Matija in May

Hi everyone,

Just catching you up on the latest -

It's getting hot here - around 38 - 40 is a good day. Mid-40's is getting pretty hot. We stick to the indoors (in more ways than one) venture out briefly and hang around at the pool at the Ramada most evenings. Matija has gained so much water confidence lately - floating around, putting her face in, going down the water slide etc. She's loving it and gaining a whole new level of independence.

She has a couple of birthday parties to attend in the next week or two and is also enjoying nursery. She's made some neat friends there, but will only be attending for another month. In some ways it's a shame she'll be going to reception at a 'big kids' school or be back in NZ come September (Summer holidays are in July and August here).

We went to the Marine festival a few weeks ago, watched Flipper in an outdoor theatre, ate local food and saw some pretty cool sand sculptures.

There was a national philharmonic recital that we attended too, with a top international conductor and some amazing live music. Had never been to one before and we both enjoyed a night out. Ande also went to a jazz night with a friend, one of her translators, and saw some top international jazz acts. It's amazing the things they offer here, mostly sponsored and they cost very little money.

Ande also went to a Qatari wedding a week ago. It's a huge event with between 400 -800 women at a flash hotel, dressed in latest designer clothes and heaps of bling - women only, they drop their abeyas - all breasts and bums, the unmarried ones strut their stuff, dancing on a stage with prospective mother-in-laws checking them out for their sons. Flash food and over-the-top decor and they party on till 3am. The man has his own party with the boys, he comes to the girls do with closest male family (all the girls abeya up again), they have a sword dance, he sits on the stage for a while then departs with the bride about an hour later when the women uncover and start dancing again. Most weddings start at about $100 000. A not-to-be-missed event.

Vince is doing an Arabic language class - written and spoken, two evenings a week. That's hard work as the letters and sounds are different, there are 28 of them and each has about seven variations depending on vowel sounds and where it sits in the word, beginning, middle or end. a Great exercise for the mind. All male class and most of the others are engineers from all over the world.

Went to a nice Italian restaurant with Ande's team the other day. Good food, flash service and I was most impressed with the misters/foggers just outside, they blow an extremely fine water mist into the air, it evaporates instantly cooling the air by about 10 degrees without wetting any surfaces. We want one for our apartment!

Ande is still loving work, going well. Just finished one workshop series (great feedback and relationships with local principals) and is starting a new 5-week course for Aspiring Leaders. Working more from home which takes the pressure off and means it's not as tricky getting Matija to nursery and back.

She's also had quite a few clothes made - great fabrics, excellent tailors and very cheap to make fabulous outfits. Plenty of people here have most of their clothes made-to-fit from ballgowns to suits and everything in between.

Thats us for now - having fun, working hard and trying to live in the moment.

love V, Ande and Matija.