The end of Cohort V

We are fast coming to the end of what has been an excellent year for us in Multiserve/Cognition in Qatar. We have tremendous team here this year and are all sad that the end is in sight. The new contracts will come, but new systems here have made it a much longer and more drawn out process. It is very unsettling for all the staff.Anyhow, as good kiwis, we can party well regardless. So last Wednesday we had our end of contract dinner locally referred by us as "The Last Supper".It was a great night. What a magic team we have. The Doha Darlings - Cognition Wives- did an item (it’s videoed on my Facebook don't know how to put it here).

Then Marty Blackburn and Hazel Reddington did the most spine tingling poroporoaki which included a most wonderful challenge and haka from Marty and waiata from Hazel. It was exactly that New Zealand difference which reached everybody.We went on to enjoy a scrumptious dinner, then to karaoke and dancing. I didn't sing much, well not with the mic, so it was Ok, as you all know my vocal talents!

We ended with Palestinian dancing music supplied by Yasser on to the translators’ husbands. This is another area that I definitely need lessons in! Our translators are such an important part of our team and we have them from Qatar, Palestine, Syria, Jordon, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Tunisia. Also I can't forget the amazing Philippines office staff, Cathy and Joan. I talk about our kiwi team but as you can see we have many honorary kiwis! We have even let in the odd Pom, Canadian and Aussie. The whole team makes for great across cultural understanding, the Qatar team is simply stunning - I am so lucky to be experiencing this.

Me and Marilyn Masemann one of our consultants.

Me and Catherine Vekasco our wonderful office manager. As you know, no school principal can function without an excellent secretray.
Steve and Abdulrahim ( a wonderful man from the Sudan and our other mandoob), and Basher (in the thobe) who is one of our translators.

Time for a catch up

I haven't written for a while but work has been busy and then I forget what we have been doing except for the boring stuff. I think facebook has also taken over part of my life!

It has got very hot here with every day in the high 40's and some hitting 50 degrees. I have the photo to prove it. This was on my car parked in the shade under the verdanah at the apartment! And yes it was 4pm as well.

As it is so hot we had to persuade Steve that it was NOT a good idea to go camping in the desert so he could go fishing! I thought that we would die in the heat. So we went down to the sanddunes after work on a Thursday and he fished will a friend and Inwalked to the top of a sand hill and then had swim. The sea is like a warm bath now - just amazing. We then had picnic in the dark which was fun as the temp dropped to about 39. We got back home about 10pm. No fish, I think they would of come out of the ocean precooked anyhow, but a fun night.

We went with other company managers to the Marriot Hotel yesterday for its gallery brunch. It was unbelievable. You have the choice of Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese and a buffet restuarant with lots of seafood. You sit in one place and then stroll around the areas getting whatever you feel like. Oh and there are dessert stations too. If you pay 285 riyal about $NZ125 as well as unlimited food you can have unlimited wine (sparkling or still) , beer or fruit juice with your meal. I needed a nana napafter that lot.

I am trying to do a lot of swimming to shed the excess cuddly bits. So today I needed to swim for half an hour to feel I might have removed some of yesterday's meal. I was good though as you can imagine it was mostly seafood for me. You can't go past those lobster tails and prawns.