Hmmm, contented sigh as I sit on the balcony which is finally filling with warmth after these cold days in Cairo that have gone for too long and loving the tree that spreads across the street. I am sipping my peppermint tea and amazingly only have 2 pieces to edit today before going out to writing class at 6pm. I haven't written a poem or prose piece myself for a long time, as each day is full of activity and editing and the prime goal this last while of finding a place for my new good thing: The Writers' Centre - a place for events, readings, courses, salons, surgeries, hang out, networking, chill space, private library. And there will be a membership with benefits or pay as you go and some things will be free. This centre will bring together all my activities into one space and also allow collaboration and outreach.
However, as strong as this idea is (as there are many writers here who would love to have a place to gather and work) and as ready as I am to go for it - the issue of a suitable place is critical.. and I have been on several wild goose chases... My partner is a real estate broker and we are actually setting up a British Egyptian real estate company HOME. But I called in some other 'brokers' to widen the search and it ended up as a fiasco with people telling me crazy stories about amazing places that were so cheap because they had a ghost (!) but when I asked to go see them the place went PUFF! Into thin air... This happened numerous times and the whole fustrating and tiring experience has only served to make Shady, my partner, feel 100 times better about his professionalism in his broker work!!
Anyway.. hopefully a place is being arranged now, details as soon as it all goes through..
Other than this life has been courses, courses, courses with new venues requesting me to deliver writing courses including The Left Bank cafe, bakery, bookstore - owned by Sequoia restaurant and with an amazing modern design right on the Nile.
Yes, spring is arriving and all is rising - the return of Up On the Roof (open mic night), creative writing courses, The Writers' Centre, HOME real estate, and more artists asking to work on projects at ARC.
I think I need more tea ;))
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