Other Peoples Problems

Those of you that are following my movements closely will remember that I’m in Dubai at the moment.  I arrived yesterday via Abu Dhabi.

The whole of yesterday and today had been planned with meticulous attention to detail and was generally about me getting another job so that I can stay here till after Christmas and beat the UK Tax Man – as we all should !

I was due to leave work after lunch on Wednesday and make my way to Dubai ready for a meeting/ interview for a job in Saudi in the evening.  The first problem occurred when I was asked if I could “pop in” to Abu Dhabi to see a chap about something, as a favour to the Business Development Director of the company I’m currently working for (it was one of those “I’d be terribly grateful” requests, but it got me out of going to the office on Wednesday at all so it wasn’t too bad).  This threw up another problem because I was supposed to be giving a lift to someone who needed to be in Dubai for Thursday and who now would have to come with me first thing on Wednesday…….with me so far ?

We were due to leave the hotel in the desert at 0900hrs sharp and at 0855hrs there was no sign of the now two people I was taking to Abu Dhabi (and not Dubai after all……just try and stay with me……).  When we finally leave at about 0935hrs I discover that they had both sat up drinking until 6 and had barely gone to bed when we were supposed to be leaving (Other Peoples Problems #1 !).  I have to rush all the way to my meeting and then give them the car so that they can get into the centre of Abu Dhabi and I have to get a taxi back to the car so that I can get to Dubai……..(Other Peoples Problems #2 !).  I have my meeting, which turns out to be a briefing for a quote that someone wants “yesterday” and I’m supposed to be running around to get it sorted (Other Peoples Problems #3 !) – which is unlikely to happen, but you never can tell………

Moving on, I get back to the car and set off for Dubai and there’s no petrol and very few petrol stations (Other Peoples Problems #4 !) so having limped at 57mph for God knows how many miles with my fingers crossed I sit for 30 minutes in a huge queue to get petrol (Other Peoples Problems #5 !) and finally get underway and into Dubai for about 3.

Where I’m consigned to the sofa because my Dubai friend and his girlfriend have split (amicably apparently) and she’s taken the spare bed (Other Peoples Problems #6 !).  Turns out she’s taken just about everything as when I get there, there’s tumbleweed blowing through the empty desert that used to be a relatively nice flat.  She left about a fortnight ago and my friend is, rather bizarrely (Other Peoples Problems #7 !), still finding out that he doesn’t have certain things any more – I say bizarrely because this morning I told him that he didn’t have a kettle any longer.  He showed surprise, and when I said “how long has she been gone” his only response was “I’m never there” (Other Peoples Problems #8 !).

I digress – Last nights meeting/ interview was a complete waste of time (well, mostly) because the man who had contacted me, arranged to meet me, agreed a time and a location, discussed a job with me to satisfy his need, then failed to show up (Other Peoples Problems #9 !).  I rang him twice and then left a curt text message after waiting an hour and all I got was a pathetic, feeble text sent at half past 11 last night apologising for not getting in touch – nothing more, nothing less.  The reason I say mostly earlier (relating to a complete waste of time, you understand) was that I have derived from this experience, a complete understanding of the fact that I would, under no circumstances, work in a foreign country where I know nothing and nobody, for this man or his company.  If he can’t do something as simple as turn up for a meeting that he’s arranged, or at least let me know that he’s not coming, what the hell would it be like if I needed something if I worked for him !

I’m due to have two more meetings/ interviews today as well as a dentists appointment and a shop at Decathlon for sports essentials before meeting up to about 6 people in a bar tonight for dinner/ drinks – bets are being taken as to exactly how many or other peoples problems effect my life today….. the potential is frightening, or it would be if I let it get to me, but as I sat up drinking wine with my friend last night and slept on the sofa, I’m not really interested in other peoples problems today !

On that happy note I’ll give you a quick run down on the bare essentials of the last few days inventory:

Gym – plenty, including an hours circuit training yesterday morning before breakfast.  Today is a rest day but I think it’s relatively unlikely that I’ll be doing much in the next few days.  There is a gym here in the apartment block so I may try – and I have promised myself that I will run right around the marina one day but that will have to be early (very) in the morning as it’s now way to hot for the rest of the time.

Food – I cooked a very enjoyable chilli last night having found the one saucepan that she left him and shopped at Waitrose (see money below).  Otherwise there has been nothing of note but I’m looking forward to a change from hotel buffets and to some junk at some point !

Money – AED 118 in Waitrose to buy chilli ingredients and a piece of stilton (with apricots) as this was my next craving !  AED 24 for 2 coffees this morning and AED 25 for a cup of tea and a piece of cake last night.  I don’t usually report anything that is an expense in case you’re wondering (like the petrol – AED 110 and the taxi – AED 49 yesterday) because I’ll get it back.  This assumes I suppose, that you’re only interested in me rather than what it costs to live out here………..(Other Peoples Problems #10 !)

Weather – bloody hot now.  It’s mid 40s and still 40 deg when it gets dark.

Right, off for a shower and then to see what the day holds for other peoples problems !