21st April

 

We have just got back from a short (6 day) break in the UK, to our amusement it was hotter in London (26) than here in Cairo (21) when we got back this afternoon.

England smelt fresher and less polluted than Cairo and much greener. We arrived at the same time as the M1 was closed due to the fire at the scrap yard underneath one of the bridges so it took 1 hour 45 mins to get to Geoff’s mum’s rather than the usual 45 minutes. While we were there we did some shopping and got new clothes, stationary and school books, oh and some Easter eggs for Maddy. We did the traditional trip to Clifford’s Tower in York. I have invested in a pocket camera for Egypt in the hope people will find it less intrusive, so these are all point and click pictures.

Geoff had a desire to see some fish in water so we went to a couple of mills, I think that is one of the things we have missed in our travelling – the pond!

 

On Sunday I managed to get to All Saints for their Palm Sunday service and then spend some time (not enough) with the Turpins. We finally got to meet Samuel, who was born just after we left last August. Barry has almost finished his vicar training, but didn’t have a dress on this week!

 

We got to see everyone but David (so if you read this get in touch!). Mum had everyone round for a Sunday lunch, including Stephen and Lucy who have just got engaged (the wooden thing is their engagement present). Stephen is opening his own gym next month (Vulcan Training Centre), for which he is advertising on Facebook. Alison is starting to look for a job, as she finishes university this year, but hasn’t found much yet.

At Geoff’s mum’s all is well, Bob has gout and pain in his Achilles tendon that needs looking at and lots of decorating plans for the house that he hopes to get round to soon. We saw Tina and the princesses (Abby and Mia), and their new dog Alfie and went to Stanborough park to the funfair and round the lakes there.

 

 

Rain

 

Rain is a special occasion over here. It rained (thunder and lightening) on Mother’s day on and off all day. Geoff and Maddy forgot and were sent across to the Grand Mall but all they got was wet! They did bring back cake as well, although Maddy fell over and the box got a little damp.

At school the kids got a little silly with the rain. They stayed out in the rain and then complained about being wet. The rain snarled up the traffic as well, instead of taking 20 minutes to get home it took 90 minutes!

The buses had problems the next day as Cairo streets have no drainage so there was a large amount of standing water to negotiate as well as a fallen tree blocking the street on our way round to pick up the students, so travel was a little slow.

Baby Shower 31st March

 

I think of all the people in the world I am the least likely to be associated with hostessing a baby shower! But I stepped up and offered our flat for the great event for 3 weeks before Melinda’s due date. In the UK being pregnant is described as being in the ‘pudding club’ so the food for the evening was puddings. Those that could baked and those that couldn’t went to the amazing cakes shops.

As well as the food we played those traditional baby shower games ‘pin the sperm on the egg’ (Maddy found this when doing some research online for me!), ‘draw the baby on a plate while balancing on your head’ and the all time classic – ‘scoop the cotton wool balls with a wooden spoon and blind folded’.

Social conversation covered all sorts of topics from where the Revolution had got to and where it was going to what a good book ‘The Shack’ is! (I tried Nick but they didn’t hear). I was confused why Christians would think that a book that promotes God as a black woman etc would be a good thing to have circulation, surely this is just more deception?