Its Monday and tomorrow is hump day in the Middle East and things are moving along nicely.
Work is very busy, and I am getting to know the people, the departments and the internal politics that all companies seem to have. I am using my "newbie" status to punch down some of those political hurdles which is good.
As for the non-work stuff, I have made contact with the potential school that the girls will be going to and have filled in the initial application forms, supplied them with birth certificates and report cards. I had to ask Niki to scan in the reports and email them to me... modern technology is a wonderful thing!
I have just moments ago signed my application form for my HSBC credit card and will be receiving my ATM card tomorrow. HSBC have a guy who travels out to site and looks after all the expat needs without us having to venture into town to do it on our weekends... a great idea from them and hence I would say nearly all expats here are now HSBC clients! Australian bank marketing departments take note!!
My residency is "being processed" and I have no idea what that means in terms of time... 2 days? 3 weeks? Who knows! I am told once I have been called and had a medical, it is only a matter of a few days... but I am not sure when that call will come.
And we had a little drama here on site yesterday with what I can only describe as a mini-tornado coming through the sandy desert and ripping into some solar panelling outside my office. It uprooted these panels up and tossed them a few metres before travelling across the road and I watched it physically hit the date palms on the other side. The palms shook and swayed and then it was gone... quite extraordinary!
And Niki will be coming for a visit! I am very excited about that, and it will be good for her to see things and get a bit of a real sense for what she is in for... I can only tell her "its nice, but different" so many times! Its simply a case that she should come and see for herself!
That will be really good, she can come and see where I am living and working, I will take a day off work, she can meet the school teachers and we can drive around Dubai and Abu Dhabi and give her the tour... plus I miss her to bits anyway!
Work is very busy, and I am getting to know the people, the departments and the internal politics that all companies seem to have. I am using my "newbie" status to punch down some of those political hurdles which is good.
As for the non-work stuff, I have made contact with the potential school that the girls will be going to and have filled in the initial application forms, supplied them with birth certificates and report cards. I had to ask Niki to scan in the reports and email them to me... modern technology is a wonderful thing!
I have just moments ago signed my application form for my HSBC credit card and will be receiving my ATM card tomorrow. HSBC have a guy who travels out to site and looks after all the expat needs without us having to venture into town to do it on our weekends... a great idea from them and hence I would say nearly all expats here are now HSBC clients! Australian bank marketing departments take note!!
My residency is "being processed" and I have no idea what that means in terms of time... 2 days? 3 weeks? Who knows! I am told once I have been called and had a medical, it is only a matter of a few days... but I am not sure when that call will come.
And we had a little drama here on site yesterday with what I can only describe as a mini-tornado coming through the sandy desert and ripping into some solar panelling outside my office. It uprooted these panels up and tossed them a few metres before travelling across the road and I watched it physically hit the date palms on the other side. The palms shook and swayed and then it was gone... quite extraordinary!
And Niki will be coming for a visit! I am very excited about that, and it will be good for her to see things and get a bit of a real sense for what she is in for... I can only tell her "its nice, but different" so many times! Its simply a case that she should come and see for herself!
That will be really good, she can come and see where I am living and working, I will take a day off work, she can meet the school teachers and we can drive around Dubai and Abu Dhabi and give her the tour... plus I miss her to bits anyway!
1 comment:
The school the boys go to is an IB school. It should be a good choice curriculum wise :)
Rachel
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