Home for a break in one week

I will be flying home early next Thursday morning, for a well deserved two week break, after 7 weeks in the heat. This will be the end of my seventh trip out here; five six-week trips and two seven-week trips. It has been an interesting week, with a variety of problems to resolve, and questions to answer. I also had to do a couple of presentations to a group of Honeywell DCS engineers, along with my IPS counterpart (for IPS engineers). C10 Lead and Site Supervisor Wissam Al-Nassari, left site for the last time, this week. He occationally reads this blog, so if you are reading this, "thanks for your support, when ever I had an issue, and I wish you the very best of luck". The pictures are of Wissam's leaving drink at the new 5o5 club. Wissam is the guy in the maroon t-shirt. Well one more week for me, and I can also head off to the UK, but just for a couple of weeks, before returning here. In the mean-time, I'm off to lunch at the JK camp.

The Last Phoenix BBQ

After months of hard work and using his room as a beer cellar, Joe (in the red t-shirt) has finally decided to close the Phoenix bar. We thank him for all his efforts and hospitality. John Cunnel, who cooked an excellent green curry last week, has volunteered to open his room at five past five in the evening, until six-thirty, and thus naming it the 5o5 club. All the beer etc. and the bench have been moved to John's room. I joined them for the opening evening of this new bar. The images show the final Phoenix bar BBQ, where Craig White (the big "Scott" in the light blue t-shirt) , who is leaving site in a few weeks, cooked up some great food. I have had a busy week implementing a new Asset model and Scope of Responsibility for the entire system, I will continue with this next week. I have also taken an extra week on call, but still no calls. What a shame! Next week will also be the last week for Wissam Al-Nassari, site supervisor and also over sees the Technical Expertise group (well duo, as there is only two of us at the moment, one DCS and one IPS). Wissam has been a great support, and we wish him good luck when he goes back to his home in Wales. Well time to rest after an active Friday morning off. Getting a Sun tan is hard work!

Starting and Leaving site.

This week was the last week for Sethu. Pictured on the left, the very popular Sethu worked in Newhouse on Shell GTL and has been on site for almost a year. He will be going back to India, and we wish him the best of luck. On the right is Janos and Manos. Janos has been on site for a long time, and is resident in Qatar. Manos (who some will know, I worked with in the UK), I think, has just completed his first rotation, and is currently on vacation. I have been supporting both of them in the simulation room. I have been to the gym as usual this morning. After which I had a swim, then laid by the pool for half an hour. I have just been to lunch at the JK camp, and now it's time to chill for the afternoon, before attending a BBQ at the Phoenix club. I may not drink, as I am on call again this week, although up to now I have never been called. So time to put my feet up once more.

One Year on site

Time really does fly when you are having fun in the Middle East (well during your two weeks off anyway!). Today I will have been on site one year. The time really has flown by. There is work for me here until March 2012, so I may not be returning to the UK until April next year year. Monday evening was Phoenix club member John Cunnel's birhtday, so he cooked up a couple of curry's. The Green Thai curry was one of the best I have had, really spicy and very nice. That was washed down with half a dozen bottles of Tiger beer. I also tried the Beef Thai Curry, which was less spicy, but still nice. All this while watching the England cricket matrch, live on Sky. Well now taking a post gym shower, before going to lunch, on camp. Later!