This evening I am thankful for gin: when mixed with tonic and a sunset, it takes the edge off the day. My heart has been in my mouth with the first nick made in our living room wall by the contractor who has come to install the evaporative air cooler.
Four men, a drill, two hammers and chisels and an hour later we have a big hole in our wall. I don't have the spirit for such destruction. I can only hope that when they finish the job (bokra, insha'Allah)* it will function as designed by the Time Traveller and won't look a mess. Insha'Allah. Stay tuned.
*"Bokra, insha'Allah" means "Tomorrow, God willing." Insha'Allah peppers any conversation in the future tense. It strikes fear and frustration in the hearts of foreigners because it leaves even well-defined plans with an edge of uncertainity. When bokra is added, the odds are 50/50 that something will happen. Living in Egypt, I have come to accept that much in life is beyond my control. For more on the "Insha'Allah Factor" see the news blog Middle East Diary.
Great picture video of the "Hood Hood" bird!!
ReplyDeleteBy a strange coincidence our friends living a few Km away from here have spent this wet,windy, first weekend of Spring having their windows and front door replaced by a bunch of guys who "...hoped to finish by lunchtime on Sunday..."
ReplyDeleteSounds like 'Bokra, insha'Allah' equates to '....lacks the urgency of Manyana...'