El Andalous - Christmas 2016

Christmas Present from My Brother - Flowers and Christmas Cake with Maltesers, Kit-Kat, Mars Bar...

Merry Christmas everyone!

It’s actually been pretty cold here, but I’m failing to get any sympathy. It’s more the wind than anything else – when I arrived back, I wore bed socks at night, used a blanket, had to wear a cardigan when I was sitting outside. I’ve been back almost 2 weeks, and yet I’ve only managed to swim three times in that period. I am beginning to think I may as well have stayed in Switzerland.

The temperature is around 21-24 degrees (which is why I’m not getting any sympathy), it’s just the wind that makes it chilly. If you can get a wind breaker on the beach and position it correctly, you can be OK. But it’s definitely winter. I’ve never had a year yet like this; previously I’ve been able to swim pretty much every day throughout the year. I was beginning to wonder if I’d just softened up, but when we had our first non-windy day and I was able to go to the beach, I realized that this was how it usually is. It’s most definitely an unusual winter. I feel sorry for people taking a holiday here just now. Another bit of bad luck for Egypt.

An additional sign that it’s winter is that I’m now back to drinking hot (filter) coffee. That seems just unthinkable in the summer months. Maybe it’s a hangover from Switzerland, but I’ve taken a real craving for a piping hot caffe latte in the afternoons. When I haven’t been able to swim, I’ve quite often wandered down to either Chez Paul, Il Gusto, or BestWay for a caffe latte. At home, I finally dusted off (literally) my filter coffee machine and started to make my own coffee, too. I’ve bought 6 cans of diet coke, which are sitting in the fridge, and I haven’t had a single one yet.

I don’t know if it was just me, but it seemed to me that Senzo Mall had more decorations up this year for Christmas. Even locally, they are doing more – there’s a large tent being put up on the beach by Il Gusto for three days of activities to see in the new year. Also the Piazza seems to be having things erected inside it, although I haven’t heard of anything going on there.

I didn’t see turkey this year in Spinneys, but I bought a duck instead for Christmas day (I was originally under the impression that I’d bought a goose, but that’s just because I either didn’t read properly or I bought duck and then changed it to “goose” in my memory).

It was the first time I’d ever cooked a whole duck. I did pretty well. It fitted in the oven, which was one thing I forgot to consider (I only have a small portable oven). It was a bit difficult to time the vegetables etc, since my electricity can’t handle me having the oven and my hob on at the same time. However, I cooked the date sauce in advance, and I cooked the giblets the day before, and I parboiled the potatoes before I put the duck in the oven. This is pretty organized for me. It tasted good, but I completely forgot to take a photograph. The half-mauled duck doesn’t look quite so photogenic, so it’s a bit too late now.

On the 24th, I went out with the Lotus Ladies for a Christmas meal. I was relieved that this year we did not have to prepare stuff and bring it along as in previous years; this time, we just paid and had the meal at Bulls (a restaurant in Hurghada). That was when I got my full turkey Christmas meal. They even prepared stuffing (labeled “stuffiny”), because one of the Brits, who couldn’t attend, had insisted on it. It was lovely to have a typically British Christmas dinner. I think the other nationalities who were there (Egyptian, Dutch, Belgian, Polish... at my end of the table) were a bit perplexed by the stuffing.

So, I think that’s now my 4th Christmas over here in Egypt. Every year, it’s been a bit different, but it’s always fun!

Zurich - The Fun Times

Gluehwein at Stadelhofen Station, Zurich

So, I’ve spent two blogs explaining all my moving woes, but I also spent a lot of time socializing and having fun. It actually started as soon as I landed.

Lena met me at the airport since she had my keys, so, after dumping my luggage, we went out to explore my new local area for somewhere to eat. It was a Sunday, so some of the restaurants were closed.

We didn’t really want to be out exploring for too long in the cold. We ended up at a Mexican restaurant that had a recommendation by TripAdvisor, according to the sticker on the door. It didn’t look particularly open, but there were some people lounging about watching football. We decided against it and left the building until we noticed that it had an extension to the right decked out with plants and brightly coloured paint. We went back in and got a table.

The menu was varied – I had chicken wings and chips – and the portions were large and reasonably priced for Zurich. I would definitely go back there again.

The next day Steph arrived for a stay over, so I did my best to prepare a thank you meal for both Steph and Lena (who also must have got tired of traipsing all the way to Glattbrugg all the time), although Steph was doing her best to continue to be the one to welcome me! I cooked chicken, but failed to realize that her green pan was green because it was in a plastic green container. It wasn’t until it started to make weird cracking noises as the chicken cooked that I realized my mistake. I was mortified at ruining her beautiful pan on my very first cooking attempt. This is the one major downside of using someone else’s things – the responsibility is just huge.

I went out with Caterina for drinks later in the week (I also had a tasty soup). We were lucky to catch the opening night of Oerlikon station, which has been being upgraded for about 6 years or more. They say there are something like 80 shops but I could only see about 15; however it’s great to have places there where you can grab something to eat, pick up something from the pharmacy, buy a book… I never thought I’d still be in Switzerland to see this finalized. Having said that, there are still lots of works going on in the vicinity which will take at least another year to finish, I think. But they are getting there!

We then arranged to meet up with Steph and Nicolas in Basel. Unfortunately, Caterina got ill, so only I went in the end. I’ve already posted a photograph from that two weeks ago. It was very busy, but quieter around the cathedral, where it was really pleasant to wander round. We tasted some gluehwein, which is a must while I am in Switzerland at this time of year. In Basel they serve the gluehwein in a china winter shoe with a snowy Basel picture on it. Very cute!

The following day I went to see Mummenschanz at Theater 11 with Lena. I’d seen it before quite some years ago – it’s a bit hard to categorise. This show was called “musicians of silence” so there was no music but people dressed in funny shapes which somehow gain personality as they move about the darkened stage. There were lots of children in the audience who added to it considerably with their “oohs” and “aahs”.

Thursday was the work Christmas party – the theme was “round the world” so I went in Egyptian attire. I thought the food was really excellent – a nice duo of soups to start with, then beef, and a buffet of desserts. I thought it was taking place in the Kunsthaus, so was really surprised when the bus took us to the Dolder!

On Friday, I went out for lunch with Peter from work – now that I don’t sit in my usual corner as I’m hot-desking, we don’t get much of a chance to catch up. So, this was our opportunity. We’d waited for a few days in the hope that Caterina would get better, but she was still off work.

Pam came over to visit from Friday, so Hye-Youn, Pam, Candice, and I had quite a bit planned – on Friday, champagne tasting followed by queuing and finally getting into the Clouds bar/restaurant in the Prime Tower to take in some spectacular views of Zurich whilst eating. Then I finally got round to visiting the Zurich Christmas markets with Pam on Saturday – only in Zurich can you find a tree in public display decorated with Swarowski crystals (last week’s blog photo). It is quite spectacular. It was good to see the Christmas market after a few years’ break, since I saw some stalls that I hadn’t seen before.

Following that, I went with Hye-Youn to a free 20-minute concert in the opera house, which was part of the open-doors events for advent. And then on Sunday we all went for brunch at the Dolder. I’m sure I must have blogged about that before.

So, if anyone is feeling aggrieved that they didn’t see me, it really wasn’t intentional. I was just chock-full busy for most of the time. My next stay in Zurich will be for longer (all going to plan), so I hope to see everyone then.

Zurich - Still Learning

Christmas in Zurich - Only Swarowski Decorations Will Do!

I had 16 days in Zurich. As usual, I expected to have quite a bit of free time now that I’m working only 60%, but the reality was that my life seemed to fast-forward with no time to pause!

This is the first time I’ve had my own lights installed in a flat. Before, I’ve always used standard lamps, but there are relatively few sockets in my new flat and it seemed easier just to install some lights straight away. It was also an opportunity to find out how this all worked. It turned out to be a bit of an eye-opener for me as this is one thing that is very different in Switzerland than in the UK.

As in last week’s blog, when you move into a flat in Switzerland, you just have wires sticking out of the ceiling, so you have to get an electrician in. What I hadn’t realized is that the Swiss pretty much only buy complete hanging lamps for their homes. In the UK, when you move into a new flat, you usually have a cable coming down with a socket attached into which the new tenant will insert a bulb and add their own lampshade. No electrician required.

Consequently, as a Brit, I just thought I had to get the electrician to put in the cable and the socket for the bulb and then I could choose my lampshades at my leisure. When the electrician came and I asked him to do this, he looked at me as if I was completely nuts!

He looked at the lampshade that I had, laughed, and told me that I’d forgotten to take the cable and the socket with me. I explained that for a Brit, bringing just a lampshade was normal. He shook his head and said he didn’t carry cable with him and I’d have to order it and he’d have to treat it like a repair job. It was bizarre, although he no doubt thought that it was me who was being strange. There was a little friction at first, in part because I couldn’t really believe what I was hearing (“huh, you don’t carry any cable with you or any sockets?”), but once he realized I wasn’t going to go into a strop, he lightened up and ended up being very pleasant.

Anyway, although I had two strip lights and one other light that he could hang, I had to postpone doing the rest of the lights until I’d bought some more lights. This meant I had the trauma of having to use my phone and speak in German again to make another appointment, but once I’d got round to it, it was fine, actually.

Steph had bought a light from Ikea for me that I had chosen, but I hadn’t realized that my ceilings were so low. I had to move my furniture around so that the light would hang somewhere where no-one would walk, otherwise it would just be in the way. I’d also forgotten that, with it being Ikea, some construction would be required. I spent about four hours fixing 84 snowflake shapes to the shade!

You’d think that with an entire nation needing to buy hanging lights, shops would be full of them. However, I found it surprisingly hard to find anywhere with a large selection – particularly since I failed to get to Ikea myself. Migros had only one left of the one I wanted – they had a few beautiful, more expensive lights, but I’m not willing to spend that much when I’m on only a temporary contract. I had no idea that this fixing lights malarkey would be so time-consuming!

I learned another lesson about Swiss life when I asked the letting agent to get a plumber to sort out my shower for me. I actually needed the plumber to sort out my shower, a dripping tap, a blocked basin, and a radiator that wouldn’t turn off. I just mentioned the shower because that was the most important thing and it was otherwise rather a lot to explain in German. I thought it would be easier just to show the plumber when he or she came round.

The plumber eventually came round and sorted out my shower, reluctantly agreed to unblock my basin but, to my surprise, he refused to do anything else. He said he couldn’t do it, because he needed the agreement first from the letting agency. It was so frustrating as it will be another call-out charge. I got the impression that he was in a bit of a rush, so I’m not sure if I was also a bit unlucky, but it had never occurred to me that there had to be some kind of formal agreement with the letting agent before he could do it. That’s what I get for being too lazy to explain things properly, but it’s also a good example of how much the Swiss like to live by rules and to abide by timekeeping.

I also find it quite astonishing that after having been in Switzerland for about 9 years (including my years away in Egypt), I’m still learning new things about the culture!

Zurich - My New Home

Christmas in Basel

Arriving in Zurich this time felt a bit like a new chapter in my life because this time I was going straight to my new home instead of making my way to temporary accommodation. I had two suitcases, but one suitcase was full of bedding – a winter duvet, a summer duvet (which I don’t use even in the winter in Egypt), sheets, covers, etc. It was good to clear some space in my Egypt flat! The smaller suitcase was for clothes, although I’d already left quite a lot behind in Zurich last time I was there.

I enjoyed the fact that the flat is just a 5 mins bus ride from the airport, so once I’ve arrived in Zurich, I’m pretty much already home. There is a price to pay for this, of course, and that’s the noise of the planes going overhead. They are quite loud and I was astonished to see how close they look as they fly past, but fortunately it doesn’t bother me too much. I can imagine some people would find it a nightmare, though.

I had understood that plane noise was likely to be a problem in this area (probably in part why my rent is cheap for Zurich); what I hadn’t realized is that the trains also went past just behind my garden area. It’s a bit frustrating that I have to walk 9 minutes to the station when I could really just hop over the wall if only there were a platform there!

Anyway, somehow, for me, this noise is less disruptive than the church bells, which drove me mad when I first ever arrived in Switzerland and woke every hour as the bells chimed from various churches all at the same time. I got used to that within about three months so I expect soon I won’t even notice the noise from the planes and trains.

I’m still waiting for my good luck in relation to going back to work in Zurich to run out, but for now I still can’t believe how fortunate I am. Steph has been thinking about setting up business helping expats sort out their furniture when they move country and so she was keen to use my flat as a practice run. She kindly let me use all her furniture that she had in storage (she no longer needed it now that she’d moved in with her husband) – it would save me from buying it and would save her the storage costs.

So, while I was in Egypt, she transferred all the furniture, got it all constructed again, and sorted my flat out for me. Consequently, I was able just to move straight into my new flat without too many problems and without having to buy everything. The flat already had cutlery, cleaning stuff, wine racks, sheets, towels, etc.

Strangely, although I’d seen the furniture in Steph’s own flat previously, it didn’t seem too odd to have it in my flat. What freaked me out more was that both Steph and Lena (who was keeping my keys for me) knew more about my flat than I did! It was almost like the flat wasn’t really mine after all. I hasten to add that this doesn’t take away from my huge gratitude to both of them for their help (Lena with seeing the flat handover and being the guardian of my keys, and Steph for giving, moving, and arranging the furniture); it’s just a remark on the weirdness of it!

One annoying thing about Switzerland is that when you move, you also have to remove all the light fittings. I don’t mean removing the lampshades and the bulbs, I mean also removing the rose that holds the bulbs. All you have when you move in are wires sticking out of a hole in the ceiling, or maybe it’s even all been tied up into the ceiling and blocked off. Usually the bathroom and kitchen will have some lights, but that’s it. Consequently, every person when they move in or out has to get an electrician in to do this work. It’s a waste of resources, but I guess electricians in Switzerland must be laughing with this steady stream of easy money.

I tried hard to book someone to do this for me, but it took me ages to find an electrician who had some free time. In the end, I had to wait for five days. That’s being done today (by the time this blog appears), so that’s a little adventure coming my way, no doubt.

Also, there were some plumbing issues that needed to be sorted – my shower only has hot water if you turn the tap to the far left, but then there’s virtually no pressure at all. My tap was dripping in my bathroom, my basin was blocked, and one of my radiators won’t turn off. So, I have the plumber also coming today.

It’s not exactly how I like to spend my spare time, but it has to be done and my quality of life will improve massively if they do the jobs requested of them. And I’m lucky that I haven’t had to spend more time on sorting my flat out, since most of it was done for me!

El Andalous - My Purchases

My  Self-Made Necklaces!

Well, I’m off to Switzerland again, so just a quick blog this week. To make it easy for myself, I thought I’d give a quick report back on my purchases and whether they were worth it.

1. New EasyBreathe Snorkeling Mask. If you want to get attention on the beach, this is the way to do it! Every time I’ve taken this with me, I’ve been accosted by strangers asking me about it, and sometimes also by people I know. It took me a while to place my trust in it. It fits over your face, so you have to be confident that you’re not going to drown with water coming in the mask. It doesn’t. And even if it does, it tends to trickle down the side of your face and run out by your chin, so you don’t drown. You can breathe through your nose or your mouth and is easier than standard snorkeling gear. I don’t particularly notice the wider range of sight, although most people comment on that; I’m more aware that you still can’t see to your side because of the curvature of the mask. After about an hour, my jaw aches because it’s a bit tight; I did try loosening it and it was better, but if I loosen it any more, water starts to come in. A normal snorkel hurts my head after a while and sometimes my jaw aches from gripping onto the mouthpiece, so it’s about even there.
2. Solar Panel, 40W. This was supposed to provide enough energy to charge my laptop but it doesn’t really work. Admittedly, I think it’s supposed to be for up to 19V and my work laptop needs 20V; my personal laptop is 19V but it didn’t come with the connector for that (presumably because I bought it in Egypt and is probably a slightly deviant design). I use it to charge up my powerpack (which can then charge my work laptop), but it takes quite a while for it to charge up via the sun. It’s not helped by the fact that my balcony is in the shade all afternoon and in the morning I have to shift it around every half an hour for it to be in the sun. The sun seems to move really fast in Egypt! In reality, I’m only using it to charge my tablet, my work phone, and my kindle. I’m not sure it was worth the money. Having said that, maybe I’ll change my mind now that electricity prices have gone up by almost 50% in Egypt!
3. Power Bank. This works well, subject to above proviso. To be fair, it's designed to be charged via mains electricity, so it's not its fault that I can't get it charged quickly enough via solar power!
4. Solar Lantern. This worked just fine during my power cut. It has a USB socket where you can also charge devices and it took me a while to realize that it will power devices over charging the light, so I need to be careful not to charge a device so much that I have no light left. Also, it’s not strong enough to charge my tablet or my iphone. It works well for my Suunto Ambit watch, though.
5. Solar Light. I have this in the bathroom and it is great! It never seems to use up any energy and provides a good light for the bathroom during my power cuts. It’s magnetic and sits nicely on my towel rack.
6. Swimming costumes. One turned out to have not very much material on the sides and I feel a bit naked in it; otherwise I really like the pattern on it. It’s OK for Switzerland but I feel it might be too revealing for Egypt. Another one I haven’t worn very much because I’m scared by the fact that its size is “small” (help! Will it really fit me?) as that was the only size left, but actually I really like it – the material is a bit weird and quite thick for a swimming costume, but it’s fine. The final one was just great.
7. Craft Materials. I’d got it into my head that I’d like to make necklaces out of shells here in Sahl Hasheesh, so that I could always have a part of Sahl Hasheesh with me wherever I went. I bought some rings (can’t remember their official name) to hook the shells on to a neck chain and also bought some neck chains (one in a charity shop and three cheap silver ones from Argos). It turned out to be more difficult than I imagined. At the end of the day, I’m not really cut out to do arts and crafts as I don’t have the patience or the dexterity. I’d read on the internet that you can make a hole in a shell with a needle, but I either couldn’t do it or the shell would break. Similarly, I didn’t have the patience to tease apart the ring to fix it on to the chain and then close it up. The rings were so small and my fingers so clumsy, it just wasn’t going to happen. Or I didn’t have the patience to persevere. In the end I used glue. It wasn’t easy. The rings would slide about on the chain, the chain would stick to the cardboard surface I was working on. The shells wouldn’t stick. I got there in the end and I think the necklaces are beautiful. However, one of them is a bit crooked, and when I wore one of them, the glue started to melt over my neck. It’s not a great look. I am hoping maybe a few more days’ fixing time might solve the latter issue.
8. Cereals. It seems that I can’t buy UK cereals any more because Egypt does not have the money to import them, so I brought 5 boxes back with me. I will be repeating this exercise because I love my morning bowl of breakfast cereal and it’s been heavenly being able to have something I enjoy first thing. It makes getting up all worthwhile!

El Andalous - Swimming

Cleaner Fish Entering Mouth of Porcupine Fish

Surprisingly, when I got back to El Andalous this time, I found that I’d lost my confidence in swimming. I’m really not sure what happened. When I went to Zurich, I didn’t have as much time for swimming as I thought – I think it was perhaps partly a function of my studio being quite a long way from work meaning that if I went swimming near work, it would be quite a long time until I reached home, which was quite a disincentive.

Moreover, I was hugely disappointed because when I did go swimming, I found I could no longer do 1km front crawl; I was struggling again to do 50m. I don’t know if it’s a psychological thing of coming to the end of a length and thinking that’s it, or if it’s something to do with the difference between swimming in salty, buoyant water and swimming in a chlorinated, essentially freshwater pool. Or maybe I swam faster in a public pool because of the pressure of people behind me and that just wore me out. I’m used to having the whole sea virtually to myself!

What was more disconcerting was that when I got back to Egypt, I had no particular desire to swim. It was strange. I’d also sprained my thumb, so I couldn’t do front crawl as it put too much pressure on the sprain. Breast stroke was fine, but it was hard for me to muster the enthusiasm to get in the water. Moreover, breast stroke, which I generally think I could do forever if it were possible, seemed quite a struggle. I even felt a bit nervous about swimming a long distance. Really, I don’t know how this happened. My confidence had just plummeted. Maybe I had got a bit out of shape and I was in a downhill spiral. Or perhaps I was just tired and needed a rest?

I forced myself to continue swimming, though, and now I’m back to wanting my regular swim every day. My thumb has more-or-less healed so I can do front crawl, but I’ve yet to return to doing the distances I was doing before; I’ve been keeping mainly to breast stroke, but a breast stroke at a pretty good pace and at a longer distance than before. Admittedly, I’m fantasizing as I swim about leading a fish safari and stopping at the various bits of coral and explaining what all the fish are. Maybe even selling a few books!

I’ve been snorkeling a few times, when I’ve had enough time (when I swim, I’m dipping my head in the water with just my goggles on and no snorkel). I was even out of condition with my cycling and the first time I went over to the Tropitel to snorkel, I found the bike ride there a real struggle. This too was very disheartening, but when I next went out on my bike and tried to change gear, I realized that the bike seemed to have stuck between gears, so I think that was a large part of the problem. Although I did pass my cycling proficiency test when I was at school, I could really do with a few lessons so that I know when I’m doing something wrong! I still feel a bit clueless on a bicycle.

I had the privilege of seeing a cleaner fish cleaning a porcupine fish – the porcupine fish opened its mouth, the cleaner fish swam in and then exited via the gills of the porcupine fish, then went in again via its gills, and then scooted over its back. It’s amazing how much trust there is – the porcupine fish could have closed its mouth and gobbled up the cleaner fish, but it just stayed there motionless with its mouth open while the cleaner fish worked.

Over near the Baron hotel they are building a stage to host the Arabic version of Ninja Warriors – apparently, it’s going to stay there in the hope that maybe the international finals can take place in Sahl Hasheesh. That would be pretty cool. You might see me swimming past in the background with my bright yellow swimming cap!

At the Baron I saw a sixstriped soapfish for the first time and there seem to be quite a few baby crown coris. But generally, at least in El Andalous beach, it seems to be the season for mullet. Well, that’s what I think they are, as I’m not too sure. There’s a huge shoal of them just drifting about at the moment. They aren’t very interesting fish individually (just silver and fish-shaped, if that makes any sense), but it’s pretty impressive when you see a hundred at a time!

El Andalous - The Weather

My Sheltered Balcony

There’s not usually much to say about the weather here – it’s constantly sunny and warm. However, despite this constancy, it’s surprising how sometimes you go outside and the day just seems especially nice. I’m not sure what it is and I’ve noticed that others will say it on the same day, so I don’t think it’s anything to do with my mood on a given day.

Saturday just gone was one of those days – it was sunny, the air was somehow fresh and warm, there was a slight breeze and it was just, well, perfect.

However, since I’ve been back, the weather has actually been a bit temperamental.

Extraordinarily, at the end of October, we must have had about two days of non-stop rain. On the first night, thunder cracked right overhead, and dramatic sheet lightning lit up the bay accompanied by many simultaneous streaks of lightning. Egypt isn’t really equipped for this weather, so a number of people died. Hurghada was flooded, and a total of 150 million cubic metres of rain fell over the Red Sea in those two days. In Sahl Hasheesh, the rain mostly washed down (naturally) into the sea. A friend in El Andalous had to scoop 180+ litres of water off her balcony. Fortunately, I’m tucked away in a corner and got only a few drops. My sofas didn’t even get wet.

I’ve experienced proper rain here before, but never for two days non-stop. Each time it rains, you can see most of the Egyptians running around, bringing in things from outside, and laughing away. It’s a bit like snow for the Brits, I guess – a novelty which makes life interesting and fun for a while (until the reality hits). There was a power cut, of course – I was just waiting for it to happen – but fortunately it was only for a few hours, so it could have been a lot worse. My two newly-purchased solar lights were put to use but it did dawn on me that if I was thinking I could just use the sun to charge them up again, this didn’t work if we had rain! It was something that never even entered my mind.

After two days, things resumed to normal. The sky was blue and the sun shone. However, for the next two weeks we had quite a lot of wind and in the afternoons, cloud would come and cover the sky for some periods (maybe an hour or two only, though). I almost didn’t go to the beach one day because it was cloudy, but sometimes it’s deceptive and it looks cloudy from my balcony, but when you’re on the beach, it’s actually fine.

But now, it’s back to normal. This is really the best time of year here, because the water is still warm from the summer and the temperatures are a bit cooler. Having said that, it still took me some time to adjust back to the heat and I’ve been having air conditioning on every now and then, particularly at night in order to get to sleep.

However, I can see from my dwindling water and diet coke consumption that it’s no longer so hot and slowly but surely, I’m starting to lie in the sun again rather than just the shade. The UK is supposed to be looking forward to its coldest winter in 100 years this year, so I'm happy to be here instead.

Sahl Hasheesh - An Eventful Life

Brunch - After I'd Eaten a few Chips and Smeared Grease on the Camera Lens!

For the third time, I returned back to Sahl Hasheesh only to find it was a weekend where an international horse jumping competition was taking place. I don’t know how I do it! I seem to return whenever one of these events is happening. Each competition has been increasingly more important, which suggests that the organizers must be doing something right. This time, it was the qualifying championships for the world cup. They’d managed to get parasols in for those sitting round the sides, so at least there was some shade this time. I still sat in the VIP tent, though, as a matter of principle.

I was also fortunate that, for the middle three weeks of October, the resort management company held a free Saturday Brunch for holders of a Sahl Hasheesh resident’s card. Saturday brunch is the equivalent to a European Sunday brunch as it’s the second day of the weekend. It seems ironic that in the wealthy countries you have to pay for brunch but in struggling Egypt, it’s offered for free.

So, who says there is no such thing as a free brunch? It was a good offering – mini beef burgers, pizzas, spring rolls, chicken wraps; French fries, samosas, sausage rolls of some kind and a few cheesy items that I didn’t touch; for dessert there was fruit salad. You helped yourself to as much as you wanted from the tables, which were laid out on a grassy area towards the back of the beach. Drinks were also included and comprised a choice of water, mango juice, or mandarin juice. It wasn’t the healthiest of meals, but still great! 

The invitation also offered us a day’s free use of Il Gusto beach – you usually have to pay a fee to use their facilities. They have some banana-shaped loungers in the sea (I couldn't heave myself on due to my sprained thumb), comfortable loungers, free towels, and showers. Plus a bar (this wasn't free!).

In addition to this, I was invited to several “sundowners” – Nicole invited me round for early evening drinks with Tom and Kath; Tom and Kath then reciprocated. In the end, there wasn’t a spare slot free for me to reciprocate. I booked in with Safi to catch up with her a few times and we chatted over a coffee in the setting sun. Then there was an evening or three where Ksenia, Nicole and I met up for “business” drinks to discuss negotiations over how to improve the management of El Andalous, leading up in part to a long, three-hour meeting between the owners and the management at El Andalous. Another few evenings were spent writing up the minutes for this meeting, as well as for an hour's meeting that we'd had with the resort (Sahl Hasheesh) management company.

For once, I do know where all my time has gone, but I’m feeling pretty exhausted now as it’s been a real whirlwind of activity. It’s not exactly the relaxing life of just lying on the beach every day that I’d imagined. However, I am still making time for the beach; otherwise there’s no point in being here. I’ve managed to read quite a few (easy) novels, which has felt a bit like drinking when you hadn’t realized that you were thirsty. However, it took 10 days until I had enough of a chunk of time available to go snorkeling down at the Tropitel!

I am hoping that life will get a little quieter soon – it’s great to be active, but sometimes a little down time is also good!

El Andalous - Back to Imperfection

The Path from the Beach to El Andalous

Maybe it was just that I didn’t have time to think about it, but I think this is the first time I’ve come back to Egypt without any apprehensions.

I’d upgraded again to a business flight since it wasn’t so much extra, only this time the plane was leaving 20 minutes earlier than previously so the business lounge wasn’t open even by the time I boarded. No wonder the upgrade didn’t cost much! And then, horror of horrors, instead of champagne as my welcoming drink, I was offered WATER. Maybe they could tell that I was a little hungover (thanks to celebrating Teresa’s new qualification as a professional cocktail mixer the night before)?

I sulked for a while about being given water but perked up when I got my food and forced down a glass of champagne just out of principle, despite the queasy stomach.

Finally back at my flat, only my balcony had been repaired; all the work I wanted done in the bathroom and bedroom was still waiting to be started. This time, it was my dishwasher that refused to work, so it was a traditional homecoming. Still, things could be worse.

Again, it felt like I arrived and had to hit the ground running. Various work was supposed to have been completed in the complex while I was away (eg, signs should have been put up about the beach and pool rules), people were complaining about rat infestations, children were running riot and throwing mattresses over the roof and down to the garden area. Or so people said. As a committee member, I got drawn in to helping to sort all this out with the management.

The reports of rat infestations were worrying since I’d lived through that once before and didn’t really want to go through it again. I’m still a bit jumpy even now if I hear an unidentified noise. Moreover, in my absence, one of my cupboards had suddenly collected hundreds of rodent droppings. I spent ages trying to clean it out and the smell wasn’t exactly conducive to getting down and scrubbing. I comforted myself that they were old droppings and no rodents were left in my flat, but I immediately turned on my sonar rat repellent just to make sure.

I’m still plagued by ants. I really don’t know where they come from. I had a sealed bag of rice, newly bought. I put it in my cupboard. When I took it out, there were a few ants on it, which I brushed off (metaphor for “heartlessly killed”). I cut open the bag of rice, went to pour the rice into an airtight container and as I poured, ants just appeared in the rice. It was like a magic trick where you can’t fathom out how what you’re seeing can happen. I can only think that I had some ants in my cupboard and there was a tiny hole in the new bag of rice that they squeezed through and then they hid themselves in the rice.

So, that was another afternoon spent scrubbing and dousing with crawling insect killer and then a dousing of vinegar for good measure. I have yet to see if this has worked in getting rid of them. They only seem to be in that one cupboard, my kitchen top, and my bin. They haven’t been round my bin since I finally resorted to the chemical killer, so I’m pinning my hopes on that. I feel cruel, but it’s horrifying seeing them crawling all over your food!

Then I had a leak from my air conditioning. Fortunately, we have a 24-hour plumber living on the premises, so he came straight away at 9pm and three others came to watch him (typical Egyptian way!). They removed the grid which is where the rats used to come into my flat, so I told them not to damage the netting in any way or the rats would come in afterwards. They seemed to find this amusing until they slid the grid off and tons of rat droppings spilled onto my kitchen floor. That was another afternoon of tidying up. They went everywhere.

And, of course, I still get the occasional cockroach.

So, if you think I lead the perfect life – well, my view is that the perfect life is not possible. Life is interesting because it throws up these challenges at all times. I still enjoy it, though, and my next blog will deal with cheerier things!

Zurich - Finishing Touches

A Busy Zurich Sky

At least part of the reason for forgetting my blog last week was because I was busy having to tie up lots of loose ends.

I did finally sign (and hopefully seal) the contract on my flat. What a relief! It felt like a close-run thing, though. The letting company phoned me when I was in the middle of a meeting at work, so I ignored the call and phoned them back when I was free. To my horror, the woman on the other end told me that the flat had already gone to someone else!

She then changed her mind and said that they would phone me back later. After half an hour of not being able to concentrate very well at work (I’d cancelled all my other flat applications! What was I going to do!), they called and explained that they just wanted the additional statement that I wasn’t being prosecuted for debt ; the previous call had been an automatic response because they’d been inundated with people calling about the flat. They said they’d take the advertisement off the website as from the next day. Phew.

Still, it panicked me into going physically to the authorities in order to get the statement (it turned out that the one I’d ordered online several days before had got delayed because they forgot to add the “care of” part of the address when they mailed it out) and then delivering it in person that afternoon.

I then had to sign my life away. They wouldn’t countersign the rental contract until the deposit had been paid in the bank. Then, and this is very Swiss, I had the additional cost of ordering nameplates for my mailbox, for the outside bell, and for beside my flat door in the building. In most flats in Switzerland, rental agents insist that everyone in the building has the same nameplate design, so everyone has to purchase these items through the same supplier. That was another 50 CHF slipping through my fingers.

Now I’ve got the flat, I’m coming round to the idea that this flat was actually the best option. I took the opportunity to have a quick look at the area. In addition to about 5 Chinese restaurants (?), I was delighted to see that there’s a swimming pool really nearby – it houses both an indoor pool (25m) and an outdoor pool (50m) in the summer. What’s not so good is that I bought myself a year’s swimming pass, but since I’m now living just outside of Zurich city, the pass isn’t valid for this pool. Drat! That’s another Swiss complication.

I also tried to change my postal redirection service now that I had my own address. This was another thing that I thought should be simple (just redirect my mail to my new address instead of the c/o address, please), but it wasn’t. They can’t just change the address. The contract has to be cancelled, which requires special permission. Then I have to pay for a new contract. The woman at the post office was exceptionally pleasant (which made me happy to be moving to the area – since it’s not Zurich city, maybe it’s not so impersonal either) and bent over backwards to help me. She said she’d do it all even if I wasn’t in the country, so I’m just hoping for the best there.

I also had to have a quick visit to the doctor’s as I’d fallen down (one minute I was walking along, the next moment, I was flat on the ground – no idea what happened!) while trying to locate one of the flats I was looking for. I still couldn’t use my thumb a week afterwards, so everyone was advising me to get it seen to. Fortunately, it turned out that I had no broken bones but was told it would take another three weeks for the pain to go. She was speaking in Swiss German, so I didn’t catch everything she was telling me (each time I asked for High German, she’d just say the last word in High German and then revert back to Swiss German).

Anyway, I don’t think I’ll ever fathom the Swiss insurance system. I was a bit nonplussed when the doctor wanted precise details (what day, where exactly, how did you fall, etc) until she explained that we both had to tell the insurer the same thing. I couldn’t remember the day or the name of the street. My doctor seemed to think this would come off my work’s insurance even if my employer was just a contracting company.

I can never quite work this out – in Switzerland your employer is legally obliged to pay for some of your health insurance and then you are obliged to pay for the rest. I’m never sure what is covered by whom. It’s difficult when you go on holiday and you are asked about your insurance, too, as I really don’t know which one to give or which one they should call in which circumstances (I think maybe all accidents are covered by work and illness is covered by you?). You have to have the obligatory personal health insurance since you are required to provide your insurance details to the authorities when you move (or they won’t let you be a resident) and the authorities now automatically inform your insurer of your change of address.

As for moving out this time, fortunately the rental of my studio included cleaning fees, but it still took me longer to move out than I’d calculated. I think it’s because I decided to keep as much as possible in Switzerland, so I was traipsing the long journey from my flat to the office while trying to make it look as if I was taking up as little room as possible in the office. It’s all behind Peter’s chair; I did apologise to him in advance and reassured him it would be gone by the end of November!

The new-found space in my suitcase was then occupied by five boxes of various cereals. It seems that Kellogg’s are no longer exporting to Egypt (possibly due to Egypt’s lack of foreign currency to pay debts) and I really don’t like Temy’s (the Egyptian brand). I had to keep it light because the handle of the wheels on my suitcase had broken en route to Switzerland; it has four wheels, so I can still push it, but currently it has to be with my left hand because of my sore thumb.

My flight back to Egypt was at the ungodly hour of 6.20am for departure, so I searched for a cheap hotel near the airport to help me have a few more hours sleep. I’m not sure it really worked as I was restless most of the night, but at least psychologically I felt I’d done all I could.

And all that, in part, is why I forgot last week’s blog!

Zurich - The Lost Blog

Museum Rietberg - Gardens of the World

Whoops, what with signing a contract on a new flat, moving out of the studio, returning to Egypt... I forgot to do my weekly blog. Thanks to Gerard for caring and for asking me what had happened; thanks to Willem for his continued interest, too. I'm fine, just forgetful, which really isn't anything new...

The photograph is from the Gardens of the World exhibition that I managed to see just before I left (at the Rietberg Museum). I have cacti growing outside my flat in Egypt!

Hopefully, business will be restored to usual next Monday!

Zurich - A Wedding and A Flat

Dining Area of (Maybe?) My New Flat - Current Tenant's Furnishings!

Generally, you are advised to keep to one topic per entry in a blog or it fails to have a sense of structure. I’m going to break this rule, although maybe I should have entitled this entry something like “General Weirdness in Switzerland” as that’s really the theme I want to tackle. Actually, the blog is really to record various differences in culture from a Brit’s perspective, so this is in keeping (that’s my excuse).

I don’t usually write about other people’s lives in my blog either as I think it is unethical. However, as a blog entry that breaks the rules, I’m going to break this rule too a little bit here on the principle that the majority of people are happy for weddings to be public knowledge (and it’s in the public register!).

Anyway, my friends Stephanie and Nicolas got married this week (congratulations!!) in Basel. I might have even ventured a photograph on this blog, but frustratingly I can't get my memory card out of my camera just now (the door sometimes jams and I just have to wait until it fixes itself).

This whole getting married thing is quite different over here in Switzerland. In the UK, you can choose when to get married and nowadays I think you can even choose your venue with virtually no restriction. If you want a popular date, say February 14th, you might need to book at least a year in advance, but subject to availability, you can do that.

In Switzerland, if my understanding is correct, you can only get married officially in a registrar’s office (any religious ceremony happens afterwards and is not legally binding) and you can’t choose the date. You apply to get married and then, if they accept your application, they give you three date options for your wedding and you choose which one of those suits you best. See what I mean – weird, huh? If you need to organize a wedding with people coming from far-flung places, it’s not the most convenient system, but I guess the flip side is that it’s all very organized.

The ceremony itself all sounded very Swiss (despite being held in English), particularly at the beginning, where the registrar stated to those attending that this was the only place where one could get legally married. She also advised the audience that the records of the applicants had been examined and it appeared that all the documentation was in order; therefore, the marriage was now permitted to take place. I can’t imagine something so official being said as part of a wedding ceremony in the UK! I don’t remember that from my friend Lena’s wedding in Switzerland, but maybe it passed me by at the time if it was in Swiss German (I can’t quite recall now).

I won’t say too much more for the reasons given at the top of this blog entry, but would just like to add that it was a fabulous day – I met new people, spoke to some I hadn’t seen for ages, drank a bit too much for midday… The weather was perfect and the old town of Basel is stunning in the sunshine, as were the bride and groom. There was also a lovely reading at the service about love and friendship.

The day was made even better for me in that I received a phone call while I was on the train getting there to inform me that I was being offered a flat in Zurich (just outside the city centre). Actually, thinking about it, it was a bit like the wedding ceremony, as they started off telling me that they’d checked with my employer and my last landlady and my references were both OK, so having passed examination, they would now like to offer me the flat.

Of course, things over here are never quite that simple. They now wanted an additional official statement that I wasn’t being prosecuted for debt pertaining to my previous Swiss address and not just my current one. They also said they needed the original documents and not just a photocopy (I don’t really understand the need for this, but hey ho, that’s how it is). I explained that this could take a few days to get, but they seemed happy enough with that.

I said I was going to be away until mid-November, so couldn’t enter the flat on 1st November, but that I’d pay the rent from then and it wasn’t a problem. Maybe it’s just me, but I sensed a bit of displeasure when I said this (I hope it wasn’t regret on their part as I don’t have the contract yet!). I didn’t think it would be an issue. In the UK, the agent has the keys and they just let you have the flat when you want it. Here, though, they said I had to move in on 1st November and I’d need to get a power of attorney for someone else to be there for the handover. I said I could do this easily, but actually, I’m a little bit worried!

On reflection, I think it’s to ensure that you don’t have any complaints about the flat that they would need to deduct from the previous tenant’s deposit. Just as when you move out of a flat, they detail every single flaw and make you pay for the slightest mark on any surface, when you move in, you have to be just as thorough so that you don’t pay for the previous tenant's “damage”. Anyway, it’s a totally different ball game from in the UK.

I cancelled the four viewings I had lined up, so I hope nothing happens now to stop me from getting this flat. I was convinced it would go to a family, so am really pleased to have got it. Finally, I’ve got some leisure time back!

Zurich - International Film Festival

People Watching a Film at Pavillion of Reflections

The Zurich International Film Festival has just come to an end and I tried to maximize my time as much as possible (despite the flat hunt!).

Switzerland actually has quite a few film festivals – the most famous one is probably the one in Locarno; there’s also an animation film festival and other such events around Switzerland. This was the 12th Zurich International Film Festival, so it’s a relatively young event, but gets bigger each year. On this occasion, we had Hugh Grant, Ewan McGregor, and the guy who plays Harry Potter (among others) coming along and giving talks / receiving prizes.

A bit like getting accommodation in Switzerland, I tried to get tickets to see Hugh Grant receive his award, but tickets were sold out within 10 minutes of sales opening. This seems to be a bit of a theme in my life just now.

Nevertheless, I bought myself an afternoon pass, which cost 59 CHF and let me go into all performances for free that started before 6pm. Since one film costs 22 CHF, it doesn’t take much to get your money back (so to speak). I don’t work most afternoons, so this suited me just fine.

I must have seen about seven films in total. On some occasions, the director or producer is there to talk a bit about the film and to take questions afterwards. It’s very interesting, but can also be a bit stressful if there aren’t many people in the audience and everyone is waiting for someone else to ask a question. The moderator, of course, always has questions to fill in, but that tension is still there (at least in my head it is, even if it isn’t in anyone else’s head!). Each film has a speaker welcoming you to the Film Festival and introducing the film before it starts, so it is different from just a normal cinema viewing.

Annoyingly, they really want you to get your tickets at the Festival Centre and not at the cinema (or at least, this is the case for Corso, where virtually all my films have been). It’s annoying, because it’s easier just to get the ticket from where you need to be rather than making an extra detour, even if it’s only just across the road. Moreover, the Corso, which usually has up to four desks open for giving out tickets, had only one desk open for the Festival. Madness! It’s not what I expect from Switzerland.

The film blurbs generally tell you what language the film is in and what language(s) the subtitles are in. However, sometimes, this really isn’t that clear. For instance, I saw Vollmond which said it was in Swiss German, French, and Italian and had German subtitles. I thought this meant that the Swiss German would also have subtitles, but it didn’t. The subtitles were only for the French and Italian, so most of the film was in a language that I struggled to understand (I maybe caught about 40% - enough to get the gist, but I also felt I missed a fair amount).

This also happened with a Tim Roth film where it was supposed to be in English and Spanish with German subtitles, but it was actually pretty much all in Spanish. I was OK with the subtitles, but Caterina, who came with me, was totally lost.

I am probably sounding a bit grumpy, but that’s not really the case. I’d deliberately timed my stay in Switzerland to coincide with the Film Festival, so that’s how enthusiastic about it I really am! Moreover, the afternoon film pass is great value and since I never go to the cinema in Egypt, it was nice for me to have a chance to overdose (although I don’t feel like I’ve overdosed!).

Another fantastic feature of the festival was the free showing of films in the Pavillion of Reflections (pictured in an earlier blog). This is a temporary wooden structure going out into the lake. You cross over to it via a wooden bridge that wobbles a bit as the water pushes against it. It has a screen area in the middle of the water with seating around a boxed-in portion of the lake. Bar seating is around the edges.

I wandered down spontaneously on Friday, and got a bit sidetracked by seeing someone who was obviously famous (only I had no idea who he was!) surrounded by people wanting their photos taken with him. It really added to the atmosphere. I then ambled over to the Pavillion of Reflections, bought myself a prosecco, and watched two very interesting shorts with the water occasionally lapping up to my shoes. Again, the weather was exceptionally mild, so it was a great experience.

I hope I am able to go again next year.

Zurich - Finding Accommodation

Bellevue - Always on the Tram to the Next Place!

I’ve got quite attached to my studio flat in this short time and it’s made me realize that I would be happier if I could always be coming back to the same place each time in Zurich. It would also be easier as I could leave clothes here, I wouldn’t have to buy the same things each time (washing powder, salt, herbs), and I wouldn’t have the hassle of learning my way around. In addition, I am supposed to be resident here and I don’t want to be registered at my friends’ house for more than necessary.

Consequently, I decided to start looking for a small, cheap flat to rent in Zurich.

It’s amazing how straightforward this sounds and how difficult it is in reality!

In the UK, finding a flat is pretty easy – you set your criteria and you can generally find what you want. I remember when I was looking for a flat to rent in Horsham and I turned it down saying it didn’t have a shower and they immediately offered to put in a shower for me if I would take it.

It’s nothing like that in Switzerland. There are literally hundreds of people looking at the same flat and competing for it. Some flats have viewing days, and you have to queue to get in to see it. Often, they’ve run out of application forms (at one place 120 application forms had gone in 10 minutes of the flat viewing starting). I keep on going to viewings and feeling exhausted before I’ve even seen it. It’s just the sheer number of people that are there. At one place I mentioned I couldn’t take it without a shower but this time my criticism was met with total indifference.

On top of this, I’d totally forgotten that the application process is quite convoluted. It’s harder to get a flat than it is to get a job in Switzerland, so your application for a flat has to be seen as a sales document that will get you chosen for the flat over the hundred other people who are also applying.

Each application has to contain an official statement that you are not being prosecuted for debts (you have to pay for this certification, of course). The application form asks you how much you earn, how many savings you have, and sometimes you have to provide your last tax bill. On top of this, you have to write an application letter, you are advised to attach your photograph, stating why you want the flat. Some people advise you also to attach your CV.

Then they will have criteria that they don’t tell you about. So, many landlords want you to be applying for a flat that will be a quarter to a third of your income. This means someone like me is unlikely to get a cheap flat because of the amount I’m earning. Sometimes, they don’t want a single person having a two-bedroom flat as this is deemed too many bedrooms for one person. Some landlords won’t like foreigners, whereas others will encourage them for diversity.

It’s thought to be a good idea to talk to the decision maker so that they will be more likely to give you the flat. Often it’s a matter of who is the first to get their application in, but I’m sure they must get piles of applications all at the same time, so heaven knows how they choose.

I’ve now signed up with an agency in the hope that I might get to view some unadvertised properties and thus have a chance of getting in first. It’s gutting though when you see a flat that would be perfect for you but you just know you don’t have a chance of getting it.

Zurich - A City of Events

Sihlwald Buffet Area and Hut for Cinema

I’d forgotten that quite a few events are usually still on in September in Zurich. The first weekend I was back, there was the Theaterspektakel (I’ve blogged about this before) and the Long Night of the Museums (I’ve also blogged about this before). There were lots of adverts around for the Zurich Food Festival and this year everyone seems to be posting about it on facebook. Here, I feel I was ahead of the crowd, because I blogged on that already last year.

However, there was one thing on that I hadn’t done before and that was the open-air cinema at Sihlwald. Most of the open-air cinema has ended for the season (and I’ve blogged about my favorite two before), but I just squeezed in the last weekend at Sihlwald. The film was Eddie the Eagle, so a very good film for Brits to watch and I went along with Lena.

It wasn’t really quite what I was expecting. I imagined that we’d be sitting in the middle of a wood, with a makeshift screen hanging across the trees; we’d be huddled on rickety seats wrapped in blankets and shivering as we watched.

However, it actually took place in a large wooden hut. There wasn’t any heating, and we had plastic chairs in rows. So we weren’t outside at all. I guess this makes it more functional as you aren’t hindered by rain, but on the evening we went, it was clear and not too cold.

The website talked excitedly about their bistro, but again, it wasn’t really very extensive. One dish was cheesy (maybe raclette, I can’t remember), so for me that was out. The other was a dish of polenta with a mushroom sauce, so rather stodgy but at least it didn’t have cheese; truth be told, I’m not so fond of polenta either.

We’d forgotten to check whether the film was in English; as the adverts all came up in Swiss German and a guy came in to introduce the film in Swiss German, our fears were confirmed. The film had been dubbed. It was OK – I was a bit shell-shocked for the first ten minutes, but then got my ear back in to German and then actually it wasn’t too much of a big deal.

The event was also very typically Swiss in that it was so perfectly organized. They’d laid on an extra train to ensure that you could get back into town afterwards (in the UK, you’d just be left to sort out a taxi or be stranded!). I was surprised to see how busy the city was when I got back, but then I realized it was the long night of the museums and people were still busily dashing off from one museum to the next.

The Zurich Film Festival is on at the end of this month, so I’m looking forward to that. I won’t say much just now in case I decide to blog on it when it happens.

I’ve just made it to Switzerland in time for the last few weeks of the “Badi” season – where you can swim in the lake and the various open air pools in Zurich. And I was lucky enough to arrive during a late heatwave, so the air temperatures have been in the early 30s and the lake water has heated up quite nicely. I’ve blogged on swimming in the lake before, but it’s strange how different things strike you when you return on different occasions.

This time, maybe because I had a cold and wasn’t really fit enough to swim, I was much more aware of how much less buoyant I was in the freshwater lake than in the salty Red Sea. I do prefer going into the lake by the steps / ladder rather than the gradually increasing depth of water that I have when on the beach in Sahl Hasheesh. It’s OK to go in bit by bit in the summer when the water is warm, but in the winter months, having to stride in slowly makes it much more difficult to enter the water!

Although the lake water is really clean (it’s got the quality of drinking water), I was fascinated this time at how green it was and wondering how it gets to look that colour. I stick my hand below me in the water and, true enough, I can see my hand as clear as daylight, but the only other thing I can see is a murky green all around. I thought I would be able to see the lake bottom.

But even Badi Enge had changed. Unless I’m mistaken, it now has a new, additional entrance. I almost missed it with all the bicycles parked alongside it, which makes me wonder if I’d just completely overlooked it before, but I’m pretty sure it’s a new way in. Life just doesn’t stand still!

Zurich - Settling Back In

Manifesta 11 Pavillon de Reflections - New in Zurich!

Returning somewhere is always a bit of a wake-up call. You somehow expect nothing to have changed, but it always has.

It takes me about 45 minutes door-to-door to get to work from my studio apartment. This is the longest commute I’ve ever had. Surprisingly, having to leave earlier isn’t bothering me at the moment – maybe it will be different in the winter months when the sun isn’t streaming through my window already at 6am. However, I will need to start taking a book or having some kind of task to do for the journey, as it’s rather boring, to be honest. On the plus side, I’m on a route that many of my colleagues and former colleagues take to work, so I’ve caught up with a few people by just greeting them on the tram! It’s been great to see them, and all without the effort of organizing mutually-agreeable times, venues, etc.

On arrival at work, I had to renew my entrance badge because it had expired; for a moment I even had to think about which floor I was on. And then, as soon as I entered the office, change was obvious. We’ve got new decorations in the office of cardboard cutouts of trees standing in the middle of where you walk. Two new people were sitting where I used to sit and where Steph used to sit. In fact, many people seemed to have changed location.

I was placed at a different desk and had to register my card before I could book my desk, just as if I were a new person! It was nice, though, to see everyone again, to get all the greetings; even the cleaner welcomed me back, much to my astonishment.

I was reunited with the items I’d left in the office. I’d left a whole rucksack full of shoes in the office (trainers, walking shoes, shoes for snow, work shoes – all items I never wear in Egypt but are costly to buy new), so I was relieved that they’d not been thrown away. However, I’m not sure if I was being shown them as a hint to remove them or just to let me know they were there. It was probably a bit of both. I’d really like to leave them there for now as I don’t have anywhere else to put them. As an employee, I’m entitled to some cupboard space, surely…

Returning also means you have to do all your start-up tasks again. I had to buy a monthly season pass for the public transport. This really went fairly smoothly, only when I paid at the counter, their machine told me I’d got the wrong PIN for my Swiss account and I ended up putting it on my UK credit card (which means I’ll get currency change charges now). I got it wrong a second time when I paid for my year’s subscription to the swimming pool, so that too had to go on my credit card. In the evening, I hastily transferred some money across to make sure I could pay it. 

I avoided using my debit card after that but I knew sooner or later I would have to give it that third and final attempt. My cash ran out and I resorted to the number I first used, and on the third go, it worked. Phew!

I feel a bit panicked at how much money I’m spending. I’d forgotten that about Switzerland. But it’s also a feature of coming back as you have to buy everything all at once – your salt, your spices, your washing powder, your sugar, your shower gel, your soap, your rice… normally these are spread out a bit. This has made me pine for renting somewhere that’s mine. 

Although I’m starting to settle into the studio flat now, I keep on having to remind myself it’s only for five weeks and then I’m out. It’s not really “mine”. If I get any kind of contract extension longer than 3 months, I may try to see if I can rent a flat by offering to pay the year’s rent up-front, just so that I can settle myself a bit better (and also no longer burden my friends who I am registered with). It seems a bit of a waste of money, or a lot to pay for storage, basically, but I think maybe it’s psychologically worth it.

Zurich - A Six Week Stay

Home for the Next 5-6 Weeks

I’d had a bit of a trauma with organizing my recent trip to the UK due to the visa situation in Egypt. 

It used to be that UK citizens could get a year's visa in Egypt and multiple re-entry visas (meaning you can exit the country without having to reapply for a visa when you get back), plus you could renew the visa annually.  This is now seldom possible and there appear to be no rules for visas in Egypt, so getting a visa is now a bit down to luck. 

The only thing that seems to be relatively certain is that if you enter the country and get a one-month tourist visa at the airport, you can extend it for up to six months without much problem. Anything more than that, and it’s in the lap of the gods. There’s a facebook page set up for people to report back on their visa experiences in case we can work out what rules are being applied at any one time (the answer is that we can’t, apart from the above – although most people with cars seem to be able to get a year’s visa, but after that it’s a lottery). 

When I originally got my 6-month visa on my return to Egypt in mid-April, they wouldn’t let me have a re-entry visa.Anyway, I’d read on this facebook page that some people originally refused a re-entry visa had been given one once they took along their flight ticket to the passport office.

I duly did this before my recent UK trip and, yes, you guessed correctly, I was told that re-entry visas no longer exist. This meant that when I exited Egypt, my current visa was invalidated and I would have to go through the visa application process all over again . I wrote this on the facebook page and there seemed to be varying opinions on whether re-entry visas really had been stopped altogether. Such is Egypt.

As a result, I had to get a tourist, one-month visa from the airport when I recently returned from the UK. Because of this, I’ve decided to spend September and some of October back in Zurich rather than try to get a visa extension; Zurich is still my official place of residence and I need to spend some time there anyway to keep it as my main home (I always was going to go back at the end of September). I’m also hoping to retain a 60% work contract. Let’s see!

I’m officially living with some friends in Zurich, since with a work contract of less than a year, it’s hard to get accommodation. For this stay I decided to rent a small studio flat in Zurich via airbnb rather than stay at my official residence. This way, I could see whether I could cope with going back to living in a smaller space, and it would also let me see what it’s like to commute to work rather than to live within 10-15 minutes walking distance. The studio flat is also very central, so it’s a chance for me to see how I like staying right in the city centre.

As usual, I really didn't want to leave Egypt; each time I change country, I sulk about having to leave. When I left Zurich, I couldn't think why I wanted to go to Egypt. But once I arrive, I think it’s great to be in the new place. Although it’s an emotional upheaval,  I do like leading two completely different lives, and it's a good sign that I'm attached to both places.

I haven’t moved back and forth enough yet not to have any surprises on my return. So, this time, what I’d forgotten was how creamy the milk is in Switzerland – probably because I have skimmed UHT milk in Egypt and fresh semi-skimmed milk in Zurich. Having said that, the milk in Switzerland is noticeably creamier than in the UK. I’d also forgotten that I buy fresh milk in Switzerland, so on my first supermarket trip I was looking out for the shelves of UHT and then realized that wasn’t even what I wanted!

This time, for some reason, I was really taken by the architecture in Zurich. I love the old buildings. It’s really hot for September and it seems that the Swiss summer was postponed until now (so I’ve been lucky again). Consequently, I'm not missing the Egyptian sun, but I am missing my air conditioning. I find it quite hot at night and feel a bit frustrated that I can’t just turn on my air conditioning when I’m feeling too hot like I do in Egypt. Maybe I just haven’t adapted to being back to Switzerland yet and am actually still in a bit of a sulk!

Another thing that struck me this time was that because I’m living in a different area, I don’t actually know where to buy things. Each time I wanted to buy something slightly out of the ordinary, I could only think where to buy it where I used to live previously. But that’s quite a distance from where I am now, and I know there must be other places in the district where I'm living now. It’s almost like living in a different city. 

With all my moving about within Zurich, I’m starting to feel that I’ve experienced what it’s like to live in quite a lot of areas in the city (and there’s not been anywhere yet that I haven’t liked), although each move to a new district is its own learning experience.

Hurghada - Lotus Ladies

Steps Up! When I Almost Missed the Boat.

Before I came over to Egypt, I’d heard (from one of the many expat online forums that are around) about a group called Lotus Ladies. I believe the group was originally set up for women married to Egyptian husbands who wanted to meet up socially during the day and it ended up turning into an expat group for women in Egypt. I didn’t know if I’d ever to get to know anyone in Egypt when I first went over, so I’d earmarked this group as a possible means of kick-starting a social life. As it was, I didn’t really need it, because everyone in El Andalous was so friendly.

Nevertheless, I do attend their events occasionally, as you will have seen from at least one of my Christmas blogs. It’s good to have a change of social scene and to hear different topics of conversation.

In the summer months, maybe also in winter, Lotus Ladies organize boat trips on a fairly regular basis. It’s a good way to escape the heat and to get a change of scene. We generally have the boat to ourselves and we often get a group discount. Anyway, I decided to join the boat trip one week, since I love being in and on the sea.

I dithered about it for ages in part because they wanted you to be there for 8am, which to me seems ridiculously early (I had to allow at least 30 minutes to get there). Who wants to get up early voluntarily? I don’t really get it. It’s not even in the Egyptian mentality to do this. But hey ho.

This time of year it’s a relief to get out on the boat and enjoy the breeze. I’m usually going round wondering if I should remove my sunglasses because just having them on my nose makes me sweat too much. Each time I open the freezer, the blast of cold air is a magical sensation that I just want to prolong. You wish you could just stick your head in there for a good five minutes. I remember relishing the nip of cold air when I first went back to Zurich in April. Actually, one thing I noticed in the UK just the other week was that even though it was hot, the air still had a little chill to it; I don’t know if that was just symptomatic of the 2016 bad summer or if it’s always been a feature of British summers that I’ve never known existed before.

Anyway, it was a fairly typical boat trip. We went to three different snorkeling locations; the first one was supposedly to see the dolphins, but they weren’t around that day. Lunch was served on board and included the usual mix of good salads, rice, pasta, fish, chicken, and kofta (all warm, apart from the salads).

The snorkeling was fun. It always surprises me how much bigger the fish are when I go right out into the sea as opposed to staying in the bay at Sahl Hasheesh. It’s also quite scary to see the mountainous reef below and to understand just how deep the water is that you’re floating on top of. Our final location was quite busy; at first we were the only ones moored there in the sea but another four boats joined within the next half an hour. Apparently, it used to be really crowded and this was regarded as practically dead.

I’ve also been out for dinner quite a few times now with the Lotus Ladies. It’s rather an experimental experience where we try places that no-one has been before (or just once), or new places that members have spotted and think may be worth trying out. It’s all bit hit and miss. All of the places have been OK, but I’m not sure I would deem any of them yet as worthy of a write up in the blog.I don’t want to damage anyone’s business by being less than glowing because life is hard enough as it is. It’s a good opportunity, though, to try out some places where you may not normally dare to go if you were on your own.

UK - Travel Problems

Ascot - All's Well That Ends Well!

First of all, I have to say that my EasyJet flight (I will name and shame!) was horrendously expensive – I was shocked to find myself paying 600 GBP for my return flight. Of course, I am usually flying to Zurich and not the UK, but when I had my interview (when the company was paying), the return flight was only something like 250 CHF on Swiss (that doesn’t seem possible, but whatever it was, it was very cheap). It’s just typical that when someone else is paying you get the cheapest flight ever, and when you’re paying, it’s the most expensive you’ve ever seen it. It’s particularly offensive because it’s EasyJet – the “cheap” airline with no drinks, no food, no reclining chairs, no entertainment, for the 5 hour journey.

Well, rant over, it was as it was. I calmed myself down by deciding to visit as many people as I could in the time. If I then divided the price per friend seen, it didn’t seem nearly as bad.

It pretty much started as it went on, with the theme of the visit, in retrospect, turning out to be travel problems. I shared a taxi to Hurghada airport with Jeff and Ness, so that was a good thing (maybe emphasizing the other theme, which was friendship). On arrival, we were immediately greeted by an airport employee who said he could get us to skip the queue. This has happened to me twice before – the first time I had my broken foot and I thought it was a service for the disabled; the second time I batted him away as I was sure it was a con of some kind. Anyway, Jeff went with it, and to my surprise, it was true. The guy pushed us to the front of a huge queue all for the price of a tip at our discretion. It was really worth it (no different from paying EasyJet extra for Speedy Boarding, I guess).

We entered the airport to drop our bags (you have to do your own check-in with EasyJet) only to find that the plane was leaving an hour earlier than expected! I think it’s something to do with EasyJet having the wrong times due to Egypt deciding at the last minute not to change the clocks for the summer. Anyway, we’d obediently arrived three hours early as requested, so it was fine, but in an alternative universe…

I was met easily at the airport by Geraldine and the Horsham part of my stay started off fairly smoothly. We ate too much, but other than that….

I then went off to visit my friend Julie in Bristol. I was a bit stressed about it because for my train journey I had to change at Dorking and I was to arrive in one Dorking station and to walk to the other station in Dorking to get my connection. I have no idea why they think it’s a good idea to have two stations. The connection time was quite tight, too. Anyway, I got to Horsham station and my first train was cancelled! There was a replacement bus service, but my hopes weren’t high of this arriving in Dorking in time, although the person at Horsham station reassured me that if I missed my connection, they were bound to get me to my destination somehow and the missed connection wouldn’t be my fault. However, surprisingly I did make the connection, even though the signs to the station that I was promised would be very clear did not appear to be evident at the station itself, but I’d fortunately spotted one of the signs from the bus.

So, despite the odds, I did get to Julie’s on time. I think I overdid on eating chips while I was there – I’d been craving them and then went overboard, so after that I couldn’t really face them again.

Then it was back to Geraldine’s. I thought this was going to be the easier journey, but I failed miserably. My first train from Bristol was delayed. The short story is that I missed my connection. The true story is that I could have probably made my connection if I’d realized I was in Reading station and not Redhill (or was it the other way round?). Anyway, I was supposed to go from Reading to Redhill (or vice versa?), but got it the wrong way round, so I was trying to find a platform at Reading station that had a train going to Reading. Of course, I couldn’t find this. When I finally asked, the guy asked me twice where I was going to and I thought he was a bit of an idiot until he explained to me that I was already at Reading! I generally find that if I think people are being a bit of an idiot, it’s actually me.

So, I missed my connection, but then when I got to my next station, the next train I needed was cancelled. I didn’t have a mobile phone with me, so I couldn’t let Geraldine know not to collect me, which was another source of stress. I took another route and went straight to Gatwick Airport (close to Horsham), but the next two trains to Horsham were also cancelled. High praises to the woman at British Rail (she was maybe Italian?) who was cornered by about 15 angry passengers (“it’s always the Horsham trains that are canceled! Why?!” “I’ve been working 11 hours and it’s taking me 3 hours to get home”, “What is it with Horsham?”) and seemed genuinely sympathetic and unbelieving when a train that normally goes to Horsham was re-routed to skip Horsham (at this point she looked as if she wanted to hand in her notice then and there!).

Anyway, it was a long journey. I arrived after midnight and the very next morning I had to take a train to get to Pam’s. As far as I can recall, that went smoothly, apart from me mistakenly enthusiastically greeting a stranger thinking it was Pam when it wasn’t. I felt a right plonker, but it had been a while since I’d last seen Pam and I thought maybe she’d changed. When I finally saw Pam (easily identifiable!), I couldn’t work out what possessed me to think the other woman could have been her.

A lot more eating was done among the four of us who were there, including a meal at Ascot’s finest restaurant followed up by a Chinese take-away when we got back, and then a full English breakfast the next morning…

By the time I was due to get back to Geraldine’s, Southern Rail had officially gone on strike. If train services were bad before the strike, I didn’t like to think what it would be like when the strike was actually in progress. In the end, in order to return, Pam had to drive me to Guildford, and then Geraldine picked me up from Guildford. After a day to recuperate, it was time to fly back to Egypt; again Geraldine needed to drive me to the airport due to the rail strike. Good old Great Britain!

My return to Egypt just rounded it all off nicely. It appeared that the EasyJet site had not given the correct time of arrival, or the airport site didn’t have the right time or something. I’d asked Esmat to pick me up at 4.45pm, but, unknown to me, he’d checked the time of the flight online and it said one hour later, so he assumed my flight had been delayed and didn’t leave to collect me for another hour. Some passengers on the plane were also betting between themselves about the correct arrival time. So, I arrived at the airport and there was no Esmat to pick me up.

Of course, I’d completely forgotten to “pack” my mobile phone. I’d remembered the charger, but not the actual phone. So, I couldn’t phone to find out what was happening. I hadn’t considered that maybe Esmat had seen the wrong time online. After waiting for half an hour, I ended up having to take another taxi, who was wanting to charge me 50% more than I usually pay. For once, I felt I knew what I was doing, so I explained what I always paid and said that if he didn’t want to accept that fare, he should just take me back to the airport and I’d get another taxi. He didn’t, but did continue to complain the whole journey. I felt surprisingly calm. I’d explained my view very clearly, I’d given him the option to refuse it, so it was his fault now if he didn’t like it.

I got back to my flat, my balcony hadn’t been cleaned as requested, my wall hadn’t been repaired as requested. It was literally like I’d never been away! But it was at least most definitely Egypt!

PS. A huge thanks to my friends for providing me with food and accommodation and for just being them! Despite the travel problems, I had a great time, and it was all more than worth it.

El Andalous - The Funky Pigeon

The Flying Pigeon

There’s quite a lot I want to write about at the moment (this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s anything that’s really that interesting), but I’m so excited about my new bicycle that I have to write about this before anything else!

As I said, I had a bit of a spending spree on items that I would collect in the UK. The problem is, once I’ve allowed myself to spend, it’s quite hard to know where to stop. I’d been eyeing up a bicycle in our new supermarket, BestWay. It seemed meant for me as they were selling only three bicycles – two for children and one ladies bike with gears, which was ideal for me. However, it seemed like a lot of money (3.3k LE – around 260-300 quid), and each time I’ve owned a bike, I haven’t used it much, so I was trying to be sensible and to learn from past mistakes.

Anyway, I got to thinking about it again when I was in the UK. Although BestWay sold the bike, it didn’t come with a basket (a must-have), and they didn’t sell padlocks or pumps. Therefore, if I was going to get it, it would be easier to buy the accessories in the UK. Of course, I didn’t start thinking about this very seriously until it was almost time to leave.

Consequently, on my last day, I finally priced bikes in the UK and found I could get them for around 100 quid. Bargain! I fantasized for quite a while about getting one and putting it on a plane, but after reading about how to do this, it seemed a bit beyond me. People were talking about dismantling the steering wheel (or whatever you call it on a bike) and then putting various parts back together when you got back. And then I had to think about getting it to the airport in the first place (poor Geraldine, if I thrust this upon her!), and on top of that it seemed that you couldn’t just turn up to your flight with one – you had to book in advance to take a bike with you. Anyway, I gave up on the idea.

However, I decided that maybe I was more wedded to the idea than I realized, and so bought myself a lock and a pump in the UK to save myself some trouble. If I didn’t get the bike, the pump and the lock didn’t exactly cost much, and if I did get it, purchasing these items now would save me a lot of hassle later. The guy in the bike shop obviously sussed me straight away as clueless, so he kindly walked me through the basic types of locks and the basic types of pumps, steering me away from the expensive ones.

Once back in Egypt, it dawned on me that maybe I should see if there was a bicycle shop in Hurghada (doh!). I searched the internet and found a thread where people were saying that there were three shops in a street by the Marina that sold bikes for around 60 GBP. That was quite a saving over the one in BestWay. Although I want to support my local shops, I don’t want to support them to the tune of paying 250 quid extra!

So, off I went into town with Esmat on another intrepid adventure into Hurghada. He took me first of all to a bicycle shop near his home. He joked with me about him taking me to a useless shop as we went up some shabby stairs strewn with litter in a nondescript building (this is typical of Egypt). But there, on the first floor, was a fairly large shop with lots of new bikes. There were many children’s bikes (which is maybe why Esmat knew it so well). Unfortunately, they didn’t stock any ladies bikes with gears; there were plenty without gears for around 70 GBP. The guy in the shop tried to tell us (again, very typical of Egypt) that they didn’t stock ladies bikes with gears because they don’t exist. I reiterated to Esmat that the one in BestWay definitely had gears.

So, off we went to shop number two. This also did not stock any ladies bikes with gears. I was beginning to think that maybe I’d got it wrong. It was either at this shop, or the shop after this, that a shopkeeper informed Esmat that a street by the Marina may have the required type of bicycle. I’m guessing this is the street I’d read about on the internet (I had told Esmat about it, but I bowed to his local knowledge, and in any case he may well have taken me to cheaper shops).

Here, we finally had success. They had one ladies bike with gears sitting outside the shop. I felt a bit dubious about it as it was covered in dust, didn’t have a saddle, and cost 1000k LE more than the others we’d seen. Esmat tried to negotiate for me, but the shopkeeper wouldn’t budge as it was a famous make and had shimano gears (if I’ve got my terminology right here). I had heard of those gears before, and the bike was still 1.4k cheaper than in BestWay, and it had a basket, so I said I would just get it.

The bike didn’t really visually appeal to me much, but it was obviously a more difficult task to get one than I thought it would be originally. I had no idea what to look for in a bicycle or what you pay more for and I didn’t really want to spend time finding other shops which may not have anything suitable anyway. And it was Esmat’s time ticking away. After I handed the shopkeeper a deposit, he kissed the money, and then went off to clean the bike and add the bits and pieces to it (a branded saddle, new handle grips, a rear reflector, the matching basket), while I went to get money out of the bank.

It was also the usual Egyptian creativity in somehow getting the bicycle to fit into the boot of the car. The guy selling it asked for a tip (this still surprises me over here when they are just doing their job!); Esmat said it was voluntary but suggested maybe giving him 10LE. Again, the shopkeeper kissed the money as a way of saying thank you. I guess that’s also an Egyptian thing.

I was rather nervous on the journey back each time the car jolted because my bike was precariously sticking out of the boot, but my driver (Esmat had to go elsewhere) assured me it was all OK (which it was). I guess this is just business as usual for them.

Anyway, it turned out to be a bit like a successful arranged marriage (not that I’ve ever experienced that!). I inspected the bicycle at leisure once I’d got it all to myself at home and was delighted to see that it was called “flying pigeon”. I really love this name, although I keep on thinking of it as the “funky pigeon” (it’s not really that funky, but I love it anyway).

I’ve since looked it up and actually it’s a very famous Chinese brand that seems to have fallen out of favour. But the price I paid seems to be quite reasonable. The seat also goes quite low – many bikes I find have the saddle too high even when the seat is at its lowest, whereas on my new bike, the seat isn’t anywhere near the lowest point. I’m not a seasoned cyclist, so I like to feel I can safely have my feet on the ground quite easily. I have it on a firm tip-toe rather than a tottering tip-toe.

I took it out for a ride and it breezed down the streets. It’s lovely cycling in Sahl Hasheesh because there’s no traffic apart from golf buggies and other bicycles, so absolutely no stress. The saddle was nice and broad, the gears changed easily. My previous bicycle always clunked with each gear change.

Anyway, I now look at my bike as if it’s the most beautiful thing in the world. The branded saddle (it says “pigeon” on it, how wonderful is that!) matches the brown highlighted branding and the brown basket. I didn’t like it at first, but now it’s a work of art in my eyes. This ugly frog has turned into my prince. I hope I will continue to enjoy it and that the honeymoon never fades!