Tuesday
It’s been a real pain having the net café close down – I was actually feeling far more connected with the world there for a while and I miss it again. The weather is warming up, it’s quite warm up here on the roof today and lately I have spent a few days up here in short sleeves, although I have to put my jumper on again to leave – Masry says this is a traditional area and I can’t walk around in short sleeves – don’t know how that’s going to go when I live here and it’s the middle of summer. Guess I’m buying lots more of those fine cotton long sleeve shirts!
It’s all go at the house all of a sudden. Today there are painters, electricians, plumbers and the air-conditioning man all here working. Masry says it will all be finished by next Monday, kitchen excepted. That will take another week or so. And then it has to be cleaned up, our responsibility incidentally, not the tradesmen. At first Masry says that his sisters and I would do it but I told him I didn’t want his sisters’ first visit to the house to be to do work, so now it’s me and the wife of the doorman and maybe one of the other women from around the buildings nearby.
Mind you we still haven’t finished buying all the light fittings. The ones we chose for the main bedroom - they ended up only having one of them so we have to take something else. And there’s still one bedroom we haven’t chosen for. We went into the “electrical” area of Downtown last night but didn’t see anything we liked. Not sure what we will do, just know it has to be done by Sunday (the last day the electrician will be here). All the appliances and the jacuzzi bath got delivered yesterday and are sitting waiting to be installed by the plumber.
So, with the house being nearly finished and all it looks like I will be moving at the middle to end of next week, depends on when it is furnished I guess. At least once I am here, and as soon as it is connected, I will have the net at the house so that will be MUCH better.
One day next week Masry also has to go to Alex again to collect the two Toyota HiAce – Lahni he saw a picture of your van and says you can drive one if you like – come and stay and have a job, I’ll get to look after the baby – and get them organized onto the road. The two Coasters have both had work every day since he got them and have work lined up for the next couple of weeks. I’m sure that he will make a success of this; he’s very competent at everything he does so, insha’allah (God willing - in Egypt I must learn to say this a lot), the future looks fine.
I can hear lots of banging going on down beneath me – I hope that no-one is damaging the tiles or beautiful walls – might go down for a quick look shortly. The plumber was pretty rough yesterday and now around the taps we have chipped tiles that you can see – will have to get the ceramics man to do something about that I guess. We’re getting him back to make some repairs and finishing on the roof so maybe he will be able to make some small fixes to the damage as well. The electrician also managed to make a problem around a couple of switches; again, we’ll see what the ceramics man can do.
We’ve made some adjustments to colours, the main living area is now broken into 3 with one part pale grey (entryway etc.) one part white and one part that beige/string colour. One bedroom is green, one white and the main one is blue. Masry says if we don’t like it we’ll get it re-painted in a year or so. We’ll see how it goes.
Thursday
Well, as you can see, didn’t get to the net café yesterday – we were at the house for 12 hours – Masry likes to supervise the guys as I’ve said. We didn’t eat until almost 6.00 pm, must be what it’s like in Ramadan (the fasting month) when you don’t eat between sunrise and sunset. One loo visit in the day (can't wait until the plumbing is finished!)and we left at 10.30 pm.
Most of the electrical work is done and most of the painting and the air conditioners are all finished and the plumbing about one third done. Today the windows go in and more painting to be completed and more plumbing. Tomorrow will be a day of rest; I won’t see Masry as they are having people to visit in the afternoon.
Have had a break in the day – I just made my first drive by myself to go anywhere significant – I went down to the coffee shop at the servo and also to Felfela to get lunch, about 45 minutes to an hour what with the traffic and all although it’s really about 20 minutes max there and back if you had a clear run. I went by myself and wasn’t nearly as nervous as I am with Mohammad in the car and I didn’t have any problems so feel much better having achieved that once. I’m sure there were times when some of the horns were being blown at me but I just ignored all that; there are so many horns going how was I to know? At least that’s how I rationalised it. I’m sure I didn’t cause any accidents.
Most of the windows are in – very nice. The painters are still sanding and patching after the first coat in some places and two coats in others, doing some cover up after a few places the air con guys left marks etc. Couldn’t see that the plumbers had made much progress in the morning – Mohammad says “nothing new” even though there are 4 of them there. We’ll go out after the windows and doors are in I gather.
The lift is now working – which is a good thing and a bad thing. Mohammad came and got me when it was installed – “come, you will be the first” so we went for its first official trip up and down. It’s tiny but nice. So it’s a good thing that sometimes the lift is there but then I don’t get the exercise so I try to still go up and down the stairs a fair bit. But the lift is good late at night when the stairs are so dark you get to feel your way down – taking the lift is then an excellent option.
It’s hard to believe that next week I will be moving out here. Not that we have any furniture yet mind you – I think on Saturday we are going to get the first of it. We’ll begin for certain with one bedroom and all of the living area, then the other two bedrooms. Some things we have chosen, some not. I’m sure there will be a flurry of activity Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
It feels hot today – I think I am going to find summer VERY hot, given that we have just barely finished winter.
Saturday
Well, as you can see, I still haven’t been to the net but tomorrow morning I think.
Meanwhile, today we spent at the house all day again, the plumber is almost finished and the painter will finish on Monday. The electrician comes Monday to finish off and we still haven’t bought the lights. We went to two places on the way home tonight and couldn’t see anything. Will go to another 2 on the way tomorrow – there’s one right beside the net café (and it was closed when we got here!). The other one is where we got the other lights and I figure even though there wasn’t anything we loved (or liked) before we’ll just have to make some choices anyway.
The rest of the screens go on the doors and windows tomorrow. The carpenter will come after Monday to finish off the doors which are still being stained. The curtains for everywhere except the “reception” (well the outside ones, the blackouts are done) will be put up on Thursday. We didn’t get to go buying furniture today – soon I hope. As soon as Masry gets his head a bit clear of company matters I guess. But I have to move in one week’s time. So I hope I have a bed at least. It’s great to see the ensuite finished and the big bathroom mostly, just no bench for the basin yet or towel racks etc. Everything else is in. I think it is going to be a beautiful house, it’s already got a nice feel.
I was going to have a fairly early night but Saturday Night Fever has just come on TV so I might just have to watch it all over again. Mind you I think I like the older John Travolta better but I need to brush up on my disco skills…. Hmmm his body wasn’t half bad really…. And Ley – I think you have those moves just right….
Anyway, soon I’m sure I’ll have more news than house news…
Lots of love to everyone
Lyndall
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