Tempted...

[backblip]

...to get one of these bad-boys. Not only does it make a fantastic cup of coffee, but it's a fabulous fire-engine red colour. Having said that, I didn't actually operate it - why would I with two fellas to do the honours? A fair trade in fetching them tins of beer at the other end of the day, I thought.

Another day in paradise - not that Abu Dhabi can be described as paradise, because it's a big Middle Eastern dust bowl with lots of skyscrapers, but you know what I mean. Mark arrived from Sudan at lunchtime, after a bit of a mission to get to AD from Sharja airport. I didn't really know him, but he is another mutual friend of the others. I had met him once before - of all places and times - when the Earthquake struck in China back in 2008. He was visiting the office on his way to Ross and Sam's wedding in HK and was stood next to where I was sitting as the building started to sway.

I peeled myself away from the sun-lounger a little earlier today though, as I was on court number 1 for a gruelling three-hour game of doubles with Neil, Eamon and Fin (complete with their matching tennis racquets!). Pub grub and a pub quiz followed - we came third, much to our surprise. I got my Bulgarian and Romanian currencies confused in one round (bad, given that I work with those currencies on daily basis) but was bang on with my identification of the Polish flag and the cast of Home & Away in the 1989-themed photo round!