ALE OF EGYPT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 37, 8 April 1942, Page 5

ALE OF EGYPT

THAMES SOLDIER WRITES COST OF LIVING IN CAIRO "Beer is not cheap in Cairo—* about three and a half ackers a glass. That's about nineperice, andi the glass is about the same as a long glass would be in New Zealand. The hops are not bad, veryi light, but they have their knocking; powers." That is Avhat a certain Thames soldier thinks about the subject of the rich, amber fluid in the land of Ihe Pharaoh. He has some- most interesting comments to make on the enforced abstemiousness and thrift of the New Zealand soldier in the* Middle East. And, before you go on, an "acker" is a piastre; and a piastre is worth about 2%d. Still on the subject o,f alcoholic beverages, this Thames boy writes:' "Beer in the canteens here at the ramp ranges from about three and a half to eight ackers a quart. It's not bad, either, but I don't go for it. T have one in a jblue moion and? have to be pretty thirsty then." A Stamp is Appreciated A point that not all correspondents to the boys overseas know is*» brought out in the following:— "Many thanks for the stamp. Believe me, it is a help. NLnepenee may not sound so much to you over there, but bov, it is just about a fortune over here. A man watches every half-acker like a cat watching a mouse. "There is no such thing as getting a loan over here. Everyone' is in the same boat. They all reap a quid a week, and one would think they had a thousand pounds, the u r ay they look after it! "I am going up to Alexandria this week-end —pleasure Oinly. It costs us 195 ackers for a whole trip,