Again it has taken a long time for me to blog...Hannes's work schedule is hilarious.....I told him the other day that his work now interferes with our social life. He was off for 3 days and then worked one day and now is back to work for 4 days......His hours are 48 hours per week and he does 12 hour shifts. So that adds up to 4 days work per week..... Also I have no clue on what day of the week it is. Here the weekend is Friday and Saturday. Sunday is the first work day of the week. With Hannes also working any day........Oh boy......
OK lets have that coffee now...
I BAKED THIS CAKE.....
Laurika gave me a "cuisine select" "pot" before I left SA. It is fantastic.....It does everything any oven will do in half the time AND it cleans itself...... This cake was my first attempt to baking in the "pot" It was fantastic and delicious. I now never use the gas oven anymore. The oven here in the apartment is gross. It is tiny and takes forever to Cook. The stove however is fantastic once you get used to cooking with gas. Very different than electric stove......
This pot does the whole meal in one.....I am still adjusting to it's working but I tell you Divine. It also makes biltong........ Will try that sometime.
I have unpacked all the boxes and found place for everything that I brought. It was no joke ...
I brought so many towels that I will not have to buy another towel for 5 years.....And the toiletries............ Thank heavens for beds with packing capacity underneath. I promise you all is neat and boxed or bagged Under the beds....that we do not use daily. I had to giggle as the flat is so small, if I want to unpack the box I first have to unpack it on the bed in my room and then think where to pack it away.Then I have to have a system as to how it must be packed under the bed for access when needed. Don't worry I did not put everything under the beds, Just the items not used daily. It is so nice to sleep on our own linen again..... Mind you I had to wash everything before we could use it................... That reminds me...I have made a wonderful plan for myself with all this "house working"!!!! Hannes now pays me...... I can not collect anything (no place to pack it ...)with my "pay"...... BUT I can go to a spa once a month for my whole salary worth for spoiling.
I had my first spa day a few days ago (just to make sure it is what I want to do with my money) I kid you not girls it was Divine..... I sing all the way behind the vacuum or ironing board as all I can think of is the next pampering. The spa did a full body scrub, back and neck massage, body moisturising rub and a facial. I walked on a cloud for days after that......
Now life here has not only been this "lekker"..... I had severe tooth ache and a crown that was loose (in fact fell out...)just after we returned from Jordan. So here the fun starts.....Hannes gives me pain killers and antibiotic. I now look for a dentist. We take it for granted in SA that we will find a good dentist and in a relative short time. Hannes gets me names of dentists that come recommended.... I scan the list and pick a South African. Dr Hugo.
I make an appointment (or try to ) just to be told he is fully booked for 5 months. I give the receptionist a long story of bad pain and blah de blah de blah fish paste.......(Keep in mind I am on pain killers so I talk the hind legs off a donkey.... )She said she will give Dr Hugo the message and get back to me. I decided to give them 24 hours before trying some one else. I have to tell you if the say here that they will call you back,they do...... I got a call early the next morning to say there is a cancellation and I can have the appointment. Luckily Hannes was off and he could drive MISS DAISY.....
This Dr Hugo is a honey and we got on like a house on fire..... he was busy with me for 2 hours.... The end of the story is not nice BUT I fractured the root of the tooth and it will have to come out. So now the plan is to remove that tooth in 2 weeks time and immediately place a bridge in close the gap..... I am not looking forward to that. Also the price of dentistry here is astronomical........... Luckily the doctor and myself could speak in Afrikaans and he will give me huge discount.....
I am also now venturing out more and more with the car...I get lost badly (as I never know which turn off to take AND the turn off from the highway is to the right...) Driving in the left hand lanes (habit) then trying to cross 8 lanes EISH......it does not work.... I must say I am getting better and better. I am also lucky that I have very good direction (and Dubai has many High rise building as landmarks) so I always get to where I want to be. I normaly ask what tall building is near and then just venture in that general direction. So nice here too the have U Turn lanes on the highway....This helps a lot. One thing here which is not very good is road signs of where to go.....
I have planned to got o Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for the day with a friend and I am driving...... So we shall see what that brings....
It gets very dry here with the air cons running 24/7. It is starting to get hotter every day. Today was 33C. I went is search of humidifiers.... They are so very very ugly.... In the end I got the most natural humidifier of all....
MY FISH TANK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had been looking at this punch bowl since August last year on my first trip to Dubai. Yes it is really a punch bowl. It is 10mm thick glass and takes 10litres to that water level.
Now it was very expensive in August and my wait paid off as I now got it at half the original price. I now have some animals around me AND the air is being humidified..... My three fish do not have names yet. (can't name them after the boys as what if a fish dies..............)
To find a pet shop in the Dubai is not easy, as pets here are not very popular. The one I found is in Jumeira (near to the marina) and it was OK. All the books on Dubai living say not to expect too much from the pet shops etc etc etc. Now they do not have a lot of pets in the shop BUT they sure have some very strange ones. There were squirrels from South America (too sweet) and chinchilla's (monkey of marsupial or ??????????????) and mac caw's. My fish are so sweet and are OK for me.....
CIRC DU SOLEIL
We went to see the Circ du Soleil circus and is was fantastic. Such a surreal experience to be in the audience as we have always only seen it on TV. The costumes and performance was very very very good. It is something I will always remember.
To be here and to have the opportunity to see this is fantastic. We also went to see the movie "Marley and Me" and we both enjoyed it. Wow we had not been to a circus or movie together in years........
Our lives have changed dramatically and it is very good and exciting but still I have to make many changes and adjustments. I miss my family and friends a lot and had not so nice day yesterday. I download music to add to my I-pod and I stumbled on "mamma look a boo boo dere" from Harry Belafonte. This put me into a tail spin emotionally.........It was the song that Margaux played for Pierre in ICU....It brought back such a feeling of loss. Not only for him but for all my dear loved ones in SA. I know I have not lost them but it still feels so far....... I LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL OUT THERE READING THE BLOG......
I have had to update my cell phone and PC with all the new and existing contacts...... It is so many small things that have to be done to get your life running smoothly again.
I am going to join a belly dancing class soon....Will keep you posted. Hannes also has 5 days off end of April and we are planning to go to Oman for the 5 days. I am looking forward to that too. Most days we go for long walks on the beach and in the Marina. We can go day or night as it is so safe.
OK now I am babbling........
Love and miss you all.
L
