Sunday 4 January 2015

Week One - Project 365, FMSPHOTOADAY Snap Happy Britmums. One Daily Positive.

It's been a rough few weeks as we relocate from South Africa to Dubai, there have been more things going wrong than right. I started to blog about all the issues but it dragged me down too much.

My Facebook feed has been a mess, my whatsapp group are picking up the pieces and twitter has just really been pretty much left alone for a while.

I decided what I needed to do was to focus on the positives and look for the fun stuff in life.

I feel I've taken on way too much in regards to lining all these community groups and projects online, but it was what saved me when we moved to South Africa in 2011. Unfortunately I'm no longer contributing to these groups, it seems I moved on and there was no longer a place for me there.

This week started with me screaming at the builder at our new house and yelling at the landlady and sending endless emails to the HR department and Expat relocation firm firm hired to sort out our visas and the repairs and cleaning to the house.

I'm so tired, 2 weeks of being polite and civil got me absolutely nowhere. I felt better for yelling and then I stepped back and started to relax, enjoy Dubai and chill out a little, the work is now being done, but the timescale we were promised is out the window and instead of being in our new home with our furniture it will be another 2-3 weeks of living in a hotel.


I'm now looking forward to spending the day chilling out and relaxing, wandering around Dubai Mall, snapping at things with my new Nikon camera and this evening will select my favourite picture for #MySundayPhoto

My daily positives this week amongst all the hassles and the photo challenges were
Day 1

This is the view from my front doorstep, it is worth the effort with the landlady and builders to be able to see this every time I step out my front door. #sky #one Burg Khalifia
Day 2

After 4 years in South Africa, it is such a pleasure to be able to use public transport in Dubai, when we moved to South Africa I was housebound until we could sort out bank accounts and loans etc to be able to buy a car, so to be out and about at this stage of the relocation is wonderful #yellow #nature

Day 3

There is very little colour in Dubai, everything is beige, of course there are flowers and trees here, but they require a lot of effort and water to encourage them to flower. The positive today was to be able to take a walk from the hotel to the marina without fear. #metoday #colourful

Day 4

Ok so im cheating here, the themes were #IHear and #Metoday this was taken today outside our villa, the sound of the mosque is something beautiful to be heard even if it is a little flat and out of tune. My positive today is the shouting was worth it, the carpenter is there and the work is finally getting done

34 comments:

  1. Glad to hear there's been some progress! It must be nice to have the freedom you didn't have in South Africa. I look forward to reading more about your new life.

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    1. carpenter let us down, he arrived, tutted, sucked air through his teeth and left to buy material, he didn't come back

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  2. Glad that progress is being made. Must be such a different culture to the one you left behind in South Africa and very different to hear too.

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    1. south africa is a very religious country also, it's hard to know what the culture is here though as there are so many

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  3. What a lovely views.
    I'm sure it will all quieten down soon and you will be settled quickly.

    What a wonderful adventure

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    1. thank you, just waiting on news of the visas so our container can clear customs

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  4. It sounds like your year has started with more than it's fair share of challenges, but it does look like it will be worth it. I hop the project helps :)

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    1. so far its very good, searching for the positives has become a family thing

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  5. Wow, that's some relocation! I hope things start to get better soon and you enjoy it there! I love yellow buses! Lol!

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    1. i will say apart from the school buses, this is the only other yellow one i've seen

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  6. WOW, you are very brave moving countries although the two places you have lived are top of my bucket list to visit! Hope you feel settled very soon xx

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  7. That is a lovely view in the first photo. I hope everything is sorted for you soon xx

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    1. there is a lovely view wherever i look here, its difficult to pick my favourite

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  8. I'm sorry to hear that things haven't gone to plan. It looks like it will all be worth it in the end though. It looks like a lovely place to live.

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    1. even better we're only a 10 minute walk from the beach

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  9. A few hassles now but think of the fabulous adventure you are starting out on. Some lovely views and I hope things get settled for you soon

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    1. it was the same when we moved to South Africa, you'd think I'd be better prepared this time

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  10. Wow, lots going on for you. Sorry to hear it's all been a tad manic and stressful. Here's to progress and finding the positives.
    You may be interested in my friend's group on FB, Embrace Happy. It's a lovely supportive group all about finding the positives in your day (moto: Not every day is good, but there is good in every day). There's also an Embrace Happy website. :) x

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  11. Goodness me, how stressful! I really hope that you get this sorted soon. Looks like a beautiful place you've found yourselves in though. Here's to a happy and healthy 2015! x

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  12. You have learned such a lot about relocation over the last few years. No matter how organised, it is always fraught with emotion. I hope you will be very happy in Dubai and make new friends and be valued for who you are x.

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  13. Aaaah moving to another country is just so stressful! Hope things are sorted out soon and you can settle into your new home :)

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    1. just got to get visas and clear customs and we're good to go

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  14. Having relocated from the UK to the US I can understand the frustrations, however organised you think you are, there is always something! Love how you're combining the photo challenges together here :) One of my goals for January was to finally start joining in with #fmsphotoaday and #snaphappybritmums, but I'm just doing them on IG at the moment... Suspect there will be crossover at some point! Love the photo with the bus xx

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    1. its certainly a challenge this moving lark and I'm thinking now that taking on all these challenges on here is probably going to end up causing me stress also, but I'm determined to finish it, I'm enjoying searching for photos and opportunities

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  15. Oh I hope things start to run a bit more smoothly soon xx

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    1. thanks, as a rule when it gets to this stage it means we're at the end

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  16. I am really pleased to see you're taking part in this project, I really enjoy everyone's projects but seeing life abroad is enticing and refreshing. For me it will be interesting because of having visited Dubai twice. You're very right about the beigeness; everything is blue sky and sand/beige colour. Although I do remember murky skies when the sand has whipped up. I hope your housing situation is sorted out soon so you can settle down.

    Thanks for linking up to Project 365.

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    1. thanks for your comment, it really helped last month finding a social media project to join in with, gave me a focus and a purpose, however with the last group i joined once i started to move on they weren't interested anymore, they just wanted somewhere to moan about how bad their lives were and it was supposed to be a motivation group....lol

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