This topic is aimed towards foreigners living in beautiful Egypt. Probably most people arrive in Egypt because of their own will, many with mixed emotions and a culture shock in the beginning is considered normal. Life settles in for most people and you are getting used to your surroundings. But there are times when you become homesick, you miss your country, your "old" place.
What do you do? How do you manage to get over that difficult period?
Would like to know how you deal with your feelings and emotions.
Netherless whenever you feel homesick I hope it doesn't last too long because Egypt is a fun place to be - well most of the time!
[This message has been edited by Tigerlily (edited 07 April 2005).]
I came to egypt ,cause i was blaind of love..for egyptian man..
I was stupid..i didnt think what kind of life is here, i just wanted to be with my love..
First year goes,and everything was exciting,new,,,,I was missing to my country very much,and i travel several times to there..but when i was there,i miss my love so much,that i cannot enjoy my time there..
Now after 3.5years, i start to feel more happy here. I started to think more about good things than bad..
I have wonderful husband, lovely dog,lovely house (soon..),sunny days,lazy days..cooking..lovely sea..
I started to feel more strong..i dont care if some stranger make headache for me in a street..or some buss driver try to take my money...
But i stil miss my country,my family,friends...very much..But we try to travel 2 times per year to finland, it help a lot. and people from finland travel to me..and they bring to me things what i miss,and it makes me so happy..
Very small things can make me so happy...it was not like this before..so maybe i learn something about the life
Problem for me is,that i have too much time to think...i 'm not working,just at home..
I like it like this..i like to give 100% for familylife..or at least 60%...40% i could give to work..if i someday find something..intresting.
Anyway, internet is best way to help me get over my homesickness..i can talk with people..actually internet keep me very busy..so i dont have time miss so much..
First i was thinking,that we live in egypt 5years...then we go to finland...but now,i change my mind..and we stay 5years more..
I am scared go back to finland...and start life again..to change everything again..
But i want do it,someday...
Now i'm happy here..even sometimes i hope that i have a gun...
Dont worry, trueth is,i cant kill even mosquitos...
[This message has been edited by puppy (edited 08 April 2005).]
There are pros and cons but for me the pros far out way the cons. I miss being able to get good Japanese food but I don't miss the rain. I miss bacon/sausages/pork but not commuting 2 hours each way to work.
Actually I can not think of anything else i miss but loads of things i don't.
Hanging washing out to dry and it gets rained on or the house is littered with damp clothes.
Dark dismal days, no sunshine, no blue sky. I got an email today from someone in the UK and she said snow was forecast. I am basking in sunshine.
Only the house opposite to look at, if you look at the view from my balcony www.flatsinluxor.co.uk and then thing of a normal view froma british house. Yuck
Having a huge extended family for my daughter and me.
No give me Egypt any day
Highs, I am a few steps from the beautiful Alexandria Beach Road, which I take walks on nightly with my husband, and we can see the sea from almost every window in our home, its beautiful.
Lows, I sometimes get irritated by the constant nagging of little kids constantly begging, it disturbs my solitude, and some of them are so persistent, they will not leave, just stay their whining and begging, and some will even follow you, this can be irritating. Even if from time to time you give them a pound or piaster, they are not grateful at all, they snatch it from your hands and run away, there seems to be no escaping this, except for when I'm with my husband he knows how to make them back away.
I miss my friends and family, but I talk to them online, and like Puppy said, the internet does help out a lot, at least you can download the latest songs, you can't find here, and keep up with everyone.
I can find almost everything I need as far as shopping, and that's a good thing.
But no matter how much you try to adjust and fit in, you will always feel like a foreigner in a foreign country, and that can sometimes get lonely, especially if you don't live in an expat community, which we don't.
Some days I'm filled with excitement, and others I feel so down and depressed for no reason whatsoever. Has anyone else ever experienced this? Is this homesickness or culture shock?
But what can i do..my husband feel same way for his parents...and not want leave them..
I can only hope,that my parents get a long life..and when we move to finland,they are stil in life..
Life is full of hard choices..
Anyway we try to do our best..and also enjoy from the life,and live everyday with happiness .
What I don't miss: Neighbours who never smile. The rain, wind, ice, snow (in April!).
What I have found: Helpful ex pats who I am glad to call friends. A different way of cooking (adapting to not being able to get things). The beautiful Red Sea. The generosity of most Egyptians and last but not least, the sun.
The toughest time I had was my break-up with my Egyptian fiance. Everything seemed so sad and useless. I couldn't stand to walk around anymore where we used to go. I wanted to leave so bad, nothing made sense anymore, I wanted to go back were I came from - my home.
But I had some great friends, helping hands and I stayed....... and the pay-off was I landed a great job.
For the most part I missed my mother, her voice and her cooking. There was a time when I didn't have much money and I was just able to call her only every 3 to 4 weeks. Imagine me at the post office doing a 3-minute-call to my mommy to Germany. It was tough. I had also couple of friends coming and visiting me in Cairo. Most of them loved my interesting life there.
The most important thing is definitely to have friends - close people - to get over homesickness and make you feel stronger again - or you take a trip back to your homecountry, if you can afford it.
[This message has been edited by Tigerlily (edited 10 April 2005).]
quote:
Originally posted by akshar:
I don't know whether I am lucky or just unfeeling but I have not experienced any hoemsickness since i have been here. That is nearly 2 years now.
quote:
Originally posted by Alana:
I had friends hospitalized with dysentary,I myself was so sick from food,( keep to bottled water )always,watch the food.
Typical for americans, to my mind, to let themselve sbe hospitalised for something they think is dysenteria. Well no harm as long as US helath system compensates to egyptians. But otherwise, 99% it is not food, it is your hands, alana. Your hands are dirty, learn to clean your hands before eating Egyptian food. Nothing wrong with it, just with you yourself (just get used to the idea, like the rest of normal people do, that sometimes, accidentally, the wrong may be in yourself)
quote:
Originally posted by nevermind:
Typical for americans, to my mind, to let themselve sbe hospitalised for something they think is dysenteria. Well no harm as long as US helath system compensates to egyptians. But otherwise, 99% it is not food, it is your hands, alana. Your hands are dirty, learn to clean your hands before eating Egyptian food. Nothing wrong with it, just with you yourself (just get used to the idea, like the rest of normal people do, that sometimes, accidentally, the wrong may be in yourself)
What about the many tourists who become sick from food, have diarrhea on their vacation etc. So everyone is dirty then? And they should just clean their hands before eating Egyptian food????
Nevermind, you hardly let one thread out on this forum to attack a person. I could talk the same way like you talk to others but I won't........ ain't worth it. Guess I know how to treat idiots (in your own words).
[This message has been edited by Tigerlily (edited 09 May 2005).]
quote:
Originally posted by Tigerlily:
[B] What about the many tourists who become sick from food, have diarrhea on their vacation etc. So everyone is dirty then? And they should just clean their hands before eating Egyptian food????Nevermind, you hardly let one thread out on this forum to attack a person. I could talk the same way like you talk to others but I won't........ ain't worth it. Guess I know how to treat idiots (in your own words).
B]
I ate food from the vendors in the streets of Egypt and never felt bad for any of it. I wish I could get koshury and shwerma like that here! Actually, food is relative to the location where you eat it....
I went to Santorini Greece once and there was a food vendor selling roasted meat on a stick with a sort of sweet spicy peanut sauce over the meat. It was so rich in taste, I could only eat two sticks worth. I asked the man what that delicious food was, and he promptly told me it was donkey meat. I should have concluded it was some poor donkey because they were the only common animal on the island! (I just hope it wasnt the poor donkey who carried me up to the village from the shore)*sniff* He was sooooooooo yummy!
Never tried donkey meat before...... at least I don't think so.
Well, I came to Egypt when I was only 20 years old, was never abroad before (is a trip from Germany to Poland considered abroad?), just finished my training and worked for a good year, I was reading some books about Egypt to get an idea what I was going into and here I was - in a totally different country and culture. But I didn't want it any other way, I chosed the way I wanted to go. I planned on to stay in Egypt for one year and go back home, settle down etc. - but everything came different. I stayed good three years and many things happened in the meantime, I moved, got married, had kids and lived in some other countries (because of my husband's profession).
But my heart is still back in Egypt, especially in Cairo. So somehow I am homesick for this wonderful place too. The years I was able to spent in Egypt was a life-changing time for me. And it was mostly because of the friendlyness and kindness of the people, thank you.