Setting up shop!

I don't know just how easy my blogging is going to be... already it was an all-day affair just to set up my page! With three small children, it made the task become an event but as always, I managed to finish in time to clean up, dispense the nightly chocolate milk and tuck everybody in the bed.

I'm ready to share my experiences with everyone on my journey to making the move from my home here in New York to Cairo within the upcoming months... this is something my husband and I have discussed back and forth for the last 4 years as we agreed when I was pregnant with my eldest child, my daughter, that when she reached school age we would pack our bags and make the move so many of our other friends had already done. Most left for the same reasons with the desire of educating their children abroad so that they would be exposed to the best possible education both academically and Islamically while others left for the sheer experience of saying they lived for a period of time in the land of the Pharaohs! For the last 2 years I've been shipping suitcases with my friends travelling back and forth so when we exactly make the move, I would have all my heart desired there to set up my home- my husband told me I was crazy for buying all these things but us women know what we like and the things I can get here in New York is definitely not available over there! He'll understand when it all comes together...

My last visit to Cairo was this past January when I packed up myself and the 2 kids at the time (I was 2 months pregnant then) along with my girlfriend who owned a flat there in Al Rehab (nice compound) to make sure I wanted to make the commitment of moving for sure- and with a little more time on my hands to look around than my first trip there which was beginning of last year, I decided that as long as I lived in an area that had all the things I would need on a daily basis including a good all around school for Maryam, that making the move wouldn't be so bad. I proceeded to buy a washer/dryer combo, lights, fixtures, etc. to start preparing a flat to move into. Anybody who hails from there or ever lived there knows that the apartments only come with sinks and a toilet! Talk about being shocked when I looked at a few places to rent... but it gives you the opportunity to make the place as nice as you would like or keep as bare as you would like- still it was a challenge trying to shop at the flea markets for goods with the little ones (my daughter was 3 then and my son was 1) but with the help of my girlfriend and her driver/friend there named Osama, we made it happen! This man was our baggage handler, private driver, negotiator, friend and confidant. He's good friends with my friend and her husband so she passed him along to me in a sort of way since she just moved to Saudi Arabia to live... I've been calling him back and forth as he's looking for an apartment for me since I didn't find one I liked while I was there. He sends me pics via cell phone and we text constantly as to "yes" or "no" to what he has found- may Allah reward this hard working brother for all his help (Ameen).



It seems kinda strange to actually jot down all that flows thru the mind to share with the world... lol



I look forward to sharing my thoughts with all of you as the entire process unfolds- be sure to check back in and if anyone knows or can suggest an area in Cairo that perfect for families with young children, please feel free to drop me a line! I'm looking in New Cairo just outside Al Rehab because inside the compound the rent has skyrocketed to an extreme degree so it's not worth it anymore although it's nice but not that nice for what they're asking. I know Maadi is a great place for expats and the greenery is definitely a plus in my book but I don't want to have to deal with very heavy traffic and the smog- not good for the babies!



Comments are welcomed from one and all