On turning 50

Age has never been an issue to me. I was able to go into pubs and clubs below the legal age and I never had issues buying cigarettes, although alcohol could be harder. I've never dreamt of being older, I've never deluded myself about being younger.

I can't even say that age is the number you feel, it's just the age you are.

Sometimes I feel ancient then I release I'm comparing myself to people half my age, then I feel relatively young and realise I am at least 10+ years younger than a lot of people around me.

I love birthday parties and I love throwing and organising them. The children had a party every year, football in the park, swimming, McDonald's, a disco, etc with their friends, some family and cake. The youngest had his 21st last year in isolation, as soon as I was allowed to, I delivered him a drive thru KFC as we had planned a family gathering and meal.

We never had a wedding party, too much disagreement outside of ourselves as to what we should be doing, so we eloped, a few friends turned up, we went to Pizza Express and had a plain iced cake from Tesco. A small reception was thrown for us afterwards for family.

I organised a huge party for my husbands 50th. A 70's themed party and everyone came in fancy dress. 70's music, disco, foods and games. For his 60th we took over the pub for a meal and drinks with family and friends.

I can remember a couple of birthday parties from when I was a child, mainly from the photos I have, I can't recall if anything happened for my 18th, but for my 21st there was just one or two friends selected by my parents and their friends. My 30th was a none event due to many issues around custody battles but Peter did get a few family and friends round for a BBQ. My 40th passed acknowledged by my parents who flew out to see us and a colleague of Peter's came round with her daughter for Sunday lunch.

So I decided I'd organise my own 50th. A cruise (cancelled due to covid) a BBQ/drinks/friends/garden party (friends wedding rearranged and large groups banned) we have a night in a hotel for the wedding that is going ahead, but the reception is postponed and dinner at a friends. 

I have a bag of banners, balloons and badges I bought for my friends 50th last year in South Africa, that I was unable to travel for due to covid and once I've taken down the 'Happy Retirement and Welcome Home banners that I put up for my husband for his arrival home, I'll be putting my banners up and waiting until we're able to get back to a bit more of a normal and celebrate then.

In the meantime, if you don't celebrate a birthday, does it mean the numbers don't go up?

Can I visit the Burj Al Arab?

The Burj Al Arab is an iconic building in Dubai. It's a dream honeymoon location and if you can afford it, it is a place to visit when you're in Dubai.

Although if you do want to visit, don't expect just to walk up and have a peep inside. With the number of visitors in Dubai every year, it's just not doable and at between £1,200 and £5,200 per night, if you can afford to stay there, you really don't want to be tripping over hoards of tourists.

But fear not you can visit, you just need to have a reservation in one of the many restaurants, can book for sundowners and of course experience one of their afternoon teas. If you're resident in the UAE you can get a discount of £400 at certain times of the year on the smaller suites.

We visited in 2016 for my 45th birthday and Peter treated me to afternoon tea in the Sky View Bar. It costs £125 per person and an additional £20 for a window seat.

Visiting the Sky Bar means you can see the whole of the hotel (minus the Suites). It is beautifully decorated with giant fish tanks alongside the escalators in the entrance lobby, the food and service was wonderful.

It was a bit strange being in the Sky View Bar with people who had travelled from all around the world, celebrating engagements, wedding anniversaries and big birthdays, while we had a clear view of our house, along the beach only 5km away.

It was difficult to choose just 5 photos, but here you go.....enjoy.

Burj Al Arab at night.

Looking back to the entrance foyer.

 1st foor, lift straight ahead.

Looking up.

Sky View Bar.

I have a million and one other photo's of various rooms, decoration, the food and the views. I took advantage of taking as many photos as I could because at these prices it was probably the first and last time I visited.

Week 158 Bluewater Islands and Dubai Eye. Man made island a 210m high Big Wheel
Week 159 Dubai Marina - Reflections
Week 160 Dubai Frame. A window between the Old and New Dubai and a 150m high glass floor.

Week 161 Dubai Marina 3 years apart.

Week 162 Dubai Water Canal Bridge Construction and reconfiguration of roads

Week 163 New Metro Line for Expo 2020
Week 164 Hoover Dam 2002 - 2010
Week 165 Dubai Opera House What a difference a year makes
Week 166 Unfinished buildings. The Pentominium
Week 167 Mixing the old and the new. Coventry Catherdral
Week 168 New Dubai Metro Station 
Week 169 Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa 
Week 170 After the Address fire 
Week 171 The Opus Building
Week 172 District Cooling. Keeping the desert cool.

UAE National Day 44 Celebrations in Dubai

Planning it all has been a little tricky and the logistics of travelling between all the venues has been very time consuming, and although I didn't didn't stay in any one place too long, I've had a lot of fun today.

I started the day by walking to Kite Beach where I stopped for a coffee and took photographs of the flags in the sand.

Next stop was Dubai Marina, via bus and train, and the yacht club to see the boat parade

After a late lunch/early dinner, I travelled home on the tram, train and by taxi to drop off my christmas shopping and headed off to Box Park.

Parking at Box Park was a bit of an issue, but it was worth the visit, beautifully lit up and lots of entertainment for both adults and children alike.

I then finished the evening by driving round to City Walk to watch the firework display. I couldn't find parking anywhere and after a bit of detour, I finally parked and got as far as the main road before the fireworks started. I had another coffee at a pavement cafe and watched the cars drive by, decorated with the UAE flag, tooting their horns and revving their engines. I also observed a local, wearing a white mask, spraying cars with foam, apparently it's a local tradition on UAE day.

I missed the Burj Khalifa lit up with the colours of the flag and tomorrow I'm heading off to The Beach at Jumeriah Beach Residence to watch the firework display and treat myself to dinner in one of the fancy restaurants there.

Week 45 - My Sunday Photo

Celebration day and an early christmas party for some of the 7000 children in Pretoria who will receive a gift from us this year. The whole purpose of my trip to South Africa.

What happens when a celebration day goes wrong?

With a car full of decorations and cakes I headed off one of the santa shoebox celebrations.

A few things happened today that I'm thankful for.

Due to a change of staff and one of our volunteers being overseas they were unaware I was coming today, so the children were not disappointed when I discovered the cartons had not been delivered.

A slight panic and thought that 108 shoe boxes had been stolen but turns out they'd been delivered to another facility some 100km north.

The facility received the boxes last Wednesday, they only have 54 children and were surprised when the boxes turned up they just handed them out to everyone. Their application to receive had not been successful, do I guess all their Christmas happened at once.

It happened because the wrong address was taken off the data base, accidents happen, but what about my 108 children now without a Christmas gift?

Well as it happens a local school had been collecting all year and happen to have 130 care boxes that we can just add clothes too, rearrange the celebration day so the school can come and see where their boxes went and the volunteer who's facility it is will be back in the country and attend the celebration.

Just what do I do with 100+ cakes? 

Shoe box appeal, do you do it?

Shoe boxes for Africa

23/11/2011

Tomorrow I've been invited to take part in the celebration day at the PACSEN facility in Pretoria. Parents of children with special needs.
http://www.firechildren.org/index.asp?child=children

I'm very privileged to be attending a celebration day, where the boxes will be handed out to the children.



October 2011

I always do a shoe box for Africa for Christmas from my children, in total I pack and wrap 5 every year and either drop them off at their school or the local library. And now we live in Africa I thought I should do them here as well. The 5 shoe boxes are in the process of being made up, a bit more shopping to do, drop off point located and we’re away.
This year I’ve also decided to get a little bit more involved and this evening I’ve been to Pretoria for a 90 minute training session to find out what I’ll be doing on ‘drop off’ day, next week. I met a lovely group of women and next Thursday, Friday and Saturday I’ll be at Crawford College where they are expecting nearly 2000 shoe boxes, which all have to be scanned, checked for *unsuitable items, sealed and put in cartons ready for collection.
I will be attending armed with selotape, scissors, string, marker pens, note pad, biros and as many cup cakes as I can bake for the volunteers and some good old reliable PG Tips
But that’s not the end of it, the boxes then have to be delivered and handed over to the various homes, hospitals and groups at a ‘Celebration Day’.
I shall keep you posted.

*unsuitable items
Toys that have political, racial or religious connotations, toy guns, knives (people often put pen knives in for older boys) and any symbols of war such as toy soldiers.
This year they are allowing liquids i.e. shampoos etc but these have to be put into a sealed plastic bag.
Unsuitable foods include chocolate, biscuits and crisps. It’s summer and these food items go off or get crushed as the boxes are moved.

Anything that is removed is replaced with a more suitable item, then the items collected are donated to other organisations. The food items are stored and used at the ‘Celebration Day’

It’s not too late to get involved check out @santashoebox for more information