About ElizabethDrachman

Currently Lives:

atlanta, GA, United States

Citizen of:

United States

Some Forum Posts:

United Arab Emirates: Pets & Health Care:

I am an American journalist moving to Dubai in August. I lived in Cairo for the last two years and although i have never been to Dubai, I know a lot about it. I am fully aware that the sexual harrassment I received over the last two years in Egypt is practically non-existent in Dubai, and I know that it is 10 times more modern on every level. Two things I would love some more info on, however, are 1. Pet info, and 2. Health care. Specifically: 1. Besides an international pet health certificate, what other govn't paperwork do I need for my cat? And is it paperwork that I can do prior to the move or do I need to do it upon arrival? 2. As for health care, my company covers me 100% but will not cover my spouse. Does Dubai have walk-in public health clinics? Are they good and are they affordable? (We are not on a fat ex-pat package.) Thanks for any info ! 2.

Egypt: Moving to Cairo:

Are you kidding? Egyptians LOVE children. When they see your blonde, they will run up to her, grab her cheeks and shower her with kisses. It is VERY rare to find an Egyptian who doesn't like Americans  UNLESS your last name is Bush.

Egypt: moving to cairo with children:

Raising children in Egypt is safer than any single American city I can think of. And I have lived all over the US, in large and small cities. I have lived here almost two years in utter safety. Egypt has less than 100 murders A YEAR. In a country of 70 million people. Name one American city that could ever, ever boast such safety. The most dangerous thing in Cairo is the pollution. The air is so bad here it is the ONE and ONLY reason I would never raise a child here. Reason No. 2 is health care. You cannot trust the hospitals here. Make sure your child's health is top-notch now, and she should be fine. Live only in Maadi, where the air is a little better than the rest of the city.

Egypt: looking for work and friends:

What kind of work are you looking for? My company, a media company, is always hiring. There is lots of work here for ex-pats. Check out www.careeregypt.com and www.skill-link.com. There are tons of ways to make friends too. In Maadi we have lots of ex-pats orgs and sports teams. Check out www.csa-egypt.com.

Egypt: Australians in Egypt:

There are lots of Australians here, plus Americans and Canadians. As far as a gathering, your best bet is to to go to the Aussie Embassy and find out about their events. They are very nice there, much nicer than the american embassy. As long as you guys locate in Zamalek or Maadi, you will meet tons of ex-pats. There is also a rugby and football team here that both have aussies, brits, americans and canadians. Cheers

Egypt: Roadtrip: Cairo to Libya!:

ive been on that road..a lot of fun...i went to Siwa on that road. Siwa is fantastic. close to Libya but you can't cross the border. i also have friends who did cross into Libya down in the southern part of egypt, but they did that illegally.

Egypt: Guns and Dancing in Cairo?:

yes on dancing...there are about three or four modern dance studios (not cheap though unless you are making dollars)...guns? I don't think so but I could be wrong though...once I saw people shooting skeet at a resturant on the Nile and they do have country clubs called Shooting Clubs, but I don't think they shoot there anymore...

Egypt: Living alone in Cairo:

Michelle, You can totally live on your own. There is no problem because you are not Egyptian. They expect Western women to live alone if they are unmarried. However, you need to be mentally prepared for all the harrassment you will receive here. Let no one tell you it is easy. And it doesn't matter if you are married, or tell people you are married. The simple fact is that because you are foreign, they assume that you will act like a prostitute. This is no joke. I have been here for over a year and the harrassment never ends. I dress extremely conservatively. I didn't even bring shorts or short skirts at all. I enjoy walking and being outdoors and because of this the price I have to pay is being hissed at, yelled at, propositioned and even groped (about 6 times). Just be prepared. Don't be scared. You can fight it because the Egyptians won't fight back. Learn bad words in Arabic and use them. It does work to make them leave you alone but it doesn't make it go away. Elizabeth D.

Egypt: AUC Grad Student-Moving to Cairo:

Michelle, Did you see the posting on "marriage"? This is exactly the kind of harrassment you will get from Egyptian men. When they say they want to be your "friend" this means they want sex. They will even resort to pathetic email flirting and suggesting marriage, In Egypt, marriage is about convenience and money, not love and certainly not respect. There is a famous saying here: "In the rest of the world you date to get married; In Egypt, you marry so that you can date." It is sad really. There are also tons of men here who are looking to marry Westerners so that they can leave Egypt. Beware.

Egypt: American help Working/ Relocation to Cairo:

I am also relocating to Cairo for work. As far as I understand, you will still have to pay US taxes even if you have no salary from the US. nice, huh? when do you go? My husband and I will both be there by July. It is possible that my new job will need IT folks.I will keep your email handy.

Date Joined:

4/15/2002

Total Posts:

21

Posts/Day:

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