Two years ago today

Bert started his new job as manager of the company he is now with.  We had already been in Abu Dhabi for some months working for an Australian based company.  It became clear it was never going to be viable and it was very timely when he was offered this position.  We flew home for him to resign hand in his computer, car keys and clean out his desk and straight back to Abu Dhabi (to the news of Shellys death).

The morning he was due to start, before he had even left the hotel room he got a text message to say 40 women had baricaded themselves in their rooms and were refusing to go to work, can you please sort this out?  It wasn't a good start.

This job has been such a fabulous opportunity for Bert.  He works insane hours and is always tired and stressed but he loves it.  He loves that he is able to make a difference in so many peoples lives. 

A sad anniversary

It is two years today since my lovely friend Shelly died.
This picture was taken when she was here in Australia on holiday



A group of friends and I organised for this brick to be place in Disneyland Ca in her memory.
We really wanted it to say All you need is Love as Shelly was a Beatles fan but Disneyland have strict rules about the bricks only saying a name and date.  I didn't want to put her date of death on it, I wanted to commemorate her life, not her death.  So I told a few white lies and outsmarted the mouse and told them her surname was McKinney Love.  I know Shelly would be amused.



yikes how did it get to be November already

Im sorry I am not posting regularly, I will try harder in the upcoming week to update daily to catch up on all our news. 

My biggest problem has been that blogger keeps insisting I log in in Arabic.  It would be easier if they gave me Swahili has an option. 

We are both good, all is happy and well.  Abby is just gorgeous and we are so pleased we made the decision to get a dog.  We also have a live in maid with us Delia.  Life will never be the same! Bert went to India last weekend for the Grand Prix in Delhi so we have lots of photos and news to share in the next few days now I have found a way to log in.

Abi.

Short for Abu Dhabi.  Could there be a better trinket to take home from a country?

maids.

Our two lovely maids, Siriani from Sri Lanka and Lorna from the Phillipines.  Lorna has a one year old daughter at home in the Phillipines and will be in the UAE for three years before she can go home to see her. Her and Siriani are always so happy!  Here they are packing up goods that I have given them from stuff people have donated.

One of the perks of the job I guess

This tissue box, and five others were lovingly made by one of our Bangladeshi women for all the managers in the company. 

Paul's graduation

 Paul has just completed training with the Melbourne Metropolitan fire brigade, we are so very proud of him

                                                   Paul and his lovely partner Jacqui.