One Daily Positive - Week 43. Back in Dubai (again)

What I didn't say last week was that I was cleaning the flat within an inch of its life. My insurance company requires I empty the water tanks and turn the electrics off if the flat is left unoccupied for more than 60 days. Fridge freezer defrosted, oven cleaned, all cupboards emptied and cleaned, food taken to mum. All appliance doors left wide open to stop them going mouldy.

294 Sunday Did some more cleaning, cooked a roast at my mums with child 3, visited the Things and went to see a friend in the evening before a quick stop at the pub. Finished packing my case and watched Dr Who.

295 Monday Finished the cleaning, emptied the water tank and met mum and child 3 for a coffee. Left at 3pm, and sat at the airport reading. I prefer to get their early rather than worry about being late.

296 Tuesday Arrived home at 10am, Peter collected me from the airport then went to work, I had a shower and unpacked. The cat and dog were pleased to see me. Slept till 1pm, at 3pm I went out to food shop, get my nails done and walked Bob. I was in bed by 7.30pm, Peter went out to meet a colleague.

297 Wednesday Up early, walked Bob, unpacked my suitcase and had a general tidy round, bed in the afternoon and out for dinner in the evening for pub quiz.

298 Thursday Back to the Dr's for another blood test, met a friend for coffee, my ankle is really hurting now I'm not wearing my winter boots, will ask the Dr to look at it when I go back next week for my results. Looking forward to starting work in the garden on the weekend.

299 Friday It's our 16th wedding anniversary, Peter's turn to have forgotten this year. Had a lazy morning before heading off for brunch 12-4pm at a Japanese restaurant. Spent the evening watching netflix and complaining we ate and drank too much.

300 Saturday We spent the day working in the garden and cleaning the balconies setting it all up for winter use, looking forward to BBQ's and just just chilling outside.

On the blog this week:

Why I'm not frightened of dying, it's survival that scares me

I'm not back in the UK until February, i'll be interested to see how quickly they complete construction projects outside of Dubai

An InLinkz Link-up

My Top 6 Tips for starting a conversation when travelling

Solo travelling is very lonely, the very fact I've used the word solo in the the opening line indicates one is alone, although many people prefer to travel in silence, I'm not one of them. I like to meet people and find out more about where I am visiting and get some insider tips that may not be on offer in the guide books.

When I travel I often have somewhere to stay with people I know. I spend many hours at airports, on planes, trains, buses and on foot. I also stay in B&B's and hotels on my own as I travel through from place to place.

There are plenty of people who like to while (or wile) away the hours with a chat, but how do you know they want to talk?

It may sound relatively simple to start a conversation with someone, a stranger, but it can also be hard work, they may want to sleep, they may not be a sociable person themselves, they may not even speak the same language, but I've whiled away many an hour, in transit, chatting to people I'll never see again and for me it does make a journey a lot more pleasurable and time passes quicker.

People can be suspicious of strangers talking to them, so if you don't succeed the first time, keep trying or you'll end up sitting in silence watching back to back movies or completing puzzles. You'll get a good feeling if someone is interested in chatting or whether they just want to sit/sleep in silence by:

• Making eye contact and smiling, it lets people know you are friendly and approachable.
• Offering to help someone who are struggling with a bag, bay, small child, TV screen on the plane.
• Commenting on something you have in common, such as the waiting, destination, where you're from.
• Commenting on a general topic of current interest, either in the country your flying from or to.
• Asking open questions.
• Responding to what the person says.

Do you have have any other tips on starting a conversation or are one of those people that prefers to sit in silence? 

How else do you pass the time on long journeys?

6 top tips for the travelling expat

According to popular belief, us expats ain’t loaded.

For many expats the annual trip home is not a holiday and certainly not relaxing. There is a lot of pressure on our time to spend time with our loved ones, whilst trying to rest a little and catch up with friends and their families. There just isn’t enough time and something has to suffer, it’s usually the rest and relaxation.

Hubby and I travel alone so we can stretch the visits with the families but have decided it’s not really working for us and with so many family and friends travelling out to see us, we’ve decided to travel together from now on. There will be additional costs involved such as accommodation as it’s impossible for us both to stay with anyone for 2 weeks and we will need to hire a car. To date I’ve been able to borrow my parents car, but as they go down to one car soon, this option will no longer be possible.

I’ve been in the UK on this visit for 7 weeks, sorting out schooling for the youngest child and evicting tenants. Hubby and I are likely to return to the UK in September to settle son into his boarding school and I thought I’d share some of the things we are planning to do on our next visit. (finances permitting)

1.       Spend a night at a hotel on arrival, to sort out sim cards, finances, hire a car, buy phone card. Ensure we have everyone's phone numbers, hire a sat nav.

2.       Stay in accommodation that is accessible for family. They are in Bath, Gloucester, Monmouth, and Leeds. This will be dependent on price

3.       First planned visit is to Sister in laws to collect our post, we use her address for all our correspondence

4.       Visit to the supermarket to stock up on essentials, toiletries, basic food stuff that we find our family don’t stock (personal preference not a complaint)

5.       Let people know where we are staying in advance of our trip, giving them enough notice to make plans to come and visit us or let us know when they are in so we can make plans for travel to them

6.       Spend our final night at the airport, via Sister in Laws house to collect any additional post, return hire car and enjoy the last night and relax

 

Everyone's favourite Aunty

This is a post from last year, all travel now is to see the boys and I'm off again soon, hence the update.

I’m travelling alone again, having left hubby and the boys back in South Africa to sort out evicting our tenants. I hate being away from my family for so long, in fact in 14 years I’ve know my husband this is the longest we have spent apart. Up until we became expats it was him doing all the travelling, but the balance has shifted.

Most of my friends have young children and in the past, almost 3 years their children just see me as either Suzanne or Chickenruby who visits with gifts twice a year from a country far. They’ve forgotten I have children and have no concept of children being anything but like themselves and not teenagers and adults.

When I visit I do a lot of travelling and visiting, it’s easier on my own for family and friends to offer a spare room or let me sleep on their sofa. The concept of me having a husband and children seems to have disappeared and although people do ask about everyone, their relationship is now with just me and not my family as a whole.

I feel like everyone’s single friend, to children I am the ‘favourite’ aunty, for family I am their daughter, sister, mother and to strangers I must appear as a spinster.

I want t-shirts printed for different occasions.

When I’m out on my own it must read ‘married expat with kids, visiting the homeland’

When I’m out with parents ‘I’m not their carer, nor special needs’

When I’m out with friends ‘Don’t forget there is more to my life than just being able to travel’

Do other expats feel the same way? Do you have family and friends, even in the same country and feel this way when you visit?