I'm Back In action!!!

Haha.. It had been awhile... Do you miss me? Muhahaha

Let had a quick updated what had happened in my life so far.

Back Track:

Before returning to Singapore on the 20th Aug 2008, I had baked a cake for my dear. Well it is his 32 Birthday. Muhahaha. Hi there "old man".

I know his fav food is Jiao Zi. So I decided to make him alot of them. And of course bake him a cake. Well with the limited resources, like beater, pork and etc. But not to worry, I solved most of the problems. I found a German Butcher, that sell only Pork and his pig is very save. As for the beater, I use my god speed hand to do the job. hahaha!!!

I made alot in case I'm not around. He can cook them for a quick snack.

The big one is Him and the small one is for me.

I prefer homemade Jiao zi. I can place as many fillings as I like and any fillings I like. Look How big it is. haha...

My pineapple turnover cake for his birthday. Happy Birthday my dear!!! Love you!!

As my Dear's birthday is on the 18th Aug, and I'm leaving on the 20th Aug. I'm worry that he have no one to cook supper for him so I make a lot of jiao zi and also I make cookies for him to eat. I hope he like,my butter raisin cookies!!

What to do with this cat?

The cage is his sleeping place. He got use to it when living in the pet hotel for 1 months. Sometimes he sleep on our couch sometimes in his cage.

The photo was taken when he's awaken by the sound of my footsteps, he crawled out (exactly like the way Sadako crawling out from the TV), but his sleepiness got the best of him and he gave up half way, and continue his sweet nap!

Despite been living in Cairo for 10 months, the return stir up a familiar feelings: the internal struggling on making choices.

I faces many situation in Cairo that needs me to decide and make a choice, both at work and personal life; whereby a right choice might not be the best choice.

I think it's a process that bothers most of the foreigner. The struggle is amplified when that foreigner is living in Cairo. I can bet on that.

The language, the environment, the culture, the people....sometimes you really don't know who to trust except your loved one.

Our friendly neighbour who is from China and runs a restaurant opposite our house, used to speed his car during mid night after some drinks: His way of venting out his frustration while living here.

I understand it's an even greater struggle for Eve.

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I sold my 2.5 years old Toyota Vios, god blessed and I didn't have to lose too much.

Letting go is not easy at times.

This is my first car that I bought with my "blood" money. It gave us plenty of memories and lead us to many places that we won't be able to without it. It is a great car, low fuel consumption and reliable. Thank you.

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We hired a maid to clean the house. Her name is Lamia (Dear, I wrote it here so you can refer if you forget again ^^). So far she's doing ok, we'll see. We are still waiting for more great Egyptians to walk into our life.

-VinCe

Brief Update

We have returned to Cairo, after a month of whirlwind stay in Singapore.

The house is very dirty, we tried to get cleaner to clean the house before we return but "Hey, it's Egytp!". So, it didn't materialise as planned.

I tried to get the company cleaner to clean today. My face gone black when Eve called and tell me the cleaner didn't come.

The cleaner came to my office later and pull his colleague to help him to appologise to me, telling me that he didn't make it because his baby is sick. Feel quite bad about my anger, again, I shoudln't expect everyone to meet my expectation.

I have too many negative "qi" around me and affecting me after I touched down in Cairo, I need to generate more positive "qi" to fend off the bad one.

PiPi gave me some much needed good "qi", I picked him up from the pet hotel last night and he was so happy to see me, so was I. After 1 plus month not seeing him, he has put on another 1kg and has grown up to be a very handsome cat. His changes in size and appearance make me don't know how to scold him if he is naughty, because he looks like a matured adult now.

-VinCe

My animal friends

Naughty cat PiPi

Blur dog Rocky

Cheeky Pong Pong
....
...
.

Errr....My Happy Bunny?

...and all of them like to do the same post for photoshot....

-VINcE

Finally....I got my driving license

I can't get a Egypt driving license directly with my Singapore license. They only allowed some nationalities to have it without the need to go thru a theory and practical test.

So I went for the test. At first they want me to take theory test, abit panic lah, can't remember what are the difference between these signs:

- A blue background circle with a slash

- A blue background circle with a cross

- A white background circle with a slash

Today on the way to Alamein, I saw one sign having a camel drawn on it. This one I know lah, watch out for camel shit ahead right!?

Anyway, they later said no need theory test, because I look very clever and they don't want to waster their time.

Then I went on to take the driving test. The circuit is like the one in Singapore, but I have to enter the circuit from a back alley because they blocked the front entrance. When I queue up my car to wait for my turn, a horse was eating hay beside me. My colleague told me I can buy the horse for around 3000 LE.

Back to the circuit, I a bit kan chiong lah, the lane is so small, it's difficult to negotiate my 4WD around the corner! Then while we were queing, the woman infront of me forget to put on seat belt! Kena warning from officer but don't know she still pass or not. Then the guy behind me kena warning also, because he was talking...on his mobile phone while taking a driving test!

It's indeed an endless fun and amusement living in Egypt.

Then it's my turn, I think the only thing they want to test is my parallel parking...I don't know why. I abit panic, because the parking space a Kancil also can sweat trying to go in lah!

I salute the driving skill of Egyptian. Eventhough they seems to drive recklessly and give no regards to any traffic rules, they are still a more skillful driver compared to most Singaporean drivers!

We once took a black and white street cab, the driver drove like F1 Hamilton on ecstasy, we have many scary moment and the driver was able to avoid all the accidents last minute. I think that's the only time I had cold sweat taking a cab in the hot summer. I actually don't mind the other driver who turn on the Arabic pop music that can be heard 5km away, at least our hearing recovered after we get out from the cab.

So back to my test, I don't think I park my 4WD fully inside the box, because I know if I move abit more forward, I will hit the cone, abit more backward, also kena cone. Before I try to re-align the car any further, the officer yelled to me and say ok! Pass!....don't ask me why...I think he never see anyone manage to squeeze a 4WD inside the box until that day...that's why he let me pass lor.

There you go, they issued the license on the spot and it's valid for 10 years.

I still wonder why the other day a cabby still manage to pick up passenger, with one punctured tyre.

-VINcE

Khan Al Khalili

2 weeks ago we went to Khan Al Khalili to do some souvenier shopping. That was also the first time we try metered taxi, which has air con and proper door handles! The taxi fare is about the same as the black and white, older than my grandfather but yet still fast and reckless cab.

Some photo we took inside the restaurant at Khalili before we start to shop.

Can shop, smile big big!

Aiyoyo, money not enough

hmm! I don't care!

.......Shen ah, jiu jiu wo ba!

The old man who started the restaurant...

Ready, get set....go go go ! She can shop faster than Usain Bolt.

Local craft shop

This is how it looks like...the shopping street in Khalili. This section mostly sell gold.

We bargained hard, slash the price to around 50%. I think we are still paying too much, next time we should try 80%.

Beside asking me whether I am from China, most of the shop owner like to call me "Lucky man!" I wonder why they think I am lucky, I mean, my wife spent away my money and I never tiok the 8million TOTO what.

-VINcE

Alone and at Alamein again

I am going to stay here for 4 days, to do some follow up on the audit before I go back Singapore on 3 Sept.

Four new hire I found at Alamein machine shop...looks like they have been left behind by their mothers....PiPi is so lucky.

My dinner prepared by in house chef, looks yummy hor?

Eve is now in Singapore and we are just bored and start the staring at each other see who blink first game

-VINcE

PiPi went to see Vet

PiPi went to the vet. He is not sick, we just want to check him in to the pet boarding house while we are away.

He was protesting hard and keep crying along the way, CRY BABY!!

The vet did a general check on him and gave him a thumbs up. He is very healthty (and naughty ^^). PiPi even got his own health card now!

PiPi's health card, look, he is 2.45kg now!

A random photo of PiPi with cheeky expression as usual

-VINcE

Friday is rest day..we chiong!!!

OK let me intro to you: The Egypt's Metro aka Singapore's MRT.. But pls minus the parts where we can have Air-con, better chairs, Less people and Not that stuffy in Singapore. I miss our MRT... Egypt's is too old school.

While we tried to pass the time while waiting for the metro, we posed for pictures for our blog.. I had to tied up my hair up, as it is too hot to let it down!!!

And Here, my darling in his new haircut. Which I must said very good, and he must thanks me, because I researched alot of Info from the egypt forums to get where is the best Hair salon. And it is worth every cent!!! Today there is a sales guy from a shop tell him his haircut look very good, and where he cut it and how much?? See darling must trusted your wife advices when it comes to these things.

We are having dinner at the Shopping centre, Arkadia Mall, we are able to find seats that is directly facing the Nile River.

After shopping in that lousy mall, we gave up. There is nothing worth buying and nothing caught our fancy. So we decided to go somewhere to listen to live music and have a drink and chat. So I suggested Hard Rock Cafe at the Grand Hyatt. There we had some salad, cheese cake, red wine and beer.

My dear drinking a bottle of beer and I had finished my glass of red and ordered another, my Fav.. Long Island Tea.

This is very entertaining the whole HRC crews are dancing YMCA. We like it very much!!

Happy news today::: Pipi know how to use the toilet bowl to do is pee pee. And I rewarded him with half a chicken hotdog... pipi is a good boy. Sayang u!!