Job Discussion Forums

[Ally951]

Hello --

I've recently applied to work with special needs children in an "Canadian-Egyptian" school in Cairo. I am hoping I will get the job, but in the meantime, I wanted to see if I can find out what to expect living in Cairo.

I have a B.Sc. and MSW (social work) in from U of Toronto - thus, working with special needs falls within that realm. I would also be interested in teaching English privately to supplement my income there ($1200CA/mth - I don't know what that translates into LE). How difficult would this be?

Also, I am incidentally Asian and female - how would that impact my interactions with Egyptions, if at all? And dress? I keep reading "conservative", but this may be relative...should I keep myself fully covered, even during the summer months?

Finally, I would definitely be interested in learning Arabic while there - how easy would it be to attend language courses (cheap or free) or to arrange language exchanges?

Anything other pertinent info would be appreciated, thanks to the mediators for your help,

Cheers,
Alice

[veiledsentiments]

It sounds as if you have done your homework and read lots of the information that is already here.

To add to the dress question... the key is not to display too much skin. No shorts or short skirts or sleeveless blouses... also avoid skin tight knits. It really is just common sense if you have some knowledge of Islam and its conservative nature.

Most Egyptians have no real strong 'stereotypes' of Asians, so that shouldn't be a problem for you. You should have no problem picking up some private students, especially through contacts from your school. (though you may be restricted from giving private lessons to their students...)

There are many places giving Arabic lessons, so that should be no problem. Once you get settled, you can check out the ones near your work or your flat.

Have fun...

VS

[Ally951]

Thanks for that, VS.

[QatarChic]

Hi ally

Do you know where your school will be based? As VS said, there are lots of places where people can study Arabic...one good one is in Heliopolis called the ILI for more info just go here:

http://www.ili.com.eg/

Egyptians are very friendly and open, and you being Asian will not cause you any problems...in fact they will be very curious if no welcoming you have to remember that Cairo is very cosmopolitan its a huge city...when I was there I met lots of people from the Far East as well as other nationalities.

Enjoy the travel posibilities that Egypt has to offer too....when its cold in he winter go down to Aswan...when its hot in the summer....go up to Alexandria...

Good luck

[Ally951]

I have the address, but it doesn't make sense to me. If that makes any sense. (G21 - Dream Land...6th of October, Cairo Egypt?) I will look into ILI, which I've been reading about off this forum.

Thanks for the tip on traveling around, I'm just not sure if I will be given time to do so (one day off, I believe) nor have the funds. Hopefully, having some private students may afford me the opportunity.

Cheers.

A

[veiledsentiments]

There are enough interesting sites in Cairo to keep you busy on weekends if funds are restricted.

I couldn't get into the website, but I suspect that your confusion is related to names of locations of their schools. All will eventually make sense when you get there... or sort of anyway...

Part of the challenge...

VS

[eyda]

I wanted to see if I can find out what to expect living in Cairo.

Cairo's AWESOME, if you like adventures. There's sooooooooo much to do. Try and get housing somewhere other than 6th of October so you're closer to things. That's a new development west of the Nile, past the Pyramids, for nouveau-riche Egyptians.

my income there ($1200CA/mth - I don't know what that translates into LE).

That should be around 6000 LE/mo. Housing should be given to you in addition. With that salary you can live well, but unless you're getting some salary in a real currency, be aware that you CANNOT get US or CAN dollars anywhere but on the black market. Banks will not take your LE and give you a viable currency. SOMETIMES, Thomas Cook will let you change a set amount when you buy a ticket out of the country from them. I, for one, was unaware of the non-viability of the Egyptian pound when I went to Egypt, and as a result had BAGS of LE upon departure!

Also, I am incidentally Asian and female - how would that impact my interactions with Egyptions, if at all?

Okay, I'm going to disagree with the others. My best friend here is Korean, and gets hassled as much as blonde Westerners. However, Egyptians can be VERY cruel to some Asians...Korean parents at my last school eventually withdrew their kids from a so-called Canadian school, which couldn't stop the bullying. I taught a Japanese-Egyptian kid who had been bullied his entire school career...
In my experience, most Egyptians don't appreciate cultural diversity as much as you do in Canada.

As for Arabic, there are tons of places to learn...you could swap English lessons for Arabic ones. As for tutoring, there are TONS of opportunities...the Cairo Korean School could keep you hopping in all your free time. Actually, one could earn your salary tutoring alone, because Westerners pay REAL $$ (US - 20-30/hr) for their kids' tutoring sessions, especially in Maadi, Heliopolis, and I would bet 6th of October. [color=blue][/color]

Cairo is great, and so are most Egyptians. And you can't beat the shortened work day in Ramadan, so soon approaching! Enjoy

[rana]

dreamland is a new planned community/ suburb. far from downtown about 40 minutes? you can make more money tutoring and there are plenty of copy editing opps. for the egypt today, etc mags. hopefully the copy chief will post those jobs soon i advised her to do so on this website.
btw, i think you can get dollars now and the exchange rate is 5.8 to the dollar.

as far as dress/ behavior? yes, be conservative. you dont want to attract attention to yourself in any way, sleazy attire, no sloppy attire either and dont be flirtatious or friendly with men (or in general, a classic example is a friend of mine who was new and was laughing and smiling and giggling while on her cell phone in a conversation w/ an egyptian male friend -we were riding a microbus home and she brought on the attention of everyone on the bus - i was embarassed for her and myself), unless you are seriously interested. even if you're not interested they will still be

hth,
rana

[veiledsentiments]

I just want to make a comment about the issue of being Asian. Bullying is often a problem in the Arab world's schools. But, it is the same for all the non-locals. Eyda is right that these often overcrowded school lack discipline and a concept of multi-cultualism. Children can be cruel little creatures.

As an adult and a teacher, I doubt that she will have problems any different from any other non-Muslim, non-local... Whether you are a 'westerner' who is blonde or Asian, you will draw attention, sometimes unwanted, especially from men. One must take care to avoid giving the wrong idea by being too friendly or trusting of the local men. But, mostly it is a matter of using common sense.

VS

[Ally951]

Eyda, Rana, VS --

Thank you! That information helps so very much. I do have a bit of concern for what I may experience as an Asian (Korean-Canadian), but as VS said, just merely standing out will bring attention - it's what to be expected.

Eyda - do you know the address of the Cairo-Korean school? I think that would definitely be to my benefit in terms of finding potential English students... The liaison I spoke with said that I may be able to recruit students at a nearby hotel...The Pyramid Hilton Hotel, I believe.

I feel that I'm jumping the gun as I haven't gotten the job yet - but all this information helps tremendously.

Cheers,
Alice

[eyda]

The Cairo Korean School is in an area called Kattamaya (Ah-ta-may-ah). There are a million schools out there, off the Ring Road, on the way to Ismailia. It's pretty close to the Choueifat School. As you'll learn, directions are vague in Egypt! Call the Korean Embassy if/when you get to Cairo and they should be able to hook you up (if their phone is working yet out there).

Out where you'll be is a Japanese school - somewhere out near the Pyramids. Again, the embassy may help. They pay $$$.

Maadi has Cairo American College, and they actively recruit tutors, and you're guaranteed REAL money there.

Yes, VS is right, as an adult you may not experience any more harassment than elsewhere. I add, however, that the owner of my school proposed firing four teachers at the end of the first year: Indian-Canadian, Chinese-Canadian, Arab-Canadian and African-American. Prejudice was certainly alive and well there. Among the students, strangers are treated differently, but the children of visible minorities (Africa, South America, Asia) certainly got the short end of the stick, in all three schools I did business with.

And VS also makes the biggest point of all: be very wary of Egyptian/Arab men. They're LOVELY, but in 99% of the cases, they don't see you, but rather a potential passport to get themselves out of Egypt. Be reserved/cool with them to save yourself numerous headaches. And remember, we Westerners are all 'loose', in their eyes...

Good luck with the job. As long as you go to Egypt with your eyes open it's a FANTASTIC experience.

[Ally951]

Hi Eyda, VS, Rana...

I just found out that I'm being offered the position at the Cairo school! I wanted to share this you guys, and get your input. I haven't replied to the email yet, because there is one thing that makes me hesitate: they did not interview me. I had applied to the position, sent in my covering letter and resume and afterwards, exchanged a few emails about living/working in Cairo (much like our discussion here), and then just today, I received an email from the director telling me that she would like me to "be a part of their team" and that if I could make a decision soon, so that they could move onto other applicants in the event that I do not accept. So no interview. This is what puzzles me.

But otherwise, based on what I've read so far off their website, I feel good about it. And I'm definitely excited about the prospect of going. What I am going to do is sleep on it and decide tomorrow or the next day.

What do you guys think? Is this how jobs usually get filled? Via email and sort of on the fly?

Cheers,

Alice (I can't help my excitement)

[rana]

with your qualifications, i am not surprised you didnt need an interview. as jobs in cairo tend to be low paying it is hard for schools to get good, experienced qualified people, which i am assuming you are. and even if you dont have teaching exp you have an MSW which egyptians will look highly upon, as this cultures exalts degree status. so a lack of interview does not surprise me in the least. you might want to ask to email other colleagues in the school prior to accepting unless you are willing to dive in sight unseen. which is what i did and then the first school i worked at was a disaster, but i moved on and things got better, foundbetter paying and more professional work, got married (to an american in case anyone was wondering, though cross-cultural mariages are VEY common here) and am on baby #2.
so it will be be a challenge living/ working here but the possibilities in this place are endless, really.

hth,
rana

[veiledsentiments]

Ally

Pre-internet this was the norm, and for the smaller schools in the poorer countries I suppose it is still done. I am rather surprised that they did not at least call you, but if your credentials fit their needs...

Are you ready for all the challenges? Have you ever been to Cairo? It is a noisy, dirty, chaotic, but never boring city. The air pollution is very high, and it couldn't be more different that Canada. It is a city that people either love or hate - no in between...

But, you are walking into this job rather sight unseen. You didn't mention if you had known any of their teachers or corresponded with any of them. That means that we have little or no idea of the work situation either. As Rana mentioned, some of them are nightmares... too many of them actually. Expect chaos, marginal management, and a large number of out-of-control children. I have found that everyone has a different level of toleration for job problems. What bothers some people doesn't bother others at all...

That said... I LOVED Cairo and enjoyed the years that I lived there greatly. But, you need to be patient... very patient... and able to go with the flow. The key to survival is a sense of humor. It is how the Egyptians themselves survive.

VS

[Ally951]

Thanks for that. I have accepted the offer.

I just spoke with the Canadian liaison for the school and she's asked me that they're ready for me whenever I am ready to go. I was kind of surprised with that response, but I said that at the very least, I need a few weeks to get things in order and tie up loose ends here in Toronto. I couldn't help but feel that things were done on the fly, but yet, I'm wondering if that's just par for the course there. I don't know. But I've accepted.

After asking a bunch of questions to the liaison, I just remembered to ask if I could speak with a staff there, a teacher, or the counsellor, to which she replied yes. She is going to forward me an email for the woman that had my position for the last two years.

So in the end, I may very well be in Egypt by the end of this month. Good g-d!

Alice