As I write about life here in Maadi  I cannot help myself becoming more and more sceptical  and worried about the future of Egyptian society; usually I am a very optimistic and positive person but life for many has become more and more harsh over the last three years and I find myself like many others changing from a Voltarian Dr Pangloss philosophy of “the best of all possible worlds” to a Darwinian approach of man’s basic instinct and fight for survival. Here is a good example – property development. What should be seen as a positive attribute to the local community becomes a topic of suspicion and doubt in the present climate.