Relax, relax

You can all relax, that air conditioning has been restored. We will be able to sleep soundly tonight.
Night Night!

Oh No!

The air conditioning has just stopped spewing out cold air. We have had to get the engineer out. We hope he can fix it because its hotting up nicely as they say.

The mall

Part of the mall

Our car

Our temporary motor

Back from the mall

Made it safely back from the mall. Here is the evidence. It may not be the coolest but it was the cheapest!

Whole staff assembly

OK we have done it. We have both endured the dreaded moment when you get introduced individually to the entire staff and have to stand up and look around them all feeling pretty stupid. Its a kind of initiation ceremony that takes place in all schools. I am pleased to say that the natives were very friendly and the day was enjoyable. After the ritual Sheila went back to grafting in the office and I had a few meetings as you do on what was the first official day back for the rest of the staff.

The house hunting began in a gentle way with lots of teachers making suggestions about properties near them and some of them offering to drive us round. We will be taking them up on that offer soon. We tried to have a look round ourselves after school today but it is pretty hopeless unless you know where you are going. It is so easy to get lost. My sense of direction is getting better but it I am unsure if I'll ever get to know this island, small as it is.

Well off to the shopping mall to try to get a new school bag. My Roy Cropper shopper is a bit embarrasing.
Cheers for now
David and Sheila

My Classroom

My classroom is an unusual T shape with an entrance come practical area and along the top of the T the pupil and teacher bences. All of the furniture is fixed so there is little scope for change. There is no interactive whiteboard yet so I will have to improvise. I am hoping to implement the software that Nick Hood showed us that turns any surface into an IWB. I have most of the stuff I need so hope to be impressing the new "Heedie" with some dazzling board work at a fraction of the cost of IWBs. He needs a lot of them so I might be in for a bonus!!! Watch this space.

This picture is looking into the class from the door

New School

This is a picture of the reception at the new school.

It is very similar to the new Kinross High School in terms of quality of build. This is a pretty decent quality image and if you click it it might take a wee while to load compared to the others. Sheila was working hard today and I got through a power of preparation work. The "not new" teachers all start tomorrow so we will meet most of the rest of the staff then. Some are sick and wont return to Bahrain for a few days yet.

Needless to say its still really hot here. The locals are telling us it is abnormally hot so that is encouraging because it really is too hot to even contemplate anything outside yet. A short walk in the evening is possible but its still over 30 degrees at night. The wind is like being in the stream of a hair drier only not so powerful.

I will add more school photos as time goes on.

David and Sheila xxx

First day at work

Well that's the first day in. I am pleased to report that the school and all of the people in it seem warm and friendly. I saw my classroom and collected a few bits and pieces. Sheila was set immediately to work inputting data to the computer system. The view from the classroom is somewhat different to that at Kinross. Got lots of good tips on house hunting and the like. Managed to navigate there and back without getting lost!

Room with a view

This is the view from my new classroom.

First bit of not so good news

I suppose something negative was bound to happen sooner or later. What's happened is that Sheila has found out that the fridge has got a lock on it!!!! Is that not just dandy? Half way around the world and there's a lock on the fridge door. She was expert before at hiding whole packets of biscuits and cakes so I doubt I have no chance of finding a wee key. I am seeking some sympathy here.
David

The heat takes its toll

Sheila completely shopped out. No stamina.

Shopping Bahrain style

Look what I found! It was so hot I did not have time to get all the logo in and i could not see my screen. Transfer?

Dry run

Just did a dry run for the journey to school. It seems straight forward enough and takes about 15-20 mins. Probably more tomorrow as the traffic will be heavier. At least we know where we are going. Shopping malls this afternoon.

Last Free Day - Work Tomorrow

Hi y'all, Saturday morning and guess what? You've got it, it's sunny again. Yesterday we picked up the car at the airport. We went back last night to pick up the missing bag and on the 20 minute drive back to the apartment we, well I, got lost on more than one occasion. We took almost 2 hrs to do the journey. Looking on the bright side we saw lost of bits of Bahrain that we might otherwise have missed. Note to self - buy a good map today. We visited the school today and had a quick look around. It looks really nice. Haven't seen the science dept yet. Sheila thought she might be a lady of leisure for a while but she starts work tomorrow too. No rest for the wicked and good news for the bank manager!

Internet seems a tad unreliable at this apartment. Hope its better at our permanent place when we find it. We are going for a bit of an explore today. Might check out the golf course and Sheila is keen to sample the delights of the many shopping malls.

Must go for now. Will try to get a few pictures on the blog tonight and fix the orientation of the squint ones. Does anyone know how to stop my phone camera from rotating the pictures. It looks fine on the screen and when the picture is saved it is rotated by 90 degrees. ideas on a postcard, email, text message or blog comment please.

ttfn David and Sheila

Internet access established at apartment

Good morning all. I hope you all slept as well as we did. Apartment looks good and the weather, well its already blisteringly hot and its only 10.30. Being taken to pick up a car today. Sorry about the pictures being side on. I am having problems with my mobile and dont know how to get them the right way up. I will try to fix it. Meantime I can just visualise everyone with their head tilted to one side.

I now have internet access but the laptop charger is in the bag that was left at Amsterdam. It arrives tonight so we will get it tomorrow. I will have to try to conserve battery meantime so will limit the pictures and stuff till I am fully organised.

Cheers for now
David and Sheila

Mobile phone news

I have been given a new local sim card by the school. If texting please use sheilas number.

First impression

First day first picture. My it is sunny this morning! One bag left in Amsterdam containing crucial laptop stuff may be skype delay.

Last travel update of the day

Arrived safely CV apartment. Going to sleep now. Some pictures hopefully tomorrow.

Update

Arrived safely more to follow

Kuwait update

Landed in kuwait 8.30 local time one last hop to go. Not getting off plane here 38 degrees and already dark.

Tally ho

Our chariot

At Amsterdam

Arrived at amsterdam safely. Pouring rain glad we are only passing through

Travel update 1

Thats the cases checked in ok waiting in departure lounge. Thanks to colin and ashley for getting us safely through stage one

Weather Forecast

Have a wee gander at this forecast
http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/247
for the next 5 days

Bahrain here we come!

Well the day has finally arrived and we are getting ready for the off. I am (as usual) up a little on the early side! I am filled with a mixture of excitement, bewilderment and terror with the emphasis on the excitement side. I am really looking forward to seeing the country for real instead of just the internet.

This is the Bahrain world trade centre. I will take my own picture for you to compare. There are three wind turbines mounted between the buildings to provide the power. How cool is that? I remember watching the programme called Megastructures about this building. Little did I realise that some day I would see it for real.

Sheila is still sleeping. She is amazingly relaxed and just takes everything in her stride. People think she is just a quiet wee thing but like the buidling above she is a tower of strength, she is MY tower of strength. Next post will see us on the move. Watch this space!

Last Day in Sunny Scotland (for a while)

Well it's our last day here in Scotland. The cases are packed and the last minute details are being attended to. I hope to update the blog whilst on the move tomorrow but don't worry if the site doesn't change. I am not sure where and when I will have mobile phone access. Thanks again for all the cards and good wishes. I have just had contact with the school staff who are picking us up at the airport so it's all systems go. We will let you know as soon as the guest bedrooms are ready for occupation.
David and Sheila xxx

View from my old classroom window

Here is a scene I dont expect to see in Bahrain! Sent from mobile as a test.

The Cake

What about this for a going away cake?

BBQ

Yesterday saw our Au revoir BBQ which was blessed with traditional
Scottish BBQ weather. Duffel coats were available but were not really
needed. Most of those attending are in this photo. Notable exceptions
are of course the hosts Sheila, me, Ashley and Nicola. Oh yes and Colin
who worked slavishly at the BBQ turning out helping after helping of
food which was (more or less) cooked to perfection. Thanks Colin you
turned what was rapidly developing into a nightmare into a relaxed
afternoon. It is very much appreciated. Its amazing how someone who was
not going to take anything to do with the cooking can turn into Gordon
Ramsay at the merest flash of the BBQ utensils!!!
Thanks to all who came and please forward your photos and videos to me.
I would love copies as a memory of a great day. Watch this blog for more
updates on the Bahrain Adventure.

The countdown is on

Saturday morning and the countdown is on. We leave on Thursday and the excitment is beginnning to build. All the preparations are made, we collected the currency yesterday and it's all systems go. Watch this space for updates, progress reports and pictures.