Moving

So Thursday was the last day of term, the last day of the academic year, the last day for us in our old apartment and the last day before we would fly to the UK for the summer.  So even though we had been packing and sorting for weeks, we had quite a few things to get sorted!
We’d already done the bulk of our move, but knew in the back of our minds that the last few things to move are always the fiddly things and take a deceptively long time / amount of space to move.  By this point though we were pretty knackered as we’d done so much moving (well, Scotty had done so much moving, as I wasn’t able to help all that much) and sorting to finish things off at school.  Before going in to the manic moving that took place on Thursday I’ll give a run down of the rest of the week!

Sunday – this was our final radio show for the ‘season’ as we like to call it!  On the show we spoke about the newly announced President in Egypt and the political situation with parliament being dissolved.  As soon as we had finished the show we packed up our sound gear in to one of the suitcases as even though we planned to Skype home a few more times we would do this using the computer microphone rather than our large set-up.

Monday – this was graduation and so we finished school at lunch time.  Our plan had been to do a few moves this afternoon when we went over to the new apartment with Fatma, but when we met Fatma after school she told us that she would be leaving Egypt and so could not clean for us any more.  We blogged about her here , and to be honest her news threw us a bit and so we didn’t manage to move anything this afternoon.  Having an afternoon off was probably a good thing for our sanity though.

Tuesday – this was the big move day for us as we’d arranged with the head of maintenance at school for some of his ‘boys’ to come round and move our larger items that we knew we’d never get in a cab!
At the apartment we grabbed an early dinner (which was well-timed to be our last frozen meal) and waited for a call from a colleague, Dean.  Dean was taking a few of our pieces of furniture for his new apartment, but he was also with the team of removal men who were going to move our big items to the new place (bookshelf, chairs, mattress etc).  Dean arrived around 6pm and we went down to meet him and the two trucks he had with him.  We very nearly became the proud owners of a 6ft ‘coke fridge’ which the removal men tried to carry up the stairs in to our apartment before we managed to stop them and remind them that they were meant to be collecting things, not delivering at this point!
Between the four of them they quickly managed to move all of our bits downstairs to the driveway and then started on the puzzle of fitting them all on to the truck.  The mattress proved a great way at holding everything in as it lay over our suitcases, microwave and the brew box!  At the new apartment they unloaded everything and sent it upstairs in the lift (which they managed to unload at the fifth floor at first even though we did specifically say it was the second!) and soon enough the ‘big’ move for us was complete.  The night wasn’t quite complete for Dean as he still had a truck-load of furniture to take to his new place and the ‘coke fridge’ to take to another colleague’s apartment.  We gave Dean a 6-pack of beers to thank him for getting himself involved in our move (!) and gave the guys who had done our move in super-quick time 400LE for the trouble.

It was just past 7pm and we’d done so much already but there was one final job to do this evening before we could properly call it a day, so off to Dr Cherif’s it was for a final check-up appointment.  Although we’d seen him the previous week and all was fine, this appointment was to take more detailed measurements so that we would have a full set of notes to take with us on the plane (not that there should be any problem with travelling at 24 weeks) and to take with us to see the docs we would inevitably see in the UK over the summer (we plan to have one check-up in the middle of the break and then we’ll need to see someone to get the ‘permission to fly’ note at the very end of the holiday too).
Everything was fine with Dr Cherif and the Baba Ganough which meant we left feeling very happy and pleased with how we had got through the day!

Wednesday – this was to be our final move day (we hoped!) when we would finish off a lot of the move, leaving only a few things in the old apartment.
Straight after school I went to collect the cot bed that we had bought from a girl in Rehab. We got Sayed to pick me up at 3pm and by 3.30 she was negotiating Rehab car parks and slip roads to find the closest point to the apartment. Sayed didn’t know before that we were expecting, but when I turned up at the car he realised why I had mentioned I’d need a hand putting stuff in the car. The cot bed was bigger than we remembered and so it had to run through the boot and on to the folded down back seat. I was back in Maadi by about 4.30pm and Sayed (along with Om Yasser, our new bowab) helped me take everything in to the apartment.
Meanwhile Scotty took the bus home with Sayno and together they carried around most of the larger frames we have with pictures or paintings in. They also arrived at the apartment at about 4.30pm and phase one of the Wednesday move was complete.
Now we were together again we needed to do another two taxi trips to bring the final few paintings and guitars over.  What made these moves difficult was not the weight we were trying to move but their delicate nature and the odd shapes we were moving (bedside lamps!). Before the last move of the night we also packed up the desktop computer and packed this in to a small suitcase to move leaving us with just the essentials to live with and things to do some final cleaning with.  By this point though we were both feeling very tired – tired with moving and tired with everything to be honest!

THURSDAY!
The last day of school was not as manic as it was last year (when Scotty was so ill that he threw up on the way to work and I had so much to do to finish off that I missed the bus home!), but it still had a few surprises!  We checked in online to our flight while at work and sad some sad goodbyes to colleagues and friends that would be leaving (we’ll miss you Frenchie and Judlove!)
We were back in Maadi by 3pm and started to get on to the final few moves.  Our aim was to get everything out of the old apartment apart from what we would need to sleep the night there.  We also needed to pack our bags for the UK and wanted to get down to the Club for a goodbye/end-of-term drink with people.
We cleared out the fridge and the last two plates, two mugs and two glasses from the kitchen.  Along with this we load we took some computer items and the mop and bucket (we paid good money for them!) to the new place in a taxi.  Just as we were getting home from this move we have a call from Kurt and Kristi who we have bought a computer chair from and so I dash back to the new apartment to meet them.  They also really kindly give us their stroller which they aren’t taking when they move back to California and although we won’t be able to use it for the first few months with the baby, it’s great to have as a light extra pram option.  Whilst I’m meeting them, Scotty packs another large case and brings it over.
We’ve still got some things to move, but we haven’t packed our bags for the UK yet, so we go back to the apartment, order dinner and start packing.  We’ve been putting things aside ready to pack for a few weeks, but we need to see what space we actually have.  One case has already been packed with picture frames and a few clothes, so we’ve got two left to pack.  We try to make the largest case the ‘wedding’ case and put the large wall hanging that we’ve had made for Fabs and Sam in there along with Scotty’s suits and all the bunting that has been made to decorate the hall for the reception.  We cut back on a few clothes (mainly clothes that I had been thinking to take, but actually I’ll probably only get to wear once before they are too tight for me) but otherwise manage to get everything in.
It’s 7.30pm and we decide that we deserve a break from packing and sorting and so head down to the Club for a farewell drink.  We only stay for one, but it’s really great to see people for a final goodbye before the summer (or in the case of the wonderful Lucy and Roly, before they move away!).  After this though we are back to the final dregs of the move and jobs that need to be done.
Our final move of the night is a case of computer bits and bobs and the clothes we didn’t fit in to the case for the UK.  We arrange to meet Prebble at the flat and he drops off some keys that we are getting cut for him (another, even longer, story!).  After a brief sit down and chat together we head to Road 9 and divide forces with Scotty going to close our internet account and me getting the keys cut.  It’s all done very efficiently as three guys work on cutting the four keys at the same time, and we’re soon in a cab back to Degla.
When we’re checking that the newly cut keys work in Flossie’s apartment Scotty gets a call from the internet people saying that they forgot to give him the correct change.  We really can’t be fussed to go all the way back to Road 9 for a fiver at this stage (it’s nearly 11pm) but they insist that it cannot go to charity and so back Scotty goes.
By midnight we are washing out the fridge and cleaning the bathroom so that we leave the apartment in a good way and can be sure to get our deposit back from the landlord and it’s nearly 1am by the time we have had a shower and get in to bed.  Our flight is tomorrow morning at 9.30am and we are utterly exhausted.

Epilogue: Friday
We woke up at 6am and stripped the bed – packing the pillows and dirty laundry in to the hold hall. We drank the last of the milk and juice and then took our bags downstairs for 6.45am to meet Abdul.  It was a bit odd to see the apartment so empty – it was essentially back to the way it was when we first moved in – but we didn’t have much time (or energy) to dwell on this. On the way to the airport we got Abdul to take us to the new apartment so that we could drop off the dirty laundry etc that we didn’t want to take to the UK(!) and then headed to the airport (so we did our final move in to the new apartment about 3 hours before our flight to the UK).  Although the roads were clear all the way there the EgyptAir terminal slip-road was jammed and these last 50m took us 15 minutes in the car. We got in to the airport 2 hours before our flight but by the time we had queued for the plastic bag wrap (our large hard case is really on its last legs), check-in and passport control it was reading ‘go to gate’, so we grabbed a coffee and did just that.
Goodbye Egypt (for the summer) and Hello UK!

Fatma

We found out today that Fatma is leaving Egypt and returning home.

Fatma has been our cleaner since we moved here, and although she is primarily an invisible force (she comes during the day when we're out at school) we've known her for four years so it's quite sad news for us really.

We were recommended Fatma when we first arrived by a colleague who she'd worked for for years as a cleaner and nanny and she started with us two days a week. Part of our plans for next year included the fact that she had looked after kids before and so in our minds it was a possibility that we'd ask her to look after the Baba Ganough when we were both at work. 

Fatma has been amazing as she has been so reliable and trustworthy and always done such a great job.  It's sad that she has decided to move back home, but she said that this was because she wants to have a more regular education for her daughter. She has found that things have been so disrupted this last year for her so it's understandable really, but we wish them all well.

Leaving Road 206

El Nada Hospital

It gets more 'real' by the day.  Over the past couple of weeks Alice has been feeling what she thinks are occasional movements by the baby.  I've been able to put my hand on the bump and at times feel them too, but they're so small that to be honest it's been difficult to know for sure whether it's the baby or just an overactive digestion system.  However, this week we had an ante-natal appointment which all went well, and during which time we saw the baby move on the screen.  "Oh," said Alice.  "So that feeling is the baby moving!"  Everything else is on track - the measurements are within the 'expected norms', and all the organs and limbs and growing fine.

Last time we were with Dr Cherif we asked when we should visit the hospital to check it out.  He suggested that weekend mornings are best, as most of Egypt is asleep at that time, and so we followed his advice.  We spent the first part of the morning checkign the internet for the exact location of the hospital, and rather helpfully found a blog by a couple of ex-pats who had a baby there a couple of years ago.  The key information we found was:

1. It's on the main road on Roda Island / El-Manial
2. It's above a huge McDonald's

Hailing a cab outside our apartment, we got to the hospital in 14 minutes.  Now, the roads were very quiet and the driver liked to put his foot down, but it strikes me that even if we end up needing to go at a busier time it's still do-able...which is just as well since there's not really any other option!  It was also incredibly useful to have read the tip about it being above McDonalds - we spotted it easily, whereas without that advice I doubt we'd have found it so quickly.

Walking round to the main entrance, we went past the McDonald's scooters.  I think it's hilarious that there's a maternity hospital above a load of mopeds that say 'McDelivery'.

Walking into reception, the first thing that struck us was that it actually felt like a hospital.  Some of our other hospital experiences here have been a bit more like walking into a field hospital in war, so finding a calm and clean reception area was brilliant.  We explained to the receptionist that we just wanted to look around, and so she gave us the price-list for the rooms and called for somebody to show us some examples.  While we were waiting, we scanned the reception area and noticed signs everywhere saying that there is a no-tipping culture in the hospital - "No Tipping: We Are Here To Serve You".  In a country where tipping is part of everyday life, it's interesting that they hammer home the point so strongly that we're already paying for a service and so shouldn't have to pay extra to make it happen (although deep down I suspect it might oil the cogs if necessary).

There's 6 levels of rooms from '1st Class' up to 'Royal Suite', and we know that a lot of people go somewhere in the middle with the 'Junior Suite' which our friends had a few months ago (it's the first level that has a sofa bed so I can stay over, and it has a more comfortable bed for Alice).  As it was, we weren't actually able to see this type of room as they didn't have any free - but we saw the level above and the level below so it's not too difficult to work it out.

The place was immaculate - considering we live in a country where dust permeates every inch of life, it was as if the hospital was hermetically sealed.  Maybe it was.  Either way, we both felt very comfortable with it.  We were shown the nursery first, and then went on to look at a range of rooms - all of which we were very happy with.  The difference between each price level is obvious, but even the cheapest were comfortable and clean.

We asked also if we could see the ICU - and to be honest were pleased that they made us wait outside for 15 minutes.  I think if they had just let a couple of people wander into intensive care I'd have been worried.  As it is, they took us into a viewing room where they opened the blinds into the second of two rooms, all fully equipped.  In the distance we could see the blue glow of the incubator lights of the second room where there were some babies being treated.  It felt a little uncomfortable seeing this, but we're pleased to know that they are equipped for all eventualities and take the care of the babies so seriously.

The language barrier could be a bit of an issue, but it was always going to be.  The big advantage is that Dr Cherif is held in such high esteem that what he says goes - we give him a list of what we want, and he will make sure the nurses stick to it.  All in all, both Alice and I feel very happy with what the hospital offers.

And on the way out we saw a horse and cart!

Jungee-Eurovision weekend

This weekend we managed to combine two of our favourite activities from last year; Eurovision and Jungle-themed water parks!

With the Eurovision final being broadcast on a school night our plan was always to download a copy and then watch it the following weekend - and thus maximising party potential. But when we realised that we had already booked in to Jungee for a weekend of sliding and all-inclusive action, we decided to simply shift the location of our Eurovision party to Jungee and use it as an excuse for some fancy dress action too.

So for the last month or so everyone has been watching youtube videos of previous entrants to get ideas of what to wear that either showed a Eurovision or country stereotype, or a previous entrant. There were loads of ideas bandied about and some people settled on an idea quickly, but we took ages to actually decide on our costumes. I had three long trips to the mall, first looking for a white floaty dress (Azerbaijan's winning entry from last year) and then red trousers (Brotherhood of Man, UK's winning entry from the 70's). We even flitted with the idea of getting a costume made (Ghengis Khan, Germany's 1979 entrant, anyone?) but finally settled on Romania's entry for this year when I found a short orange dress and Scotty managed to find white linen trousers and shirt.

Other outfits that featured at the Eurovision screening we had at Jungee included Scooch (brilliant tailored outfits that were perfect!), Bucks Fizz (complete with detatchable skirt for her and detatchable trousers for him!), Ireland (Irish flag dress), UK (Union Jack dress), Englebert Humperdink (specially crafted Engle-burns), Moldova's 2011 entry (pointy hat) and Cicero (Germany's entry from a few years ago...man in silver suit).


It was great fun to watch the show through and we all had 'superfan' score-cards so that we could rate each act on the song, costumes and dance/performance. There were some surprise hits (Love Me Back and their ship!) and some unsurprising groans (EH was terrible!) but a good time was had. We were well in the need of a drink (all-inclusive didn't include room servive or take-away...gggrrrr) by the time we finished watching the acts and so headed out to the Jungee nightclub. It was good fun to parade through Jungee in our outfits and it was only afterwards that I realised how ridiculous I must have looked in public (pregnant lady in tight orange dress up to her knickers is not my usual look!)

Apart from the Eurovision-action of Friday night, the other draw for the weekend of Jungee was the 32 slides and pools that they boast.  We loved them last time and spent hours on the slides (even though I still could not bring myself to do the tsunami or the yellow slide on my own, or open my eyes on the tsunami!) but this time was set to be a little different. I think it took Flossie and Frenchie about 5 minutes after we told them that I was pregnant for them to ask if I was still going to go to Jungee. Of course I'd be going - it's just that I would be eating for two, but Scotty would be sliding for two!

The first day went quite quickly in the end as we all got up late (as Thursday evening turned in to a much bigger night than anyone had planned!) so we only had a few hours poolside before breaking for lunch.  I spent some of the time finishing my book but had a dip in one of the pools and went to watch some sliding too. After lunch it was much the same, but we also managed to fit in a round of crazy golf (the fact that this was not jungle themed was dissapointing to say the least).  On the second (and last - boo hoo!) day we didn't go to the sliding pool in the end, but decided to stay by the pool near our room. It was pretty cold in there, but we braved it for about 20 minutes before heading inside.

What is it with us and nice hotels and important events in Egypt's modern history?  We were visiting reception on our last morning to confirm check-out time and we pass a small group of hotel workers all watching a TV - it is showing the Mubarak trial. We knew that the verdict in the trial was due that day, but were never totally convinced that a) they would announce the verdict that day b) they would announce at promptly, but here we were at 10am and the live footage was telling us otherwise. We were quite tempted to stay and watch with the workers, but we decided that it would be better to watch it in our room where we could get coverage in english and wouldn't be around to see others reactions / be asked our reaction (as we didn't know what the outcome could be and what the politics of these particular workers were). When we got back to our room the result had just been announced and we did spend the next hour following it on and off on the TV and internet.

So all in all a weekend to remember!