Apartment Hunting

My Hardworking Simsar: Sanaa Khalil was my simsar, real estate agent, today. I met her at 1:30 PM and we spent the afternoon looking at apartments in Zamalek. She was very professional, spoke very good English, and had lived for a time in Fresno, California. She wears glasses and has on a two-part hijab (head scarf)–one part is like a headband over the forehead, and the other is a scarf, which is worn like a regular kerchief but is large enough to cover part of the bosom. Otherwise, she wore pants and a nice, long-sleeved blouse. She walks with a limp, since one leg is shorter than the other. She had been hit by a truck while crossing the street. She wears sturdy high heels to compensate for it, although part of the sole of her shoe came off as we were walking from one apartment to another. We used taxis for transport otherwise. She smoked and seemed under a lot of stress–making calls on her cell phone, flipping through her notebook of hand-copied contacts and apartment specs, and having an occasional cigarette. Often, when we got to the entrance to a building, she loudly called out for the doorman (bowab) or someone to appear for help. Anyone who did anything for us was given baksheesh. Sanaa was well supplied with small bank notes. None of the apartments were ready to move into, although she promised they could be ready in as soon as two days, complete with all the amenities. All of the buildings had one elevator in various conditions. Egyptian buildings can also look dilapidated on the outside but have some attractive apartments inside. The nicest one we looked at was unavailable for short-term rental. Zamalek would be a nice place to live. I lived there awhile when I was a student at the American University in Cairo(AUC). It's cosmopolitan (many foreigners), has tree-lined streets, is quieter, and has many shops and restaurants. I'm moving to a cheaper hotel by the Pyramids and that may be my home for awhile until something turns up or longer term if need be. Bowabs: Bowabs often live in a room with their families on the first floor. In visiting one building, I saw into one such living area–one room shared by a couple and their two sons. Everyone sat on the floor. The woman looked more baladi (from the country) as she wore a long (galabiyya) gown and the baladi women's head dress. Her husband (sandaled, rolled up beige trousers, a pin-stripe navy blue, long sleeved shirt) had her take us to the apartment and show us around. The oldest son's name was Ahmad. He seemed perfectly content to be in his father's company and converse with whoever came around. When I asked him his name in Arabic, he responded with a pleased, shy: "Ahmad." Sanaa worked very hard, was very sensitive to what I would want, didn't push anything on me, and didn't ask for any money. She gets her fee from the landlords. However, I've heard that some agents extract their fees from potential renters. Unfortunately, for both of us, nothing suitable turned up today.