hot hot hot

OK from the title you might be misled into thinking I'm about to write about the weather in Cairo- which is indeed in the mid 30's....... ah bliss.......... but no.... I'm talking FIRE!!!


Friday night... There was one deck on the boat, and I had finished my performance. It had gone really well (apart from one couple deciding their 2 year old should be in the centre of the stage the entire time... and this lovely little girl refused to leave the dancefloor- it's a bit like having a stage with a pillar in the middle of it!) Anyway.. I was back in the changing room and suddenly the female singer from the western band came rushing into the room saying all the guests are coming downstairs...... ( which is NOT usual!) we wondered what had happened... then we smelt the smoke. FIRE !!!!!

Well, what can I say? The singer and i were fairly calm since we figured it couldn't be so bad since no one seemed to be running and staff were really relaxed etc etc... the boat however was suddenly going at full speed.My dresser started crying hysterically.... ' we're going to die, we're going to die.... I'm going to drown, I can't swim' etc etc etc...... It took a while to calm her down and explain to her that with a life jacket she'd be fine even in the worst case scenario. I mean, it wasn't like we were going to have to evacuate anyway since the problem obviously wasn't that severe. Her reaction, poor thing, was so extreme though it was very amusing! I have to admit we laughed at her! She eventually saw the funny side... but it took a while!

Turns out, what had actually happened was really VERY minor. An adapter plug for the AC unit had gone on fire. i.e. an electrical fault. So there had been some flames... and smoke and the whole deck stank of that... but the fire was put out as soon as it started and everyone was fine and the whole trip could continue its normal sailing. Except the guests didn't want to sit (understandably) in the smell, so they came downstairs and the western band played there for them. When the band were told to start, I have to admit i did picture in my head the scenes from the film titanic when the musicians played as the ship sank (!) even though I wasnt actually worried about that for even a second!!!!

Oh my GOD- You have Never seen a group of people party so hard! One of the guests had also been hysterical... but there is nothing like a drama to pull people together. Everyone was laughing and joking between the tables... EVERYONE was clapping and singing along with the music. Lots got up to dance. It was like a celebration of life- God had saved us... we were going to live to see another day- lets be thankful and celebrate!!!! An amazing atmosphere. If it had been a European group I suspect we would have been complaining about health and safety etc etc and having to move and our dinners being interrupted etc etc etc ... the Egyptian and Arab audience turned the whole thing into an excuse to party. Was fantastic night in the end.

Of course my friends were all cracking jokes about me being so hot on the dancefloor that i had set fire to the boat etc etc.....

NB- for those considering coming to see me performing on the boat- please do not let this put you off!!! The fire was put out immediatly. The staff were very organised and in control of how to cope in an emergancy (I was impressed!). There are life jackets for everyone on board (under the seats) and ......I have never heard of a boat going on fire on the Nile ( well- not unless it was in the middle of the night and an obvious insurance job!!!!!)

all in a nights work..........................