An Expat In Dubai
Dear Diary
remember when you were a kid and you wrote a diary…well some people still do! I’ve decided tonight i wanna write a diary! about the past 2 weeks so one day i can look back on my cyber diary and reflect!
Dear Diary The past few weeks have been quite a challenge, i got sick not only for the first time in Dubai but for the first time in a loooong time! and when i mean sick I’m not talking “man” flu, i’m talking can’t leave the bed shaking, sweating, crying making promises to myself that ill never keep (like giving up alcohol) on the hope of feeling better the next day! i took an expensive trip to the doctor…. a word to the wise if you come to Dubai make sure you have travel insurance its costly, every other normal person on the planet already knows this. I’m quite pathetic sometimes. The one thing i will say about the doctor i saw is she was the best doctor I’ve ever seen, although she prescribed me the world and its friend and to be fair i didn’t need all those drugs she was very efficient and attentive! but 200 quid later I’m back to fighting fit……you can’t put a price on your health, and i was very sick! it takes a lot to shut me up, but boy i was quiet
So finally got back to health last weekend, and have spent this week making up for my nights indoors. Tues i enjoyed a chilled night in Nando’s with my flying scotsman Miki. Let me tell you nando’s out here is the one!! you get these kebabs on skewers and a mixture of curly fries (i’m talking mum went to iceland curly fries) n crinkle fries with some perinaise…..bottomless coke mmmm its like heaven on plate!! And wen it only costs you 9 quid you feel so much more content!! We then ventured to a bar called the Observatory, 52 floors high in the Marina Marriot! what a view! 360 degrees of the palm and the marina you can see everything from this joint and at quite a decent price too! i indulged on a strawberry daiquiri and marveled at the view! top night with top company i’ll say!
Last night was out with the girls for a random clunge night, (clunge night = ladies night) we got 4 free drinks including a generous glass of wine and appletinis were very scrumptious! although the music was a complete let down I’m talking s club 7, peter andre and mambo number 5! doesn’t it just sound sickly!! so my night ended at a comfortable midnight which i didn’t mind as I’m trying to be a good girl
My poor friend Haylea fractured her ankle last week, to be fair she was partaking in a wrestling match with our friend Mirkin, which ended badly! i was a good friend and bathed her her feet, washed mirkins clothes n made my bed which for me is quite domesticated! i will become a house wife one day honest!! (maybe) but she’s in a cast for the next 6 weeks, i was tempted to buy her a zimmer frame with a sit down toilet but crutches wa as far as it went. She’s out of the game for anything that involves water and long periods of dancing (pretty much everything) although her drinking cap is still on! so thats all good!
tomorrow I’m off to Iceland which is a water park in a different Emirate should be interesting then i have my good friend Arzo’s house warming woohooo!! And next weekend is going to be the best weekend of my life 17 friends, 1 50 ft yacht, bbq, booze…ahhhhh but thats a story for another blog!!! ill fill you in next weekend! but until then
Peace up, a town down :-) x
its all about me…..
excuse me for taking so long in between blogs, and kind of cutting Saudi short on day 3, i do have every intention to carry on writing, but it sometimes is the last thing i can be bothered to do to be honest!!! LOL!
this blog is me writing about myself, maybe giving you guys an insight into how my life has changed in the past 7 months!!
This time last year, i was based in London in a job of 7 years which i loved with people i loved working with, still love them all, i had and still have a close group of great friends, my family around me, my own home and didn’t really feel the need to go anywhere especially to live!!!
The problem is i thought i was happy, i thought the routine was safe, normal and although if i was still there now it would all be ok, id still live with it, i now know what it is to be really happy!! - now this probably is a load of cheese!! and more like a psycho analysis of my complexed yet amazing personality!! ha ha!! but this is the honest truth!!
London for me was full of drama, stress, and loneliness. Sometimes you can have all the people around you in the world but still feel like your living on your own, consumed and flooded by your own negative thoughts! This is how i lived day in and day out. Don’t get me wrong i still have days where i can’t be bothered or I’m automatically in that “womanly” pissed off mood but in general i feel like a million weights have been taken off of my shoulders. i think people who have been around me during this time (dad, bro) can confirm the difference in me from the day i left London, and the first month in Dubai, maybe all you guys notice the difference! i dunno i can def notice the difference in myself!
To be fair my liver can probably notice the difference too!! as I’m sure you all know that the parties here are constant, and the free drinks given to ladies are basically screaming “get wasted”. But even with my alcohol consumption, the way in which i abuse the legal drug has changed!! i now drink socially rather than to numb the hidden issues going on in my head! both probably equally as bad to a normal person, but mean a big difference to me!
I’m sure the friends i have out here have a completely different take on me to my friends in London, I’m pretty mental!! LOL!! I generally have nothing to complain about, even though i work the same long hours, having the beach and the sunshine on a daily basis makes me continue thinking this is a working holiday!
I’m sure the idea for some, living away from home for a long period of time is not their cup of tea, as was it definitely not mine a year ago! its just overwhelming for me to think of how much my life has changed! and to be honest if i hadn’t met all the people i have done in Dubai i probably would have been back in London already!
London is my home and where my heart lies, ill never stay away forever and i do miss everyone, and my home comforts but for me this change and feeling like I’m starting my life over is exactly what i needed to progress as a stronger person! i can’t remember the last time i cried, or got worried over the things i can’t control, taking each day as it comes (hopefully one of them containing a ride on a jet ski) is my new moto!
So maybe your all asking when or if I’m coming back, I AM!! LOL I’m back in July for 12 weeks! woooohooooo!! i am very excited, it is something to look forward to!!! although for the foreseeable future London will be my holiday home, and Dubai my main home.
I know this blog was a bit mushy, but i wanted to express how grateful and thankful i am for the opportunity to change my life! its so funny the situations you fall into in life, but as my dear bro says “i am the master of my own destiny” - and i now have an experience to tell my kids, grand kids, grand kids kids (if i live that long)
i hope i inspired some in this writing, life is what you make it !! However you chose to live !!
I will write more soon!!! i promise LOL :-$
An Englishwoman in Saudi - Day 3
i’m a few hours late in writing a blog for day 3, as i was a lazy bitch yesterday and went to bed at 8pm!!! 12 hrs sleep!!! wow!! although i have a stupid fucking cold and its driving me nuts!!… Mummy i don’t feel well!! ;(
Anyway!! onto the point, yesterday we went to visit our site location for the event were doing, they are building 5 cities of villas in a part of Jazan and were are celebrating it!!
Met a guy that claimed he hadn’t seen a woman for 2 years and he gave me a flower…. ahhh bless!! And we went for lunch in a Turkish restaurant which was amazing!! the food was so good, i had chicken shish kebab with this amazing naan like bread and garlic mayo mmmmmm!!!! the restaurant also didn’t have a family section… don’t think many females visit!! so i got to eat with everyone!!! woohooo!! LOL!! people here are very friendly and accommodating, but i won’t count all my chickens just yet, this is Saudi!!!
Didn’t really do much after that, came home, laid on the sofa with a quilt and watched movies!! …hoping this stinking cold goes soon!!! Anyways have a good day peeps xx :-)
An Englishwoman In Saudi…. Day 2
today was a lot more chilled than yesterday and didn’t get up to much, me and Matt went for breakfast and then had a nice chat with our hotel manager about blah blah blah, he’s a very nice man!!
we then went to some carpet shops to look for carpets / rugs for our event all very normal! we then decided to go to the mall i needed soap powder to wash me knickers caveman style in the sink as there are no female workers in our hotel and i don’t want a man sniffing me knickers if you know what i mean!!
on the way to the mall Matt pointed out a street advertisement and they actually black out the faces of the models they use… bizarre!! i really would like someone to explain to me why they do this?
matt and myself also learned today that we pick the most awful times to go out shopping reason being in Saudi ALL shops have to close for every prayer time, this will last at least half an hour and prayer time is 5 times a day!! not to mention the fact that all the shops also close between 12 and 4pm every day too!! how does anyone do any shopping round here!! as we have learned, every time we try and go shopping for something the shops are either closing or closed!! quite frustrating!
Got a few dodgy looks (well eyes as i couldn’t see anything else) from some Saudi ladies….is it cause iz white? LOL and also had a client meeting this evening in the lobby of our hotel of which i was the only female!!! i have had the same song stuck in my head since i left Dubai….. the clue is in my blog title….
“oooooh ooohhhh im an alien, im a legal alien, I’m an englishwoman in Saudi…”
LOL i crack myself up!!! until tomorrow!! nighty night habibe’s x
An Englishwomen in Saudi Arabia… Day 1
Yesterday i embarked on a mission to Saudi Arabia for 14 days and as this is going to be an experience i shall remember for a life time i will be doing a daily blog to lock in those memories!!!
So i started out from Dubai - Riyadh (Capital of Saudi) This flight was pretty normal…apart from the local guy sitting next to me deciding that I’m a woman and he shall not sit next to me….so he moved, all good for me meant i had the seat to myself. Arriving at Riyadh was confusing as you have to collect your luggage, and check back in even if you are on a connecting flight! Customs were very nice to me!! and i had a warm welcome. You have to go through a ladies only search which confused me for a minute….got told off!! but figured it all out in the end! the flight from Riyadh - Jazan, Gizan, Jizan….(the spelling changes depending on the mood) was easy enough the 2 men sitting next to me originally didn’t want to sit down but the stewardess assured them i wasn’t a monster, and I’m not going to cut off their balls, so all good!! Jazan airport is by far the quickest airport exit in history think it took me 10min walking from the plane to outside with my luggage!! BOOM thats what you call service!!!….bearing in mind they only have one baggage claim!! probably says a lot!!
First important message: if i said the driving in Dubai was crazy!! FUCK ME!!! this takes the piss!! lanes do not exist!!! ill leave the rest to your imagination!!
Today was an amazing first day, we went up into the mountains to take video footage for our event, visiting a village called Fifa..(i can remember this name, wonder why) and beyond!! Getting close to the Yemen boarder, meeting police with machine guns!!! that was scary!!! but they were nice and escorted us to where we needed to be! Managed to get an interview with 2 local boys!! dressed like Yemenis carrying the daggers!! found out that their tradition is if you draw the dagger blood must be spilled before you put it back!, so either the person you pull it on or your own!!! now thats fuckin nuts!!! And one of our drivers bought me a head scarf, and a box of jewelry containing a watch, necklace, earings and bracelet!!! ahhh bless!! very kind!!!
We saw wild monkeys!!! totally cool!! goats and donkeys!!! Amazing views and taking it completely cultured with a trip to one of the village restaurants. As I’m a woman i am not allowed to eat anywhere. In every restaurant you have the mens side and the family side. My colleague Moneer checked we were all ok to eat in the family side as i am the only lady here!! and so we go!! Needed the toilet, yea its a hole in the ground!!! But if you gotta go, you gotta go!!! may as well go the whole 50 million yards while I’m here!!!
you eat in a little room with a curtain, on the floor. They bought us in plates of rice with chicken and goat! and when i say goat i mean literally the whole goat!! you can’t tell!! my friend Matthias pointed it out to me…to be fair i really wasn’t keen on eating a goat so i stuck with the chicken and the bread which was amazing!! you don’t get served plates or anything and you have to eat with your hands!! there is a knack as I’ve learned today for eating rice with your hands!!! I’m getting involved out here mate!!!
staying completely covered but only having to cover my head if the religious police are around i have to say today was thrilling!!! i am currently in Matt’s apartment driving him nuts and probably will continue to all night bless him!!! our driver has just shown up and doesn’t know where to put his face as i am not in my Abaya!! HA!!!
until tomorrow, hope you enjoyed my first Saudi blog !!! :-) x
Barasti Beach Bar
Barasti beach bar, is one of the best places to hang out in Dubai, i practically live there! with its own beach that has nice double bed loungers, and bean bags its the perfect place to sunbathe especially for those who hate the sand sticking to everything! Only problem is you have to get there at opening time to secure your spot, as weekends its mobbed. It also has all the essentials close to you rather than being at a normal beach, including a beach bar where you can have spritzers and daiquiri’s mmmmm!!!
they also serve food and i have to admit its pretty fucking nice!! quite pricey but worth it!!
weekends they show all the football on a large screen, and if your lucky you can watch from a nice garden sofa while smoking ze shisha! def one of my fav places to hang out in Dubai! and worth the trip if you come out!!!!
on a side note the AA isn’t going so well ;-$ if you placed a bet your rich!!! last night was fun doing karaoke!! although jeagarbombs fucked my life up.!! but i can make a promise to be sober for 2 weeks as i leave for saudi arabia on Saturday!! and i don’t wanna end up in chop chop square thanks!! I will be writing a blog on my Saudi adventures, ill have nothing else to do when I’m not working!! apparently you can get weed!! I’m not a smoker but ill def have to have a few puffs to say i smoked in Saudi!! LOL!
:-) xx
BRUNCH»»»> :-$
i feel the need to share the evils of a Dubai brunch with the world!!! I’ve decided after the epic fail weekend i just had…. wasn’t a fail really… well i failed in the fact that i can’t remember what happened friday night and ended up nursing the monster of all hangovers on Saturday!!! aaannnnyyywayyyy…… I’ve decided to knock the drinking on the head and become sober!! YES ME!! I’m going to detox myself from all the toxins vodka gives to me!!!….and those of you that know me are thinking “yea right you say that all the time” well my lil munchkins i shall prove you all wrong this time!! :-)
Back to the point….. Dubai weekends are on a Friday / Saturday….so thursday nights the new friday baby!!! LOL Thursday night was amazing, our friend MR ROSS has just started the first drum and bass rave in Dubai…twas fuckin great…. it all started off well for me, i was so sober i drove there!!!….and then i didn’t pick my car up until i was on my way to work this morning!!…..that explains the extent of the carnage that was to follow!!
SO we got a free bottle of vodka as there was over 10 of us… it was watered down as i could drink it from the bottle without flinching (NO this is not how i was drinking it) and then happy hour was buy 1 get 1….few of those…..few more drinks bought by randoms and what do u know I’m pissed!!!…… now to show you exactly how pissed me and ms Jeffreys were… the D&B night was a 2 min taxi ride to my hotel…… should have cost 10 dirhams…. which is around 2 pounds…. 140 dirham later….. we rock up at my hotel…!!!! ooops!!!
so i wake up pissed on Friday and decide that rather than staying in bed all day I’m going to do BRUNCH!!! YES more drinking!!!!…….
basically EVERY SINGLE FRIDAY various hotels all over Dubai put on a BRUNCH where from 12 - 4 you get unlimited food and alcohol….. now these BRUNCHES vary in price, you can have champagne, spirits, wine, good food in our case shit food but all it is is an EXCUSE to get completely PISSED from midday on a Friday!! extremely unhealthy if your a self proclaimed alcoholic like myself!!! the food at this Fridays brunch was not all that amazing… and resulted in me eating 2 croissants and some caramelized onion with parsnips…. and the fact that i was topping up on the night before and drinking like a fish to stop the hangover didn’t help the situation…. BLACK OUT alert!!!
But in all honesty if you come to Dubai, you really do need to experience a brunch, it is a very sociable occasion and you are guaranteed to make friends with people who may or may not remember who you are the next day! i am a million percent sure i could give up the drinking but i don’t think i can give up the brunch!! and will still go… only sober…. so ladies and gentleman i shall be honest with myself and you all on this mission…. SOOOO get your bets in on how long you think it will last and i will most DEFO keep you all posted!!
Happy Sundays…. AND happy snowy sundays London!! :-( i do love a bit of snow…think I’m gonna go outside and try and make a sandman now!!…HAVE FUN xxxx
I’m an Idiot and I know it!
so we all know I’m an idiot!! went back to London for 10 days was amazing!! so good to see everyone, didn’t have enough time to see every body and upset i didn’t get to meet the new addition to the family Eva Rose… Looking forward to meeting her in April!!
cheap alcohol, laughs with the friends and good bye leaving drinks for Ms Kate, who has now flown the S2 nest :-( she will be missed!!
but as i said I’m an idiot….. after a night of boozing royally on Tuesday and not remembering how i got home, i was severely hanging Wed morning!! i knew i was running late….hangover go slow mode…. but i completely under estimated how long the tube took to get to heathrow…. i didn’t look at my flight details because like most of the planet i have an iPhone, and checking emails on the train is easy, so i thought…. until i tried to make a phone call and get directed to the o2 payment line, yes they cut me off…bastards!!!
So I’m now freakin out i don’t even know what terminal I’m going to!! luckily upon arrival at heathrow there is a board at the tube station which says which airline flies from which terminal…. so i race up there…. by this point its 1pm and my flight is at 1.35!!! get to the desk and of course its closed, so i need to go and change my ticket…
Get to the emirates desk, they take my passport and inform me that i wasn’t on that flight at all!! YEP clearly i thought they were mistaken as the 380 had cleared my account…. until one of the ladies checked Gatwick and advised i was flying from there!!!…….the embarrassment i felt can not be described.. not only was i late, but i also went to the wrong airport!!!! luckily i got the next one from heathrow 3 hrs later… was like an extra long wait for the next train…. but only i could do something so stupid!! moral of the story….ALWAYS check your flight details before you fly!!! HA HA
Thanks to everyone in London for an AMAZING holiday!! i miss you all so much, but looking forward to having more stories to share!! Love ya all loads xxx
