Should I stay or should I go?

Hana, my sister-in-law is getting engaged this month. T is planning to go to Cairo over the weekend again – literally fly in, attend the engagement and then fly out the next day – just like we did for Mona’s wedding.

Just this afternoon, while I was emailing with Heba (yes, we’ve been bouncing a couple of emails back n forth this week), I was thinking that I should maybe extend my stay. Not that we are confirmed going yet. T’s still trying to see if he can take time out to go even though it’s only for 2 days that he will be away from work.

It’s not like T hasn't tried convincing me… or the family hasn’t tried asking (in fact, his dad tries every single time to make me stay … in the hope that I will like Cairo so that I can in turn convince T to move back. Well, I’ve told him that in his relationship, the wife doesn’t have the say of where and when).

Also, it’s crazy paying so much for the air tickets just to be there for 2 days… I mean, T has no choice but I do. I can take the opportunity to go to the Cairo museum (I still haven’t been!), hang out with the in-laws and bond with them (??), hope to meet some celebs if I hang around with my socialite in-laws, drink lots and lots of mint tea (which I am addicted to), go shopping with the gals (and pretend I’m Paris Hilton or Nicole Ritchie for a week)… or I can just hide in my room and blog.

(PS: I am going to interrupt my blog with a very weird story. While on his way back from work, T told me to look at the moon, saying that it’s smiling. Then V just came online –literally, to tell me the moon is smiling! What the fuck?! I went out to see but I don’t see the moon. Is it for real?! I thought they are playing a joke on me but V says everyone in Bangkok is talking about it!)

So why haven’t I done that in my last 2 trips there? Well, to be honest, I still haven’t been able to open up to them yet… Not that they are not nice to me… it just takes longer for me to warm up to people these days. Hell, I still clamp up when I am on the phone with his dad – I will get all nervous and shaky and will literally breathe a sigh of relief when I pass the phone back to T.

Most of all, I don’t know what to do without Tarek around… I am scared to be left alone (It’s not like I can hop into a cab home anytime), I am afraid of awkward moments or situations… what to say? How to react? I mean, what if everyone is doing their own things… Do I tag along? Sit around? I don’t speak Arabic so I will have language problem with the maids and everyone else. I am so blur – what if I get lost on my way to the connecting flight and even around the Cairo airport. Blah Blah Blah…

(The few times that T was that close to leaving me there, I joked that I would divorce him… after giving him looks of plea while he was conjuring up ideas in his head of letting me stay so I can learn to cook Arabic food)

So why even consider it now? I think it’s the Chrismassy ‘spend time with the family’ mood that’s making me all chirpy and ready to spread the love. Haha. Oh, I will have to really think hard, and that is, only after I know for sure that we are going. I don’t think extending is a good idea seeing that it will be the weekend just before Christmas (I need to get back in time for Christmas!). Maybe I should go earlier and then leave together with T.

Oh well, WE’LL SEE nearer to the date… for now, I’m just going to look forward to the Tan’s arrivals.