On holiday

It's been great being home, being on holiday after a long semester. I'm over the jet lag but have a cold. Helen calls this 'plane flu' and while I agree being shut up in a metal tube with hundreds of people does stretch your immune system, I suspect I caught this cold in Al Ain. Getting very cold on the plane didn't help. Why are those blankets soooo thin and small?

It's very cold here, a sudden step into winter. The mountains are covered in snow and very beautiful. I went out country today but was enjoying flying through the countryside in the Alfa too much to stop and take photos. I also knew my camera wasn't up to the task of capturing the majesty of the ring of snowy mountains in front of me so I satisfied myself by soaking in the view from the warmth of the car. I intend to go into the mountains in the next few weeks and get some photos that sum up the season.

The kids from Aussie and Auckland are here the weekend after next, I can't wait to see them. They all want to check out the snow while they're here. I'm looking forward to getting some family photos, I'm sure the kids are looking forward to that too.

I got the best news on my last day in Al Ain. I've got a promotion, a new job within my company. I'm looking forward to working with a new team, doing something a little different in the next semester. For now I'm enjoying sleeping in and having some down time for the first time in years.