Once again we have experienced the frustration of the need for bureaucratic paperwork over here. Joel and Tanya have to sponsor their nanny, and because the apartment is in her name, Tanya is going to be Ana's sponsor. Tanya's friend Bex took Tanya and several trees worth of paperwork into the immigration office in town and after more than two hours of going from one person to another Tanya was told that her husband had to be the sponsor. This would have been a problem because they need the tenancy agreement of the sponsor and that is in Tanya's name. It was a very stressful evening that night. By chance Joel went over to their friends house that evening to help Lele do the ice challenge. He told Lele and his wife Buna about the disaster at the immigration office and Buna said to go to the police station at Baniyas, which is not to far from here, and they could do it. So the next day we trotted off to Baniyas police station with exactly the same paperwork and two hours later had Ana's entry permit all done and sponsored by Tanya!
The other night we went out for tea then went to Tanya's favourite tailor who is making my jacket for me. (Note to self, do not visit tailor to have straps changed on figure hugging dress after a large Iftar meal!) We showed him a picture of what I want, he told us how much material I would need and then we went to the material shop. We told the man there we wanted material to make a jacket to match the colour of my dress which we showed him and he took us upstairs and found exactly the right colour and lining. Just as well I didn't have to find the material myself, there were three floors of roll and rolls of every sort of material you can think of! Armed with our material and lining we trotted back to the tailor who measured me in inches, and said the jacket should be ready in a week!
By this time it was after 10pm, but when in Arabia one must do as the Arabs do and go shopping late at night. So leaving Tanya and Nikau in the car (engine running and AC on) Joel, Geoff and I went into a shopping centre called Hamdan where at 10.30pm we purchased a stylish grey suit for Geoff for the princely sum of $120.
I have been trying to do a daily swim in the pool, which is about the same length as Stokes Valley pool. I can manage thirty lengths at the moment! It's very hard to do outside exercise here, it's just too hot. Late yesterday afternoon Joel took Geoff and I to show us the gym about 5 mins walk away, then Geoff and I continued walking around Al Reef. By the time we got back Geoff was dripping!
Last night we had a BBQ on the balcony, although here you certainly don't spend too long outside, and the food is definitely eaten inside.
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