Birthdays

Over the last few years we have experienced our birthdays in many different places and situations.  After arriving in Cairo about 2 years ago we have finally managed to go to the Cairo Opera House.  We knew that the Cairo Symphony Orchestra played every Saturday evening but we didn't know what they were playing!  So Jane's birthday treat was a meal in a restaurant on the banks of the River Nile followed by a concert.  We thoroughly enjoyed the concert - it was a shame that the Opera House was only 10% full.  Listening to Ravel, especially the Menuet, made one forget about all the difficulties of living in Cairo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9qxygpFTos
Pete's birthday treat was going to the British Community Association clubhouse where he enjoyed Cumberland sausage, chips and baked beans (and Coleman's mustard) and then Everton vs Liverpool on satellite TV. Jane enjoyed the meal but decided to read instead of watching the game, which was an exciting 3-3 draw.
Because our birthdays are so close together (Jane is 12 days older than Pete) we also had a fish 'n' chip lunch with a few friends.

Curfew Jigsaws

We have found that the good old jigsaw is a great way to amuse oneself during the curfews and also a useful way to unwind after teaching.  It also means that we can listen to a BBC radio programme instead of the wall to wall news or third rate sitcoms and films on the local TV channels. There are rumours that the final Friday curfew will be lifted soon so once again we will be able to freely travel around.  But we will continue puzzling because we brought back some jigsaws from the UK and we have also borrowed some.  So far we've finished four 1,000 piece puzzles and a couple of 500 piece ones; and we have three more 1,000 piece puzzles (one without a box or picture) to complete as we warm up for the one with 3,000 pieces.  We've only had one disappoint so far which was a middle piece missing from a puzzle we bought at a charity shop in the UK - perhaps we could get a job making their puzzles before they sell them.  It has also highlighted our different personalities: Jane likes to randomly pick up a piece and see if she can fit it somewhere whereas Peter likes to sort the pieces into colours or shapes and then fit them!

The sounds of Somerset

Walking down the streets of Cairo has recently reminded us of our home in Somerset.  The familiar 'country' smells and the gentle sound of sheep bleating and cows mooing - that's where the similarities end.
The country smells and sounds were because people are buying sheep and cattle for the Eid al-Adha (Feast of the sacrifice) so it was not a great shock to find a lonely bull calf at the bottom of the our basement steps - not sure it would have passed a RSPCA inspection.  Our landlord invited us to the morning sacrifice at 7.30 which didn't seem that early because we had been awake since 5.30 listening to the special 'call to prayer'.  It was not our preferred way to start the day, especially before breakfast, but we were able to spend time with the landlord and his family.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Adha

The buzz ,rattle and hum of Cairo

It's good to be back in the buzz, rattle and hum of busy Cairo.  It's a vibrant, lively city that somehow beckons you back each time you leave.  But a lot has changed in the short time that we were away; many lives lost  and families and communities changed forever by the vast human carnage and sectarian violence.  Its a lot to take in for Peter and I coming from a sleepy southwesterly  UK backwater.
So we have thrown ourselves into our routines, teaching English and other assorted jobs in various locations.  We are pleased that the deaf school library seems to have been cleaned and tidied since our break.  The new English reading books that two weeks ago we squashed into our already over flowing suitcases are now cataloged and gleaming on the library shelves.  There seems to be a general principle here; that if you take an interest in people or even in previously cared for but now neglected libraries - then there is a response.
We are pleased that since our return God continues to bring people our way.  Each is a special unique individual whom we are privileged to know.  Jane

The peace of Old Cairo

In these sad turbulent times when Cairo is grieving for her many lost sons and daughters, I wanted to seek out a picture from happier more peaceful times before the recent carnage; when life appeared to be more simple, although I not sure it ever really was as such .
 We hope that she (Cairo) will renew and heal the massive deep scar that is on her belly.  Every life lost is precious and grieved for by somebody.  Families from all faiths have been torn  apart by the terrible happenings and we grieve and care intensely about such a great and unnecessary loss of life.  There are going to be many,many long years ahead of healing and reparation, but the the situation is still so raw, and life so fragile.
Our news is that we are now already here in the UK  on a previously planned holiday so are safe and well.  We watch and pray from afar for those people in Egypt who we are privileged to call our friends.  Jane

Unpredictability

I was going to start this blog post yesterday but the internet connection was intermittent.  I wanted to write about the unpredictability of living in Cairo - especially our shower.  We recently wrote about the random electricity supply which has improved recently but the warmth of our shower remains unpredictable.  One has to be prepared to be scolded or frozen (a slight exaggeration because the cold water is slightly warm which is very refreshing when the daytime temperatures are high).  It's either the irregular water pressure or the erratic gas supply that causes the variations in shower temperatures.  It adds a little bit of excitement to the start of the day but either way I am always thankful that we have water and that most of the time it is hot. There are many other things that are unpredictable in Cairo especially during Ramadan - oh! I nearly forgot - the political situation is also a little bit unpredictable! P

Dawn Chorus

Awoken at 5am (30 June) by the normal dawn chorus - one of the advantages of living in a Cairo suburb where the trees mingle among the towering apartment blocks.  The soothing noise is soon to be broken by the planes landing at the international airport - with fewer passengers than those planes leaving,  the metro train horn becoming more prominent as a warning to those crossing the track on foot, and soon the voices of the street hawkers calling out above the general noise of this hectic city.  From our 1st floor balcony I notice a solitary policeman in his gleaming white summer uniform walking towards the metro station - I hope it is as clean  this evening when he returns home.  Overnight the opposing political crowds have been gathering - both protests have been relatively peaceful but when they come into contact with each other what will be the reaction?  Both sides have planned peaceful protests but in reality this rarely happens.  I am reminded of a Graham Kendrick song: 'Go do something beautiful...' - just like our little 'warbler' friend. P

Top Score - 8

Travelling around Cairo can be extremely slow and boring so car games help to pass the time.  We often travel with another family and in the endless queues the children sometimes wave to people to see who can get the most responses.  There are many other car games that I'm sure you know but I think that points for number of passengers on the next motor-bike would be boring in most countries.  Being a motor-cyclist for many years I can't imagine how this guy manages to ride like this, especially if you take into account the chaotic surrounding traffic.  Not sure what he will do as the children grow older or if he has another child! P

Back to the Future

Memories of doing our homework in the late 1970's by candlelight come to mind during our regular power cuts.  The electricity supply in Egypt is being cut because the electricity companies can't produce enough power at peak times so everybody has been buying re-chargeable lights so perhaps there is a conspiracy with the light companies.  'The Winter of Discontent' - the reason for the power cuts in the UK - was the title of a film we recently saw at a local church during their arts festival.  The film was about the discontent in Egypt 2 years ago which was a little bit more restless than the industrial disputes in the UK!

Unequal teams

Being a football fan I was disappointed to see the state of the Deaf School's table football.  The dust and small stones add authenticity to the pitch but there is a problem with one of the teams.
Q Can you spot it?
A The yellow team has 13 players however the red team has only 12, and two of the red team don't have any legs, which is a big disadvantage in table football.
My cunning plan is to use plenty of WD40  (you can imagine the rust because it is kept outdoors) and a screwdriver to remove the two injured red players and two of the yellow players and then transfer one of the yellow players to the red team.
I'd better get permission before I make any improvements because the disadvantaged red team has probably been like it for many years and there might be a complicated scoring system in place which allows the teams to play on equal terms - although I doubt this very much. Pete

A typical Sunday afternoon

We are still adjusting to the weekends in Cairo because Friday is church day.  We finish our working week on Thursday and before we know it we are travelling to the Cathedral early on Friday morning.  But there are occasions when it really does feel like a Sunday - when we can relax in the afternoon with a nice cup of coffee (we have finally found a shop that sells cafetieres and ground coffee), a Bach CD courtesy of BBC music magazine, and an old copy of the Sunday Times.  We have to haggle with the newspaper street vendors depending on the date of the newspaper, how many sections are missing and how dusty it is.  Today been especially dusty because of the khamaseen wind which carries sand and dust from the desert.  It means  the air quality is poorer than normal and visibility restricted which means the views of the skyscrapers are restricted.  So this afternoon is a perfect day to spend having a traditional Sunday afternoon although there is no log fire or roast beef dinner.    

Six Nations Champions

The old lady selling vegetables outside the metro station had a chuckle when I gave her my request.  I usually get confused when she tells me the final price which is normally said so quickly and with such a strong accent that I get the amount completely wrong.  But on this occasion after successfully ordering potatoes, onions, peas, chilli and courgettes I asked her for a kilo of shoes - gazar not gazma! 
The vegetable stew was especially good and as I am always willing to help Jane with her Arabic homework (you'll appreciate what a great help I can be) and because she has just got back from a girls weekend away I should now have enough brownie points to have an evening out next Saturday to watch England win the rugby Six Nations Grand Slam. Pete

Exploding Brains

We are starting to explore other places in which we could help.   One such place is the Diocese of Egypt Deaf Unit in Old Cairo, where we will be able to use TESOL training in a new environment.
The Unit includes a school for about 80 children aged from 5 years old.  It is amazing how much of communication is non-verbal, a deaf Egyptian child can find many ways to communicate with a British adult with little Arabic and no sign language.  The most uplifting part of the morning is the warm handshake and smile from each of the children. 
Our overstretched brains are going to have to find room for not only Arabic but also sign language for English letters - Arabic sign language would probably cause our heads to explode with too much information.

New Year Doughnut Celebrations

The beginning of January marks the first anniversary of our time in Egypt - although during the summer there was a break in the UK.  After a busy Christmas Eve (peeling vegetables) and Christmas dinner (44 people) we have had a quieter New Year.  We didn't know what to expect on New Year's Eve, so after watching the Aussie New Year on BBC World we decided to walk the streets to see what was happening - nothing much.  It seemed like any other evening so we decided to celebrate at a cafe which we had discovered during our ramblings.  We pondered those things that you miss when you're away from home as we settled into our seats at the 'House of Donuts' (US spelling) licking our lips in anticipation of our raspberry jam doughnuts (sounds more traditional than 'sugar raspberry fill') - they were very good.  So now we know where to go for the next special occasion, maybe even a chocolate eclair for a very special occasion. PS No receipt photos in the next blog.