Missed My Weekend

Well, I went to London for business on Thursday night for a Friday meeting. Friday of course being our weekend, but when dealing with a UK project on occasion I guess I have to work "western hours". It meant however I spent Thursday night and then Friday night coming back on a plane and as such probably only had 6hrs sleep all told.

I just cannot sleep well on planes... I doze I guess, but I just feel like crap when I land and as a consequence my Saturday morning was spent sleeping and then in the afternoon I was yawning whilst vegging out on the lounge playing PlayStation (Dragon Age for those who care) and then we went for an early (5pm) dinner with neighbours. In addition, Kate had spent the weekend at a friends place and by the time I drove out and collected her at 8:30pm, I was absolutely exhausted.

This morning, I woke up early and had to get ready for work... and I feel like I just left the office.

This week though wont be a normal week as the World Future Energy Summit is on and I will be attending that both as an interested spectator but also for work. I will be manning our company's stand and greeting people from all around the world. Whilst I work in the "renewable energy business" it is actually a product that I feel enthused about as it a new frontier and also trying to do a good thing for the world in general... much more so than any other company I have worked for.

I also have to still go to get that Police Report (see last weeks post) and also, my leased car needs changing over because the registration is expiring and also starting to contact my landlord as would you believe the 12mths lease expires in about 6 weeks and I need to renegotiate for another year. We're very happy with our place so, we're very keen to stay on!

Dubai Hospitals - Thumbs Up

Yesterday, Niki slipped on the staircase and hurt her ankle / foot.  She was in quite a bit of pain and by the time I got home from work she was basically stuck on the lounge with her foot strapped and up on pillows.

Whilst we thought it may be broken and we should get an X-ray, we left it until today after the kids went to school.

But we had never been to a hospital here before and were a bit unsure of which one to go to.  The closest one has had a number of poor reviews from people around here and is known more as a "labour camp hospital" and is a bit run down.  Instead we opted to go up the road further to the "MedCare Hospital" which had a good reputation as being clean and efficient.

And it certainly was.  We turned up at the Emergency at 9am, we filled out the "first timers" forms and soon enough Niki was seen to by a triage nurse, and then straight away an orderly came out with a wheel chair, took her to x-ray, then took her to the doctor (who cleared her of a break, just a bad sprain and gave her a prescription for pain relief).  The orderly then took us to the "cashier" and I was happy to say that the x-ray was free under my insurance and then to the pharmacy.  He then wheeled Niki out to the carpark, stood with her whilst I got the car and then helped her from the chair into the car.

All up, we were there for less than 2hrs and home by 11am.

Great service and far better than a Sydney Hospital... we are now a bit more relaxed about where the hospital is and the quality of care.  It was "fortunate" to be able to go to the hospital for a "check up" via x-ray rather than for any serious emergency, gives us a great piece of mind.

You just have to laugh...

For those of you who I saw in Australia, you may be aware that I lost both my work Blackberry and my personal mobile phone.  Lost it, last seen on Xmas Day at my sister in laws, never seen from again despite extensive searches by all the family.  To me, it was annoying and at the time very frustrating, but to be honest life without the CrackBerry has been fine.

But, work expects me to be available on email virtually 24x7 so I made arrangements here at work to get a new Blackberry.  Spoke to my boss about it whilst in Australia and upon my return got his and my bosses boss to signoff on me getting a new one.  They had no issue at all.

Then the secretary pulls me aside yesterday and says that for the IT department to give me a new Blackberry, they need a "Police Report".

Huh?!

I said, I lost it in Australia and in Australia, we don't report missing phones to the police when we misplace them.  We probably wouldnt even bother if it was stolen, let alone simply "lost".

So she went back to tell the IT department that...

Today however, I have been told that it is "impossible" to proceed with the issuance of a new BlackBerry without said report and that I need to go to Abu Dhabi Police to get the report.

So to summarise, I "misplaced and lost" my BlackBerry in Australia but I have to report it missing to police in Abu Dhabi to authorise my company, a company with turnover measured in billions of US$, to spend approx A$1000 on a new BlackBerry device.

Apparently yes, that's exactly the case.

Upon investigation and asking around, I cannot go to any police station, I have to go to the General Headquarters in downtown Abu Dhabi in which I have to take a number and wait to explain my situation to a government employee (who will in all cases will not be an actual police officer) and have that person issue the report.  I have also been told on the quiet that I shouldnt say it was lost but rather stolen as they will tell me that if its lost, then they cannot actually verify that I didnt simply sell the said BlackBerry for cash and am now making it all up.

So, I have been told that I should report the BlackBerry "stolen" as that is more believable...

I am tempted not to bother and to continue living a "BlackBerry Free" life...

Well, we made it!

We're back home in Dubai after a great three weeks in Sydney.  The trip back was exhausting and some 36hrs later I am still feeling jet lagged, but it was great to see all of our families and friends.

It was difficult too though with so many appointments and we had to keep to a pretty tight schedule which was also very demanding.  The other difficulty too was each time we saw someone for the first time, we had to relay the standard answers to the questions that everybody asks... over the 3 weeks, I am sure I lost count and probably bored someone silly by repeating myself.

Adding to this was the business of Christmas and we had to fit in our shopping as well but on reflection, I am glad we arrived a good 2 weeks before Xmas day.

So overall, a great trip!  We have also taken a large number of photos, many of which will eventually make their way onto Facebook and the best ones I will post up on here soon.

The other thing that was interesting was how we felt about Sydney.  Whilst I missed everyone greatly whilst away, it was really fantastic that I was able to pick up with everyone pretty much where we left off and it felt like I was away for a weekend and not 10 months.  I put this down to the power of the internet, skype and facebook which help tremendously in keeping in contact with people.

Outside of the people however, I must say that Sydney as a whole has lost some shine in my mind as I really struggled with the traffic, the costs (conceptually, not monetarily) and how much more intense a lifestyle it is to live in Sydney.  Everyone is busy, everything is rushed and I really missed the relaxed lifestyle we lead here in Dubai.  I know that it was Christmas etc, but really Sydney is alot more "intense" and I have fallen out of step with that.

For me as well, I felt like I was visiting on holiday and not "home" and it crystallised how I now consider Dubai to be home.  For the girls, I asked them both when we touched down in Abu Dhabi yesterday as to whether they felt that they had come home or not.  Brooke agreed that the UAE was now home and Kate was a bit 50-50 so that was interesting.

Now, looking ahead, its 2010 and we will be getting some visitors in the coming year.  Niki's girlfriend Julie will be visiting in April with her daughter Hannah and also my parents will make the trek as well.  We were also happy to hear other people indicate that they're thinking of coming over and I hope thats the case.  We're experiencing a very different but enjoyable life here in the UAE and I want as many people to come over and experience it as well :-)

On top of that, we're looking to plan our next holiday to Europe... I am thinking Paris / Rome and perhaps driving between the two but whatever we do, we're looking forward to doing some more world exploring this year.  Some quick breaks around the Middle East too would be nice.

Its going to be an exciting year!

Merry Xmas, Happy New Year

Well, I am back in Australia (and have been for 2 weeks!) and we've had our first Christmas home since our big move to Dubai.  Firstly, the Xmas celebrations have been excellent and we had a lovely Xmas Day and Boxing Day with the families.  Both of the days being probably some of the best Xmas get togethers we've had.

Other than the Xmas events themselves, we have been incredibly busy catching up with family and friends.  We have seen as many people as we can and we still have some meet and greets to go before we head home on Sunday and whilst we are very tired, it has been well worth it.

Unfortunately, the Sydney weather hasn't been too kind on us with lots of rainy days, but we have ticked off most of our things to do before we head back to Dubai... I know that I am yet to get a Chocolate Thick Shake yet :-)

Its also been odd coming back to Sydney.  After being away for 10mths, I thought that things might have "changed" but the reality is that we have slipped into Sydney and it doesn't feel like we've been away.  The people are here, our friends and family haven't really had any dramatic changes in their lives and everyone has welcomed us warmly.  We have the "what's it like?" spiel down pat but its still enjoyable to tell people about Dubai and the great life we're having over there.

Also, as it is customary at this time of year, you do look back on the previous year and what happened and you look forward to the new year and what you want to achieve.  For me, and for all of us, 2009 has been probably the biggest life changing year for us and it also has been incredibly rewarding.  2008 was a horror year in which the dam burst but I am very proud of me and Niki and the girls because we have really changed tact in a huge way and have made alot of changes that have all been for the better.

And I don't just mean the physical move to Dubai, but that in itself would also be the biggest thing we have ever have happen to Niki & I since the birth of the girls.

We have made many new friends in Dubai, but we have also retained the good friends of Sydney and in short 2009 has been brilliant.

So, what for 2010?  Well, we are over the "hurdle" of the move and have settled into our new life... so I guess 2010 will be the year of travel and enjoyment.  I personally want to drop the 25kgs I have added over the past 3 years and spend more time bettering my health but also as a family, we're looking forward to the new experiences that the world can give whilst still keeping the home roots of Australia close to heart.

I know that this blog has suffered a bit in 2009 and perhaps its a sign that the therapeutic need I had to vent my spleen has dropped a bit... but Lime Kettles will enter its 7th year  next year and will continue on.  I hope that the readers of this corner of the Internet, both friends and strangers, continue to read and post the odd comment that you're out there :-)

So to you readers, I hope your Christmas was also great, that 2009 was kind and that 2010 will be better than any other year!

Cheers
Clay

Greetings From Sydney

Well, we made it to Sydney!  The flight was excellent and I found the Etihad economy to be a little bit more roomy than the Emirates economy class.  It was my birthday during the flight, but I considered sitting down to watch movies and TV shows for 14hrs not too bad a way to spend the day.

With the flight being 14hrs but leaving in the morning, it was hard (impossible) for me to sleep but the girls got 2-3 hrs at the back end of the flight.  Niki and I didnt sleep a wink and we landed at Sydney at 7:30am local time.  We got our luggage in about 30 seconds after clearing passport control and we were out and hiring the car and on the road very quickly.

I got back into the groove of right hand driving on the left side of the road very quickly but I was really frustrated by all the traffic lights and the slowness on the freeways.  Have been here 5 days or so already and am still frustrated by the bad driving habits of Sydney-siders, the way trucks seem to have a god given right to the fast lane and ridiculously slow speeds on the freeways.

And being away for 10mths doesnt sound long, but things have subtley changed... I really noticed things like the trees on the M4 motorway being taller (at the M7 interchange) and the odd new roundabout or traffic light.  Also, the odd shop or business in the local area is gone and replaced with something else.  Just little things...

Have met most of my cravings already... have had my coffee from the local deli which is the best coffee in the world in my opinion, have also had a chocolate milkshake and last night I had a milk bar hamburger with egg and bacon.  Also, had lunch with my parents on Sunday and Niki and I shared a massive seafood platter (at Nicks Seafood at Darling Harbour) and I got my craving for decent seafood out of the way as well.

Also have had some decent Aussie beer - Carlton Draught, VB etc - as I have only really had Corona's and Heinekins in Dubai.

We have been very busy too... have caught up with both our parents (we're staying at Niki's parents place) and have caught up with Niki's brother and sister and their families, have seen many friends already and I managed to pop down and watch my old cricket team play for a couple of hours as well.

The kids are also seeing their friends... Kate has actually gone to her old school today and is spending the day in her old class.  Brooke tonight is going to see her dancing friends and has a sleep over arranged with her best friend tonight.

So, all up, its very busy but its been good to catch up with friends and family.  Alot of people are asking about Dubai and seem genuinely happy that we're enjoying it... perhaps even a bit surprised that we are!  There are alot of stereotypes about the Middle East and we're doing our bit to quash those.

And its only the first week of three!

Apologies

Sorry for the lack of posts... i have had a few comments on "arent you updating" so, just as a placeholder, yes this is still a live blog but I have been busy.

I did actually make a post the other night summarising our Eid / UAE National Day holiday last week complete with pics, but for some reason Blogger crashed and I lost it all.  It was late at night and I didn't get back to it.

So, yes... I will try and post some pics up of our Ski Dubai experience, our first Greenfield Community Xmas party, some latest pics of our house etc.  We are however flying back to Sydney on Thursday morning UAE time for our Christmas Holidays in Sydney.  Will be in Sydney Dec 11 - Jan 4.  We're all very excited about heading home.

C