A new crockery set

In need of a new crockery set - apparently not.

Our recent experience of living in 'volunteers' apartments is that nothing ever matches, sheets/pillowcases, chairs or crockery. I am sure that over the years generous people donate to the volunteers rather than throw things out, and then volunteers feel that they shouldn't be seen to throw things out because they have been so generously donated. We're definitely not going to throw out our trendy collection of dishes. We have a 'set' of 9 different dishes, which I have been reliably informed by some friends in the UK, is the 'in' thing at the moment, namely non-matching crockery. Is this the truth or were they just trying to make us feel better about our non-matching crockery, towels, random wall-pictures and our one and a half bedroom curtain/s. P

What's your albedo rating?

From the style of the last blog you have probably guessed that it was written by J. I am quite looking forward to moving into her new home because in my home there is a need for a few improvements. The location, space and basic furniture are more than we expected BUT:

The hospital toilet paper seems to have been accidentally switched with the carpenter's sandpaper.

There is plenty of hot water from the solar panels, but the pool of water that springs from the shower tray and covers the floor causes problems when trying to dry your feet .

Oh and Jane forgot to mention that we live in an oven. We expected to find the temperature in the summer to be very hot (currently 90 F) but our home continued to get hotter even during the night. I inspected our flat roof to find that it was covered in black asphalt, an albedo rating of 0.1 (solar reflectance for the unscientific). It absorbed the heat from the sun during the day and then gently baked us throughout the night. I acquired some white 'plastic' paint and set to work to increase our albedo rating to 0.7 - although I'm not sure what colour to paint it in the winter. P

Our House!

Our new house is slowly becoming a home, it's a cross between a 1960’s Butlins holiday chalet and an Argentinean hacienda! We live in the extension to the original house which was build at the time of the Ottoman Empire. The garden is mainly paved with its own cactus garden. There are many cypress and olive trees which offer welcome shade. The bird life is incredible! When we sit out on a cool evening sipping mint tea (shay na na ) we watch kites ducking and diving, catching food for their chicks across the way. A blue humming bird hovers around the honeysuckle, and is accompanied by a green wood pecker and numerous blue jays. It is a indeed a tranquil and peaceful place, away from the hustle and bustle of the main streets of Naz. A little sanctuary, for which we are grateful. J