Water...

Darrell and I eventually decided to buy a boat. For the past 4 years we'd been NOT buying a boat as we would probably be leaving soon and it simply wouldn't be worth it. Anyway, a boat in our compound came available at the kind of price we needed. So we bought it. And as true as nuts, the VERY next week, Darrell was told he was being transferred to Qatar to head up the new company branch there.
So...
1. We're off to Doha. More on that anon.
2. We have a really cute, really little boat.

Owning a boat has both good and bad aspects. The bad aspect is being gutted and cleaned in the kitchen right now - by Daisy, I may say, and the two boys. I refuse to have anything to do with the products of their fishing excursions and limit myself, while trying not to gag, to saying "well done, my sons". When Daisy leaves us (she's not coming to Doha, preferring to head back to the Philippines and get married and live with her hubby and daughter, can you believe it?), the boys are going to have to sort the fish out themselves. I think we may find they start to buy into the "catch and release" kind of fishing.
The good aspect of the boat is the water sports. Alex has become a fiend on the wake board, and certainly looks the part, with his long blonde hair streaming out behind him as he hops the wake. David has developed a certain competence with the water skis, and even Stephanie has managed to get up on the skis and ski for a few minutes before her (non-existent) muscles give in. Darrell and I content ourselves with the tubey-type-thing that gets dragged behind the boat. No skill required. Suits us! Darrell has bought himself a pair of skis but is yet to try them - I think that he doesn't trust my driving of the boat, he's probably waiting for Alex to be old enough to take control of the wheel before he ventures out on them.