środa, 24 lipca 2013

Miscellaneous survival tips

Egyptian time differs from other nations even though the time zone is the same. When you make an appointment with an Egyptian be prepared that the person might be even 1,5 hour late (but you will always have tome to paint your nails :-))

Egyptians don't walk very often. They always use cars or taxis. But when they decide to walk, they do it very slowly and never use pavements. It is also caused by the fact that pavements are full of trash and go up and down all the time.

When something is not working in your apartment, try to find another switch and make sure it's ON - your fan does not need to rest :-P

When buying anything always discuss the price - you will get a better one for sure. This concerns especially taxis (btw they are very cheap here).

Moreover, when sb tells you that he/she doesn't have the thing you want in the shop, always check personally if it's true -they are too lazy to do it and usually they have what you want.

During Ramadan try not to drink, eat or smoke on the street - first of all, its rude because people are fasting and among this - they can shout at you and say bad things about you :-P

Always take into consideration that there are some districts where the reception is weak or doesn't exist. Especially when you're waiting for an important call.

Beware of the power in the socket. It might destroy your charger and a new one will charge your phone for ages.

When going out, take a sweater - it can be REALLY COLD out there :-P

sobota, 20 lipca 2013

One day in a scarf...

It feels so unusual when people don't stare at you in the streets. I decided to make an experiment and wear a scarf on my head for one day. The reaction was really unexpected. I stopped being a foreigner.

I have also been invited to my employees home. It is amazing to learn all those different habits people have. And the cuisine is amazing!

Besides, I think I'm getting used to the sweetness of everything and riding a microbus became regular.

niedziela, 14 lipca 2013

Cairo #2

Pyramids are made from stone blocks as big as people. The best way to explore Giza is of course on a camel. Those smelly animals are very friendly however it takes time to get used to their bumpy way of walking.
Citadel, ahhhh Citadel of Salah Al-Din! The most spiritual place in Cairo. Surrounded by beautiful indoors you can feel warm breeze from the outdoors. It's a fantastic place to think and lead philosophical discussions. Especially during Ramadan.

sobota, 13 lipca 2013

Cairo #1

Cairo is so much hotter than Alex! There are more people, more cars and more horns in the air. Egyptian museum is a little bit boring, but "English-speaking" tour guide will make it entertaining for you. The greatest feeling comes when you walk between rows of tanks (feels like waking down an army-aisle). There is a lot more to do in the evening but when taking a Nile cruise always remember to check if something is not missing inside the engine :-P

piątek, 12 lipca 2013

Transport

Something interesting about Alex. People here love to drive cars. But they don't love to obey any rules. 120km/hour in the middle of the city? This is normal. They also don't use seat belts or traffic lights (it's always green) and you have to be very skilled to squeeze between thousands of cars. Everyone uses horns. This is the way to communicate on the street. You can even curse somebody this way ;-)
Public transport? It's so much fun! And if you are a beautiful girl you don't have to pay for a micro bus (btw girls shouldn't use it) :-D Trams have special carriages only for ladies. While driving a cab always remember to chaffer with the driver not to pay too much especially if you are a foreigner.
The most beautiful beach is in the North Coast and Ramadan kills all of your party plans.

piątek, 5 lipca 2013

Alexandria...

...what an amazing city! Everything is so fresh! It smells sweetly like hibiscus and smoke. Despite we are grounded we are having a great time :-) Monday's night out was amazing. I met many other interns - they are SO INTERESTING. All those cultures, habits and thoughts! I'm enchanted. I love the Egyptian yoghurt and the Serbian lunch.

My flatmates - meet them all :-D Meliha from Serbia, Shruthi from India, Jessica from China and Stavroula from Greece.




niedziela, 30 czerwca 2013

First of all

It is very inconvenient to get from Poland to Alexandria. However I accepted the challenge and the trip started. After a flight full of turbulence I was overwhelmed by the size of Cairo. I only flew above it but it was already stunning. Unfortunately because of the political issues I couldn't see the pyramids, so my day passed on waiting at the hotel near the airport for 20 hours. I never did so many crosswords as today. The only saviour was a cold beer.
There are still 7 hours of waiting for my flight to Alexandria :-D
Lesson #1In Egypt everyone is a smoker
Lesson #2 I should have bought a better swim suit
Lesson #3 A woman always follows a man. Rarely goes near him