Umm Sequiem Park

Today we went on a school trip to Umm Sequiem Ladies Park. It was soooo hot, it was nearly 40 degrees, we were only there for about an hour but everyone was baked! As the name suggests, during the week there are no men allowed, so the one male year 1 teacher is not allowed to go! One of the other females is going twice with his class.

Mike and Sandie

Here is a picture of our House Mates, Mike and Sandie. Mike works in new building at Drydocks and is British and Sandie works in a medical centre, she comes from Lebanon. They met here in Dubai and got married last year.

See You Soon!

My other bit of exciting news is that Zadok just booked me tickets back to Tassie for six weeks of my summer holiday, I'll be there in the middle of July! It seems very close after I left but we think it is best since everyone I know goes away for the summer holidays and with Zadok working so much I will be bored to tears with such a long time off work. So I will be back loitering around home sooner than we thought. I am really looking forward to it, it will be so good to talk to everyone!

YAY!!!!!!

OK so I have finished reports and I don't have to be so boring now. It is certainly a weight off my mind. Zadok and I have booked our week away, we are going to Sri Lanka on the 1st of July I think. That is the first week of my summer holidays. Everyone says Sri Lanka is great, we are both really looking forward to it.

I have something else exciting to post but I might spread the interesting information out.... Then I seem like I have more fun stuff to say....

Reports, Reports, Reports

I am being very boring at the moment and writing my end of year reports. They are extremely long and detailed. This is only my sixth week with the children so that doesn't exactly speed up the process. I just keep thinking, holidays soon, holidays soon. It's like a mantra I chant in my head.....

Speaking of holidays, the summer holidays here are about 11 WEEKS long. This seems like a very long time to me. Zadok and I are still ironing out the last of our holiday issues, will update soon.

It's My Birthday!

Well today I have turned the grand old age of 24..... I have had a great day, one of my students had her 6th birthday today so it was good fun to celebrate both birthdays in our class. Zadok gave me chocolates and we are working on another present... Watch this space!
I have recieved so many texts and emails and a few cards, all of which I have really enjoyed. Yvonne is going to kill me but I have to post her email here cause I loved it. I showed all my children and it was interesting the reponse, they could all tell it was really special, I guess they have experienced a lot of seperation in their 6 years.

Dubai from the Sky

This great site was featured on the JPS website this week. I've put some pics in if you can't be bothered looking at them all.

http://www.pbase.com/bmcmorrow/dubaiaerials&page=all


This is our street.... You can just see our house on the right hand side of the picture. There is a massive mall being built in the foreground, this is typical of the whole of Dubai, there are construction sites like this absolutly everywhere, especially around Sheik Zayed Road. You can just see Port Rashid in the background, Drydocks is just to the left.


This is a picture of Drydocks, Zadok's place of employment. Sheik Zayed Road is in the background.


I thought this was amazing, I didn't realise the palm was so developed. There are actually three palms being created, plus a similar project in the shape of the world would you believe. I heard a rumour that the government is planning to have as much development offshore as there is onshore. Crazy business. There are heaps more pictures on the website if you are interested.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARRY!

Today is Barry's 18th birthday. I think some of the family went around for supper on Saturday and no doubt Barry has some big plans for this weekend? Anyway Baz hope you have a great day today and I am thinking of you.

Photos of Jebel Ali Beach

Zadok masterfully manipulating the practice kite.


Me with the little kite. There are a lot of proper Kite Surfers in the background.


Me on top of the shade shelter retriving the practice kite I managed to crash up there.

Jebel Ali Beach

Yesterday Zadok had the day off and after a mammoth shopping trip to stock our new freezer we headed out to Jebel Ali Beach which is about 30 kms out of Dubai past the Jebel Ali Free Zone. Some of the Drydocks guys go out there to kite Surf. It is a really big, beautiful beach. It was very windy which is not so good for observers but great for participants, there were over 20 Kite Surfers on the water at any one time and some of them were so good, jumping around and stuff. I had a turn on the beach with a little one, and it was good fun once I got the hang of it. I have a few photos but they will have to follow in a later post. Have a good weekend back home!

Look closely....

This one is for Doug.....

Parachute Games

This afternoon I took my first after school activity. Most teachers have one, thay are mainly sport or art type activities and they last about 3/4 of an hour. They run weekly for the bulk of the school term. I am taking Parachute Games with a small group of year 3 kids. It was realy fun! We did lots of games, they are good because they are mostly cooperative rather than competitive. The children ended up working really well together.



Mayhem I imagine!

The Club

Here is a picture of our backyard, taken from our balcony on the 14th floor. The bar/restaurant is just behind the large pool and there is a good gym (not quite up to Zadok's standards) in the house type bit. The jacuzzi is just near the pool also. We have been going down for dinner every week or so, they have nice cafe type meals. Every Saturday is quiz night... we have been once with a big group of people and it was good fun. It's getting to be quite warm at night now, it's great to go down for a swim in the evening! I'm thinking of you all getting into your jumpers/coats..... Thermal underwear!

Photos

I tried to post another photo in yesterday, but it was coming in all the wrong sizes... First really big, then I get impatient i think and resize it down too many times. When I get a minute today or tomorrow I will give it a go.