Snapshot on today: 15 Jan 09

I suddenly realised this morning that I’ve been a bit slack on my blog of late, after the Wii fit shocker of late last year. I have been busy with work and what-not as well as sticking rigidly to a daily yoga regime (well done me!) and it seems to be paying off, though unfortunately what no one tells you is that by using Wii Fit every day, you get the added bonus of having all the attendant music for all your fave activities stuck in your head, on a loop, every waking hour.

This week, I am mostly hearing: Wii Fit yoga “hold that pose” music in my head. Over and over and over and over…

Today, I am mostly feeling: relieved that it’s Thursday – it’s been a very hard week and I’m really feeling the pressure 😥

I don’t really feel like blogging this week, so that’s all! Laters.

Flickster. x

The Needy Newbie

This week I am mostly loving: office hours from 8:30 till 3pm – Ramadan stylee

This week I am mostly hating: the leathery work shy women in our apartment block who hog all the best sun loungers so there’s no good late afternoon space by the pool when I get home

So, I am here in Dubai and have been for about three weeks.

Where to begin? Starting from here and going backwards, I am currently sitting at my desk. It’s now 8:53am and I have been at the office for 53 minutes – hugely unusual for me in that I am normally at least five minutes late to work. There is a good reason – I have to drive to work (you can’t get anywhere in Dubai without a car – more on that some other time) and parking here is completely ridiculous. There is a scarcity of spaces anywhere, but particularly in the area where my office is located. In addition, I effectively park in a sand pit (great for the shoes!) which is totally chock-a-block by about 8:15am (the sand pit, not the shoes).  

Work is great – I like it, I like it a lot. Everyone has been very welcoming to me, especially those I work with on the same level. Although I now feel as if I have found and defined my place in the office social web, I have constantly been “on” – trying to be friendly and approachable towards people, smiling and making small talk. When I was invited to lunch for the first time the other week, I was overjoyed! I feel like I must have been quite needy – the needy newbie in fact! Not that I haven’t tried to cover up that neediness – god, is there anything more off-putting than someone who’s desperate to get to know you and be liked?!

My hosts, L and S, have been amazing. I would hate to think of what life would have been like if we didn’t have them. Not only have they opened their home and their lives to me, they have also been very supportive, and given me sage advice on such things as driving and parking, which supermarket stocks selected Waitrose food (Spinney’s, if you really want to know), how much to tip cab drivers and supermarket packers, the best place to park at the Mall of the Emirates and warnings on the fact that TV here is cr*ap (and it is, oh, it is! I feel like I have gained four hours a day of my life back!).

PD arrived on Friday which is just brilliant – I was so happy to see him, we both now feel as if we can get on with our lives. He’s currently back at the apartment doing not much (work-type stuff starts for him tomorrow) and playing with the cat. Her arrival was also on Friday, a couple of hours after PD. She was not as happy as him when she first got here though. Poor furry darling had been sitting in her crate for 12 hours – she had unfortunately had a couple of number one and number two related accidents, and was quite mucky with her own dirt – not like her. She was miserable, in shock, and didn’t recognize me at all for about 20 minutes. PD and I had to chase her around the apartment at first with some paper towels to try and clean her up a bit – thank the goddess Dubai homes are tiled and not carpeted! Having been though this trauma, she then managed to clean herself up over the following two hours and by the evening was quite happy and content (I was worried about having to give her a bath). Now all we need to do is to try and encourage her to use the “activity centre” and scratching post we bought for her yesterday from the mall at great expense. Oh, and discourage her from sharpening her claws on L and S’s sofa – THAT sort of behaviour will almost certainly mean we outstay our welcome! 

It’s also Ramadan here at the moment and will be for the whole month. Our office adopts a Ramadan policy which includes: no eating, drinking or smoking in public. That means all food and drink has to be consumed in the lunch room (I really prefer to eat at my desk) and ciggies to be smoked upstairs in the “pantry” (another lunchroom). This pantry overlooks Dubai airport, and whilst I suck down my snout I can see planes coming in to land nearby.

That’s all my round up for now, but there’s plenty more to say. More minutiae next time, I promise. Stay tuned!

Flickster. x