The Weekend!

Only one-and-a-half hours more to go until I can escape the office and start my weekend. And yes, it is already Saturday noon but my weekends here consist of Saturday evening and Sunday. Today is a good day as we finish early (= 3pm). Actually, I finished my work a few hours ago. But, as we aren't allowed to move freely there's only one bus going back at the end of the day....

In other good news: the weather! It's a lovely 32 degrees outside, tomorrow it'll go up to 36. A very dry heat, so it's actually nice to be outside.

Plans?
Hopefully hanging out in the sun this afternoon, maybe try to find the river where there is supposedly a 'beach'. Although I doubt the water is clean enough to swim in it should be entertaining enough to have a look, take a book along etc.
Tonight is a big dinner with the whole project, sponsored by one of the companies here. I'm expecting a lot of shaslicks (sp?) and other meats. Followed by some exploration of a local disco, Luna.
Hopefully tomorrow a visit to the local market. It'd be great to get some local spices (in particular the saffran is supposed to be very good here), tea maybe, and they have actual tourist things: ceramic mini-camels. I can't leave this place without one, you understand.

[and in reply to some of Jules'  comments while I can't comment back the normal way:
* re photos - yes, I can make pictures but these tech-issues are keeping me from posting them (that, and the fact that my camera isn't digital... ). I'll get them up as soon as they're developed/burned on cd.
* re caffination by colleagues (that sounds scary...) - the guy who was taking care of me best has left. combined with the fact that I now have other colleagues in my office drink less coffee I'm back to walking to the coffee machine myself again. :-(
* re jobstuff - am writing yet another application as we speak.... *fingers crossed*]