The next week at work was spent using every spare moment trying to sort out when I was going to get the keys to my place!!! It had to be cleaned and painted before I could move in, and I was constantly chasing.
There was a works party planned for the Thursday…it is marketed as the annual party rather than the Christmas party….non the less I had opted out of going….i thought it was a get dressed up affair and given it was at festival city and I was living at the greens it was just a hassle and I was stressed over the villa…..but I chatted to a couple of mates who persuaded me to change my mind….now all I had to do was coordinate with the lease agent to meet me in the morning to exchange keys and then I could meet everyone at the do, just down the road from the villa and drink…….but as with everything in Dubai…plans just don’t work out…I couldn’t get the keys till later in the afternoon…so I went to the party and watched everyone around me get drunk……..REALLY DRUNK…it was a free bar….god I was miffed I couldn’t drink…..but hey…I got my villa keys and was able to start moving in on Friday…..
It wasn’t too much of a logistical nightmare as Lou and Jim……….well ok Jim (lou was suffering the effects of the free bar!) helped move the larger items to the place……
I didn’t have a bed or anything so the mission was to get to Ikea ASAP….Scott leant me a blow up bed…….actually a lot more comfortable than I thought it was going to be but roll on the 4th
Feb……the delivery arrives! Bought a load of curtains and poles….borrowed a drill and the mission for the week was to get the windows covered….adds to the privacy and makes the place feel more homely I think!..............it was a mission that saw me in Ikea and Ace everyday for nearly a week….(ACE is like B&Q in the UK)…not only for plugs and screws but for foam to stop the noise through the windows……a few of the poles went up like a dream…apart from the odd wonky bracket…ok so that can be hidden…..no drama. But behind some of the walls there was like a really hard plate….we were using the wrong bit but once we worked it out we got through it like a hot knife through butter…..
Now I have been here 4 and a half months and really craved a night out…old school style…memories of waxy O’Connors and jimmy Dix and some really cool nights out were filling my head…so I emailed a few peeps and got a few together……Waxy’s took a while to warm up but when it did, it was really good…as usually rushing around I didn’t have time to eat…but had a really nice burger at the bar!......in between free cocktails and sparkling wine….What a mix!! Then it started….the gin and tonic….it was time to find somewhere to dance…although I had been singing and dancing in Waxy’s Lou reminded me of the rest of the mission. Some of the group followed to what was the biggest shock I have had since returning to Dubai! WHAT THE HELL HAS HAPPENED TO JIMMY DIX!!!! 1:30 and it was empty…no band and I counted 9 people in there….Cannot believe it….i am totally GUTTED! The place was crud! I was pretty impressed that Lou and Mary hit the dance floor…..AN EMPTY DANCE FLOOR, only to be joined by 2 of the admin team from work…..who I have since spoken to and were equally as shocked at what has happen to the place!....i couldn’t move from the bar area….a mixture of stability reasons and total disappointment…..
One drink in JD and three of us moved on…rapidly! To Double Deckers….that was also quite empty…don’t know what was going on! But it was still good to be out…and people watching was a comedy activity!!
Grabbed a cab around 0300….had to stop once on the way back as a dodgy moment came over my friend….never seen a cabbie move so fast to open a door…it was a nice cab….leather interior hahaha….Found the villa ok…and the next thing I know…its morning….OW.
The planes were well noisy…I literally dumped my stuff and went to bed no ear plugs…….Friday was Slow….around lunch Scott and I went to get my car from NGS Via Diera City center to get some shopping. Oh god that was not so fun……so busy and the waves of nausea periodically hit me…but….worked on through! Hahaha RESULT! Bought a microwave…so at least while waiting for gas, I can have hot food at the villa!!! Just chilled in the afternoon….sorted the washing machine, the cooker is now level and generally didn’t do much else….there was a terrible sandstorm so going out wasn’t pleasant….in fact there were mini sand dunes forming under the doors……
Saturday was Hair day and try to sort the internet day and back door maintenance guy day! The only success out of those tasks was the Hair…Etisalat were not doing connections, and back door peeps never turned up…still……..it gave me time to clean up a bit and do washing…..

Did I mention I joined a gym…..there is one in Mirdif with a pool….25m training pool outside. Been two nights in a row so far and it is cold…I have IKEA delivery tonight so not sure I will make it…but I am being hounded to book my free personal trainer sessions….i don’t want to…..too scared!!! Especially the part where they analyse your BMI….FAT CONTENT….oiy…I know I am over weight…that’s why I joined a gym…..FOR SWIMMING!......i will get round to it….later this week….will let you know how it goes!