Process of Moving to Cairo (November 2007!)

This post draws together lots of posts I made during the last month before actually moving myself from London to Cairo in November 2007.

Companies I used:

(a) to arrange for my cats:

http://airpets.co.uk/ all you have to do is sort out the various injections and microchipping for the cats in advance. They handle ALL paperwork. They get the cats in 7 days before the flight, make sure they are well enough to fly, take them to the plane. (My only caveat is they didn't really have any idea about what would be involved at the Cairo end. Because animals MUST fly 'unaccompanied cargo' from Heathrow (even though you may well be on the same plane as I was), they are delivered to the mysterious depths of Cairo International Airport cargo area. You seriously MUST have Egyptian contacts this end. See my blog posts specifically about the cats for more information.

(b) to ship my piano:

http://www.allfreight.co.uk/ - great service - I entered my request on their website - I said 'piano box' - and within a couple of minutes of pressing SEND, they called me to ascertain exactly what I wanted and said they would make a special crate for me. Couldn't have asked for better service. (Separate blog post about collecting the piano this end!)

(c) to store my belongings for a few months:

http://www.safestore.co.uk/ - I used one of the Bristol storage facilities. They were very helpful and when I finally removed my stuff from storage, they knew the service I used for that so I did not have to be present.

(d) to move my stuff from storage and also do a run from London for me for another purpose:

http://www.taxitruckbristol.co.uk/ - again, great service and reliable.

(e) to give stuff away (without charge)

http://www.uk.freecycle.org/

I joined relevant Yahoo Groups local freecycle groups in London and South Wales to give away things - very successfully!

Plus lots of belongings went straight to local charity shops.

THE LAST MONTH BEFORE THE MOVE IN GORY DETAIL

2nd November 2007

I have spent 5 hours this morning just filling in paperwork, scanning, emailing, faxing and all to do with cats, things at home, baggage, shipping ....

Who knew emigrating could be so hard and I've still got to deal with banks, letting agents, mortgage company, freeholder, phone company, electric company, blah blah blah..... as well as developing my business.................................

I am cream-crackered as we say in these parts and I need CHOCOLATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


comment: good luck and enjoy the chocolate!!

3rd November 2007

Yum Yum I did and again today

One of the things I am transporting is a 65kg, full size digital piano. I got quotes from 3 companies to transport it to Cairo by air freight. The quotes ranged from £279 - £303 (excluding insurance).

I have accepted the most expensive quote, from Allfreight International, because Donna from the company phoned me within minutes of me pressing the 'send' button for the online quote, to find out exactly what my requirements were, spoke to her colleagues and came back to me, and their quote INCLUDES making up a special box to transport the piano! (Which I have partially dismantled so its reasonably flat). The other 2 companies could have done that but didn't and I would have then had to pay out for some kind of packaging material.

Anyway, thought I'd let other peeps know for future reference, and I will let you know how they actually perform!

comment Btw you still have to pay tax and customs for the piano.

Response to comment by me: Yes, I am trying to find out how much

5th November 2007

This is the trash heap which my flat is at the moment - things pulled out all over the place for decorating, packing, deciding... 3 weeks to sort this pig sty out

(Warning - occasional adult language!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwTpHXc6zlg

Wasn't too bad yesterday and the day before, got loads done - friend came round to help Saturday so we managed to keep it quite tidy while we were working, and got a handywoman in yesterday to do various handyperson jobs involving wood, saws, drills and other bits, but doing it on my own is SO depressing coz I don't have the energy to keep it tidy while I'm working.

Still - out of chaos shall emerge order or some such

7th November 2007

I'm knackered. I just finished packing up my piano after several hours of hauling it about. It weighs 65kg - its at times like this I can see the value of a physics degree the amount of levers and 'frictionless slopes' I've had to construct tonight out of a random selection of bits of wood and old metal shelves is amazing.

I had to wrap it in sheets, newspaper and bubble wrap because the freight co are going to construct the shipping box for me. I hope their driver doesn't have a blue fit tomorrow!

Comment: LOL I thought you were going to say you could see the value of having a man I think the story of this piano is going to be a great saga. Good luck with the rest of your packing.

My response: Na, a physics degree is more exciting

Comment re ealier post: Muhahahaa I did it all 2 years ago so I know your stress..it's a lot isn't it!!?? The most difficult thing is doing everything to stop or end at the same time....I was selling my car like mad at the last minute, it was all a headache. Once you get on the plane you will breathe a sigh of relief!

7th November continued...

Yeah - just sold my entire record collection for £200 - including what he called my 'pile of shame' (which he said was 'remarkably small'. Tubular Bells came back out of the pile when I told him side 1 was TB (V2001), but side 2 was pressed with Gong - Flying Teapot (V2002) - second ever Virgin Records pressing! He said it was the tastiest collection he'd seen for ages

and again.....

Yeah cheers the piano has left the building - the piano has left the building.....................


8th November

comment: LOL ty for this... InshaAllah I'm soon to follow so its nice to get an idea for what im up against. Biggest problem I forsee.... hmmm I really dunno. I dont expect to be taking much, three bags at most... im not really planning to ship much just what I can carry with me, and my kiddo. I guess that will be the hardest part, lol the four year old.

comment re video of mess: OMG I thought my daughters bedroom was bad enough LOL - by the way you have great taste - same fridge/freezer as me LOL. Hope you have done more packing and you are able to put the hoover on without the entire contents of your flat disappearing up it. Good Luck

8th November continued...

LOL its looking a lot better today - losing the piano and the record collection (which you can't actually see in the vid because they are hidden in the junk) freed up a load of space so we could actual start manouevring stuff around to finish the decorating.. nearly done

9th November 2007

Was just informed by the freight co that the piano including packing is 108kg
No wonder it was so tough to move about!!!

So anyway, the freight cost is somewhat higher than they initially quoted (which was for 68kg - I allowed 3kg for packing - bit dim I know ) so further charges to be deducted from the plastic fantastic - I've given up counting now!

12th November 2007

Right, I made a decision today about storage. I just can't sort all this crap out in the time remaining (17 days from now I shall probably be over Alexandria on the plane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) so I have got a quote for storage at a place in Bristol - its quite reasonable actually - for a 20 sq.ft x 8ft high room (about 4.5 cu. m.) its about £340 + insurance (for 6 months). So that's probably what I'm gonna do.

Now I've just got to put thumbscrews on - I mean ask nicely - my sister and her hubby to do 'man with van' duty!

There's actually half a chance that I could sell the stuff for the amount its going to cost to store - but I just can't sell it in the time available to me. (Anyone want a trumpet for £175? LOL!)

comment: I can only pray that my husband will be able to find employment in Egypt so the organization/company will take care of the shipping of our household! What a headache it must be for you right now to organize everything, Oldbag!!!

12th Nov continued...

Too right - mind u, I have known I'm moving for many many moons now so its my own stupid fault for being 'deadline-orientated' as we procrastinators like to say

All I'm saying is thank God for Flylady (flylady.net) - if I hadn't spent the past 5 or 6 years gradually decluttering (over 1000 books for example in the past 2 years!) it would all be A LOT WORSE!!!!

15th November 2007

Ok guys, I need some help. I have before me a small collection of bottles of perfume and oils bought from 'My uncles/aunties/sisters papyrus gallery and purveyors of fine oils' emporium in downtown Cairo over 2 years ago (yes, I was that tourist...)

Cost a load and I am NOT bringing them back - the risk of spills etc etc, for a load of old oil. Please give me a kick up the ass to BIN THEM NOW..

All ass-kicks welcome!!!!

comment: Any thing you have not used in the last 6 months ....get rid of it.....that means every thing, perfume, clothes, oils, shoes etc....

15th Nov cont.......

Not the shoes - on account of my ginormous feet (size 10 UK, 12 US and 44 Eur!!!!) and the impossibility of buying shoes in my size that not only fit, but also don't look like a couple of coalbarges, they stay - as I have a lifetime supply.

And what about the 4 million useful computer cables? - geek heaven - guess I'll freecycle those to some deserving geek somewhere!

16th November 2007

Ok oils and perfumes now lined up next to toilet so can make nice smells when it flushes

comment: You are very funny! You made me laugh.

16th Nov continued ....


Right - just booked and paid for the van for next Thursday.

Luton van with tail-lift - 2 days hire for £110.75 including VAT and insurance. Will also have to donate cash to the sister/hubby combo and pay for diesel.

comment: OOOHHH it's all coming together now!!

comment: sell on Ebay, then you can get money as well as declutter

response to above comment by me: Nice idea, but I just haven't got the time or patience for Ebay - I have a hard job just posting letters let alone parcels

19th November 2007

comment: Are you all ready Oldbag? What have you got left? And how long til you go, a week? You must be so excited!!!

19th Nov cont ......

11 days from now, I should be wending my way through customs at Cairo inshallah!

I've got 3 packing days left to decide what's coming, what's storing, what's staying in the flat for tenants and what's getting charity/freecycle/bin ned AARRGGHHHHHHHHHHH

Naturally enough, given that I was away this weekend at a conference and am so tight to time, I decided that Friday morning really was the best time to set up a new internet forum for a group I am a member of - nothing like a deadline to get the creative juices flowing I always find

My purrbabies are leaving for Heathrow Pet place on Thursday, my stuff is leaving for storage on Friday and I shall be accompanying it to get a last couple of days in with the parentals before I leave!

Then I will have 3 days next week I have to clean and paint 9 doors in my flat, gloss my skirting boards, paint the hall ceiling with special cover up now-dry damp spots from the flat upstairs, paint the windowsills, finish painting the kitchen, get an inventory done of all the stuff staying in the flat done, clean all the furniture, shampoo all the carpets, go and visit kitties in the Heathrow place so they know I haven't abandoned them, get rid of all remaining items, pack up my computer stuff to come to Egypt (laptop, sound card (ext) and a few bits), find a home for the tv and printer until I come back in Feb for a couple of weeks and can get them down to the store!

Oh dear, I've come over all faint, I better go for a lie down. I have a feeling chocolate is going to find its way into the shopping bag again before the week is out

comment: purrbabies! I love it!

comment: oh you poor thing, so much still to do and so little time, but I am sure you will do it....well you HAVE to!!! I wish you all the luck in the world making your deadlines and eat lots of chocolate to motivate you!! x

comment: Holy moly woman, that three days of fixing up the flat better be fueled by lots of caffeine and chocolate. Not sure how else you'll make it!!! Wish you the best with it though.

21st November 2007

Photos dudes - how many of your precious photo albums did you bring????
Do I keep them here and scan photos in and bring gradually or what?
I'm scared stiff of losing them en route but they weigh to much to bring hand. And no, I don't have the negatives!

comment: How about emailing them to yourself and printing them off when you get there?

response to comment by me: Coz these are actual photos from the land that time forgot before digital so I would have to scan them all in - many many hours of work

comment: Could you take the pictures somewhere and pay to have them scanned and then put onto cd's? I guess it might cost a bunch for all the work, but you don't have the time and they're too heavy to take. Alternately, just take small bunches at a time, leaving the balance in storage until you can get to them.

comment: Oldbag, this is your last day with your precious pussy cats, I hope parting with them tomorrow wont hurt too much, you will see them again soon

comment: darling OldBag if you are reading this, then you are being a bad baaaaddd girl, and not working on packing up your stuff.....so get back to it, woman !! only a week away !!!

22nd November 2007

I didn't read it til today! I was a VERY good girl yesterday and did not put my computer on AT ALL even for 1 'just a peak at my email'.

(The cats left today and it was traumatic. The guy with the cage didn't understand when I said hold it opening up so I could drop my girl cat in, and kept holding it sideways. She escaped and fled in terror to the top-most cupboard in the kitchen. It took me nearly half an hour to get her down and in the end I had to resort to something really bad to get her down - shan't tell you because I'm ashamed of it but there was no other way. She left me with very bad scratches and in a rage. My boy cat was much more subdued. He loves his mummy and noone else. I am very upset too - if anything happens to my beloved cats en route and our last time together was this - doesn't bear thinking about.)

25th November 2007

Hello each - well had a VERY stressful 2 days - piling all my crap into a van, my sister and her hubbie and me all driving from London to Bristol, getting stuck in a horrific traffic jam, moving my crap up to the 7th floor of a warehouse building - moving beds around the countryside, moving big beds up narrow staircases in my parents home, blah blah blah.
I woke up in the middle of the night having a panic attack about the amount of stuff still to do before Wednesday night (travelling Thursday!), gave myself a good talking to - no point panicking, better sleeping

The absurdity of paying out for storage for stuff that I could buy new if I needed it ----- but the problem is, you can't think straight when you're surrounded by the crap. The other problem is how could I get rid of it by Thursday if I didn't do this - no guarantee of any sales by then, and what would i do with it if it didn't sell? My family have no space to hold my stuff and all live miles away.

Anyone here contemplating a major move - start getting rid of your stuff NOW!

Sister reclaimed the oils that had yet to be flushed away - I think I know what people are gonna be getting for Xmas!

26th November 2007

Well people, the enormity of it all finally hit me this afternoon. I was in Asdas (Walmart) about 20 mins ago, peacefully doing my shopping and it all suddenly came home to me. Before, I haven't spent more than 2.5 weeks in Cairo in one go - so I know during my time I've done my shopping locally, in Carrefour, Hyperone, Metro, Khaer Zaman, but from the end of this week I will be doing all my shopping there, for more than 2 weeks.

Having spent several hours today making phone calls, writing letters to various places with a change of address, and visiting banks to change my address, I think I've now got 'pre-wedding nerves' is about the nearest description I can put on it - sort of excited, anticipation, its too late to go back now kind of feelings all mixed up.

I am so grateful to the people that I know in Cairo waiting to welcome me.

I decided to leave all my photoalbums at my parents house for the time being, together with my entire CD collection and do exactly what you say there - take in small bunches.

comment: good luck old bag, have a safe trip and i wish you a wonderful life here

comment: 3 more days to go, Oldbag, ARE YOU READY????

26th Nov continued....

No AARGH its all getting too real!

Tonight though, I put an email on a group local to me asking if anyone could take my stuff that I need til the last minute on Thursday morning but which couldn't stay in the flat (tv, radio thingie, subwoofer & speakers, two printers, various duvet, pillows etc) and I got contacted by someone connected to an adults with learning difficulties group who will take it all on Thursday morning so I'm quite pleased with that - it will be going to a good cause.

28th November

comment: Tomorrow is THE DAY for Oldbag! Good luck with the travel and have an easy start in your new home!!!

22.5 hours til I leave the house and I'M IN ABJECT PANIC gotta go and buy new clothes - can't bring these old dishrags to wear, gotta get everything in to 3 suitcases including my computer - Ahh Ahhh

Bought cheap gloss paint and it still isn't dry 24 hours later - Ahh Ahh

PANIC PANIC PANIC.....................

comment: Oh yes I can imagine! But make sure you keep your passport and airplane ticket nearby; these are the two things which really matter right now!

28th Nov cont...

Why on why do clothes look nice in shop windows and rubbish close up?
I've bought stuff but not happy.

I have just spent (and am still holding!) 1.5 hours on the phone to numerous customer service departments closing utilities, changing addresses and so on. Give me strength - 22.5 hours I should be in the air - my flights an hour earlier than I thought - good job I checked the ticket eh! I forgot about the hour change so it still arrives in Cairo at 2305 but sets off an hour earlier UK time.

I think I'm gonna sign off the 'puter now for the last time in Blighty and so I can pack the computer items away. So next time I write, ISA I will be there!

Bye byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

30th November 2007 (post arrival!)

comment: Oldbag, congratulations on your move and I hope you enjoy your new home!
I'm sure you'll be happy to be with your kitties again. Have fun settling in.

I will blog some follow up posts later.

Purchase of Property in Egypt - British Embassy Advice

BRITISH EMBASSY ADVICE ON BUYING PROPERTY IN EGYPT:

Advice

Purchase of Property

British nationals have purchased land and property in many parts of Egypt. Some have encountered problems. If you intend to purchase land or a property in Egypt we strongly advise you to engage a local lawyer in whom you have confidence. A list of English speaking lawyers is available on this website. You should deal only with established and reputable lawyers and estate agents or with other contacts whom they know to be reliable and genuine, and you should make all payments within bank premises and/or through banking channels and not in cash.

In parts of Egypt and increasingly, in the area of the West Bank in Luxor your land or property tenure rights can be severely curtailed by local legislation. It is important that your lawyer obtains an extract from the local land registry to satisfy you that the property or land in question is formally registered. You should again seek legal advice before entering into any contract. Don't sign anything that you do not understand. A list of translators is available on the British Embassy, Cairo website (see above). You should ensure that your personal details and the full purchase price of the property are reflected on the deeds.

The British Embassy is unable to interfere with court or legal proceedings. Neither can it lobby, intervene or provide updates to British nationals involved in land or property disputes.

End of Advice.

My comment:

And for those of you buying property with your Egyptian 'loved one' DO NOT PUT IT IN HIS NAME - it is not required and you will have NO claim on it if things go pear-shaped.

And that goes for bank accounts too.

You are legally allowed to hold property and bank accounts in your own name, even as a foreigner, and no, it's NOT HARD to do and it IS worth the 'fuss'.

Egypt Public Holidays and Daylight Savings Times 2010 & 2011

STOP PRESS: APRIL 20TH 2011: NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE NO DAYLIGHT SAVINGS IN 2011

Al Masry Al Youm 

Ahram 

This is a list of the Public Holidays - straight copy from: World Travel Guide Please note that last year, there were some errors in their dates, so if you spot any please let me know!

I will add the daylight savings days as soon as I find them out! As Ramadan will be falling in August this year and July next year, there is a slight possibility that there may not be any but I will update as soon as I know anything.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2010-December 2011 period.

Holidays

2011

7 Jan *Coptic Christmas Day.

15 Feb Birth of the Prophet.

25 Apr *Sham el-Nassim (Coptic Easter).

25 Apr Sinai Liberation Day (Sinai only).

2 May Labour Day.

23 Jul National Day.

30 Aug - 31 Aug Bairam Feast (End of Ramadan).

12 Sep *Coptic New Year.

6 Oct Armed Forces Day.

6 Nov - 7 Nov Grand Feast.

26 Nov Islamic New Year.

2010  NOTE SHAM EL NASSIM - it is 5th APRIL (many sites on the net are stating 27th/28th April).

7 Jan *Coptic Christmas Day.

26 Feb Birth of the Prophet.

5 Apr *Sham el-Nassim (Coptic Easter).

25 Apr Sinai Liberation Day (Sinai only).

1 May Labour Day.

23 Jul National Day.

10 Sep - 13 Sep Bairam Feast (End of Ramadan).

11 Sep *Coptic New Year.

6 Oct Armed Forces Day.

16 Nov - 17 Nov Grand Feast.

7 Dec Islamic New Year.

Note

(a) * These holidays are not official, although Coptic Christians may observe them. (b) Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes the Bairam Feast, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Some restaurants are closed during the day but most tourist attractions and hotels are not affected. Some disruption may continue into the three-day Grand Feast itself.

.

Makan Center - Saad Zaghloul St, Downtown, Cairo

Imagine a multi-layered music – a Miles Davis base, with a large quantity of traditional Egyptian flute music, Sudanese drumming, a cup of Osibisa, just a pinch of Jan Garbarek and the tiniest hint of Led Zeppelin and you will have some idea of the wonderful music produced by Nass Makan.

On Tuesday night I went to a concert at the Makan Center with friends. It was my 5^th or 6^th visit to this amazing little venue in DownTown Cairo, right by the Saad Zaghloul memorial and bang opposite the property tax office. When I say ‘little’ it is TINY. I estimate maximum capacity around 120 people and that would be cramped! The atmosphere is intimate and embracing – you feel very much part of the performance there.

The Makan Center is run by the Egyptian Center for Culture & Art whose stated aims are:

“... to record and present traditional music and musicians in Egypt as vibrant and renewable cultural resources that bridge Mediterranean and sub-Saharan African cultures. ECCA further encourages efforts to re-awaken the multi-layered complexity of Egyptian culture of music and arts, to return the music to the critical role it has played in the daily life and imagination of the Egyptian people, to counter the trend to isolate it from its original communities, to share this rich resource with the world community and, by presenting it in new contexts to encourage perception of this music as a resource for creativity.”

It is very much aimed at keeping the traditions alive and evolving without relegating them to touristic curiosities.There are usually two performance residencies a week on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings - Nass Makan and Mazher respectively, at 9pm and it costs 30LE on the door to get in, 20LE if you reserve in advance. On Tuesday next, though, there is a Sudanese evening.

Nass Makan brings together Egyptian and Sudanese musicians and adds a new twist. This was the group performing on Tuesday:

From right to left: the 'double-flute' player (sorry I don't know the correct names of the instruments) and next to him the 'single-flute' player. Then we have the saxophonist and the trumpeter. The guitarist is sitting in the front there.

The rhythm guitarist is not very clear in this picture, but he is in the corner between the trumpeter and the drummer.

Moving round and down you see the women drummers (traditional style drums) in the left hand corner and a male drummer sitting next to them. He also took a solo turn singing and drumming later. At the front you can see the guy who played the traditional stringed instrument - reminiscent of a harp.

There were 3 main singers taking solo turns. Unfortunately, the photo of one of them did not come out, but here are two of them:

This guy was the main singer. I have seen him perform several times now.

This woman also appears regularly and she took the floor twice as a singer and traditional drummer.

The evening kicked off with a piece very strongly reminiscent of Miles Davies. I didn’t make notes because I thought I would remember – but I should have if I’m going to play ‘reviewers’ any time soon as I can't recall the exact order of events now.Over the course of the evening, various blends of music came with echoes and hints of different jazz and blues performers from my past as I mentioned above. It really was the most fantastic time and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.

Another great time is to be had at the Mazher evenings where women performers very much take the lead with a blend of Egyptian, Sudanese and African music. Even though I don't understand the words, it is obvious that some of their songs are very witty and maybe a bit cheeky.

There are also occasional guest musician evenings, I went to one starring a Sudanese female drummer (and rhythm maker - she used a giant pestle and mortar to make the sounds for part of her set) and people were all up and dancing. Actually, I think she is the one performing next Tuesday evening!

The venue

As I said above, it is tiny. There is a downstairs performance area where most of the audience sit, mainly on wooden chairs or on floor cushions. There is also a very small upstairs balcony area.

In the interval, there is chai (no milk) and kirkadee (hot) to be had. There are no canned drinks of any sort.

There is a toilet in the entrance lobby - with the name The Control Room on the door. It is unisex and there always seem to be small boxes of laundry detergent in there - I have been several times over the past 4 years and it is always there! I think there is another toilet towards the rear where the artists' dressing room was, though I think that this may now have moved part way up the staircase.

The venue itself is very easy to find. Come to Saad Zaghloul Metro station which is one stop from Sadat metro station - Tahrir Square - on the Helwan branch. Come out of the metro, take the Mansur Street exit. Look across the road and you will see the huge SZ memorial. If by chance you come out of a different exit, find the SZ memorial along Mansur Street, turn so that it is on your left, and walk up the street not very far at all, and you will see the Makan Center immediately on the first corner after the memorial. Prior to the performance you will often see a crowd of people outside so this should be a strong hint! I timed the metro journey on Tuesday, and from descending the steps in Tahrir to Sadat Station, to actually arriving at the front door of the venue took exactly 10 minutes. Really, there is no need to drive there at all.

It is actually walkable from Tahrir in about 20-30 minutes if you check out a map first.

Many people are not aware of the Center's existence, including taxi drivers, and the name Saad Zaghloul is very difficult for foreigners to pronounce so if you are planning to use a taxi - or even may need to ask for directions - it is as well to have it on you written in Arabic:

سعد زغلول

If the worst comes to the worst, it is almost directly opposite the Property Tax Office at 15 Mansur Street so you may have more luck asking for that!

Here's a link to the street map.

Note that the black Ms are Saad Zaghloul Metro station. There is actually another entrance in a straight line with those towards the bottom of that map and you may well come up that one (it's the one I almost always come up so it's as well to know it's there!)

Note also that there are no cafes or eating houses to be found near there (well not that I have managed to encounter yet) so eat before you go there.

And most importantly, have a GREAT time!!!

Here's a link to the Makan Center Facebook group: ECCA