Hiking

On Saturday morning Max and Simon joined three other young ex-pats to hike a mountain on Java Island in Indonesia.

Mount Merbabu is 3142 metres high. Thankfully it was an overcast day. Unfortunately, it started raining so the boys only went 3000 m before turning back. We have a great video of them slipping their way back down the mountain -- in half the time it took to go up.

They returned home tired, sore, and very muddy.

Simon is 15

Today Simon turned 15 years old. He celebrated at a local Indonesian restaurant. His present was a pair of Christmas Kobe 9s -- just released today!

Merry Christmas

We are celebrating Christmas with Don, Vicki, Brittany, and Hunter. We had great fun opening presents this morning. Now we are going for a swim! And later... a ham dinner!!

Cooking Class

On Tuesday, while the boys were diving, Lisa participated in an Indonesian cooking class. She worked alongside two wonderful Australian women and learned how to make mi goreng, corn fitters, tempe, and curried chicken. It was delicious and educational.

Under the Sea

This week Tim is fulfilling a lifelong dream of learning to SCUBA dive. Simon, Max, and Tim have taken the PADI theory course and are completing their open water dives this week. Today we all went to the island of Gili Air for diving, sunbathing, snorkeling, and a great lunch!

Fruit extravaganza!

We have been thrilled with fruit available in Indonesia. Mango and papaya are in season now and so sweet. We have also tried snake fruit, dragon fruit, jack fruit. And today our favourite is ramtangin. Rattan means hair in Indonesian language. Seems appropriate for this hairy fruit, which has a white flesh inside (like a lychee) and a small pit.

Arrived in Indonesia

Yesterday we arrived at the Sengigi Beach in Lombuk. We spent today relaxing by the pool.

Out with the old.....

One of the interesting things about living on a compound is fitting into the maintenance routines. Daily garbage removal, weekly gardening, monthly fire extinguisher check, annual smoke alarm testing. And last week it was time for a "furniture exchange" -- which happens every 4 years.

A large truck and team of movers rumbled down the street, going from house to house, removing living room sofas, chairs and tables. Then, a few minutes later, another truck and team of movers brought in new sofas, chairs, and tables.

Last MInute Guest

This week our friend Deanna, who lives in Abu Dhabi, came for an unexpected visit! The U.A.E. celebrated its 43rd National Day on Dec 2 so Deanna had a few days off in the middle of the week. She came to Doha for some Professional Development activities. Yesterday we had some free time and spent it well!

We shopped for a bit at Villaggio Mall then sat in Aspire Park enjoying the green grass, perfect temperature, and setting sun. After a delicious burger al fresco we attended the FINA World Swimming Championship at the Aquatic Centre.

Bow Tie Tuesday

Every Tuesday the male teachers in the Middle School at Qatar Academy Sidra celebrate by wearing a Bow Tie! The Elementary School celebrates every Thursday by wearing a particular colour. Tim is happy to oblige because he has shirts and ties in every colour!

Celebrating 50 !

Today Tim turns 50 years old! He says he doesn't feel it. Some people say he doesn't look it. Lisa says he doesn't act it.

He celebrated all weekend long!  First, a gathering of friends for cake on Thursday evening.

 Then an overnight getaway to a local beach resort, compliments of a very generous couple.

And a family birthday BBQ tonight with a special gift from Max and Simon. They gave Tim a set of Bose 25 headphones. The rest of us have good headphones and the boys thought it was time that Tim enjoyed noise canceling comfort when he travels.

Swim Meet 2014

We spent this past weekend at the pool. As always it was a thrill to watch Max and Simon swim for the Qatar Academy Falcons. This international competition was hosted here in Doha with teams attending from Kuwait, UAE, and Jordan. We hosted three swimmers from Dubai and had a wonderful weekend -- although feeding five teenage boys does keep Mom busy.

In the end Simon brought home 7 medals, including a GOLD in the 50m back stroke. And Max brought home 7 medals, including a SILVER in 100m Free (losing to his teammate who also swims on the Qatar National Swim Team).

The pool uses the electronic Colorado Timing System and human backup timers. Some races were very close -- Max won the SILVER in 50m Fly by 6/100th of a second!

And it was no wonder that Max's Freestyle Relay team won the GOLD medal; earlier in the day they made a clean sweep of medals in the 100m Free.

Talent Show

Max has been casually playing in a band from school. Just a group of guys that love music getting together a couple of times a week to play together. They call themselves "Doorhandle". They write their music and try a variety of  techniques just for fun. Rarely do they play in public. So it was a surprise when they decided to enter the school talent show last week.

Their performance was an original composition, lively, fun, and well done. They won First Place in the Talent Show and received a 1000 QR prize!

Scotland Universities

One of the advantages to having an International Baccalaureate High School Diploma is that University options become much more broad. Different from 30 years ago when Tim and Lisa graduated, students today spend a significant amount of time and effort visiting and researching Universities before making application. Max, in Grade 11, has begun this process.

Max is interested in pursuing an engineering degree. So while in Scotland we visited two universities that offer Chemical and Mechanical Engineering. Heriot Watt University is located on the outskirts of Edinburgh and Strathclyde University is in downtown Glasgow.  Max spoke with professors, Admissions officers, and students about their experiences.

Scotland Activity

We arrived in Edinburgh during torrential rain -- after the driest September since 1910. It figures. So our first stop was to buy good quality waterproof coats and umbrellas; we didn't want anything to stop our sightseeing. Thankfully we were able to time our outings between downpours.

Instead of staying in a hotel we chose to rent an apartment for the week. This gave us space, a kitchen, and a location on the Royal Mile, just minutes from the Edinburgh Castle.

We actually spent a lot of time on the Royal Mile -- the road that links Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace. It is filled with historical landmarks, sights, and shops. We visited a Tartan Factory, a kiltmaker shop, a Story Teller Museum, the Writer's Museum, and several cafes.

We were surprised to find this stone on the Royal Mile which states that near this spot in 1625, Sir William Alexander received lawful possession of the province of Nova Scotia from a representative of the King.

We spent a couple of hours wandering the Edinburgh Castle and listening on headphones to the history of the Castle and Edinburgh. It was a (surprisingly) beautiful day.

 We visited the Holyrood Palace which is the residence for the Royal Family when they are in Scotland. Every summer the Queen comes to Edinburgh for a number of official duties.

Holyrood Park, attached to the palace, is a beautiful area for hiking and walking. We climbed Arthur's Seat (a dormant volcano) for a spectacular view of the city.

Scotland Theater

While in Edinburgh we took advantage of the fantastic theater available. Many London West End shows travel to Edinburgh for limited performances. We were so happy to be able to attend a couple of these.

We saw two shows at the beautiful Edinburgh Playhouse. Jersey Boys was an amazing show! It is the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. A great performance and lots of songs. The performers were remarkable actors and singers. We also attended A Vision of Elvis. It was a sing-along with a Scottish Elvis impersonator. Fun!

And we also went to the beautiful Festival Theater for opening night of Top Hat. It is the remake of a 1930s movie starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Again, the actors were very talented dancers and the sets were incredible. Since it was opening night we were invited to wear Top Hats and tiaras. Of course we did!

Scotland Food

Max and Deep Fried Mars Bar

With two growing teenage boys, it should not be surprising that we spent a lot of time eating and exploring food in Scotland. We ate at a variety of establishments -- from local pubs to the Queen's cafe at Holyrood Palace. It was an adventure to try haggis (a spicy pudding of sheep heart, liver, lungs), and Iron Bru (a soft drink), and Deep Fried Mars Bar (just like it sounds!).

Fish Pie

But mostly we ate fish -- Fish and Chips with tarter sauce and mushy peas, Fish Pie made with salmon and cod, Cullen Skink (a chowder made with smoked haddock), and more Fish and Chips.....

All mushy peas are not alike! Family recipes!

Scotland Reunion

This past week we traveled from Doha to Edinburgh, Scotland for a fun-filled week of activities. Over the next few days we will share some of our adventures!

One of the things that drew us to Edinburgh was the opportunity to visit with an old friend. Daryl was Tim's Best Man at our wedding in 1988 (26 years ago!). Tim and Daryl were in the Air Force together and we haven't seen him in 18 years. Daryl and his family moved to Edinburgh in 1999 where Daryl now works as a Social Worker in the Scottish Prison System. His wife, Ruiqing, is a nurse on a cardiology unit in a local hospital.

We had some wonderful time with Daryl and his family: a delicious meal and lots of laughter at their home; a drive through the Kingdom of Fife; a walk along the water in Musselburgh; a taste of St Luca ice cream; a walk on the Royal Mile in the rain; and a peek at Edinburgh Castle. Wonderful memories!

Allergies

Last spring Max had two serious bouts of bronchitis. After trying a variety of medications and the change of climate in Nova Scotia, our pulmonologist recommended allergy testing to try and decipher the trigger.

Max was tested for a variety of trees, molds, pollen, animals and insects. Max only mildly reacted to one item -- and it was not Muppy!! Mugwort (a pollen) is a very common cause of hayfever. Thankfully Max's reactive airways do not inhibit his swimming or basketball activities.

Adventures in cooking

As always, the return to Doha means adjusting again to the unique brands of food available here. Products are flown in from around the world and so we really want for nothing. One morning a week Lisa usually goes to work late so that she and Vergie can try a new recipe. Both cooks look forward to the adventure -- although last week's Thai coconut chicken soup was not a very big hit with Max, Simon, and Tim!

This fall we were pleasantly surprised to find a shelf full of new Japanese products! So this week Lisa and Vergie made sushi! Using a Youtube video and products by the Yutaka company, Vergie was pleased with this new experience but then thoughtfully stated "we're no experts".

The Summer Summary

Once again, the summer flew by and our return to Doha has been full on! But as we settle back into school and work routines we take time to remember the highlights of spending two months with our family and friends. These pictures are some of our favourites -- not the "official" photos of Summer 2014, but wonderful memories.

Finding a baby turtle on the beach at the cabin

Hanging out on Canada Day

Sharing a meal with the McNally's

Reading in the hammock

Visiting Alan and Tricia in South Carolina

Making breakfast on the wood stove

Max getting his Beginner's License

Eating again -- with the Dykeman's

Cutting the cake at Selig Family Reunion

Being silly in Lunenburg with the other Dykeman's

Saying good-bye to another summer