9 months in UAE

So....where do I start? We have been a resident in Abu Dhabi for 9 months nearly and I can't believe it!

I have been really slack on the blog front...I thought it was a good idea at the time when I started this until I found myself a full time job and reality hit! Many people have asked where my blog had gone so I decided to do a quickie.....and then I hope I will get back on it!

So living in the Middle East? It's great. Before we came out here it was the unknown and as of course we were apprehensive. We settled quite quickly really even though it took some months to adjust to the sweltering heat, crazy driving and prayer calls ( called athaan, prayer calling is played 5 times a day over loud speakers to inform others it is time to pray). Now it is just part of daily life and very often unnoticed ( except the crazy driving!!)

I last wrote a blog in November just as the temperatures were starting to become comfortable. I can honestly say the winter here is AMAZING! If you can imagine blue skies on a hot  British summers day....that was our winter. I did not miss the cold winter at all. Maybe that will be different as we spend longer here, only time will tell but at the moment it hasn't been missed!

We have done so much over the last 4 months as it is the time of year to spend it outdoors. Franklyn & I have got into Aquathlons ( swimming & running ).  Daisy recently competed in her first triathlon with her school and did amazingly well. I am so proud of them both. They have adapted to their new life in an Arab country with little complaints. They are embracing the multi cultural environment that they have been thrown into and its great to see they have made many new friends from all over the world. They can even speak some Arabic which puts us to shame.

We have had a trail of visitors which has kept us busy and it has been brilliant seeing loved ones and showing them our new home. I am so excited that my brother, Pat and his family are moving to Dubai. Daisy & Franklyn have missed their cousins so much and soon they will only be an hours drive away! Poor Mum & Dad now have all 3 of us living abroad with my younger brother, Andy & his family in Nairobi, Kenya. Guess where their holidays will be!

So here are a few pictures that have been taken over the last 4 months. Today we broke up for 2 weeks Spring break and we are off to Thailand tomorrow for a week....so maybe the next one will be a cheeky glimpse of Phuket!! A holiday we would never have dreamed we would be doing a year ago!! We also have some very good friends and Daisy's bestie coming over in the second week.....so excited!!

 Dubai for the day with Auntie Donna - Burj Khalifa - Dec 2014

 

 

 Trying to get into the Festive spirit at Yas Marina

 

 A 4x4 cycle on the cornice beachfront! - Mum & Dad - Dec 2014

 

 Mubdala World Tennis Championships, New Years Day 2015

 

 A fleeting visit from Pat & Faye in Dubai - Jan 2015

 

 Nanny & Franklyn enjoying the sea! Jan 2015

 

 Daisy & Scarlett at the HSBC Abu Dhabi Golf Championships - Jan 2015

Franklyn & me before our Biathlon at the Atlantis, Dubai - Feb 2015

Enjoying an afternoon At The Walk, Jumeirah Beach, Dubai - Feb 2015

Franklyn is there somewhere - Abu Dhabi Swimming Festival - Feb 2015

Franklyn smiling before his swim - Abu Dhabi swimming Festival - Feb 2015

Daisy after her 1st Triathlon! - March 2015

 

The weather is getting warmer and it won't be long before all this will have to stop.....enjoying every minute of it until then! The UK will be our saviour when it is too hot in the summer........

 

 

 

 

Glorious Winter Weather

Ok so it's been a few weeks since I last posted any news. No news is good news don't they say?

Life is great in Abu Dhabi. The temperature has dropped considerably over the last 3 weeks and I can honestly say it is GLORIOUS! There is no humidity and it is like a beautiful English summers day at around 29-30c daytime and then it drops to about 19-22 at night. Most days it is clear blue sky...occasional clouds. I think we are acclimatised now as come the evening it feels a a little chilly even at 22c!

However, I haven't got my head around the fact that it is nearly the end of November and Christmas is not far away. I think because it is so warm and because there are no Christmas adverts and Christmas songs on the radio or in the shops to constantly remind us. Being in a Muslim country, they obviously do not celebrate Christmas. But there is a huge expat community out here so it is here and there is lots going on for Christmas...you just need to find it. I've got to say although I do not miss the UK weather at all....the thought of a warm Christmas is going to be weird.

Here are a few things we have been getting upto over the last few weeks;

Daisy just did 3 Personal bests at a gala in Dubai...very pleased!

 Family Beach BBQ at Traders Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri

 Sunset just before the Bouncy castle went up and spoilt the view!!

Ritz - Carlton....our Christmas day lunch is waiting!!

BBQ Buffet....

Paul was lucky to get an Formula 1 ticket for the Grand Prix at Yas Circuit in the National Ambulance corporate box

Abu Dhabi Science Festival on the Corniche ( beach )

Yaslam on the beach....celebrating the Grand prix.

We have just found out today that we have Paul's sister coming next week and our amazing friends coming to visit in Easter 2015...so excited. It's a long time not seeing our nearest and dearest so hearing news like that today has made us smile even more!! 

Our first visitor and amazing views

 Nanny Maureen arrived a week ago which has been lovely. We were so excited to see her as it's been a while since we left the UK and to see a familiar face is just fabulous. We were also very excited to be able to show her some of the sights of Abu Dhabi. Having been here for nearly 3 months now, we have been desperate to show off our new home. It's difficult to describe the Arabian way of life out here. Pictures are great for capturing the weather and the fun we are having but to describe the architecture and the pristine cleanliness and general feel of the place is not so easy.....My mother in law has been in amazement of it all and has gone as far as taking pictures of some of the toilets as they are so beautifully kept! Haha she'll kill me for writing that.

        Views from Observation 
                        300










Emirates palace 

Abu dhabi city with a peek view of the Corniche (beach)

I have been lucky to have 2 weeks off work ( we don't have October half term here) so I have been doing the tourist thing as well. We visited the Qasr Al Hosn Exhibition which tells the story of the how Abu Dhabi began with the oldest stone building in Abu Dhabi. It is under renovation at the moment but learning about some of the history was interesting. That was followed by lunch at Observation 300 at Etihad Towers where the views from the 74th floor show Abu Dhabi from a spectacular height. If you don't like heights then it probably wouldn't be advisable!

  

Marina Mall

It is popular in the UAE for doing 'Friday Brunch' and every hotel usually has a Brunch on and because everyone advertises theirs to be the best I found it difficult to decide which one to go for. Obviously cost can be a deciding factor....some of them are very expensive but it is a must to experience it at least once. We decided on the Shangri La as it was recommended by a friend and has amazing views from the hotel. We all got dressed up and had a lovely time just eating and drinking for 3-4 hrs. It was a buffet style with food from all different countries with live cooking stations. The dessert area was unbelievable. The setting was just LUSH! 

 View of  Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque

Maureen and I have also done a boat trip to see most of the above views but from a different angle! She was a bit nervous to say the least but once we were out on the sea she loved it. It was only an hour but being out on a speed boat is just fab! When I see all those lovely boats out there I start to day dream.....haha.

So I have another 5 days off and I'm sure we will squeeze a few more sightseeing trips in!  It has been lovely being off work but I'm almost ready to go back for a rest! Happy Halloween and I hope those that are off for half term are having a great time!

Eid Mubarak

We have just had a 4 day holiday in the United Arab Emirates called Eid al-Adha or otherwise known as the Feast of Sacrifice and is the one of the two most important religious celebrations on the Muslim Calendar.

Eid Mubarak translated to English basically means  "Blessed Festival" and it is a greeting that is said by everyone over the festival period. Very nice for us because that means we get time off work / school !

For our mini break we zoomed off to Dubai....an hour down the road. It's a straight road and it is evident when driving that we are in the desert!! The city stops as we drive out of Abu Dhabi and everywhere we look is....sand. The occasional petrol station with MacD's or Subway which is a bit strange in such an underdeveloped piece of road. We had booked a hotel within the Dubai Marina area and it was surprisingly easy to find. All I can say is ...WOW. As with everything over here, luxury and presentation is at the top of the list.  The kids were in awe of this amazing, beautiful hotel and so were we. Unfortunately we had only one night booked so we made the most of it.

 Beach view of our hotel

 View from our balcony

 Another view from our balcony

 Dubai skyscrapers - mostly apartments

With loads of water sports on offer I had to get it out of my system and water-ski! As I was being pulled around the marina by the speedboat I realised the last time I water-skiied was 18 years ago! And don't I know it......I have had sciatica for the last 2 days since!! Serves me right......forgot that I am no longer a young'un anymore. Haha. Although I only fell once in the 15 minutes I had and I loved every minute of it, I have to face up to reality and bypass the water-skiing next time. My back can no longer take it :(

Being typical tourists still ( even though we are residents!) we decided to take a trip to Dubai Mall on probably the busiest weekend of the year!! We took the Metro into the city and joined a carriage full of Pakistanis on the way to watch the Pakistani v Australia cricket game in Dubai. So we didn't think this through. When we got to Dubai Mall there is at least a mile walk to the actual Mall. This wasn't the brightest idea as we had another injury that day...Paul's knee had gone playing waterpolo in the pool with the kids in the kids club! Haha we really are getting old. So you can imagine how the rest of the evening went!!

The mall was heaving and we pushed our way through to see the fountains outside, which are very similar to the fountains in Las Vegas outside the Bellagio if anyone is familiar with them. Water fountains to music. I'm not sure it was worth the crowds but it's been ticked off the list to do!! We also took a glimpse at the Aquarium but decided we would go back another time....I'm hoping crowds will be a little less next time.

 The Burj Khalifa - tallest man made structure in the world

 Aquarium in Dubai Mall

One of those rare moments of affection!

So our first experience of Dubai was fabulous if not a bit hectic on our one evening there! There are so many other places to see in Dubai and we will eventually get around to doing them on our days off. I don't think staying overnight will be a regular occurrence but it was amazing! 

BIG cars and Honking horns!

Well it's 8 weeks ago that we flew into Abu Dhabi! Wow where has that time gone? I do feel like we have settled very quickly in that time. The children started a new school and apart from a few tears from Daisy as she's missing her UK buddies desperately, they have integrated into their new school life incredibly well.

I suppose it was a novelty to start with but as the weeks have gone on they have embraced their new school and always have something to look forward to. Their school is very different to the one they left behind. Obviously there is a huge multi cultural influence which they have taken to really well. They have made friends with local children as well as expats from other countries such as Canada, Australia & USA. They have been learning Arabic with the "non native" children which has been certainly a new experience for them. The school also has a huge emphasis on extra curricular activities and it is expected that the children do at least 2 after school clubs. Mine are doing 3-4 including the swim team, football team and hopefully netball team ( waiting to hear!) They also reward the children regularly for things they have done well and have a point system which if and when they collect enough points they can buy something in the school shop. Daisy 's competitive streak is coming out of her!

Reward cards for both Daisy & Franklyn over this past week


Driving to school has been a bit of a bind but I am really starting to get to grips with the UAE way of driving! I do believe that they have their own set of driving rules out here which is.... try and cut up as many people as you can whilst driving! It really is outrageously dangerous and you really need to have eyes all around you to avoid an accident. Drivers will quite literally pull out in front of you without hesitating. It very normal to hear honking horns throughout your journey. When I first started driving I got a bit upset when I was honked at for pulling out onto a busy motorway but I have 'manned up' pretty quickly and I am now starting to honk my way around Abu Dhabi! Haha There is also an abundance of BIG cars. Very much like the US for driving huge 4x4's. After driving a medium sized rental car for the past 8 weeks we finally bought our own car this week. And guess what....it's a BIG car! I feel like we really fit in now as we drive around in our 7 seater Ford Explorer! It's 6 years old but seems OK so far. We decided on a 7 seater as we can help out with school runs with other families but also when we have visitors it will make life so much easier!

Our new BIG car!

During the week Paul & I took advantage of a 2 for 1 voucher and spent 4 hours at Sadiyaat Beach Club chilling out. Its only a 10 minute drive from the bustling city but once there we felt like we were in paradise. It's the first time I have experienced the sea so far here ( as it's too hot!) and it was amazing! Crystal clear and turquoise blue! The sand was white and even pretty seashells on the seashore LOL!  Here are some pictures just to make you all jealous back home!

A lazy Saturday around the complex pool.

So I start my new job as a primary school nurse on Sunday which will be a new experience for me. No longer a lady of leisure....too short lived for my liking! No doubt you will hear all about it in my next blog! Bye for now.

Back to reality......

So the kids have started their second week in their new Abu Dhabi school.......

The first week was a mixture of excitement, dread and nervousness as they dipped their toes into their new school life. Their school, Al Muna Primary, is right in the city of Abu Dhabi. I am up at 6am, which if anyone knows me well, will know I hate early mornings! Daisy is an early bird so setting her alarm and getting up at this time is a piece of cake for her. Franklyn on the other hand is like me and needs nudging 2 or 3 times before he is awake properly.

The drive to Al Muna is about 30 minutes so we leave at 7am in order to be there well in time for the 7.45am bell. Having spent a few of my early school years in the US, it brought memories flooding back as I watched them all do the national anthem straight after the bell. This is a daily ritual which looks like it is mainly sung by the native kids but you can see that the non natives are trying their best to join in. I think Daisy & Franklyn might master it by the end of this school year!

Their uniform is very smart and they have hats that they must wear at break time otherwise they are not allowed out. Excellent... but of course Franklyn was not too bemused by this as he hates wearing hats. However he has conformed, as football is a priority at school for him so he has quickly learned that he must wear it!

Al Muna school uniform

The children at Al Muna have swimming as part of their school timetable and it is not unusual to have an outdoor swimming pool. The schools in Abu Dhabi all have a swimming team and it is with no question that Daisy wants to try out for this. Her trials are next Sunday and if Franklyn decides to do it too his will be a few days later. Although he is a good little swimmer, football is his first love and the thought of having to attend swimming training after school does not entice him!

As I have already mentioned before, Daisy is already training with Hamilton Aquatics and Franklyn was desperate for us to find a football team for him. So last week Paul took him to the U8's Abu Dhabi Thistle FC trials. He thoroughly enjoyed it so we are waiting to hear if he has made the team. Fingers crossed.

So life without working......very strange. I am so used to flying around and going at 100mph that I'm enjoying this slower pace of life. I could definitely get used to this lifestyle!! I have joined a local exercise group and have met some really lovely ladies. Circuits on a Sunday and Boxerfit on a Tuesday! I've already lunched at one of the girls houses which was lovely! It's amazing how fast 6hrs can pass before it's time to pick the kids up again. I do intend to work at some point but I am just enjoying it while I can. Unfortunately the complex pool is closed and being upgraded so lounging by the pool is not an option this week. Damn!!

Finally, Daisy had a wonderful birthday even if she did have to go to school. Thank you to everyone for all the lovely birthday wishes. She was even given a present by one of the girls she has made friends with which she was over the moon about. She wanted a fish tank for her birthday so since we are all feeling really sad and missing our dog Misty back home, we thought it would be a nice idea to let them both concentrate on something else!

11 years old!!

I hope this finds you all well.....feel free to drop me a line. Missing friends and family very much xx

Water babies and birthday cake

So it's been 9 days since I lasted posted and we have spent a considerable amount of time at the complex pool. To be honest it's a great way of melting the hours away and quite literally! The average temperature at the moment is about 42 C which is too damn hot!! We have been hiding from the sun mid day and either visit the pool first thing or late afternoon. The kids have loved it and have been making up all sorts of games between themselves which is a pleasure to watch as usually they are winding each other up.......it's bound to happen when they don't have any other kids to pay with.

However school starts next Sunday so we can breathe a sigh of relief as they are both itching to meet kids of their own age. Four weeks of only their own company and mine is enough to drive us all a bit loopy!! Paul is obviously working his rota so is about but gets a break from us!!

Daisy did start a swimming camp last week which was intense and a bit of a shock to the system! She hasn't done any real training since mid July so when we signed her up to swim 5 times a week at hour and half each day she was literally cream crackered by the end of the week! I must add that she did agree to this....we aren't one of those pushy parent sorts! It's something she wanted to continue whilst being out here. A chip off the old block I think! Anyway after 2 days of recovering she is ready to start it all over again this week. Summer camp will finish in a couple of weeks and then if she still wants to it will be training three times a week.......more manageable and no different from the UK.

Today has been my birthday and a bit of a strange one. Usually I am working or if not would usually do something which would involve a bit of alcohol! Not today.... we have got into this horizontal mode since being here and we just managed to venture to the pool this afternoon....again!  Paul is on nights so have seen him briefly, and Daisy made cupcakes! A great day really and no chance of a hangover tomorrow! Always a bonus.
Thank you to all who sent birthday messages....so nice to receive them from so far away. Feeling a little homesick but think that is because I am going cuckoo listening to my own voice!! Haha

Oh I nearly forgot....happy bank holiday to all my UK friends & family!! Last one until Christmas!!