Summer time has finally rolled round. The Queen’s Birthday Ball will be held at the British Embassy on Friday, the baby stroller is boxed up and the credit card is about to take a flogging.
It has been a mighty year with the arrival of Max, preparing for the move to Sixth of October city and churning out Khawaga’s Tales. Though before I blow this Popsicle stand, there is one piece of unfinished business.
I must apologize to Cairo’s New Zealand community for my column two weeks ago. I regret the tone of my piece and in no way were any of my observations, attempts at humor or comment meant to cause offence.
I am sure the makers of the new Casper vintage could say the same. Cairenes have put up with Grand Marquis for so long, it has won a place on our pallets, but there is no room for yet another over-priced nasty wine.
With a raw alcohol smell, Casper has a burning aftertaste of sour fruit that eats away at your stomach and stays with you until morning.
I will be in France over the summer, possibly I can entice a vintner to return with me, or maybe quality grapes just don’t grow in the delta alluvium, having traveled from the mountains of Ethiopia, it is just too tired to produce even half decent fruit.
Deregulated banking, emerging markets, world economic forums is all fine for the Egyptian economy, but what about dropping the draconian import taxes on a few quaffable new world wines Mr Finance Minister?
Apart from the wine in France this summer, I also have fuel prices to look forward too.
I am hiring a car to drive South East from Paris to the Alps and then will also need wheels to visit the in-laws in the UK. At an estimated LE 600 per tank, it is going to be nasty. And that is before the road tolls and snacks.
At $135.00 a barrel, oil is now more expensive than ever; more than the oil embargo of the 1970s and more than during the Iran-Iraq War. What it means for Cairo of course, is a lot of cashed up tourists from the Gulf States visiting over the summer.
A target market if ever there was one. Do your research, find out what the ‘Gulfies’ want and you’ll be able to turn a fast buck in no time.
The 2007-2008 expatriate year has been an eventful one for me. With the birth of Max in January, life has really taken off. Leading up to the birth, everyone I either knew or met, couldn’t wait to warn me about how my life would change. And I couldn’t wait.
Max has given me wings. I learnt quickly that time management is the key and in those times when Max sleeps or is feeding, I am busy doing jobs. As many of you already know, the baby begins to order your life, and to this point, Max has been a considerate boss.
Max is a healthy, bouncing, growing boy, which is down to his mother of course. Each morning he greets me with a big smile and his entire body wiggles with excitement. I know it’s his mother’s milk he is looking forward to, but I can’t help but glow with pride when he wiggles at seeing me.
Though I’ve gained Max, I have lost a few friends this year. Cairo leaving parties are some of the best nights of the year. It is as if it’s a celebration that a friend is being released.
Every man and his dog are turning up. The host wants to empty the liquor cabinet and there is a de-mob spirit of reckless abandon. People who you thought had left years ago, and hadn’t invited you to their leaving party turn-up and tell you they are now living in Sixth of October. .
It is always interesting after the summer to see who passes next through the revolving expatriate door and I wonder if I’ll ever meet any of them living in my new hood? I’ll probably be one of those people who only attend leaving parties. Being lonely is a usual fear when one moves cities or countries.
And this is exactly what I am doing, moving cities. Sure, it is close to Cairo, but it is not Cairo. It is over the hills and far away. But not to worry, I’ll be sure to write.
