“Day at the Sakarah Country Club…Sun, sweet company and being in love with someone who deserves it – It was about time!!!”

Cairo, the 12th June, 2009

“Day at the Sakarah Country Club…Sun, sweet company and being in love with someone who deserves it – It was about time!!!”

*** O.k, I have to give myself some credit on this one! I have not ledan easy life and some of the (lots of ) crap I took in the past – bye,bye, baby… - was, in fact, crap I assumed and accepted to myself (although unconsciously) but, so far, I am happy to announce that the only way is UP and I´ve been a great student, learnt all my lessons and promised myself never to set for less than I deserve both in my professional and personal life. I am having – just now! – the life Ideserve and it took me a long time to get here, a lot of work and asshole dating, disappointments and shocks that would rock and break into 100000 pieces the coldest person on earth. Add to this fact thatI am actually not a cold person and as much as I am strong and bravein all the areas of my life, I am also extremely emotional, tender andwith the most fragile heart I´ve ever known so…you can imagine howhard all those heart breaks hit me.

*** Recently I went out with one of my few egyptian friends and allthat she commented was how much she wished to get married – she´s 34years old and single which is pretty strange for an egyptian girl! –and have children and how she dragged the serious possibility of finding no one she really loves and who love her back. Her family nags her constantly and she´s seen like a freak of nature because she never accepted to set for less than the BEST!

*** Due to this marriage drama, she also sees herself as dull,unattractive, stupid and not the least appealing to any man. That´s how she feels about herself and yet what I see it´s a totally distinct reality: she´s gorgeous, honest and straightforward, sexy without being slutty as most egyptian girls in her condition or even married,intelligent, kind, delicate, interesting and funny!She´s a doctor, she is educated not only by academic standards but bybehaviour and mentality standards and she´s so great that I cannot imagine myself why on earth she would think no man would fall madly in love for her.

*** We hanged around some egyptian pancakes and went for dinner later on and the whole time I was thinking to myself: why on earth do incredible ladies like her settle for less than the PERFECT man?! O.k,PERFECT may be an illusion and maybe the wrong word but…the BEST man ever…Why?!

*** I have observed my own past behaviour in that department and gasped for air as I recall all the mean attitudes I accepted from men,willing to sacrifice my own well being and self-esteem in order to be loved… Why?!

*** I looked at my dear beautiful friend and couldn´t stop seeing myself in her in the way that she – quite like me – could not see how great she is and put the “men picking” standard so bellow herself and her worth. Western and eastern women have many different issues to fight for but each time I go further and deeper inside of an egyptian lady mind, I see how similar we are in our basic needs, aspirations and fears. How similar we are in our stupidity too, that´s for sure!

*** I am happy to announce that I woke up, really woke up and found the man who deserves me and is not afraid to tell me every day how extraordinary I am and I see – only now?! – how much time I lost with men who didn't deserve it. How many wasted tears, time, phone calls, kisses, heart felt hugs and love did I offerto these men and how much of that time could have been wisely used onmy work, friends or on a man who actually feels grateful to have found a gem : Me!For the first time in my life, I dance for my man (something I said I would never do! Never say never…there we go!) and it feels great, fun,intimate and soooo sexy. No “trying” to change me plans, no hidden agendas or fooling around , no shame for me being a dancer or whoever I am. Just plain acceptance, appreciation, passion and …real love from a real man! After all I´ve been through, I really deserved it! Thank YOU, God!

*** If you´re a woman reading this and you are taking “shit” (excuseme the poetry ) from any man, just get the hell out from that relationship and get what you deserve. NOW!

*** I am blessed and grateful for all I´ve been trough and for thegifts the Universe always manage to bestow upon me.

*******************************************

9.00h, Giza – The horses went crazy this morning! Not only one horse but all at the same time. There was something in the air which no one could see or define that made them irritable and impossible to ride. Animals are extremely sensitive and horses, in particular. There must have been something invisible to the human perception that they caught in the air turning them into un manageable hurricanes.Merchants, donkeys, camels and early morning “sheesha” smokerssurrounding the magic place and nothing to do but leave after kissingmy “Ameer” goodbuy.

*** 10.30h. Sakarah Country Club – I almost forgot English have colonized, used and tortured egyptians for quite a long time and then I arrived to Sakarah Country Club and, for some reason, I felt I was in Egypt during English supremacy. I remembered a bit of this country´s controversial history with foreign countries. Everything about this club exhales the English posh style of life aimed only tothe privileged. The place seems a bit snob and elitist as I imagine most English are but it manages just well to release the stress of us,citizens of the mad city: Cairo.Despite the colonial vibe that is not my favourite asset in the world,I slowly fell in love with the place mostly because it had a swimming pool (yes, I am not difficult to please, specially when it´s damned hot and I am in the desert) and, most of all, I was surrounded by people I love. It´s a truth universally acknowledged that Paradise means nothing if you don´t have people you love around you.

*** Lots of expatriates – as they like to call themselves here in Egypt – and some egyptians and Lebanese. Expatriate means out of our own “patria” – homeland – but I don´t agree with that term as I feelE gypt has become my homeland as much as Portugal has always been. Only my family and close friends are away and that makes it hard for me tolive far from Portugal but, excluding that hard fact, I feel pretty much at home in Egypt.
*** Great atmosphere with no hassle from the staff (kept to a minimum,thanks God!) and users of the place. It´s a foreigner friendly place,that´s for sure!

*** 14.00h – We had lunch under the shadow of a tree and watching the desert and the palm trees that come before it. Birds came to eat atout table as well as a baby dog who drove me crazy and got me drooling all over it the whole day. From all the children present in the place,no one of them chased that baby dog as much as me which is kind of embarrassing and worrying as I am not 4 years old anymore.

*** Besides the swimming pool – that I plan to visit very soon- there were football camps, horse riding arena, motorbikes for the desert (getting one of these next time I´ll go there!), rooms to rent (agreat idea for a romantic weekend with the love of your life…), a bar and a restaurant which serves the meals around the swimming area.

*** Between the swimming, joking around and talking (ah, and my baby dog ridiculous chasing ritual), there was time to reconnect with myself and get peaceful and just happy with no worries or future “to do” lists in my head.

*** NOTE: The best time of the day in Sakarah Country Club is thesunset, as in most places of Egypt. You can see the sun slowly fading away through the palm trees while you´re swimming or chatting your hearts out…very nice.

*** P.S. : Where is the baby dog?! (the smoothest, sweetest ears –little carpets – I´ve ever felt in my hands…)