Going 'home'

This was written yesterday in heathrow airport.........

Home is where the heart is , or so they say….

And for the 1st time ever I feel I am leaving home to come to Edinburgh for a visit!

I have had a hellish morning……….. after one hour of sleep I headed to Cairo airport- and there was traffic queues- at 7am! So I was stressed, tired and late. I just made check in- which as a chaotic event since they were checking in ALL Egypt air flights at the same time…..

Then I got to passport control where they gave me a really hard time, cos my 'tourist visa' had expired 2 months ago. I tried to explain about my working there- with a paid visa all that time- but when the mogamma offices return my passport to me, when I hand in my ID card, they don't mark it to that effect- so I had to pay a fine and be treated like a criminal for ages, even though I had apid every month for the privialge of being and working in cairo, and of course being eyed up and down by all these police men wanting a look at the 'dancer' before I was allowed to run to the gate to catch the flight before it closed….

I did however manage a quick stop at duty free to buy a pressie for my sister……….
Flight was a good half hour late, and when I got to Heathrow they of course confiscated the bottle of vodka. I was gutted. It's ok to bring in stuff from EU, but not from outside, seemingly. So, it looks like Cairo airport duty free shop had lied to me when I asked if it was ok- just to make even more money out of me.

At Heathrow, they hadn't put the gate number up yet- when they did and I walked all the way there- it was closed, due to service faults… so they sent me somewhere else, who sent me back, who sent me back and basically on the 5th try to find where I should be , I eventually found the new gate, in tears, liteally, and after the flight had left.

I sat for next half hour while they checked me onto the next flight, 2 and a half hours later, crying my heart out. The girl had sat me down in the special needs section while she sorted it for me and everyone avoided all eye contact or anything with me- I guess not sure what sort of special needs I had and frightened by my tears!!!

2 precious hours of time wasted when it should have been spent with my nephew Sam.
NOT a good journey. I am praying that when I finally arrive in Edinburgh that things start to go a little more smoothly!


Now its friday morning- after an evening, last night with my sister and nephew, a good meal, half a bottle of non- Egyptian wine and a great sleep.....................

Its good to be back in Scotland!

- even if the weather is horrific- windy, grey, wet, and cold. Looking forward to dancing in Morocco restaurant tonight and am sitting now putting together the show for sunday night- which is sold out!