Waiting in the shade of a large apartment, beyond the ridged line of the shadow, the mid 40s heat can be felt as if picking you out from the crowd. I watch the amazing spectacle of ordinary chaos, which is Assiut traffic. I grab my hair, wondering why I still haven't cut it. I would normally meet Madam Samyeah when waiting for the minibus. We normally talk about the weather and I commonly have to refer to my phrasebook when we get into more of a conversation. She will normally ask one of the people in the bus what I was saying to her while we were waiting for the bus, as she doesn't speak much English at all.

After a few minutes I would turn to the left and see the ever so familiar minibus with numbers 305 on the plate, and the welcoming face of our driver Amoo Sieed (uncle Sieed). I'd jump up in the front seat with leg room and an excellent view and greet everyone else in the bus with my chosen greeting for the morning. Whoever else in the front would initiate conversation, which drifts between Arabic and English and pass the short time it takes to get to the association. The journey takes us through various main and side roads, and through a small market, picking up other people on the way. Once everyone is in the minibus, we cross a long bridge over the Nile.

Showkey, the storeman, is a good friend. He doesn't speak much English, but we talk a lot. A lot of the time I act as though I understand, mimicking a lot of the things he says which makes for some interesting conversation, but normally my work counterpart Eman, is close by to translate at some point during the repetition of words and laughter. He said he will come and visit me in England, but first I must get him a visa and then find him a wife. I told him akeed (sure).

One of my favorite people, who warmly greets me every morning, is the tea lady, who makes the best 'shey bi lebin et neen sukkar' (tea with milk and two sugars). The rest of the association are also very welcoming, I feel I have integrated well within the team. They do a lot of good work, and it's made up of many hard working individuals. I have been glad to be able to contribute, though I probably would have been more useful if my level of Arabic was higher, but still it has been very rewarding.

This week I have been working in the media departments. In the Education and Disabilities departments I am involved in a lot of field work, whilst in the media department I have just helped script and act in a play on AIDS awareness and I had to write a report about the community schools. I have also had to help with the translations of some of their literature. This may be a small task, but for the organisation it is very useful.