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!
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!
1 comment:
hahaha 200 tons of luggage and you forget the download cable... :-) Glad you got there ok- looking forward to the next installments of The Blog!!! xx
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