Two weeks rolled into one

Hi folks - didn't get chance to do a blog last week, so two weeks rolled into one now! I have had an incredibly busy 2 weeks - but what is new there!!?? We visited the new Lulu supermarket the other week - it really is huge and has a great stock of food (until they run out tho - it happens often here - stuff appears on the shelves - it gets snatched up and you don't see it for months then!!), then picked up a raffle prize from Desert Designs - they donated a carpet for PAWS. Went to Bahrain - had a lovely massage and then went for lunch - picked up another raffle prize for PAWS - meal for 2 at Jim's, then went to see Avatar. I thought the effects were amazing but the story line was a little corny! But a good film! Then on to Trader's and picking up another raffle prize - 25BD to spend there - as you can see I have been on the blag for prizes big time!!

We ended up staying in Bahrain at Darron's and came back to Saudi on the Friday for a spot of hashing!! That is running or walking in the desert. We did about 5k I think which was quite good, followed by pie and mash at Mary's house afterwards!! Good night - however, first time hashers (ie me) have to perform duties of being forced to drink beer!!!

I started running again last week - I got some good trainers from Athletes Foot which have a high instep so have found my legs and ankles are much better - so building up my running again now! Classes (pilates body conditioning) are picking up now as folk get back into the swing of things and I have a meeting with recreation tomorrow to show them the state of the equipment cupboard where I teach - the stuff hasn't been updated for years and the mats are all smelly and the weights falling apart - so hopefully they will spend a bit of money on some new stuff for us....

I am trying to do revision, when I can, for my personal training exam. I have, in fact, just had an email today to say that the company I use are coming to Bahrain in March and April, so hopefully they will allow me to do the exam then - save me paying to go to Dubai.... so need to get my backside into gear now I have dates to aim for...

I had a very busy weekend last week. I went to a sushi making class Weds night which was great and I now need to buy all the gear to make the sushi - we made loads though! Really enjoyed it! Then Thursday morning I was up early for the doggie dawdle, raising money for PAWS - lovely day too and loads of owners and their dogs joined in - around 60 folk! Joy bought down a dog too which needed re-homing and managed to find a home for it which was great! Then I had a PAWS meeting and we sorted all the socials out, then I went bowling, meal and then to a headbangers ball! Relived my rock chic youth!!

Friday in Bahrain to the mall and for chill out time.

So, that brings me to this week now. Its already nearly Tuesday! Just been running/teaching/sorting cats out - in fact when I go to Dubai in 2 weeks I have to visit a lady to pick up some donations for PAWS! I cannot believe where they keep coming from! Also hoping to meet up with my personal training mates and go up the highest tower in the world - the Burj Khalifa!!

I am off to boot camp shortly - don't get much these days, but have to go sort out a PAWS related matter afterwards on the compound there! It never stops!

Anyway, over and out from me.

Flights booked for home too - back 3rd - 10th June....

PLEASE WRITE BACK SOON!!!

Jill

xx

Hofuf trip weekend

Hello, another weekend has sped by.. PAWS is definitely taking over my life, but its a good thing - I am enjoying the challenge.. we have managed to sort out the garage sales so are having one of them in February and I have also secured a race night and band night over the next few months to raise cash and we have the casino night too in April! The race night should be good anyway, I learnt the ropes for that last night and we just need to get betting slips now - will see if someone can get some from the UK....

I spent Thursday in Hofuf on a trip - was helping out my friend Louise and was a tour guide. We went to the camel market, souk, fort and then the dairy farm. The farm was interesting - 11,000 cows there!! So, at least I know where my milk comes from now in Saudi!! It was a long day though - I was up at 5.30am and home at 6.00pm and had a stinking headache, so we just stayed in Thursday..

Friday Darron managed to set the smoke alarm off whilst cooking bacon - so before the firemen turned up he had to quickly eat the evidence!! Our fire alarms are connected to a central system now so the firemen always come round!! Then I had the PAWS meeting which went very well - we managed to sort out a lot of issues we had had and sort out the socials too so it was a worthwhile meeting. Later went to some friends for tea so caught up with them....

This week has been busy - just been working on PAWS stuff mainly and fitting in work around it and study for my personal training! I had to go to the Dr and have been given some arch supports which should hopefully help me with running as I have been getting injured.. Also, I had to take Sharon the hamster to the vet - she has a mouth infection - I am not sure if she will get better or not - she is quite poorly. Did my first class - pilates and conditioning mix - Sunday - that went quite well too and this weekend is pretty mad too!

Achieved more TV stations for the girls in the ballpark too after months of hasseling them so have something decent to watch now and I can cancel my satellite subscription too! And we managed to get a bus to go to the new mall after some wrangling with community services as they did refuse to put one on for us to start with! And I also managed to blag 8 prizes for the PAWS raffles off various companies! So not a bad week at all..

Weekend is busy - off to Lulu (the new supermarket) and then I have to pick up a carpet from Desert Designs as they are donating one to PAWS for the raffle - goodness knows where I will keep it though - currently my car has 5 old cat traps in it! There is no room! Tomorrow going to Bahrain - spa, Avatar, buying new trainers, Jim's for lunch and to pick up a meal for two voucher and then to TVs to pick up another voucher for PAWS!

And hashing on Friday - that is running/walking through the desert!

Over and out...

Jill

xxx

Christmas and NY in Saudi/Bahrain

Helllooo - here we are in a new decade and a new year. I am quite freeked out really as it doesn't seem 2 minutes since the year 2000 and we were in Bahrain then and coming back ove the causeway at 3am in the morning, wondering if anything would still be working as everyone was saying all the computers, etc, wouldnt be able to cope with the new date change! What a load of rubbish that was!

Being back in Saudi has taken me some time to adjust to after being at home for so long I must admit, and its only this week that I have begun to feel back to normal... the first week I was back I threw myself into fitness every week - running, spin and at the gym, practising for my personal training, then my ankle went and now I have my shin split injury back, so I am a bit annoyed to say the least. Am still training of course!!!

Christmas Eve we just stayed in - I had a few friends round for drinks - Liss and Andy drove up from Riyadh too - it was a nice, if not quiet night. Up early for Bahrain and Jim's the next day. It was good fun over there - the Secret Santa was a laugh, but to be honest, just another drunken day in Bahrain... its difficult for it to feel like Christmas when it is sunny outside really and you are not with your family... But it was ok. I stayed over at Darron's and was in bed for 8pm - up at 5am though the next day for work. That seriously was quite rubbish, I must admit - everyone you spoke to was on a downer having to work Boxing Day - and to top it off, one of the guys I work with upset me so much that I ended up walking out of work at 2pm! I was covering for my colleague for the week and basically wasn't aware of one of the systems she uses so he decided to haul me up in front of the GM to tell me off - even though it wasn't my fault. Not a great thing to happen at all - but its in the past now and he did apologise too.. Oh yes, I also did a Jingle Bell Run (before my legs went) - that was good fun - running around the best decorated houses on camp and singing carols - ran around 5K too! We all wore bells and flashing lights - great atmosphere!! There were numerous drinks do's going on on camp too.

PAWS continues to cause me some concern. Basically, we aren't recognised in Saudi as in Muslim religion you are not supposed to harm an animal and some locals see sterilizing cats and dogs, to keep their numbers down, as causing them pain. Anyway, so we are kinda underground but have become an umbrella group of the Women's Group on Aramco so we can use their facilities. There is a kennel club on camp too but they don't like us much - thats a long running feud apparently that goes back years so thats why we come under the Women's Group, not kennel club.

So, we hold garage sales that fetch in around 1,000 pounds a month - and now they have stopped us holding garage sales because some of the self directed groups dont like it we get priority over rooms when they struggle to book - its all a load of coblers really and childish, school yard politics, but we have now lost 3k pounds by not having garage sales and its really frustrating. I have had a meeting with the Manager of recreation (who book the rooms out) and he has decided it would be easier to become affiliated with the kennel club - however that doesn't solve the problem of the garage sales - and we have stuff piling up to sell!!! I am busy organising two socials tho in the meantime - a race night and band night, so that will bring in a bit of cash. Sorry thats a long story, but this company sucks at times!!

No news on houses - I bid and didn't get one - so that is starting to do my head in again. 2 years now stuck in student accommodation - what else can I do - I have been to the top and although the lists are out more frequently, it still isn't great... the next option is to storm housing I guess with as many of the girls as I can get!

New Year was eventful - went over on the Weds night to Bahrain - stayed with the girls in an apartment that night - with Breige, Tracy and Clodagh, Breige's mate from Abu Dhabi. Went to the Hard Rock for some food - just got out the car and got harrassed by some locals, one of them pinched my backside and subsequently got my handbag around his head - they should know better than to mess with me. Met up with a few more friends later and then me and Clodagh got a cab back around 11.30 and the driver was trying to rip us off - he wanted 8 quid for a 2 min taxi ride - we were arguing like mad and he was going to call the police etc... in the end I told him to get lost and I'd report him to the police for trying to rip us off - remember - don't mess with Jill!!

So, NYE was quite nice - had my done in the morning and then met up with Darron, picked up my bag and got ready at his then met up with friends at Camelots. We had lobster to eat - totally gorgeous. Later we went to The Dublin pub - great atmosphere and lots of our friends there - managed to stay out until 2am! It was raining really bad when we came out and we got soaked!!

NYDay was fine - felt ok and we ventured out later and went to see Sherlock Holmes at the flics which was really good. Just stayed in and chilled the rest of day really....

Anyway, that was it really - NY and Christmas for you.

Its already been an eventful year so far, following this weekend's madness - but you will have to wait to hear about that in my next blog!!!

Write soon - I am so busy with PAWS and revising at the moment, that I will do my best to stay in touch individually - but you know where I am if you want to write!!

Jill

xxxx