Friday, October 30, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Changes
Hi Y'all,
Things are looking up! At last, some changes to report:
I have been offered a job with the UK's most prestigious property management company at associate director level, initially managing their new landmark building in London and taking additional responsibility as things progress - have a look at http://www.britishland.com/ropemaker.htm and http://www.ropemakerlondon.com/ .
We have to move house at the end of the month because the folks who own the one we're in have returned from Australia. We've found a small place closer to town and school.
I've bought a used BMW R1200 GS and will collect it tomorrow.
Apart from these changes, everything else is pretty much the same. Janene is still at the Post Office and hating it. We're hoping that her drawing business takes off. The kids are fine at school and Casey is busy writing exams.
Janene has been in pain and they think she has a kidney stone. It sounds like it may already have moved from kidney to bladder, so she's over the worst. She has to go in for scans etc. so we're not sure what happens next. (Mine got stuck in the ureter between kidney and bladder and that's the worst!)
More as things develop.
The early bird catches the worm but look what happens to the early worm!
We still haven't found the right church so we're hanging in where we are for now.
Things are looking up! At last, some changes to report:
I have been offered a job with the UK's most prestigious property management company at associate director level, initially managing their new landmark building in London and taking additional responsibility as things progress - have a look at http://www.britishland.com/ropemaker.htm and http://www.ropemakerlondon.com/ .
We have to move house at the end of the month because the folks who own the one we're in have returned from Australia. We've found a small place closer to town and school.
I've bought a used BMW R1200 GS and will collect it tomorrow.
Apart from these changes, everything else is pretty much the same. Janene is still at the Post Office and hating it. We're hoping that her drawing business takes off. The kids are fine at school and Casey is busy writing exams.
Janene has been in pain and they think she has a kidney stone. It sounds like it may already have moved from kidney to bladder, so she's over the worst. She has to go in for scans etc. so we're not sure what happens next. (Mine got stuck in the ureter between kidney and bladder and that's the worst!)
More as things develop.
The early bird catches the worm but look what happens to the early worm!
We still haven't found the right church so we're hanging in where we are for now.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Snowing Again
Yello all. Yes, snowing again. This time it snowed so bad that the schools were closed and I have had a snow day at home too. Bad, of course, is a relative term. Up North, with 5 inches of snow, they break out the shovels and get on with it. Here, they close the schools, panic, drive like arabs and generally lose it bigtime! All of which means that your blogger gets a day off work.
It is truly beautiful though. Snow falls completely quietly and you don't know its happening until you look outside and see big flakes drifting serenely down to blanket everything with a layer of magical icing that obscures everything ugly and seems to highlight everything beautiful. I thing God sends it to bless those of us who appreciate it.
Te kids have become somewhat blase about it - 3 snowfalls since we arrived and its old hat to them.
I am now in my 3rd week of working for the local authority and its like going back in time. Archaic systems and attitudes and I don't know how long I'm going to be able to handle this. I'm praying that something better comes along soon! Its like working for the council in Bapsfontein 20 years ago.
Janene has been for an interview at the Post Office. Yes, I know we're sounding like Vereniging dutchmen now. Its a job but again, not what J wants or is experienced in. Please pray that the Lord provides something in the drawing field that she can do from home. She is following something up and we're praying God brings it to pass.
The kids are doing well at school and the school has been very complimentary about them. I suppose it reflects well on our parenting skills, says he with much humility.
Church...well, still hoping to find the right one but going along to the best of the bunch that we've been able to find thus far. This remains a challenge.
The mothers had a good time here over Christmas but J's mom nearly froze to death and was glad to escape the clutches of a Northern Hemisphere winter.
All for now, so have fun and remember: Eagles may soar but slugs don't get sucked into jet engines!
It is truly beautiful though. Snow falls completely quietly and you don't know its happening until you look outside and see big flakes drifting serenely down to blanket everything with a layer of magical icing that obscures everything ugly and seems to highlight everything beautiful. I thing God sends it to bless those of us who appreciate it.
Te kids have become somewhat blase about it - 3 snowfalls since we arrived and its old hat to them.
I am now in my 3rd week of working for the local authority and its like going back in time. Archaic systems and attitudes and I don't know how long I'm going to be able to handle this. I'm praying that something better comes along soon! Its like working for the council in Bapsfontein 20 years ago.
Janene has been for an interview at the Post Office. Yes, I know we're sounding like Vereniging dutchmen now. Its a job but again, not what J wants or is experienced in. Please pray that the Lord provides something in the drawing field that she can do from home. She is following something up and we're praying God brings it to pass.
The kids are doing well at school and the school has been very complimentary about them. I suppose it reflects well on our parenting skills, says he with much humility.
Church...well, still hoping to find the right one but going along to the best of the bunch that we've been able to find thus far. This remains a challenge.
The mothers had a good time here over Christmas but J's mom nearly froze to death and was glad to escape the clutches of a Northern Hemisphere winter.
All for now, so have fun and remember: Eagles may soar but slugs don't get sucked into jet engines!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Christmas '08
It’s been a long time – I now I know I know. Sorry. It’s been a tough time but getting better.
We’ve settled in and are enjoying life here. The big challenge has been that both of us have been unemployed for over 3 months now and so we’ve really had to try to live very frugally – not much going out and no frills and extras – a complete difference to life in Dubai!
However the good news is that I got a job! I am going to be senior facilities manager on the Luton Borough Council Building Schools for the Future Project. It is only 10 minutes from home, which is a complete blessing. Unfortunately it doesn’t pay enough for us to live, so Janene’s still going to have to find a job (whether drawing from home or working for somebody). Still though, it’s reasonable.
Christmas is lean – what they’re calling a “credit crunch Christmas” over here. The big stores are reporting either no growth in sales or losses. Believe it or not, Woolworths has actually gone under. They have found no one to buy the company so they’re closing the stores and making the staff redundant. Redundancies are the name of the game here, with my industry shedding thousands of jobs. Thank God for my job with the Borough!
The weather has been cold for the past couple of weeks – around the 0 – 3o mark but it has warmed up the last 2 days to the 12o mark. No white Christmas for us this year but at least crisp and cold. We’re really enjoying that!
We have both my and J’s mothers here at the moment. This has its ups and downs but it’s good that there’s family around for Christmas. Especially for the kids – they love having the grannies around.
Both Greg & Casey have done really well at school. Both have had favourable feedback from their teachers and both were on in the top 3 of the merits list for their respective classes. They have both fitted in, made friends and are enjoying it.
Congratulations to Chris & Carol Mason on the birth of Ethan on the 18th. May he bring you much joy. And learn to play all those guitars. How many is it now?
According to reports from various people in Dubai, the bubble if not yet actually bursting, has developed a puncture with people unable to get mortgages, investors unable to sell investment properties and the government running out of money. Developments have been put on hold and the property and FM companies have begun retrenching. Looks like we escaped in the nick of time.
I have developed a taste for both English beer and mulled wine (a spiced seasonal drink). Yes yes I can hear all you righteous folks tut-tutting and clucking away – y’all’ll just have to live with it. It’s the English way, tha’ knaws!
And talking about righteous, we’re still looking for a good church to settle in. We’ve been going mainly to the Vineyard. It’s a nice church but the teaching is not hugely exciting and the worship is lacking in anointing. The musicians are all excellent though – all professional standard – and the kids seem to like the youth. I’ve got involved in the team leading something at the church called Time Out – a time once a month where people come and sit quietly in God’s presence or paint or write poetry or sing worship or lie down or prophesy or whatever. The idea is to listen to and fellowship with God and anything goes (in good order and subject to leadership, of course – one of the pastors leads it). The fact that we always start off with bacon rolls is also not entirely unwelcome.
This has been probably our most difficult year as a family to date and there’s no telling if the next will be a huge improvement. The hope is that it will be but no matter what happens, we know we can trust in God to be our supply and our strength. We don’t yet know what God intends for us in terms of ministry but we do know that we aren’t just here to get jobs and work until we retire. We believe God has a purpose for us being here – we just need to know what it is!
So, in closing, and following a tradition I started last year, here are some words of wisdom for the season:
1. Sometimes it’s easier to cook a turkey roll than a whole turkey – after all, it’s still turkey, it cooks quicker, fits in the oven and is easier to carve.
2. Don’t buy champagne named after a gay lumberjack (remember the Andre, Carol H!)
3. Don’t tell an English shop assistant (or any English person for that matter) that you need a pair of pants. Over here, pants are underwear and you will get a funny look. Rather ask for trousers. Especially don’t ask for tracksuit pants – the picture this will create in the Englishman’s mind is a pair of underpants made from tracksuit material. It’s perfectly OK to ask for a tracksuit but if you only want the lower half, these are called jogging bottoms (nogal!)
4. If you invite English people around for “tea”, hungry people will descend upon your home expecting what we know as supper or dinner! People should be invited for A CUP OF tea.
5. Never order a toasted chicken mayo sandwich. You will be told by a highly health and safety trained (but otherwise wholly unskilled semi-literate Romanian/Polish/Czech) server that mayonnaise may not be reheated because it contains egg, sir. Instead, you have to order a “chicken toastie” with separate mayo – not the same but as close as you’re going to get in the UK nanny state!
6. If you eat too much on Christmas Day, the following may ensue:
"... I called my friend Andy Sable, gastroenteritis, to make an
appointment for a colonoscopy.
A few days later, in his office, Andy showed me a colour diagram of the
colon, a lengthy organ that appears to go all over the place, at one
point passing briefly through Minneapolis. Then Andy explained the
colonoscopy procedure to me in a thorough, reassuring and patient
manner. I nodded thoughtfully, but I didn't really hear anything he
said, because my brain was shrieking, quote, 'HE'S GOING TO STICK A TUBE
17,000 FEET UP YOUR BEHIND!' I left Andy's office with some written
instructions, and a prescription for a product called 'MoviPrep,' which
comes in a box large enough to hold a microwave oven. I will discuss
MoviPrep in detail later; for now suffice it to say that we must never
allow it to fall into the hands of America 's enemies.
I spent the next several days productively sitting around being nervous.
Then, on the day before my colonoscopy, I began my preparation. In
accordance with my instructions, I didn't eat any solid food that day;
all I had was chicken broth, which is basically water, only with less
flavour. Then, in the evening, I took the MoviPrep. You mix two packets
of powder together in a one-litre plastic jug, which you then fill with
lukewarm water. (For those unfamiliar with the metric system, a litre is
about 32 gallons.) Then you have to drink the whole jug. This takes
about an hour, because MoviPrep tastes - and here I am being kind - like
a mixture of goat spit and urinal cleanser, with just a hint of lemon.
The instructions for MoviPrep, clearly written by somebody with a great
sense of humour, state that after you drink it, 'a loose watery bowel
movement may result.' This is kind of like saying that after you jump
off your roof, you may experience contact with the ground.
MoviPrep is a nuclear laxative. I don't want to be too graphic, here,
but: have you ever seen a space-shuttle launch? This is pretty much the
MoviPrep experience, with you as the shuttle. There are times when you
wish the commode had a seat belt. You spend several hours pretty much
confined to the bathroom, spurting violently. You eliminate everything.
And then, when you figure you must be totally empty, you have to drink
another litre of MoviPrep, at which point, as far as I can tell, your
bowels travel into the future and start eliminating food that you have
not even eaten yet. After an action-packed evening, I finally got to
sleep. The next morning my wife drove me to the clinic. I was very
nervous. Not only was I worried about the procedure, but I had been
experiencing occasional return bouts of MoviPrep spurtage. I was
thinking, 'What if I spurt on Andy?' How do you apologize to a friend
for something like that? Flowers would not be enough.
At the clinic I had to sign many forms acknowledging that I understood
and totally agreed with whatever the heck the forms said. Then they led
me to a room full of other colonoscopy people, where I went inside a
little curtained space and took off my clothes and put on one of those
hospital garments designed by sadist perverts, the kind that, when you
put it on, makes you feel even more naked than when you are actually
naked. Then a nurse named Eddie put a little needle in a vein in my left
hand. Ordinarily I would have fainted, but Eddie was very good, and I
was already lying down. Eddie also told me that some people put vodka in
their MoviPrep. At first I was ticked off that I hadn't thought of this,
but then I wondered what would happen if you got yourself too tipsy to
make it to the bathroom, so you were staggering around in full Fire Hose
Mode. You would have no choice but to burn your house.
When everything was ready, Eddie wheeled me into the procedure room,
where Andy was waiting with a nurse and an anaesthesiologist. I did not
see the 17,000-foot tube, but I knew Andy had it hidden around there
somewhere. I was seriously nervous at this point. Andy had me roll over
on my left side, and the anaesthesiologist began hooking something up to
the needle in my hand. There was music playing in the room, and I
realized that the song was 'Dancing Queen' by ABBA. I remarked to Andy
that, of all the songs that could be playing during this particular
procedure, 'Dancing Queen' has to be the least appropriate. 'You want me
to turn it up?' said Andy, from somewhere behind me. 'Ha-ha,' I said.
And then it was time, the moment I had been dreading for more than a
decade. If you are squeamish, prepare yourself, because I am going to
tell you, in explicit detail, exactly what it was like.
I have no idea. Really. I slept through it. One moment, ABBA was yelling
'Dancing Queen, Feel the beat of the tambourine,' and the next moment, I
was back in the other room, waking up in a very mellow mood. Andy was
looking down at me and asking me how I felt. I felt excellent. I felt
even more excellent when Andy told me that It was all over, and that my
colon had passed with flying colours. I have never been prouder of an
internal organ!
Have fun, take care, drive safe, live, love and laugh.
We’ve settled in and are enjoying life here. The big challenge has been that both of us have been unemployed for over 3 months now and so we’ve really had to try to live very frugally – not much going out and no frills and extras – a complete difference to life in Dubai!
However the good news is that I got a job! I am going to be senior facilities manager on the Luton Borough Council Building Schools for the Future Project. It is only 10 minutes from home, which is a complete blessing. Unfortunately it doesn’t pay enough for us to live, so Janene’s still going to have to find a job (whether drawing from home or working for somebody). Still though, it’s reasonable.
Christmas is lean – what they’re calling a “credit crunch Christmas” over here. The big stores are reporting either no growth in sales or losses. Believe it or not, Woolworths has actually gone under. They have found no one to buy the company so they’re closing the stores and making the staff redundant. Redundancies are the name of the game here, with my industry shedding thousands of jobs. Thank God for my job with the Borough!
The weather has been cold for the past couple of weeks – around the 0 – 3o mark but it has warmed up the last 2 days to the 12o mark. No white Christmas for us this year but at least crisp and cold. We’re really enjoying that!
We have both my and J’s mothers here at the moment. This has its ups and downs but it’s good that there’s family around for Christmas. Especially for the kids – they love having the grannies around.
Both Greg & Casey have done really well at school. Both have had favourable feedback from their teachers and both were on in the top 3 of the merits list for their respective classes. They have both fitted in, made friends and are enjoying it.
Congratulations to Chris & Carol Mason on the birth of Ethan on the 18th. May he bring you much joy. And learn to play all those guitars. How many is it now?
According to reports from various people in Dubai, the bubble if not yet actually bursting, has developed a puncture with people unable to get mortgages, investors unable to sell investment properties and the government running out of money. Developments have been put on hold and the property and FM companies have begun retrenching. Looks like we escaped in the nick of time.
I have developed a taste for both English beer and mulled wine (a spiced seasonal drink). Yes yes I can hear all you righteous folks tut-tutting and clucking away – y’all’ll just have to live with it. It’s the English way, tha’ knaws!
And talking about righteous, we’re still looking for a good church to settle in. We’ve been going mainly to the Vineyard. It’s a nice church but the teaching is not hugely exciting and the worship is lacking in anointing. The musicians are all excellent though – all professional standard – and the kids seem to like the youth. I’ve got involved in the team leading something at the church called Time Out – a time once a month where people come and sit quietly in God’s presence or paint or write poetry or sing worship or lie down or prophesy or whatever. The idea is to listen to and fellowship with God and anything goes (in good order and subject to leadership, of course – one of the pastors leads it). The fact that we always start off with bacon rolls is also not entirely unwelcome.
This has been probably our most difficult year as a family to date and there’s no telling if the next will be a huge improvement. The hope is that it will be but no matter what happens, we know we can trust in God to be our supply and our strength. We don’t yet know what God intends for us in terms of ministry but we do know that we aren’t just here to get jobs and work until we retire. We believe God has a purpose for us being here – we just need to know what it is!
So, in closing, and following a tradition I started last year, here are some words of wisdom for the season:
1. Sometimes it’s easier to cook a turkey roll than a whole turkey – after all, it’s still turkey, it cooks quicker, fits in the oven and is easier to carve.
2. Don’t buy champagne named after a gay lumberjack (remember the Andre, Carol H!)
3. Don’t tell an English shop assistant (or any English person for that matter) that you need a pair of pants. Over here, pants are underwear and you will get a funny look. Rather ask for trousers. Especially don’t ask for tracksuit pants – the picture this will create in the Englishman’s mind is a pair of underpants made from tracksuit material. It’s perfectly OK to ask for a tracksuit but if you only want the lower half, these are called jogging bottoms (nogal!)
4. If you invite English people around for “tea”, hungry people will descend upon your home expecting what we know as supper or dinner! People should be invited for A CUP OF tea.
5. Never order a toasted chicken mayo sandwich. You will be told by a highly health and safety trained (but otherwise wholly unskilled semi-literate Romanian/Polish/Czech) server that mayonnaise may not be reheated because it contains egg, sir. Instead, you have to order a “chicken toastie” with separate mayo – not the same but as close as you’re going to get in the UK nanny state!
6. If you eat too much on Christmas Day, the following may ensue:
"... I called my friend Andy Sable, gastroenteritis, to make an
appointment for a colonoscopy.
A few days later, in his office, Andy showed me a colour diagram of the
colon, a lengthy organ that appears to go all over the place, at one
point passing briefly through Minneapolis. Then Andy explained the
colonoscopy procedure to me in a thorough, reassuring and patient
manner. I nodded thoughtfully, but I didn't really hear anything he
said, because my brain was shrieking, quote, 'HE'S GOING TO STICK A TUBE
17,000 FEET UP YOUR BEHIND!' I left Andy's office with some written
instructions, and a prescription for a product called 'MoviPrep,' which
comes in a box large enough to hold a microwave oven. I will discuss
MoviPrep in detail later; for now suffice it to say that we must never
allow it to fall into the hands of America 's enemies.
I spent the next several days productively sitting around being nervous.
Then, on the day before my colonoscopy, I began my preparation. In
accordance with my instructions, I didn't eat any solid food that day;
all I had was chicken broth, which is basically water, only with less
flavour. Then, in the evening, I took the MoviPrep. You mix two packets
of powder together in a one-litre plastic jug, which you then fill with
lukewarm water. (For those unfamiliar with the metric system, a litre is
about 32 gallons.) Then you have to drink the whole jug. This takes
about an hour, because MoviPrep tastes - and here I am being kind - like
a mixture of goat spit and urinal cleanser, with just a hint of lemon.
The instructions for MoviPrep, clearly written by somebody with a great
sense of humour, state that after you drink it, 'a loose watery bowel
movement may result.' This is kind of like saying that after you jump
off your roof, you may experience contact with the ground.
MoviPrep is a nuclear laxative. I don't want to be too graphic, here,
but: have you ever seen a space-shuttle launch? This is pretty much the
MoviPrep experience, with you as the shuttle. There are times when you
wish the commode had a seat belt. You spend several hours pretty much
confined to the bathroom, spurting violently. You eliminate everything.
And then, when you figure you must be totally empty, you have to drink
another litre of MoviPrep, at which point, as far as I can tell, your
bowels travel into the future and start eliminating food that you have
not even eaten yet. After an action-packed evening, I finally got to
sleep. The next morning my wife drove me to the clinic. I was very
nervous. Not only was I worried about the procedure, but I had been
experiencing occasional return bouts of MoviPrep spurtage. I was
thinking, 'What if I spurt on Andy?' How do you apologize to a friend
for something like that? Flowers would not be enough.
At the clinic I had to sign many forms acknowledging that I understood
and totally agreed with whatever the heck the forms said. Then they led
me to a room full of other colonoscopy people, where I went inside a
little curtained space and took off my clothes and put on one of those
hospital garments designed by sadist perverts, the kind that, when you
put it on, makes you feel even more naked than when you are actually
naked. Then a nurse named Eddie put a little needle in a vein in my left
hand. Ordinarily I would have fainted, but Eddie was very good, and I
was already lying down. Eddie also told me that some people put vodka in
their MoviPrep. At first I was ticked off that I hadn't thought of this,
but then I wondered what would happen if you got yourself too tipsy to
make it to the bathroom, so you were staggering around in full Fire Hose
Mode. You would have no choice but to burn your house.
When everything was ready, Eddie wheeled me into the procedure room,
where Andy was waiting with a nurse and an anaesthesiologist. I did not
see the 17,000-foot tube, but I knew Andy had it hidden around there
somewhere. I was seriously nervous at this point. Andy had me roll over
on my left side, and the anaesthesiologist began hooking something up to
the needle in my hand. There was music playing in the room, and I
realized that the song was 'Dancing Queen' by ABBA. I remarked to Andy
that, of all the songs that could be playing during this particular
procedure, 'Dancing Queen' has to be the least appropriate. 'You want me
to turn it up?' said Andy, from somewhere behind me. 'Ha-ha,' I said.
And then it was time, the moment I had been dreading for more than a
decade. If you are squeamish, prepare yourself, because I am going to
tell you, in explicit detail, exactly what it was like.
I have no idea. Really. I slept through it. One moment, ABBA was yelling
'Dancing Queen, Feel the beat of the tambourine,' and the next moment, I
was back in the other room, waking up in a very mellow mood. Andy was
looking down at me and asking me how I felt. I felt excellent. I felt
even more excellent when Andy told me that It was all over, and that my
colon had passed with flying colours. I have never been prouder of an
internal organ!
Have fun, take care, drive safe, live, love and laugh.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Cold and Raining
Hi all,
Today as I write, I sit upstairs in out main bedroom looking out of the window. It is raining outside and windy too. In the words of Paul Simon:
"And as I watch the drops of rain
Weave their weary paths and die
I know that I am like the rain
There but for the grace of you go I"
Now I'm obviously not focusing on the die but on the grace. By His grace, here we are!
Its also freezing. To the rain, cold and wind I say Yay - bring it on. I have left the middle east (note the lack of capitalisation - an indication of my contempt) and am loving not being there. In fact, we all are. In the words of my good friend and around-the-world-on-a-GS-1150-adventurer: "May I never go back there!"
We find ourselves settling into the idiosyncrasies of English life. For example, it is possible all over the world to order and be served a toasted chicken and mayo sandwich - Janene's favourite lunchtime repast. Now it is possible to order one here but not to be served one. In fact, although one may place the order, said order will be rejected. Why? Because it turns out it is illegal to reheat mayonnaise here. Why? Because it contains eggs and one may under no circumstances, on pain of death (or worse, an evening with Gordon Brown), reheat anything containing eggs.
I can't help but wonder if this means one must remove the eggs from a chicken prior to the roasting thereof.
Of course, the workaraound is to order the mayo separately and add it surreptitiously after the fact.
On the domestic front, we have our own idiosyncrasies. Our landlady left behind a very pretty plant on the mantelpiece, which Janene has been watering religiously. Noticing that it has not yet died, as indoor flora tends to do, and given that we were in search of a centerpiece for the table owing to an impending visit by our friends the Cases, yours truly picked it up last Friday, only to discover that it is a plastic replica of a plant as opposed to the real thing.
Now, although utter nonsense, one can understand that certain personality types need to believe in treating plants with kindness, talking to them, baking cookies for them, buying them Christmas presents and serving them lunch etc. However, applying this to imitations of plants is, methinks, carrying things a little far.
The kids continue to settle well into school and I think it could be said that they have settled.
All for now, as the rain plays its quiet tattoo on the window.
Blessings
Today as I write, I sit upstairs in out main bedroom looking out of the window. It is raining outside and windy too. In the words of Paul Simon:
"And as I watch the drops of rain
Weave their weary paths and die
I know that I am like the rain
There but for the grace of you go I"
Now I'm obviously not focusing on the die but on the grace. By His grace, here we are!
Its also freezing. To the rain, cold and wind I say Yay - bring it on. I have left the middle east (note the lack of capitalisation - an indication of my contempt) and am loving not being there. In fact, we all are. In the words of my good friend and around-the-world-on-a-GS-1150-adventurer: "May I never go back there!"
We find ourselves settling into the idiosyncrasies of English life. For example, it is possible all over the world to order and be served a toasted chicken and mayo sandwich - Janene's favourite lunchtime repast. Now it is possible to order one here but not to be served one. In fact, although one may place the order, said order will be rejected. Why? Because it turns out it is illegal to reheat mayonnaise here. Why? Because it contains eggs and one may under no circumstances, on pain of death (or worse, an evening with Gordon Brown), reheat anything containing eggs.
I can't help but wonder if this means one must remove the eggs from a chicken prior to the roasting thereof.
Of course, the workaraound is to order the mayo separately and add it surreptitiously after the fact.
On the domestic front, we have our own idiosyncrasies. Our landlady left behind a very pretty plant on the mantelpiece, which Janene has been watering religiously. Noticing that it has not yet died, as indoor flora tends to do, and given that we were in search of a centerpiece for the table owing to an impending visit by our friends the Cases, yours truly picked it up last Friday, only to discover that it is a plastic replica of a plant as opposed to the real thing.
Now, although utter nonsense, one can understand that certain personality types need to believe in treating plants with kindness, talking to them, baking cookies for them, buying them Christmas presents and serving them lunch etc. However, applying this to imitations of plants is, methinks, carrying things a little far.
The kids continue to settle well into school and I think it could be said that they have settled.
All for now, as the rain plays its quiet tattoo on the window.
Blessings
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Surprise Surprise, I'm in England!
Once again, yours truly was blessed. My company let me leave on the 7th and so on the 8th, I hopped a plane. My bags were packed, I wuz ready to go and so I went.
But, I didn't tell the family I was coming so, at 04h00 on the 8th, I arose, chucked my meagre belongings and myself into my hired car and hied me thither unto the airport. After confirming a free upgrade to business class, I flew from Bahrain to Abu Dhabi, where I lounged in the business clas lounge and caught a flight to Heathrow after 4 or so hours of said lounging.
Upon arrival at Heathrow, I proceeded to catch a bus to Luton airport and then a cab to the house. I got the cabbie to drop me down the road, snuck up, rang the bell and hid around the corner. Janene looked out the window and declare to all and sundry that there was no-one there. She then opened the front door (perhaps not the entirely wisest move) whereupon I announced my presence to the surprise and (fortunately) delight of all present who, (fortunately) numbered only 3.
So now here I am looking for a job and trusting in God for His provision. Please continue to pray.
This week has been interesting, with plumbers fixing floods, meetings with recruitment companies and the odd pint of bitter thrown (or should that be sloshed?) in for good measure.
We've also spent some time visiting parks and countryside - something you can't do in Dubai. What a blessing - to be able to do outdoors stuff for free as a family.
Apart fro the overwhelming beauty here, the other overwhelming thing is how expensive everything is. Quite a shock. Lots of eating out is a thing of the past for the Balls and we have to be really careful until I start earning an income.
We're also looking for a church - have visited a couple but not sure where to settle.
Blessings to all for now.
But, I didn't tell the family I was coming so, at 04h00 on the 8th, I arose, chucked my meagre belongings and myself into my hired car and hied me thither unto the airport. After confirming a free upgrade to business class, I flew from Bahrain to Abu Dhabi, where I lounged in the business clas lounge and caught a flight to Heathrow after 4 or so hours of said lounging.
Upon arrival at Heathrow, I proceeded to catch a bus to Luton airport and then a cab to the house. I got the cabbie to drop me down the road, snuck up, rang the bell and hid around the corner. Janene looked out the window and declare to all and sundry that there was no-one there. She then opened the front door (perhaps not the entirely wisest move) whereupon I announced my presence to the surprise and (fortunately) delight of all present who, (fortunately) numbered only 3.
So now here I am looking for a job and trusting in God for His provision. Please continue to pray.
This week has been interesting, with plumbers fixing floods, meetings with recruitment companies and the odd pint of bitter thrown (or should that be sloshed?) in for good measure.
We've also spent some time visiting parks and countryside - something you can't do in Dubai. What a blessing - to be able to do outdoors stuff for free as a family.
Apart fro the overwhelming beauty here, the other overwhelming thing is how expensive everything is. Quite a shock. Lots of eating out is a thing of the past for the Balls and we have to be really careful until I start earning an income.
We're also looking for a church - have visited a couple but not sure where to settle.
Blessings to all for now.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Quick Blupdate while bunking Bahrain in Dubai
Hi all. Just a quick one. Janene & the kids have moved into the house in the UK now, despite a couple of hiccups including a really awful hotel on their first night (yours truly managed to change their booking at the last moment in truly resourceful style), the house still having furniture in etc. (Again, a call to Australia from yours truly resolved). Never fear when Stuart is near!
I’m in Dubai at present – came here to cancel visas and close bank accounts. Will probably only go back to Bahrain over the weekend as it is awful there and I can’t stand it. I’m staying with our friends Allan & Angela and what a treat this has been – good company, good food and peaceful sleep.
The place I’ve rented in Bahrain sucks – the nosiest flat I’ve ever not slept in. The arab idiot next door to me parties until 4 and 5 in the morning and so I had no sleep at all last week. I’ve spoken to him and the building management but in vain. My only alternatives now are either to get violent or move out. I would naturally choose the latter but this will take a miracle because I’ve paid 3 months’ rent up front. Whatever happens, I cannot stay there and will not spend another night in the place.
Officially 9 and a half weeks to go before I can join the family. If there is any way I can arrange to leave earlier, I will. Please pray. Janene has been unable to connect to the Internet so communication is sporadic. I miss them so much
Blessings to all and more soon.
I’m in Dubai at present – came here to cancel visas and close bank accounts. Will probably only go back to Bahrain over the weekend as it is awful there and I can’t stand it. I’m staying with our friends Allan & Angela and what a treat this has been – good company, good food and peaceful sleep.
The place I’ve rented in Bahrain sucks – the nosiest flat I’ve ever not slept in. The arab idiot next door to me parties until 4 and 5 in the morning and so I had no sleep at all last week. I’ve spoken to him and the building management but in vain. My only alternatives now are either to get violent or move out. I would naturally choose the latter but this will take a miracle because I’ve paid 3 months’ rent up front. Whatever happens, I cannot stay there and will not spend another night in the place.
Officially 9 and a half weeks to go before I can join the family. If there is any way I can arrange to leave earlier, I will. Please pray. Janene has been unable to connect to the Internet so communication is sporadic. I miss them so much
Blessings to all and more soon.
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