I offer profound apologies to those that I may have done a disservice to yesterday in my blog by saying that they hadn’t done anything other than to wish me a happy birthday (which they had but that was about it).
Today the cakes arrived ! They should have arrived yesterday apparently but were stuck with someone who was stuck out in one of our desert paradises (because some of her luggage had gone missing !)
So all is forgotten (not that there was a lot to forget !)
I was goaded yesterday into talking about food, mostly on the back of having a full roast beef dinner graphically described to me by my loving family after I described the home made pizza I had made for myself whilst staying in one of the company apartments (on account of being to lazy and to tight to go out and buy myself some dinner – I call it being careful !).
So we’ll start with lunch (cause you really don’t want to know about the chocolate donut I got from the petrol station this morning on the long drive into Madinat Zayed – I may never get the stains out of my shirt and trousers………). Avid readers will know that our usual lunchtime tipple is falafel, bought from our favourite little falafel shop in the high street……
Apparently they do other things but apart from cans of pop I can’t see it myself ! The trouble with falafels is that one is not quite enough but two is just a little bit to much if you know what I mean…….. I’ve tried both and I have to say that even if you eat one slowly it’s still not quite enough, despite what the diet people tell you !
Dinner (and breakfast) are quite a different matter, regardless of which hotel I’m in (except when I’m in Abu Dhabi where we don’t get it paid for but then that’s what dunkin donuts are for at the weekend – isn’t it ?).
The nice enough hotel, where I was last week has a buffet for both breakfast and dinner and the food is perfectly adequate but the posh hotel (where I am at the moment) is far better. There is a buffet for starters, salads, humus and other exotic things to do with minced beans and pulses, hot spring rolls and other deep fried nibbles, a carvery and several hot dishes (usually one of everything, meat fish chicken, veggie etc.) Hot veg and rice, with sauces and gravy……..and a sweet counter to die for (if you’re that way inclined – obviously I just have a little fresh fruit…..and a bit of cheese….and some nuts obviously, it would be rude not to !)
Salads…..
Carvery…….
And sweets…..
It’s nice to be back !
I’m booked in here until early April so with a bit of luck I can settle down and relax a bit for a couple of weeks – apart from having to drive 3 hours each way to Oman on Friday.
I have to leave the country……..and then come straight back again. I am currently here on a visitors visa but my work permit has been processed and the only way to enact it (apparently) is to leave the country and present it when I come back in where it gets inserted into my passport – why the hell that can’t be done in an office somewhere in Abu Dhabi is beyond me ! Then I have to go to Abu Dhabi
Only then will I be able to get a UAE driving licence and be able to drive legally. The things you go through just to get your family from the airport ! There are some people who live here but haven’t got “proper” jobs that just exist on visitors visas and every 40 days they drive to Oman, cross out, turn around, and drive straight back, just to start another 40 days – Madness !
Anyway, I was saying, I’m back in the posh hotel, I’ve unpacked and put my suitcase away, I’ve got a ground floor room next to the pool with my own little terrace and I’m as happy as a pig in poo ! So happy that I have actually cracked open the bottle of brandy that I’ve had here for the last two and a bit weeks.
I can tell you that there is nothing more enjoyable than sitting on a warm terrace, in shorts and t-shirt, having eaten one’s fill, with a glass of brandy and a cigar ! And on that note I think I will leave you to sit there and shiver !
There’s nothing really interesting in the inventory, other than the fact that I’ve finally opened the brandy so I don’t think we shall bother with that tonight if you don’t mind !
Ad revenue is up to £55.46 – keep going, I can smell a party !
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