Random fun and discoveries in July

 I made a nail bar for my granddaughter

I bought some material from the markets in Birmingham. Unfortunately they also sell fish in the markets and on the way home on the train there was a funny smell of ... fish.

Four way traffic lights outside our house and the zebra crossing no longer works. There's now a traffic light controlled crossing 20 yards away to the right, but no one uses any of it out of school hours.

A year of celebrating Ozzy in Birmingham.

Broad Street in Birmingham

Gifts from son and his girlfriend in Australia brightened up the start of my week.

Hoem grown raspberries and yummy puddings.

BBQs and random foods on my plate and a sun umbrella that puts the washing in shade in the afternoon, that is if we hung any washing out as the paddling pool was taking its turn on the line.

The garden is reminding me of the long summers of South Africa and the winters of Dubai, just being able to set everything up and sit outdoors without having to sweep up sand or bring everything in due to rain. Long may it last. 

Even the wildlife is large and feels adventurous.

This tree and scenery reminds me of game drives in Reitvlei, but it's Croome Park.

I found this picture of my gran and granddad taken around the mid to late 60's My gran would've been in her mid 50's around the age I am now 55. I can't imagine what my gran would think of me now at 55 running marathons and sporting blue hair. Although she was used to me dying my hair random colours.

Differences between Dubai and the UK as an expat

There are 4 main differences I've noticed this week on my UK visit between Dubai and the UK and have reached the conclusion that no where is perfect.

Weather. 
It's winter in both countries now but the differences are huge. I can't get over how cold the water runs from the taps in the UK, even in summer just cleaning my teeth is sensitive and I swear it takes longer for the kettle to boil and food to cook and I defiantly couldn't dry clothes and when mopping the floor it seemed to take forever to dry.

I had no idea how to manage the central heating system. In Dubai you have instant cold air when it gets too hot. In the UK it takes forever to warm the house up.

Dubai - I can't cool down in summer without the air conditioning. I have to spray the car windows from the water bottle to remove the sand. The sea and tap water run at 36c+. It's impossible to have a cool shower.

From the outdoor tap June 2015.

UK - It takes ages to warm up in the UK, but I can do it with extra clothing and keeping active without the need for putting the heating on. It's not pleasant, but it is doable. I have to sit in a freezing car, pressing various alien buttons to defrost the windows and had to buy deicer and a window scraper to see out.

Driving.
Both countries have their own style of driving, after 5 years in Dubai I automatically drive in both countries on opposite sides of the roads. I guess it's like learning a second language, it just becomes natural as you switch from country to country.

Dubai
We have 16 lane highways, they are permanently congested, there is little lane discipline and indicators are rarely used. Parking spaces are huge as are most of the vehicles here. To get across busy junctions you have to drive by and do a U turn rather than trying to cross busy intersections. New roads just pop up over night.

Two years ago we drove across the desert to take a short cut to our house, we now have this.

UK
Lanes are narrower and just as congested. Everything is in mph and I often wonder why it takes me twice as long to reach my destination, then I realise I've automatically assumed the signs are in kms per hour. I don't get confused with the speed limits as the vehicles for each country are in the correct format. Parking spaces are also narrow and far less available. I have to remember to put my own fuel in the car and go and pay.

Shopping.
I constantly think in Dirhams and convert all the time. I'm constantly surprised by UK prices as I haven't lived here for 9 years. It's all more expensive than I remember, but like I said it's been 9 years.

Dubai
On walking into any store you are greeted and asked if you require assistance, even if you say no, you are followed around, goods taken to the till and automatically packed. I don't do online shopping in Dubai as I find delivery times are too wide and someone has to be at home to receive the goods. Most people have live in maids, we don't and I've often waited from 8am for a delivery that's arrived at 8pm.

UK
Most small independent shops I walk into no one ever speaks. Trying to find an assistant in a supermarket or large store for help is almost impossible. Shopping online is easier, parcels will be left with neighbours or you can collect post the following day from the post office and it's easy online to rearrange a delivery.I do prefer wandering around the towns in the open air rather than be inside a mall all day although the views from the coffee shops differ greatly.

Monmouth

Dubai

Getting things done.
It's just as frustrating in both countries.

Dubai
It is easier to visit a branch, store to make a complaint or resolve an issue than it is to phone or email. We don't have street post delivery and the post can only be collected by Peter from his office, so if he is away I'm unable to enter the Freezone to find if anything has been delivered. All voice over internet is blocked in Dubai other than using an app which is expensive and uses up your mobile data as well as a monthly fee. It can take up to 6 weeks for post to reach both Dubai and the UK.

UK
To set up utilities I was on hold with nearly every phone call for 20+ minutes before I was then transferred to the correct department. All emails sent stated a response in 2-3 days or even up to 2 weeks.

Dubai or the UK?

Well from next month I'll have the best of both worlds with a home in 2 countries. I found winter in the UK to be as unpleasant as summer is in Dubai. While my main residence will be in the UK I still ahve the advantage of making regular trips to Dubai in winter and have the best of both worlds.

In regards to getting things done, I'll just have to keep switching between my Dubai and UK brain, as I do when I'm driving and hopefully it will all become 2nd nature to me quite quickly.

Our Garden in Dubai this month. March 2019

We've had endless rain and wind and with it comes sand. Sand, everywhere, everyday that has to be swept up or it starts to take over the house.

The front balcony, closed now till next winter, but it will have random clean ups.

The balcony off the bedroom.

Daily sweeping of the sand.

Front door

Sand seeping in through the doors and windows.

Hose pipe to clean bedroom balcony then the patio has to be cleaned afterwards.

And then it rained the following day.

The sand carried in the rain sticks to everything like concrete.

A nice few dry, not too hot and free from wind days to do some gardening.

Lawn reseeded.

Outdoor plants thriving.

And then finally no more rain, no more wind and the garden is set up and operational. 

The only downside, it's now 36c and too hot to be sitting outside during the day.

The rest of the month is looking better and there is always the evenings, after sunset. I'll just have to light some citronella candles to ward off the mosquitos. 

The balconies will have to wait till next week.

One Daily Positive - Week 12 More rain and some stunning views

It's heating up here in Dubai, not all sunshine though a couple of cloudy days and it's windy so the sand is blowing around.

Been spending as much time as a can outdoors, but in the shade after getting badly sunburnt on my back when I was doing some gardening.

We've been eating a lot more fish recently and I've been experimenting with different flavours and methods of cooking.

Blood tests show my iron levels are still stable, but my haemoglobin has dropped and I'm in danger of needing a blood transfusion by Sunday if it doesn't sort itself out and I'm now anaemic. Been headachy, body aching, very tired and getting confused easily.

76 Sunday Dentist for a 3D scan ready for bone grafts and dental implant posts next week, stopped at the hairdressers for a cut and to get my nails done then called in to see a friend for coffee.

77 Monday Back to the Doctors for more blood tests, been feeling very tired again and getting breathless doing simple activities. I think it's my iron levels dropping again. Spent the rest of the day sweeping sand out the house.

Lemon and herb foil wrapped with sweet potato.

78 Tuesday Took Bob to the dog park, met up with a few women for a chat over coffee while the dogs play, then spent the rest of the day gardening. Didn't realise how sunburnt I was until I had a shower before bed.

79 Wednesday Washer water pump on car replaced first thing then off to a friend's house for a walk along the canal and spent the afternoon ironing and catching up with blog commenting. Pub quiz with a friend and dinner out. Peter was out for the evening with colleagues.

80 Thursday Off to the Souk Madinat for the morning for coffee and blogging. Caught up with the washing in the afternoon and ran the hoover round. Cleaned the sand from the balcony and washed the patio down.

81 Friday Peter and I went to the Marina for breakfast, followed by a walk. Back home, I spent the rest of the day in bed while Peter hunted for the building regulations for a loft conversion we had 14 years ago.

82 Saturday Woke up to a thunder storm and heavy rain, I'm fed up cleaning up the sand. Off to the local mall for a coffee and a food shop and a sort out of the cupboard under the stairs.

On the blog this week:

Do your adult kids still need their mum?

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One Daily Positive - Week 8 Dubai to the UK

I arrived back in the UK on Wednesday, it's cold here. Back for around 3 weeks, no return flight booked yet. Have scheduled lots of lovely meet ups with friends and family and hopefully will have lots of down time. The local pub has closed, but other than that not much has changed since I was last here in September.

Rather boring photos this week, but they do sum up what's been going on in my week. You'd be forgiven for thinking Sunday's photo was taken in the UK, but no, it's Dubai wet, windy and on the chilly side.

48 Sunday Dentist again, to have the crown fitted and a new plate adjusted so I don't look like one of the Proclaimers. Called in at a friends, cleaned the garden and balconies (again)

49 Monday Took Peter to the airport. He won't get back until after I leave on Wednesday morning. Met a friend briefly in IKEA, assembled this unit and cleaned upstairs in the house and got the spare room ready for a visitor Peter has over the weekend.

50 Tuesday Took the cat with me and Bob to the dog park, then off to boarding for the next 10 days, as when Peter returns he'll be off again and it's too much of a hassle for him to pick up and drop off again just for 2 nights. Had my nails and eyebrows done on my way home and stopped at the car wash also. I washed all the dog and human bedding, cleaned the litter tray, ironed and cleaned downstairs.

So weird eating my lunch without the cat and dog filling the gap in this photo.

51 Wednesday up at 4am and taxi to the airport. A none eventful flight arriving in the UK around mid day, collected car hire, drove to South Wales, unpacked, went for coffee, topped up my phone and dinner in the pub with a friend.

Fridge stocked with essentials from above friend. Milk, tea bags and chocolate.

52 Thursday Drove to Newport for a food shop, the flat was devoid of everything other than toiletries and cleaning products as it's not been used since October. Batch cooked in the afternoons so I can eat easily after being out for long days with family and friends. Popped into see the Things and fell asleep on the sofa.

Forgot I had to climb a flight of stairs.

53 Friday Picked up child 3 and went to Gloucester to visit child 1, took her for a walk locally then off to the care home offices to demand why I've learnt all this new stuff from the staff yet no one had emailed to say what was going on. It's a constant battle to find stuff out.

54 Saturday Coffee with my nephew and his partner and they announced their pregnancy, around 22-24 weeks and only found out a few days ago. Popped into see child 2 briefly and called in at my old neighbours who I first met in 1994. 25 years just melted away and whilst helping one strip wall paper it felt like time had stood still.

The only photo I took today.

On the blog this week:

A visit to Dubai Miracle Gardens and Butterfly centre

Coming back to the UK and meeting up with friends of 25 years, has made me realise we really don't make friends in the same we as we used to. Do we make real friends anymore?

Photos and plans from around the home this month in Dubai

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