School's Out For The Summer!

Finished! Done! Clear! School is over and I don't start back until the 3rd of September. In September I will be teaching just about the same children, but in year 2. I am super happy about that because my children are really lovely.

We are leaving for Sri Lanka in just over 30 hours... Getting exciting! I wont be posting obviously until we get back but then I will hopefully have some great photos to put on here.

Two weeks 3 sleeps till I arrive back in the refreshingly cool (!) state of Tasmania.

Take Note!

Printed on the side of my water bottle...

'Masafi Health Secrets: Water helps prevent dehydration in hot seasons'

I hope you take note and no longer experience dehydration because of lack of liquid intake.

Can't Stand It

OK so I much prefer the smaller pictures so I have changed them back. We have had a busy few days with more unavoidable dinners out and people over etc etc. We ate at the Fairmont last night which is right over from our house, and the food there was delicious... I had chilli prawns... And Thai Green Curry (made me think of Rachel).

There is now...
3 days of school left
4.5 sleeps till we go to Sri Lanka
3 weeks minus one day till I get back to Tas

Last Week!

I am sitting in my classroom it's very early on Saturday morning, but there is a smile on my face because I only have 4.5 days of school left until I start my ridiculously long summer holidays.

Also, it is now 5.5 sleeps until Zadok and I leave for Sri Lanka. The .5 is there because we leave at 3.30 in the morning, from Dubai. So it is probably not even going to be .5 of a sleep.

Today they are coming to take my computer away from me which is very very sad. No more email/blog from school. Oh well. Will have to manage from home.

While I am in this counting down mood, I will also tell you that it is 3 weeks today till I arrive under sunny Tasmanian skies. Counting down!!!

Big or Small

So the question is, do you like the big pictures or the smaller ones? The big pictures make some bits of the blog go right to the bottom... The small ones make it look more organised. The big ones are obviously better to look at.

The Pool at School

Every week my children go swimming at school as part of their PE program. Yesterday was their last swim for the school year so they got free play. Mrs Field (my trusty teaching assisstant) and I decided it would be fun to go in with them.

I have never seen anything quite like it. These kids spend heaps of time in the water, they are like little fish.

I was dunking them and throwing them off me and they just go under again and again with no fuss. Very Cute!

Too Much!

Too much food, too much beverages, too much late nights. Last weekend one of our friends left for good, 'forcing' us to enter into a few days and nights festivities, and then right on the tail of that one of Zadok's friends from the AMC arrived for a week for work, once again ensuring that we spend weeknights out and about. I feel like a big blob... A big very sleepy blob. Hopefully next week will bring some earlier nights.

9.5 sleeps till we leave for Sri Lanka... Very exciting. I have the Sri Lanka Lonely Planet book in hand and am annoying Zadok with it's contents!

P.S. People that are not too fluent in English often say 'too much' to describe a lot of something.

You've Got To Be Joking.....

Thursday Night

Last Thursday night a whole group of us went out to a couple of bars. No-one had really been out for a few weeks so everyone was in the mood and ready to have a good time.
Here is Zadok and I before we left, everyone often comes to our place first for a few drinks.

This is Sandie, me, and Sandie's sister, Carloin who is staying with us at the moment. We are enjoying the free champagne that is offered to Ladies all night at this particular pub. Most pubs and bars have a ladies drink offer at least one night a week. This country gets something right!

This is Brendan and Zadok, Brendan has just finished work, he has quit Drydocks and is returning to Ireland to persue a career in music... Or something....

Dinner...

On Wednesday Zadok and I went out for dinner courtesy of Drydocks, it was a token of appreciation for his work on the rig that is in dock at the moment. We went to an Italian place in Dubai Marine Beach Resort. The food was ok but the setting was amazing. We go out for dinner a lot, I think we have raised our standards about what makes a great dinner!
I had a seafood platter

Zadok likes to think he is eating healthy...

Just behind Zadok is a nightclub we sometimes go to, mind you it is outside and it is getting too muggy to be outside at night. The restaurant was just past there on the end of the man made bay thingy. There is a nice little beach there, we ate overlooking it.

Spooky....

The power has just gone out, I think it is out accross the whole of the United Arab Emirates. Have no idea why, have no idea how long for. Everyone is coming home from work, the apartment is getting slowly warmer. Stay tuned.... Mind you I can only tell you what is happening if the power goes back on cause my battery is nearly flat!

Sailing

Mike and Sandie have recently bought a sailing boat and on Friday they took us out for a spin. We left from the Jebel Ali Sailing Club which is nestled just near the Jumeirah Palm, if you look down the blog to the ariel photos we were sailing just above the palm. It was great fun although a little scary as the boat is not really made for four (especially when one of those people is Zadok) and it was quite windy so we got up to a good speed. It was also quite choppy out of the bay. It was great to see the palm close up, there are quite a few villas nearing completion. The sea is like a bath and has got really really salty. Apparently it's not reached it's maximum temperature yet, another few weeks and it will be unswimable!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY VON!!!!!

Thursday...

Here is me in the evening of a Thursday. Thursday has got to be my favourite day of the week... It is the first day of my weekend. Not many people here have a two day weekend, so when I get up on a Thursday everyone else has already gone to work. This morning I had a coffee and read some book, then went to the gym for a quick treadmill. Next I spent an hour or so at the pool.

I came back upstairs and got on messenger where I was met with Rachel, Lauren and Barry, so I chatted to them for a while. Sandie works a half day on Thursday so we have slipped into the habit of going to the pool together in the afternoon. The pool is the place to be when it is 38 degrees. Today was especially enjoyable as Zadok got home at 6, and he has the day off tomorrow. Our weekends don't always coincide. Anyway, so all this leads to a very relaxed feeling, and me being in a stupid enough mood to think it is a good idea to take silly photos of myself and post them on my blog..... Hmmmmmm....