Nigros In Doha

Thank You John

2007-10-29T06:10:00.001-07:00

Brianne and John Arpin
Midland Music Festival Fundraising Concert - 2006

Kiel Canal and Warnumende Germany

2007-08-31T07:34:00.001-07:00

A few drops of rain could not dampen our spirits in the Kiel Canal and Warnemunde. Rick and I haven't seen rain for months so we didn't mind a bit!

Schwerin Castle was marvelous. I had pre-arranged a rental car but the best laid plans....! Upon arriving at the rental agency, we discovered that the car had not been delivered. After a brief 15 minute wait, they showed up with the van...but only 5 seats in a 7 passenger van. We drove the van, following the driver of another vehicle to a volkswagen dealership. They left us there for almost an hour - in a place where no one spoke English and no information as to how long we would have to wait. Finally, our driver showed up with a 7 seater van! We drove through the countryside which reminded us alot of home. All that green! As we neared Schwerin, we stopped at a petrol station for directions. I showed the attendant a map and a brochure. She pointed in several directions, whistled twice and gave one "zip." I relayed the message when I returned to the van but no one seemed to understand. Surprisingly enough, we found the town of Schwerin. Again, we asked directions of a passerby on the street. He asked where we were from...our answer Canada....his reply.....follow me! We would never have found the place so were grateful for the guide. As we entered the palace, I decided to proceed through the gates and in the main door. I was greeted by a security guard who quickly informed me that I had entered the parliamentary building and was not allowed to be there. Thankfully she directed us to the proper entrance and we were able to tour the palace. It had been an comical journey to that point.

After touring the castle, we returned via Bad Doberan so we can visit the monastery. So much history and so little time! We managed to get the car returned and get back to the ship in time. We were pleased with oursevles for not getting lost and getting everyone back safe and sound.

Cheers to a great cruise!

Flipping the Funnel to fit under the bridges

Brass band and tourists at the Kiel Canal

Funky house along the canal

Schwerin Castle - Germany

Beautiful Gardens at the Castle

700 yr old monastery at Bad Doberan

Bad Doberan Monastery

Thatched roof homes along the way

Two week vacation - First two days in Dover

2007-08-17T01:50:00.000-07:00

Dickens Corner - Dover

Wartime tunnels from the face of the cliff

Church of St. Mary-in-Castro c. 1000

Church of St. Marty-in-Castro c.1000

Lighthouse beside c.450

Dover Castle

Dover Castle & Rick!

White Cliffs of Dover - 8km hike

Rick and I have just returned from two weeks off...away from the sand and heat! We had planned a 12-day Baltic Sea cruise with our friends Dave and Paula from Canada. The cruise departed Dover England on July 28th. We went a couple of days early and stayed in Dover. We hiked the White Cliffs trail and then visited the Dover Castle, Dover museum and enjoyed the green grass, flowers and all the colour! The intinerary included, Warnemunde Germany / Tallin Estonia / St. Petersburg Russia / Helsinki Finland / Stockholm Sweden and Copenhagen Denmark. We had two full days in St. Petersburg and enjoyed several excursions. The cruise was magnificent. We can understand how people get hooked. Following the cruise, Rick and I went by ferry to Calais France. We rented a car and drove to Normandy, stopping at the Juno Beach Canadian War Museum and then back to Dieppe. We stopped at three Canadian war cementeries. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time to get to Vimy - next time.

We're back in the heat and humidity and pretty much locked indoors when possible. Only a few more weeks of this and we will be back to reasonable temperatures - low 40's.

Latest News

2007-05-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

We are still in Doha where tempartures are starting to hit the 40's. It has come early this year and boy is it hot!

In the last month, I have made two trips to Dubai. Kevin was playing hockey at a tournament so Rick and I decided to join him. We watched lots of hockey with Kevin's team getting put out in the semi-finals with less than a minute left in OT.

Last week I was back in Dubai at a beautiful resort, Madinat Jumeriah for a three day conference - Compensation and Benefits for Interational HR Directors. It was an extremely informative conference with almost 60 HR directors. We did a historical tour of Dubai, visited a museum and went to the gold souq. Dubai was nothing but desert less than 40 years ago. It is hard to believe it has become the city it is. Everything about Dubai is being the biggest, the fastest, the brightest, the tallest, etc. etc.

Kevin has just returned from a week in Stockholm with Brianne and Jonas. Brianne and Jonas have also returned to Doha this week for a month.

We expect to all be in Beijing within a month, just in time before the extreme heat hits Doha.

Will keep everyone posted!

Home for Holidays - Back in Doha

2007-04-03T14:18:00.000-07:00

Bird's Eye View - 3rd level of Mall - Desert Cup '07

Kevin -3rd from right - MVP for Qatar Pioneers

Erin and Aunt Mare - One last hug!!

Brianne & Sean after his 8 goal game!!

Jonas, Papa, Brianne, Memaw

Uncle Rick with Sean and Erin / Trumpeter Swans at Wye Marsh

Niagara Falls - under the Falls in Winter

I have just returned from a fabulous 3 weeks at home in Canada. Of course, mom fed us until we could eat no more. Brianne was home for a couple of weeks and was joined by Jonas for a week. They are now vacationing in Sweden. Rick is still in Ontario for another couple of weeks doing some work there for the company. Our apartments aren't ready in Beijing so I will be staying in Doha until the end of April. Not a bad thing as the weather is beautiful right now. There is still one more thing I want to do in Doha....will keep you posted!

Last weekend Kevin had a hockey tournament at the City Center Mall. For all the details go to www.qiihl.com. Kev's team didn't have a great tournament but Kev played well and was voted MVP for his team. It was amazing how many people filled the three levels of the mall to watch.

Thanks to everyone who took time to see us during our trip home. It was great being with all our friends again.

Breathtaking Oman - Wadis & Jebels

2007-02-10T10:20:00.000-08:00

Road to Wadi Bani Awf

Kevin - on top of the mountain

Jebel Shams

Wadi Shab

Village near Jebel Shams

Jebel Shams

Wadi Shab
Kevin with local boys at Wadi Ghul

Shangri-La Resorts - Musat
Outskirts of Muscat

The past three days in Oman have been nothing short of spectacular. Scenery that you only see in travel magazines and dream about seeing some day. A "wadi" is a valley or dried up river bed. A "jebel" is a mountain. We hired a guide on Thursday and toured Musat, Old Muscat and a new series of three hotels referred to as Shangri-La. Late in the day we rented a 4x4 in preparation for the next two days. On Friday, we drove up Jebel Shams, the highest mountain in Oman at 3,075m, went to Al Hooti Caves and visited the town of Nizwa. We left at 7:30 in the morning and returned at 9 pm at night. On Saturday we began the morning with a tour of the Grand Mosque. The carpet in the main hall took 600 women two years to make. The total weight of the carpet is 21 tonnes. The chandalier weighs 8 tonnes and is made of Swarovski cyrstals. The Grand Mosque was a gift to the people from Sultan Qaboos on his 30th anniversary. By 10 am we began a tour down the coast towards Tiwi, and visited what is referred to as one of the most beautiful sites in Oman - Wadi Shab. At approx. 50 km away from the Wadi, we found ourselves driving on a mountain trail marked with hand-painted signs - TIWI this way! Within a few kms. we saw herds of sheep, goats, wild donkeys and camels along the beach. The beaches along the Gulf of Oman are stunning....rockface cuts down to the water leading to stretches of white sandy beach. At Wadi Shab, we hiked for approximately one hour through the Wadi. Unfortunately, due to an early evening flight, we did not have time to go all the way back to the sink hole where one can swim through caves. Not so sure I would have tried that in any event! Kevin, Rick and I had an amazing weekend. It was a geography teacher's dream weekend!!

Industrial Area and Labour Camps

2007-02-06T10:57:00.000-08:00

Waiting for Work

Local Tire Repair shop

Labour Camp
Notice the drivers sitting off to the left under the green tarp

Rick thought it would be a good idea to take some pics of the way people live in Doha, street shots, etc. I was able to take a few pictures today out in the Industrial Area, where our plant is. The rows of equipment are available for rent. The drivers sit around on the ground all day waiting for someone to come along and hire them and their truck, crane, etc. Quite a lifestyle.

Doha Golf Club

2007-02-05T07:12:00.000-08:00

Rick's new shoes!!
Entrance to Club House
Club House!

Doha at Dusk and Kevin's tee-off

Just a few pics of the Doha Golf Club where the Masters was played. Rick and Kevin golfed 9 holes on Saturday. I made it to the driving range ......need some more practice as it has been a few years. Rick is back out again tonight for another 9 under the lights! I'll sit this one out.

Anyone for Extreme Boating

2007-01-29T09:46:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago we went to the Formula 1 International Boat Race at the Doha waterfront. Yet another free event with no line ups and lots of parking. The Qatari driver....JAY PRICE, won the race. Something tells us he is not truly Qatari but obviously has found a new country to sponsor him. Lots of noise and only one spill! I think motorcycle racing starts next weekend.

Qatar Masters Golf

2007-01-29T08:13:00.001-08:00

This past weekend was the Qatar Golf Masters. Free event for spectators - all of whome were expats! Attendance was much better this year than last apparently. Easy viewing of some of the big guns and an opportunity to get Ailsa some autographs at the end! For results...check out http://www.europeantour.com/ Retief Goosen won with an eagle on the 18th hole on Sunday. Unfortunately we were at work on Sunday to didn't get to see the final. It was a beautiful day for a walk on the golf course and even though I don't consider myself to be a golfer, I appreciated the talent these guys have. The winner, Goosen, took home $257,000 Euro!! Got a couple of video clips of how to drive a ball! Maybe we can learn a thing or two from it!

What We Did for Christmas This Year - Part 2!

2007-01-03T10:44:00.000-08:00

Rick and Kevin enjoyed a round of golf at Dubai Creek Golf and Country Club on Christmas Eve day while Brianne and I did the pedicure/manicure and shopping thing.

Christmas Eve was spent at a Polynesian Restaurant...all you can eat and drink international buffet (including turkey!) Brianne was asked for ID but not Kevin (which really annoyed Brianne. ) The group of four dancers/singers kept us entertained for three hours. Brianne and Kevin each took their turn dancing with the band! We have video evidence.

For many years, Brianne has talked about a sky-diving expedition. To our surprise when she booked one for Christmas Day, Kevin also agreed to go. He was the first one up and out of the plane. The jump was tandem with a very qualified, former military dude. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and the thrill of the weekend for both. Rick and I stayed planted on the ground and watched. They both said the view was incredible and the rush of getting ready to leap from the plane left them both speechless. Kevin tried to convince us to try it, but 3500 ft in the balloon was high enough for us. The jump was from 9000 feet....too high for these old bones!

Kevin leaves for home on the 26th....the rest of us will follow sometime early in the new year.

Happy New Year

What We Did For Christmas This Year!

2006-12-30T01:16:00.000-08:00

"When was the last time you did something for the first time in your life?" Christmas 2006 was full of many firsts.....first time away from home in Canada, first time away from many of our family and friends, first Christmas in the desert / Dubai, first time in a hot air balloon, first time spending Christmas Eve dinner in a Polyenesian restaurant at a dinner show, first time watching Brianne and Kevin ski dive on Christmas Day, first time sending so many Christmas wishes from so far away.

Rick, Brianne, Kevin and I flew to Dubai on the 22nd for a well deserved rest. Dubai is a short 45 minute flight from Doha so we were there by noon on Friday. Our rooms at the Dubai Sheraton on the Creek were ready so there were no delays with what to do with luggage, etc. Following a short rest, we headed to the Mall of the Emirates. The indoor ski hill looked intriguing but we didn't bother to experience the cold. After a few hours of shopping, we headed back to the hotel for a late dinner. We broke the news to the kids that they had to be in the lobby at 4:45 am for an early morning adventure the next day. They moaned a little but agreed to meet us there. Despite the sleepiness, Brianne figured it out when we handed them both a small gift box with a balloon in it. We had booked a sunrise balloon ride over the desert. Following a 45 minute bus ride in to the dark desert, we arrived at the launch location. The pilot informed us that we would be flying to a heigh of 3500 feet and would be up for approximately 1 hour. As we rose, so did the sun! The view was spectacular. Another balloon also joined us as you will see in the pictures. Rick was in his geographic glory....describing all the land formations below. We flew over a Bedouin village (a desert nomad village) and an archaeological dig where findings from 10,000 years ago have been discovered. As we landed we were greeted by a few camels casually travelling across the desert. Not being terribly fond of heights, I was surprised at how peaceful the whole experience was.

Phew....it's over (almost!)

2006-12-16T03:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Christmas from The Nigro Gang

Closing Ceremonies
Scene from Closing Ceremonies

Closing ceremonies - yes the boats are in the air

Rick's installation at Hamad Aquatics

#1 Hurdler in the World!

Rick and Ryann having lunch at Sponsor Hospitality Village

Kevin at Closing Ceremonies

Ryann, Brianne & Ute

Rick at the track with Canda Games guest.

The Look Company Tent at Sponsor Hospitality Village - note the maple leaves!

We made it....we did it....now a week of decommissioning and we are home free. The whole experience was remarkable....from opening to closing ceremonies and all the sports in between. We watched a 4 x 100 relay where the time between first and second was 1/1000th of a second and we were of course at the track to see the men's world champion hurdler. Kevin took in some of the sports new to us like Sepektakraw and Habbadi.

Closing ceremonies were nothing short of spectacular with 15 minutes of grand finale fireworks. We spent two weeks hosting delegations from all over the world....who knows where we will end up next. Months of hard work became of "buffet of LOOK" for the world to see.

If all turns out with decommissioning this week, we should be in Dubai for Christmas! Not alot of sunshine this month. It has been the rainiest (word?) December on record. However, the long range forecast for Dubai is sunny and 23 degrees. We plan to hit the indoor ski slope at the Mall of the Emirates just to remind us of home.

Kevin will be home on the 27th for 10 days with a long list of family and friends to visit!

To all our friends and family, we wish you a safe and happy Christmas. Can't wait to see everyone in March.

Mom's Visit

2006-12-04T14:31:00.000-08:00

Time flies when you are working in the Games world and I have been ignoring my blog. We will try to do better! Mom was here for a visit in late October. It was so nice to have her here, even if only for a short time. Marie Kelly from Ireland came with her to keep her company while we were at work. Lots of pictures to share. I think Mom liked the sunshine and enjoyed her birthday in the desert.

Ramadan Dinner on the Beach

2006-10-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight the entire company went to a traditional Ramadan Dinner at the Intercontinental hotel. The buffet was incredible. The entertainment consisted of some musicians and later on a "twirler." The pictures describe it best.....this guy went in circles for 20 minutes non stop. We all feel like that some days! Ramadan certainly presents some obstacles to overcome. The stores close at noon and don't open again until 8 pm. The malls are open from 8 pm - 1 am. All restaurants are closed during the day (employees can't go out for lunch.) Many of the grocery stores have finally realized that with the number of expats here, they should stay open during the day. We typically stay off the streets at night as after the break fast and prayers, the locals go out and celebrate by driving recklessly all over the city. Ramadan ends around Oct 25th so not much longer now. Did I mention you can't drink water in public during daylight hours (even in 30+ degree weather.) I had my first birthday in the desert! Spoiled terribly by family and friends.....out for dinner three nights in a row - back to the gym tomorrow! Enjoy the pics.

Thanksgiving Dinner In Doha

2006-10-08T02:35:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a full-blown Thanksgiving dinner last night at the Burke Villa. There were 17 of us for turkey dinner with stuffing and all the traditions of home (except the pumpkin pie!) We cheated and bought deserts - which were really good. Picture of the girls.. the guys didn't think they needed a group shot! For some guests, this was their first experience of Thanksgiving dinner. One of Ed's family members in Barrie had the local radio station B101 wish us all a Happy Thanksgiving. On that note.....Happy Thanksgiving to all our family and friends!!!

Driving across the country

2006-10-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Kevin, Rick and I decided to drive to the Singing Dunes and then across the country. Unfortunately, the Singing Dunes only sing under certain conditions - the right amount of moisture in the air, etc. We did climb some dunes and took some pics.

Our drive across the country only took approx. 1 hour. We went to the coastal city of Duhkan which is basically a petroleum company that makes up a city. It was nice to see some different land formations. Along the way we came across some camel farms. Kevin was able to get up close and personal with some camels.

Camping in the Desert and Someone else from Home

2006-09-20T07:27:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-07T07:28:00.000-07:00

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!!

Kevin gone Local and Local Driving

2006-08-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

This morning we saw a great example of how the locals drive. This guy was trying to sneak down a road that was closed by hopping over the median. What he didn't know was that there was a big hole in the median (under construction.) This is the back end of the car that you see! Look just to the left of the cone at the white piece of car sticking out of the ground!!

Kevin decided to try the local attire (along with the rest of the Logistics team.) He and his crew have installed around 900 banners in the past week. He is working from 8 pm to 8 am. His first game of hockey on the "square circle rink" is this Friday.

Anniversary in the Middle East

2006-08-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

Rick and I had a wonderful dinner at the Sheraton Hotel last week for our 24th anniversary. It was an amazing buffet dinner and we went home very full. The hotel has a traditional Arabic tent so we had our picture taken there.

We have a Lebanese family staying in one of our apartments for a couple of months until things settle down. The dad and one of the daughter is working for us. Today we had lunch with the mom and she is going to give Debbie and I some cooking lessons. There are so many vegetables in the grocery store that we don't recognize but are probably really good. Now we can get some instruction and try some new dishes. Looking forward to it.

I think today was one of the most humid days so far. We are looking forward to September and cooler weather - should get back down to the 30's!

Quad Bikes on the Dunes

2006-08-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

Today was overcast so we took advantage and went to the Dunes to ride the quad bikes. Lots of fun had by all. Kevin will probably be back every weekend if time allows. On the way to the Dunes, we stopped at Al Wakra beach and took pictures of the Dhow harbour.....no the Dhow isn't sinking. We saw two herds of camels on the way home but couldn't get close enough for good shots.

Aspire Academy

2006-08-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

Just a few shots of Aspire Academy. This is an academy for young aspiring athletes (ages 9 - 14) who train and go to school here. We can only dream of such a facility in Canada. Kevin was drooling when he saw it. There is indoor soccer (football), swimming with diving platforms, gymnastics, track, etc. All of this for maybe 200 kids!

Weekend in Dubai

2006-08-14T00:18:00.000-07:00

Rick brought Kevin's hockey bag with him so he was late getting through the luggage check as they couldn't find Kev's hockey sticks. It was a long wait standing around the airport. At one point a group of musicians came through to entertain us. (see picture)

It wouldn't be difficult to get use to spending a weekend in great hotels once a month. The service here at the Intercontinental is outstanding. We did some shopping for Rick yesterday and spent the day relaxing around the pool. Last night we went on a two-hour dinner cruise on the Dubai Creek. The dinner was a buffet style "international cuisine." The bar on the 10th floor of our hotel overlooks the city and Dubai Creek and featured a jazz duo. Very realxing evening. Back to reality today and home to Doha.

Weekend in Dubai

2006-08-12T00:30:00.000-07:00

Time for some r & r. I flew to Dubai on Friday night for some rest by the pool and shopping today. Rick arrives tonight and we are all very excited to see him. The joke at work is that I have gone to Dubai to find "anyone named Rick" to come back and act as my husband!! Apparently they think he is a figment of my imagination. Dubai looks like an incredible city. I was reading this morning that 80% of the cranes in the world are in Dubai and Doha! It is so bad that they have having "crane crashes." Tomorrow night we have a 2 hour Dhow dinner cruise on the Dubai Creek. Hopefully we can see a bit of the city before we leave. The humidity here is not quite as bad as Doha but it still makes for foggy pictures. More pics to follow!

We're Back!

2006-08-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

We're back! The other space was constantly causing me grief so I switched to a new site. Kevin has joined us after a fabulous week in Ireland. Brianne and I are so jealous. Kevin and Hayley had a wonderful time with the Kelly family. Kev enjoyed the trip to Dingle, the home of his Great Grandfather. We had a great Canada Day party with our staff. The humidity now is incredible. When you step outside it is like walking in to a sauna. It is still a different type of heat from home. Our chilled pool is a nice break away from the heat. The Games countdown is close to the 100 day mark. I have my own little 4x4 vehicle to get me around town these days. The summer driving is easier as many people leave the city. We are still waiting for Rick to join us. Hopefully it will be at the end of this week. It is strange to know that everything you own is in a container unit. We won't get any breaks between now and the Games, other than weekend trips (if we can fit them in.)

Enjoy the pictures. We will be back soon!