Thursday!!!! ALREADY!!!!!!! Where is the time going? Finished my second week at work, and it is going really well. But Thursday means one ththaaaanggggggg……The weekend is here!
Forget fountain of knowledge, Kath, the Dubai Niagra Falls of knowledge was facing her 26th birthday on Friday, so it was only fitting that we all got together for a big celebration.
She had booked 2 tables at Yalumba at the Meridian Dubai for the champagne brunch…..being Ramadan the options for a good old fashioned session were limited, and technically the brunch was an evening meal..but that’s just a timing technicality!
After work I scooted off over to the NGS to Kaths to get ready…..i was sure I had the right day……but why was kath not opening the door???? Was she having a laugh!!!!! No! she was in the shower and I was banging on the door ringing her phone….eventually she let me in……………soon the other NGS residents started to descend for pre party drinks! Not that we were going to need them as the champagne was free as much as you can drink from 9pm to midnight! OMG!
Caught up with Katie and Stu and Chris….havent seen them since I left in April….was cool to see them again, and when we had all arrivals we headed for the taxis….The taxi firms wouldn’t let Kath book 3 taxis on a Thursday night…they said they wouldn’t have three available…..WHAT!!! we easily found three when we got downstairs….muppets!

Yalumba restaurant was like a buffet arrangement…go up and fill your plate as much as you wanted. From roast lamb and beef where your plate is piled HIGH!! to prawn, crayfish, sushi, noodles, couscous…..you name it and it was there! So much where do you start! Meanwhile, slurping down the champers, with a guy that fills your glass as soon as you take a millimeter out of it….lets just say it didn’t take long for the bubbles to take effect…..there are many foggy areas from Thursday night…but the pictures do well to fill in the gaps! I remember numerous occasions where Alison and I were just laughing…..i don’t know what we were laughing at but it was funny at the time. Things started to get messy when we moved to the bar….we had a big group photo and then the hardcore select few opted for the evil elixir………tequila…sufficed to say, at 1pm we wrestled kath to a car and got back to the NGS where again we struggled to get her to go to bed…..she was ALL OVER THE PLACE! Hahaha it was comedy, right up to the point where she accidently smacked ammie in the mouth and went running down the corridor…..although I am not sure it necessarily happened in that order!…..i end ex’ed at 3:30, but I understand caroline got kath in bed and went off in search of cheesy bread, high jacking some random and getting him to drive them round dubai on their quest!! Ahahha

FIRSTLY….CAN YOU GUESS WHAT THIS IS!!!!!
Friday was a bit of a funny morning….woke up at 7 and just couldn’t sleep….kath woke up too and was laughing at the photos from the night before…it is prudent to mention she was still inebriated! We logged into facebook so we could see the pictures from Doulls session at Oktoberfest…the way we were feeling….we had full sympathy for her!
Kath cooked up some bacon and retired back to bed…………I just played on the computer and recovered slowly…….i must have left around 3pm and headed to MOE to get a key cut….WHAT A MISSON…..wandered around looking for the shop, the only one in the mall that cut keys, which, when I did find it….no longer cut keys!!! GDI! I was exhausted and needed sleep…however I had a phone call from my mate jean that perked me up…..they had a baby sitter and were heading to the shooting club at Jebal Ali and I was invited too!! ACE! Headed back to the apartment totally fed up that I had used valuable energy searching for a shop that didn’t offer the service I required!!! Grrrrr

The baby sitter arrived and we headed to Jebal Ali shooting range! They offer a wide variety of weaponry activities….YEAH BABY! I like it!
I was going to try the archery on Saturday but as we were there together we decided to hit the shotguns! They also have a pistol range (like something out of Cagney and Lacey…..god I am showing my age!), and archery but about 8 different types of shotgun range, which I was educated, they call Traps…..the clay disks are fired in an array of directions, but we opted for the one where the clay pigeons went away from you…..was easier for the beginner…..
Was quite nervous actually….was bizarre to just go down to the counter….get your jacket, pick up a gun and have a box of cartridges whacked on the counter….i am used to full on weapon handover procedure…hahaha but here….plonk the gun on your shoulder and walk out to the range!
The instructors were brilliant….and after 25 shots we had exhausted our ammo….and GOD did my shoulder know about it! (in fact I have nice bruising!) was worth the pain though…I will do it again although it doesn’t seem that social…..we shall see……
Following shooting we hit Ibn Battuta for some grub and a wander round the shops….we had a proper comedy moment in the sports shop!!!!! Remember the obscure piece of equipment in the picture above? Hahahahahah well it was a horse……and electronic horse…called an iGallop……it had multiple settings and would be more fitting to be seen in an Ann Summers catalogue! Well that’s what I think anyway! Chris got on it first….i nearly wet myself! But I had to have a go too…and I do have a video…and no I am NOT putting it on here…..maybe on facebook though! Bought some swim wear and was surprised to stumble across a new brand of swim wear hahahahah OOPPPSS think they need a new sign! We had a coffee following our little electronic pony trek and then headed home…I was ready to drop!

Saturday! Well needed lie in to catch up on lost sleep! I had a bit of time on the internet and then headed to Ibn Battuta Mall….mainly because the night before we had spotted a key cutting shop…but the queue was soo long I couldn’t be bothered to wait! Was an adventure to remember the route Chris took to get on the E11 towards Abu Dhabi….but I made it…..had a wander around the shops and headed back…..had a call from Jean and was invited to go round their friends and watch the NZ vs Romania and Australia vs Canada games…..and also stayed to watch the Wales game……..it was great! A very nice couple with a young lad…they put on nibbles and we had Lebanese……..it was a really nice afternoon/evening…..but before we knew it….the weekend was over!

So, the first weekend back in Dubai rapidly approached….Was just going to chill in the flat, take it easy…I even had the thought in my head that I would not return to the old routine of monster nights out as I had things to sort out at weekends, and sleep deprivation is not conducive to a productive weekend!....HAHAHAHHAHA who was I trying to kid!
My flat mate was returning to Oz and she had to be given a send off. I waited in the flat till around 19:30 and thought the night was off, just about to whack the oven on……well…….the grill as that’s all we could get working, and in she came, with a colleague from her site office. Lets go….It was only a short walk to the chosen venue…Double Deckers. A new one for me, didn’t even get there last time.
The place is decorated in a typical tourists view of London…..underground signs, red phone box and that is just on the out side. In side it is like an old fashioned pub on two floors. With traffic lights and suits of armour etc :-/
A few more colleagues joined us and we spent a good few hours chatting and drinking….I was starting to feel pretty hungry although the beer seemed to fill me up. Carolyns words “eatins, cheatin” kept reverberating around in my head! The sofas were really comfortable and because of Ramadan the music was low I was starting to feel the burn….but on we moved…..we grabbed a lift and ended up at Souk Madinat and Left Bank…another new one for me. Much of the same, low music, darkness, chatting and drink. Around 1 we decided to try and get a cab…..OMG, easier said than done….the queue was at the front entrance to madinat…..but the taxis were being turned away at the roundabout towards the road!!!!! WHAT!!!..but the thing was it took us 30mins to work this out!!!..so I marched off with Joyce in tow to jump a cab from the road…2 minutes later and we were away….munchies set in so toast and noodles required….If someone from asia tells you the noodles are spicy for goodness sake take note……..I was so hungry that I thought they may be just slightly warm!!!!!! They BLEW my head off…..it really hurt! I had to rinse them 3 times with boiling water and still have a bottle of milk next to me just to eat them! Just what the doctor ordered though! Joyce started packing for her flight in the morning and I hit my bed.

Friday, woke up to an 0630 alarm to ensure Joyce was up, then went back to sleep….forgetting to change the setting on my phone from loud to discrete, I was awoken at 9am to a barrage of texts (replying to texts I had evidently sent at some point in the evening!)……I must leave my phone at home in the future, I text the world and his dog when I have had a few!………and ow did my head hurt! When I did surface I grabbed my washing and swimming gear and headed to Kaths. She had a washing machine she didn’t mind me using…..I was going to not go back to the NGS for a while….but needs must and it was ace to spend the day chilling and catching up with her. In the afternoon I met her friend from Uni….Caroline? I think….and we went for a drive round Dubai….so I could see where mirdiff was in relation to other places…..OMG there is a lot of construction going on! A quick stop at Festival City! no excuse needed for shopping!!! especially at M&S!!!! We then went to Exiles…via the new business bay bridge…..Exiles is like a massive sports venue…Kath plays netball there and one of her team mates was making her debut in the Womens Rugby……again OMG! They are really rough, no holds barred tackling….i think I will stick to swimming! Although I need to get involved with something here to meet people…. Saturday was spent packing up and moving in with my mates, Jean and Chris….and my swimming regime will start Sunday Eve….after work!

Update…so swimming….I think I underestimated how 4.5mths of NO swimming (no excuses as there is a pool in Widnes) would make ones body so unfit…so what did I do…..stupidly hit it running! 20 lengths of a pool a million times bigger than the one we had at NGS..(ok so that’s a small lie)…but it was still big! I felt well dizzy after that! And was even offered oxygen by jean when I got back to the flat! OMG it was hard!...three days in and the swimming is coming on well!

You will have to excuse the poor quality of the photos....the cable for the camera still hasnt turned up and i have have had to use my camera phone.......x

Tuesday 18th ……..Dont get me wrong…I may be updating this everyday….but this wont be for ever! So many new things are going on this week that I think it warrants a daily update!
So today….when I got in the office….it was Visa Medical day……OMG!
I had a driver/chaperone……THANKFULLY! As I would have had NO idea where I was going or what I was doing!
Went to the Al Maktoum medical centre with a couple of Photos a copy of my passport and employment visa. Went to one queue for registration and get a number put on the visa. (the mens queue was massive) Picture this….a hot day…..herded into queues like cattle stalls….OMG! went to the typist…they translate the documents….get some postage sticker thing….go back to the room you just queued in (the other side of the complex…..walking outside I may add!),,,you pay your money and collect another A4 sheet of paper….POOR TREES! From there I had to go to the ladies blood giving room! More forms and thankfully not many women waiting meant for a quick event! I Hate needles and WHY is it when you have a look to see what they are doing because they are taking a while….YOU ALWAYS LOOK AS THEY STICK IT IN…..ooo had to look away! Anyway with that over I was given some paper and told to follow the green line to xray,……..WHAT! is this wizard of oz……oh….. that was yellow!
On the way out of the blood place…I bumped into Katie..she is the fiancé of one of the secondees from Epsom , Cal and I worked with last time in Dubai…couldn’t chat long as our chaperones were keen to get us in the next queues. Got to the xray place and it was just a sea of men! Waiting for xray too…..unbelievable! poor guys must wait for HOURS! Got to the window to be told we didn’t have the correct paperwork the blood room had kept both of the photo documents and we needed one….Another trip into the heat to walk back to the other side….ARRRRRR another quick chat with Katie and we were back at the xray section! Ladies seem to be rushed through! That’s an experience…a hand full of philipino ladies and 2 british……when our turn came round us two were ushered in together and told to share a changing room to put a cotton top on for xray! Hahaha funny funny…..we thought it important to introduce ourselves before!!!! Hahaha only in Dubai! The xray was a chest one….guess it tells them if your healthy……….got my stamps and off we go back to the office! A couple of hours after leaving!!! What an Experience!
After work saw my first social experience with the office. It was the birthday of one of the lady’s in the office and they invited me along for afterwork drinks and dinner. It was held at the More restaurant below my apartment…..very nice place…so I joined them and had a really nice time chatting and getting to know people…..

Monday 17th….Right….need to get a cab…..need to remember the 2 finger beckoning salute!!! GOD!! CAROLYN WAS SO MUCH BETTER AT IT THAN ME! In fact I literally walked out the block BANG into the humidity….and before reaching the road a cab was beeping….GAME ON!
Got to office in record time…..best thing about Ramadan! Empty roads at certain times.
Another good day and in the afternoon……THE CAR! Ok so the rules have changed since we were last here. To hire a car you HAVE to have an international driving permit…..i had to go to the post office in Liverpool to get my little beauty! £4.50 and basically it’s an AA document that translates your license into a number of languages…..including Arabic! The boy turned up and we went to inspect the beast! A 2007 corolla….1.8….i was pretty pleased….but was SOOOOO hoping to get a chevvy optra hahahaha oh the memories!
End of the day, and oh how the nerves kicked in! my first experience back behind the wheel in Doobers for 4.5mths! it felt so weird sitting on the left. I felt quite nauseous! If I am honest! Before I even started the car I was talking to my self…..oh god oh god right!
Drove out the car park….after studying the map for a bit! Still managed to get lost! Instead of heading to Za Beel I went towards Satwa………easy to do as it was the same junction and I don’t ever recall using it before…oh well….got near the apartments….and on a quiet road went to the wrong side! ARRRRR what has happened to me! MY DRIVING!!!! Thankfully found the car park and was happy to get back to the flat!!
Decided to try making some nice culinary treat!......chicken breast stuffed with tomato garlic and basil and roasted veg……a throw back from my last time here and inspired by Rachael Ray YEAHHHHHHHHHHH! Was all going really well…except the oven wouldn’t work! GDI! I ended up putting the chicken in foil wraps under the grill and almost sacking the roast veg off! So I buttered some bread and had posh chicken sandwiches….posh cos I would never have gone to the effort of cooking with the other ingredients if it was destined to lie smack between two slices of bread!
Having scoffed I dashed out to the Greens to see my good friends Jean and Chris….i really have missed them….in fact Jean was prepping some little cakes as Skye’s birthday was on Tuesday! I even got a personalised cake! Was soo good chatting and we discussed my moving in with them for a while….that is such a kind offer! But oh how time flies…..i ignored the issue of salik and just headed back on Sheik Zayed to get home!

Sunday 16th…..First day at work….going to be taken to the office by a driver! At 0800…….0815….he wasn’t there…did I get it wrong? I phoned in to enquire and the driver left immediately….1hr30 later he arrived….he must be the slowest driver in Dubai….this was confirmed when he got to me….at least I felt safer than being in a mad taxi! Usual admin conducted in the office and had a really good day….meeting everyone etc. Didn’t get a car, It was a bit late in the afternoon to be getting one sorted by the time I got round to it.….Its Ramadan here, so places close early. I booked a cab at the end of the day….probably a good thing…..the more trips around Dubai in the back of a cab rather than being in control of my own weapon so soon, was probably the best idea!

Ok, so ticket confirmation printed, two bags packed…..case approx 21kg hold all about 25kg. I know I am over my weight limit but there is nothing I can do about it. I need my stuff!
Check my documents…..Passport…..International Driving Permit…..Driving licence…..degree certificates….birth certificate……..yep I have them…….5 mins later…better just check again I wasn’t seeing things…..this cycle repeated numerous times, but I am definitely not an obsessive compulsive!
I already spent the last few weeks seeing friends and family, saying my goodbyes…..so it was just final phone calls and saying good bye to the neighbours who kindly came round to wish me all the best.
Steve drove me to the airport around tea time on Friday 14th…..Excellent call as there were NO queues at the check in. I nearly fainted…….the last couple of times I have flown out of Manchester to Dubai I have been in a queue for nearly an hour!
Guy at check in was pretty reasonable…..pointing out I was in fact quite a lot over my weight limit! I explained that I was aware of that, in a pleasant manner maintaining eye contact, yet not resorting to eyelash fluttering (THAT IS JUST NOT ME). He asked if I was moving out there and I confirmed, to which he said “I will do you a deal on the excess baggage”. Hmmmm its still not gonna be cheap he added! Basically I was some 20kg over….(they allow up to 28kg free) he charged me for 10 kg……£226 later I was able to collect my boarding card! (Note to self, when returning to UK…….SHIP EXCESS BAGGAGE!).
Had a coffee with Steve and his brother (who was staying as he was working not a million miles from Cheshire). Steve wanted to get off. He had a few things to sort and had to get to cadets, so he stayed while I joined the increasing queue through to departures. That was hard. We had already said goodbye before we left the house, but the 83 day countdown till he comes out on hols was about to start!.....Departures was busy but I found a chair and texted a few peeps…before I knew it my gate was open and boarding started.
The flight was uneventful….to be honest I really don’t know where the time went! Managed to get a few hours kip and started watching the new Pirates of the Caribbean film, but didn’t see the ending!
All of a sudden we were 30 min from Dubai! And for the first time ever they came round to collect their blankets…..I guess they have lost a lot of them…. :-/ First thing I had to do was find the Visa desk. No one was on the European desk so I queued up at the “All other countries” desk, and the guy went over to look for my Employment Visa at the correct desk. He looked a bit perplexed to start with, asking why did I need a visa………but sure enough it was there in the pile. Next, clutching my piece of Ministry of Interior paperwork I headed to the passport control….he stamped my passport a couple of times and then beckoned his mate over. They took my passport and I had to wait! I don’t know what they did, but about 5 mins later he came back. I was able to go and get my bags which were still going round and round on the carousel with only a handful of others remaining.
My driver was still waiting for me and we went via the office to collect a phone, then on to the apartment. I am sharing with a lady from Sydney office who returns home in a week. She has been here for 5 weeks on her own. I was shown where the supermarket was and we both went down to the restaurant below for breakfast. Ramadan started 2 days ago so the place looked shut! But a full English and a cuppa was needed.
Joyce went off to site (she is working on the Burjuman Station where two engineering firms are working together!). I decided that I was running low on fuel….needed to chill/nap. Sat in the flat for the rest of the day as the heat was increasing and I didn’t have wheels. I called Chris and Jean to say hi……they offered to come and get me which was really kind, but I didn’t want to put them out and just wanted to chill and get my stuff ready for work the next day. When I get a car I will go down to see them. The apartment is great! As you would expect its big!....I have taken photos of the view….BASICALLY the Burj Dubai (worlds tallest building when complete) is straight out the window! But………moron here didn’t bring the download cable for the camera so I will have to get a card reader from somewhere! But will get the photos uploaded soon. That night I made contact with the new Dubai Fountain of Knowledge!!!! Kathryn! Sensing my nervousness we arranged to go out for dinner at a nice Italian at Wafi City…it was nice to get out the flat and catch up with a mate!

HERE I GO AGAIN ON MY OWN!!!!!!

Well, What can i say.....i was told "you have to take a risk to broaden your horizons".

In 10 yrs time I dont want to have regrets for not giving it a go... I have been given yet another excellent opportunity to work in this exciting city! so all that is left to do it PACK!

OMG how daunting!

how much rubbish have i accumulated...and why the hell have i not thrown out those old jumpers that nan knitted!!!!!!.............. WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER!  

my wardrobe is greatly reduced now...MORE SPACE FOR NEW CLOTHES!!!!

Have said the family fairwells.....met my baby neice Abigail.

Said good bye to my neighbours and my cadet squadron (that was hard).

I said Ta Ta to the other ATC staff i have met since joining Merseyside Wing...............many of which have become great friends.....and i look forward to seeing them out in the desert too!

I sold my beloved car (being a petrol head, i found that particularly hard.....).  BUT! my bike......my adored blue Hornet is tucked up for a while thanks to my mate Anna and her Dad.....if it wasnt for them my baby would have been sold, but is now waiting for my return!!!

;-)

Not much left to do now bar packing and getting my butt to the airport on Friday ready for our new experience.  My other half will be out in Dec and then Jan.....CANT WAIT! but meantime i hope to be getting set up and meeting the team i will be working with!

I have missed not keeping a blog! so.......WATCH THIS SPACE!