It's been a while since I last posted anything on my blog, so I thought an explanation of why, is in order for those who do not know me personally.
Sadly, I had to leave Luxor, Egypt (temporarily) at the end of last year. The downturn in tourism hit hard and I was struggling to earn a living. I took a decision to come back to the UK for a while, try and find work and save some money to replenish the savings that I had been living on for some time.
I am still in the UK, and probably will be for the next few months, but I wanted to share some of my thoughts and feelings about being back, what I am missing about Egypt and what I am loving about the UK.
Obviously, it goes without saying, the weather!! Did I really swap sunshine every day for rain every day? That is what it feels like..... rain, rain and more rain. I had to buy boots, a warm coat and lots of sweaters! But it was a good feeling to be able to go out shopping and know that I could find exactly what I wanted in the shops. Even summer clothes are made of cotton, not nylon and lycra, and diamante and bling are options on clothes, not standard! Bras actually fit and can be bought by size! Knickers are cotton as standard!
Food next. I never realised what a healthy diet I had in Luxor until I came back here. Everything I cooked in Luxor was fresh and made from scratch. In the UK, I quickly got used to "fast food" although I have not yet succumbed to the microwave, which I never did like! The choices here are phenomenal, especially breads and cheeses! Loving it! I do have to admit to a bit of a pork fest on my return, although that has now diminished to normal levels.
Public transport is actually a delight after living in Egypt........ yeah, can you believe it? Although I do miss being able to just get on and off a bus where I want to, not where the bus stop happens to be.
I have internet which works all the time, electricity that does not go off constantly and there is always water in the taps!
On the downside, life here is pretty much ruled by the clock, it can be hectic and there never seems to be time to just sit and be. Tea or juice by the River Nile is sorely missed. There is nowhere I want to go to just sit and have a coffee and enjoy the view, at least nothing that does not involve a car drive and a few traffic jams. TV is good though, but only because I have the full Sky package available and can watch all those amazing documentaries that I missed. Without that, I seriously doubt I would be watching TV anymore than I did in Luxor. I much preferred people watching by the Nile.
It is green here, wonderfully green........ but no temples to wander around. Although I am starting to attend lectures, and dayschools on Egyptology as well as bringing myself up to scratch on the spiritual stuff and there are a few courses planned.
I did have a fantastic Christmas with my family and my daughter got married in April, so I was able to be involved and do the whole "mother of the bride" thing!
So, what do I miss? The weather, the laid back lifestyle, my friends and of course, the other half. I miss my work very much and the people I worked with. I miss the Nile itself and I miss the temples and tombs.
I do not miss the hassle, the lack of basic necessities such as electricity and water. I do not miss fuul!
Short and sweet, I know, but a brief update on where I am right now. More to follow as I begin my search for more knowledge and take advantage of everything the UK has to offer!
Sadly, I had to leave Luxor, Egypt (temporarily) at the end of last year. The downturn in tourism hit hard and I was struggling to earn a living. I took a decision to come back to the UK for a while, try and find work and save some money to replenish the savings that I had been living on for some time.
I am still in the UK, and probably will be for the next few months, but I wanted to share some of my thoughts and feelings about being back, what I am missing about Egypt and what I am loving about the UK.
Obviously, it goes without saying, the weather!! Did I really swap sunshine every day for rain every day? That is what it feels like..... rain, rain and more rain. I had to buy boots, a warm coat and lots of sweaters! But it was a good feeling to be able to go out shopping and know that I could find exactly what I wanted in the shops. Even summer clothes are made of cotton, not nylon and lycra, and diamante and bling are options on clothes, not standard! Bras actually fit and can be bought by size! Knickers are cotton as standard!
Food next. I never realised what a healthy diet I had in Luxor until I came back here. Everything I cooked in Luxor was fresh and made from scratch. In the UK, I quickly got used to "fast food" although I have not yet succumbed to the microwave, which I never did like! The choices here are phenomenal, especially breads and cheeses! Loving it! I do have to admit to a bit of a pork fest on my return, although that has now diminished to normal levels.
Public transport is actually a delight after living in Egypt........ yeah, can you believe it? Although I do miss being able to just get on and off a bus where I want to, not where the bus stop happens to be.
I have internet which works all the time, electricity that does not go off constantly and there is always water in the taps!
On the downside, life here is pretty much ruled by the clock, it can be hectic and there never seems to be time to just sit and be. Tea or juice by the River Nile is sorely missed. There is nowhere I want to go to just sit and have a coffee and enjoy the view, at least nothing that does not involve a car drive and a few traffic jams. TV is good though, but only because I have the full Sky package available and can watch all those amazing documentaries that I missed. Without that, I seriously doubt I would be watching TV anymore than I did in Luxor. I much preferred people watching by the Nile.
It is green here, wonderfully green........ but no temples to wander around. Although I am starting to attend lectures, and dayschools on Egyptology as well as bringing myself up to scratch on the spiritual stuff and there are a few courses planned.
I did have a fantastic Christmas with my family and my daughter got married in April, so I was able to be involved and do the whole "mother of the bride" thing!
So, what do I miss? The weather, the laid back lifestyle, my friends and of course, the other half. I miss my work very much and the people I worked with. I miss the Nile itself and I miss the temples and tombs.
I do not miss the hassle, the lack of basic necessities such as electricity and water. I do not miss fuul!
Short and sweet, I know, but a brief update on where I am right now. More to follow as I begin my search for more knowledge and take advantage of everything the UK has to offer!
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