Last weekend I spent time exploring the city with my boyfriend. Specifically, we were on a mission to find out where all the resident Brits are hiding!
Our journey took us to City Stars Shopping Mall in Nasr City, where we met up with my boyfriend’s British friend, who was staying in the Intercontinental Hotel. This blog cannot do justice to the splendor of either the shopping centre or the hotel, so I will save this for another week. Suffice to say both places are worth checking out if you have some cash to spare!
With that in mind I will turn my focus to the British Community Association of Cairo or the BCA. The idea behind this organisation is to provide a social network for expatriates of all nationalities, although primarily British, and give them somewhere to meet up and socialise. Of course, seasoned travellers who doth protest that reverting to spending time with those of your own nationality (or at least those fluent in your language) when in new country defeats the object of moving abroad, may find the BCA a little too much like home. I,however, utterly believe that the two ways of living when abroad can be enjoyed simultaneously.
Anyone who has moved away from where they were brought up and tried to start a new life elsewhere can testify that it is often an emotional process and it can be quite daunting and quite lonely. Couple this with a move abroad to a foreign land where the culture and language are very different and one soon realises the need for home comforts and a few friends who speak your lingo.
Studying and interning at IH Cairo ILI, a primarily British company, has helped me settle in tremendously as the whole place is a hub of diversity and I can talk to English speakers on a daily basis. This provides a healthy balance with my social life outside of work because it allows me to happily spend time with my boyfriend’s circle of friends who are all Egyptian with varying levels of English fluency. However, I am fully aware that not everyone has the privilege of instant contact with other foreigners and so I figured it was time to set out and try to make a few friends of my own outside of work so I can blog about how easy it is to do!
There are three main venues for the BCA. El Mohadeseen, Helipolis and El Maadi. Over the weekend we set out to try El Mohadeseen and El Maadi.
El Mohadeseen was, unfortunately, a let-down. After almost an hour of trudging around the back-streets of the area and after many failed attempts to call the telephone number that was on the website, we had to admit defeat and leave before we even found the building, as it was simply nowhere to be seen and even the locals had never heard of it. I had read online that it was hard to find and in a quiet area, but this was simply ludicrous! What we were expecting I am not sure- possibly at the very least a Union Jack hanging outside, but there was nothing. On further enquiry (we ended up calling the El Maadi branch for help) we found out that the Mohandiseen clubhouse was relocating and within two months the current building will no longer be used. I will try the new venue when it is open and keep you all updated on its progress.
The BCA El Maadi was totally opposite. It was full of life and the atmosphere resembled that of an English pub garden on a sunny afternoon. We were able to talk to the senior barman, an Egyptian by the name of Simon, who welcomed us and explained everything we needed to know. There is a bar and a restaurant which serves all the British favourites. I treated my boyfriend to his first ever roast dinner. The food was tasty, with the exception of the ‘mash’ which could definitely not be defined by its name – resembling more a porridge - like slop than the fluffy and light consistency that mashed potato should have!
The venue has darts, a pool table and a big TV. Although a little far from my current residence in El Harram, I will probably become a member there because if you join El Maadi you automatically gain free membership to the other two places as well. All nationalities, including Egyptians and Brits, need a passport to enter. The club costs 800 LE (about £80) per annum to join and all the forms can be found online www.bcaegypt.com. The address is 18 Port Said Street, El Maadi. Do not expect the taxi driver to know the way, he will more than likely stop to ask directions a number of times! The club is not immediately obvious from the road but it is a terracotta mansion house on a corner of the street in a residential area, with a black gate that has a security guard by it. Directions are online and you can also give them a call +20 2 23580889.
For a little piece of home I would really recommend this club. In continuation it is used by all sorts of different groups and organisations as a meeting point and there are flyers for everything you may need from dentists to dance classes so you should never be lost for contacts. Whilst we were there, there was a charity bazaar raising money for children’s charities and encouraging people to donate or get involved. There was also a church barbeque taking place, which suggests that there is an active Christian community in El Maadi. Of course for those who are this way inclined a perfect way to meet new people who will ensure your comfort and happiness is to visit a church and get to know the congregation – a visit to the BCA and a chat to some the staff or the other punters can ensure you are pointed in the right direction.
So all in all this was a useful investigation of a centre-point for anyone who, like me, sometimes feel lost and a little daunted in their new, exotic environment!
This just leaves me time to once again wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. Eat well and be healthy and happy, and may all your Christmas wishes come true.
The BCA El Maadi from the front
The BCA in Al Maadi at night
No comments:
Post a Comment