Enjoying the Spring Weather

It is a perfect time of year here in Doha, the weather is fantastic and spring holidays are upon us. We are off to Cyprus tomorrow for a week of holidays. There will be an update on that when we return...

In the meantime, here are some recent photos:

The kids (with friend Bethany) enjoying some Al Fresco dining.

Good to see they are getting in to helping around the house - cleaning the courtyard walls.

Johnathan practicing his photography skills. A self portrait...

Bedtime fun...

Monica bought a children's birthday cake book so we no longer have to suffer the shame of bought cakes at birthday parties. Johnathan has been studying the book intently to choose a cake for his birthday party (in June!). Susannah likes to get involved...

The last two months...

Another long overdue update.

We had a great time with Nanny Helen and Poppy Paul during there stay but it went too fast of course.

We had a quiet Christmas day, Johnathan and David were both sick which was unfortunate but we still managed to celebrate and have a feast.

Just after Christmas, Helen and Paul looked after the kids for four days while we went to Hong Kong for a short holiday. We had a great time, enjoying the opportunity to go out in the evenings and sleep in late. We also managed to get in a bit of sight seeing as well.

We missed the kids a lot but they had a great time enjoying the resort like atmosphere of the compound with Nanny Helen and Poppy Paul.

We got back on New Years eve and that night we went out with some friends to celebrate the arrival of 2008.

We celebrated Poppy Paul's birthday while he was here in true Australian style with a birthday pavlova.

Nanny Helen and Poppy Paul took their holiday in Egypt then came back for a few days before we had to say goodbye and they went home. The house felt a bit empty for a few days...

There was more illness in the family then when a nasty virus took Monica out of action for a week and then David was sick again as well - fortunately the kids avoided this one. But soon after that Johnathan managed to get himself in trouble with a hard bang on the head ending in a trip to emergency. No stitches to the cut fortunately but he did get an x-ray which he is quite proud of as you can see. No permanent harm done.

We have had a couple of trips to the desert this year which have been fun. The trip we took yesterday was great. We stopped at the beach near a Qatari man's winter encampment (it is common for the locals to set up permanent camps during the winter). He came out and told us that his family wasn't there that day and as it was windy we could use his tent. It was set up in true bedouin style with carpets and cushions plus with some modern accessories like electric lights and satellite television. One of his servants then brought in a massive platter of fruit for us to share - it was quite an experience.

Another one of the interesting parts of the desert is to watch the locals playing with their toys - quad bikes, land cruisers, motor bikes dune buggies - you name it, they have it. And they are mad! We will have to catch some video next time and post it so you can truly appreciate the mayhem...

One event in February was the women's tennis open. Tickets were free, you just go to the stadium after work, take a fantastic courtside seat and enjoy! We saw Sharapova play in the earlier rounds but did not get into the final, they ran out of free tickets.

It is a very pleasant time of year here in Doha - the weather is perfect and there are quite a few events going on to keep us entertained. We will have to make the most of it before the summer sets in...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The lead up to Christmas has been filled with activities and excitement for the kids. First up was putting up the Christmas tree, both Johnathan and Susannah were eager to help out. Not a real tree this year, they don't last long in the Doha climate.

Then we had the compound Christmas party where Santa made his first appearance. The kids had a great time playing with their compound friends and the parents also enjoyed themselves with good food and company.

After that, there was the Australians and New Zealanders in Qatar (ANZIQ) Christmas party at the Doha rugby club. There were many activities for the kids including an egg and spoon race, sack race and three legged race (David and Monica even gave it a go!). There was also an Australia vs New Zealand tug-of-war where the Australian men demonstrated their awesome strength and snapped the rope twice. Finally, Santa made his second appearance arriving on a golf cart with about 100 kids chasing after him.

On the 18th of December, David and Johnathan started their holidays commencing with the Qatar national day and then Eid. On the first day of the holiday, Johnathan's friend Bethany came around with her parents for a Christmas movie night where we watched "The Polar Express". It had Johnathan sitting on the edge of his seat for much of it.

Then on the 20th, Nanny Helen and Poppy Paul arrived. Johnathan has been beside himself with excitement and having great fun playing with his grandparents (and Susannah is warming up to them as well!)

Last night we went to Christmas Carols at the "Singing Dunes" outside of Doha. It was a very nice evening with several hundred people in attendance. Santa made yet another appearance, receiving guests in his "grotto" (a tent in the desert). A big bonfire was lit and everyone gathered to sing carols - a very unique experience.

We want to take this opportunity to wish all our family and friends a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous 2008. We hope to see many of you next year - wherever in the world it might be...

The Last Two Months...

It has been a long time since the last update, time flies and life is busy as always. A few of the highlights from the last couple of months:



Halloween Party
At the end of October we had a party for all the kids in the compound. All made a great effort at dressing up, played lots of fun games, and went trick or treating afterwards. Needless to say, Johnathan and Susannah were on a long term sugar high!

Out on the Water

In early November we left the kids at home with Dolores for the day and took a trip on one of the dhow boats out to one of the islands near Doha. It was a relaxing day, swimming in the sea, enjoying the sunshine, and indulging in a bbq and few drinks with friends.

Also in November, the Class One powerboat racing came to Doha. It's one of those sports you know nothing about until you just happen across it in a place like Doha. They were awsomely powerful boats, with two 900HP engines typically. Very loud and very fast. Johnathan enjoyed it...

International Day at Johnathan's Kindy
At the end of November, Johnathan's school had an international day. All the kids dressed up in their national costume, took in some typical food from their country, and had a big parade. So, we put Johnathan in a t-shirt with a kangaroo on it and provided some homemade buscuits in the shape of Australia patriotically iced in green and gold!! It turns out that in Johnathan's class there are representatives from South Africa, New Zealand, Denmark, Qatar, Malaysia, Lebanon, Brazil, India, and more. It's quite a mix and a great experience for him.

Weekend in Dubai

Also at the end of November we flew to Dubai for the weekend. What an amazing place! We'd been told that Doha is a bit like Dubai but only around 5 or 10 years behind - we now think it is more like 20 years. It's a very big city which is getting even bigger at a rapid rate (the worlds biggest construction site). We enjoyed our weekend, shopping in the mall of the emirates (with the indoor ski slope), taking in the sights of Dubai, and catching up with Sylvia, a friend from Monica's days with Microsoft in Copenhagen. We will definately be back for more visits, much more to see and do there than here in sleepy Doha...

Johnathan's Sports Day
Yesterday it was sports day at Johnathan's kindy. He participated in many events including target throwing, balance the bean bag on the racquet, obstacle course, running, the long jump, and our favourite, five strides (how far you can go in five steps)!

Susannah is Walking
After nearly two months of dabbling with walking, Susannah finally decided two days ago that it is better than crawling and has taken it up full time. She is very proud of herself!