NEWS FLASH !!!

A Big HELLO from us all ... to all of you,

Just a quick not to say we are all well, and guess what, summer is on us again with temperatures between 35 - 42 degrees, and that's just the beginning.  We had a cold winter (November to January) with lots of rain up to date, which is quite strange (seasons are really changing in this part of the world).

We know we keep saying it ... but the weeks really do fly by, another shcool holiday upon us, and it's Easter.  We are wishing you all a blessed Easter.  Another 3 months and it's the end of our school year and the long summer holiday of 3 months is around the corner.  This upcoming summer holiday we will not visit South Africa, yippee we are off to Turkey for 2 weeks, we are all very excited, Sonique keep asking 'how long before we go to Turkey'.  Piet already worked out the holiday - booked in a RCI resort, rent a car and all that goes with the fun and games ... we will give you all an update after our holiday.

We are all still very happy with life in Dubai.  A lot's happening here all the time ... very, very busy Dubai.  Hectic traffic, not one day without traffic jams and/or accidents.

Well ... we had Sonja's parents over for the December - Christmas Holidays and really spend some good quality time with them.  Now they also know where we stay in this lovely world.  We started of January with Gerard writing his 1st High School exam just after the school (winter) holiday.  It was a busy time for all of us with grandpa & grandma visiting, so Gerard recon ... there was not enough time to study.  Then February & March was a bit hectic again, we had International Day for the High School & Junior School two weeks apart ... and Junior School's International Day was a lot of fun and a lot of practice for the South African Kids.  This year they were the 'Kaapse Klopse' and it was so beautiful, wish you all could have shared it with us, the children were just great on stange (Sonique was leading the little one's, bless her).  Don't know what the South African mum's will come up with next year ... but like the teachers at school say our South Arican standards are so high and we will have to keep it up.  The 1st year here in the UAE with International Day they danced the 'Gum Boot Dance with a lovely beat' and the 2nd year they danced the 'Zulu Dance' it was also a real winner.  What can we say South Africa is a lovely country? One more year for us in Junior School with Sonique and then both the Kuyper kids will be in High School, can you believe it! The kids are really growing up too fast.

We had a fantastic weekend break away from the hustle & bustle from Dubai when it was Gerard's (13th) birthday.  What a lovely weekend at Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort near Fujairah (East coast) , just park next to the pool was so relaxing,  the water sport was great fun ...

That's all from us for now ... we hope and pray that you are all in good spirit, we miss you all.  Also read the article on 'Burj Dubai Tower - The Tallest Concrete Structure in the Middle East & Europe' .  We can see the 'The Burj Dubai' from our villa already ...

Hope to hear from you all soon.  Hugs & Kisses

Pieter, Sonja, Gerard & Sonique xxxxOOOOxxxx 

Gaan goed hier by ons, die winter wil net nie kom nie, ons het hierdie jaar 'n baie lang somer.  Nog steeds lekker warm gedurende die dag en gelukkig al 'n bietjie koeler snags ... maar nog nie koel genoeg om die 'air-cons' af te skakel nie.  Ons geniet dit darem weer om 'n bietjie buite te kom en ons gaan darem al strand toe en die water is heerlik.

Pieter is op Oktober 24, ongeveer so 16h00 deur iets gebyt of gesteek in die see.  Dit het gebloei en daar was 2 byt merke aan die binnekant van sy voet.  Hy het ook iets wat lyk soos 'n tand of iets in diervoege uit die wond uitgetrek.  Hy het 'n verskriklike brand pyn gehad, en die pyn het verder in die been opgegaan, dit was baie, baie seer.  Ons het toe dadelik opgepak en oppad huis toe is ons gou hospitaal toe waar hulle vir hom 3 inspruitings gegee het en medisyne.  Die dokter het vir Pieter gesê hy moet nie op die voet trap nie, wel hy kon glad nie op die voet trap nie.  Die brand pyn het geduur tot ongeveer 23h30.  Die pyn is soos asof jy jou been die hele tyd in 'n pot kokende water hou vir 8 ure, of dieselfde pyn as 'n vuur brand wond, dit was nogal erg.  Nou na amper 2 weke is Pieter se voet nog nie 100 % reg nie.  Ons was Saterdag gou weer dokter toe.  Die voet is baie opgeswel en rooi, lyk nie mooi nie.  Daar is infeksie in die voet.  Pieter drink nou 'n dosis antibiotika en ons glo dit gaan help, maar dokter het gesê as dit nie help nie sal hy vir Pieter 'n binneaarse 'shot' gee wat dit gesond sal maak ... maar ons glo dit gaan nie nodig wees nie.  Pieter probeer maar om nie te veel op die voet te trap nie en as hy by die huis is sit hy maar bene in die lug.  Die koerante beweer dat dit 'n 'stingray' was wat vir Pieter gehap het, so paar ander mense het ook deurgeloop ...

Heg die koerant artikels vir julle onderaan om te lees ... kan julle glo die storie het die voorblad van die koerant gemaak en daar is groot gespiegelinge oor wat die mense ewe skielik so aanval in die see ... Glo nie ons sal gou weer by Jebel Ali (dit is so 50 km van ons huis af tussen Dubai & Abu Dhabi) in die see ingaan nie, dis gelukkig nie ons normale 'beach' nie.

Verder gaan dit goed met ons almal, ek en Gerard het verlede week so vinnige 24 uur maag 'bug' gehad wat die rondte doen hier in Dubai, maar ons is nou weer perfris en gesond.

Met Gerard & Sonique gaan dit baie goed in die skool, ons is baie geseënd met 'happy kids'.   Hulle geniet die lewe hier in Dubai sommer baie.

Gerard het verbasend goed aangepas in hoërskool en 'enjoy' al die veranderinge in sy lewe, geniet al die nuwe vakke en doen baie goed daarin ... ons sal maar niks sê oor die 'Arabic' nie, dis nou regtig nie sy 'favourite subject' nie.  Gerard begin hierdie week met 'n 20 weke sokker skool by " Mancheste r United Soccer School ", hy is baie opgewonde en kan nie wag nie.  Die 'event' vind elke Dinsdag aand plaas van 18h00 tot 19h15, en dit nog aan die ander kant van die stad deur die 'hectic traffic'.

Sonique het verlede week baie goed gedoen in 'n 'swimming gala' en het al 3 haar 'races' gewen, ons is baie trots op haar.  Ons het haar hierdie termyn ingeskryf vir 'Sprots Club' wat elke Donderdag middag plaasvind by die skool, waar hulle van alle sport soorte leer, en sy geniet die baie, wys net elke week vir ons wat sy leer, lyk vir ons sy sal ook 'n uitstekende sokker speler weer (hier by ons speel die 'girls' ook sokker).  Ons gaan haar volgende termyn inskryf by 'n swem skool of ons wil kyk of sy nie kan inkom by 'n perdry skool nie, sy wil baie graag perd ry (maar al die ry skole is tjok 'n blok) ... baie gewild hier in Dubai .  Tyd sal leer en die besluit lê by haar ... sy moet besluit wat sy die graagste wil doen .

Vir eers is dit al nuus van die Kuyper's, ons verlang baie en mis julle almal sommer baie.  Hoop ons hoor gou van julle almal.

Gaan kuier gerus op ons ‘Photo pages', ons laai gereeld nuwe fotos

Liefde Groete

Pieter, Sonja, Gerard & Sonique
XXXX

Bathers off Jebel Ali have reported a series of agonising attacks that have left marine experts scratching their heads. So far, four 7DAYS readers have reported attacks by the mystery creature, leaving two or three puncture wounds.

All victims suffered profuse bleeding and severe pain lasting up to eight hours. The bathers speculated it might have been a stingray, but marine experts say that’s probably a red herring. In fact, experts say, the attacks show none of the trademarks of local species, and they believe that offshore developments may have brought unfamiliar creatures into our waters.

If you go down to the beach today, you could be in for a big surprise – a mysterious aquatic pest with a terrible way of defending itself. On Monday, the 7DAYS letters page reported the first attack by a beast that leaves its agonised victims gushing blood from multiple wounds. Ute dipped a foot into 60cm of water on the beach on the first day of Eid and was left in agony for eight hours.

“My foot was bleeding like hell and the pain was terrible,” Ute wrote. Then, in Wednesday’s paper, D S reported an identical attack at Jebel Ali on October 26. “The pain was excruciating for exactly eight hours after, even after taking 2 x 400mg pain killers,” D S wrote. “I’m 37 and I’ve never had anything quite as painful.” But what is this mysterious offshore assailant? Experts in local marine life put a number of creatures in the frame. However, the victims’ accounts present some puzzling elements.

Both accounts mention multiple cuts. D S mentions that her assailant “felt like a large crab or lobster pincers” – “what I felt was something grabbing or biting me”. Both victims describe profuse bleeding and terrible pain. Alan Dickson, a pest expert with an interest in local wildlife, suspects that Ute and D S were stung by stingrays. “There are young baby stingrays really, really close in shore,” he says. “When the barbs stick in, it’s going to feel like a tugging sensation as the fish tries to swim away.”

For him, the attacker’s identifying characteristic is the combo of bleeding and extreme pain. “I’ve had a couple of friends who’ve been stung by stingrays. It is excruciating and the barbs contain anticoagulant,” he says. However, other experts feel the stingray could be getting a bum rap - a victim of bad publicity after one fatally stabbed Aussie naturalist Steve Irwin. “There are potentially harmful things in these waters like a Lionfish or a Cone Shell, but I don’t think it’s any of them. A stingray has only one barb so it would not leave two or three wounds,” says marine biologist Laura Bates.

Jonathan Ali Khan of Ocean World Productions, currently filming the second series of ‘Cycle of Life’ for regional television, says any number of fishes could be the culprit. “Everyone is going to think it’s a stingray because of Steve Irwin but I wouldn’t think it would be one if there are two or three wounds,” he says. “A sea-snake bite would be far worse and their mouths are too small to bite an ankle.” He suggests a flounder or Moses sole could be the villain - both of which are likely to lurk under the sand off  Jebel Ali. However, he feels the most likely culprit could be a reef fish.

“The only thing that could really do this is a fish with spines and a venom gland,” he says. “I would suggest something from the Stonefish or Scorpionfish families, probably a juvenile because an adult’s sting would be worse.” Neither fish would normally be on a sandy seabed near the beach but Ali Khan says offshore development could be bringing reef fish closer in. “The waters off the coast are going through troubled times,” he says. “There are species that are coming into the area which have not been seen here often before.”

Anyway, on one thing the experts agree. Swimmers should avoid walking on the sand underwater. If you get stung, stick your foot in the hottest water you can bear.

THE SUSPECTS

What is the Jebel Ali Ankle Nipper?

Poisonous
The nipper causes agonising pain that lasts for eight hours.

Anticoagulant
The nipper causes profuse bleeding.

Multiple puncture wounds
Victims report two or three cuts in their ankles.

Violent
Victims say the nipper reacts aggressively and tugs at their feet.

Prime Suspects

Stingray
The defence
A typical stingrays only has one spine.
The prosecution
They could strike twice or it could be a species with two barbs.

Sea-snake
The defence
Too venomous and mouths too small.
The prosecution
Very common to the area.

Moses Sole or another flatfish
The defence
Not venomous.
The prosecution
They have two long spines and mucus that could cause pain.

A Stonefish, Scorpionfish or Lionfish
The defence
Not normally near the beach.
The prosecution
Venomous with painful reactions.

7DAYS :  http://www.7days.ae/2006/11/02/from-the-deep.html

• Stingray is beach attacker  

• A mystery creature which left beach goers with painful cuts after paddling in the water is a stingray, according to a leading UAE marine biologist. Down playing public concern the injuries could be highly venomous, John Burt of Zayed University said tiny stingrays were to blame. He said the species of stingray found in UAE waters were far smaller and less dangerous than their giant cousins who caused the death of Australian naturalist Steve Irwin.

  Burt, who has studied marine life in the UAE as part of a research project with Jebel Ali Marine Reserve, said: "The dark spotted Stingray is commonly found on the beaches in the Jebel Ali area and is much smaller than many other species, generally with a body size of less than 30 cm.” Several bathers have reported in recent weeks being attacked by a creature as they paddled on beaches in Jebel Ali. The severity of the attacks, which have caused profuse bleeding and severe pain lasting up to eight hours, have led some people to conclude poisonous fish such as scorpion or lion fish are to blame.

  But Burt says these species are reef dwellers and do not lurk near the shoreline. He said stingrays have a habit of moving inshore during the winter as the warmer water helps their metabolism. "On days when the water was calm, I would regularly see at least a half-dozen rays swimming away. At the end of the day, we are trespassing into their territory and therefore need to take preventive measures," he explained.

  Most incidents with stingrays involve them defending themselves with a barbed hook - which claimed the life of Irwin as he attempted to film a giant specimen off the coast of Australia. Burt added: "The event with Irwin was an unfortunate stroke of bad luck that comes down to his trying to dive with the stingrays. Such attacks on the torso of a victim would be exceedingly rare."

  The marine biologist recommends the following to minimise the chances of an attack:

   Stamp your feet when entering the water and create a splash. Stingrays will normally move away if they know a human is approaching

   They prefer calm water, so paddling in the surf is better

   Watch where you put your feet - always be aware of your surroundings and potential threats.

   Always follow expert advice.

• 7DAYS : http://www.7days.ae/2006/11/06/stingrays-is-beach-attacher.html