3 YEARS STOCK TAKE

I cannot believe it has been 3 years already, and I have to take stock of myself . Have I changed? What have I learned and what have I achieved.
Have I changed ?
I hope so, but not in a bad way.... I just think that new experience changes one's perceptions. I hope I have changed in a good way and in a positive way. I hope I have achieved some leniency towards others and other way of living and thinking. I know I have become more appreciative of friends and family far away, that I miss dearly. I cherish time spent with them.
I have changed into a "Marina Mary".... Every thing is delivered and you are served hand and foot in the shops. So yes I have become spoiled.... ( And I love it) Really like in the movies....
What have I learned ?
This list is endless......
I have learned to: Live in a high rise apartment, go every where by taxi (no own car) drive on the opposite side of the road, do my own housework (totally darlings), buy groceries and household products with strange names, live in a world city, live the expat life, respect other religions, respect other customs, few Arabic words, read real books (magazines are too expensive), not every one you meet becomes your friend (some fall of the bus....) I can survive anywhere and anything.etc etc etc
What have I achieved ?
My achievements have all been personal.  They have been positive and negative..... and not in a " certificate on the wall type"
I have traveled a little more, and seen very interesting places.
All in all it has been good and I look forward to the coming years in Dubai. We will not be leaving any time soon.
So my stock take after 3 years is THIS IS GOOD....BRING ON THE NEXT 5 YEARS.
We have decided to stay for another 5 years, and then make the next change or challenge. (But we all know plans sometimes change....so we just have to wait and see and take each day as it comes)

In the time I have not written I have been travelling and here are just some of the fantastic places I have been and seen. Remember this is MY DIARY after all....

SRI LANKA
What a fantastic country to visit. I was there for 3 weeks and spent most of my time in the south on the beach (OK where else....) I still believe that any one looks great with a tan... Sri Lanka is not very big BUT getting around is a mission. The roads are very narrow and way too many vehicles on the road ( not forgetting the sacred cows every where too). The traffic is a nightmare and it takes ages for very short distances. They also drive like lunatics... Hooters are a must. They are used for every action while driving. Speed limit is 50km/hour.
Most Sri Lankan people are very poor , but always smile and seem happy. They are all well fed as they tend to eat from the sea (if living on the coast) or inland they are mostly vegetarian and grow their own veggies in their back garden. They all live in houses. TV antennae is seen everywhere...
Their food is very very spicy, and the Sri Lanka is known for the hottest curry.
The Tsunami was about 10 years ago and damage can still be seen in some places. I met baja drivers (similar to a tuk tuk) who had lost their entire family in the Tsunami. They are all very religious, and seem to accept tragedy like the tsunami as "Gods will" .
In one temple there was a Buddha which was taken by the Tsunami in Thailand and ended in Sri Lanka.

MANGROVE GARDEN BEACH CABANA.
This was my cabana...It was fantastic.  It is an Eco resort so everything is natural. Right on the beach. It is also very cheap. The bathroom is in the "basement" of the room. Lift a door in the floor to go to the bath room. No hot water....never needed as it is tropical and very hot. I love it. The beach was white, long, deserted and full of bird life AND COWS..... Very funny to see a cow, no sorry plenty of cows, strolling on the beach.

MY CADILLAC
I rented this scooter as everybody has one and I thought it will be easy and good to get around in. If ever I had a bad idea, this was one of them...... Only problem was... I had never ever handled one before..... I fell off twice (separate days) and on loose sand, BUT my third time was not lucky... I came off hard in the road......had some roasties on the knees and elbow and NEVER got on it again..... I also think I do not look good with a helmet....
It was fun while it lasted, but never again. I will go the "driving miss daisy" way.

MAX AND OLIVIA
I met max and Olivia at the hotel where we were staying. They were on honeymoon and we just clicked and after minutes seemed as if we had known each other for years. We had many nights, no every night, of conversations and laughs....(and Arak...local drink which tastes very very bad) That is what makes traveling so great. You get to meet new friends and people who enrich your life.

NEW YEAR RITUAL
I found this very interesting. I cannot remember the name, but every new year, they have a ritual where the parents or employers give new clothes to kids or employees, and a certain leaf is given ( as in the picture) to show that your "slate is wiped clean" and all the bad of the old year is forgiven and you start a fresh. Their are no feuds lasting longer than a year......Sound good to me.
On the left is Prasad , hotel manager (employee), and on the right is the hotel owner(employer). Special foods are also eaten and it is very festive and lots of family time. It also is a 3 day public holiday.

TANGALLE BEACH
The beaches are beautiful with powder white sand and palm trees. These were the hotel loungers on the beach. I think this was a sunset foto on a very cloudy day. If you walk a little further on this beach you get to a beach where the turtles come to lay eggs at night. I did not do the walking....I took a baja... Saw one turtle and had Japanese tourist in the group who grabbed their camera's...flashes going off as if it was a celebrity arriving, and the turtle hurried back to sea.....

PANSY SHELLS
On one beach in Tangalle yo can pick up these pansy shells every day. In one afternoon walk (no more than 20 minutes) I had picked up about 9. They are very delicate but beautiful.

LOCAL STORE

This is a local restaurant. It is family run and dad Mom and kids  are in the store . It serves  coldrink, some household items and food (I did not venture into eating here.

STREET VENDORS

These stalls are all over Sri lanka. The fruit is fantastic and varied and all local.

TEMPLE IN GALLE

Temples are all over but this one is in the sea. You reach it via a suspended foot bridge.

TYPICAL STREET SCENE IN TANGALLE

aLL OF THE TOWNS LOOK LIKE THIS. In the foreground of this picture is my scooter......foto must have been taken very early in the holiday as I was still riding that THING. The street are narrow, crowded and full . 

BEACH MARKET

This must be the nicest place to work. On the beach.... The pots in this picture are all made by hand and are used by all the locals daily. Either for water or milk or what ever.

TYPICAL HOUSE.

This house is typical of all the houses, but it was a little more upmarket as it is tiled from the ground up. It also has fancy awning work on roof trusses. gardening with lawns is not big in Sri lanka

SNORKEL BEACH

I organised a local fisherman to take me with his boat to this beach to snorkel. I did not want to go with a tour operator, and this was magic. The fisherman fetched me from our beach after his early morning fishing and we motored to this beach. The snorkeling was not great, but the experience with all the locals in the water too was fantastic.

MY ENTOURAGE...

EVERY ONE WHO HAS TRAVELED WITH ME KNOWS THAT i DO NOT TRAVEL LIGHT........Here are 2 Baja's which I used. The blue one had all my luggage and I had to take another one for myself..... Now you have to realize that in the luggage was a water floating device (Lilo) which took forever to blow up , and I was not going to do it again.... I just love myself when I do these slightly crazy things...Don't you?

YOUNG GIRL IN TEMPLE
This little girl was sitting with her mother at prayers. She was so sweet and did all the rituals mimicking her mother. She was dressed as if she was going to a party. The locals also love having their foto's taken.

HOTEL LOUNGE/DINING ROOM AREA

This is where we hang out most of the day and night if not on the beach or shopping. The hammock was a favourite of Hannes and the table was where we all had coffee and cocktails or read books.... All the furniture is made from the local trees and is beautiful.

MY BANGLE

Hannes spoiled me, and he had this bangle made for me in Galle. It is all semi precious stones and the silver is hand carved. The jeweler delivered this bangle specially to me on the day our flight left Sri lanka. He had to do a 6 hour journey to get it to me. I was really impressed. I love the bangle as it goes with anything I wear.

WINE COOLER.

The wine at a hotel one evening was served in this as a wine cooler. I just thought it was ingenious... It is a plastic jug with ice, but it has been jazzed up with a napkin for style....

LIQUOR STORE

Alcohol consumption amongst the locals is a huge problem. They tend to drink way too much. All the liquor store look like this. The serving counter is behind a steel mesh. You see what you like and ask for it. After you have paid it is slid to you below the steel mesh. Note the stalls for queuing

BEACH DINNER

On our last night the staff surprised us with a beach dinner. They carried the table and chair onto the beach. Lit torches and served us dinner. Very special. After dinner they all joined us and had a Sri Lanka sing along. All their traditional songs and clapping and whistling. It was just great. The staff were all young and there is very little in the hotel. We knew them all my name. It felt like visiting family.

THE WHOLE HAPPY BUNCH TOGETHER AT BEACH DINNER

THE FOUR MUSKETEERS.
Hannes, Barbs, Ettiene and myself did the Sri lanka together. Waterfall are all over.

ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE

They have an elephant orphanage where the elephants are cared for. Here the Ellie's are taken to the river by the mahouts for their daily bath and romp In the water. This one Ellie stopped at every shop and checked out the merchandise.....

I will go back to Sri lanka. I is a wonderful country.

THE NEXT EIGHT WEEKS I SPENT IN  SOUTH AFRICA....  IT WILL ALL BE IN THE NEXT BLOG ENTRY.   ...

TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE

COMMENTS::::
 Do not worry please leave your comments but you will not see them apear immeadiately. I received so many spam comments from a Viagra site ???????? that I  set the blog to first e-mail me the comments and for a  OK and are only  then published on the site......

I started sorting my photo's on my laptop and this just has to be seen and told.......
We all know that time has gone by BUT we are all locked into a time of our own...I still feel about 32....Might not look it and might not read as well as then (have developed longer arms!!!!) but my attitude is still 32 with lots of experience...So all in all I am better than then...or am I. Was I not more fearless then or have I become more fearless? Was I friendly and accommodating then or have I become more accommodating now?
Have I really bettered like old wine as they say....
 OK don't freak out now. I am NOT putting up MY "then" and "now" photo's (that's why I have kids.......)

DIAN    -THEN

DIAN   - NOW

 Dian is my youngest and  was always very happy to play by himself. I think the elder 2 bro's made his life a little difficult at times....He has grown up so well and is a real pleasure with his very "quirky" sense of humor. He introduced us to Maria, his very special friend from Sweden, and she is just a honey. She came to Dubai before Christmas for 10 days to visit. She is very happy and always cheerful. I hold thumbs her plans for 2011 work out well.
I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH MY BOY

JC  - THEN

JC  - NOW

 JC is my eldest and was a very "chubby" baby. Being the first we got to do all sorts of fun things on our own. He has alway been very "active". He has joined us in Dubai and will start a new future for himself here. Will keep you posted on his progress.
 I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH JC

ROSSI -  THEN

ROSSI   - NOW

 Rossous is the middle son and is the "big" boy. He is also with us is Dubai and is working hard at his future. He is a very happy chappy and easy going BUT do not rub him up the wrong way......
 I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH ROSSI.

Looking at the photo's I have is so much fun and maybe I will have the guts to do "THEN and "NOW" foto's of us too.
Dian has left back to University. The house is strange without him. I am just so pleased that he is so happy and well adjusted. It seems my job there was well done and I gave him wings to fly.
JC and Rossi back in the household is not that easy. They have to adjust to being back with the "ballies" and our house rules. After them being out by themselves for a while it is not easy for them to adjust. Rossi has had 16 months so he is well adjusted into the run of things, but JC now has to learn to live in the house again.

I had a wonderful day at the spa as a gift from Hannes. It was at Cleopatra spa at Wafi. It was fabulous. It was the Balinese royal treatment. Clydene I had a rose petal bath too........ It was a Balinese massage, then a scrub and a long soak in a rose petal bath with frangipani oils......Absolute bliss.Thanks Hannes I loved it very much. I really enjoy spa's and treatments.
I have got some good news as well. Gesi and Clydene are coming to visit. Clydene unfortunately lost her step father and has gone to the funeral in the UK. Emirates was the best priced airline so she is stopping over on her way back. Gesi will join us in Dubai and at least 3 of the bali Bithes will have a time together. The weather is starting to heat up a little so I think they must pack their cozzies as it will be beach time for us.
I have somne things planned for the girls visit and I am very excited to see them.

Barbara will be here in April and we are planning to go to Sri Lanka. It is dirt sheap to fly from here and the accomodation is very cheap as well. It will be interesting to see Sri Lanka as so many people from Sri Lanka work in Dubai.
I went to see a dentist here the other day. (That is where I started thinking about the "time" thing.) Well in my lifetime I apparently have given my teeth hell. According to him they are all worn out and buggered. I need "allingnment" and more.....When I left  first checked if i maybe had not gone to a car service station.....but no I was really at the dentist. After I heard the quote for my teeth I nearly needed another doctor for my hart attack............So I will just carry on with my UN alligned teeth as they are working just fine.

I have very special friends in Dubai, Wendy and Ina. We will be friends for ever and not just as expats as I in a previous blog said about friendships as an expat. We have the same family values abd in the expat area we can relate to each others longings. I am also excited to introduce Gesi and Clydene to them.

Rossouw had a friend, Kathryn, visit and she is returning to SA in the morning. She slotted into the family very well and I hope she had a good time.
I baked milktart yesterday and the family loved it.
My turtles are driving me nuts........They now get Swarofski on their shells when I clean there tank...Very lani. BUT they eat so much I have to buy new "accommodation" for them every 3 months. They were so small when I got them Not even the size of ping pong ball.....now they are 2 tennis-balls big.....Eish....

I am just rambling now......
Chat later
L

BRING ON 2011

1. 

MY "BABY" TURNS 21

Dian had his 21st birthday here with us in Dubai.....This was his choice of gift LOL....It is remote controlled, BUT he went back the next day for a refund as it was very slow......

We went to Buddha Bar for dinner and that is a serious WOW......The food is fantastic and the service is outstanding. Happy birthday my boy and I hope all the love and happiness for you in life.

ROSSOUW 22ND BIRTHDAY

Rossouw had his 22nd birthday and here he is all decked out in his new shirt......Hannes and the boys went to Frankies for dinner and had a blast. Happy birthday Rossi. All love and happiness to you in all the new wonderful things happening in 2011

CAMPING IN MUSANDAM

We have realized we are not "happy campers"..... I think we need some advise and assistance in this matter. We had a gale force wind the night which kept the tent billowing and moving.....Hannes stept into the fire when we took the tent down, which resulted in a nasty burned foot. We really tried our best to stay upbeat and happy but oh boy you can only put on a brave and happy face for so long....

CLOUDY SUNSET

I added this photo as it is not very often you see clouds on the horizon. Average raibfall is 4 days per year

SPECIAL

I just find this so very special to see camels on the beach. I do not think I will ever get used to it.

OK it has been a very very long while from my last update. I have no excuse. It is just not easy to always write what I feel and think....I do not want to disturb any of you reading...So I kept a little to myself....I hope to change it in 2011 and I still feel the blog in very therapeutic for me to try and organize my shambled mind and feelings. Also to keep all of you updated on what we are doing so that it is never difficult to pick up the pieces when we do see each other again. 

I think it is called writers block...WOW I have a diagnosis.............This will be a very general  news entry to catch up and try to get onto the writing thing again.

Christmas was very nice, and we had a wonderful lunch at Movenpick in JBR. We got all our friends together who were in Dubai and minus family anbd we made our own family Christmas. Food was over the top and way too much. Speaking of food....I have gone into a chocolate frenzy........(Is it a real food group I have to wonder).Will also try and fix that as none of my clothes fit any more.

Dian was home for holidays and it was fantastic to have him here again. He did very well at varsity last year and we are very proud. He returns to SA tomorrow and he is really looking forward to going and getting stuck into his new year.

Rossouw is still happy and coaching swimming in Dubai. He might have a new and exciting 2011. Will update on that  soon .

JC has joined us in Dubai and he will have tough and exciting things happening as well.

Hannes is well and he also might have some exciting news in the near future....Seems as if 2011 will be full of new, exciting and tough stuff.

I struggle with only one thing and that is the longing to people. My family and friends not here with me are a constant ache in my hart. I have found strength in my character which I did not know existed. I am very adjustable...holy cow It sounds wrong to say adjustable....What will be a better description..... I have done the ex pat thing and have found it to be " not for sissies" but also very easy if yo have your mindset in order.

I really love Dubai with all its diversity and new and exciting stuff happening. It is so nice to see all the wealth that you are surrounded in. You have to keep a strong guard as not to feel you are just as wealthy. The service in the shops is so good and friendly. It is a "delivery" city. Yes  I have succumbed to the delivery mode. Imagine going to do grocery shopping.....hauling it form the car to the lift at the apartment.....Hauling it all into the lift......going to the 23rd floor (this is easy) then hauling it all out the lift and then into the apartment and then only start packing away......Nee wat.....Not this MARINA MARY.....I now phone my local supermarket with my list and they deliver it into my kitchen...easy peasy.... Any take away or restaurant delivers to your door.

Taxi's are my other pleasure. I have a "driver" who does the traffic number and stresses and I can sit back and look at what ever I fancy. If I want to the driver and I have a fat chat......All I have to do is ask him where he is from and what does his family consist of...the rest he does then all by himself. I then get to learn of another country and how they think and do things. The taxi drivers are very lonely as they cannot have their family with them in Dubai. They all have wives and kids at home and get to see them once a year on their annual leave...It makes me realize how fortunate I am to have my family (partly) here.

My mother turns 86 today., I wish I could have been there just to say happy birthday in person. Well a phone call will have to do.

I have gone a blank now and mind is empty....

Chat later again

L

EXPATITIS...

EXPATIS...............

I have diagnosed myself with this new condition....my own interpretation of what is happening to me and what I have experienced.

Here goes.

I struggle to keep the blog updated due to this condition. I have all the best intentions to keep this blog alive BUT every time I want to expatitis steps in.....Eish she is a bitch.

So many changes are made that it take a while for all to set in and take shape. I think it will be an ongoing condition.

What is expatitis you ask....holy sh*t  not even I, who considers herself inflicted, can truly answer that but I will give it my best shot to explain.

When this process started of relocation to Dubai everything was exciting and frighting. There was so much to do that most of the feelings are put aside to deal with later....you do not even realize this at the time as you think you are dealing emotions at that time.

You take serious stock of  your life (just by packing up) you have to make decisions of what goes what stays and what will be discarded permanently. 

The time in run-up to departure is heavy with visits and goodbye's and promises. Busy busy busy....

Excitement to leave and rejoin Hannes and to be together after 6 months apart. All experiences are new and the brain and heart cannot take all in, so here goes to putting aside to handle another day again.....

Arrival in Dubai was bliss. Good to be together and all this new and exciting things to do and experience....Lots of felling here again BUT again put aside to deal with another day.....

Finding a new apartment and decorating and stabilizing a new "home"  Jippee exciting stuff... New feelings and experiences too much to deal with so again...put aside to deal with another day.

You change with the time and place you live in. 

Experiences here are "moment" things and difficult to explain and put into words. 

Sometimes it is also just too much effort as Expatitis makes you very very tired.

Start missing family and friends BUT too busy to deal with that now so put aside to deal with another day.....

You find wonderful things in your new place of residence, and also a few things that are not so nice, Overall everything is good and fine and dandy.

You have to learn to drive on the other side of the road than what you were used to. You have to find a hairdresser, dentist, grocery store, new products and names etc etc etc. The list is endless. All you knew has to be relearned. A small example is easy reader (we call then clicks no 1) are difficult to find....The "eye" stores do not stock them at all. Only at pharmacies...and then they are very expensive.

You choose meat from 5 different countries.....butter form at least 5 countries, the eggs here all have dark yellow yolk even orange.... Milk is not always marked as cow's mild and you get camel milk here in all the stores as well. Laban is not Arabic for milk is means buttermilk...... You can NEVER ask for directions. Nobody can help you. Either they cannot understand or they really did not know. The  first day of the week is Sunday. You go to church on Fridays....The beach is full every day with men woman and children.

Children here are everywhere. on their bikes and scooters in the street and until very late at night. Alcohol is licensed. No disorderly conduct in public is tolerated. Loud aggressive behavior will land you in jail. Police here have all the power and execute the jail time as well. Quick court appearance and off to jail you go. As an expat you will be deported immediate after jail time. Courts are only for very big court cases.....

I can go on and on and on.

I have  learned to be very tolerant of the new culture I am living in as I have made it my business to try and understand all the customs. Some I find very appealing.

Ok that list can go on and on and I think all of you are clever enough to get the picture.

In time a form of "reality" sets in......I say form as it is MY REALITY.

I love Dubai and it's people AND I will always be a South African but  I have become very guarded... I  check what I say about South Africa to people in the UAE as I want to be a good ambassador. So some things I tend to leave out......AM I WRONG? I am very guarded when I give my feeling to my SA family and friends about what I reading the newspapers...Firstly because I cannot trust all that is printed and also because it is met with a lot of sceptism or I get the feeling I do not have the right to be opinionated. I have had comments of "but you left us SO IT IS NOT YOUR PROBLEM ANYMORE....or you did not care to stick around....or you are so lucky to be in Dubai......or you are earning foreign currency so you must be swimming in it......" I have" lost"  to right to have an opinion...Why? We still support SA finacially (small) and we still pay tax....

So I get guarded and proactive (eat your heart out DOK) and tend to walk the politically correct line.

Day to day life has normalized here. I have to do my chores and runs the house and keep myself occupied. All the people you meet here are "in-transit". It can never be a permanent place of staying as the visa's do not cater for that. So most friendships are dealt with in the same manner. 

I have been very lucky to meet fantastic friends here and these are friendships that will go on for ever. You tend to lean must more on your friends here than what you were used to AND they all have expatitis.....in some form or shape.

I MIS everybody...THIS IS THE BIGGEST CONDITON IN EXPATITIS.

You have HUGE longings that you have never experienced before. Mine are only for people and not places.

Some months I could have bought a ticket to see them with what my cell bill was like......

Facebook is good and dandy and e-mails are fine BUT I need the physical contact.

You miss the regular contact to stay updated in their lives and to be up to date on all gongs on.... Some how 'n computer can never full fill this need. I have had comment of " why do you miss me, you decided to go away...."

Bouts of "depresion" or anxiety are not strange. Loss of interest in Everything is common....

System overload is always lingering.

Finacially I have had to change...I have to budget. That alone can give you expatitis.... It cost us a fortune to do this relocation . You find it out as you go and even the best planning could not have warned us.

I wach the exchange rate like a hawk. We still have comitments in SA and we are STILL paying tax so the exchange rate is very important in when to tranfer money to SA.

The world becomes so much smaller and fantastic new opportunity arise and new countries to explore...Exciting stuff. Just an example. Sri Lanka is close and very cheap at the moment to travel. Maybe in the near future.

In a nutshell Expatitis is the positive and the negative experiences and feelings having a massive "fight" in your head and heart......... It tends to debilitate you.

You also now have to deal with all those issues you put away originally to deal with later. It like washing washing that has been in a bag for a year....

 I think the condition is temporary but I cannot give a time on how long it will last......

All in all I know we have made the right choice and Dubai is the best place for us at the moment. Who knows what the future holds....

Just remeber everyday I miss you all very very much BUT am  happy here too (SOUT PIEL COMES TO MIND)

Lets keep our fingers crossed this condition is really temporary.

L

SOCCER WORLD CUP 2010.

AIYOBA...IN DUBAI

Dubai really got the soccer fever. Every club and pub had a big screen and tent put up to allow people to watch all the matches. It drew huge crowds and every day all the taxi drivers and general public had lots to talk about and who supports who.

Barasti (where this photo was taken) is a very popular hang out as it is a beach bar, very lani and laid back and on the beach and always has crowds.

 Rossouw Dian and Ettiene (friend and also now adopted son who came to visit) went for the opening ceremony and also the Bafana Bafana game.

DIAN, ROSSI AND ETTIENE

These three had a wonderful night. You buy a bucket of beers and enjoy the game. They had to wait in a very long queue to get in. Insidee it was just vuvuzela's and a huge party atmosphere. There were very proud to be South African and had a huge party. They also had loss of voice the next day...so I can only imagine the amount of screaming that went on.

After the game all you could hear in the streets of Dubai were vuvuzela's....

LAST GAME OF 2010....NETHERLANDS VERSUS SPAIN.
What an amazing show...I was very proud to see the show South Africa had put on. I also hear from all in SA that the atmosphere was amazing.

WELL DONE SOUTH AFRICA

HANNES AND I KITTED OUT TO SUPPORT NETHERLANDS

I had such a day looking for the kit in Dubai....there are soccer fans here but it seems the clothing was in short supply or either all sold out. Dian and I went to Satwa in 49C heat and started to cruise all the sport shops.  We found BUT only certain sizes were available.   Hannes's shirt was a bit on the small side....

We chose to support Netherlands due to Hannes's roots originate there. I heard of the Octopus predictions.....don't know what I think of that...................

I am also not so sure orange is my colour......

DIAN AND ROSSI KITTED OUT

Ok so these 2 are know also rearing to go.....

HANNES AND THE 2 BOYS

A small private joke had them in stitches.....Sorry cannot divulge that on the blog....Even our very own SA Vuvuzela in hand...

THE WHOLE FAMILY ( MISSING JC IN THIS PHOTO!!!!!!!!!)

We went to the Movenpick Hotel in JBR to watch the Closing ceremony and the game. We were a hit in the bar as we were the ONLY people kitted out in team support colours.
I have to admit I am not a soccer fan and know absolutely nothing of the rules and game plans, BUT to be part of that from this distance was fantastic. Would have been so nice to watch it with JC joining us as well, but I just have always now that we as a full family unit will be at certain times and I will always miss the one not there.

Even if you move to anywhere in the world you always stay a South African and I just wish the best for SA as we plan to return  some day after all our travels and expeditions .
So the world cup is over and I  just wish that al the goodwill and good feelings in SA stay as it was during the world cup.
All for today.
L

SURPRISE.................. SURPRISE

MY 50TH BIRTHDAY CAKE...

I have just had the mot fantastic birthday of all.....For my birthday Hannes broke tradition COMPLETELY and surprised me with a 5 day holiday to one of the Maldivian islands. He was so good at keeping all the arrangement secret that I only found out the day we were leaving. He even packed my suitcase.

I was blown away, and also flown away...............

Now all of you know me and my birthday tradition has ALWAYS been that Hannes gives me some serious bling...I tend to look like a fully lit Christmas tree with all my bling AND I wear them all, anywhere and anytime. I am not sorry for missing some bling this year , as it has been one of my dreams to see the Maldives.

The flight was not that long and I just closed my eyes and slept the whole way.

Arriving in Maldives takes some adjustment. Firstly, we now live in very very hot part of the world, BUT we do not have humidity. That makes the heat bearable....Maldives however is 15degreesC cooloer than Dubai But the humidity is very high. The airport is typical on an Island. very clean but basic. To get from the airport to hotel is either a speed boat ride or a sea plane transfer. We had a very smart and fast huge speedboat.

This was the first sight I had of the hotel on approach to the KANDOOMA ISLAND

On arrival by speedboat, this is what you see.....It resembles very large coconuts. My excitement was very very big....I could not wait to get off the boat and put my toes into the white sand... Yo are greeted at the door with ice-cold towels and fruit cocktails. At this stage I was still very "un-tanned"   Boy did I rectify that problem quickly....

VIEW FROM HOTEL LOBBY TO BOAT HOUSE.

This is not a postcard it is exactly as it is.....picture perfect. Words cannot describe....

BIRTHDAY DRINKS ON THE ROOFTOP

Editing these foto's are absolutely NOT working so do your own thing with what the photo's mean....I am just going to speak from the heart......

It was a fantastic holiday AND I had to come to one conclusion. I am so very fortunate to be able to share all this with my first husband......and still enjoy his company.

I am not the straightest pencil in the box and tend to live in very vivid colours.......BUT the 2 of us still really enjoy each others company and can have so much fun.

Maldives was always a very big wish for me and here it all came true. Needless to say I did not want to leave at all BUT that is just typical me. Every single place we go to on holiday I am always looking for ways to extend the stay....

The food was good and the people very very friendly. We did not venture off our island at all as it was never needed.

We did snorkeling from our doorstep beach and went on the snorkeling excursions to other small islands as well.

All in all we just had a very lad back and relaxing holiday. Every day we went for massages and ate ourselves into a stupor.

The 5 days flew past in a wink.....

THANK YOU HANNES FOR BEING SO VERY SPECIAL...I LOVE YOU LOTS.

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME PERSONALLY WITH ALL THIS GOINGS ON IN OUR LIVES.

It is no easy to be an expat....It is not for sissies at all. I really love being here and enjoy my life (even if it has turned onto its head at times). The big but comes in with what we have to compromise and what you have to give up.

Family and friends are ALWAYS the biggest hassles. I tend to miss them more here than what I did living in SA, and also seeing them very seldom. It is just the expanse of the oceans that divide us that ou really feel. I think there s something in the aircraft filters that tackles you brain to make you miss them more.

Friends you make in the new country are very special BUT you have to be very careful as they also tend to move away from time to time. IT took a year for us to get settled into a social group here and his group is just about only south Africans. It s not planned or orchestrated it just tends to happen. I now have very special friends here and we all will eventually meet up back in SA again.

I have to wonder how this will change me. What will I be when I get back to my SA family and friends again. Surly I cannot be the same as before...or will I ????

All of you know how much I hate exercise................I HAVE JOINED A GYM HERE....Now this story is funny (or at least i thought so)  here goes.

The Carlton Ritz Hotel is just across the road form us. I went there one day all "Marina Mary" attitude and asked to join there sport and hotel facilities....BIG was my surprise on the costs....I can buy a car in SA for that money and it needs and will only be membership for a year.  Just remember I can also get 15% discount of all food and beverage at the hotel to.....Holy cow I can never eat or drink enough to get my money's worth...VERY FUNNY.   I left with exactly the same attitude as I left.....That did not deflate or deter my attitude one bit. ( For all who know me you will understand the gut spa and attitude I try to convey here. It is also the funny part)

The Movenpick hotel is just as near and off I went there to enquire.   Happiness.....I am now a fully fledged member of Movenpick and can gym 24/7 ( yeah right...just up my alley...is this maybe funny...)

I go every day ,OK I skip some days...., But I can gym, sauna, steam bath, have 5 star hotel bathroom facilities, 15% discount on spa and beauty treatment etc.

My membership card is GOLD......only bleddie gold card I have now..............

So I am now a gym bunny and not vegetating on the couch....Very proud of myself.

Another story that comes to mind on expat living here is the driving on the right..........I remeber the first time a took the car and went grocery shopping. All went well until all groceries were packed in the bot and me ready to leave. As I got into the car I realised I have no steering wheel in front of me...Confusion and embarrassment deluxe.  I had got into the wrong side of the car....Not to let anybody else realise I have just been a super "doos" I just sat there for 10 minutes and the calmly got out the car and walked around to the left side and voila. have steering wheel now and drove away.

The sad side is my kids.....I miss them badly and when they do visit it takes so very long to reconnect again. Maybe it is normal life that they grow up and move out of your daily life, BUT this just makes it feel so very final, and as if you have hastened the process.

Of our friends here have finished their contracts and are heading back to SA..It seems you are always saying goodbye..........

Hannes and I however are still very happy to stay here for a god couple of years depending on contract holding and the money side and as it is the middle east we have to always question the stability of the region.

I am lucky to have lots of visitors which make the longings easier. I have just had Ettiene ( a friend from SA)stay for about a month and he is now coming back to Dubai as he secured himself a job here. Barbara will be here in a weeks time.

It is very very hot here now and the days average 48C. This is not a joke.....and thank heaven for air con.

OK all for this one.

Miss and love you all very very much

L