At this time of year, I always look forward to a cool change. But going back over my climatic records from 2007, I notice that it didn't get cooler until Nov. 11, when the temperature dropped from the low 30s to 26 degrees. I am really looking forward to my Singapore Airlines flight to Brisbane, Australia, in December and taking baby Max and his mother to the Great Southern Land to meet the relatives. They are not the 'Fockers,' but no doubt there will be a few stories to tell afterwards, if you know what I mean. Max is the first baby in a long time for the Carrigan clan and his aunts and uncles, cousins and family friends can't wait for amazing Max's tour de force. May and June, see the Rugby Club Desert Dinner and the Queen's Birthday Ball in the British Embassy Gardens, which are both big dress-up nights for Cairo's expatriate crowd and two occasions I look forward to when I can wear my Scottish kilt. I am not so much looking forward to the khamaseen, now that I am living on the edge of the desert in Sixth of October, as I am expecting March and April to be particularly dusty as our little semi-detached bungalow is battered by sand storms. I am looking forward to trying to learn the art of windsurfing at Moon Beach though. I miss the ocean most of all from Australia and I think it is time I stop dreaming about lying on a surfboard at sunrise and start a new sport that I can look forward to sharing with Max in years to come. I am looking forward to a great victory by the Australian rugby team over the New Zealand All Blacks next Saturday, in a titanic struggle which the Wallabies will win by seven points. I am not looking forward to the emails from my New Zealand friends though, if in the unlikely event the Wallabies lose. I am really looking forward to the fall of Republican Vice President hopeful Sarah Palin, when the New York Times turn loose their columnists and investigative reports to comb through her record and life. Then we will see how many moose she has really hunted down and shot? Well, that has covered sport and politics, as for religion, I am looking forward to maybe climbing a few minarets in January and February, when the weather is cold and I can wear my new black military style jacket as seen on the BBC TV drama, Spooks. No one believes you when it is still hot and you tell them that it will get really cold in January and February. So I always look forward to the reaction of the newbie's to Cairo when the temperature plummets in January and they realize why they were told to bring a scarf, gloves and woolly sweater. I am looking forward to finding a semi-stylish hat in Cairo. Panama style I thought, to keep the beating sun off my brow, especially since I have just had yet another skin cancer removed, this time below my right eye, so I now look like I have just been in a knife fight with Zorro. I am really looking forward to more of the great customer service I received in the Vodafone shop in the Dandy Mall recently. Three patient hours they spent setting up that USB thing called a dongle in my laptop. A big thank you to those guys. I am suggesting Vodafone set up customer training classes for Barclays Bank so that they can manage a telephone enquiry. Help out with Showtime who I have a long and dysfunctional relationship with, and the internet provider, TE Data, who must stop putting me on hold and then cutting me off. I am looking forward to the Editor of Egypt Today, Patrick Fitzpatrick, getting back to me from last April, when he said via text he would call, as he was just stepping out with his daughter, and couldn't talk. I am looking forward to the British Community Association's next Meet and Greet party at the BCA Clubhouse in Mohandiseen, Tuesday Sept. 16, and see what new people have washed up on the banks of the Nile. All welcome of course. But most of all, I look forward to getting home each afternoon for a Max attack on the sofa, followed by a dip in the pool. Ahhh Cairo, she's not half bad really. [email protected]
