Mad Hatta Run

I was back in work Saturday and Sunday is a normal working day so it has felt like along week, and after about 12 weeks of non-stop organising pressure at home and work I have felt pretty fatigued as some of the pressure has started to ease off. My employment permit is through, which means I can get a residency visa and can then own my own car and get a liquor licence (to buy my own). There are off licences to be found but they are all hidden away at the back of other shops, almost prohibition like. A licence will give me a credit card type permit which then sets an allowance for how much money i can spend on booze in the month, plus allows me to have drink at home legally.
Our visitor visas in the passports are about due to run out so we have to leave the country and return on 01 November to get them renewed. This isn't as bad as it sounds, as it means a 2 hour drive each way to a town called Hatta and just over the border into Oman and back. The scenery is supposed to be amazing so I'm looking forward to it. Hallowe'en tomorrow and the kids have all got new outfits for Trick or Treat- a tour round the other villas in the compound seems likely, so we'll see the neighbours at all 17 villas perhaps.

Liz's party in the Hard Rock

Aston shots

One of the lounge and diner with Jack watching the box

It's Curtains for Liz's Birthday

Well, not quite, just a headline covering two of the weeks events. The curtain man came round and has put curtains up for all the windows, which makes everywhere less like a doctor's waiting room, what with the tiled floors n'all. I think the little Indian guy had been awake all night for the past 3 days making them, but they look great. most of this week has been straightening up the Aston, but its not far off now. During the week we met Bruce and Lisa at TGI Fridays next to Ski Dubai. It was a good table, next to a window onto the piste, so you could eat your burger then glance round to see a snowboarder whizz past.
The garden's starting to show a bit of life at the villa after copious amounts of sprinkler- but we've got a swarm of bees now in the Bougainvilla so there's only me that dares to go out 'til pest control have been. I've told Jack he'd better keep uot of the way when they come...
Billy K from home called in to the villa this week taking a break in a business trip and brought some wine from the airport, so we're not completely dry for a few days at least.
Liz's birthday went well yesterday, prezzies had come to me at the work address, and she had lots of phone calls. Jack and I went out to get her a cake, driving across the sand at the back of the villa I said to Jack we needed to get a trials bike and he asked me why. "For fun" I said and he asked me "Who are you, and what have you done with my Dad?" which made me laugh.
Liz's friends here had already been round for coffees and cake and brought some cards and gifts. We called at Nick and Helen's for a chat and some champagne on the way out with the kids to Hard Rock Cafe, it was a bit like a huge What's Cooking with guitars and rock videos.

Settling in to the Aston (Villa)

Back on line after a traipse around the phone providers- we now have the villa wired up courtesy of Etisalat- after a visit to the Etisalat building in town, various form filling in a big round office a bit like a cross between the Social Security and Argos, with electronic numbering of your turn to sit with a guy in a dish-dash who helped you through the maze of bureaucracy, which included putting a "Desk Closed" light on whilst I left the building to find a cash point to pay the deposit for not having a full residents permit. "How long to connect?" I asked, but 2-3 days clearly wasn't explained to the two Indian phone guys who turned up at the villa at 0745 the next morning to put the phone line in and got Liz out of bed- well pleased she was (n't).
Things are taking shape, the kids have been off this week but its been a setting up home week. All the gear is out of boxes, we've got phone, internet, Showtime TV, water cooler/dispenser, even a new bed got delivered today. We've sussed out the intercom and camera to let visitors in to the compound remotely, and I've tidied round the garden after a visit to the garden centre- just like Gordale Nurseries back home really.
I spent some time with the kids at the pool today on the compound- its still 35 Celsius here so pretty baking, but the water was nice and cool. There was about 6 or 7 dragonflies patrolling the pool which took some getting used to for the girls, who weren't convinced they were harmless, mainly because Jack had told them they could sting. That's all for now, just had the pleasure of seeing Liverpool win the Derby but can't understand Rafa subbing Stevie G. Now for the Rugby World Cup! Swing Low.....
I'll put some pics of the villa on next few blogs.

Last days in Marina

Here's a picture of Liz, just to prove she hasn't got the plane home yet (Lynda). The last few days at the serviced apartment in the marina have been busy but in a way routine- as I have been at work every day and the kids were at school up until Wednesday, which was their last day before Eid- the holiday marking the end of Ramadan and the end of fasting. School is off for ten days, but I only get Friday- Sunday as public holiday, two days of which are weekend anyway- just bad luck this year due to the timing of the phases of the moon for Ramadan. At lunchtime in work we can cross the road into the Radisson Hotel where there is a Thai restaurant (called "Yum-Live Fast, Eat Fast"!) still open during Ramadan, screened off from the public gaze. The guys from the office have a discount card so a group of us have been going each day, working a way through the menu of noodle dishes.

Liz is driving now so it has been much easier for the school run, though having two cars on rent has meant to stay within my allowance I have hired two Mitsubishi Lancers, which look a bit "Pov" next to all the mothers in their 4x4s so Liz and Jack have been berating me constantly about embarrassing them. Its only until I get a residents permit when I can buy two cars, buyin is much cheaper than rental by the month so we can "upgrade" then. It is going to be about another month though. Jack is set on me getting a Ford Mustang but we'll have to see, we haven't really started looking at cars properly yet.

Knowing we are moving to the villa by Friday/Saturday has seen us focus on delivery of appliances to be able to cook/wash/store, and they are all in, though the gas man has installed two propane bottles in the back yard for the cooker which we have yet to pay him 750AED for (about 100GBP). I think the kids are going to settle in alright at the compound, Jack has already been playing football with the boy next door and "Jelly" the gate security guy, who also seems to be the mister fixer for providing gardeners, maids, gas etc etc. I have been getting back from work too late to see much of this, so Liz has been making a start unpacking, particularly in the kitchen. Our stuff looks really small in the villa, but even so the relative lack of storage means that much of our gear is not unpacked as there is nothing to put it into, so a few furniture purchases seem likely soon.

We've eaten out most nights this week, twice at "Johnny Rockets" which is an American style diner in the Marina that the kids like- they do burgers and chips and a mean Hersheys milk shake, playing Rock'n'Roll music continuously and with a Harley Davidson on a stand in the centre of the restaurant.

Friday (yesterday) we spent almost all day trekking around the Emirates Mall and have ordered a suite and a 46" LCD TV for the lounge, so all couch potato tendencies should be well satisfied. We might even be able to get a satellite package in place for the final of the rugby World Cup (if it isn't all over for England this weekend v France) and the derby match. You can't get Sky here but the equivalent, Showtime, has Coronation Street and all the Premiership matches live (or full replay), so that should do us.

I expect that the next two days of my holiday will be sorting out the villa, so a gap in the blog entries likely- especially until we get a phone line and internet sorted!

Appliances good food and rugby

Friday is Sunday in Dubai, and we had a busy day- apart from ploughing through homework with the kids,we measured up and ordered for our appliances for the villa and then Friday afternoon and evening we went to Mark and Sarah's flat for a celebration party for their new arrival, Holly Elisabeth. Loads of their friends were there, great food. Saturday saw us having lunch at the Meridien Jumeirah with Kevin and Lorna and the girls, Saturday evening we went across to Lisa and Bruce's villa for a barbeque and watched the rugby. Met their friends, Per and Angelika from Sweden and Latvia. They didn't laugh at any amusing stories, just looked po faced and changed the subject, which Liz thought was very funny :-) They were very nice for all that and Angelika is all up on buying residential property off plan here- she is an agent for homes around Sport City. England beat Australia in the rugby- hurrah! Bruce had it predicted, even down to the last Ozzie kick being pulled left as he was too far out and would try to kick too hard. Lovely food and a massive cheesecake made by Lisa, which she is going to show Liz how to make :-)
Liz prepared a great meal at our apartment on Sunday for Dad, Lis, Mark and Sarah, who came over with baby Holly. So loads of eating, socialising and sport but no unpacking at the villa yet- I think it will only start properly when we move in -by Friday.
Monday- I was at work but Liz had to go to the villa to see in the appliances arrivals. Very funny trying to communicate with the Indian delivery guys, as each appliance is delivered separately direct from each factory, and our villa doesn't really have a fixed address- nowhere does in Dubai- so they need directions over the mobile. It was like having someone do a telephone wind up on you, I wish I'd been able to hear their conversations with Liz. Jack and the girls thought it was very funny. Big Nans birthday today 96 years young- Happy Birthday Nan x. We had tea at Johnny Rockets diner in the marina and rang Nan.

Parma week

A busy week has just passed hence a single blog entry. On Sunday night I flew to Milan for a meeting with the consortium in Parma. I took a bus from Dubai to Abu Dhabi airport, met a colleague at the airport lounge and flew overnight. I was not due to get back until midnight on Wednesday so I was a bit worried about everything happening to plan whilst I was away- our container was due to be delivered to the villa on Wednesday, which meant that the cheques needed to be paid to the landlords agent on Monday or Tuesday to guarantee getting access to the villa for the removals people to unload and unpack our stuff. Liz would have to attend so I asked Dad to go with her, just to be around just in case.

The Italian Job went well, aside of the business meeting we had a couple of pleasant evenings Monday and Tuesday eating Parma ham and Parmesan cheese washed down with local Lambrusco. On Wednesday the container operation itself went like clockwork in my absence- all our boxes are in and the removals guys assembled the beds, tables etc. The only glitch was with the hire car which clearly had two slow punctures when we were given it and caused some distress when Liz and Dad were effectively stranded at the villa, despite a lot of phone calls to the leasing company (via Italy too) with friends collecting the kids, taxis for Dad and Liz and a replacement car not coming until 8.40pm after an initial promise someone would be out at 11am. I am not sure if the AA and RAC operate out here but they could probably have made it out from the UK quicker. We have had the one car swapped for two smaller hire cars now, but Liz is getting used to blowing her top at the Indian delivery guys from the lease company. They seem to grin at her when she loses it which doesn't help Liz calm down, but she seems to get the results in the end. Flipping your tantrum lid or bursting into tears appears to be the only way to get responsive service outside of a hotel.

Still, at least we're in- we have a week to get things straight before we're out of the apartment in the marina- no appliances yet, ordered for Monday.

Thursday night we met Kevin and Lorna from Scotland at the Marina and sat out until 11.30 while all the kids played in the fountains- Madeleine got drenched right through. Jack seems to get on well with their daughter Heather but isn't admitting to liking her under pressure as she is 12 which is apparently too young if you are in year 9 and age 13. Today we chose and paid for the appliances then went to Sarah and Mark's for a celebration party for their new baby, Holly. There were lots of their friends coming and going, lovely food from the Lime Tree cafe and baby Holly was passed around aplenty. I took my clubs round for Dad to play golf with Mark on Monday- it would be nice to play myself but there's too much to do at the moment- maybe in November when we're settled and the weather is cooler, its still 36 degrees in the day at the moment. Hoping to get some unpacking done tomorrow, but we're invited out to lunch and a rugby/barbecue evening already, so progress may be limited!