Tuesday, February 17/2009

Our tickets for Cairo arrive and we hand over the second half of the payment.

Over to the church to meet Liza, the girl who is heading off to Canada as a nanny. She's joining a family in Toronto (Markham) who have 3 year old twins and is nervous, but excited. A lovely girl and we hope, as she does, that it's a nice family. So many Philippine domestic workers here are badly treated - not paid or asked to do work that is beyond their contracts. Sometimes actually abused and often not respected.

Liza has a friend with her and they make tea in the rectory. Liza has made a carrot cake and Fr. Wilhelm and his dog, a German shepherd, join us. We exchange addresses and phone numbers and try to supply information. Most things in Canada are cheaper (but not wine). Her friend in BC lives a very long way away - you could take the train but not in one day. The temperature goes below zero in the winter, but not a lot. And then - will the euro go up or down? Ah, if we knew the answer to that we could be rich. She laughs. Her flight leaves in the early hours of Thursday morning, so this is almost the last minute. Hugs and we say goodbye.

Fr. Wilhelm has always had such a nice, relaxed, familial style, especially with the Philippino girls, whom he encourages to use the rectory to socialize on their day off - "you can cook anything except dried fish" - so we ask if he had sisters. Yes, one older and one younger. He beams: "Blessed among women."