Final Family Vacation in Egypt - Bahariya Oasis

It's the beginning of summer in Egypt and I have one last slot to go for a family vacation before we bid farewell to Egypt after our three long years in Cairo.  I thought of going to Taba or Dahab in Sinai but it's not quite safe lately over there since the revolution.  We have seen enough of the beaches and we did the Nile Cruise as well.  Where shall we go?

After much thought, I decided to bring Irene and Le Le to the Bahariya Oasis and sleep under the open sky in the White Desert.  I have been there once (see here) and I must say that it was one of the most exceptional places I have been in my life.  We could go to beaches anytime  anywhere but there may not be another chance ever for us to visit the White Desert again.

Le Le enjoyed playing with the sand all day long but Irene was a little uncomfortable sleeping over in the desert for two days without proper toilets and all the creature comfort.  On the last day of the 4D3N trip, we stayed at the International Hot Spring Hotel in Bahariya, which is a simple and nice place run by a German with his Japanese wife.  Unfortunately, they were away in Germany during our trip and we did not have the opportunity to meet them.
Here is the photo album to share!

The Nile Cruise

Finally, as my posting to Egypt is drawing to a close, I had a chance to take the legendary cruise down the Nile. We had a great time and Le Le enjoyed the sleeper train rides very much!  My Sister Eileen came over with a number of her colleagues in December 2011 and I got them a package with Spring Tours and hopped on the Nile Cruise sector. Here are some photos to share...

Celebrating Shan Le's 4th Birthday at Urban Toddlers

We celebrated Shan Le's 4th birthday at his school on Thursday 14 October 2010.  His birthday is on 18 October 2010 but we decided to do this little party earlier as he needs to attend speech therapy in the afternoon on his birthday.

We had a very close shave on Thursday and we almost missed the time the school allocated for parents to hold birthday parties.  Well, we actually arrived at 1.20pm when we were supposed to start at 1pm.  After 1.30pm, all the kids will start to leave. It was a hectic day really.  Our driver, Samir, had to go for a minor operation and I had to drive down to Maadi with Irene to collect the cake and cookies.  I was held back because of work and left late.  Worse, I could not find find my way to Kum's Cake and spent about 15 minutes circling Maadi looking for the place and got muy bumper dented in the process :-(

The worst part is getting stuck for a good 10 minutes in Kasr El-Nil street in downtown Cairo.  I should not have taken that road! But fortunately, the road cleared up and I managed to get to the nursery in time for the party.  We rushed to place the cake and laying out the plates and serviettes while the teachers and helpers get the kids to sit down.  We sang the birthday song for Le Le in both English and Arabic, blow the candles, cut the cakes and finishing them up all in 10 minutes!!!

The sad thing is that I lost the video clip I took with my Android phone....

忙碌

忙碌！进入任期的最后一年原本应该是可以从容的应付业务上的一切。没想到这第三年是如此的难熬。办公室的装潢工程已经展开，我几乎天天都得加班。周休二日也时常需要回办公室监督工程。能给与家人的时间越来越短。精力都投入了业务也无法提起精神和乐乐玩耍。回头思来，这牺牲是不是太大了？唉！多说没用，谁叫我是个尽心敬业的老实人 ;) 怎么说也不能辜负乡亲父老上司下属的重望吧！做不好我也没脸面对妻儿父母。业务虽然繁重，可是每当完成了一项任务都带来激励自己的动力。就这么埋头苦干下去吧! 总会有海阔天空，日出天明的一天。现在向往的是八月份的短暂假日让我回国稍微喘一口气。埃及还有许多景点我还没去。为了不留下遗憾，我必须精心安排安排，重点的尼罗河轮船古埃及之游我一定得腾出时间落实。原本想从埃及到不远的欧洲捷克布拉格度假。看样子机会渺茫的很。

乐乐随我来到开罗也有两年多了。他也快四岁了哦。说实在，我不该接着份差事。开罗的环境和严重污染对乐乐的早期成长必定有负面的影响。刚来到这儿的时候他还不到两岁。后悔莫及！这是他的命数吧。老天保佑，乐乐他也没有多大的问题，只是语言上迟缓了点。他还是相当开朗和讨人喜爱。幼儿园的老师和校长都很疼爱乐乐，说他每日都带着灿烂的笑容上学堂。除了会话，乐乐其他方面的发展都还算正常。我们也让他到特别学习中心上辅导课程，希望他的会话能力会得到专业的辅导。乐乐的进步虽然不算迅速，可是他现在已经开始领悟到会话的功能。希望他会尽快打开任督二脉，畅所欲言！

Fayoum Tunis Little Swiss Oasis

I have been craving for a break for quite some time and finally I got a short window to make a trip out to the Fayoum Oasis with Irene and Le Le.  I really have no time or energy to plan a long vacation!  A short break will do.  We knew little about Fayoum and I did not plan much as I just wanted to get out of Cairo for some fresh air.  Le Le was not well the day before we were supposed to go but we went ahead anyway.  Some fresh air will be good for him I thought.

And so we headed out to the little village of Tunis on the banks of Lake Qarun where the Little Swiss Oasis is located.  The drive was an easy and scenic one and we had little trouble finding our way to the rendezvous point by the lake.  There we met Doris Frei, the lovely owner of Little Swiss Oasis.  From there, she led us through the village down some unpaved lanes leading to the small but welcoming house overlooking Lake Qarun.

It was beautiful and completely relaxing.  Doris made us a sumptuous lunch of chicken, rice, bread and some really tasty tuna mix.  The wind was so soft and breezy that we spent our afternoon napping away in the nice little room on the second floor.  There is only one guest room at Little Swiss Oasis.  Fortunately we did not round up my other colleagues for the trip.

In the evening, we took a walk around the village well-known for its pottery and had dinner at a small inn next door named Sobek.  As we were getting ready to turn in for the night, Le Le's condition took a worse turn and began nauseating.  His body temperature rose over 38.5 deg C and he could not sleep through the night.  Both Irene and I were also dragged in and out of bed as Le Le struggled with his coughs and nausea.  We have no choice but to abandon the trip to the desert and other sites such as Wadi Rayan and Wadi Hitan on the following day.  Doris was most apologetic though it was no fault of hers.  She was the most gracious host and she made us a delicious continental breakfast to mark a short but memorable stay.  It was a great pity we left in such a rush that we failed to take a photo with Doris.  Nevermind!  We shall return!

More photos in my Photo Album

Here are images of Little Swiss Oasis's brochure:

金虎年！万事大吉!

听说今年是金虎年。希望新加坡的生育率不会跌得太惨。毕竟是金身的老虎，应该不比龙子龙女逊色吧。我们一小家子今年就在开罗过了年。今年没办法回国和家人团圆，心里不乐意可是也别无他法。不过我们还是可以通过电脑视讯和父母及家人拜年也还算不错了。除了到同事的家和其他新加坡同胞聚会，我们也没有什么庆祝，家里也没多加春节的摆设。

不过值得一提的是我们的家在上个月内添了不少的新摆设。所有的画，拼图和电影海报都挂上各处的墙壁。我们也物色了不少家庭装饰比如埃及的木制屏风（Mashrabiya），室内植物，花盆，灯具，蜡烛，等等。。。你可能在纳闷，怎么住进来将近两年后才来布置家内摆设呢？这是因为我们在上个月在寒舍宴请亚西安(ASEAN)各国同辈的外交官。攸关国体所以必须把家里布置一番。也因为如此，在经过一番努力后，我们的家也变得更加亮丽温馨。操劳了一天后，回到家中安坐在舒适的小厅，听着醉人的音乐，闭上双眼，一天的疲劳就减轻了不少了。

上个礼拜我们和使馆所有的同僚及家人们一同到了埃及红海的度假胜地埃因素纳(Ain Sokhna)渡过了美满愉快的家庭日。乐乐玩的很开心。海水虽然冷冰冰，他却一头扑了进去，还不感觉冷。我们耗费了不少功夫才把他从水里就出来。过了不久，他就鼻水直流了，真是伤脑筋！这第二次造访Stella Di Mare，因此我们没有拍下多照片。这有几张照片留作纪念。

有亲自远方来，不亦乐乎

上个月母亲和二姐一同来到开罗度假探亲。在短暂的十天内，我也没能为他们计划些什么节目。实在是太忙了。还好我们聘请了司机，而且乐乐刚好学校放假，所以奕云可以每天带他们到开罗近郊的名胜观光。因为是圣诞节旺季，我们无法安排到南部尼罗河旁的古迹游玩。不过，我们倒是回到了亚历山大城住了两天。虽然我们上个月才到哪儿游玩，因为我们才安排一天的时间，许多名胜没有参观。所以这次就住了两天。饭店Helnan Palestine Hotel地点相当不错，客房也干净舒服。这次短短的相聚十分难得。

多了两个人家里也热闹了多了。乐乐自从回来开罗，上了豆豆班和护理课程，有了显著的进步。他开朗了很多，也会一些简单的会话。他对陌生人也不会排斥。面熟的人他也会打招呼说拜拜。母亲亲耳听他叫声奶奶也高新的不得了。乐乐的发音还不准，“姑姑”他叫成“楚楚”。这次他的收获也不少。二姐从新加坡带来大姐和她的两件圣诞礼物。我们做父母的也预备了一份。圣诞前夕他在小圣诞树下拆开礼物，玩得很开心。

Shan Le First Stage Performance at Urban Toddlers' Christmas Concert

Shan Le gave his first stage performance during his pre-school, Urban Toddlers', Christmas Concert, on 16 Dec 09, just two days before the long winter break.  Sadly, I was not there as I was down with a very bad cold.  Irene managed to take a few video clips of Shan Le's segment but you will probably have a hard time looking out for him.  While he did not really sing, he certainly demonstrated his skill in "taking cover".  All the kids  were probably stunned by the huge turnout.  Not only the parents turned up, but also the grandparents and probably uncles and aunties...

Short Trip to Alexandria

I almost decided to brave the long 8-hour drive to Dahab during the long Eid Al-Adha holidays.  After taking a good look at the map of Egypt, I thought it would not be such a good idea afterall.  I am not used to driving long distances and perhaps I should try somewhere nearer first.  So we went to Alexandria, Egypt's second largest city by the Mediterranean Sea.  It was an easy drive up and my boy had a good time.

My friend Boon Keng helped booked a room night at the newly opened Radisson Blu in Alex West and we also had a short tour of the garment factory Boon Keng was managing in the Alex free zone.  However, the hotel was quite a distance from the downtown and I had to drive for about 30 minutes to get there, including the time taken to trace back my route after missing an important turn.  So on the following day, I got a minibus with a driver to bring us on the half day tour of Alexandria.  We visited the tourist sites - Alexandria Museum, Roman Theatre, Pompey Pillar, Qaitbey Citadel and Bibiliotheca, which was closed during the holidays unfortunately.

But all in all, it was a short but relaxing trip and the drive back to Cairo was a breeze.  I think I will be able to take on the drive to Dahab next and perhaps break the long drive with a night in Sharm El-Sheikh.  I have uploaded the photos taken on the Alexandria trip in my MSN photo album.  Enjoy!

暂时的离别

奕云和乐乐今天乘搭飞机回到新加坡，留下我一个人孤零零的在开罗打拼。原本是安排他们在经济舱，可是前两天想了想，终于决定自己掏腰包让他们升等坐商务舱。这样一来，他们俩母子可以拥有比较独立的空间，奕云也可以舒服点。毕竟，这新航的班机已不再直飞新加坡而是会再度拜停留一个钟头。飞航时间也相对的拉长有两到三的钟头左右。

这次，他们会在新加坡逗留三个月。我预计十月会回国度假然后带他们一起回开罗。其间我们还计划要出国度假。可能会回台湾走走或可能会提前会开罗然后到欧洲某个城市游玩。目前还没有决定。不过，他们十月回来开罗后不久十二月尾又要回新加坡了。那将会是长期的分离了。我们不久前决定让乐乐从明年起在新加坡上幼儿班。奕云自然要陪同乐乐。而我呢，就得忍受长期孤独与寂寞的煎熬，直到我在2011年三月卸任为止。我们自然会有短时间团聚的机会。明年二月份我会回国过华人新年，六月份乐乐放长假使他们可以来开罗，九月我回国，十二月他们又过来。虽然聚少离多，我相信我们会更加珍惜在一起的时间。

这决定来之不易。一项果断的我竟然左思右想了一个多月才下定决心。我相信这是对我们一家人最好的安排。以我在开罗的工作需求与生活环境，乐乐不适合在开罗上幼儿班。开罗虽然不缺乏好品质的幼儿园，我实在无法兼顾好家庭与工作。让他们在新加坡我会感到安心，乐乐会有比较好的成长环境，而奕云也有我们父母和手足的照顾。我在开罗的任期已有半途了。我也希望可以全心投入把工作打理妥当，留下一些可以让后人赞许的基业。

离别是短暂的。

Short Weekend in Ain Sokhna

Summer has officially started and it's daylight saving time now in Egypt GMT +3! After visiting the Red Sea beach resort in Sharm El-Sheikh, I decided to spend a weekend in the opposite coast of the Red Sea, Ain Sokhna, which is only about one and a half hour away from Cairo by car. The Sokhna road connecting the capital to the Red Sea coast was excellent and the drive was a breeze.

But in the end, it still took me over four hours to get to our resort Stella Di Mare. Without a map of Ain Sokhna, I took the wrong turn when I reached the coast and I just keep driving on and on and on... 100 over km down in the direction of Hurghada. The Red Sea was beautiful and we even come across a huge wind farm along the way. All is fine as we have time and our boy is sleeping soundly in his car seat. But when the gas was getting low, I started to feel worried wondering what will happen if we did not have enough gas for the return leg and the next gas station is far away. Fortunately, a gas station was in sight and we stopped for a break, refilled the tank and asked for directions. When I uttered "Stelle Di Mare", the lady was taken aback, "Stella Di Mare is very far from here, at least 100km away"... her finger pointing to the direction I came from. Okay.... so we headed back into the car and started retracing the coastal road... all the way back to the point where the Sokhna Road meets the coast. We stopped a few times for directions to make sure we were not lost this time. Ha, we managed to reach Stella at about 4pm, almost 5 hours after we left Cairo!

We stayed at the 4-star Sea Club Hotel as the 5-star Grand Stella was fully booked. The carpark was full to the brim but I was lucky to find a tight spot with the help of the security. To make up for lost time, we headed straight for the beach. The Red Sea was a very nice view and the water is warm and crystal clear. We had a great time at the beach, had pizza, which was half eaten by scavenging crows. The only pain was from the jelly fish. Both LeLe and I were bitten. The kind waiter at the beach bar gave us some vinegar to apply on the bites, apparently the antidote. The reddish marks healed in a couple of hours later.

So the next day we decided to go for a dip in the pool just outside our villa instead of going to the beach and risk the jelly fish bites. Our boy had a very enjoyable time and I too had a chance to relax and take a break from work. It was a short holiday and we checked out after the swim and headed back to Cairo. Again, we were lost and I wasn't sure of the way to connect to the Ring Road at the end of the Sokhna Road. We spent a good hour circling the New Cairo before I managed to find myself near the Cairo Airport where I can finally find my way to the City Stars for our grocery shopping. Not too bad at all!

Check out the photos we have taken:

Long Weekend in Sharm El-Sheikh

Thanks to the Sham El-Nessim public holiday on Monday, I had a opportunity to bring my family to Sharm El-Sheikh for a relaxing long weekend.  As I have mentioned in my earlier posting on my recent car accident, I changed my mind about taking the 6-hour drive to Sharm.  But because of the peak Coptic Easter Sunday, most of the flights to Sharm on Friday and back to Cairo on Monday, were fully booked.  In the end, I had to settle for the early morning flights to avoid the long and tiring road trip.

We took the first Egypt Air flight to Sharm on Friday departing Cairo at 0510hrs.  The packing was done the night before to avoid last-minute rush but we still forgot to bring a number of things we intended like the stroller.  From hindsight, it was probably better for us not to bring it as it would be a hassle lugging it around Sharm.  We reached the airport at about 0345hrs and there was already a long queue.  Our tour agent, Mohamed El-Banna, from Jet Sky Travel was there to see us off.  I am grateful to Mohamed for helping us secured the flights and being there at the airport at such an unearthly hour to make sure we were checked in.

Our boy did not give us much trouble for the early morning rush and loss of sleep time.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Perhaps he was cooperative because he knew we were going on vacation.  Anyway, we arrived in Sharm at about 0630hrs after an hour's flight.  The guy who was supposed to ferry us to the resort did not turn up.  But we have no problem taking a taxi on our to Kiroseiz Three Corners Resort.

Kiroseiz is located a few kilometres away from the Naa'ma Bay and is a family-themed resort.  That was why Mohamed recommended the resort to us.  It's quite a good resort but there are certainly room for improvement.  As all the rooms were occupied, we had to wait till after lunch to check-in.  The wait was tiring though we took the opportunity to explore the resort ground.  The room was okay.  The sound-proofing was

 not very good and the beds shifted easily on the tiled floor.  But the room was clean and tidy.

It was a free and easy vacation for us and we did not do much planning beforehand.  We were late in joining the city tour organised by the resort on day one but we managed to find our own way to Naa'ma Bay dining/shopping belt for dinner.  We did some shopping and bought a camel fur rug, two pairs of shades and Hard Rock Cafe T-shirts.  The sun was very strong and we really need the shades... nevermind the price.  Over the next two days, we went on the United Submarine's Aquascope to tour the coral reef, spent some time at the two private beaches of Kiroseiz and joined the Bedouin Night dinner in the desert mountain area where we had tasty grilled chicken and watch belly dancing by the top belly dancer in Sharm El-Sheikh - a man named Mr Vijay.  He is really good!

Good times passed in a blink of eye!  Once again, we had to wake up very early in the morning to catch the first flight back to Cairo.

  I must say our boy enjoyed the short vacation very much.  I too find the trip very relaxing.  Sharm is really very different from Cairo.  It's clean, well-planned and the roads are wide.  Even during the peak season, it was not too crowded.  It's a pity Sharm is rather far or we will be able to visit more often.  We also did not have the time to tour the other tourist spots in Sinai like St. Catherine, Mount Sinai, Dahab, Nuweiba, Ras Mohamed National Park etc. etc.  I guess we will have to plan other trips to those places.

Go to my photo album for more photos taken during the trip.  I have also uploaded a video clip in my YouTube channel.

Car Accident

I had a car accident yesterday when I was driving to Maadi for lunch.  I was turning right at a T-junction not too far from my home when a car hit my Opel Vectra on the left.  The left front panel above the wheel was dented but the wheel and the bumper were okay.  The impact of the collision was not too frightening but I think that was because of solid German engineering.  As I mentioned in my earlier posting on purchasing the Opel Vectra, safety is top priority for me.  The Vectra sturdy body was able to absorb the impact of the collision to a large extent keeping us safe on the inside.

The other car was in a much worse state than mine.  The front bonnet was dented, the headlamps were shattered and the bumper was dislodged.  The car had to be towed away while I could still drive the Vectra.  My son remained calm throughout the accident and he fell asleep while I tried to resolve the situation with the other party and the police.  I called one of my office drivers for help.  Fortunately, he was in the vicinity with his family he was able to come quickly to represent me.  After much haggling, we settled the accident with me compensating the other party 150LE.  I was apparently at fault for crossing the T-junction when the other party had the right-of-way. I felt it was pointless to argue and I was happy to wrap up the accident with the small sum.  I was well-covered by my costly motor insurance so I was not too worried.

Looking back, I could have been more careful to avoid the accident.  I was fortunate that none of us were hurt in the accident.  If I was ahead by another metre or two, the car would have hit my left-rear door where my boy was seated.  I thanked God for letting me get away with just some monetary loss.  I will definitely be more careful in the future driving in this chaotic traffic where junctions are not governed by traffic lights.

The accident occured exactly one week from my planned driving trip to the beach resort of Sharm El-Sheikh in Sinai.  It was my first accident in Egypt and hopefully my last!  I believe the accident was a sign from the divine power above and my ancestors' watchful spirits - "DO NOT DRIVE TO SHARM".   I will heed the warning and forget about the five-hour drive to Sharm.  We will go by air instead.  We will staying at Kiroseiz Three Corners Resort for three nights.  Watch out for my next posting on the trip with the videos and photos!

New Video and Photos

Here is a new video uploaded on my YouTube Channel > Tanoura Dance on board the Nile Pharaohs in Cairo.

I have also updated Shanle's photo album in my MSN Space.

Enjoy my friends!

Working Through the Long Week of Holidays

It has been almost nine months since I arrived in Cairo. This is probably the longest single period of time I have been away from Singapore since the first time I flew out from Singapore to Taipei in Feb 98. This outpost period will be just over ten months by the time I return to Singapore for my first relief break in late Jan 09. I yearn for the day to come soon to rejoin with my family back home.

Time is passing fast in Cairo and work never ends. Tomorrow is the Eve of the Hari Raya Haji (Eid Al Adha or Greater Bairam) and the start of a week long holidays. While my office is closed, I will be going to work like any other day. Without the day-to-day disruptions and slew of fires to fight, I should be able to work on some of the less urgent more certainly more important long-term issues. Otherwise, I really do not know what to do over the long holidays alone other than to stay at home and rot in front of the TV or the PC.

I am easing out of my culture shock well and I felt I am in better control nowadays. There are many challenges at work and sometimes I still get the sense of being overwhelmed by demands from all directions. Fortunately, lady luck has followed me to the overcrowded and polluted Cairo and I am getting lots of help and support from everyone that I worked with. On the whole, I can say that I have passed the crawling stage and now beginning to walk briskly. Hopefully, I can start running soon before I end my posting in 2011 with a final 100m sprint.

A Painful Decision

The past three months have been very difficult for me and my family. Times were so bad that I have to make a painful decision... to send my wife and son back to Singapore. Actually, they were supposed to fly home today but I had to postpone the flight to Sunday because Irene fell sick two days ago. I had to stay home for the two days to look after her and Le Le. I had to keep the two apart as much as possible to avoid Irene passing on the flu bug to the boy.

Le Le has just recovered from a serious bout of gastroenteritis. Just last month, he was sick for a week from acute bronchitis. And in August, he was down for almost two weeks from flu. I think it is time to pack them home. I believe they will be better off in Singapore to recuperate where the air is cleaner and public hygiene is better.

I really do not want to risk them staying on and be hospitalised should more serious ailments hit them. More importantly, they will be well looked after by our parents back home. I think I have made a right decision. I will miss them dearly, especially my son who has just started to bond with me. I don't know if he will still remember my hug and scent when we next meet in Jan 09, three months from now.

I was away from them too for about the same period last year when I was in Cairo for language training. Looks like we will going to have this separation annually until I complete my posting in 2011. It's going to be a cold and lonely winter again for me in Cairo. I guess I will seek refuge by working doubly hard.

New Videos and Photos

Our little family has been taking turns to fall sick over the past few weeks. While I have fully recovered, Irene is still nursing a cough. Le Le, who recovered first about a week ago, appears to be falling ill again with block nose, sneezing and occasional cough. It must be due to the seasonal change. The mornings and nights are becoming cooler as the days go by. It's great that the summer is finally ending and the most comfortable season of Cairo is arriving soon - cool and no rain. I just hope the air clears up a bit. The pollution is getting worse I think. That is probably due to the burning of agricultural plots after harvest. Anyway, we are doing fine and here are some of the recent videos to share. I have also updated my photo album with the latest snapshots of our boy Le Le. Enjoy.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xQmCpKhzDg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opzmMQ3b7Bg

夏去秋来流感肆虐

夏季即将过去而秋意以渐渐涌入这拥挤的开罗城。早晨和晚间的秋风也稍感寒意而下午的日头却酷热无比。这是季节交替的普遍现象也是大人小孩容易生病的时候。乐乐两个礼拜前就生了一场病。起初是伤风的症状，鼻塞，喉咙不适。接下来就发烧，咳嗽，喉咙发炎。看了家庭医生可是药到病却不除，一度发烧至39.8度。我们夫妻俩彻夜难眠，不停的为他以冷毛巾降温，注视体温。我们也找了儿科医生来诊治，换了一次药乐乐的病才逐渐好转。他现在已近乎痊愈了。只是还是稍微有一点咳嗽。医生说这是正常的症状，需要一点时间才会完全康复。喂这小坏蛋吃药可真是痛苦。一个人要喂他可真的很不容易，他头左右摇晃，小嘴紧闭。通常我们得二人总动员，一人抓住他另一个人用无针针筒把药水慢慢灌入。可爱的乐乐每次看到爸爸妈妈拿着药走向他就会意识到吃药的时候到了而无助的找寻可藏之处"避难"。逗得我们哭笑不得。乐乐也因为生病而有好一阵子没去上兜兜班了。上个礼拜天带他回学校，从老师口中得知这段日子有好多小同学也病了。小孩子似乎对换季所引发的流感比大人较为敏感。说迟不迟，我们夫妻俩这两天也开始感到身体不适，喉咙疼痛。看来我们也快病了。等会儿医生就会来诊治，开药方。希望我们两不会一起病倒。

New Videos and Photos

Here are some new videos and photos of our boy Shanle. He is now going to the Irish School nearby in the mornings. So far he is settling down well and he no longer cries whenever we drop him off at school. But the teacher said that he is not mixing with the other toddlers and he usually be on his own. Perhaps it is because he has been alone with his Mum for the first few months in Cairo and is not used to interacting with others. Or maybe it is due to his own personality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2AlckPGSSo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcMCk1ZlaoM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL0JIZdpAOg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBnA9czfxdQ

Updated photo album...

千头万绪

匆匆的一个月的时光飞逝，真的是岁月不饶人啊！最近我经常感觉有千斤重担日日夜夜压在心上，有种千头万绪，不知如何应对的挫折感。每天早晨一苏醒，我的胸口就感觉到无形的压力，神经紧绷，呼吸不顺。胃口很差而且有作呕的感觉。心中一直反复思绪堆积如山的工作和问题。天天都处在危机当中，身心相当疲惫。从上任到今，我已经瘦了五公斤有余了。回想起来，这是我从来未有的经历。

其实，我心里很清楚其中的原由。离乡背井，新的生活和工作环境，文化的差异，语言的隔阂，家庭的负担，缺乏固定的运动，等等。这一切综合在一起，同一时间，是会产生相当大的压力的！这是对我抗压能力有史以来最大的挑战。目前为止我还没有想出一套妥善的作战方针。

不过，我想现在的当务之急就是把身体健康照顾好。唯有强壮的体魄，才能应付所有的挑战。所以我打算每一个周末都要去俱乐部运动，打打高尔夫球，上健身房还有游泳。由于开罗的交通十分拥挤和混乱，周日是没法子到俱乐部运动了。每周两日的运动要比完全没有来的强吧。

接下来就是要逐一的排除工作上最紧要的问题和巩固管理系统。要在这第一年内把基础打好才可在接下来的后期有所作为。下定决心，排除万难！