Al-Qahira

Its been a long time in coming but am finally in Egypt. I am sat here in my room in Cairo for the night before moving on to Alexandria tomorrow and it feels very surreal. The flight was like any other flight really not much to say. The taxi ride from the airport took me back to the first time I saw Al-Qahira striking.

Its already tomorrow so am going to get some sleep, will update soon

Random act

One of the guys whom when I first started took us through an introductory course just walked up to my desk with a wad of paper and said he had a present for me. During that intro course about 10weeks ago he saw me knitting a mitten and asked. Anyho the wad of paper was a host of information on knitting. He said someone left it on his desk and he though I could make use of it. How sweet is that, for someone to remember such passive information from 2months plus ago. I am very pleased with the wad of paper, I tried to thank him by offering him a piece of yummy chrystalised ginger but he declined. No idea why!

Evertheidealist

For my Precious Evertheidealist...

"We have been dear friends, and now you're going
Far away for many months
But please don't leave me without knowing
How I feel as your time nears.
I know you're older, more mature,wiser
And far beyond me in so many ways.
But there's between us something pure by Allah’s grace.
That has given me these beautiful days and memories
I thank you for the joy, for the care for the warmth of your laughter
That your sweet friendship's brought to me.
Think of this poem as an embrace
That says, "I love you" Our reunion I await my precious friend

I am sure anyone who knows Evertheidealist will agree she is truely a blessing to all those who know her. The Emirates will have you for a while but know that Manchester mourns your parting and awaits with an eager heart your return.

Stupid people and Power hungry nations.

I have decided there is nothing more annoying then a THICK person and America. This countries adult numercy and literacy rate is shameful especially as education in the UK mandatory till the age of 16! I had to spend 20mintues explaining a bill to a man and for the love of all that is good it was the simplest of subtractions.

The conversation went along the lines of if you take this away from that you get this…there I am expecting a simple agreement when he replies NO!! Excuse me…what…huh. How do you make an individual understand something so fundamental if they simply don’t get it! Silly man. I can understand people being upset if they are right and have been hard done by but when they are plain STUPID and have been billed correctly! They really tick me off Argh

Oh and just to sour my mood exponentially I have just read that America has began an air raid campaign in southern Somalia. All that the so-called president is quoted to have said is , "the US has a right to bombard terrorist suspects who attacked its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania".

So that is okay then! Please America keep bombing us because clearly as Mr Yusuf has already informed the world it is our fault, 27 dead oh well its just collateral after all! ARGHH

I swear my rage problems are not being helped by anything that happens today! I just went to pray (lets face it i needed some relief) so i walk into the room which doubles as a prayer room to only find a brother in there making wudu. He asks me if i want a prayer mat and i need to make wudu. He finished called me and preceeded to take out a prayer and start praying. So not only did he expect me to pray outside (how gentlemanly) but he expected me to make wudu with him about 1/2 a metre away from me...Hello! thick little pooh ever heard of awrah/hijab! like i was going to just roll up my sleeve and pull up my trouser...urgh! am appalled and even angrier then when i went to pray.

Count down

I was not made to work! My 16week plan to save for 6months in Egypt is going smoothly. Except for the fact that I have to work. Its not so much as the work (even if its not challenging or engaging) it’s the cold. It doesn’t seem to matter how many layers I may wear I am always cold. My poor African skins is freezing. 2weeks left at work and 3weeks till I actually fly inshallah so I am making dua that the time remaining goes dizzyingly fast. So that i can part with all the jumpers and breathe in the sea air inshallah.

I recently received an email informing me that there wouldn’t be a teacher available in Cairo in january…Huh…one of the most over populated cities in the world and the whole institution couldn’t find a single teacher for me? Its fair to say a little panic had set in and the lord and I had a word or 7. Although it took me a while to see that the lord in his wisdom wanted in Alexandria so am headed for an apartment near the sea (inshallah) with an American muslim and an Italian looking into islam.