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I have read through many of the posts here and obtained a lot of information. However, I would like to know more about residing in the land of of pyramids. Currently I am living in Taiwan and have been doing so for the past 3 years. I am starting to get that relocation itch. I plan on going back to the states and do my student teaching in order to complete my teaching certification and also get a MA in either Education or TESL. I also want to obtain a CELTA certificate. I have always wanted to check out Egypt and teaching has made it that much more possible. BTW I am 29 single and male. By the time I actually make my move I will be 30-31 and hopefully still single ;-)
So, I would like to know: Cost of living? Granted, the COL will vary from city to city. But, what is it on average? ie, rent, food, transportation, entertainment.I know that Egypt is not a "rich" country, but I assume that teaching english pays better than most jobs filled by locals. Here in Taiwan on average you make about $1,500us a month working 20 hours a week. You can get by on about 500-700us a month. Don't get me wrong, my motivation for wanting to work/live in Egypt is not money.... but it makes things easier ;-)
What city/cities are the best? I live in the old capitol of Taiwan in the south of the island. It is a smaller city and the expat community is close and cool(aside from a few oddballs). I enjoy the slower pace, lower cost of living, and friendliness of the small city. But i like to hang out in the big ones once in a while.
Jobs? What is the market like? What is a decent/average monthly wage at a private language school(in Taiwan they are called "cram schools" or bushibans)? From what I have read in the posts, the private language schools are similar to those in Taiwan: shady bosses who hire anyone that is "white" and just walks in the door.(that is generally speaking). What opportunities would I have with 4yrs ESL experience, a teaching certificate, MA in TESL or Education, and a CELTA? Is it better to line up gigs in schools and universities before arriving or try my luck when arriving. How about recruiters?
The people? Chinese are cool but because Taiwan is an island, most people here have limited or no personal experience with "out siders". For any of you who have lived in Asia you know what it means to be a "monkey". For those who do not, basically most Chinese do not honestly like "outsiders" and treat us like circus animals. But to be fair, there are "some" really cool and sincere people here. Are Egyptians like that? Are they more welcoming to "outsiders"?
Women? I am refering to local women. Asia can spoil a single western male. What is the general attitude about "race mixing"? Is it cool, or will some girl's brothers beat my a** for looking at her?
Night life? How is it? I dj at a few disco pubs here, would there be oppurtunity for me to do that in Egypt?
A question about degrees and certificates. What are the most useful and advantageous certificates? Which would be better: a MA in TESL or Education?
Any and all input would be much appreciated. The more details the better. I have found that a lot of the info given in the posts are sometimes too general.
posted
The thread started by English Muslim has a lot about cost of living. Essentially most people accustomed to living in the States or Western Europe will need about 6000 LE to maintain their lifestyle. That is about 1000 USD at the bank rate exchange, everyone uses the black market though. Black market is about 860 USD for 6000 LE. You can get by on less, though.
Alexandria and Cairo are the main cities if you want to teach English. From what you have said about preferring a slower pace and such, Alexandria is probably better for you and it is about 2 hours from Cairo. Cairo is a huge city with a much larger expat community and has more businesses that cater to expats.
Regarding jobs, I don't know anything about teaching English or the salaries teachers get, so hopefully someone else can help you there.
In Egypt we are very used to foreignors. Millions of tourists per year help keep Egypt exposed, and historically we have had lots of "visitors" Very welcoming to outside people.
Regarding women, most decent local women won't really be open to spoiling you as you maybe accustomed in Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, etc. Most (not all) Muslim women won't pay attention to non-Muslim men in Egypt. Some times a girls brother may get mad at you looking at her, but not typically. I would advise being careful about speaking to girls on the street though, depending on the area you are in. Most probably will just keep walking, some might get mad (I have seen it happen.) Talking to strangers can damage a girls reputation. Proper introduction is necessary. Dating is not very accepted but there are some (few) that are open to it.
There are discos in Cairo that you might be able to DJ at. Indigo is an expat disco for the most part, but some Egyptians attend too. I am not sure if it is open still, cause they had some legal problems a bit back with the landlord. Aside from that Cairo nightlife is just fine, and there are other threads that cover that. Alexandria nightlife doesn't have as much to offer unless you go there during the summer.
posted
Hello Michael: I was interested in your post because I too live in Tainan and just recently came back from Egypt, exploring the possibility of living and working there. You might want to rethink Cairo because Cairo has to be the most polluted place in the world (next to Mexico city). The air is so thick with the smoke of 2 million + cars on the road every day it makes breathing difficult. When I returned to Tainan I took a deep breath and said "ahh, fresh air" and you know what the air is like here, it's not the best. As for a Muslim woman for a girlfriend, forget it, the culture is very strict regarding the mixing of foreigners and locals. I never went to Alex., I was going to until somebody told me there was a building boom going on there and a mess. The rest of the country, Aswan, Luxor, Hurgada, you would have little luck finding a job. To work there, you would probably not make much money (the average wage there is 300 L.E. pounds per month, the equivalent of $75.00 U.S.) unless you were to work at one of the universities in Cairo. The people are incredibly friendly (once you get past all the beggars and rip-off artists) and I just loved them. They're totally different to the Taiwanese.
Posts: 8 | From: Taiwan | Registered: Feb 2004
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The pollution totally depends on where you live in Cairo. There are definitely the extreme spots, but there are clean air areas too.
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You can make quite a bit of money in Egypt depending on your qualifications. Language schools often pay between $800-1500 per month and there are many language schools in Cairo. Once you are certified and have at least two years teaching experience, you can apply at a number of international schools which pay between 1800-2500 dollars per month. The best way to find work at the better schools would be to attend the job fairs that take place in February of every year in the U.S., Canada and England. There's also a lot of money to be made in teachng privately. I had several friends who lived on that alone. And lived very well. My experience in Egypt was very positive. I think Egyptians take hospitality to a whole new and wonderful level. Yes, the pollution is pretty terrible, but I survived. If you have asthma, you may want to work elsewhere. Also, the chances of hooking up with a "local" woman are very slim to none. Hope this has helped some.
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Thanks for the info. What do you know about the CELTA program offered in Cairo? is it worth it?
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