Canned in the Land of Sand

So - I too have become a sufferer of the creditcrunchcrisiscrap...

My employers have made me redundant too, along with many other employees here in the gulf. I was at one point promised with a month-by-month possible increase in employment, but that seems to have either vanished, or to be honest faded in attractiveness as the birth of the mini Hoskin nears our shores.

[It's funny, that when one is made redundant, for me certainly - a huge weight of enthusiasm and responsibility falls off one's shoulders. Commitment to the employer all but disappears, and working hours become 'normal'!]

So - not 5 minutes had we unpacked (mostly) our shipping from the UK, before we will have to start thinking about packing them all up again and voyaging Europe-bound. The UAE is not a country you really want to hang around too long with no work, and the prospect of taking your last month's salary home, with no rent to pay for that month is too good to resist.

Given that we may have about 2 months left in this wonderful part of the world - now is the time to discover all that we can - let's be honest; the likelihood of coming back here to go to Yemen for a long weekend is pritty pritty pritty remote! So - now begins the long list of places to 'tick-off' before settling in Europe. There's Sanaa, Muscat again, Salalah, possibly Bahrain, Qatar, The Musandam, Wild Wadi etc...

Now is the time also for my parents to visit, and anyone else who wants to. They are due at the beginning of May - my Dad had better prepare his stomach for the gluttony present here!

It's sad to leave this region after such a brief sojurn, especially as Ingrid and I are such inquisitive people, and have really enjoyed exploring the area. But - hey ho, it's probably all happening for a reason, and i'm sure we'll be very happy with the new addition back in Europe!

Not sure about keeping this blog up n running, as i keep missing huge swathes of time, but we'll see - I still have to finish that Derek & Clive book by the end of the year!

Signing off - x Ed Venture