Pretzels

In Australia we used to drive a ridiculously long way to buy pretzels. We used to buy them in bulk and freeze them. We can now buy really good quality ones at our local supermarket.

A hitchhiker.

See this guy, he must have been four foot tall on a tall day and somehow without us understanding a word he was saying we agreed to drive him to the mosque. One minute Bert was using the handful of Arabic words he knows, next thing we know he's in the backseat of the car giving us directions. So we drove him quite a few kms to the mosque. Goodness knows hows he was going to get there without us.

Australian floods

As I type this North Eastern Queensland is underwater. I read that an area 7 times the size of Texas is flooded. Many people are lost many, many more are under threat. When I was last home it had barely rained for ten years. It all seems so unbelievable. Australia is most certainly a land of droughts and flooding rains.

My cousin had this photo on her facebook from the floods. Its a green frog hitching a ride on the back of a snake. Amazing!

foggy mornings

The last few days we have woken to thick fog. It's a relief that Bert does not have to travel from Dubai in this weather as the high speed and crazy driving does not ease up when there is low visibility.

This photo is taken from the Abu Dhabi police website where they are pleading with motorists to take care.

Laura and Paul

My son Paul, and daughter Laura were here in Abu Dhabi for Christmas.  They visited the Grand Mosque of Abu Dhabi.

Awards ceremony, pick the odd guy out.

Bert receiving a recognition award on behalf of his company for being a valuable partner of  the Abu Dhabi government

Swimming pool heaters and chillers

Our new house has a swimming pool in the garden. Thankfully it comes with a chiller as during summer it would be like swimming in soup. We never really considered that it would also heat the water in winter. Winter weather has been glorious. Lovely sunny days and cool nights.

Paul had been suggesting he might like to jump off the balcony into the pool below. I ranted a bit about how crazy that would be because the pool isn't that deep or large and one small slip and his life could be changed forever.

Today this photo appeared on his sisters facebook account. I suspect its the result of a leap off the fence or balcony!

The solar eclipse according to Susan

A Sole r eclipse in her usual position beside the pool at the

Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi

Partial solar eclipse

Hassan Ahmad Al Hariri, CEO of the Dubai Astronomy Group, calibrates the telescope set up to watch the solar eclipse from in front of the Burj Khalifa. Image Credit: Megan Hirons Mahon/Gulf News

We had a partial solar eclipse yesterday. It was already quite overcast so blocking out some of the sun made it even more bleak.

Dubai's Celebration 1-1-2011

We were home in bed by the time this all started. But it really is a spectacular setting for fireworks. We were at the fountains a few days before and got wet every time they shot up in the air thanks to a nice chilly breeze.

Parking woes

We got this photo in an email but its worth sharing.

Translation? "I Swear to Allah that I do not have Coins, and am just here for 10 minutes, so PLLLLEEEEAAAAASSSSSEEEE Mr. RTA, I am sure you can understand and not fine me"

More Camel festival

Bert was offered six camels in exchange for Laura at the camel festival, and a potential son in law named Mohammed. After we got back in the car we were laughing about it all and Laura said you didn't even haggle for me Bert, I think I am worth at least 8 camels.