It's been too long

Since I last posted and for that I'm sorry.

Things are changing, we've back overseas again - back into the desert. To the land of high temperatures, high-rise living and crazy driving.

Yep, back in the Middle East - just in time for summer where today's peak temperature is a reasonable 39c. Yes I did say "reasonable" because of the low humidity here it's not too unbearable, however that'll change in the coming weeks when the mercury starts edging towards 50c.

I'll try to post more frequently, mostly about life as an expat again.

Yesterday we decided to visit the cinema here in Kuwait, the first time ever ! having found out about the V.I.P

screens that give a little more comfort for your Dinars. It's really nice being able to watch in a cinema, seated in a really comfortable leather reclining lounge seat complete with footrest and side tables. With only a total of 48 seats in the theatre and only about a third of them occupied it really feels as if it's a 'personal screening' of the movie.

OK, there is the issue of a little bit of censorship, but from what I noticed it didn't detract from the overall movie - Star Trek The Darkness was really really enjoyable. The quality of the sound I felt was great even with it being quite loud it never was distorted.

I'm sorry, but this is IMHO complete bullsh...

I'm sorry, but this is IMHO complete bullsh.. the chasse have come up with a new one if the boar they are hunting nowadays have a hide that can deflect incoming bullets !!! French chasse standard excuse number 32b #france   #hunting   #chasse   Bullet kills driver after 'freak rebound' off boar - The Local A French motorist has been killed in an apparent freakish accident, after a bullet fired by a hunter ricocheted off a wild boar, before travelling almost 2 km a

Pheasant / Faisan - Tasty but STUPID

Honestly, there cannot be a more stupid bird than the male  Pheasant.

One of our neighbours breeds Pheasants (Faisan in French), for what exact purpose we're not sure. They could be going to the meat trade or they could be raised for landowners to purchase allowing for hunters to come away from their weekend 'blitzkreigs' with something more than flesh wounds (believe me when I say it happens quite a lot in the French countryside).

We think that there might have been a successful escape committee formed in the breeding pens as recently there have been numerous birds walking around the chemins. Much to the pleasure of our two dogs who love disturbing them when we're out walking (however my shoulder takes quite a bashing holding the boys back).

But, coming to the stupidity of these birds, why is it that when we come across a gaggle of them on the lane, they simply continue along the lane in front of us rather than getting out of sight? Drives the dogs nuts I tell ya!

When eventually they do decide to bugger off, it is with the inevitable squawk on take-off, they might as well shout out "Hey hunters, here I am!!!".

Hey Serge It's not going to make it compulsory...

Hey Serge It's not going to make it compulsory to have a same-sex marriage/relationship. Come on man - give your French compatriots some allowance for  intelligence. #France   #gaymarriage   #lgbtfrance   'Same-sex marriage will make us all gay' - The Local French industrialist and media magnate Serge Dassault weighed into France's bitter debate over gay marriage Wednesday with a warning that if it is allowed, the French will have died out within a decade.

A new woodburner

UPDATE 2: New woodburner installed and first firing underway...

UPDATE: After a little run-around (first store didn't have the one we wanted in stock), we're now proud owners of a new woodburner. Currently sitting in the back of the van - do you know just how heavy these things are. Got a mate coming round to help unload tomorrow and get into the lounge for me to install.

We've been talking about it for quite some time, looks like it's actually going to happen.

Unfortunately the woodburner that came with the house when we bought over three years ago - and it was then already an old woodburner - is now really beginning to show its age. One of the door hinges is a little warped and requires a certain knack to getting it closed - not a difficult one, but in such a way that precludes one from doing it by hand due to the length of time and pressure of grip required resulting in singed fingers... not good.

Plus in January 2011 we had to purchase a new grate for it the old one having really worn out. After some searching online and in the local bricks and mortar retailers we found one of the correct size and had it sent over - it was from northern UK so the costs of the carriage also had to be taken into consideration. Anyway it has already failed with three of the central bars having warped and then broken away leaving a quite substantial gap in the middle of the grate. Amazingly enough the retailer who we bought this grate from now says that in their opinion grates are only "good for ONE season" - Bull I say, what they really mean is that their product is not 'fit for task'!

We're going out to the local 'shed' this afternoon to purchase the unit that we had previously decided was the one for us, it's on 'special offer' for a few days - quite lucky timing really.

Will post some photos on here as soon as I get it back and installed.