(Mouthwatering delights at “The Candy Store”)
Something I hear time and time again from expats in Egypt is that they don’t know how to find anything. So I tell them: ask me. A massive amount of paper plates? Go to this shop. Gluten-free baked goods? Visit this bakery. A new dentist? Try this one. Tofu? Check at this Chinese grocery store.
Once I needed a sign printed and mounted on a stiff foam board. Like my expat friends, I was stumped; is it even possible for a normal person (not a company) to get something like that printed? And in Egypt? I fought the urge to give up before even trying, and I started to ask around. Someone directed me to the Maadi Plotting Center. I had my doubts but I gave it a shot – and I was pleasantly surprised. Not only could the folks at the Maadi Plotting Center print my sign, they did it quickly and proficiently.
(Go to the Maadi Plotting Center for all your printing needs!)
Okay…maybe not quickly enough for my children’s tastes. I started going there quite a bit (remember, I homeschool!) and my kids got bored if we had wait for more than 10 minutes. Sensing this one day as I rallied them for yet another trip to the Plotting Center, I promised them that we would add a stop on our itinerary: the Candy Store. I had seen a sign near the Plotting Center advertising the “Candy Store,” but I had kept my mouth shut. I was planning to reveal it strategically. Parents, you know what I’m talking about here.
(The Candy Store…is there something behind the promising sign?)
I was a little nervous as I set out that day. What if the shop no longer existed? What if a mere a regular convenience store with a clever name waited behind that sign? What if the siren call of the sign led us to disappointment and despair? The butterflies in my stomach pushed me out the door and on our way.
(Multi-flavored popcorn at The Candy Store)
Well folks, I am happy to say that the Candy Store did not disappoint. It turned out to be a wonderland of imported candy and baking supplies. Sugar addicts, beware! This has become my kids’ happy place. I have reason to love it, too; I have scored a few important hard-to-get items here, such as American-style pie plates and Hershey’s kisses in bulk.
(Nuts, chocolates, and gummy candy for sale in BULK at the Candy Store)
Friends, this post isn’t actually about color copies and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. This post is about discovery. Independence. Digging into your new home – Egypt – even if it is a temporary one. It’s about being the kind of expat that others can come to with questions about where to go and how to get <fill in the blank>. You can do it! It all begins with a question. You start asking local friends or an online group, collect information, make a plan, and (and this is the hardest part) try it out yourself. And when you discover a particularly useful hack, share it with me! I’ll be waiting to hear from you!
