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WELCOME IN EGYPT.
YOU WILL ENJOY YOUR TIME, WEATHER AND FEELINGS FROM PEOPLE SUROUNDING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

GOOD LUCK.
IMIG

Hi suesy

Don't worry, apart from the famous disastrous traffic and driving, everything is very wonderful in Cairo. Depends on you and what you like and dislike, you can adjust yourself here very easy, you will find plenty of help as people around you will be happy to help you. But you may find little restrictions is social life and dressing codes depends on the neighborhood you will live in, but I think you can adopt easily to them.

Just don't even try to drive here

moataz

I know about the traffic moataz thank you for your advice i have partly adjusted already but its not the same when your flying home so i just wondered day to day life as a wife of an egyptian man how i would fit in and adjust as an english woman, all i can think about is living in egypt with my husband and his family but i dont want to how a fairytale image i want a real image of how it will be what ever that is i dont mind just want to know so i can prepare myself for what is ahead any more advice would be great

suesy, now I think you narrowed your question to living as an English wife to an Egyptian man, and deal with his family (correct me if I am wrong).

This is a very common discussed subject, I don't know if you will find the discussions in this forum or other forums, but you can read huge answers about foreign women married to Egyptian men, their worries, their happiness, the relations and many other things.

I nearly can sum the results for you. Things depends very much on your husband, his education, the area and city he was raised in, what he is working ...etc. Egyptian men tend to be jealous generally, and the majority are not violent at all, and he should help you very much fit in your life easily while giving you the space to adjust and learn. In my opinion, Egyptian men, or specifically those who married foreigners out of love not for their money, are very civilized when dealing with women and wives. I hope you already realized these points with your husband, specially the marriage interest, because I heard horrible stories about this.

The family (you, and his parents, sisters and brothers, aunts, uncles) represents a big value to the Egyptians, specially the mother in law. I can tell you, that his parents must be the center of your attention, and by managing a 2 way communication with them you will hold the key for a lot of issues.

Family traditions preferably must be obeyed, if there is a gathering for something, you should go with your husband, you will enjoy it, and everybody will appreciate it. Sometimes you can invite them to dinner at home and make some nice homemade food, maybe food from your national cuisine, they will be very proud of you. When you go to visit, bring your mother in law a flower even, she will talk about you happily to everyone for the next 5 years. Unlike in Europe, if there is a hard to solve problem with your husband go to his parents, they have much influence on him, but in this point you have to experiment with your husband and his family, because some men don't like anybody to hear about their problems, and some families don't like the woman who is complaining much about her husband, so be careful.

DON'T LISTEN at all to anybody in the family (aside from the parents) or your friends circle, a lot of people will be happy to ruin your life with "helpful" advises. Your life is you and your husband and that is it.

Here in Egypt you really interact with your environment, neighbors, and families around you, but this also depends on where you will be living, so you will be happy and easily fit here.

Whatever the religion of your husband, kindly don't let anybody talk to you about your religion. If he is Christian, just share what they do and go to church with them when they go, Egyptian Christians are religious and you should easily adopt to this.

If they are Muslims, most families will not ask you anything, unless it's a gathering for "Eid" or "Ramadan" which will only involve food and family talking. BUT very few families will try to talk to you about the religion, so don't allow any of this from the beginning with kind words, and they will understand. Unless it's in your interest. And don't ever believe that Muslims hate Christians or anything like this, because here we don't really care.

Another point, if you have money, leave them in England and don't offer any payments, at least the first months until you explore things, and don't respond to any money requests. Generally Egyptian men will not accept money from their wives, but "in case", just stay safe until things will settle down.

I hope I didn't drift away in my answer, and still I can tell you anything more.

dang Moataz...that was a great answer to a lot of questions I've never asked...thanks for asking the question Suesy and Moataz for providing a very insight answer

Thanks Moataz for that very detailed answer, i am not questioning my relationship with my husband or his family if there were any questions surrounding that we would not be married i was more interested in knowing how easy it is to adjust into egyptian life as an english woman married to an egyptian man as the western world has many similarities to egypt but is also very different in lifestyle although i havent actually found anything as yet that i cant do in egypt that i do here in uk. Thankyou again for your reply you have been helpful and my egyptian family accept me as i am which is of no religion although they are very faithful muslims.

An Egyptian Muslim man cannot marry here in Egypt with a woman without her to become Muslim! Be very careful cause on Marriage Certificate in Arabic it is inserted that "the bride accept to be turned into a Muslim" and nobody would let you to know this!
Not bad, you should say, and sure I agree with this if you are ready to accept the strong authority of husband, others 3 wives that s very legal for him to have, you to be very controlled and him to have freedom and only responsibility to feed you!
I know a lot of European that married Egyptian men, they loved each other very much, things seemed to be perfect till they reach here, and his family start to give their opinion, and to push him to behave badly with you! Hardly they escaped for frustrated members of his family, that when they see a clever educated and elegant woman do all what is possible to turn her into their slave!
But maybe there are good families, who knows?

hello sussy dont worry you will love egypt so much there are a lot of british here you can go to the british club in heliopolis and you can find a work in one of the language school or in the british council,you will be able to have friends to go out with and u will have good times here and if you like we can be friends i can help you learn some arabic in return i will be happy to practice my english with you may be we can go for a coffee some where i live in heliopolies