General Chit Chat

[Huda at pyramids]

Salam Alikom wa rahmatulah, Umm Zineddine,
Ho Ho Ho, slow down, I'm not an expert, I just have some experience.
Though please take it easy on moving your family if you haven't been here yet. Life here is a bit layed back, sometimes, but in general it is not that different from Europe, and your son is making a point, for sure. I love Egypt very much, but I worry about the moment that my childeren have to start going to school. That point is still quiet far away because at the moment I don't have kids and as far as I know I'm not pregnant, so...... But is does worry me.
I really suggest that you come and have a look, a long holiday, anything, but please don't give up your stable life there before you really know what you're starting.
I'll tell you how I ended up here, then you understand my worries.
I was here in october 2005, for 6 days. In Holland I had a full time study AND a fulltime job. So these 6 days felt like paradise, truly like paradise, relaxing, layed back, sun, sleeping, swimming, and eating outside, was all I did. Woow, that was amazing.
But then....... I had to go back to my life, and that was not possible, I simply couldn't get myself back into that life. And on my second day back in Holland I made my decision. 3 months later I was living here, on the 26th of Januari.
I left my study, I left my work, I left everything, I sold my close to all my new furniture for 'free'.
And when I came here, I felt the paradise like feeling for about 1 week, but after that......
Then steps need to be taken, work, money, housing, responsibilities, friends, social life. Everything like in Holland came back, and the dream turned into a nightmare. All I had build up was gone, and I had to start all over again, but now without friends, without family, without background knowledge, a new profession, a new language, everything new. But I did it. I fell and stood up again, over and over again. But in the end I succeeded and I don't think about going back, I have a great husband, I have a nice job, and I'm very happy.
So I'm not saying don't make that step, what I say is, "do it, but be prepared, and don't take your childeren if they don't want, talk with them over and over again, about everything. But to talk about it, you need to see with your own eyes, and they need to see.
Don't make any decision, based on the eyes of somebody else. I'm not you, and you are not me, just come and look, feel, smell, taste, and especially try for longer time before you say yes or no.

Good luck,
Salam wa Rahmatulah

Huda

Originally Posted by Huda at pyramids

Salam Alikom wa rahmatulah, Umm Zineddine,
Ho Ho Ho, slow down, I'm not an expert, I just have some experience.
Though please take it easy on moving your family if you haven't been here yet. Life here is a bit layed back, sometimes, but in general it is not that different from Europe, and your son is making a point, for sure. I love Egypt very much, but I worry about the moment that my childeren have to start going to school. That point is still quiet far away because at the moment I don't have kids and as far as I know I'm not pregnant, so...... But is does worry me.
I really suggest that you come and have a look, a long holiday, anything, but please don't give up your stable life there before you really know what you're starting.
I'll tell you how I ended up here, then you understand my worries.
I was here in october 2005, for 6 days. In Holland I had a full time study AND a fulltime job. So these 6 days felt like paradise, truly like paradise, relaxing, layed back, sun, sleeping, swimming, and eating outside, was all I did. Woow, that was amazing.
But then....... I had to go back to my life, and that was not possible, I simply couldn't get myself back into that life. And on my second day back in Holland I made my decision. 3 months later I was living here, on the 26th of Januari.
I left my study, I left my work, I left everything, I sold my close to all my new furniture for 'free'.
And when I came here, I felt the paradise like feeling for about 1 week, but after that......
Then steps need to be taken, work, money, housing, responsibilities, friends, social life. Everything like in Holland came back, and the dream turned into a nightmare. All I had build up was gone, and I had to start all over again, but now without friends, without family, without background knowledge, a new profession, a new language, everything new. But I did it. I fell and stood up again, over and over again. But in the end I succeeded and I don't think about going back, I have a great husband, I have a nice job, and I'm very happy.
So I'm not saying don't make that step, what I say is, "do it, but be prepared, and don't take your childeren if they don't want, talk with them over and over again, about everything. But to talk about it, you need to see with your own eyes, and they need to see.
Don't make any decision, based on the eyes of somebody else. I'm not you, and you are not me, just come and look, feel, smell, taste, and especially try for longer time before you say yes or no.

Good luck,
Salam wa Rahmatulah

Huda

Another good read by Huda, what a lovely story with a happy ending. You should get together with Georgina, she has been living in El Gouna for a fair few years now and has a very similar story to yours Huda. I'm sure she will be happy to share experiences with you. So many people emigrate to different countries every day, unfortunately not all have such a happy ending. It is easy to be taken in by a beautiful setting, sun, sea, culture and a layed back life style. Being on holiday is very different to actually living somewhere. Personally, I adore Egypt as a holiday destination, but have no desire to live there permanently. Now France, for me, is a different story

[Lsab]

I've moved us here again ladies.

Yes Huda I agree, I think that this is a big step for Seloua but at least she speaks the language and knows the culture.

For myself, I wouldn't want my 15 year old son to move at this stage of his schooling. In fact we're moving back to the UK so that he can start his A level course there next summer. The International School at El Gouna is an excellent school but my friend who teaches there, will also come back to the UK when her son begins his A levels.

This is just my opinion though Seloua. Everyone is different.

[Lsab]

Originally Posted by SuziQ2708

Now France, for me, is a different story

Yep me too, as you know

[um zineddine]

Originally Posted by Lsab

Yep me too, as you know

hi ladies,
thank you very much for the advice, i am confused at the moment and like huda said, i need to go first and give it a try and lets the kids decide , they may like it, it is early to decide , we need to go and see with our proper eyes. at te the same i admire english people who live their,they left everything behind them and take an unknown adventure and they are enjoying the egyptian life, eventhough everything is new for them and they could adapt easily and me my first language is arabic, i share the same religion and the same culture, it should be much easier for me, but maybe not for my kids who grow up in UK??????
god help us.:

[um zineddine]

Originally Posted by Huda at pyramids

Salam Alikom wa rahmatulah, Umm Zineddine,
Ho Ho Ho, slow down, I'm not an expert, I just have some experience.
Though please take it easy on moving your family if you haven't been here yet. Life here is a bit layed back, sometimes, but in general it is not that different from Europe, and your son is making a point, for sure. I love Egypt very much, but I worry about the moment that my childeren have to start going to school. That point is still quiet far away because at the moment I don't have kids and as far as I know I'm not pregnant, so...... But is does worry me.
I really suggest that you come and have a look, a long holiday, anything, but please don't give up your stable life there before you really know what you're starting.
I'll tell you how I ended up here, then you understand my worries.
I was here in october 2005, for 6 days. In Holland I had a full time study AND a fulltime job. So these 6 days felt like paradise, truly like paradise, relaxing, layed back, sun, sleeping, swimming, and eating outside, was all I did. Woow, that was amazing.
But then....... I had to go back to my life, and that was not possible, I simply couldn't get myself back into that life. And on my second day back in Holland I made my decision. 3 months later I was living here, on the 26th of Januari.
I left my study, I left my work, I left everything, I sold my close to all my new furniture for 'free'.
And when I came here, I felt the paradise like feeling for about 1 week, but after that......
Then steps need to be taken, work, money, housing, responsibilities, friends, social life. Everything like in Holland came back, and the dream turned into a nightmare. All I had build up was gone, and I had to start all over again, but now without friends, without family, without background knowledge, a new profession, a new language, everything new. But I did it. I fell and stood up again, over and over again. But in the end I succeeded and I don't think about going back, I have a great husband, I have a nice job, and I'm very happy.
So I'm not saying don't make that step, what I say is, "do it, but be prepared, and don't take your childeren if they don't want, talk with them over and over again, about everything. But to talk about it, you need to see with your own eyes, and they need to see.
Don't make any decision, based on the eyes of somebody else. I'm not you, and you are not me, just come and look, feel, smell, taste, and especially try for longer time before you say yes or no.

Good luck,
Salam wa Rahmatulah

Huda

assalaam alikoum,
i agree with suz it is a happy ending machallah, and the most important thing is you have a good husband a good support. at the end you succeeded, well done.
i wish you a happy and stable life forever enchaallah. baraka allaho fiki.
salaam

[britishegyptian]

I would just like to add that children are very resilient.
Although my experience was in Bahrain, I brought my two kids over there as I was working in Saudi and they spent the best 18months of their lives over there. They returned to the Uk because of my contract finishing in Saudi. However, they never forget about their experiences there. They now understand the cultural differences, learnt arabic very quickly and had multi-cultural friends which definatley opened their minds.
I went to work in Saudi as a project manager - which is very difficult for a woman and spent three months over there overcoming lots of challenges, however, when I managed to get my "pass" out to Bahrain it was worth it.
Coming to Egypt is a doddle and the Red Sea area is much more European than other areas that I have been to in Egypt.
When I was in Bahrain I created a guide for all other european nationalities that went to work there so it became easier for them to adjust.

[um zineddine]

Originally Posted by britishegyptian

I would just like to add that children are very resilient.
Although my experience was in Bahrain, I brought my two kids over there as I was working in Saudi and they spent the best 18months of their lives over there. They returned to the Uk because of my contract finishing in Saudi. However, they never forget about their experiences there. They now understand the cultural differences, learnt arabic very quickly and had multi-cultural friends which definatley opened their minds.
I went to work in Saudi as a project manager - which is very difficult for a woman and spent three months over there overcoming lots of challenges, however, when I managed to get my "pass" out to Bahrain it was worth it.
Coming to Egypt is a doddle and the Red Sea area is much more European than other areas that I have been to in Egypt.
When I was in Bahrain I created a guide for all other european nationalities that went to work there so it became easier for them to adjust.

hi,
are you living in egypt at the moment? if it is the case, what about you kids is it easy for them to adapt?
seloua

[Lsab]

I think it is different though for Europeans going to live in Egypt (or Bahrain !). There is a very different social life for instance. It's hard for me to explain really and I'll probably just annoy you all!!!

For instance britishegyptian, you liked to come to Baharain because you were away from the restrictions of Saudi. It's great here for a western lifestyle - cinemas, clubs, pubs, theatre loads going on etc ......if you're not a muslim. As you say Hurghada is more European than other areas and most of what you miss about home you will be able to find there. Seloua is a muslim and as such she will face the same things in Hurghada as she is trying to leave behind.
For her it's not so much about adjusting to a new way of life but being able to find the life that she is hoping for. The children will come across the same temptations as they come across in the UK - maybe not quite so much in your face, but there all there all the same. Once she spends some time in Hurghada she'll be able to see for herself of course.

I know I haven't explained as well as I would have liked to - I should try harder!!!

[noushkey]

Don't worry Noushkey, Noushkey loves you, just cos not a single person has replied.

Signing off this forum for good......