The Gallery: Love that Lippy!

It's week 63 of The Gallery and the theme set by Tara over at Sticky Fingers is 3 Word Gallery: one picture, three little words. I've titled mine: Love that Lippy!

This photo was taken the other afternoon when Olivia invited her best friend over for a play. After an hour of tearing round the garden, they became suspiciously quiet. The bathroom door was shut...something was afoot. They emerged some time later to reveal the results of a "make-up your friend's face blindfolded" session.

I've noted down the idea for her next birthday party; it's cheaper than an entertainer!

Expat Women: Confessions

I first lived abroad at 18 and have spent only eight of the last 25 years in my home country. I've lived in Germany, Australia, Belgium and Bahrain, have married someone from the other side of the world, gave birth to both my daughters abroad, and have put my career on hold to become the perfect trailing spouse. And while expat life has undoubtedly been both exciting and rewarding, it brings its own pressures and dilemmas which sometimes only another expats can understand.

The recently published Expat Women: Confessions - 50 Answers to Your Real Life Questions About Living Abroad is an anthology of issues raised over the years on the popular confessions page of the Expat Women website: an agony aunt column for expat women where they can post dilemmas anonymously and have them answered by experts.

Compiled by Andrea Martins (one of the founders of Expat Women) and Victoria Hepworth, both seasoned expats, the book is an A-Z of real-life problems encountered by expats from all over the world and gives objective and pragmatic advice on how to handle them as well as an extensive reference list of useful books and websites. And I was surprised how many of the confessions could have been written by me over the years: frustrations as a trailing spouse; homesick new mother abroad; intercultural couples; and third culture children, to name but a few.

Written in an accessible and chatty style, the book is an easy read and ideal to dip into when confronted by a problem. All too often, expat women have to work through complex personal and practical issues to which family and friends at home simply can't relate. Now we have a handbook to turn to.

I was contacted by Suzanne Scatliffe at Expat Women and asked to review this book. I received a free copy of the e-book. A sample of the book is available for download on the Expat Women website and the book can be purchased from Amazon.

A week is a long time in F1

"Back on track: F1 October 30" ran the headline in Saturday's Gulf Daily News, the main English language newspaper in Bahrain. The paper ran lengthy articles thanking the FIA for their decision to reinstate the Grand Prix and saying how it would help the economy, particularly the tourism sector, bounce back from the damage caused by the unrest. The community newspaper, GulfWeekly, has been running a campaign to garner readers' support to reinstate the race. "We did it!" proclaimed yesterday's headline.

Press conferences were held at the Sakhir race circuit where executives told of their delight at the decision and proudly kick-started a 150 day countdown to the event. The Grand Prix, they said, is a source of national pride and an event that transcends politics.

Yet even as celebrations were taking place here, it seems all was not well behind the scenes at the FIA. Teams and drivers were unhappy at the decision to reschedule the race and yesterday Bernie Ecclestone said he believed the race would not go ahead because of the situation here - anti-government protesters had called for a day of rage on the race date - and opposition from teams.

After the euphoria of last week, Bahrain's business leaders have branded the decision shameful and claim it smacks of hypocrisy. The three month State of Emergency has been lifted - although there are still numerous checkpoints, they are now manned by community police and Bahrain's National Guard as opposed to GCC forces - and a national dialogue will start next month to boost reforms within the Kingdom. The Crown Prince has been in the UK and is now in the US holding talks with President Obama. He has emphasised the country's commitment to reform, no matter how difficult the process may be.

Whatever your view on the situation in Bahrain, the decision not to hold the F1 will be a massive blow to an already hard-hit hospitality industry here as well as a huge disappointment to the many F1 fans in Bahrain. Maybe next year...