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Above - Site meeting in the middle of the desert.

Above - Al Ain Sports stadium.

Above - Despite 60 minutes report, not everyone in the UAE lives in luxury. this house was about 1.5metres tall smack bang in the middle of the desert. the guy living here is a pump operator at one of the wells.

Above - Danger!!, watch out for loose camels, looks like this guy is taking them out for a walk.

Above - Al Ain score a penalty and the local team crowd are stoked!

Above - Better behave or you'll be blasted by this over sized water cannon used for crowd control.

Above - Would you like a tea while you watch the game Mr.?

Never a dull moment in the UAE....well perhaps not, but many a day feels like 'ground-hog-day", so i guess if you're first day wasn't dull, neither will be the next.

FS called to say there had been a 60 minutes report abut living in the UAE, particularly Dubai. I have not seen the report obviously, but can assure you, that unless you love sitting in traffic 2-3 hours a day and also want a frantic pace to you're life, Dubai is not so fantastic, but the UAE as a whole is a great place to come a visit and although i have only been here a couple of months, i think it would be a great place to live for a couple of years too.

I have said it before and will say it again. Given the option, i would live and work in Al Ain any day over Dubai. The money is the same, the cost of living is half and there is a real community atmosphere. It is kind of like the Plateau at home, only on a massive scale, without the beaches, double the temperature, people drive at 140km, no retirement village, it is flat as a tack, and unfortunately there are bugger all chicks walking around in bikinis or the 'special ones' from Southy beach. So really, it is nothing like home, is it?

Quick shout out to some good friends with new additions to their tribes. Sean and Gemma and Shane and Karen...well done to all.

My departure from the UAE, has been postponed by a week due to an excessive workload and list of priorities that arrived this week. I started a new role here for the third time. the rest of the term felt like a holiday compared to this one and i am very tired from all of the hours up to date. So I was gutted with the delay!! I went from a 4 day count down to an 11 day count down! Any way it is down to 8 now, and i can't wait. Things are looking positive to sign up for a longer term gig, but the number one rule i have learnt here...action speaks louder than words, and until i have a signed contract, and etickets in my hand and the deposit paid on the villa, it isn't a done deal. things can take 6 months to organise and agree upon here, and then just as they are...there is another change.

Went t the soccer (football) last week. Al Ain were playing ??? in the President's Cup at the the Al Ain Sports Stadium. Walked ion the gates (entry is free), past the huge water cannon trucks and armed police and security, (it looks like someone travelled to Europe and said"i want one of those and one of those and a that". Why they would need these i don't know, although the Arabs are very passionate about their Footy. Anyway, because i am a blue eyes, i was ushered to the VIP section (the important Sheiks and Arabs go to the VVIP section). We sat in a beautiful stadium, saw the pre-game fireworks, were served free drinks all night including tea (no alchol obviously), and then at half time i followed the crowd inside the stadium area for a free hot dinner and drinks and desert. Brooky Oval would have been mayhem at the thought of a free pie, let alone a smorgasbord of cakes, springrolls and other assorted goodies, but these guys were all calm and civil and there was plenty to go around. Anyway, Al Ain won on a penalty shot.

Nothing else too new to talk about, although it is getting hotter here now. My Arabic is much better, but it still takes plenty of hand gesturing and the like to get through to some of my team. I feel comfortable enough to break out into some impromptu singing every now and then (as anyone from work would testify, this can be often and sounds great!!) (the bouncers and other patrons from the local R'ry may disagree though).

Maah as salaama Habibis