NEW STATEGY

THIS IS WHAT I LOK LIKE INCASE YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN............................

I am going to try to keep a daily diary as everything that I think and what happens tends to fade over time. I then can publish the blog weekly and not every 8 weeks as the last one....

lets hope this "stategy" of mine stays in place.

Another hot and sunny day in Dubai awaits me....I love the sunshine and hot weather and you DO get used to it. I took Rossouw to the Jumeira Moske a few days ago (To get his knowledge to a better level of the UAE customs and religion) and I wore my Abaya. I is true what they say that the Abaya is cool. It gives a huge shadow around your body.....

FOTO AT CARLTON RITS HOTEL WHEE WE HAD IFTAR DINNER FOR RAMADAM

RAMADAM

It is the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. It is a month of fasting from sunise to sunset for the Muslims to become aware of how it feels to be less fortunate and not haVe fooD and water. Also it is to concentrate on the spiritual side and not on body needs. As they work with the lunar calendar ramadan moves earlier by about 1 week each year. It must be very hard in these hot summer months not to have any water in the hottest time of the year. Thy also refrain form loosing their tempers and consentrate on being kind and good to all people.

For us expats we are only expected to have respect for Ramadan and refrain from eating and drinking in public in fasting hours. The fast in the evenng is broken by dates and water and then the IFTAR MEAL. Now this is a feast of note and all the previous hours of abstainng are taken care of. In the whole of Dubai are IFTAR tents and any one is welcome to go and share the experience. They refrain from dancing and loud music the whole Ramadan month. Some restaurants are open in the fasting hours but are screened off as to not offend the culture. Somehow I think Ramadan in South Africa is much harder as the daily routine stays in place and you have to work your fasting arund it. In the UAE the fasting is all comsuming. This is also the month when all Muslims go to HAJJ in Saudia Arabia. This year however it has very strict rules because of swine flu. No children or elderly people are allowed to attend.

We went to IFTAR dinner at the Carlton Ritz hotel (just across the street) and had a feast of all local foods. very high in lebaneese,Moroccan,Egyptian and Greek food.
At the Moske in Abu Dhabi they feed 20 000 people evry evening at no charge. It is for the people who do not have food but anyone can attend and is for free.

OUR IFTAR TENT

After dinner we went to Rooftop bar for a night cap. here the 2 boys are studying the menu......... Rooftop bar is beautiful as it is on the roof of one of the hotels in "One and Only" hotel complex. It is bedouin style with big scatter cushions and private tents. One of my favourite evening places. Very very expensive....Let me refrain that statement. The whole Dubai is very very expensive. It is NOT a shpping mekka for the SA tourist at all.
 You do find cheaper prices BUT have to know where to go and how to barter..............Also every thing available here is available in SA. Some items are a little cheaper than home butoverall very expensive.

At the end of Ramadan is the time of EID AL-FITR. It s decided on by the full moon. Muslims are then to visit all friends and family and it is also the time to hand out their ZAKAT. This is the 2.5% of their yearly savings to less fortunate who really need it. In EID AL-FITR it is customs to prepare lots of food and one third is for entertaining family and friends and one third is given to the hungy and needy and one third is kept for home use.

WAIT....................WAIT...............WAIT................WAIT.......................WAIT................WAIT....................WAIT...................
OK OK OK  my strategy did not work. It s now abut 6 weeks after the entry above BUT my intentions here there to do it so her we go again.

EID AL FITR will be in about 2 weeks time. Then there is 4 days of public holiday for the musims to go and visit family ad friends.

Hospiality in the Arab world is obligatory. Older customs are still adhered to today which is to invite you in and give you accomodation and food. BUT you as the guest has an obligation to stay only 2 and a half days..........

HOUSE WIFE AND HOUSE WORK

I have decided to get an ironing lady....WHAT A LEASURE.... I phone the agency and they send an ironing lady for me per hour as needed. There was some sacrifice on my behalf as I decided to not go to the spa and use that money for an ironing lady instead..... You see Hannes has put me on a budget for my housekeeping and I am hell bent to show him I can stick to a budget and make it work............. All the other housework is very easy. If I have a vacuum cleaner and windex(yes the window stuff...I just buy this brand because it reminds me of the movie my big fat greek wedding...) and furniture polish and a good mop I am well away. The washing and drying is so easy as the machine does it al. There is however one thing that I hate with a passion......wait for it.....TO MAKE UP THE BEDS..... What a terrible job. That is the only time I miss my staff from SA. I also do not htink I will take a full time staff memebr easi again as my house is my own at all times. Cleaning materials last 3x longer as well. I do a bg spring clean once a week. Now this si absolute fun........ You see I have all the utensils I stated above BUT the most important is my hose pipe. Hannes made a "connection" in the one toilet for my hose pipe to connect to. I do all the bathrooms with a broom and my hose pipe. Each batroom has a floor drain as well. I just carry the lose stuff outside the bathroom (washing basket, magazine rack and towels..... THEN i hose the whle place down and scrub the floor with the broom. very good excersize for the bum...................... The tile also get a scrubbing and then I move to the next bathroom. These Emirates have a toilet  fetish.................. We have 4 toilets and 3 bathrooms in this appartment. When all bathrooms are done the first one is semi dry and just a mop to dry all the left over water from the floor. By this time I am soping wet an loving every minute. When was i ever allowed to lay with a hose pipe indoors............................
The rest of the appartment is done by vacuum and mop in a bucket. Dusting is also done with the vacuum with a different conection that for the floors. Al in all a spring clean taks me 6 hours (washing done in between and coffee breaks too)
The rest of the week it is a vacuum a day and kitchen floor daily.   The dishwasher handes the rest.... Easy peasy....

BAKING
I love my new oven and try to refrain from baking something every day.............BUT the urge does not go away. I think I am playing "house house" and loving it. It is the first time in my life that I am a full time homemaker. I love the time to myself to plan what I want to do today and to have the freedom to do it. No deadline awaits ( I am sue yu have noticed this...........) exepts to have dinner on the table.... Ysterday I made cupcakes to bleddie die for.......Hannes will have to get to a gym soon as he loves all I make and eats it as well.
I bake meringues and rusks and now even baking my own cookies.....

MAGAZINES AND READING
This is a very expensive hobbly to keep (Magazines) I now try to read most of them online and always have a real book to read. It is very difficult fr me to sit for hous and ead as I tend t get bored...........but it is getting easier daily. The huisgenoot is the only magazine I will not read online. I buy it. It costs the equivalent of R58.00....
HAPPY 51ST BIRTHDAY HANNES.

I got this very sweet gift box to wrap Hannes pezzie in. It looks like a huge slice of cake. The gift was such a struggle to get............. Hannes got a "regulator" for his braai. I initialy ought him a gas braai for the verandah.  Now when I bought the braai I had no idea that it needs a regulator.....I bought the braai and gas bottle and was very happy with my find (it was on a uge discounted special) but totally useless as we could not connect the gas bottle to the braai....... I started phonng CADAC fo the connection and was repeatedly told that this thing i out of stock and will only be available ib 3 weeks....... I got very pissed off and insisted to speak to the manager....(This is at CADAC head office ib Dubai... A very patient man ( by this tme I was walking on my oenails I a sso mad and had total verbal diarhoea......... He then suggested to connect another regulator from a braai item he had in stock. He sent his driver the same day with the regulator and it was in time for Hannes's birthday This took 1 week instead of 4.......................

HERE HANNES IS BRAAINGON THE VERANDAH.....MISSION ACCOMLISHED

We now egurlarly have braais and it is great. We just have to keep the verandah door tightly closed so hat the smoke does not set off the fire alam in the building............. Holy Cow all you have to learn in this relocation....................................but people are super adjustable

DUBAI METRO OPENS.

The slogan is MY METRO MY DUBAI.. here hannes and Rossouw are on one of the stations boarding the train. It is super clean and very up market. No eating or drinking allowed on the trains at all. It is avery good thing as here it is not uncommon for rubbish t be thrown aywhere. Camains are now starting to keep the UAE clan. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are spotlessly clean but the other emiarates are not so. Lots of educatin is still needd in this regard.

VIEUW FROM THE METRO

It is a very good way to see Dubai overaal and a very good photo opportunity. The metro does not move very fast as it has staions all over so you have lots of time to take pictures. It is also a WI FI zone in the metro so all the young ones ar on there cell phones on the net.Mind you here to see cell phne sticking to sone one's ear is very common. The cell phone rates are very cheap and encouraged to use.

VIEUW INSIDE THE TRAIN.

As yu can see it is spotless clean. Fully airconditoned (I wonder why !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) We were obe of the "kaydahs" and it is fun to a tourist in your own city........

ONE OF THE STATIONS.

   

Some of the stations have 4 floors as it is built over the city and entrances t all major mall from the sttions. All the stations have a theme as well. All the feng Shui elements.

MULTI TASKING

I could not resist this foto. Rossi is doing cell phone, tv remote and sleeping on the same time. Check his finger on the remote button.. All ready for action. The tv remote in our house has very strict rules....When Hannes is home he is incharge of the remoe and dcides what is watched. When he is not home the boys are incharge.....That is also which makes this foto so special.....The remote is his now...

Rossouw has secured a job i Dubai and will be here for the next year. he is a swim instructor for the Australian swimming acadamy. After his injuries in the MVA this si such a good job to have. He also is paid a very good salary. He has settled into Dubai well but is still very lonely as he does not have any friends. He had to go back to SA now for 30 days as his working visa was not ready and his visitors visa has very strict rules. The company will be flyinghim back to Dubai in 30 days. he ws very excited to go to SA as he now has time to say goodbye and has something to come back to. He can also fetch his clothes that he needs here. He has it so much easier than JC as he has a gap year with his parents to guide him and help him. I can just hope he realises this, BUT he is erninghis own money AND paying rent.......................

With his first salary he bought a I PHONE. He was super excited and guards it wth his life.

MIKE (DOK) ESTELLE AND ANDRE VISIT.

Them all in the desert on safari.. It is still oneof my favourte excursions. I think they enjoyed t as well.

ESTELLE SAMPLING MY HOME MADE CAKE..............

Her smile says it all. I love you Essie...............

It was so good to see them and to show my Dubai to them The time was so short...(2 days) as they only stopped over after a visit to Thailand. One only ealises how much you really miss family when you see them again. I took Dok to gourmet station but I think he can get all it offers in JHB too.   he was not impressed with the shoping experdition as he was very hot (high summer here) and bored.

THE AUZIES VISIT.

SONJA, LINX, LUCY AND DAWN

My auzies arrived the day Dok and Eselle left. It was super great to see Sonja and Linx again. They were our neibours in Richards bay and Linx and the boys played together al he time. Rugby and cricket and building "stuff" were the craze. dawn is Sonja's friend and Lucy is Linx's friend.

Well the five of us took Dubai by storm. These girls hardly had time to sleep.....I did the full Dubai trip with all the sights and sunds and smells. It was fantastic o see Dubai through teir eyes as I have become accustomed to most of it. WE had many laughs..............and to go day by day will keep me behing this laptop for weeks.

DHOW TRIP IN MUSANDAM

These are our toys on board the Dhow. We bought every type of inflatable animal at a road side stall before the Dhow rip....I though it will be fun to lie n these and tan in the water...........The are freaking useless.....You cannot for all the love and time and tea in china get nto this animal or stay ontop. It kept us bus for hours on end. The other tourist onboard thought we wee raving mad.....

BONFIRE ON THE BEACH

The Dhow trip was an overnight excursion and we were treated to a bonfire on the beach. We wee the only people spnding the night on the Dhow. I cannot understand the day trip on the Dhow as the nights are so special. To sleep under the stars with just the essentials is so nice. It is also very quiet and all he strs are to be see. Yu are treated like royalty by the Dhow staff and waied on hand and foot. We had our "jingly" skirts on and di belly dancing and laughed and talked.

It was so special but very very hot.....I spent every moment i the water. True to my star sign. I love water and it keeps me calm and relaxed.

At home I go for a swim every evenng at about 8 and just lve it.

FACE PAINTING.

SONJA MYSELF AND DAWN saw 2 ladies doing face painting for kids in the Dubai Mall. We stood on line and had our faces paintd too. My lis are not lipstick but paint. We oked fab and got a lot of laughs and stares. All good. This was early on in the evening and we kept our faces on the whle night. It even got us a table in a very osh Thai estauant which is fully booked for weeks ahead. This foto just shown how much fun we had.

I feel so special that family and friends do the effort to cne and visit and I love t have all here and show yhem Dubai. wE HAD 9 DAYS OF ABSOLUTE FUN FUN FUN.

These Auzies bught me such a fantastic gift...........I now make my ow ice cream. They bought me an ice cream machine. It is so good to make and so easy and really it is delicious. From ice cream to frozen yugurt to sorbet.....I am the queen of the lot.

HANDS  AND FRANCI VAN KOERT VISIT.

My next visitors were Hans and franci. They are rotary friends from Richards bay. We also did he full rounds of Dubai and by this time I was like a tour guide as I had it all down to pa and knew where and when to go. Be warned if you come and visit I have itinarary's to chose from. Super busy to super relaxing.......... We had loads of fun and aughs and he 2 of them are such easy guests. hans brought me coffee every morning and they are not early risers. About 7.30 every morning and sometimes even later. I thught they were just havig a "lekker" hliday....but later ealized they are so tired from the previous days trips and doings............. I then slowed down a little and we did a beach visit every mornig befoe the day staRts.

NORMAL DESERT THING...

ROSSOUW WAS THEIR GUIDE TO THE DESERT AS i WAS TOTALLY BUSHED AND TIRED.

They came back with lots of smiles and tals to tell and loved it.

TIRED FRANCI AND HANS.

On their last night in Dubai we still had not been t the old Souk and had a Abbra ride. At 22h30 (Souk closes at 23h00) I realised I will not drive to the souk in time. So I parked the car on the other side of the creek and flagged down an Abbra (small boat used as water taxi over the creek) He charged us the earth as he knew we were in a catch 22. I paid and he took us over the creek to the sok. We arrived a the souk with 30 mnutes still to shop. We all scattered into different sirections as Rossouw and I anted a Shisha and Franci and hans wanted to see they could. We got al we needed and all he shop keepes will stay open until you have finished shopping........

I the foto, the light in the back ground are the souks lights.  After all dne we got another Abbra to take us back over the creek to where our car is parked. THIS TIME I had time to haggle the price as I was in no hurry to get thee. We paid a quarter of the original asking price. As we eached the other side Franci just had t sit down and could only find this pillar.

I eally think in my previous lif I was a working girl as harbours and boats just excite me too much !!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE I PHONE

Rossouw with his new phone. He was super stokd when he bought this for himself. I cannot use it at all as it is too higher grde for me. I just want aphne which says hello, goodbye ad lave a message.............,

OUR PUPPY

i AM ON VERY STRICT ORDERS NOT TO BUY ANY MORE PETS.....HANSIE BABES SAYS SO

Rssuw and I found a pet shop ( by accident ....really) and we saw the most devine puppy's...We ha a cuddle and a play with them all. There was this Pug which just stole our hearts.....When I asked the price I nealy fell over backwards...(I did how ever say "fokit") This puppy was 12000 dhs. x2 to get rand amount. R24000.00..... Holy sheetttttt.

We politely declined and lft and knew our pupy dreams are shattered.

The next ay I was In a mal anf sa this puppy and it was only 150.dhs. R300.00. ehat a bargain. I had to buy it immaditely. When Hanns cam home Rossouw and I had the pupy n Rossouw rom to wai fr the right mment to ell Hanns about our new family edition. He was so very not impessed until we fetched the puppy for hm to see and pick up.....

This si such a clever puppy as it does not pee poep or eat................. It is a stuffed toy from a toy store and now proudly lles where ever I put it down. I tend to move it daily and sometimes just sit ob the couch and hold it..., SUBSTITUTION or SENILE????????????

THE REGULATOR

How this foto ended up her I have no clue BUT this was Hansie babe's birthday prezzie............It was a super mission to get it....Now you all now what it loos like as well.

BOB IN DUBAI

Bobby and myself catching up at dinner at The Ritz. Shisha is the national sport here in Dubai....Nice...very nice...Bob did not like it  but I tried a new flavour (Rose) It tastes like turkish delight.  We had a great evening but Bobby as tired and di not want to join us for a night cap at the roof top bar. Hanns als bailed so Rossow and I hit the streets.... We started at 44. It is a bar on the 44th floor. Devine veiuws and very up market. Drinks too expensive so we went to our next destination which was bach party at Atlantis on the plam.

It is so lively and the 2 of us stayed there until 4 in the morning. Dubai is fantastic to have teen agers as all clubs abd bars are strictly 21 and the booze is so expensive they can have 1 or 2 drinks tops..................

BUULS AND CHEETAH'S RUGBY GAME.

Here Bob s havng a chat to Gesi i SA just after the bulls won the cheetah's..... All the boys at the table were frm SA and here for the F1 the next day. We had lots of laughs and fun and drinks during the game. We watched it at a bar whick is run by SA NZ and AUZ. All rugby is on big screen and a noisy (but bleddie expensive) bar. Now what hapens in Dubai stays in Dubai..............

I will try to update the log more often..................INSHAALAH

MAASALAAMA (Goodbye) GHALAS(finished)

LONG TME ME NO WRITE.......SORRY..

Oh boy where to start...... Sorry i have taken so long BUT this girl has been super busy ..!! AND also had a slight "writers block" !!!!!!
We have really had an eventful 8 weeks since my last blog....... It has been very good and at some times very bad. Hold onto your seats and get very very comfy as here we go on a catch up session of note.....
UMDLOTI SUNRISE IN SOUTH AFRICA

This magic sunrise greeted us on our first morning in South Africa in Umdloti. Nothing compares to these colours and sound of the ocean. To also know that all my dear Bali Bitches are just next door was a superb feeling. It was on my birthday. The previous night when we arrived at the airport Clydene and Ermanno where there to meet us. Dian was also there as he flew in from Port Elizabeth 3 hours earlier. I had changed into my Abaya on the flight to greet them as an Emirati Lady. It was so good to see them and they all where very impressed with my dress code. I thought I looked very smart.... Must sat I got some very funny looks from other people in the airport and on the plane......There were lots of tears of joy being shed by Clydene and myself.

MY BIRTHDAY PARTY ALA CLYDENE

Here is my dear friend busy setting the table for my birthday party. I had asked all of them not to buy a gift but to make us dinner and we all celebrate each others company...... It was so good to be amongst very good friends. We call each other (the girls) The Bali Bitches (after our Bali trip) but we are all known to each other as the extended family. That is actually what we are. Like family. We laugh and cry and squabble all the time BUT we will jump for each other.
CLydene made my favourite home made lasagna. All home made (Yes the pasta as well....) It is delicious.... She is a real Italian mamma.....
This smile was really out of absolute fatigue......and proud of her home made lasagna.... My boys ate as if there was no tomorrow AND then the main meal arrived.....Lasagna was only the starter... I would love to eat some right now.

Gesi was there and it is always so good to see her and hug her again. She is such a lovable friend..And so beautiful. here she has the rare chance of getting a hug from Hannes
Marietjie and Mario where also at the dinner BUT at that time the camera was long forgotten ...
The talk and chatter at the table was like old times. Noisy and lively and every one adding their two cents worth. What a joy to have that in my life......


Dian was with us already and then JC and Rossouw arrived from Johannesburg. here is a family shot of the 5 of us. So very very good to see all my boys and to see them happy and well. We had a wonderful party and so much love and laughter all around.
Thanks Clydene for all the hard work and to gesi and marietjie you 2 are still the best friends I can hope for.....
THE VAN DIJKS'S TOGETHER.... SUCH A FABULOUS PHOTO.

It is very rare lately to have all 5 of us together. This photo is cherished. I have come to really appreciate the family times together and also the gathering of other family and friends. It is the most precious "thing" we can have. I am very blessed and happy to say and feel so loved by my family, mother, sister and brothers and friends.

BARBARA ALA DUFUS


This dear friend made the trip from Rustenburg especially to come and see us for one day. We have been friends for a long time and she always seems to go the extra mile.....We had many chats and catch ups of happenings in each other life. her eyes are red from lack of sleep and tears. I kept her up very late and we had tears of joy and sorrow to share. Love you Dufus. You are special.
LEON AND JINNY. MY ONE AND ONLY SISTER AND HER HUSBAND

We had 3 days of special bonding time with Jinny and Leon. They were on their way to Sodwana and stopped with us for 3 days. Well we ate, drank and laughed all the time. Jinny and I go a very long way and Leon was always in the thick of it. We are very close and share all feelings and ideas. We tend to catch each other humor as well. It was so good to have this time with them. It always feels as if we saw each other the day before and the tie in between just does not exist. She has always been a very strong pillar of strength and love in my life. I LOVE YOU JINNY AND CHERISH YOU ALWAYS.

DIAN READY FOR THE DURBAN JULY 2009

Dian had decided to go to the July (horse race f the year). He and a friend decided to really dress. He looked so smart. A shit I miss him so much...... He had a very good time and we fetched him and Rossouw and Roxy at 3am.

ROSSOUW AND ROXY

These two cousins had a ball. Roxy is Jinny's daughter and my god daughter. The two of them had a bonding time deluxe before going t the July. It is so true when you say blood is thicker than water as these two have not had much personal contact over the last years but they got on as if they had never been separated. The banter and jokes between them was hilarious.... They also went to the July and had a ball.

THIS WAS A BAD ONE. ROSSOUW'S" CAR

On our second last night in Umdloti Dian and Rossouw were involved in a head on collision. This is the car the 2 boys got out of farely unharmed..... Dian was the designated driver as he was not drinking. An indigenous male from Zululand decided to stop in the oncoming lane on a motorway and at a blind corner to get out of his car to have a pee....... As Dian came round the corner he went head on into this stationary vehicle...... We are s lucky both boys were wearing seat belts and that Dian was riving at a farely slow speed. Both got out of this total wreck alive. Dian had very bad concussion and Rossouw fractured his hand and foot.

The call from Dian to come and help them nearly stopped my hart. It felt like forever for us to get to them at the accident scene. I am so glad Hannes was also there to take some charge ...

Rossouw was admitted and had an operation to his hand the next morning.
I feel nothing for the car just so very very glad to have my boys alive and well...

After the accident we all left for Johannesburg to spend 3 days before our return to Dubai.

GERRY - MY ELDEST BROTHER

We all went to visit him on the farm at Brits. It was a huge family get together of the uncles and aunts (like me) and his grand children. It was a very hot day but we were all still a little shell shocked after the accident and Rossouw was on crutches and bandages. It was good to see Gerry and his kids and grand children.

MY MOM.

My mom is 84 and she joined us from cape Town to visit. Was very good to see her again and to see that she is doing well in spite of her age. She lives in a very lani retirement village in cape Town in her own house. Se still does all her cooking herself and keeps herself very social in her community.
It s a privilege to still have parents around. Love you Mom.

MY BROTHER MIKE

HIS WIFE ESTELLE

We stayed with them is Johannesburg for 3 days before we left back to Dubai. It always feels like home when I visit them as I know where everything (especially the coffee and the sweets ) are. They are always so good to me on every visit. Mike took Estelle and me to lunch one afternoon in Rosebank and it is such special times one always remembers.

They will be visiting us in Dubai n September after a visit to Thailand. I can't wait to show them this fantastic place.
Gourmet Station here we come....................

RACHELLE AND ME

RACHELLE'S HUSBAND JUAN (The little angel....)

Rachelle is Gerry's daughter and her and I have always had a very special friendship. It does not feel like Aunt and cousin. We are just great friends. HER 3 KIDS FEEL LIKE MY OWN AND ARE ADORABLE

JUAN AND ME

Now this one is a different specie to you and me. He is rachelle's brother but is very very funny. You can laugh at anything he says as he talks colourful. One of his saying I adore when some one is not very clever is : He just went to school to eat the sandwiches. I think that is so funny. he was on the farm with his wife (also Rachelle) Go figure that one... Sister is Rachelle married to Juan. Juan the brother is married to Rachelle. We now have nick names for them to determine who s who......

The farm was Pierre's farm. This is the stone that gerry had made to remember Pierre. Myself, my Mom, gerry and Dok went to the place where it is on the farm and a small remembrance bench has been placed. Well to say the least we had our tears for Pierre. It IS EXACTLY A YEAR TODAY SINCE HE DIED, and I still miss him badly.....

PIERRE I KNOW YOU ARE WATCHING OVER ME FROM YOUR SPACE.....REMEMBER I LOVE AND MISS YOU STACKS ... GIVE MY LOVE TO DAD TOO.

After all this eating and visiting all the time I was ready to go back to Dubai. All the boys went their separate ways and we cam back to Dubai.

I now had 14 days to settle us in a new apartment as our previous lease was up and we wanted to get a little bigger apartment.

I left all my loved one's with a sad hart. It is only the people I miss.

Jetting into Dubai we were struck by the heat as it was now high summer here and we left South Africa in the winter.

I jumped int the flat hunting with avengeance........ Now all of you it works so differently here. I knew where we wanted to stay (The area) but now how brown cow.....FIND THE BUGGER.

I contacted agents to show me appartments. Hannes on the other hand gave me a strict budget to keep too..... I have to tell you these two do not go hand in hand.

I saw 49 appartments and did my best haggling with the rental price. After many walks (It is too close to get a taxi and keep in mind the temp. is hitting upper 40's by now) I was a wet T shirt and long pants advert daily.....

I then lined up only 2 appartments for Hannes to OK. he wanted 2 bedrooms and I wanted 3 bedrooms. After all the effort I got a fantastic appartment in JBR (stand for Jumeira beach Residence) (Go google it) It is in the Dubai marina and beach front. JBR consists of 6 sets of 6 towers. Do the maths. 36 towers in total. The street level is called THE WALK. It has restaurants and shops and people walking all he time.

We have a marina vieuw from the lounge and full sea vieuw from the bedrooms. Pool vieuws and garden vieuws from all windows.... This is a serious wow....

AND WE HAVE SPACE........ The apartment is easily 3x the size of our previous one.

MAP OF JBR

Eack coloured block is a set of towers. We are in the one on the far right. Called MURJAN. It has six towers. (48 floors each) The next set is called SADAF. The one next to that is BAHAR. Then RIMAL then AMWASJ and lastly SHAMS.

VIEUW FROM OUR BALCONY

We are on the 23rd floor. Less dust and very quiet.

NIGHT VIEUW FROM THE STUDY. THAT IS WHAT i AM LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.

ONE OF THE POOLS N THE GARDENS.

OUR LOUNGE AND DINING ROOM AND DOOR TO THE BALCONY.

VIEUW FROM THE LOUNGE WINDOW. YOU CAN SEE THE MARINA.

MY FISH TANK LOOKS SO SMALL IN THIS APPARTMENT.

SMALL PORTION OF THE KITCHEN. SERVING HATCH BETWEEN DINING ROOM AND KITCHEN.

SPARE BEDROOM

MAIN BEDROOM

VIEUW FROM ONE OF MY BEDROOM WINDOWS

MY GARDEN ON THE BALCONY. gOT MY OWN HERBS GOING.....

There is a curry tree and rosemary and basil and origanum growing. The chives are not doing too well. I have lanted sone magnolia's for the smell at night and waiting for their flowers to start blooming. In the big pot in the front is a bouganvilla and tomatoes are startng to grow......

I want to go organic now..................

Clydene check out the watering can carfully. It was only cream beofre I go my glue gun in my hand. and.......................................

Now girls an boys this move was effing hectic. Hannes did the trips between our old appartment and to here with just the "few" things that were ours. The old appartment was furnished.

HA HA HA A......We are like hamsters...Everything must be taken to the nest.....He did 8 trips with the prado fully packed before all our stuff was here.....NO FUNITURE.

I stayed at the new appartment cleaning before he came with the stuff. Cuboards had to be washed out floors cleaned ect ect ect. Here the shit starts. We had no power or water yet as the previous tenant had not paid his bil si we can not get connected bfore that happens..... N sweat for me I come from SA and am used to load shedding BUT no water is a biggy.

I carted big holders of water every day to wash and clean. I lost 6 kg in this little exercise.... Not complaining....
After 3 days we had power and water......

I had to get a pakistani kaniverstani remval van to bring the 4 cupboards we had bought from our old appartment. Again it was a little "bakkie" with frills and fluff all over the place.

s soon as the water was connected one of the taps in the laundry laked masively......Whole flat flooded....... This was good as it was then clean very quickly without me having to cart water....BUT not one dry towel in the flat and you know what??????????? No tumble dryer yet...

This appartment was totally empty so we had to furnish with everything. All kitchen appliances (called white stuff here) Stove, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer.

I now have a fantastic 100cm stove........

The other furniture I scouted all over Dubai looking for special and cheap furniture as we decidd that we might not ship all this back to where ever wnenever....

We were lucky as oe of the other doctors returned to South Africa and they had odds and ends of furniture which they had only used for a year and we liked most of it so we just bught it from them at fabtastic prices.

It took 1 week for our nternet to be p nd running and about a week for all the kitchen appliances to be installed. here the shop dlivers it and the company who's equipent it is installs it.

Oh boy INSHALLAH and Fridays it takes forever.

I am so very happy here in Dubai and love the appartment as I go swimming every evening at about 9. There is always a life guard on duty and I do not have to clean or look after this pool. It is also very very safe ad you can go alone and not even think about it. I lie on my back in the pool ad cool down and look at the stars and just collect all my thought in a very quiet place. I love water and it has and enormous calming effect on me. You just have to see that this blog is started and ended with a photo of the water.....

Whie I was doing all this moving stuff Rossouw, JC and Dian were flown to cape Town by my sister for Roxy's 21st. Leon (he is an orthopeadic surgeon) saw that Rossouw's hand was not good and not position and his foot was still not ok. he looked him over again and had to redo the hand operation and a new fracture was discovered in his foot...... Thank heavens fr my sister that looked after Rossouw as if it id her own and he was in such good hands with Leon. I feel very guilty for not being there BUT my sister was better to him than I might have been.

THANKS JINNY AND LEON

Rossouw has joined us in Dubai. He will have to find a job here for hin t have a long stay visa. I think he will be here until end 2010. he needs to save money to further his career and so forth. I think he needs to be here with us now as he has had too many losses in the last few months and he needs to get to basics again. It is good to have him here.

Now I am buggered........

This is my goodbye shot for today. This si what I see from my bedroom window every day as the sun sets.

This was a hige nfo blog to get all of you up to speed on my life. My thought and feelings (there are so many) will come in the next blog......

LORETA