Strange thing happend since I am in Dubai. The initial purpose why I setup this blog was to keep friends and family updated, so they can follow what where when why. Since I am in Dubai, where it would acutaly make sense, I have kind of lost enthusiasm to udpate this site. Why? Too busy, too lazy or is Dubai so boring that it gives to little inspiration to write about? There are actualy millions of things to write about, but who cares about the tallest tower, the biggest man made island, the stinkiest fart, the uggliest person, the i-dont-know what record braking bullshit they next come up with????
We are now exactly two month. (for the historic record keeping book: arrived April 2, 2008 at approx. 8 AM
things I like…
- Having dinner and drinks, smoking cigars with some of the other expat friends.
- My job and the people I work with is very interesting and worth being here for.
- My new car – funny, I was never a car enthusiast, but I am very happy with it. (bought it from my boss!)
- The Madinat Jumeirah hotel, with its bars, terraces, restaurants, views. A great place to hang out for a drink.
- When people from elsewhere visit, i.e. Kevin and Manuel last month. – Thanks, was fun.
- My flat is quite decent, the curiosity shelf we installed is superb…
- Swimming in the ocean.
- The dessert seem to be a quite interseting place and I will explore more of it!
and hate…
- Coming from London and in general from western Europe, the city completely lacks a center with cafes, small corner shops, ambiance, street life and buzz, where you just go for a walk. – The pendant to that would be a shopping mall.
- Shopping food is a big fucking disaster. (and shopping food and cooking is one of my biggest passions, so basicaly I am screwed…) Again, compare it to London, New York, Zurich, any decent, civiliced and 21st century city where you can choose from a multitued of speciality shops, from the Fromagerie, the small butchers, the bakeries and delies, the vegetable stalls etc. – here you can choose between a handfull of massive supermarkets. (Carefour, Geant, Spinneys and a few third world supermarkets)
- You have to drive everywhere. No public transport. Some should not be allowed driving on the streets… (you know who I mean..)
- Everywhere you look there is massive construction going on.
- The prospect of having to move into company accomodation which is currently being built in Jumeirah Village South, wherever that is…but I let’s cross that bridge once we are there!
and what we havent explored yet….
- The old part of Dubai. (we live close to Marina, basically the all new Dubai which was built in the last 10 years)
- Places, cities and countries around the Dubai and the UAE.
- that’s it??!!
It will be interesting to compare today’s thoughts of Dubai against the ones I will try to write up in 6 – 9 month time. By then, we will love it and end up another 7 years here, like many many other expat I know… there must be something magic about Dubai which greenhorns like us still have to discover. Ahh, and it seems that money can be made here quite well.
Cheerio.
Interesting conversation tonight, at the pub, some pints of Stella after a long day of interviews and recruitment. The hotel opening is getting serious business, people start to get tense and in modus operandi panic. High pressure, expectations, exposure, people from everywhere get involved, know everything, have an opinion. This is very good and helpful.
