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.

泪在眼眶里打转

泪在眼眶里打转。我以忘记曾经何时感受过同样的没落。今天我目送着妻子和儿子进入登机门内，千万的不舍涌入心头，泪水几乎夺眶而出。这次是奕云第一次独自带着我们两岁大的儿子乘坐长途航班。希望她能应付得来。他们现在正在飞往新加坡的途中。一个钟头内就要落地了。要不是迫不得已，我真的不希望一个家人分居两地。可是乐乐的近来状况真的不是太好。三个月来他不断的生病，令我好难受。看他瘦弱的身躯和暗淡的脸颊，最明智的决定就是提早让他回国，在他祖父祖母们的呵护下好好的休养生息。唉！这几个月好不容易建立的一丁点父子之情又要受到岁月无情的啄食。希望明年我回国度假一家团聚时，乐乐他还会记得我这个父亲。

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.