It was nice to get into Dubai itself yesterday and enjoy a burger and a couple of drinks..... Well Pepsi’s, proper drinks are only served at Western Hotels. Despite the lack of drink it was good fun and not to expensive as the boss paid and he also supplied me with a sim card for my phone so I don’t have to worry now about running up a big bill on my UK phone although it feels a bit wrong to have an iPhone on Pay as you Go which is now topped up with £10 worth of credit.
Whilst out in Dubai I did a little shop in Hyper Panda (dubbed Kung-Fu Panda by me) and brought loo rolls, kitchen roll (Mum will be pleased) and a few other bits. I’m told we have the UAE version of Waitrose (Spinneys) in Ajman so will discover that soon for a full food shop but have fruit, fruit juice, coffee, milk and cold drinks so have enough for now. I have a list of things I need from Ikea to make the flat a little more homely and Western so that’s the plan for later. I’ve also discovered that I have no need for a washing machine or ironing board as most of the guys get a service wash done quite cheaply and they iron it all and return it to you so now point to work too hard.
Once back in Ajman I decided to head out for a beer at one of the beach side hotels although I didn’t see the beach as it was too dark. The Kempinski Beach Hotel was my venue of choice a 10 minute and £2 bus ride away so placed myself in the sports bar and enjoyed a couple of Strongbow’s at £4.50 a pint before heading out to a nice bar in the hotel to use the wi-fi at £6 an hour...... Ouch!! Plus the beer was a little more expensive at £9 a pint but it was nice to be back online feeling normal and all the IT things I set up in the UK work so hopefully when I’m online at home again UK TV won’t be an issue via the MacBook.
First day in the office today as the working week is Sunday - Thursday 5pm-8pm with a weekend shift on a Saturday afternoon which should work well. Coast 103.2 is based around the corner from the flat along with a 4 other stations and some TV stations so I’m kind of hoping it will have a bit of a buzz about it.
I have to take my passport into the office for processing the work visa and I believe the whole process takes up to a month then broadband connections etc can be got although I hope to be able to borrow Paul’s downstairs before then. I had to part with 16 passport photos for various forms so pleased I printed a few at home. I’ve also learnt that the stations that are actually based in Dubai proper leave you to sort your own work visa and find your own accommodation which is not only expense but also a big commitment as you have to sign a tenancy agreement for 12 months so I feel I’m better off here and with work building new accommodation across the road hopefully a little more modern flat will come along before too long.
After work it was time to shop for food and bits for the flat so I walked to a place called Spinneys which is owned by Waitrose and got the essentials for the flat including proper bacon.....!! They have a non muslim section so I took advantage. I also have plenty of things in the freezer so will be able to cook for myself once everything settles down. After the food shop I when with Darren (one of the other new jocks) to Ajman City Centre which is an out of town Mall complete with huge Carrefour which would have been great for food shopping in the future. Before the shop some tea and I had chicken tikka on nan bread which was lovely for £6 including a drink so not that expensive to eat out (although that isn’t the plan always) tonights 2nd shop involved getting stuff for the flat like additional towels, pillows and bedding along with a shower curtain so now my feet stay dry. I also brought some basic kitchen stuff so now have pans to cook in although I did manage to drop the frying pan lid on the tiles so that shattered rather nicely, still on the hunt for some plates and think an Ikea trip might solve that and then I’ll have all the basics in place and it’s just a case of making the flat my own with stuff...... Plus a trip to ‘The Hole In The Wall’ for beers and wine.
More photos here
No comments:
Post a Comment