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hi this is my first time writing a post so I'm a little nervous with the responses I am sure I will recieve I currently live in Australia and Insha'Allah marry an Egyptian soon I have kids and am thinking of making Egpytian my permanent home. Yes this will be my second marriage and to be quite honest with you all I had 4 kids but only have custody of 2 and yes the 2 i have custody of Insha'Allah will be comming with me . However I'm trying to learn as much as I can about the cultural change I will face, I am aware of many luxurys I see here will not be seen in Egpyt I am not a vain women , nails, hair jewellery is not my thing anyway, but, if by chance anyone else here has moved under a somehwhat similar circumstance and can enlighten me breifly a little more I would greatly appreciate it , many thanks for your forwarding replys.ollie Posts: 5 | From: Australia | Registered: Jan 2006
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If your kids don't speak Arabic then you need to put them in a private school. Will you be able to afford that?
kids are adaptable and mine has adjusted well to living here but she is bilingual and that is a big plus. I know some kids living here of parents that are working in luxor and they seem to be quite happy. Ok they have a much more privilage life than an Egyptian would with DVD's, comuters etc.
But if your household income is poor your kids will have an awful time as they will miss so much and their schooling will be all in Arabic and they will be given no help.
BTW in Egypt it isn't hair and nails that are a luxery it is more mundane things like meat every day.
-------------------- Jane Akshar UK Co-owner of www.flatsinluxor.co.uk Appartments and Tours in Luxor Posts: 2791 | From: www.flatsinluxor.co.uk, Luxor, Egypt | Registered: Jan 2003
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thanks for your reply akshar, yes, I have looked into private schooling there in Egpyt and yes that will be my intention to take them there. They are young girls aged 2 and 4 and alhamdoolellah they are young enough to take the change well I think. I plan to teach them arabic once I learn it myself and his family have been every so supportive with helping me out. keep your replys comming and if anyone out there could also let me know if there is some support group for foregin wifes, I'd really like to be well planned before my move, I dont intend on a reality check once i get there, I'm openminded. Many thanks ollie
-------------------- ollie Posts: 5 | From: Australia | Registered: Jan 2006
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Check this link out, you will find a number of groups for foregn women living here in Egypt and you can look around to find one that suits you. You will also be able to find out from these groups about the meetings that go on for foreign women here too: http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=women+living+in+Egypt&submit=SearchPosts: 4576 | From: Cairo | Registered: Jun 2002
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OLLIE.... you need to talk to my good friend RIVERGOD about this.....she's had a hell of a problem with her kids and schooling..... they are currently barred from attending, even though she has paid a years fees, bcs of some kind of paperwork formailty!!!!
Posts: 4238 | From: USA | Registered: Jul 2004
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Yes paper work can be a problem, my daughter had to wait a year for us to get paperwork from the UK but with children that young it should be easy. It is only if they have attended a previous school that they want notarised papers from the previous school before they will enrole.
-------------------- Jane Akshar UK Co-owner of www.flatsinluxor.co.uk Appartments and Tours in Luxor Posts: 2791 | From: www.flatsinluxor.co.uk, Luxor, Egypt | Registered: Jan 2003
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quote:Originally posted by ollie: hi this is my first time writing a post so I'm a little nervous with the responses I am sure I will recieve I currently live in Australia and Insha'Allah marry an Egyptian soon I have kids and am thinking of making Egpytian my permanent home. Yes this will be my second marriage and to be quite honest with you all I had 4 kids but only have custody of 2 and yes the 2 i have custody of Insha'Allah will be comming with me . However I'm trying to learn as much as I can about the cultural change I will face, I am aware of many luxurys I see here will not be seen in Egpyt I am not a vain women , nails, hair jewellery is not my thing anyway, but, if by chance anyone else here has moved under a somehwhat similar circumstance and can enlighten me breifly a little more I would greatly appreciate it , many thanks for your forwarding replys.ollie
Think long and hard before permanently moving to Egypt. It is not easy and I guarantee you that within a few months you will miss Australia. Your kids will suffer also as there is nothing really "functional" or entertaining for them to do here. Sure they are young now but as they get older you will see the damage that has been caused. I don't really want to say too much here on the forum but if you want to know the "truth" about living here in Egypt, send me a private message and I will give you the details.
quote:Originally posted by ollie: hi this is my first time writing a post so I'm a little nervous with the responses I am sure I will recieve I currently live in Australia and Insha'Allah marry an Egyptian soon I have kids and am thinking of making Egpytian my permanent home. Yes this will be my second marriage and to be quite honest with you all I had 4 kids but only have custody of 2 and yes the 2 i have custody of Insha'Allah will be comming with me . However I'm trying to learn as much as I can about the cultural change I will face, I am aware of many luxurys I see here will not be seen in Egpyt I am not a vain women , nails, hair jewellery is not my thing anyway, but, if by chance anyone else here has moved under a somehwhat similar circumstance and can enlighten me breifly a little more I would greatly appreciate it , many thanks for your forwarding replys.ollie
Please take your time in deciding what's in the best interest for your children and yourself. Sorry to hear that your children got splitted up after the divorce from your first husband.
BTW, I am having four children too (0 - 7 years old)! Take care and welcome to ES! Posts: 30135 | From: The owner of this website killed ES....... | Registered: Feb 2004
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My children under 8, adjusted great to their private school which teaches in English, but has religion and ARabic classes..they picked up well on Arabic but do have a tutuor at home 2 times a week for that, not too costly. The private schools are costly but not by dollars. The teachers seem well educated and plenty nice.. As for socialization and activities that is a diff. story. YOu just don't go play on the street here or even "Playdates" are not the normal thing. Clubs you must pay to join are the big thing here, for sports activities and playgrounds. I would visit first as someone said above, I am still non-adjusting after 1 and 1/2 yrs here. I miss most of the things I could be doing with my children back home, and you do not feel part of a community. But everyone is diff. so maybe you'll relish in it.
I will add kids adjust easier and they have and perhaps I am the one worrying about what they are missing when they don't. I just feel they aren't getting the whole package.
Good luck! Bring eduational workbooks and easier readers for your children..as they are very expensive and hard to get here..and you can still work with them at home to keep them up to par. I have found that to be my great tool.
Posts: 395 | From: Whereever I go | Registered: Jul 2004
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Did you end up paying extra for bus transportation for your children's school?
We are paying now for my daughter's first year of private school a KG-1, which is reasonably priced. But when I found out we'd pay LE3,000 for bus services I was shocked. ANd its a required cost.
Just wondering.
Posts: 5744 | From: Minneapolis, Mn USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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oh how wonderful! Thankyou all whom have made the effort to reply , I am extremely grateful. Oh yes to all above enquirying wether or not I'll visit, Insha'Allah I leave for one month on nearing the end of the year, Alhamdoolellah. Insha'Allah we intend to stay in Cairo during this period of time of course sightseeing is on the list as well lol. Yes my girls are young, and for this I am certain they will adapt much quicker than I . Thankyou MisplacedinAlex for your much appreciated suggestions this i had'nt thought of, bringing books with me. Once again please continue your replys , my fiancee is very honest with me and really at the end of the day it boils down to trust doesnt it, I've recieved many thruthful photos of Egypt and I am aware that there will be many things I will miss here in Australia , he of course will come here if I asked him bec he had already agreed. But his country is who is he, and yes sure u could say the same for me, but, family situations and ties seems to be stronger with his family than mine and I would love to share and be part of that. Many thanks everyone .ollie
-------------------- ollie Posts: 5 | From: Australia | Registered: Jan 2006
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Sonomod, yes, we did have to pay at our private school for bus fee I believe it was also around $3,000LE each child for KG2 and JR 1...(let me add that the bus driver likes to put my children up in front seat with him out safety belt-err!!)but last year we did the to and fro driving them and it was a hassle!! It is kind of worth it..but yes, they hit you with it all..Wait til you pay for the many school trips(not necc. educational trips) and costumes for parties or end of year recital type party! Also you have to have the exact uniforms and they do not wear well..We're talking like 2 or 3 sets each season each child..
Oh well hope it's all worth it in the end.. At least the mini-van comes door front here! No waiting in the street.
Ollie.......I also thought the family strong ties would be an asset as I came from large Italian type family and my younger yrs were full of great family celebrations, get togethers which I wished for my children too!..That can be a plus if you hit it off with the familia!!! But on the flip side all the holidays and get togethers are so extremely different that I find myself saying, "Oh my gosh, is this what I traded for?" Trust is so important but the male should know that a woman, wife, partners' feelings and difficult culture shock experiences are REAL, and I hope you have a patient man cause mine sure is! Books, child music Cd's , DVD's your favorite DVD's or new ones to watch over here, you have much more HOME TIME, arts and crafts what have you...I wish I brought more educational toys, or books etc. If you get teh English one;s here they are very pricey!! Crayola is out the roof.. Grab you some sneakers too for your child and they will most likely need black shoes for uniforms at private school..I know I miss my Shoe stores back home, yes, there are a plenty here but they usually don't have the same quality/sales..Do bring your favorite blankets etc. you need allot for cold winter nights.. (I thought I didn't need fleece, sweatsuits, but you do) Also any of your well used odd spices you can't find here! I even brought bins for toys collapseable, and fav. toys to acclimate young ones in strange environment you know the fav. stuffed ones, one baby, spiderman... I also recommend bringing your fav. cosmetics as they are quite diff. here. Tip: Mosquitoes are a nasty here bring child repellents...cremes
Coai Bellas...
Posts: 395 | From: Whereever I go | Registered: Jul 2004
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quote:Originally posted by MisplacedinAlex: Sonomod, yes, we did have to pay at our private school for bus fee I believe it was also around $3,000LE each child for KG2 and JR 1...(let me add that the bus driver likes to put my children up in front seat with him out safety belt-err!!)but last year we did the to and fro driving them and it was a hassle!! It is kind of worth it..but yes, they hit you with it all..Wait til you pay for the many school trips(not necc. educational trips) and costumes for parties or end of year recital type party! Also you have to have the exact uniforms and they do not wear well..We're talking like 2 or 3 sets each season each child..
Oh well hope it's all worth it in the end.. At least the mini-van comes door front here! No waiting in the street.
Well she doesn't have a wear a uniform. But her aunts obviously dress her like a minature version of themselves. That'll be another issues I will slowly deal with.
My daughter hates seat belts and is totally in belief that car seats are basically trampolines. Slowly Grandpa is tackling that.
Are there basic safety instruction for the child's first day of school? I remember the school bus driver giving us the lowdown on safety and not pissing him off with the principal standing right behind him. I wonder if this mysterious element called 'safety' is now going to make a permenant resident in my daughter's life.
But I learned my first aid, safety and extreme weather preparation in school so I am hopeing that some of that is done in these private schools. Otherwise I'll put together my own presentations for my next trip over there.
I just look forward with a tour of her school, introduction to her criticulmm and the resources of the school.
I loved school and I look forward to seeing her in school with her older cousin. Posts: 5744 | From: Minneapolis, Mn USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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Ollie, the biggest problem as others have already pointed out is schooling. You will have to accept the fact that their schooling will be inferior to your own, even if they are in private schools, as long as they are following the Egyptian education system. International system schools are horrendously expensive and you'll have to work very hard to earn enough fees for them. In fact, unless you work for an international company you won't be able to! That is the sad truth.
As for yourself, you need to come and live here for a while independently to see how you will cope with the socieyt and culture; this would normally be very easy but having two small children makes it a little more complicated.
Another point to consider is your other two children, how will you keep in contact with them? I would think your fiance moving to Australia (just one person) might be easier than uprooting three of you, and depriving two other children of their mother?
Posts: 1039 | From: Cairo | Registered: Sep 2002
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quote:Originally posted by citizen: Another point to consider is your other two children, how will you keep in contact with them? I would think your fiance moving to Australia (just one person) might be easier than uprooting three of you, and depriving two other children of their mother?
Excellent point!
Posts: 5744 | From: Minneapolis, Mn USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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I'm afraid there was no instruction from the bus driver about bus safety at our private school and No instructions either on emergency weather or fire drills, etc. I think this is a big oversight. They won't even take my advice about the children needing recess without eating during it..so I doubt they'd listen to the reasoning of safety issues... They do have a woman assistant on the bus so I think she monitors the children fairly well, she has been known to even get off the bus and ring me if I'm not downstairs as of yet in a.m. so that is nice! I did tip them twice well to watch my children like a hawk..Money speaks!
I just try not to dwell on it and it seems to be the norm no seat belts here no car seats really for babies...you see children riding on mama's lap in front seats frequently..or even standing with head out window! Lord my nerves! I want to scream out what the heck are you doing?
Posts: 395 | From: Whereever I go | Registered: Jul 2004
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quote:Originally posted by MisplacedinAlex: I'm afraid there was no instruction from the bus driver about bus safety at our private school and No instructions either on emergency weather or fire drills, etc. I think this is a big oversight. They won't even take my advice about the children needing recess without eating during it..so I doubt they'd listen to the reasoning of safety issues... They do have a woman assistant on the bus so I think she monitors the children fairly well, she has been known to even get off the bus and ring me if I'm not downstairs as of yet in a.m. so that is nice! I did tip them twice well to watch my children like a hawk..Money speaks!
I just try not to dwell on it and it seems to be the norm no seat belts here no car seats really for babies...you see children riding on mama's lap in front seats frequently..or even standing with head out window! Lord my nerves! I want to scream out what the heck are you doing?
Yeah I have the same reservations. It takes alot of efforts to close my eyes and pretend that car & booster seats never existed.
Though my FIL has looked into what 'safety standards' mean to westerners and I am thankful for that. Posts: 5744 | From: Minneapolis, Mn USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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I'm sure your fiance is doing the best he can, but has he ever visited Australia? Has he ever lived there? Have you ever been to Egypt (from your post, mentioning doing touristy stuff in Cairo, it seems like you haven't).
Any sane, logical person would be hesitant to uproot his/her roots and move to another country without first visiting that country for a considerable amount of time, and viewing that country with the eyes of a permanent resident.
To even consider such a move without extensive visits, much discussion and research when there's kids involved is simply reckless.
Egypt is a wonderfull place, but all parents try to give their kids a better and easier life than they've had. You need to be sure you can provide that for your kids in Egypt.
Posts: 2182 | Registered: Oct 2002
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hey ollie i'm egyptian and i just moved to sydney. if you want any information about egypt just email me at yasminefathy@hotmail.com and ill do my best to help you inshallah.
Posts: 4446 | From: Egyptian in Sydney | Registered: Mar 2005
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asalaam 3alaykom we ra7matullah sister Inshaa'allah all goes well with your move. I also will be leaving Australia for Egypt this year inshaa Allah. We should keep in touch if you want. susanna_sameh@yahoo.com
Take care and Godbless
Sana
-------------------- ===========Sana=========== Allah yesallemeku Posts: 45 | From: Sydney, Australia | Registered: Feb 2006
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Girls girls girls, I am pretty sure you ladies all met these men online. If the man really loves you tell him to come to you. If he is finished the army or has a release paper he can get a visa and come to you even on a student visa. WAKE UP ladies and smell the coffee. Why does a mother that has kids have to leave her home why he doesn't come to you. ASK yourself the question? Ask him why. Find out details about him first I am sorry but I have seen alot here in egypt alot alot of game playing. There are 80 million egyptians living here alot without work and alot fear the army. Wake up ladies! I feel sorry for these kids that have to uprouted from there home if he really loves you and wants to marry you let him come to you!!!!!!!!!!
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Asalaam 3alaykom we ra7matullah we barakatuh
Inshaa Allah this finds you all in the best of Health and Iman. I would just like to say to sweetprettylady, that it is wrong to judge someone or to assume anything without knowledge. Perhaps they met online but it is not your business and nor mine. If the move is for Allah then it is the best thing..did you not know marriage makes up half of Islam religion?
Godbless and fear Allah.
Sana
-------------------- ===========Sana=========== Allah yesallemeku Posts: 45 | From: Sydney, Australia | Registered: Feb 2006
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Asalaam 3alaykom we ra7matullah we barakatuh
Inshaa Allah this finds you all in the best of Health and Iman. I also agree that you should visit Egypt before living there. When my family went we saw many things that we couldn't get our mind around, even my moms husband who is moroccan, so you must be sure you can live like this. Anyway sis, may Allah guide you and your family and protect you always..
Godbless Sana
-------------------- ===========Sana=========== Allah yesallemeku Posts: 45 | From: Sydney, Australia | Registered: Feb 2006
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UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
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That'll be another issues I will slowly deal with.![[Mad]](mad.gif)
Slowly Grandpa is tackling that. ![[Embarrassed]](redface.gif)
I wonder if this mysterious element called 'safety' is now going to make a permenant resident in my daughter's life. ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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