I'm Back...Back in the USSR - i mean UAE!!!

Above - Our villa.
Above - Taking sheesha with workmate and his wife.

Above - Tennis courts at village.

Above - Pool at Villa.

Above - Welcome home Dad!! Best feeling in the world.

G'day, (mmm, feels good saying / writing that).

It's been a few weeks since my last post, but as most would probably know, it's official, we're off to the UAE for a year.

Things finally came to head in the last 2 days of my initial stint, and agreements were put into place and signed off, meaning i was committing to a one year deal to move the family to the UAE. Funny thing about all of this is that my last week in the UAE was one of my worst, with so many frustrations and difficult people to deal with, it would have been very easy to walk away from the whole thing then and there. Ive been very conscious of the big picture though, and lets be frank...these opportunities don't come by every day, and this, in the worst case, is a great chance to have the whole family experience something so different from home (not better in my opinion, but different), and this experience will hopefully really broaden the kids minds and attitudes to the world and what we have back home. It has certainly done that for me over the last 3 months.

So anyway, my last week included silly hours again, dumping my existing luggage at someones house so i could travel back with empty cases, for the return reload and as usual the long flight back home. Time couldn't go faster enough for me, i was so amped to see the kids and FS.

The customs officers must have seen my excitement, and i got the speedy checks and scans and then straight through to the arrivals section. B1 saw me first and bolted under the restraining ropes to grab me for a huge cuddle. I was then crashed tackled by B2 and B3!! what a feeling, it was so good to hold the boys. Other than a couple of "daddy" screams, none of us really even talked for the first minute, just cuddled. With the other passengers cuing up behind us, we moved done the walkway...for a second i thought i saw Rebecca Harris (TV host of Hello:Goodbye, she'd have done a great show with us!!ha ha) As i came to the end of the walkway, i saw B4. He was standing, had lovely blonde hair( i now offically have the least amount of hair in my tribe) and took 2 or 3 wobbly steps towards me. Of all the boys, he had changed the most. With B1,2,3 on my back i picked up B4, and whilst my little dady's boy was a bit shy(showing his anger at me for leaving him for so long i think) for about 3 seconds, he then latched on really tightly, (and didn't let go until i flew out a week later). I now had B1,2,3,&4 hanging off me and FS was now coming in for the long overdue hugs and kisses. How good is this!!

Nothing beats the feeling of coming home, doesn't matter whether it's been a 3 month stint, a week or even just a day at the office!

So i was at home for a week, and besides the long awaited catch ups with FS, we had to organise moving out of our house, transferring all our utilities, post, etc, moving the boys out of school, including transfer letters, meeting with teachers, holding a garage sale, transporting stuff to Vinnies, tip runs, engaging real estate agents for renting the house, catching-up with other family and friends, convincing my directors that all was cool, meeting another work fella to design a new system to take back with me, having dad in hospital for surgery, moving in with the in-laws for a couple of days and generally getting over some severe jet lag. Yes, a full week for all.

Someone once told me that jet lag sits somewhere in the brain next to depression or one of it's close relatives like anxiety. I can't argue, I've been very nervous about the whole move, (especially once i had returned to Aust), particularly with the family involved. It almost seems ludicrous to leave the nth beaches of Sydney, a great job, house, schools and family and friends to move to the desert where temps get up to 50 degrees, we know basically no-one, work six days /week, for a job fraught with hassles. Writing it sounds even more ludicrous.

BUT, even with all of this, i just have to refer to the top paragraph of this blogg and remember that as long as we are all together, this is a great opportunity to experience the world, learn a tonne of stuff, make new friends from around the world, do some travelling, maybe make a bit of money (i think FS's itinerary has already had this spent though). i mean, why does any Aussie travel? Because we're an intrigued people and eager to learn and see more about the world. I've said it a lot lately to myself, "nothing beats home, but home will always be there".

Anyway, I'm now back in the UAE, while FS and boys travel to Queensland for a holiday. They'll all be here in 2 weeks and i can't wait to start our adventure together!!

What's News?

Above - Site meeting in the middle of the desert.

Above - Al Ain Sports stadium.

Above - Despite 60 minutes report, not everyone in the UAE lives in luxury. this house was about 1.5metres tall smack bang in the middle of the desert. the guy living here is a pump operator at one of the wells.

Above - Danger!!, watch out for loose camels, looks like this guy is taking them out for a walk.

Above - Al Ain score a penalty and the local team crowd are stoked!

Above - Better behave or you'll be blasted by this over sized water cannon used for crowd control.

Above - Would you like a tea while you watch the game Mr.?

Never a dull moment in the UAE....well perhaps not, but many a day feels like 'ground-hog-day", so i guess if you're first day wasn't dull, neither will be the next.

FS called to say there had been a 60 minutes report abut living in the UAE, particularly Dubai. I have not seen the report obviously, but can assure you, that unless you love sitting in traffic 2-3 hours a day and also want a frantic pace to you're life, Dubai is not so fantastic, but the UAE as a whole is a great place to come a visit and although i have only been here a couple of months, i think it would be a great place to live for a couple of years too.

I have said it before and will say it again. Given the option, i would live and work in Al Ain any day over Dubai. The money is the same, the cost of living is half and there is a real community atmosphere. It is kind of like the Plateau at home, only on a massive scale, without the beaches, double the temperature, people drive at 140km, no retirement village, it is flat as a tack, and unfortunately there are bugger all chicks walking around in bikinis or the 'special ones' from Southy beach. So really, it is nothing like home, is it?

Quick shout out to some good friends with new additions to their tribes. Sean and Gemma and Shane and Karen...well done to all.

My departure from the UAE, has been postponed by a week due to an excessive workload and list of priorities that arrived this week. I started a new role here for the third time. the rest of the term felt like a holiday compared to this one and i am very tired from all of the hours up to date. So I was gutted with the delay!! I went from a 4 day count down to an 11 day count down! Any way it is down to 8 now, and i can't wait. Things are looking positive to sign up for a longer term gig, but the number one rule i have learnt here...action speaks louder than words, and until i have a signed contract, and etickets in my hand and the deposit paid on the villa, it isn't a done deal. things can take 6 months to organise and agree upon here, and then just as they are...there is another change.

Went t the soccer (football) last week. Al Ain were playing ??? in the President's Cup at the the Al Ain Sports Stadium. Walked ion the gates (entry is free), past the huge water cannon trucks and armed police and security, (it looks like someone travelled to Europe and said"i want one of those and one of those and a that". Why they would need these i don't know, although the Arabs are very passionate about their Footy. Anyway, because i am a blue eyes, i was ushered to the VIP section (the important Sheiks and Arabs go to the VVIP section). We sat in a beautiful stadium, saw the pre-game fireworks, were served free drinks all night including tea (no alchol obviously), and then at half time i followed the crowd inside the stadium area for a free hot dinner and drinks and desert. Brooky Oval would have been mayhem at the thought of a free pie, let alone a smorgasbord of cakes, springrolls and other assorted goodies, but these guys were all calm and civil and there was plenty to go around. Anyway, Al Ain won on a penalty shot.

Nothing else too new to talk about, although it is getting hotter here now. My Arabic is much better, but it still takes plenty of hand gesturing and the like to get through to some of my team. I feel comfortable enough to break out into some impromptu singing every now and then (as anyone from work would testify, this can be often and sounds great!!) (the bouncers and other patrons from the local R'ry may disagree though).

Maah as salaama Habibis