The biggest lesson Rory and I are learning about planning a wedding...if you make a great team, you won't have any stress - it's the family that adds unnecessary stress to just about everything.

It would help if people stopped saying things like, "that's so far", "i don't like that colour", and "that's not my style" and started saying things like, "i'm so happy for you", "can i do anything to help", and "i can't wait to celebrate with you".

Otherwise, I can't wait for October 31st to be here!

I'm curious for a little input. If you were planning a party...and at this party you wanted certain things..and those certain things cost money...and you're willing to pay that money because you want to be happy...and you invite people to your party because you want them to join you in your happiness...

1. Would you get a little upset if someone said, "I'm not coming to the pre-party event but I'll pop by the party for a little bit as long as I can also bring my kid" (who was not invited).

2. How would you respond to such a statement?

* See post below

My focus wasn't on the fact that this person would not come to the pre-party. I'm not fussed about that at all, that's par for the course. No one expects everyone to show up.

My concern was really about 'popping by only if I can bring my kid'. Of course I don't think it's the end of the world if they don't come. This person is not very close to me, which is probably why I found the demand to be so rude.

(As some people eluded to I'm talking about the wedding)

I guess I also struggle with the fact that the reply already came back as yes, so now is not really the time to ask decision making questions.

Paul makes good points but let's just say I'm positive finding or funding a sitter is not the issue. I suspect it's just a matter of convenience.

I think I'm going to go with James and Carey's responses, most appropriate and true.

Thanks for letting me think out loud peeps.

Rory's dad isn't going to be able to make it to the wedding. I know he really wanted him there, and so did I. It makes me very sad.

More sad is the responses seem to be rolling in with the "NOs". Some people I expected not to be coming due to distance etc, others I was confident would be coming but turns out they're not

Then news of late has been completely tragic regarding 'almost marrieds'. The girl from Yale due to be married and gets murdered instead. Someone from work went to attend their cousin's wedding in Pakistan and the groom, his mom, brother and cousin all died in a car crash the night before. I swear if anything like that happened to me I would die of a broken heart.

!HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
I hope it's full of surprises! Wish I could be there to help celebrate.

At last, Ramadan is officially over with tomorrow's dawn. My students will start sleeping better, eating better, and we'll all not suffer from dehydration is this desert heat. Most exciting of all, it's Eid break. A free week off work to catch up on a massive list of 'to do's' at home and a myriad of wedding details. It couldn't have come at a better time really.

I attended a program by one of my CDAs to celebrate the arrival of Eid and had 2 of my students henna my hands. We're thinking about having a henna artist at the wedding as a tribute to where we met.

Have a good one peeps!

to dance the night away!

Just spent 2 days with Rory organizing all my music. Apparently I have a lot. Should make it easier to create our wedding play list though!

So dear peeps, would you please share your near and dear all time favorites to dance to? No guarantees it will make the list but I thought it would be a great way to incorporate everyone into the deal.

Thank you!

Yes e:libertad, Thriller has made the list And no, no chicken dance.

Thanks for your input e:metalpeter.

So how about the rest of you? I was hoping for more than 4 songs. Please share your favorites!

Finally getting to take my Eid break this week! Technically we were out of the office last week but I was still on duty. I had a doozie of a call Friday night. It almost makes me laugh because it sounds so rediculous to us as westerners, to say I had to show up and spend 2.5 hours investigating and interviewing students who decided to mix gender in one of the apartments. Over here it's such a serious offense and people are freaked out about getting deported. I'm thinking, then was it actually worth risking deportation just to hang out? I mean yes, it blows big fat goats that we can't be 'who we are' over here - but we are guests of another country, and like it or not we need to abide by their laws. I guess I traded regular alcohol infractions for major cultural clashes. At least (I don't THINK) Qatar does not participate in stoning women for 'tainting' themselves by being the presence of guys without a chaperon. Having grown up with freedom it makes it hard to enforce things like this, I almost feel like a brainwashed Nazi. This is one of the hardest parts of being an expat - when your core values are judged and infringed upon on a regular basis by a school of thought that you simply cannot identify with.

SO...got lots of wedding stuff done while Rory was also off last week. Namely settling the ceremony. I think we found the right words that 'sound like us', and the music as well. Not traditional, but not so far off it would scare the older generations.