Would You Vote to Ban this Substance in Food?

You know that you live too long in Egypt, if ...

- You accept "Inshallah" as a flight confirmation

- You never eaten before 22:00 clock at night

- You wear a sweater at 26 degrees

- You see a "no problem" as a clear sign that you still have to check several times

- You think a speed limit as a useless piece of advice

- You think carpets should be hanging on walls

- You know that's the definition of a nanosecond, the time between traffic light switching to green and the   honking of the car behind you

- You know which side of the "shawerma" You've got to unwrap first

- You are wearing a jacket in a building and take it off when you go out

- You can give complete directions without a street name

- Your telephone and satellite cable  of course comes in from the balcony

- You hoard a considerable stock of household candles and drinking water

- Every Taxi driver knows where you live when you are too drunk to remember yourself.

- Your water is cut off you don’t complain you just put on more deodorant and go to the pub.

- A workman comes to fix something you have to lend him the tools and then show him what to do with them.

 

PC Back Backup System - Works - a Delight to use - Free- CrashPlan

This has nothing to do with Egypt but being a old geek, do pass on worthwhile hints. I have set this up for my personal computer and clients. It is the remote feature that is most attractive. Connect a External Drive, backup folder files (initial backup fast this way), move to another computer, or friends, in remote location, and let it update automatically over the net. ALL FREE and easy with a bit of study.

If you want to pay a bit, you can also backup to the cloud with Crashplan + or Crashplan Pro.

Quick Read here from my Geek Friends



CrashPlan Website

Cairo Egypt - Air Travel - Hints for Arrival/ Departures

It's been some time since I posted. No excuse, just getting lazy -

Anyway, back to topic at hand.  Cairo international airport can be bit confusing to unaware. So to avoid last minute panic be sure you know what Terminal and Hall your to be at.

The panic attack happened to me. Daughter was arriving on BA and I knew it was Terminal 1, and assumed Hall 3. This is  the only Hall I have ever met someone flying in.. So, waiting with excitement, looking at bag tags to see if BA passengers where amongst crowd, got a phone call. "Dad where are you? I am waiting outside by door,So am I. Dad I am standing by ramp. Where Terminal 1?  So am I." Now panic set in - her phone went dead. I am literally running around. No where to be found. Then thought OK They maybe deplaned at Hall 2? Bit of Hike but no one at all there. Now, everyone knows you depart from Hall 1, but never had I ever heard of flight deplane from Hall 1,  did not know they even had an arrival area.  But after running around finally got to Hall 1. Still no joy then happened to look down at very far end - quite a distance, and saw people crossing road with bags. Yup - she was there. Cool as cucumber - while my heart was doing million beats per minute. I just sat down, had fag, as needed to recoup for a bit.

So, moral of story, before going to airport for any reason, check just before leaving the Cairo Airport Arrivals / Departure Website at links below

BTW - at duty free you are only allowed one bottle of booze these days - used to be four. And must collect at airport or duty free shop within 24 hours. Rumor is the allowance will go back to four after Coptic Christmas (Jan 7th). Well, Cairo is so full of Rumors you can believe what you want for any reason you can dream up

UPDATE ON DUTY FREE - day after Xmas you can get 4 bottles booze, or case beer and 3 bottles, or mix and match as you like. If traveling in remember you have to make your purchase within 24 hours.

Happy Travels

ARRIVALS   DEPARTURES

Egypt no longer issue toursit visa upon arrival - confusion abounds. Extending tourist visa getting tough

As of Sept 8th, 2011
 The Egyptian, and foreign new services, have reported government notice that all foreigners (confusion as to what "all" means) will need to have a visa issued from Egyptian Embassy/Consulate before arrival. Except those as part of a charter group (more confusion). Albeit, one news service contacted various Egyptian Consulates in western countries and they were not aware of this decree (more confusion). One news service stated some airlines(no names -more confusion) are already refusing boarding to Egypt without valid visa.


 Extending tourist Visas getting tougher - post form July 10, 2011

I receive questions about recent changes in tourist visa extensions.  I have renewable 3 year non working allowed visa, so was not up to speed with tourist visa situation. Following is information received from others. Note, situations change like the wind,even though we don't get any real wind here.

PS - These days with continuing demonstrations at Tahrir Square, one should consider going to Airport for Visa Issues, or Inquiries, and maybe avoid downtown. Or go downtown to Mogamma and think of Tahrir as tourist trip.

Jul 10th

Posted by long term resident of Egypt (20 years) on
> > her FB:
> >
> > tourist Visa extensions refused in Egypt
> > Some very bad news for me and for Egyptian tourism. The Passport and
> > Immigration office, Mogamma, Cairo have been given instructions NOT to issue
> > extension visas to any foreigners from now on. All foreigners without a
> > valid visa will have to leave Egypt after the grace period of two weeks. I
> > am fortunate to have my Visa until November, but after that I may have to
> > leave my beloved Egypt. This is very sad for me, and also bad news for all
> > the Egyptians who rely on tourism income. I know it is difficult enough for
> > everyone with tours being cancelled because of the revolution and the world
> > economic situation, but this action on Visas will add to the damage.

July 10th
Q - Is the fine of 150 EGP a flat fee, regardless of how long you have over stayed? 
A - Yes, it's a flat fee.  I was over by several months once and it was still 150LE.

July 13th

Dear all...(name withheld for privacy)

(Apologies for the long response)

The issue discussed in this thread is only related to visa-extensions, not to the tourist visas that are still being handed out at the airport (they haven't changed!).

I had a prominent Egyptian political figure check in to the situation for me, and he made some phone calls and also spoke to the agent who has been handling my visa extensions thus far. The information we've gathered is as follows:

The official message from the government that was given to us is that due to the complete lack of security and govt administrative power, the govt currently does not have sufficient capability to continue to hand out six-month or one year extensions. As it stands currently, they will only give out three-month extensions to foreigners who are currently here on a visa. We were also told that if you are currently holding a valid visa (whether it's an original or an extension) you will be able to leave and return to Egypt without any problems. Finally, they said that the situation may improve over the next few months. The agent confirmed that there was no official policy recently administered that would halt all visa extensions.

Based on the conversation they had, I was given the impression that somehow only extending by three months as a rule simplifies things for the Egyptian govt, especially right now in a time where state security is possibly smaller than it's ever been and the political situation, in reality, is still quite fragile.

Also keep in mind that while there are visa extension laws in place in Egypt, historically it's always been arbitrary, depending on a variety of factors (weather, the mood at the mogamma, the political situation, the price of Egyptian tomatoes, the clothes you're wearing, the passport you hold).

In all respects, I can agree with what Nigel said earlier about expats living "illegally" in Egypt and what Edward says about Egypt not being "our" country despite all we give to it and our appreciation of it. But neither of these conversations realistically account for all factors in this discussion. Of course Egypt can decide on a whim to kick out all foreigners, stop extensions, cancel all tourist visas, etc, whenever it likes and for whatever reason it likes; it is a sovereign state after all, and I'm sure most of us involved in this conversation can agree on that point.

However, Egypt has set a precedent, allowing foreigners to live here on tourist visas. Very few other countries offer 3-year tourist visas (Egypt used to). One could make a case that this means systematically, even without a single law on the books, Egypt promotes a black market of "wealthy" foreigners taking up temporary residence. If this were truly an issue of cracking down on illegal factory and domestic workers, Egypt could simply stop issuing tourist visas on arrival to the residents of countries affected.

Furthermore, Egypt has no process for foreigners to become official recognized expats (with a few exceptions - marriage or having been living here before 1932 or something insane like that, according to their website- and even then you won't get much stability). Many other countries have immigration policies, whereby you can legally petition residence, work permits, and more. In Egypt, holding even a residence for non-touristic purposes visa does not grant a foreigner any rights. In other countries, holding a residence for non-touristic purposes visa would grant you at least a few legal rights.

All that being said, it's completely unfair for people who have been living here under a system that was not simply tolerated but on most accounts promoted by the Egyptian government, to be told that they should "be realistic" and face no option but to leave. Egypt has a thousand shades of gray between every single decision made, and in a few weeks' time we may see six-month or one-year visas available once again. (It will probably help if you are wearing neat, clean clothes, or if you can hire an agent to navigate the process for you.)

My Properties for Sale - Cairo, Egypt, Maadi

See below and another at 21A Canal St, Skakanet, Maadi - also 4 bedroom duplex.

Click on photo to enlarge

Grrr.... Riped off by Vodafone

I say Vodafone but all these providers in Egypt and seems worldwide are thieves.  Here's the story. Daughter to Scotland with Blackberry and roaming. When returned got the bill on internet and Gadzooks, GPRS bill for 1897 LE. So on to Vodafone Customer Help (or Customer Stonewalling, Customer Disinformation, or any expletives you care to use). Note, her phone was off for 7 of the 14 days she was there as she forgot charger.

Here is the song and dance I was given. BTW we have 100 LE per month postpaid plan.

While in UK she had 5 MB free GPRS and then the charges were 102 LE per MB thereafter. Vodafone person said this is the agreement between other countries. 

I said damn phone was off  half the time and daughter said she did not use any more than normal with BBM's.
Answer:
Vodafone says, says even with phone off, all the emails and BBM's are waiting on Blackberry server. I asked where is says any of this on website. She said we should have called customer service!!!


I found no explanation of such charges anywhere on their site. Only says BBM Egypt for 100 LE per month you have 200 MB usage. Person also said extra charge in EGYPT was 1 LE per MB

BEWARE - suggest if traveling, get the rates from your provider and get them in writing.

Ya  I am P****ED

Hope this waring helps someone else to avoid being stolen from.

Old Photos of Egypt (Youtube)- interesting

I saw this on  7 days in Sun blog, and thought to post Youtube here directly. Thanks to Blogger

I noticed one great photo of old Cairo trams so crowded - same as buses these days so not much has change in some ways.  I am a history buff, so enjoyed this project the author put together 

Egypt's Recurring Diesel Shortage Problem

Egypt ministries responsible for diesel supplies have not learned the 6 p's ("previous planning prevents piss poor performance")

Nov 2009 Egypt Sells Diesel to Bangladesh  for period Jan to June 2010

Article March 2010 diesel shortage

And of course Diesel shortage again this year  - article

Quote from article

"One expert from the petroleum industry, who preferred to remain anonymous, attributed a good part of the problem to what he called "the government's poor planning". He pointed out that Egypt has been repeatedly suffering diesel shortages for the past three years around this time of year. He explained that the government should examine diesel consumption on a monthly basis to provide the needed quantities beforehand. "Knowing that in summer consumption peaks, the government should have been prepared," he told Al-Ahram Weekly."

ooooooooooops - here is rumor (I could not substantiate googling) .I heard today - unfounded... Egypt is full of Rumors........ Saudi stopped regular exports of Diesel to Egypt because of way Egypt is treating Mubarak and family?????  is it true Saudi is holding Egypt to ransom????????????

Winter Diesel was also a recurring yearly problem. I recall, when working in Egypt Oil and Gas Sector, each year a panic would set in when winter coming (yup called winter here even though a low of 0 C might be a record) to receive winterized Diesel. 

Diesel fuel solidifies in winter weather.  Diesel fuel contains paraffin's, similar to the wax candles are made from. When the paraffin cools it solidifies into a light yellow or white wax, plugging fuel filters and choking your fuel system. 

Diesel engines are becoming more popular in Egypt, especially for large trucks, minibuses, and recently more cars and 4x4's. If you have diesel engine, and have problems, you can do some emergency treatments as below

A farmers type emergency solution is to add a gallon of gas per 15 gallons diesel, (1 liter per 15 liters) but beware this reduces the cetane rating, at a time when you most likely need it.

 

A better way is to add 10% - 20 % kerosene (in Egypt 5%-10% would likely do the job well)

Egypt Tightens Work Permit Requirements

On May 12th. 2011, the  "New Labour Minister El-Borai announced he will stop issuing work permits to foreigners amidst resentment of employers who take advantage of cheap foreign labour"  Here is link to full article.

All expatriates I know fall into the "expert professional" category and should not be affected, however forewarned is forearmed.

Below is comment of advice from a colleague's experience

"I made a trip downtown today to the Mogamma to renew my residence visa.

Whilst there I was informed by senior officials that in future  the immigration department will be tightening up and enforcing previously ignored or relaxed rules and regulations. 

I was advised that a clamp down on people working without proper paperwork is in process.  Checks will be carried out and those found to be employed in Egypt, but living only on touristic visas, may encounter problems.
If you believe this may describe your current immigration status then I would recommend speaking with your employer or organization well in advance of any planned renewal procedures to avoid problems."

Imported Pork Products In Egypt - Finally!

Pork products were fairly prevalent in Egypt before April 30th, 2009 when some 250,000 pigs were killed due to fears of a "swine flu" pandemic. At the time even UN WHO stated the actions taken to cull all the pigs was a mistake. Even calling the flu strain "Swine Flu", created by WHO proved to be a big error.  However, history shows the pigs disappeared as well as any imports. Here is link to history. 

Seems time heals, and some local pork products started to be available some months back, but at exorbitant prices. A new start up company GETCO STAR, of German Origin, has now been established in Maadi, Digla area. All products are imported, and I understand to obtain import licensing plus Health Ministry approvals was no easy feat.

I wish them all the good fortune and look forward to my crispy streak bacon with poached eggs on toast. Yummy !

Cairo Egypt Real Estate - Have a really nice flat for Sale

Click on blog title - negotiable to a point.