Halima and I are watching ‘Question pour un champion’ and drinking Cadburys Options hot chocolate which I brought from home. It’s yummy and calming.

Having options is something a lot of people take for granted. Other people can’t see the options that are right in front of them, and they feel like they have no choice at all. I try really hard to always see the options which life gives me, because I have always been lucky in that I’ve had options, where some people haven’t. I take decisions very seriously, and always believe in the decision I make, but I’m also always open to changing my decision. Sometimes what seems like the right thing at the time isn’t afterwards, and it’s important to know when to drop something and move ahead in a different way.

Something I don’t have a choice in however, is the new maid who is coming tomorrow. I came and sat in the living room while we met her, and Halima spoke in really fast dareeja to both the maid, another maid who had come along, and the scary organising woman who runs what I can only call an ‘agency’ for maids. Our potential new maid is…loud, and quite scary. Which will make me talk, but on the other hand I might have a whole week alone with her, and I’m not sure my Arabic is up to that, especially since I don’t learn dereeja any more. We shall see.