Saturday, 25degrees, hardly a wind……..at last it is warming up!!!!! Opportunity to frequent the pool on the roof. Everytime we go up there we sit in a different place. I think we have definitely found that spot where there is little wind and you get the sun all day.
We just chilled, with the occasional swim when the urge took us, but most important…….. rest ready for another hectic week!
Perhaps it wasn’t the brightest idea to get out in the sun for 2 days in a row when you have had a couple of months of sun absence, but I am sure the Red face, red v shaped chest and very red back will go brown soon enough!
As the afternoon progressed a few maintenance chaps came to the roof to scrub the tiles. We got the distinct impression we were in their way….not sure if it was when the water started flowing towards our stuff that was on the floor, or when they started moving the chairs away from around us, or it could have been when they started SPRAYING THE TILES IN FRONT OF US and the water was splashing us! We put up with the chilly shower for a while and decided to go back to the balcony at the flat!.
Again just chilled in the evening and whacked on a DVD of one of our favourite shows from the 90s!!! GAME ON!!!! Love it!

(forgot to mention about out Thursday night Ramble). we decided to get out of the flat after work and see some sights of Dubai on foot. we walked to the Heritage Village. It is a mock up of how life used to be like in the region before all the high rise buildings dwarfed the city. there were traditional dances going on and a few camels giving the local kids a ride around a padock. We went on to the creek and visited a kind of museum. it had teachings about Islam which

we found really interesting. We were not aware of the similarities between our religions before this visit!. On leaving the museum, the DSF firework display kicked off! VERY SPECTACULAR no expense spared with those pyrotechnics, and went for an Abra ride in the dark.....after a few events, ie the guy driving the Abra crashing it into the dock, and the people from an adjacent abra, climbing on ours almost capsizing it, we went back to the flat, exhausted!......stopping for a pint and a curry in Waxy O'Connors on the way!)

Weekend of the 26 January was supposed to be a 1 day event for us. However, because our scheduled day off fell on the Public holiday the week before we got a day in lieu which we were told we could have off this Saturday!!! A nice surprise indeed!
For weeks we have known about an Airshow which was suppose to be happening at Al Ain, but trying to find out information was a nightmare. Eventually someone found a website and I phoned the number!

CJD myself and another lady in the office jumped in the car and drove to the Oasis Town of Al Ain.
It was an aerobatics display! Not much military action apart from the Royal Saudi Hawks and the Russian Mig29s!
There were model aircraft displays, which were alright, but even better when one of the competitors binned his plane into the tarmac smashing off the propeller and the undercarriage! DOH!!!!!! There was a model glider and a jet powered model that was so fast….very surprising!
The main part of the aerobatics was performed by pilots of light aircraft similar to those used in the Redbull displays, with equally breathtaking stunts! There were three team competitors, the Russian Mig29 (Very NOISY!), the Royal Saudi Hawks, and the Royal Jordian Falcons. For the kids they had a small helicopter with a face on it, doing silly things with barrels, a yoyo and a flag.
It was tame by usual airshow standards, not the RIAT (Royal International Air Tattoo) that you get at RAF Fairford, but it was an excellent start to the Airshow Calendar and I cant wait to go to many more this later this year!
The static display was small, in fact, you could say disappointing, but the weather more than made up for the fact the venue was small!!!
It was scorching! And thinking we would be safe in the grandstand, sheltered from the sun, we were wrong. BIG RED FACES, I have no idea where we caught that from!

The show ended around 1730hrs and we drove back to Dubai. Totally wrecked from the fresh air and driving I stayed in and chilled and CJD met the boys at a bar called Peanut Butter Jam. It is on the roof at Wafi City Mall and the chairs are all bean bags! I will go there at some point I think!
She even saw Cliff Richard, although she didn’t get his autograph!!!

..........and because i can only upload 5 piccies per post......here are few more from the week.....

Saturday 20th Jan. NEED TO HIT THE ROAD! Not been on a road trip for a while….so decided to drive up the west coast, well, actually we took the Emirates road up to the border with Oman at Ras Al Khaimah and turned round. We worked our way back along the coast road and found a lovely natural beach with turquoise sea and mountains in the distance. And did you know that Sand beach is useful for swimming??!!!!
The geologist in me tried to convert my peers into rock loving…….i managed to get them to look at the pebbles in detail, but something tells me they were looking at them because they had pretty white strips running through them! The walk along the beach was soooo warm…the sea even felt like it might be warming up a tad!!! Had a few drive bys by the locals who were obviously curious at our afternoon stroll, and saw a few guys playing cricket on the beach!. Jumped back in the car and headed to Dubai! And Sharjar doesn’t get any easier to navigate! NO SIGNS, it is a maze…we really don’t know how we got out of there but CJD is the queen at making up her own additional lanes when we are stuck in traffic!!!! It worked…we weaved our way into Dubai and headed to Karama….Perusing the junk and fake goods, again we were greeted by ADSA price and a new one for our visit……….’Cheaper than Primark” honestly I nearly showered him in pepsi it made me laugh so much!!!

It is now that the true extent of the obsession we have for the Mosque alarm clock becomes evident. Can every one guess what their pressie is gonna be!!!! they are ACE! cant even begin to imagine how loud all 19 would have been if we had had enough batteries!!!

Friday 19th Jan. OH THE PAIN! Like nothing I have experienced before! Lets just say we all got up later than planned, and as predicted…..NO WAY was I or CJD leaving the flat in the morning. CJD rose for a bit and then went back to bed………We had to work through it so while the girls were swimming and zipping down water shoots, we cleaned the windows and the BALCONY!!!!!!!! Ask CJD about the balcony!!!!!!! :-)
Later that evening I went with F&R to Ski Dubai in the Mall of the Emirates….was dead nervous, haven’t been on ski’s for about 2 years……F&R were really patient with me….they were ace on the slope! And their coaching really helped my confidence! CHEERS GIRLS!
They didn’t fall over but I did, several times!!! It was sooooo much fun, even the falling over! The blurr in one of the photos........well that would be me.....OUT OF CONTROL yet again!!!!

MMMmmm must remember NOT to point the ski's straight down the slope hahahahahaha

We had a 2 hour pass (which didn’t start until you used the lift for the first time), and besides the Kamikaze nutters who really didn’t know what they were doing and were lucky not to wipe people out, it was a fantastic evening. Definitely going to do that again!

The best bit for Souvenir purposes we bought a fleecy Ski Dubai Hat and gloves!!!!!

Update: for days my shoulders and shins have been killing!!!

Thursday…….this deserves its own post!
Work and exploring as normal….Work had an annual party so I organized for F&R to go on the Desert Safari after they spent the morning shopping at Ibn Battuta Mall, witnessing a fire on one of the construction sites on the way back!…….and then meet us at a choice establishment later in the evening. Had a really nice evening on the grass between the Jumeirah beach hotel and the Burj Al Arab. Drinks and a buffet Chinese/barbeque. A really great spread!
After speeches and food (around 11pm) we decided to recruit a few guys from the office and move on to our favourite Haunt! JIMMY DIX! Text F&R to meet us and the night truly began!
When we arrived the place was a little empty, but the band came on and gradually the place filled……a few drinks including sambuca was an indication of where this night was going……especially when we started flaming the drink…….in the mouth (R you are a bad influence!!!). The second set saw me march down to the dance floor! I love the place!!!! The group came to join in and much dancing, singing and laughing saw 3am arrive faster than we expected! 6 of us bundled into a taxi (just wouldn’t happen in the UK) and we staggered to our rooms………the night was not complete without CJD demonstrating her party trick with a cocktail stick (she still has the wound today (Sunday)) DISCLAIMER: DO NOT TRY THAT TRICK YOURSELF!!!! you will get injured!. She learnt that one on her way through Russia!
Collapsing into bed around 4am, I knew I wasn’t going to be joining R&F in their trip to Wild Wadi in the morning!!!!!!!!!

Sunday 14th Jan….After the weekend a couple of days at work and two of my friends from back home (Cambs) came out to visit. Thought it easier for them to jump in a cab from the airport!!! Except the taxi driver didn’t really know where the apartments were!!!
Eventually after a few phone calls and building descriptions (you cant really miss the building!!!) they arrived around 2200hrs.
A quick tour of the place, a cuppa char while planning the next day and off to bed for us!.

CJD and I went off to work leaving the visitors to explore……AND EXPLORE THEY DID! Out for hours and walking MILES!!!! I think driving out here has made us really lazy….when we think about how far they explored, we cringe! Saw the Gold Souk and walked to Jumeirah!!!! In the evening it was the traditional Burj al Arab Drive by and visit to the Souk Madinat Jumeirah….very nice little mall with a traditional layout! Had to buy these little cute glass cocktail stirrers all because they had little glass camels on the top!!!
Tuesday, again we went to work and the girls explored other parts of the city, and the evening was reserved for the Global Village. It is a large market divided into areas from around the world………a little disappointing as we were expecting all the areas to have traditional goods from the relavant country and much of it was the equivalent of pound stalls and tat. The GB area was easy to spot with the red phone box and “good ole” red London bus, but about as authentic as a plastic designer handbag!!!! CJD volunteered to put a few hundred lbs of weight on for a novelty photo and we made a dash for the RTA Dubai Metro Stand....well it would be rude not too!!! they had a mock up of a metro train, we just had to have photies!!!
The fairground was interesting….the four of us on a big wheel…….one of us NOT overly comfortable with the experience!!!! Gripping tightly to the central rod not really looking around! But it was a good night out and was finished off with a firework display as we drove away.
Wednesday, again work and sightseeing on offer. Decided to take the girls to the Emirates towers…..fantastic looking buildings……Ate at Scarlets, a pub/restaurant in one of the towers. The food, surroundings and company was fantastic! Just had to finish the evening with a visit to the Vu bar!!!!!! Such a selection of cocktails and it would have been rude not to join the guys in a shooter!!!. Around 11pm decided that as it was a school night we would leave the girls to have another drink and CJD and I would bail out while the going was good…………i.e. we didn’t over do it! F&R forgot their key so i suggested a phone call when they wanted letting in……..My only confession is to F&R……when you phoned me, I thought my alarm clock was going off….switched it off! TWICE…….if you hadn’t rung the door bell, you probably wouldn’t have got in, I was ready to lauch that phone……..my head was not connecting the reason why it was ringing at 01:30…….SOZ!!!!

A few pics of the rest of the day.........the hard rock pic is in there because we thought that maybe, just maybe they would be open for breakfast at 0800..........WRONG! we found a subway instead!

Friday 12 Jan.....our one day off this week........we decided we needed to see camels. More specifically we wanted to see camels running very fast along a race track!

Up before the sun had risen we went to the camel track (not to far from the main horse race course). saw hundreds of dromedaries, waiting to go for a burn around the track! but not a car or spectator in site. undetered we found the entrance to the stand (free entry to camel racing BONUS) and watched as the camels raced by.

Because of the Dubai marathon, the racing had been cancelled, but they still came out to train. they are the funniest thing to watch!!!!! they kind of run like a dog! but are silent. their feet are soft and they dont grunt or make a sound as they pass..........they have these little boxes with arials on their backs which are robot jockies (a law was past to stop children from racing them!!!). a signal is sent by remote contol from a 4x4 that races along side the track!

A few guys were riding, but OH BOY it didnt look like a very comfortable ride!

After about 45mins of watching them train, we decided to try and find somewhere for breakfast and head for Jebal Ali beach. Had a great view of the Burj Dubai (under construction) as we drove away!.

The beach was sparsely populated with 4x4 and locals. the view was of constructing the biggest of the three palms and quite franky, dissappointed we decided to see what the hotel facilities would be like.

The golf course hotel at jebal ali wanted 200DHS for the pleasure of allowing us a spot on the beach, use of the pool and a BBQ for lunch......60 quid for the two of us.....erm......think not!

we went to Al Mamzar for a spot of bathing. The water still V cold!

Shopping and cleaning in the evening as SLW has 2 mates visiting on Sunday.

Couldnt resist....this was taken some time ago....well before christmas.....

we have limited resources in the apartment, and what we do have we put to good use....as you can see....a frying pan is ideal for cooking broccoli!!! well mother did always say you have to eat you greens!!!!

thanks to CJD mum we now have a sharp knife with SOLID blade, a ladel for the soup we are going to make and a sieve!

Come back Mrs D we need more of your chilli and soup!!!!!!

Dont normally post about mid week activities, but...............

CJD took us to Karama last night! What an experience. basically it is the area where tacky gifts and novelty items are purchased!!! not to mention fake goods!!!! You name it and it is there. They are a pleasant bunch of shop owners, inviting you in for a browse, and in one breath reeling off the knock off films you can get on DVD! and even admitting "Genuine Fakes"quite impressive...every thing from t shirts to trousers, bags and purses to watches....not seen anything quite like it. Worth a browse if nothing else. The funniest thing by far is the glimse of ADSA supermarket plastic bags in the shop window......WHY? i hear you ask....well, they have heard of ASDA price...and yes that is the latest fashionable saying...."i'll give you Asda Price" not content at chanting that at you as you perambulate past, they have Asda Price on signs everywhere....photos will follow when i take my camera back....seeing is believing!

I couldnt resist tho..............I bought a mosque alarm clock.....the same as the one in the lonely planet best of dubai book......and it is equally as loud as carolyns!!! not bad for 10 DHS! hahahahaha going to set them both!!!! see what a noise we can make!!

i think you will agree they are most tasteful!!!!

Note the Troll makes an appearance....still here, and travelling around with us. the bear is DXB......anyone worked it out yet?

I also attach more pics of the Burj trip, Because it was AMAZING!