Year Three
Developing Life and Work In Luxor
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Summer, two and a half years ago I landed in Luxor, studying a full time degree in the UK, there were long holiday breaks beckoning adventuring to pastures new. Luxor was to be the place where a summer would be used to write creatively, to discipline my writing skills if I had any, to develop my style or to find what writers call "my voice".
I was still doing some clinical and consulting work with Horses and Animals in the UK but the business had sunk in a Post Foot & Mouth disaster slump and i guess I sank too for a while.
Day one staying on the west bank, a sick camel, needless to say, had to do what i could and it didn't kill it ! before I knew it I was helping animals regularly (though no wages) Animals were working ones that belonged to the poverty stricken; the World Bank definition $2 a day wage.
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Before my summer break ended i had also met Kim, running a UK animal hospital for working Horses & Donkeys on the East Bank area. I was totally inspired meeting her, she warmly welcomed a donation of Next2Nature natural Aloe gel and liquid & it was clear, they often had Horses and Donkeys with very serious burns and a regular supply was needed. Kim understood the cooling, soothing and unusual skin healing properties of Aloe. She used what i took staright away on two Horses with large areas of burns on their whole bodies. I managed to arrange to have some more flown out to keep the supply going and found someone willing to hold a supply of it for Ace and other Animals in need, to help while I was back at university.
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Perhaps inevitably, I took a gap year from my studies and returned to live and work in Luxor Hallow'een 2007. Just could not stay in the UK knowing what I could be doing in Luxor ie helping Animals and the people who help them too.
The beauty of Luxor & Egypt had touched a part of me that was withering in the UK, felt alive in the sunshine and ancient landscape and ways of life. Emerged in a completely mind boggling culture. felt so Alive that returning to grey fast UK seemed to be suffocating. By virtue of it's location, the contrast of Egypt offers fabulous sunshine, vast desert landscapes & a general mood of adventuresome chaos.
The first year was all about solving "how do I's", how do I find accomodation that works for me? use my skills and no arabic to help the working Animals effectively? get supplies when there is no mail? find a way to earn a living when there is only charitable provision for animals?
where do I buy chocolate ????
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By the end of the first year i had moved to the East bank, got myself a routine of twice weekly visits to Ace, blessed for experience with the working Horses and Donkey inpatients helping them with Plant oils and supplying Aloe. Evenings I walked the streets going to regular places finding working Horses and Donkeys needing help and developed a regular street clinic on my street. Time with Horses and livestock on an Egyptian farm brought a small income; they use Aloe for most wounds and conditions. Currently they have 50+ Arabian Horses, Buffalo, Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Dogs and Fowl.
It was also a year of discovery ....... the beauty of egypts past and present, the strange ways of the country, the fabulous flavour filled fresh fruits and vegetables. A huge year of adjustment ..... to the noise, dust, language barriers, being a woman in the Middle East and the heat whew, up to 145+ at one point, then almost 0 during cold winter nights. Discovering you cannot open paypal/ebay or skype accounts from Egypt which suddenly becomes part of Africa and not the Middle East. Finding out that all the ways you have learned to live and work mostly are unworkable here !!
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Year Two
quixotically ... life & work become easier and more difficult !
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The exchange rate plumets from almost 13 egyptian pounds to £1 down to 7.8, my income drops by a third. Outgoings all increase with some prices also rising overall due mainly to the effects of global recession; cost of living elevate dramatically.
Work is routinely moving, tiring yet energising, inspiring and wonderful, I start a blog and a website to upload photos and share my work. Three months later, in the new year of 2009 I began to use Facebook, life in a foreign place is different and socially my needs had changed, i wanted to make friends and learn of new places and i wanted to share my work passions & learn more of the passions and work of others similar to me.
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In 2009 have explored giving experience weeks offering adventures with animals and the antiquities of egypt for animal folks, have met some fabulous people who have all contributed much to the development of a regular programme, news of the inspiring 2010 programme is coming soon .................... in the next blog or three :)
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A visit to Cairo opened up possibilities of paid work with Horses needing Oils and people attending workshops whilst on a trip to Egypt. Discovered marvellous peeps and Horses up there and a wonderful farm venue with resident wise woman and fanastic Horses and Donkeys and an assortment of lovely sweet dogs. Workshops i gave in the UK always wonderful events for me to meet Animal folks and new Horses, looking forward so much to events here in Egypt and with some of the MOST fabulous Egyptian Plant oils too.
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Everyday life has it's challenges, no water, power off, egyptian ways with their animals arrgghh ! yet year two such aspects become easier as the underlying reasons have been learned. Even though i may not like something, if i can at least understand it, then I can work with it. Some of what is tough but has to be understood here, also has to be understood anywhere in the world ..... human nature can be vile, we do stupid a lot, we choose denial and we are incongruent and are often more driven by fear than love.
Fantastic place for seeing where the more "advanced" socities have come from, the west has it's own tribal, social, cultural and religious evolutionary past, some of that is happening here in real time, some aspects of life 150yrs behind !!
Though I could not say in balance they are the worse for their ancient ways just as in the west we may be no better for our modern ways. Life is still pretty marvellous and equally barbaric to the human soul wherever you live.
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November/December 09 is the start of my third year, lots of new and exciting events unfolding especially ro raise money for rescue centres and rescue organisations and their amazing workers. Focus on those places in the UK, USA & OZ, e mails me now if you want details.
Much more about all of that in my next blog post
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For now .... a half hour in the warming winter sunshine
Thanking the Universe for the Animals & their folks xxx
