Mahna, Mahna

Cake's new album, B-Sides and Rarities, is out. I like it.

Sweden, ja.

So, as I usually do sometimes, I'm trying to squeeze in 9 holes at lunch yesterday... This time I'm with the Project Manager, so we're not as hurried as I usually am. We're the back 9 today when we turn a corner heading into #16 when we see a bunch of carts up by the green and one in the middle of the fairway. I think I can make out a big tripod on the green but am not sure. Anyways, there's a short blond golfer in a skirt gets out of the cart on the fairway and proceeds to hit 4 or 5 balls onto the green... then a dude in white pants gets out on the fairway and hits some balls onto the green. The PM and I patiently waiting, a little annoyed but nothing serious. I normally would have packed it in in order to make it back to work on time, but I was with the PM...

They finally finish up and wave us up... I make an awesome tee shot and I'm in the fairway with under 100m to the pin. I semi-skull my approach and end up 15 feet over the green. But no worries, we put out and forget about golf for a bit.

The long and short of it is the group around the green is a camera crew and hosts of a Sports Editorial show in Sweden who is doing an episode on golf tourism in Egypt. We stop and chat with them for a bit, talking golf, Egypt, TV, etc... They eventually find out that we're playing squash that night though, so they get it in their head that it will be good footage to have me beating he pants (or short skirt) off the female host. I would tend to agree! So we laugh, joke, and eventually the PM and I finish our round and head back to work.

That evening we meet as usual for squash... then about half an hour in we them coming... they were serious... They show up with their full-on camera, gear, sound, 3 crew members and the hosts. A bit of a build up, some more laughing and carryin' on, and then the dude tells me to kick the girls ass at squash. She was supposedly a pretty good (semi-pro) tennis player, but anyone who knows anything about squash knows this doesn't factor in on a squash court. Now I'm a Canadian, who believes in fairplay and sportsmanship in all things... but tonight I made this cute Swedish girl run from corner to corner relentlessly. I mean I made her sweat, scream, swear, and I'm sure pray to God (but in Swedish). Unfortunately we were still on the squash court and not somewhere else, although there still may have been a camera recording it....

A brief post-game interview, some hockey talk, and more jeering from the male host and it was a wrap. Supposedly they may use the footage in their program. I'm thinking it will more likely end up on the cutting room floor, but ya never know...

Of course we met later that night for drinks and sheesha, good times were had. It was a good break in the routine, a glimmer of excitement, a mirage in the desert.

Piece out.

Peck once he goes back to work...

...........

I've downloaded The Shaun Micallef Program, season 1. Aussie humor... shocking, brilliant.

Promoted

I *heart* unsolicited promotions/raises. Merry Christmas to me!

I think I'll use this recent one to by a new mobile phone. 2-Che!

Beer Diet

New Years' resolution

I think I'll have to take up diving here pretty soon... Greg and Lisa have been out diving 3 out of 4 of the last weekends with their daughter who is visiting them. I was invited to go along but never did because I'm not certified, opting instead for housesitting for them while they were away having fun. Their description of last weekend in Sharm El Sheikh sounds pretty good, so I think in the new year I'll definitely take it up. It'll be relatively easy to burn down to Hurgahada, a 3 hour drive, on Thursday and dive all day Friday, then home Friday night for work on Saturday. I should be able to get certified easily this way and then I'll be free to book some more serious dive trips. I really should have done all this before Bryan and Patti came out for their dive trip and then I could have went with them there, but oh well. Better late than never.

Besides, Jacques-Yves Cousteau rated the Red Sea as his favourite place to dive... even above the Great Barrier. I passed on the Great Barrier, I'd better not pass on the Red Sea. I'm calling it, this is my New Years' resolution.

The best a man can get

My goatee experiment is over. It was a relatively lame example that resulted in a bad-teenaged moustache, a gap, and then a bad-teenaged chin thing.

I've shaved it off and reverted back to a University-era soul-patch for the time being. It's very popular with the Egyptian ladies (and dudes, they're very vocal of their opinions).

This recent facial hair experimentation has become possible with the purchase of an electric shaver in the Frankfurt airport back at the end of September. I used to be a shower shaver (no mirror) before that and therefore didn't have the means of precision required for letting the thigh-tickler grow. But with the purchase of the electric and the use of the mirror I was able sketch in this fine specimen pictured above. It had to eventually end, as I discovered 1 grey whisker. End of story.

P.S. I'm only accepting positive, non-offensive replies to this post. I think I've degraded myself enough above without requiring any further ridicule from you. (Yes you).

two front teef

i'm writing this post with no capital letters... don't push me, i considered no punctuation altogether and then there would have been hell to pay.

i escape from egypt on the 19th of december on flight to friendly manitoba for christmas with my dad and family, looking forward to some home cooked meals, family gatherings, and cold weather. i may be regretting the cold weather wish since i no longer own a winter coat, but whatev. then it's off to yyc on the 27th for my birthday and new years with my mom and calgary friends...

what's with the f'ing candian dollar? it reached a 50 year high yesterday... since i started this overseas work i've effectively taken a 15% pay cut due to the fact i'm paid in monopoly'esque usd's. wtf? miffed = me.