High Honor Diploma.

13th June 2008 at 18:30 we went to our daughter Elrener Tornquist Graduation. Since Katarina, her aunt is here in Egypt visiting us, she came along to her graduation. The music came along and here comes all the graduates walking out to the Auditorium to their seat.

We got a booklet on our way in. Elrener name was in that booklet as one of the senior who has achieved a GPA of 3.00 or higher. She was one of those selected students in 2008 graduating with High Honors.

Students graduating with Honors are those wearing a white stole with their robes.

Sitting high up at the top of the Auditorium, watching her taking her diploma. I felt very happy, proud and touch. Tears run down my eyes out of happiness.

Yeah she made it.




Didn't get the chance to take the nice photos when they threw their hat on the air.



Everyone giving each other a big hug and final goodbye as everyone is moving on their own seperate ways to different University worldwide.


Here she is out from the graduation hall and we met in the reception area.


Elrener with her aunt Katarina.





The school had prepared different spreads of food for all parents, students and teacher with live band.
The night ends at almost 23:00 when we, parents and teachers head home while all the Senior who Graduates went out partying on the Boat in the Nile till the weeeee morning.

El Gouna short family trip.

It was indeed very nice and relaxing day, to be there for few days as we did spent lots of nice quality time with the family and friends.

The next following day after her party, a friend took us on a fishing boat trip day. It was not so yippie hyper life for everyone as we slept around 5 in the morning after the long party night. With the strong wave and hangover, it was not so good combination either. Anyway the captain took us to a calmer water where finally my daughters and I manage to walk around.


They're just running and playing on the boat.


My good looking children Elrener and Gabriel.

The two girls are standing behind the boat and trying to do some fishing. We did not seems to get any fishes that day, except a small fish which Gabriel and Anita was playing with it and they threw it back to the water before the day end.

We were very happy when suddenly a whole bunch of beautiful dolphins, swimming and jumping next to our boat. They are just amazing. It is so natural to feel very happy when we see Dolphins swimming with the same speed of our boat.



Peter tried to take a short nap after we had our lunch. I think it is more of the hangover from last night party. We were supplied by a whole cooling box of beer but neither one of us consumed any alcohol intake that day. The strongest drink we had that day was COKE.
Anyway, I stayed awake as the kids are all actively running and playing.


Myself, my active boy Gabriel, Anita and Vel.

Well, we got back to Cairo on Sunday and the next following day,Calle and Margareta arrived from Stockholm to be with us for a month.


This is Calle and since he has so much resemblance to his son Peter, I could imagine this is how my husband will look like when he is 70.

Calle (my father in law) has gone through tough time after his cancer operation. It took him months to recuperate, finally he was allowed by doctor to travel abroad. They are very excited to come and visit their grandchildrens here. Gabriel was talking about it for weeks before they arrive.

On the 5th of May, Margareta and Calle arrived in Cairo at almost 15:00 hrs and she was so happy to see us again after so many years.

Here is Gabriel with Farmor (Grandmother in Swedish)

Anyway few days after their arrival, Peter had to fly to Jeddah to renew his Visa which something he never look forward to each time he had to travel there. The plan was to fly to Jeddah on Sunday and get his Visa stamp and fly back home on Tuesday. Anyway, the plan changed, as the big boss would like to meet him on Wednesday. So the flight was booked to the next following day, Thursday. At 22:00 hrs, Wednesday night, I got called from Peter saying that he cannot come back on Thursday either as he is now dressed in a White Long Galabeya, ready to attend one of the Prince wedding in Riyadh.
Anna and I was quiet dissapointed but it is ok somehow. By the way Anna has been staying with me for the past 4 days when her husband, Per and Peter was in Saudi together.

We sat at my garden and she was planning to use the driver to drive her back to El Gouna the next day with her daughter Anita since her husband, Per is not coming back.

At 11.30, I was saying goodbye to my daughter Elrener as she is leaving to the airport for her class trip to Prague for the whole week. Just as we walked out of the gate, Anna came with another news, her face is glowing with happiness. Anna said,"Our husband are coming home tomorrow." The private plane which they just took off has problem with the cabin pressure and they have to turn back. I was worried at first and wondering if they are still on board. Few mins later Peter called and said the plane just took off and turn around for landing again. Yippie!!!, Anna and I opened another bottle of wine to celebrate the good news.





So the fight schedules is back to normal again. Thursday morning my driver sent the kids to school and at 10:00am, the driver went to Peter and Per back.

Normally, when they flew to Jeddah, we always get some nice gift when they come back. Due to the fact that there is no alcohol, no cinema and nothing much to do there, Peter and Per always goes out shopping.

I got a beautiful Professional Digital Camera. (A gift from Per and Anna) It is filled with different types of lenses for different type of photo shooting. Later everyone called me paparazzi. The photo looks so amazing. I have so much to learnt from this new camera unlike my previous digital camera which just take normal photos.


This is just amazing where we could see the water just dripping down with so sharp excellent shot resolution.

Gabriel came home from school and he knows that his dad will be home by the time he came back.
We were sitting in the garden and I am still practising my new camera. Then finally, the gate open and here came Gabriel and his sister Veldiner.



Look at the happiness look on his face. Yeah.....Daddy's home!!!!! He is so happy.

Then he start staring at me with my big paparazzi camera pointing at his face. What are you doing mummy with that big camera? Cool I just love it.... it shots so fast and so good.


Well the next question he got was, what did you buy for me daddy?


Daddy took him inside and showed him. Hurray.... I got playstation...

Both Anita and Gabriel enjoyed themselves with the new playstation games. The games are quiet tough so eventually, Peter drove to the nearest Mall and get for him few more new games.


Veldiner, has her present reserved which will be coming from Stockholm. We ordered her a new ridding vest, ridding pants and a ridding stick.

Elrener already had her present for her trip to Prague and all her expenses paid for there.



On Saturday, Peter and his dad went to played Golf in Marriott. Margareta decided to follow me and Gabriel to the ridding class with Veldiner.

Vel got a very difficult horse again that day. Each time she has to gallop, the horse will kick back and I get very nervous to be there to see her almost thrown out of it. I am glad Margareta was with me. Since Margareta was also an experience rider before, she told roughly how and why the horses would behave the way it has been.

I have to admit that throughout these years, Vel have improved her ridding so much. I am very impressed of her. She handles the difficult horse very well.



As I was so busy watching Vel ridding, I was surprised when I turn around to see my little boy, Gabriel is being entertained by our driver. Mahmoud just started working with us and we liked him. He is nice with the kids. We had so many personal driver before which whom we do not have good experience and none of them lasted long with our family. Hopefully this one will remain good and nice as always.


He was running and swinging Gabriel throughout the one hr when we were busy watching Vel ridding. He also tries to speak english from our little boy.


Elrener came back home on Thursday at 5 in the morning. The next day, she was so excited for her Senior Prom night. I bought her to Citi Star to get her hair done. We get her a set of pearl mixed diamond earings and neckless.




Veldiner was happily helping her sister to make her prom a prefect evening.








At 20.30 in the evening turn in a car in front of our Villa. Her prom date is here to pick her up. She felt like a princess that night.







OK. Off they go. The Prom lasted till 4 in the morning. She had fun and she told us all the story the next day.



On the 27th of May this month we will take Calle and Margareta to Sharm for a week holiday before they fly back to Stockholm. Since Elrener and Veldiner has plenty of exams the following week, they will be staying back home.

A Little bit of this and A Little bit of that.

My girls.

Veldiner with her Horse jumping.

I came along to the ridding lesson that day to see my daughter, Veldiner who had her horse jumping lesson. On top of that since we had two little ones who came along that day. Gabriel bought a friend along. Both Angela and Gabriel were running around and even rode a small pony.


In a car where both kids are hyper active talking and singing.


Both running excitedly when they saw horses which Angela were so certain that she is going to ride on one of those big horses.

Overall Capture of the month

Jonas my brother in law came to stay with us here in Egypt during Easter holiday and he was here for almost one week.
That week, Carrie came with her daughter Sama who just arrived from States for her vacation here together with her little sister Didi, her brother Salman, her cousin and her friend for a nice get together Fondue dinner.



We brought in the garden table to join the dinning table together as we were 12 people together.


The dinner were more relaxing as we catch our turn to cook ourself on the table with the fondue stick and chat away through the night.
Carrie and all her family has been a very close friend to Peter since 20 years back. Having to meet them again is just wonderful as they exchange the stories during the past years.


That following week, it was my very good friend Sarah Guzetti birthday. Since she will have to go to work the next following day, she was not so keen to go out that night and celebrate.
She bought an ice cream cake and we went over to her house that night.
Unfortunately, I have not taken any photo of her on that day.
This one photo of Sarah was taken few months before her birthday.
Happy Birthday Sarah and may your dreams throughout the year be full filled and happiness will always be with you.


On the 29th March 08, a friend to us who loves ridding so much have made a plan to go ridding that day. We met Sheikh Khaled in the farm and surprisingly her beautiful jumping horse was already saddle and ready. Excitedly after being here in Egypt for the past years, finally she managed to get chance to ride again.
Actually after that day, she came back ridding the next following week again.



Well, this is the closest horse in which you can see me ridding on. Even my son was much braver than the mother.

This is Gabriel and he gets to ride the same pony each time we there. He called it "his horse" now.

AND this is little 3 years old Anita. After seeing Gabriel on the horse and her mom Anna on a horse too, she is not afraid at all to be sitting on the horse. Ashamed of myself who is on top of that big horse above. hahaha


Sheikh Khaled bought us around to all his beautiful horses. One of them were a small tiny baby pony.

Peter came back home one day and gave me a bunch of flowers. It's lovely and very sweet of him.




That very same week, my house was also in a total mess. We have different workers who came everyday to change the bedroom flooring, breaking and banging the tiles in our toilet to installed a new sets of bathroom, painting of ceiling in the living room and moving up the AC. The dust around the house was just unbearable and their work have lasted for several weeks.
After the last day of completion of the toilet, to our surprised, they have broken and cracked our bath tub. We called and they came in the next following day to break again all the tiles that they have just put up. It is always a total mess here to get things done perfectly.

The weather in Cairo is also not that fantastic either lately. Been very Cloudy, windy and sandy with the sand storm.
We are waiting for the nice continous sun to stay so we could get our pool up in the garden.

HOPE FOR A NICE SUMMER THIS YEAR.