I'm pregnant! I'm unemployed! I'm moving to Abu Dhabi!

I've not blogged for months because for months i've only had four things to say:

• I feel sick
• I hate my job
• It's too hot
• Qatar's rubbish

And as my Mother says, if you've nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all.

But now i do have some nice things to say:

• I'm pregnant! 
• I'm unemployed!
• The weather's a bit cooler!
• I'm moving to Abu Dhabi!

So the nature of this blog is likely to change yet again: first wedding blog, then new job in Qatar blog, and now expat wife blog. That's right - now i'll no longer be working, i'm going to seek out the life of a proper

Abu Dhabi

I'm back home after a weekend in Abu Dhabi. We liked Abu Dhabi, it's a bit like a cross between Dubai and Doha. At least we think it is, we didn't actually see very much of it, for the first 40 hours we didn't leave the hotel. But we did manage to see some interesting stuff during a six hour sightseeing spree this afternoon. We started the day at the mosque, where I had the opportunity to wear an abaya (well, you have to or you're not allowed in). I won't lie, I enjoyed wearing it, it was basically dressing up, which I like.

Here I am:

 Posing with my husband - no touching.

It was seriously hot in that courtyard - hottest part of the day, hottest part of the year, hottest part of the world.  Grim.

I was hoping N would have to wear a thobe (traditional floor length white shirt worn by men in the Gulf) - but they only gave those to men wearing shorts - and my husband is far too culturally sensitive to make such a faux pas.

Later we went to the

Doctors

I'm posting this from a doctors surgery, a doctors surgery with free wifi. Imagine. It's a doctors surgery that calls me a 'guest', and has velvet sofas in the waiting area, and has a tea lady with a trolley with drinks that are free. That's right, I've gone private.

It's also a doctors surgery that makes you queue for the cashier

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.