Happy Valentine's Day

Agghhh…another Monday in the UAE and I’m late with my blog again. The weekends are wearing me out and I have no energy to write for a couple days!!!!

Last week was fairly uneventful (aren’t you all so proud of me for not going out during the week? I realize its making my blog considerably less interesting but you are all just gonna have to live with that!).

Sunday I had my phone date with Julie and it was great to catch up via phone. Sometimes email, bbms and texts just don’t cut it, especially trying to explain 6 weeks of time!

Monday I hit the gym at my place and then Tuesday and Wednesday went with Liana to her gym for Body Pump and Body Kombat, respectively. Pump was fine although we tend to hang in the back and I can never a. hear what they’re saying or b. understand the insane Kiwi accents! Oh…there was this one guy in pump wearing the shortest shorts ever….like literally…his balls were pretty much hanging out and he was rocking a child molester stache so it was quite distracting, especially when he was doing lunges. Thankfully I was next to him so could often avoid looking at him but poor Liana was behind him!!! Wednesday we did Kombat which turned out to be Ladies Only and a bit of a mistake (although quite comical). There were only like 8 women doing it and 5 of them were lost and or really out of shape. This one chick in front of me was wearing this pink juicy outfit type deal (ie: not gym wear) and honestly looked like cooked spaghetti was dropped on the floor. She had zero muscle or coordination and her body just seemed to flail around. She was never facing the right direction either. Everytime I looked over I had to hold back laughter. Anyway..we finished the class but the intensity level was just not there…..although…my arms/back/shoulders were very sore on Thursday from all the punching so I guess it did do something.

So I packed up on Thursday night and Liana swung by to pick me up (cuz she is the best) Thursday morning and then drop me at my actual job as I had a meeting with the Middle East tax leader. Did Starbucks and then headed back to work. Last week actually went by pretty fast..the fastest since I’ve been back this year I think so that was nice. We did our traditional Thursday long lunch at Jones and then finished up the day. We left straight from work for Dubai as the Mike Posner/N.E.R.D. concert was set to start kind of early. Tickets said doors opened at 6 and show at 8. Now any other day in the UAE, this means that the show will start at 10 or so. Seriously, I have yet to go to ANYTHING that starts on time even though I’ve ALWAYS been on time. Well traffic sucked getting to Dubai and my dumba** forgot to print out directions so we got to Dubai and were a little lost. I did google it though and the google map had it placed on the wrong side of the main highway in Dubai so not entirely my fault. At any rate, we found it and got checked in, ordered food and wine and were waiting for Alice who left work a bit after us. We planned to get to concert around 9 but didn’t end up there til 10 and what do you know…they started on TIME. Like legitimately at 8pm…on a Thursday…in the UAE. So we missed Mike Posner completely and only got to see about half of N.E.R.D. Thankfully some of the songs we really liked fell in this half and they were very good but still it was very frustrating to have gone all the way up there, rushed around, and the only time we’ve ever gone late to have them start on time.

So the concert ended about 10:40 and then there were no cabs. Brilliant Dubai, brilliant. The venue was right near a mall so we walked over there and called a cab. When he finally shows and we get in we tell him Chi nightclub….he claims to have no idea where this is…but starts to drive…and what do you know, we end up at Chi. Ugh I hate cab drivers here. Oh that reminds me…I had an incident with one earlier in the week. My driver is out on vacation (he’s actually getting married today!) so I’ve been doing cabs in the morning. Well this guy starts going the complete wrong way and I’m like what are you doing? He says he’s avoiding traffic and going another way. Okay fine…I thought I knew which way he was gonna go and it may have been faster if traffic was really bad. But no…he goes all the way around the d*mn island, I’m getting more pissed by the second, the clock is ticking and the meter is running. At one point I didn’t know if he was even taking me to where I work!!! Anyway, finally make it, way longer than normal commute and twice the fair. So I throw the money at him and go “don’t ever f***ing go that way again”. Liana was very proud when I told her. Said I’m really becoming a proper expat. Ha.

So anyway Chi…we get there fairly early and make our way around the club..pretty big place, lots of different rooms so we of course ended up in the hip hop room. Had some drinks, did a ton of dancing and overall had a great night but I was exhausted and couldn’t wait to get in bed! Met a pimp and a pirate. The pimp was an idiot. Wearing this like Satin or pleather or some weird fabric white suit. Liana went to talk to him to find out if he was a real pimp and ended up getting us invited to their table so we went for the free booze. At this point I had stopped drinking so when I was sitting on the couch, the pimp came and sat down next to me and thought it would be fun to show me all the pictures of himself on his blackberry. Umm….what is wrong with you? I can see you; you are sitting right next to me. Why do you feel the need to show me 8 different photos of you and zoom in on them all? Liana was floating around the dance floor and I was in major need of saving!!! He apparently didn’t get my, I am 100% not interested in anything you have to say look and was all, you girls are coming out with us after this. Ummm..no. No we’re not. So when Liana came back over the guy she had been dance battling with earlier from the same crowd had decided it would be fun to wrap the scarf that at one point was around his neck and then on his waist, around his head in true pirate fashion. She was standing behind him throwing up a eye patch with her hand. Lol. At least it’s something to laugh about right?

Friday was pretty chill..spent the day at the pool and then moved hotels to the Fairmont since Liana had a free night she had to use prior to the end of February. Did dinner and Barasti (a club we’ve been to before for Rugby 7’s week) which was nice although a little chilly (as its mostly outdoors on the beach). Yes, the past two weeks have been legitimately chilly here. Like, sitting outside you want to be in pants and sleeves and are likely still shivering. Now if you came straight over from NYC would you think I was crazy, possibly…but it hasn’t been 80’s all day….has been getting in the 60’s almost every night. Saturday did some shopping and then headed back to Abu Dhabi to chill out and get to bed early.

Yesterday was a decent day at work…neither Li nor I had the energy to go to the gym but forced each other to go do Pump. They decided it would be fun to do to all love songs in honor of Valentine’s Day. Oh great idea guys. Ha. They did pick some decent upbeat love songs so I guess I’ll let it slide. It was a later pump class yesterday so we were able to go and do some cardio beforehand (usually its reverse) which was really nice cuz I am not sore today. Wooohooo! I’m either getting my a** back in shape or I half a**ed my work out! I’ll go with the former . Went to Lulu’s (grocery store) on the way home to stock up on my essentials, diet coke, cheese and cereal. Went with Cookie Crisp, Life and Golden Grahams this time. Ohhh..they also had Kraft mac!!!! SCORE!!! Unfortunately no shells and cheese, but the Scooby Doo I got will suffice.

Today is Valentine’s Day…Happy V-Day to all! Liana, Alice and I were going to do a girls dinner but 1. We don’t want to deal with all the couples and the crowded restaurants and 2. Sundown marks the start of a UAE holiday which means booze are banned completely so I made the executive decision that we were moving our dinner to tomorrow! Tonight Li and I are hitting the gym and then I plan on going home, making Scooby Doo and drinking my way through a bottle of pinot noir while watching stupid movies and playing on the computer.

It’s a short week, we have Thursday off in honor of the holiday so it is officially half way over. Wohooo!

Oh….this week the client asked my company if they could extend my time here for 2 months (they wanted to do 3 but that would take me through July and I have too much going on in the states in July) so we’ll see what the answer is. My guess is its going to happen which will be cool cuz I don’t think I’ll be quite ready to leave in early May but don’t want to stay forever. Plus I’ll dip out in June before it gets insanely hot here and the summer will be in full swing at home. We shall see what happens.

Also...this is completely random but I realized this week how many homonyms there are that are used everyday. Their/There/they're, hear/here, know/no, too/to, where/wear.....once I started noticing it the other day I see it all the time now. Why must the English language be so difficult that you actually have to think about which way to spell a word as you sound it out? Just thought I'd share. You're welcome :)

Annnndddd....I am finally getting my blackberry shipped over! I ordered it on January 12...it is February 14th and is being mailed to me from the states today. Ridiculous The worst part is that it extends my time to get a new one by that much longer. But I'm exited to get it..then I might actually get a local phone number and use my old BB for that!!!