Dinner

Last week we cooked at home every single night. It was a real first, and surprisingly comforting. Five months in, perhaps we're starting to make Qatar our home at last?

It was comforting because we cooked exactly what we would have cooked at home. However, we've still not quite got the kitchen fully kitted out, so

Car crime

I have decided to take a break from filling in my Lulu Hypermarket raffle coupons to write this blog. I'm competing for a Mercedes Benz - a slightly better incentive than the 'set squares for schools' coupons you get at Tesco.

They do like cars here - but you never hear of anyone stealing a car, in fact, people leave their keys in the ignition and the engine running when they go into shopping malls. Rather than turn their aircon off, they just leave them going - car parks full of

Acclimatisation

When N and I left work this afternoon, we both remarked on how much cooler it was outside. It was 37.5 degrees. That was when I realised we'd become totally acclimatised. Literally.

It also struck me that I only really notice one example of dangerous driving a day now, and half the time I'm the perpetrator.

And I like to think I've hit a groove with my middle eastern wardrobe. Long skirts are going down very well with lady Arabs, as is the

Photos of Doha

Thanks to clever friends with cameras, I now have some photos of Doha to share with you. 

Thanks J&J.

 This is a bit of Doha. Skyscrapers? Check. Palm trees? Check. Building site? Check.

 A camel, some desert and a Toyota Landcruiser.

Now you have a real sense of Doha. The rest are just for fun.

On the plus side

Don't worry, it's not all bad.

This post is designed to counteract the last one, which suggested things were bleak, when in fact, I just have to get a new cheque book.

On a more positive note, I am now the proud owner of a water cooler. Do you know anyone else with a water cooler? I bet you don't, catapulting me to the top twenty

Annoying.

Arrgghhh - this place can be challenging. Petty annoyances drive me to distraction. N and I can't pay half the rent each, because the landlords accountants will find it "too confusing". This after I'd already written out 12 post dated cheques (the Qatar way of doing things). Now I

Days out. Days in.

The house move went just fine I'm thrilled to report. I'm now two weeks in my new pad and very nice it is too. Still no Internet access unfortunately, so I'm writing this from the W cafe.

An hour with Internet access after two weeks without is a glorious thing. I checked my bank balance, caught up with Facebook, read the news, cleared my emails, checked my ex boyfriend's blog for defamatory comments. Now I'm ready to blog.

We were lucky enough to receive visitors last week, My good friends J&J came for a