Monday, July 12, 2010

Up In Smoke...

Strange feeling this week... with Niki and the girls in Australia and both my staff on summer vacation, I am alone at home and the office... mmm... a bit weird!

Yes, work is still here and I still interact with people, but its a bit different when you're the only one in your area and that banter isnt happening across the offices.

But I am hardly in solitary confinement... went out last night for the World Cup final and wasn't home until after 1am as a result.  I am glad the Cup is now over because its been playing havoc with my sleeping patterns.  Also, I found myself sharing a plate of chicken wings at midnight last night as we watched the game and I feel really 'gluggy' this morning.

One thing about Dubai that is different to home is that smoking is not banned in pubs and I spent 5hrs in a pub last night sitting behind some Dutch fans who were keen to smoke big fat cigars all night.  I absolutely reeked when I got home and after two showers and prodigiously brushing my teeth, I can still taste / smell cigar smoke on me.

Also met an Aussie guy last night at the game as well.  In a packed pub that had arranged seating in an almost movie theatre style convention around the big screen, this guy in a t-shirt with Aussie flags sat next to me and would you believe I picked his accent as being from Queensland?  Yes, you know the high nasally accent of Brisbane people - if you know what rugby league player Billy Slater sounds like, you'll know what I mean.  Anyways, in true expat style when you see someone from home, despite them being a complete stranger you introduce yourself and shake hands.

So, in a rather weird clash of worlds, I found myself in a Dubai pub, watching the World Cup final between Holland and Spain and in the breaks was talking to a guy from Brisbane about State of Origin and the Melbourne Storm salary cap drama.  All the while being fumigated by big Dutch stogies and eating chicken wings!

Still on the smoking, in a throw back to the 1970's, would you believe that there were 2 girls in matching tight legging pants and tops walking around giving free cigarettes of a particular brand to all the punters?  This girl came up to my table and asked us would we like to try the new Marlboro cigarettes and when I said I didn't smoke she asked would I like to try!  Imagine if a company used attractive girls to give away cigarettes in Sydney!  There would be an uproar!

Obviously they haven't heard about lung cancer here in the Middle East yet....

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