Apartment Hunting

Well I officially don't like apartment hunting already and I only had about six hours of it. We walked over to Zamalek and then talked to a sketchy semsar (broker) who was leaning against a car, balding, missing teeth, and had chest hair falling out of the top of his shirt. He gave us an expensive price and then we said no.

The next semsar was a half blind man in full galabeya. He told us an even more expensive price. So again we said no.

Then we met some AUC students I know and they told us where to look. We walked over to the area met up with another broker. (There is no system, you either go to a bowab (doorkeeper) and ask to see some rooms and they get a broker (unnecessary in my opinion) or you are standing around and they walk up to you saying 'you need a room?')

Anyway he was nice enough, spoke good enough english, thankfully we had Ahmed with us. I love native Arabic speakers. We saw one in a quiet neighborhood on the top floor. It was three bedroom, kitchen, sitting room, balcony, and a man in his underwear one floor down walking on his balcony. The owner was this older woman who didn't hear real well and wouldn't rent to us because Ahmed was with us. She did not want to rent to Egyptians because she said they party too much, bring home to many girls, and play music too loud. We were confused and thought she was a little crazy. Usually those people stereotyped such as this are foreigners. So we left, then tried again in a half hour with only me and Greg going up to talk saying Ahmed was only a friend. She then agreed and then after we left our deposit and left, she called and said no. She really was a crazy woman, nice but crazy. So the broker showed us one more apartment, not as nice as the crazy woman's one. We didn't want it. If we were to take either of these, of which we are not, the broker would charge us and outrageous fee of 30% of a months rent as commission. Uhh.

So we are still at square one and squandered a whole day in Zamalek instead of studying. But there are prospects for downtown/garden city which is where I want to live. So we shall see...

Lastly, Catherine Karp, a published author, posted a link to my blog on her's today (May 23)!! This is the second promotion I have had after my Dad on his. Its so exciting when things go well! Her blog is http://suburbanvampire.blogspot.com/ if you want to drop by.