Monday 26 January 2015

On a more personal note

The other week I explained what had been happening in Egypt at large over the period of my absence from the blog so today I will detail part of what has happened to me personally during this interval.

Strangely quite a bit has been happening. 

Those of you that know me know that I am a Bookaholic and I found out that certain people namely professional bloggers, teachers (that’s me) and librarians can get access to free galley proofs of books that have recently been published or are yet to be published and in return the reader needs to give an honest review.  I am in book/kindle heaven.  What is good about this is that it allows me to read books that I wouldn't normally for good or ill.  However, sometimes the review process takes longer than the reading of the book :).  My reviews have been posted on Goodreads and Amazon.  But in 2015 I will be posting them here so there should be loads of added activity.

So from a good thing to a sad thing. 

In March my upstairs neighbour suddenly died.  I got a shock call from his wife at 5.30 am.  He had been experiencing chest pains for a week or so and had been to the local hospital/clinic and they said that it was something to do with is oesophagus but they gave him GTN spray and that seemed to ease the pain.  On the Monday, he had booked a ticket to go to the UK the following Monday to go to hospital to have more investigations.  Yet he woke up on Tuesday and said he didn't feel well and then died. 

I was her right hand person that day accompanying her to the local police station and then to the court to see the prosecutor and let him know that there was no foul play.  I liaised with friends of the couple to get them over to attend the funeral which occurred within 7 hours of the death.  It was a really good turnout and it was interesting to attend although very sad to see a dear friend laid to rest.

This couple were more than friends they were as close to family as one could get.  They had adopted me on my arrival in Egypt but gave me enough space, and often made me do things on my own so that I got to know the lay of the land.

Unfortunately, the widow decided to leave Egypt as this was more her husband’s dream than her’s and I said that I would adopt her animals. Unfortunately two weeks before her departure her dog, the lovely Kayla had to be put to rest.  She had not been handling the loss of her master.  Another as day.


Another good thing though was that Hubbly Bubbly was here at the time and we gave the widow a good send off.

I miss the deceased and his dog every day and think about his widow loads as well.  But she is far happier in her new home in the UK and she needed to do what was best for her.


This is how I will remember him …


My Hubbly Bubbly stayed for a few weeks in May and I went back with him and had two weeks in England (only my second visit back to blighty in four years).

Due to the vacation of the upstairs flat, we decided to move up a floor so on my return the place was in chaos.  The plan was that this would have all been finished for my return back to Egypt but this is Egypt and things never go as one expects.

Months later I am eventually in and the place looks lovely.  The colour I had chosen for the wall looked blue at the time but in reality is more a very very pale green and quite soothing. 

In addition to the four cats and one dog that I already had, I inherited three more cats and a tortoise.  Although they all know each other there are two that really dislike each other and there are constant fights.  Marky is the main culprit and has taken to taking his frustrations out on my girls, and Ambrose too – well everyone really especially when he gets told off.  Yet once he gets to trust you (and yes this has taken months and had involved a number of scratches and bites) he can be really loving liking his snuggles and tummy rubs; I even throw him over my shoulder like my best boy Button.

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