, but if your in Hurghada it may be more so as its a tourist area, alot of guys come from the Luxor Quena area's to work and are not used to seeing scantly clad girls. Cairo on the other hand has too many people, with too much time on there hands and just hang about. You should have said to them, would they be happy if you man handled their mother/sister/daughter/wife? I bet you would get a totally different reaction


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## Nick Pendrell

It definitely is a problem.

I had a Japanese girlfriend in the mid-nineties (that was the decade by the way, not her age!) who had just finished a two year stint in Cairo and absolutely loathed all the attention she got as it was neverending.

While my sort of current girlfriend was there in October, she ended up getting attemptedly raped and ended up spending the nest day in hospital as she had to fight him to get away.

It was partly her own fault for being so naive and over-friendly and having too much to drink, but even so, women really do have to watch themselves over there.


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## alottogive

the 1st time was in a antique shop with one and the shop person asked if she wanted to look at some things on the 2nd floor he put a necklace around her neck and started rubbing him self up and down her leg saying Cleopatra and sorry lady sorry lady she had to call me to get him to stop


and last November was with a different person and was in a taxi with two people from the hotel was on the roof of hurghada village with the man and the driver got in the back with the two girls saying he was cold putting his hands on her breasts and crutch


i am now thinking of going with my mum next time she is in her 70 and has not had any attention from men for years


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## Nick Pendrell

You're right - it happens all the time.

It was the same in Turkey. My girlfriend was a professional dancer and likes to dance and within seconds she'd have a huge crowd around her. I've never come so close to clocking someone in all my life.

Fortunately at 6' 3", I towered over them all and so they backed off when they saw the look on my face which said that I wasn't going to put up with much more of this.

Which is a good job as I'm a complete softy really and if it had come to a rumble, I'd have ended up getting beaten to a pulp!

Being the jealous type though, I can imagine that this is going to be a constant source of immense irritation to me.


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## CMChris

Is there some sort of phrase that would make these 'brave men' back off? Or is that to much to expect that they would take any notice. 1 thing I would say is that if you do get man handled then kick them in the shins good and hard, dont bother going for the ghoulies as that kick has to be higher and takes longer, by which time they've moved out of reach. If they're behind you just heel them down the front of their shin and as all of you have probably wacked your own shins in the past you'll know how much that hurts. You could follow that up with a knee in the face when they collapse with the pain and voila summary justice


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## Nick Pendrell

I don't think that Egyptian men are intrinsically bad, it's just that they jump to conclusions easily.

To them a friendly returned smile mean 'I want to sleep with you'. I think women just have to be friendly but firm with them straight from the get-go and there won't be any problems.

I certainly don't think that Egypt is a dangerous country. I think that the guys realize that if the police ever got involved, then the local would be the one getting into trouble.


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## lyndsay552

Maybe I can help here. I currently work as a Police Trainer in the UK and one of my areas of speciality is personal safety training (PST) I cover everything from un-armed defence to pepper spray and eventually batons. I will be moving to Hurghada within the next 6 months, so ladies, I may start up an expat self defence class, if there would be a market for it???


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## j4hurghada

lyndsay552 said:


> Maybe I can help here. I currently work as a Police Trainer in the UK and one of my areas of speciality is personal safety training (PST) I cover everything from un-armed defence to pepper spray and eventually batons. I will be moving to Hurghada within the next 6 months, so ladies, I may start up an expat self defence class, if there would be a market for it???


Lyndsay,

That would be great we could have it one night a week, should be a bit of fun too.


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## lyndsay552

It would be. Just as long as we don't all just stand around talking!! ha ha


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## j4hurghada

so your still going to take the plunge and move over, did you have a look at the schools while out there.

This weather is making me all the more wanting to take the plunge. April will be a turning point in our lives hopefully.

As you can see lyndsay I am trying to keep myself busy, we have not heard anything yet but I am sat by the phone.


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## lyndsay552

We're definately going for it. We are in the process of securing land for our kennels which should be directly facing our apartment. I am hoping to do some courses in the next few months, from everything from running our own business to dog grooming and welfare.

With buying the two properties last week we are no longer in any hurry to sell our own house and can just sit back and wait for the right price but as you say the weather is so bad the sooner the better.

We didn't look at any schools because we don't have children but i did hear that the school in El Gouna is 5000 dollars per year but I think the one in Hurghada is about £500 per year but don't quote me on that.


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## j4hurghada

i have checked with a couple of schools, el gouna is coming in at about £2700 wher sunshine school is £1550 per child per year I would love to know the prices of St Josephs but can not find site, If anyone can help that would be a bonus.


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## Rood 200

*Maybe it where I stay*

I'm actually quite shocked at what I am hearing. This is the first I have heard of it in Egypt. But then I haven't been "clubbing" yet. OR it could be the fact that the locals always mistaken me for being egyptian. 
I'm really sorry to here of these awful happening ... the only thing i can think of to say is "safety in numbers" ?!


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## demon diver

CMChris said:


> Is there some sort of phrase that would make these 'brave men' back off? Or is that to much to expect that they would take any notice. 1 thing I would say is that if you do get man handled then kick them in the shins good and hard, dont bother going for the ghoulies as that kick has to be higher and takes longer, by which time they've moved out of reach. If they're behind you just heel them down the front of their shin and as all of you have probably wacked your own shins in the past you'll know how much that hurts. You could follow that up with a knee in the face when they collapse with the pain and voila summary justice


dont blow this out of proportion,my wife and i have travelled all around egypt several times,met some fantastic people and yes a very small few undesirerables.if you cannot get your point across in english and you do feel treatened shout POLICE as loud as you can.the surrounding local people will assist you as they dont want to loose tourists due to a few idiots.in general i feel a lot safer in egypt than i do in some parts of my own city,and i speak the same lingo.
its the same all around the world,just be careful and dont go there if you feel threatened.


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## j4hurghada

I have been to Egypt loads of times and never had any problems with the locals (very friendly bunch) the only problem we had was with the Russians in the hotels. I feel alot safer in the towns than in the Hotels.
You can get more trouble going to the shop here than in Egypt.(THUMBS UP FOR EGYPT PEOPLE)


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## demon diver

j4hurghada said:


> I have been to Egypt loads of times and never had any problems with the locals (very friendly bunch) the only problem we had was with the Russians in the hotels. I feel alot safer in the towns than in the Hotels.
> You can get more trouble going to the shop here than in Egypt.(THUMBS UP FOR EGYPT PEOPLE)


totally agree about the egyptians,and the russians who we have come across so far.give it time and i hope they understand the way things are done in egypt


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## Margaret Butler

I am living in Cairo at the moment and the advice we women are given on arrival is: If you don't want problems, cover up. What we tend to do is keep a light shirt in the car and put it on when you are outside. It is no big deal. I think you have to remember where you are and that customs are different from at home. 
We were also told that you don't really have to cover up to the same extent in the Red Sea resorts so I am a bit surprised to read about this.

cheers,
Margaret


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## Deeana

Best things about Egypt: the consistently hot dry weather, the friendliness and politeness of the people, the low cost of living, the excitement of driving in Cairo, the new airport, new tunnel, new roads to the Red Sea, New Cairo, the new American University, City Stars shopping mall, the sound of a million sparrows going to roost in trees on Tahrir Square and drowning out the sound of traffic.

Worst things about Egypt: the hawkers at the Pyramids, the sight of starving cats, wild dogs and overworked donkeys, the state of the roads in the poorer areas, piles of rubbish on street corners, the run-down condition of Heliopolis, taxi drivers who cheat on fares, the fact that the description of a dish on a menu rarely matches what you receive on your plate!


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## leyte6519

*Expat Self Defense Class*



lyndsay552 said:


> Maybe I can help here. I currently work as a Police Trainer in the UK and one of my areas of speciality is personal safety training (PST) I cover everything from un-armed defence to pepper spray and eventually batons. I will be moving to Hurghada within the next 6 months, so ladies, I may start up an expat self defence class, if there would be a market for it???


This is a great idea. I bet you can get one started.


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