We all miss something, surely? My list is too long to write in one day, I think. But I'm currently missing something that I never imagined in a million years that I ever would. Here's a clue, Dear Reader:
No, surprisingly enough it's not a bench full of dirty dishes, it's my little slimline dish washer at home in Windy Nook! My mam will be turning in her grave (well maybe if we'd had her buried, that is!) to think that any son of hers would resort to such a bourgeois device. This is the lady who always made her squeezy (Primula) cheese sandwiches by squeezing a thick layer on one piece of bread and then folding it over. Then there was no need for a knife to spread it or cut it, and then have to be washed. She didn't even use her cooker top for the last 10 years or so of life 'cause it would need cleaning if she did! Housework and her just didn't get on, even though she did manage to keep it clean in spite of herself. That's another thing I miss, having my mother just downstairs.
But here in Egypt, some things that would be readily available at our other home are just not.
Edward of the 3 vacuums had a bit of a catsafterme again today. My trusty Kirby (now about 30 years old) gave up the ghost. But thankfully, not altogether as I was able to raise it from the dead with the help of little Mr Hany the plumber. I haven't used it yet since returning here, but today was the laying of the large carpet in the guest apartment livingroom. We love this carpet; 4 x 3 mtrs and over a year's worth of handknotted artwork! It gets rolled up with plastic bags over each end when we leave Luxor, till we come back again. This (hopefully) prevents any mice or moths getting inside the roll and ruining it, it's worked so far I'm pleased to report. So, I unrolled the first yard or so, with the back uppermost, and vacuumed off the accumulated dust with my lovely yellow K'Archer.Then it was unrolled (with bated breath, I might add, just in case the bags hadn't done their job) laid flat and in position and then out came the newly cleaned Kirby Legend. Switched it on to find dust blowing through the zip on the outer bag, horror of horrors! I opened it up, struggling with the zip as it was clogged with dust too. As I thought, the bag was new (from 2020) and hadn't burst at all. What could it be? On closer inspection, the corrugated flexible link pipe between the machine and the bag had snapped! Then I remembered, this happened before, and I had shortened the pipe in order to re-attach it with the broken end cut cleanly off. But, of course, there wasn't enough pipe left to do that again.
I knew that I'd seen piping of this type down the street at the Awad family's group of plumbing and allied businesses shops, but would theyhave the right size? Think positively, Mr Edward! Americans use inches and Egyptians use metric, but refer to bits of wood as 2 x 3 etc, which is, course 2 x 3 inches. It's all very confusing to simple pensioners like myself. Nevertheless, Mr Hany found a length of pipe with a 'similar' inside diameter. We made it fit with the addition of some Sellotape and a couple of big jubilee clips. There was a, deliberately manufactured-in, problem though. See if you can find it in the picture:
Obviousy, the blue is the new pipe and the black the old. Notice the difference? The wire reinforcing is 'threaded' in the opposite direction. Deliberately so, so that a proper permanent repair can only be made by purchasing a new pipe from Kirby, no doubt at an extortionate price, insted of the, less than, £2 which the blue stuff cost me today! The original threads onto the machine like a large, left hand thread, nut, but not any more, the blue stuff is just clamped onto the spigot end with the clips, fingers crossed, eh?
I'm also missing easy access to a range of recognisable breakfast cereals which I prefer. You can get many western 'style' cereals, like Temmy's corn flakes (also expensive Kelloggs!) and usually porrige oats (mainly hailing from Germany) and the usual overly sweet kids things in varions guises. But no Shreddies or Shredded Wheat, which is what I really like.
I miss watching the world go by from our livingroom window in Windy Nook. What most folk in Tyneside flats have as their main bedroom, we chose to have as our livingroom, specifically because we're avid people watchers, as I'm sure you're aware. Here, we only have this to look out on in the evening:
The laser lights are being shone all over the place in practice for the official openng of the 'Kebash Road' (The ancient ceremonial way of the gods.) between the two temples. The West Bank illumination is much brighter and clearer than it has been for years. I'm sure its just because they've bothered their bums to give them a good clean! I suppose that I shouldn't complain though, as many folk would love to have such a view, and I do find it thrilling at times.
I also miss (but not too much) pork products, particularly sausages! I'm sure that one day, I'll persuade Mr Hany (he's Christian) to take me to a butcher who sells pork, and I'll find some bacon!!!
What I don't miss (and this is for sure!) is the RAIN. I know some people, who live here permanently, yearn for rain, but I think they must have a touch of the old sunstroke, I can well do without it, thank you very much.
I'm sorry to be so negative tonight, perhaps I'm just getting tired of cleaning, and it's bringing on a certain semse of melancholy? Who knows? But one thing I do know; it's getting near to bedtime!
Goodnight and God bless, Dear Reader.
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