Dubai Day #2-#4

I'm back in SG. In my current state of partial consciousness (I dunno why since its only 4 hours difference between Dubai and Singapore) I shall attempt to summarise the last 3 days of activities:

Day #2
Other than work, the day ended pretty well when our partner hosted us to drinks (wanted to go to Buddha Bar but it was closed for renovation) at Bar 44 (located on the 44th floor of the Grosvenor House Hotel). Had a "Blackberry Mohito" which tasted a bit like a mix of Ribena and a normal Mohito.

After that, dinner was after a buggy ride round the beach at the Royal Meridien. The restaurant chosen by our host was a Lebanese restaurant (I think its Al Khalma). Food was authentic (to me at least) and excellent. Had kebabs, hummus, parsley salad etc. before ending the day close to midnight and taking a 1 minute taxi ride back ... :-)


This is Dubai Internet City, where we had our meetings.

Day #3
Not much happening on this day. After work, took a stroll around the apartments where we stayed (Jermeirah Beach Residences - also known as JBR). Bought some clothes for Baby Cayden. After that we ordered Papa Joe's Pizza to eat in.

Day #4
Today was very rush. After work, we went to Ibn Battutah for some very late lunch. It was kind of a disaster; 1. No Taxis ... 2. No Food cos its Ramadan month. In the end, we managed to find some take-away food at the food court (some subway type sandwiches) after 20 mins of walking. After that, we had to walk 20 mins again back to the taxi stand! The mall was huge but empty cos most people were fasting.

Since taxis were so hard to find at this time of day, we took the cab from the mall back to the apartments and asked him to wait for us for 10 minutes to "get our luggage" ... which to us meant packing + eating lunch + changing!

Anyway, other than the fact that I had to work, it is a nice first trip to Dubai.


This is the view from our apartment.

Dubai Day #1

We reached Dubai at 3am in the morning. By the time we got to the apartment it was already 3:45am, and that was when the fun started...

1. The door key can fit the lock but cannot turn (I was afraid of turning too hard and the key breaks), meaning we are stuck outside the apartment with all our luggage. Made a few calls back to Singapore to the last person who used the apartment. Finally, 20 minutes later, I was able to turn the key forcefully. The key could not turn easily because there was another key stuck in the keyhole on the other side of the door.

2. After getting in, we got a shock when we found strangers sleeping in some of the rooms! Apparently, our Dubai project manager lent the key to some friends who where moving apartment and needed a temporary place to stay. Luckily, they stayed only one night and left on the afternoon of the same day we arrived. Because of them, I had to sleep in the "maid's room" for one night. :-(

3. I also discovered that the water heater for the apartment is not working. Will have to bathe in ice cold water for the next few days.

Anyway, one of my colleague who is here had a bad fall on Sunday and is now hobbling around. Hope she gets well soon. Let's see what other interesting things happen over the next few days.

Forgot to mention that we also visited Mall of the Emirates today.

Waiting ...

The flight departure time is 2340, boarding time is 2240, I've already checked-in, found myself a quiet spot and it is only 2115. This reminded me of the time last year where I had to wait about 4-5 hours for Wifey at Arlanda Airport. That wait was worse cos there was absolutely NOTHING to do!

Anyway, the departure gate is E8, which is super far away in some little corner. I'll probably listen to some new tunes on my Zen or surf YouTube till my laptop battery runs flat.

Next update should be in Dubai.

Travelling Again ...

The last time I set foot on a plane was almost a year ago, when Cayden was smaller than a peanut and Gold was around US$600/oz. (Argh!)

Anyway, I am now working on a tender for Dubai (among several other things, as usual). About two months ago, I was asked to go but I managed to excuse myself from the trip as Cayden was only 1+ month old. This time round there is a second trip, and being the officially appointed technical lead, I think it's better that I go.

Which means ...

I will miss baby Cayden for 1 week
I will feel the heat in Dubai (close to 40 degrees Centigrade) for 1 week
I will experience Ramadan in Dubai for 1 week (no food/drink in public during the day)
I will be working full-time with overseas partners for 1 week

The only plus points that I see is that this will be a new experience as I have not been to Dubai before. Hopefully as well, I can learn much from working with these overseas partners.

Stay tuned for updates and maybe some photos if I have time.

KooshLog: Family / Work Life Balance

KooshLog: Family / Work Life Balance

Just an update to the last post, I have just received a "New Born Gift" from my company, 50 bucks. Wifey's "New Born Gift" from hers was 20 times more ... :-D