im baaaaaack

Last time I wrote, it was December 18th. Exactly 3 weeks ago! I feel terrible for not blogging, so much has happened in these 3 weeks! I suppose that’s why I haven’t been blogging :P Also, I went away for Christmas, and since being back in Cairo, I’ve been working from my boss’s home in Heliopolis, which means I actually have to WORK, because I’m literally sitting on the same desk as her in her bedroom, working away at our respective laptops. Pretty intense! But it’s all good, because last week she cooked me thai green curry for lunch, and my tummy was singing from that moment on……………how I miss my thai food!!

My boss is a very cool lady. A Swedish convert, married to an Egyptian man, we have many an interesting conversation while working during the day. I also have her two monkeys for sons keeping me on my toes during the day, jumping across the hallway, calling my name, burping for my entertainment and other activities 7 and 9 year old boys tend to get up to during the holidays. Apparently, when I didn't end up coming over on Sunday, they were kinda sad and told her that I "was funny". lol!! What a revolution. Little kids tend to dislike me because they can tell I dislike them :P Alas, they only like me really, because I snort back at them when they're pretending to be pigs in front of me. lol.

So to summarise the last 3 weeks:
Just before Christmas, I started doing some freelance proofreading work with a local English magazine here. I was thrilled because this technically is the first time anyone is PAYING me to do anything related to journalism. It's not much, but it's something. That free Sony PSP from my internship in London doesn’t count :P
Around the 22nd my mom and dad finally flew out of Cairo. Dad came for 3 days, Mum for 15!
Then, Nay-Nay and I threw a huge Christmas bash in our wonderful apartment…..Being our first ever houseparty here in Cairo, we went all out, lighting up the flat with Christmas fairy lights, wearin Santa hats, the whole deal. We also created our very own 9 hour playlist and the party was BANGIN’ (shut up Kent you weren’t even there), because at the very least Nay-Nay and I had a great time :D
36 hours later, I flew off to Dubai for my friend, Rahad’s wedding (more on that later)……returned to Cairo 7 days later, spent a night resting, and next morning Nay-Nay and I took a 2 hour train ride to celebrate New Years Eve in Alexandria with 10 other friends. Celebrated the countdown in STYLE, at the Hilton hotel grand ballroom…..which was something different for us usually-tramped-out AIESEC trainees (we were proper pimped out in suits and dresses).
Finally got out of Alex after 2 nights, after doing some sightseeing (beautiful but bitterly cold!), and came back to settle down in Cairo once again. And since the New Year, my workload is finally becoming intense. All the work I’m meant to have been doing the last 2 months, is in effect, being done this month. Phew. Writing all this down has made me realize why I haven’t been able to blog in so long! Plus, one of my and naynay’s joint NY resolutions is that we can’t sit at home and laze about on our laptops like we love to every evening after work. This month we vowed to get out of the house and explore this city, and so far, I haven’t really been at home most evenings, so yay for me!

I now have approximately 1 month left in Cairo. I have no idea where the last 2 months have gone! I still haven’t explored as much as I wanted to, it’s all been a blur of work, friends and craziness. It’s still been amazing so far, and I’m so glad I came to Cairo. Even though, now when I go back to Singapore, I’ll be right back to where I was 3 months ago – i.e still looking for a job there – I feel so much more ready to tackle building a new life in Singapore. Cairo has kind of given me that confidence. Also, strangely enough, some things changed between me and my mum – for the better – while she was here in Cairo visiting me. I think something in her has finally realized I’m a grown up young lady :P