Petal's Tales

2010-01-22T03:01:00.000-08:00

2010-01-22T02:54:00.000-08:00

We had tickets to a round of the World Tennis Champs in Abu Dhabi.
I had a good dose of the 'flu but it was amazing to watch Soderling beat Federa and Nadal beat Ferera. As you can see we had a seat quite high up and directly opposite us was a huge video screen.

2010-01-22T02:41:00.000-08:00

We all went out to dinner at the Intercontinental the other day to watch karen's singing group. It was lovely to dress up a little. Here are Kay, Lyndel, Julia, martin - and of course - me!!

Brunei

2010-01-08T23:22:00.000-08:00

We went to the Friday market during the evening and took in all the sights. Far different from anything we are used to. The fruit and vege were all foreign looking. The open BBQs with chicken and fish looked quite inviting. We tried the chicken kebabs which were good.

Brunei stop over

2010-01-08T23:15:00.000-08:00

On the way back to UAE in November I had a stop over at Brunei. Did a city tour which was quite fun. There are some neat sights in Brunei. This is the local mosque and the water villages.

Our visit to Kate's

2010-01-08T23:11:00.000-08:00

Kate took us to the beach near Margaret River, Western Australia. They are beautiful but it was too windy to stay long.

Margaret River wineries

2010-01-05T08:33:00.000-08:00

The weather was lovely and it was fun spending time with Kate.

Margaret River Wineries

2010-01-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

We went on a wine tour and the gardens at the wineries were superb. I would have to say that after tasting 36 wines almost everything was superb!!! We had a great day!

Perth Holiday

2010-01-05T08:24:00.000-08:00

Damian and I met in Perth and stayed at Katie's. She took us to Margaret River and we spent the weekend in a lovely boutique B&B.

Recognition

2010-01-05T08:15:00.000-08:00

On National Day our boys were asked to do a dance performance and poetry readings. They are very good at both and performed in front of a hall full of men. At the end of the presentation the big manager asked them to wait so that he could come out and personally thank the boys. They were so well behaved and in awe of this important man. They were al presented with a gift as well. For me it was a great cultural experience.

National Day Celebrations

2010-01-05T08:11:00.000-08:00

Little kids are always cute - and these ones are no exception. The little girl is dressed in the National Colours and the little boy is practicing his skill with the baton (bigger boys use guns). It was so cute watching them.

2010-01-05T08:07:00.000-08:00

Hi again everyone! It's been a while. Here we are all dressed in kandora's for National Day celebrations. The staff bought us the lovely outfits - all matching!

2009-11-20T08:04:00.000-08:00

Video screens played a big part of the weekend at the race and at the concerts. Aerosmith and Kings of Leon were great to watch on the big screen, as was the race and speeches at the end. It was a very well run event and catered for everyone.

2009-11-20T07:57:00.000-08:00

The actual final race was held at night time and the stands were full. This is the view from one of 5 stands around the track. I enjoyed the porche races as well - pictured.

2009-11-20T07:53:00.000-08:00

In the distance there were 2 amazing buildings. The one on the left is the hotel built near the Marina that the Formula 1 track runs through! We could see people standing in the passageway overlooking the track. It had only opened this week. On the right is a building constructed near the entry to Yas Island. It is round, covered in glass and about 10 storeys high - with rooms inside - I presume a hotel or office building - not sure. Some of the architecture is just incredible. Natalie would have a field day here!!

2009-11-20T07:49:00.000-08:00

I couldn't get over the food we were offered! Here is a little selection - dates in chocolate sauce with gold leaf!! yes, real gold leaf!! The table piece is orchids and this time I had sparkling water. The choices were fabulous. I wonder what the poor people were doing!!!!

2009-11-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

We are now at Beyonce's concert. We are standing at the back and the pictures are from two huge video screens. Beyonce is the tiny white figure on the stage. We didn't go too close to the stage as a mush pit does not appeal in hot humid weather and the crowd was very close. It was an amazing concert.

2009-11-20T07:45:00.000-08:00

Each night we went to an outdoor concert. This is the venue. I think there would have been up to 20,000 people there. The stge is in the far back corner.

2009-11-20T07:41:00.000-08:00

These are the views we had from our seats. We were on the second level and there were only 50 seats - mostly empty on the first 3 days. The hairpin corner gave us some exciting watching. Directly behind us was the lounge where we could go to cool down and have something to eat and drink. It was also alot quieter!!

2009-11-20T07:38:00.000-08:00

Kay, Jan and I went to the Formula 1 Champs in Abu Dhabi. We were lucky to have VIP tickets which gave us access to an air conditioned lounge, free food and drink and access to all 4 concerts. we had a wonderful weekend. The venue was amazing.

2009-11-20T07:37:00.000-08:00

This is one of the water colours I have done recently at artclass. I quite like this one.

2009-11-20T07:34:00.000-08:00

Howdy again. The other day we visited one of the local secondary school's for a meeting. We were welcomed by students who offered us Arabic coffee, dates and a chance to pat a falcon. They were very courteous and falcons are really beautiful birds.

2009-09-25T05:37:00.000-07:00

The city is dotted with churches and mosques, catering for a variety of religions - Moslem, Greek orthodox, catholic etc. Some are modern, newly constructed buildings and others date back centuries. One church has Roman arches at the base of the brick where it has been built directly over Roman ruins. Layer upon layer of hisory.

2009-09-25T05:32:00.000-07:00

New buildings can be seen dotted around Beirut and there is a definite military presence in the streets.

2009-09-25T05:27:00.000-07:00

While walking around the city this is what you see. New buildings, reconstructed buildings and the remains for older, damaged buildings. Life must have been horrific for the citizens living in the city between 1989 and 2005. Our travel guide told us she had lost 4 apartments during the civil war and now lived well outside the city in the mountains.

Cinema

2009-09-25T05:23:00.000-07:00

These two photos are of the bullet ridden remains of a cinema in downtown Beirut. Much of downtown has been rebuilt and the plan is for this cinema shell to be incorporated into the newly constructed mall and cinema complex.

Civil war

2009-09-25T05:14:00.000-07:00

Lebanon has recently been involved in a civil war and there is evidence of bombing and destruction of buildings throughout the country. Downtown Beirut has seen huge reconstruction recently, but there are still many bullet ridden and dilapilated buildings. Here, a church stands in the middle of an empty plot in downtown Beirut.

Gypsy villages

2009-09-25T00:35:00.000-07:00

On the outskirts of some towns we saw "Gypsy Towns" - rows of old tent structures where Syrian workers live to do the seasonal work in Lebanon. They lived in apalling conditions - but far better than their life in Syria we gather! The tents have large families - women and children - living in them - and the garbage around them is terrible.

Ksara Winery, Bekaa Valley

2009-09-25T00:27:00.000-07:00

The Ksara winery was originally the site of a medieval fortress (ksar in Arabic) and the grapevines that were planed in the early 18th century still flourish. in 1857 Jesuit Priests ran the winery and it was taken over by its present owners in 1972. There are 2km of tunnels used to mature the wine. I bought Ksark (Arak is the Lebonese national drink - very like Pernod).

The 2 guys Julia is standing with at the wine tasting are Australian. They were a lot of fun!

Ksara, Bekaa Valley

2009-09-25T00:21:00.000-07:00

We visited the Ksara winery in the Bekaa valley. The Bekaa valley is a beautiful, fertile valley with many vineyards. Bekaa is also infamous as Hezbollah's strategic headquarters, and took a battering in the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War, destroying up to 20% of its buildings. The Ksara winery is Lebanon's oldest and most famous winery.

Baalbek.

2009-09-25T00:13:00.000-07:00

Baalbek Roman ruins and surrounding area.

Baalbek, Bekaa Valley

2009-09-25T00:06:00.000-07:00

The Lonely Planet says, "Baalbek, the 'sun city' of the ancient world, is home to the most impressive ancient site in Lebanon and arguably the most important Roman site in the Middle East. Its temples were built on an extravagant scale that outshone anything in Rome, and the town became a centre of worship well into the Christian era." It was amazing to see Roman ruins, with Christian ruins and Moslem ruins all built over one another.

Baalbek, Lebanon

2009-09-24T23:48:00.000-07:00

Julia and I have just spent 5 days in Lebanon looking at the sights. It is the Eid holiday and many people have 'come home' for the break.

This photo is taken on the entry steps to the Roman ruins in Baalbek, in the Bekaa valley. It is one of the best preseved roman ruins in the Middle East and an amazing sight.

Our local mosque

2009-09-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

It is early morning and this is a photo of the Friday Mosque on our block. It is one of my favourites! We have at least 7 mosques on our block - one every 500m??? When the call to prayer goes, if I stand outsidel, I can hear it in quad - a bit like a home theatre!

Shoveunder party

2009-09-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

Jan and Wayne hosted a "Shoveunder" party (a gift is given to you from your great aunt that you would immediately 'shoveunder' your bed!!). It was hilarious fun. We put a limit of 20 dirhams ($10) on the gift and it is amazing what comes up. Each person opens a present in order and if it is your turn you can either choose someone elses present or get a new one from the pile. The ship did the rounds!!! It is a lamp!!! This is a hilarious way to spend an evening!!

Iftar

2009-09-11T08:12:00.000-07:00

We all (96 of our company) went to the Rotana Iftar dinner the other night. The Iftar dinner is a special dinner at many restaurants and hotels put on each night after sunset for the Moslem people to "break their fast" after the Ramadan day. There was a sumptuous spread of many Arabic as well as western dishes and the deserts were lovely. We had a fun night and I met a lot of new people as our company is growing by the day.

Sunrise!

2009-09-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

Lyndel and I go for a walk every morning at about 6am. These are a couple of photos in our block of the sun rise. The one on the right was a foggy morning - I have heard that fog indicates a change in the weather. Between the sun rises and the sun sets this is a beautiful country.

Burj Dubai

2009-09-11T08:04:00.000-07:00

This is probably one of the better photos I have taken of the Dubai Burj. I believe that there are offices on the lowest few levels but most of the top levels are apartments. I wonder how long it would take the lift to get to the top storey! Sometimes the top is in the clouds. The building is almost one kilometre high!! It's hard to imagine but if you can see the other high rise buildings to the lower left you might get an idea just how big and high this building is.

"caravan"

2009-09-11T06:10:00.000-07:00

Kay and I went for a drive to Dibba one weekend. On the way we passed a 'caravan'!! Not your usual one, this is a camel caravan... actually it wasn't really - it was 11 camels running loose on the road. Kay and I got out of the car to take photos. They were quite friendly and cars just slowed down to ensure they didn't hit them on their way past. Out in the desert it is quite a common sight to see camels loose on the roads.

2009-09-11T06:07:00.000-07:00

We had some Team Building activities during our company PD sessions which were interesting to say the least!! here we have Adels and Julia at the end of the day. Adele is an Advisor at kay's school.

2009-09-11T06:02:00.000-07:00

hi everyone. It's been a while since I posted any pictures sio thought I had better get to it. here is a picture of my latest painting. it is 3 separate paintings and I have it hanging in my bedroom. I am quite pleased with the colours and Julia has ordered one like it.

My new kitchen

2009-07-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

My new kitchen is almost finished. It is really lovely - a bit smaller than our last one so there has been some juggling to fit everything back in. The house is so much lighter now and the family room has more space. it's like a new house!

Beautiful NZ

2009-07-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

And I am back home for my Summer break!! Beautiful wintry, cool weather and heaps of green!! I took this photo on the way home from visiting Sheryl in Paeroa. The Kaimais are in the backgound. A real NZ scene.

Dinner at the Intercon.

2009-07-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

My team went to dinner at the Intercontinental "The Wok" before coming home. On the left is Myrese, me, Marion and Mandy. Note the swimming pool in the backgound - very nice) In the middle is Nadia (she's an egyptian teacher who came to keep Wa'ed company), and Wa'ed - out translator (Palestinian). On the right is Adele. We had a lovely night in lovely surroundings.

Soveunda party

2009-07-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

We had a "Shoveunda" party at Julia's the week before we finished. A "shoveunda" is a present your great aunt would give you that you immediately "shoveunda" the bed. It was hilarious fun and we got some great gifts - ones we would never buy!! (Note the painting I did for Julia at the back of her lounge!)

End of the year.

2009-07-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

Kay, Julia and I at the Cognition end of year dinner. it was a fun night at the equestrian centre in Al Ain. Below is Karen and her son.

2009-06-18T04:36:00.000-07:00

A couple of photos of the view from our hotel balcony. We spent a lot of time in deck chairs on the beach front - right next to the pool!

JAL hotel Dibba

2009-06-18T04:32:00.001-07:00

I went to Dibba with Lyndel, Caroline, Caryn and Sheila. We stayed in a beautiful hotel and had a lovely relaxing weekend. Caroline is holding the freebie biscuits we were given. The window at the back is where the bath is, so you can sit in the bath and watch the sun set over the sea. The bridge on the right goes over one of the 5 swimming pools. Very nice!

2009-06-18T04:28:00.000-07:00

Karen, Julia and I spent the weekend in Dubai, and picked up Lesley (on the left) who flew in for the weekend from Hong Kong! She had worked with Karen when Karen was in Hong Kong. We are on the Palm Jumeira and the Arabian Sea is behind us, with a view of the Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel in the far background. It was hot and humid there!

Dubai Mall

2009-06-18T04:25:00.000-07:00

At the base of the Burj Dubai is the Dubai Mall - well over 800 shops. In the mall is this aquarium. You can watch the fish from 3 levels, or pay to walk through the tunnel. Very impressive - similar to Kelly Tarlton's.

(Around the corner is the Gold Souq!!! about 100 gold shops!)

High Rise buildings in Dubai

2009-06-18T04:21:00.000-07:00

The main road runs through hundreds of brand new high rise buildings. Some are spectacular, and they shine in the sun. Many are almost all glass. In between there are still new ones being built. The building on the right is half finished, with the lower storeys having glass windows, and the higher storeys still to be finished.

2009-06-18T04:16:00.000-07:00

We were in Dubai the other day and the sky was clear enough to see the Burj Dubai. This is the tallest building in the world and it dwarf's everything around it. The top is not finished yet. The lower sky scrapers are all about 40 storey's so you can get an idea of just how high the Burj is.

Protection from the sun.

2009-05-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

Ged forgot his cap so we decided he needed his head covered! I figured I had seen the boys tie their head dress so often I would know what to do. It doesn't look quite as neat as the boys at school, but at least Ged didn't get sun burnt!! He was pretty chuffed! looked more realistic up on the camel! We think it must have been about 35 degress out - at 9am here - but later in the day it hit the mid forties!! Glad we didn't go any later.

Camel Safari

2009-05-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

Camel safari

2009-05-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

When Kay and Ged Arbuckle came to stay we organised a camel safari. We went early in the morning to avoid the heat! ha!! It was a great adventure and the swaying of the camelas it walks is an unusual feeling. My friend,Kay, and Lyndel Christensen also came.

The Atlantis Hotel

2009-05-25T08:22:00.000-07:00

These photos are of the Atlantis entrance and foyer. The sculpture in the foyer is made of glass swirls with decorations dotted through it. It is all the colours of the rainbow and has a water feature at the base. I wonder who thinks up these things!! And what must be the cost!!

Atlantis Hotel

2009-05-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

This is the Atlantis Hotel on the Palm Jumeirah. The Palm Jumeirah is the man made island in the shape of the palm. This hotel ia about a 6 star and is extremely lavish. This is the entrance, leading in to a beautiful foyer.

Al Ain Montage

2009-05-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

This is the latest painting I have done. I did it for Martin, who is giving it to Karen for her birthday. It is a montage of Al Ain. From left to right there is the red sand dunes, Karen and Martin's house, an Emirati man and woman, Jebel Hafeet mountain with the lights, roundabouts with the herons and waterfalls, camels, the fort and a mosque. I hope Karen likes it.

Hilton Hotel

2009-05-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

We spent an evening at the Hilton. The lights and pool looked really lovely.

Trying the old traditions

2009-05-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

I have been given Arabic bread to eat, had my hands coated with Henna and have now got a burkah on. Many of the older women still wear the leather burkah - as well as the shailer and abaya. It is quite comforatble to wear, but makes it difficult to eat!

Water cooler

2009-05-25T08:04:00.000-07:00

Here is the original 'water cooler'. The clay urn is filled with water. As the water evaporates from the clay it cools the water inside. The mats on display were used to sit around for meals.

School visit

2009-05-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

I went with a Grade 5 class to the local culture and heritage village the other day. It was really interesting. There has been a lot of effort put into preserving the UAE culture and language. They are very worried that with 'westernisation' the kids will lose their identity.

2009-05-08T02:34:00.000-07:00

A couple more photos of the same fence. The main entrance will be amazing.

2009-05-08T02:32:00.000-07:00

On our drive we saw this amazing fence being built around an equally amazing house. Each portion of the fence is the same shape and this one has been finished. It looks as though each section will be the same shape but slightly different design. We will go back in a few weeks to have a look. A bit OTT we think.

2009-05-08T02:30:00.000-07:00

This is the other side of the 'Stairway to Heaven". The waterfall isn't working today.

"Stairway to Heaven"

2009-05-08T02:28:00.001-07:00

This is the roundabout the boys named "Stairway to Heaven". Around the other side a waterfall goes constantly down the rocks into a stream.

Roundabouts of Al Ain

2009-05-08T02:25:00.001-07:00

This is the "Bird" roundabout. Actually, it has an Arabic name but we have named them all by their features. Makes it easier to describe how to get around. Martin calls them ducks with Wellies on!!

2009-05-08T02:22:00.000-07:00

Kay and I went for a drive this morning and went to brunch at the Gof Course. We took a few photos. This is one of our favourite mosques - we call it the twirly whirly mosque. It is quite different in architecture with all of its rounded of walls and soft lines.

2009-05-08T02:18:00.000-07:00

This is the most recent painting I have finished. It is a NZ scene and I did it for Julia. She has it hanging in her bedroom. I quite like it and might do another one similar for in my apartment - a little bit of NZ to look at!

2009-05-05T09:19:00.000-07:00

On the Saturday we went to the second hand car market to look for a car. Hmmm.... i don't think this Hummer is quite in our price bracket. In Doha, one of these cost 900 riyal an hour to hire. You could fit 15 inside it which made it a fun way to see the city for one hour.

Kay and I ended up buying a little Hyundai Accent!!

2009-05-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

During the night we took a dhow across the 'creek' (the river that runs through Dubai) and visited the souqs. Here we are outside the spice souqs and each little shop is just piled high with hundreds of different products. The smell was wonderful. Just down the road are the gold souqs - more my style!!

2009-05-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

Although this is not very clear, it does give you an idea of just how high the Burj Dubai is as it towers over everything else in Dubai. It is massive, and the base holds a huge mall. Sometimes the clouds are half way up the building and the peak sticks out above them. Other times you can't see the top becuase of the dust and smog. I think that when it is finished they are saying it will be a Km high!!

2009-05-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

The Ibn Butatta mall is huge and is designed around 7 themed continents. This junk is in the Chinese/Pacifica area. The roof is beautifully designed and covered in mosaics. It is one of my favourite malls. Damian bought a lovely Pierre Cardin polo shirt with NZ motifs and the NZ coat of arms on. We also went to a NZ cafe called "The Lime Tree". The carrot cake is superb!

Palm Jumeirah Apartments

2009-05-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

This is one of the apartment blocks on Palm Jameirah - all beautifully landscaped and facing the ocean. I can imagine the rent must be huge!

2009-05-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

We went for a tiki tour around Dubai and drove out on the Palm Jameirah. It was amazing to think of the work and the technology to create such a huge island. There are some wonderful apartments and hotels going up. This photo was taken at the end of one of the 'fronds' and has the Burj Al Arab in the background.

2009-05-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

This is the local Friday mosque just up the road from my house. It is beautiful by day, but here it is just at sunset - about 6.20 pm. As it gets darker it is lit up with green and yellow lights - just beautiful. We call it the Friday mosque because it is huge and very busy on Friday's - the religious day here. The dome had beautiful stained glass windows.

Fujairah coast

2009-04-27T09:47:00.000-07:00

Along the Fujairah coast we passed these quaint souqs selling plants, fruit and veges, carpets and a host of other stuff. It was so colourful and lovely with the mountains and minaret in the backgound.

Touring the Emirates

2009-04-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

Damian and I went for a tiki tour around the Emirates and just out of Al Ain the wind came up a bit!! It became very difficult to drive. As you can see, the sand was covering the road and visibility was very low. Luckily the weather cleared further on which was great as it would have been a pain to drive around an see nothing!

for fun....

2009-04-03T08:41:00.000-07:00

This appealed to me!! Remember Chloe??

An old fort

2009-04-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

The other day Kay and I decided to try and find a short cut through the oasis, to Kay's school from my school. On the way we came across this old fort - hard to believe that it was lived in ages ago. We did get to Kay's school but it was no short cut!! Just heaps of dirt roads and convoluted little streets.
When thinking about the Nationals here, it was only a generation ago that they lived as nomads, and traveled by camel. It is only since the 70's - when oil was found - that things began to change and money came into the Emirate. It is a really old culture, but a very new wealthy country.

Majlis

2009-03-29T05:54:00.000-07:00

Wa'ed and 2 teachers (non-Emirati) are in the tent sitting on a majlis - Arabic cushions. We have put majlis in every classroom like we use mats in NZ. The teachers and kids love it, it is what they are used to. These couches are found in most Emirati houses and sitting at that level is a natural thing. Very often, they sit on the floor - even the adults - to eat and socialise. When I am invited to eat with the teachers I get cast after a while and they have a good laugh watching me try to stand without the bones creaking too much!!

2009-03-29T05:50:00.000-07:00

Mandy is one of our advisors. She and Wa'ed both entered the women's race - a very leisurely ride around the edge of the school. No Emirati women went in the race, only the maids and workers at school. Exercise is not a big thing with the women here. It was a lot of fun, even in the heat!

2009-03-29T05:45:00.000-07:00

Part of the day's celebration was a bike race with the boys. The Health and Safety rules would not have passed the test in NZ!!! All the boys in each grade lined up and then they belted along to the end of the concrete field. There were bikes everywhere and kids who could not stop, falling off, banging in to each other, etc. It was a riot. Wa'ed, our translator, is holding the start gun.

Prize giving

2009-03-29T05:37:00.000-07:00

We had our prize giving at school last week and I was asked to present the medals and prizes. This photo is of the boys in the swimming team. They came home with a pile of medals from the Emirates competition. The top 5 boys from each class received trophies and the Mum's came along to receive a congratulatory certificate as well. It is interesting that the prize giving is at the end of Semester One! At the end of the year the boys only come in for the 2 hours of the exam - and then they don't come back after the exams. I suppose it would be hard to organise prize giving at that time of year.

2009-03-29T05:23:00.000-07:00

Julia (in pink skirt) and I went to Myrese and Craig's for a BBQ. Myrese is an advisor in my school, and her and Craig are South Africans who have lived in NZ for years. Their friends are also South Africans and teach at the International school. Myrese and Craig are in a beautiful villa and their maid did a lot of the cooking! We had a fun night, and ate much more than we needed.

Fujairah Emirate

2009-03-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

As the sun goes down the shadows are lovely and the mountains look so rugged and black. There is no vegetation at all, and at one stage we went through a long tunnel that had been cut through the range.

2009-03-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

On our way back from Dibba we crossed the mountain range that borders Oman and UAE. The blue tones are beautiful, and this is waht it looked like for miles.

Dibba

2009-03-08T06:53:00.000-07:00

Julia and went tiki touring to the UAE coast to Fujairah, along the Oman border, last weekend. We had lunch at the Hilton in Fujairah, then drove on to Dibba, right up by the Gulf of Oman. This beautiful Mosque is in Dibba, which is a beach resort area and a lot greener than the rest of the country. We covered a lot of miles in one day, but it was fun to see more of the country.

Ibn Buttata Mall

2009-03-08T06:43:00.000-07:00

Julia, Karen and I went for a girls weekend to Dubai. We visited the Ibn Buttata Mall which was amazing. There were 6 separate themed malls all connected with streets. It went for miles, all at one level. There was Egypt, India, Tunisia, China, Japan and one other? but right down one end was "The Lime" cafe - a New Zealand owned cafe. We had lunch there and the food was great - the carrot cake was scrumptious!!!

Terry Fox Fundraising run (walk!)

2009-03-08T06:34:00.000-07:00

A few of us from Cognition joined 300 others to do a fundraising 5km walk (run for some!) to raise funds for cancer. We had a lot of fun, it was a bit hot but not too bad.

It's times like this we advertise the fact that we are NZ'ers.

The Race

2009-03-08T06:29:00.000-07:00

Kay and I were safely parked up at the car park while the 4 wheel drives and Toyota's screamed along. From a distance all you could see was a great dust cloud, then you could hear the beeping, then finally the camels came into view. It was alot of fun to watch. Almost no Emerati women would go to the races, but Western women seem to get away with it. It is definitely a men's sport!

Camel Racing

2009-03-08T06:21:00.000-07:00

Kay and I drove out to the camel track the other day and had a great time watching the young camels being trained in racing. The camels have a little robot on their back which are remote controlled by the owners, who drive alongside the camels while they are racing. They toot their horns and yahoo all the way along the track with the camels, travelling at great speed! I think that is why camel racing is so popular! It's not the camels, it's the hair raising drive alongside the track to follow them.

More of Brunei

2009-02-01T08:15:00.000-08:00

Just a couple more of the village, the canal from our hotel, and Kay and Tanya outside the handicraft building.

Brunei Police Station

2009-02-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

This one is for you Damian - the police station!! There was also a fire brigade- all built over water - quite amazing!! The second photo is of families and children in their school uniform. All very clean and happy. We had children waving to us constantly calling Salam Allikum. Out tour guide was impressed that we could greet them back in Arabic!! Allikum Salam.

Brunei

2009-02-01T08:05:00.000-08:00

The mosque above is one of the main ones on the island. Note the contrast between it and the housing. The other photo is a water taxi - and it was full of Australian teachers going home after the morning classes. Brunei is a Moslem country and is run by the Sultan of Brunei. He is another benevolent dictator, and the people love him. They get an income from the government, which is rich from oil - many similarities to the UAE.

Brunei water village

2009-02-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

The building above is a school, again, built over the water. They have Grade 1-3 school in the morning, and grade 4-6 in the afternoon. The kids all arrive along the board walks or in a water taxi. Some of the houses are quite old and dilapilated, others are quite new. The river was very brown - I think there had been a lot of rain recently. The tour guide told us the only thing in the water was crocodiles!!! Not sure if I quite believe him, but certainly was not going to get in and check it out!!

Stopover in Brunei

2009-02-01T07:53:00.000-08:00

On our way back to the UAE, Kay, Tanya and I had a 10 hour stop over at Brunei. We had a hotel voucher, so were able to have a shower and look around the city. The first photo is of the canal with the food market. The hotel is in the background. While we were there we hired a boat and had a tour around the water village. It was amazing, all the houses were built on poles over the rivers and canals. There were miles of boardwalks connecting them all.

Jacko's Birthday

2009-02-01T04:54:00.000-08:00

Jacko provided a wonderful BBQ and drinks for the day. We all went back to his and Michelle's place for dinner. Damian - being the Koro of the group - presented Jacko with the PDFS trophy!!! It is up to Jacko now to organise a sports event so that the trophy can be passed on.

Happy 40th Jacko!

Te Teko races

2009-02-01T04:51:00.000-08:00

We all went to the Te Teko races to help Jacko celebrate his 40th birthday. Here are Kevin, Mo, Wilky and Damian, doing what they are best doing!!! The races were fun, with about 30 of us in a corporate tent.

My paintings - Arabic theme

2009-02-01T04:48:00.000-08:00

I did another set of three paintings - Arabic theme - for Julia. This one is a bit different from the last, and I have been asked to do more for other friends!