Camping in the Desert and Someone else from Home

Justin Kennedy from Waverley has now joined us at TFCN. This makes three former EDHS students at TFCN. The question I get asked is "Is there anyone left in the Vasey area?"

Kevin, Justin, Ryann and Brianne went camping in the desert with approx. 50 other staff from TFCN last weekend. Rick had a sore back so we had to skip this trip. They were sandboarding, quad-biking and 4x4'ing in Land Rovers over the dunes. Kevin and Justin found it hot in the traditional Arabic tents for sleeping so climbed a dune and slept in the open air. Others slept on the beach....others didn't sleep much at all. Brianne's birthday was on Friday so she woke up on her 21st birthday in the desert. Something she'll never forget. Kevin and Justin went sandboarding early in the morning...no chair lifts to take them back to the top.

The temperature is not below 40 most days and is more bearable again. I never thought that I would think 35 - 38 degrees was tolerable. With all the humidity gone, everyone is getting sunburns again. Kevin is outside all day so is one big freckle!

We have some great long dinners at the villa. We have a massive dining room table that seats 14 and we sit around for a few hours chatting and comparing cultures with our roommates from England and South Africa. Kevin and Justin joined us last night - lots of laughs.

We are spoiled with our new Indonesian cook. We are being introduced to a variety of new foods and dishes. We bought a new Labanese cookbook so have been getting a variety of Lebanese meals also.

Ramadan starts next week so our lives will chanage. Watch for updates.

Hockey, Construction and Basketball Test Venue

After a couple of long weeks, the basketball venue is installed. Rick spent many long days and nights supervising the group that were installing.

Tomorrow we are celebrating three September family birthdays. Brianne is one of them. We are having an afternoon of food, swimming, games, etc. at the Villa. Should be fun. Brianne will be 21 on the 15th.

The tower is a hotel that is supposed to be finished for December 1st. Good luck! The swimming pool is suspended out the side of the building. Everything is done to the extreme in this country. There is going to be a red piece of material with blowers on it shooting out the top of the tower.

Seems funny watching Kevin play hockey in a mall. Three levels of viewing with lots of people watching!!