ANZAC Day in Qatar

This year as Anzac Day was on a Saturday we could easily go to the dawn service without a work day ahead of us. The dawn parade is organized by a group of Australians and was held at the beach in front of the Marriott hotel. We had to arrived by 4.45am which is very, very early for me! So we were up at 3.45 and away to the event. Around 27 of the Multiserve staff attended and I think there must have been around 200 people altogether.
John lay a wreath on behalf of ANZBIQ (Australian and New Zealand Businesses in Qatar) organisation that we belong to and as he walked forward Hazel started at karakia. It made it very special for us and gave the kiwi flavor to the gathering. Some of the Australians spoke to us afterwards, asked what it meant and that they had never heard one before and appreciated it.

The Australians forgot or didn’t organize the playing of the National Anthems so when most of us Multiservers gathered as a group at the wreath area we sang our anthem in Maori and English. It was quiet emotional and I must admit I shed a few tears then. I noticed the Aussies didn’t sing theirs at all. So it was the start of a very special New Zealand day in Qatar and it made us all feel a little homesick but also happy that we have such a neat group of people here to be with and support us.
Oh and then there was the rugby, we returned home to watch the Hurricanes win!! Told you it was an NZ Aotearoa Day in Qatar.