A Long List of Firsts

It's been a couple of very busy weeks.  My apologies for not being in touch much with people back home, we haven't forgotten about you, it's just there's still so much to arrange and sort out here; not only our home life, but also the office I have set up and all the paperwork surrounding the residency permit(s), visa extensions, work visa, family visa, temporary driving license, permanent driving license, opening a PO Box account etc.  Then during Eid I was horribly ill.  It was nothing more than a terrible cold, coupled with a little exhaustedness and a smidgen of 'emigration stress' with a fourth coldsore in two months thrown in for good measure, but I felt pretty pants to be honest!  Luckily I only had one day to work and managed to struggle through the week, going to bed at 8-ish, the same as NJ.

Anyway, thing of the past (except the nagging cough) and we are quickly adding to a list of 'firsts' here in sunny Doha:

• Our first visit to a Qatar public beach - Fuwairit (North Qatar)
• I drove on the beach (got stuck as well - note to self; procure 4 x 4)
• NJ's very first kayaking trip through the mangroves, watching the sunset (awesome)
• I've gone blond (first time with long hair)
• My first Doha beach party (took me two days to recover)
• My residency permit got issued - I'm now officially a resident of Qatar
• I have a Qatar (permanent) driving license and I didn't have to hand in my Dutch one
• I baked a super-hero cake - three tier - and it turned out ok!
• I dressed as Wonder Woman for the super-hero party (no wonder I'm single) complete with socks with capes and a WW bag
• We have a maid/nanny - for the first time in twenty years I don't have to clean my own house!
• I've bought a One Direction album and I'm blooming enjoying it #guiltypleasures (taking NJ to see them in Dubai next Spring)
• NJ is studying four languages at school (rather him than me).

Anyway, here's to many more 'firsts' for NJ and I!  It's my birthday on Thursday and a table is booked with five of my favourite ladies at Hakkasan in St. Regis - I've been to the one in Abu Dhabi and it's probably some of the best Asian food I've ever tasted!  Then there will be another beach party, last Thursday was just a practise!!