DXBtoDOH

Mid-July. Slightly more than halfway through the summer by my calculations. It's hot and dry in Doha but surprisingly bearable, hasn't been cripplingly hot and humid (yet).

With the WC out of the way what's your plan for the rest of the summer? I have work and a long trip home starting mid-August. Four weeks! two with family and for a dental surgery, the other two at my new office but it's still not Qatar and therefore privately classified as still a holiday.

scrubbedexpat141

Back in Blighty at the moment for a week off this week and work the next, sadly it also involves helping in the organisation of and attending my Granny's funeral, but happily it meant I got to see her the two days before she passed.
Have managed to take Mummy out a lot though and enjoyed a day shopping and lunching in Bath with her yesterday.
The weather is spectacular here and we've BBQ'd and sat in the garden until late every night. Summer evenings in the UK are just total bliss.

Just booked Bali for next month to lie down for a week and do the square root of **** all.


When are you moving back permanently? Still the plan?

Millhouse

Been out of the heat for all the wrong reasons.

Was in the UK for a week about a week ago due to Mother Millhouse having a stroke (full recovery)... and off to Kenya tomorrow for 4-5 days to bury MM2's mother. Back in Dubai for a week and then away again for 2.5weeks - mixing it up between a tour of the UK to see friends (and Mother Millhouse) and a week in Marbs, then back to the UK two weeks later to pack mini-millhouse off to senior school. It's been an expensive summer.

I generally try to pepper in a couple of work trips to Cairo and Beirut over the summer to chill out a bit but it's looking increasingly hard to pull off. Although my overnight in Beirut last week was fantastic... Certainly I'm staying in Dubai for Eid.

DXBtoDOH

I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother. At least the great weather must make it easier to dwell on the good memories. Someone once said to me that people never truly die as long as others are still around to remember them, and there's an element of truth to it.

Permanent transfer is end of year and I'm circulating a date mid-December as I want to go on leave for the last two weeks.

weasel decentral

I'm working through the full summer and excluding a few days here and there, I'm not going to take any leave until the end of the year. Planning then to take 25 days or so of a trip up the east coast of Australia, camper van/RV/tent type jaunt with a lot of BBQ and surfing thrown in.
Aussie summer plans I guess rather than northern hemisphere. My summer plans in India revolve around avoiding malaria during the monsoon.

TheShed

Just back from a very pleasant work week in New York, but that's followed next week by Doha and Bahrain . Following week will be HO in Bangalore which should be nice as it's raining quite hard and then a quick week in Dubai before summer holidays in Thailand and Vietnam - can't bloody wait.

Sorry to hear about your Gran, Scamps but, like you say, least you got to see her.

Millhouse

weasel decentral

Why are you giving a speech at your mother in laws funeral?

Millhouse

Miss Ann Thrope

MH and Scamp, sorry for your losses. It's just a feature of getting older unfortunately. It just gets worse on that score from here but hopefully anyway now you are even more conscious of valuing the moments you do have with loved ones, especially the ones you don't see often.

It's easier for me as I hate everyone and, surprisingly, the feeling seems mutual. But I wouldn't have expected those peasants to have decent taste anyway.

scrubbedexpat141

Thanks for the kind comments, apologies for a tardy repsonse. Working in London this week and then heading down for funeral at the end of the week before flying back.