Dear Readers,

Well, so much has happened.

The first thing was that it rained. The actual amount of rain was 20 mm but its effect was quite stupendous. Schools across the emirates were closed. Panic reigned and every (Emirati) driver drove around with their hazard lights on, thereby ensuring that there was in fact a hazard

The roads here have no drainage at all. That is not as silly as it sounds as for 360 days of the year they would be sand traps. But when it does rain the results are unpredictable and spectacular. Our friends drove into a water hazard on the road nearby and cooked their new BMW. They subsequently discovered alien attacks were an insured event but floods were not. Luckily the UAE Govt has retrospectively legislated that any vehicle under 18 months old would be covered by insurance. One can only assume that a Bentley or two suffered the same fate.

The next thing was that things  grew and birds nested and sang. The Emiratis celebrated by taking to the desert in their 4 wheel drives en masse. The road to Al Ain looked like Mystery Creek after Fonterra raised the payout. Hundreds of 4 x 4 ploughing up the desert, sideways down the dunes, rolling and polling, all the sort of fun that you can have when the Govt subsidises you U$D 55k a year before you go to work.

Another casualty of the rain was the car we intended to buy. A 2004 Dodge Durango V8. It was taken to the garage for a final lick and polish by its careful owner, got flooded and has not gone in the 5 weeks since. Very sad.

Next up came the Dubai 7’s. Lacks the unbridled passion of the Wellington 7’s but a good show nevertheless. NZ got walloped by Fiji in the semi’s. Ava announced herself over it and we ditched our flags  and slunk off to good natured jeers from the overwhelmingly English and Jarppie crowd.

Roger had to get a Visa. First up went with new friend Russell, who circumnavigated the carpark which was completely full, both of cars and would be residents from the sub-continent. Perhaps in recognition of the fact that Roger had forgotten the family passports, Russell floored it back to the exclave.

Next day Roger was on his own with passports in hand. Shorts were the problem that day. They are unacceptable clothing inside a Government office.

About to buy a pair of strides he remembered the dress he had in the car. Full arab dress. Slipped into that,  back inside, ushered past the queue, straight to the desk reserved for emirati. The emir in charge, whilst a little taken aback at the poor command of Arabic (“kiaora kiaora” can only take you so far) nevertheless entered into the spirit of things, stamps were flourished and he was back on the pavement in 15 pleasant minutes (people have grown old and died in that queue).

With the kind assistance the next day of Hamad (a real emirati) to manage the translation, at considerable expense (there are no taxes just exorbitant fees for this and that)  of documents into Arabic for the benefit of people who read English perfectly well, Ava and Roger have provisional (pink slip) approval for 3 years. Next stop for Roger, blood tests (aids), xrays (tb) and Iris scanning. You can bet on the outcome at www.TAB/privatebets/bowdenhasaidsandortb  .

The temperature has been tracking steadily downwards. Today was 20 degrees. The emirati had ski jackets over their Kandura. Mind you almost next door, over past Saudi, they had snow in Cairo for the first time in 100 years. Mostly it pans out at about 28- 30, and the pool is a nicely heated 24. The sea has headed down below that, so we don’t go there any more.

Our friend Tony Savage is coming for a fortnight on the 27th. First up we are going to the Musandam Peninsular  Diving in Oman and later to Muscat, also in Oman.  We went into the Hajar mountains for a looksee the other day. Absolutely stunning. Can’t wait to finally get on the road. We are tolerably familiar with most of the Malls in the UAE, the fake beaches, and the motorways.

 Hajar Mountains Ras Al Khaimah

We have now worked out the ultimate day trip to Dubai, at least from here. Drive to the Metro terminus, train to the Dubai Creek, walk through the souk and the heritage village to the undersea walking tunnel, across to the gold souk, onto the water taxi past the Palm Jumeriah and the Burj al Arab to the Dubai Marina, train back to the Dubai Mall, up the 1 km Burj Khalifa, and train back to the car. Cheap and cheerful all the boxes ticked in a day.

Dubai has long been a smugglers paradise. Hilariously we were taken to a den at the souk and shown an Aladdins Cave of counterfeit Prada etc bags and suitcases. All beautiful. When we went to leave, the place went into lock down because  there were authorities about.

Emma has tamed her class. They love her and the first formal assessment rates her as outstanding. She has fantastic colleagues in her year group who are highly competent and motivated teachers, one of whom is even married to her boss! Thats all good. Not so good is the 5.30 a.m. wakeup and back home at about 4.30 carrying an exhausted child back up to the apartment.

Ava has nevertheless flourished. Her already unusual pronunciation has morphed into an amalgam of Arabic, Kiwi, English, South African and US with a bit of Aussie thrown in. It sounds beautiful but a lot of the time we are quite unsure what on earth she is saying.

Emma and Ava are on holiday until the 5th of January. That is a real blessing as the going is tough for them. So far just doing holiday stuff at home. Trips to Dubai. Trips to the Malls. Hanging at the pool. Walks. This is the best time in the UAE and it really is a fantastic climate right now. One just can’t quite forget that furnace from August and September. Our home in Al Hamra, Ras Al Khaimah is a really nice place to live. It is quite like Tutukaka but bigger. Even has a pale imitation of Snapper Rock, but you want to see our Oceans Resort. It’s called the Waldorf Astoria and visible behind the Superyacht in the picture below the picture of our finest equestrienne.

There has been some sad news. Our friend Len Johnson died. Long life, short illness, great guy. Finn Benton has been the victim of a car crash. Other dear friends have separated. Funny, but these things really affect you when you are far away. It is a lot harder to process it.

On the plus side, Zoe has completed a BA (double major)/Llb inside 5 years. William passed all his exams, got an A, and cleverly kept the rest of his marks at such a level that future improvement will be easily noted.

Roger finally has some good news on the job front. Negotiations are afoot. The family income will at least treble and the good times will roll – an offer has been made but he is busy being a lawyer about accepting it. Poolside shirking is likely over.

Roger argues over which boat he gets as part of the contract.

Christmas is in Al Ain this year courtesy of our friends Jenny and Alex and their perfect daughters who Ava idolises. Then back for a soiree at the new would be bosses on Boxing Day. Going to be interesting.

We wish all our friends and family a merry Christmas and a happy new year. We will be booking our tickets for July to NZ.  Get the welcome mat ready please.

The Dubai Souk. Hilarious merchants absent from this photo.

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  We are thinking of friends and family at this time.

Love Roger, Emma and Ava.