During the formal part of the evening Trish and Murray said some really nice things about my time at Putaruru West and Putaruru Primary. I was presented with the most beautiful pounamu from the staff and these beautiful gifts from the board. They are exquisite crystal wine glasses and flutes, and a silver tray engraved with words of appreciation. I felt very special. They will certainly be treasured, and I will remember my days at West and PPS fondly. I have always loved my job!

The staff at Putaruru Primary School put on a farewell party for me, now that I have resigned my position as Principal. Damian and I decided to wear our thobe and abaya to show staff the middle eastern dress, these are Qatari. We caused quite a stir and there were a lot of questions about where, when, who wears these clothes and how suitable they are to the weather. Putaruru is a small town, and I am sure no-one had seen this style of dress before. I think Damian looked the part!

The party was alot of fun and it was great to catch up with everyone.

When I went home I took videos and photos of all the things I might miss. This is the view from our our house. The thing I noticed most was the GREEN!! We have a lovely private section, with farmland views out the back. Sitting on the deck relaxing and just watching the birds is a favourite past time. We have a hawk living in the trees behind us and he often swoops around on the thermals above the farm land. Beautiful!!

After my contract finished in Al Ain (and before the next one started) Damian and I travelled to Egypt, London and Ireland fo rthree weeks, before returning to NZ. We were in for a culture shock in Cairo. With 24 million people and almost as many old cars, the driving was crazy. Three lanes could easily accommodate 7 layers of cars, all tooting and vying for space. And then in the middle of that we spot this guy on his cycle, delivering the days fresh bread supplies!!! Incredible!! Down the road, the bread was laid out in piles on the street waiting for buyers...mmm...we were not in the queue! The poverty in Cairo contrasts hugely with the wealth of Qatar and the UAE.

This is the first apartment Damian and I lived in while in Al Ain. We were on the second floor, located at the back of the complex. It is a very modern complex right in the centre of Al Ain and central to the shopping areas. You will note the lack of greenery!!! and there was no outdoor living space at all. The aprtment was lovely inside, with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and nice living area.

When I return to Al Ain I will be in new 3 bedroomed villa, so will post photos of it when I settle in. The Cognition residents call this block "Golden Sands".

Here we are in UAE with the Abu Dhabi skyline in the background. We spent a few days in Abu Dhabi helping out in the Cognition Office and doing some sight seeing, before being sent to Al Ain to help set up apartments for all the new arrivals from NZ.

The weather is extremely hot, well over 40 degrees, and very, very humid. The sights are wonderful and Abu Dhabi is a very busy, bustling city. The Marina Shopping Mall was huge and we found a few good shops that will be worth revisiting. Still, there are plenty of places to explore each time we visit Abu Dhabi.