Yesterday I ran my first training course here in Abu Dhabi 'marketing skills for recruiters' for the recruitment and admissions team at the Emirates College for Advanced Education. This was part one and I'm doing part two next Monday.
As you can imagine I was extremely nervous - I always get nervous about training, even at work comms where I knew everyone, but this was a whole new ball game. As I was driving in I wanted to turn and run home and explore life as a lady of leisure. However, I done lots of prep as ever, with folders of notes, slides and of course, lots of flip charts and the material is, after all, pretty familiar.
With a new team and a different culture it's hard to know how people will learn and how receptive they'd be to my way of thinking. However, I was lucky enough to be able to have a coffee with my friend Liz, who actually runs a training company here and has oodles of experience into how Emiratis like to learn. She certainly put my mind more at rest as she suggested all the things which I like to do.
Well it seems to have gone down well with the team and I enjoyed it very much indeed. I would say they were a joy to work with - they really engaged with the exercises and got stuck in with the pens, flip charts and sticky stuff. Before long the walls were papered with pictures, ideas and drawings. They had some great thoughts on recruiting students and marketing the college and asked lots of questions. I got some real insight into student motivation and the likely barriers.
We had prizes and goody bags at the end and all in all I would say it was a success from both sides.
We took some photos which I hope to add onto the blog when I get copies of them.
Today I spent the day writing up the material from yesterday, setting home work exercies and drawing up the slides and flip charts for next week with renewed vigour.
I am looking forward to next week's session and feel confident enough to include the cake making exercise which I have shied away from recently in the UK on the grounds that everyone has got way to cynical for such things.
If working with Emiratis is always this much fun then I think I shall enjoy it!
Tuesday 27 October 2009
On the road again
Last week I picked up our new car and what a joy it is to be able to get to places without the hassle of buses and taxis. It's a Jeep Grand Cherokee - chosen for its height and tank like quality which makes me feel safe in the slightly erratic driving conditions I find myself in round here! I'm not really planning any desert, off roading at present, though it is quite a popular past time in this neck of the woods. There was a whole supplement on off roading in The National last weekend which was more than enough to put me off with stories of someone having to walk along beside the car to watch out for rocks and precipitous inclines with just one wheel hanging onto the mountain!
Probably due to the size of the thing, coupled with a 3.7 litre engine, I am really enjoying driving around and love the freedom. Because people do daft things then no-one bats an eyelid if you make your way across four lanes of traffic in order to reach a left turn at the last minute and they let you in which would never happen in the UK. You can also do U turns at major junctions so if you take a wrong turn it's pretty easy to rectify the mistake (must make a note not to try this at home!) I've been able to bring back wicker chairs, lamps and all kinds of stuff from the Mall with ease. Though I got carried away with a massive shop at LuLu supermarket which was easy to wheel into the car but less easy to get up in the lift from the underground car park to the apartment!
I can even neatly park the monster in our narrow space between a BM cabriolet and a Range Rover with help from the parking sensors and the reversing camera. I'm now planning trips to Al Ain and places we haven't yet seen on the strength of it.
I have Coast (a Radio Two type station but without Terry Wogan) and BBC World service on the radio and it even does this neat trick of being able to start the engine from a distance without unlocking the doors so that you can the air con fired up before you get in - amazing! I can't see me needing the heated seats anytime soon though!
So watch out Abu Dhabi - I'm on the road!
Probably due to the size of the thing, coupled with a 3.7 litre engine, I am really enjoying driving around and love the freedom. Because people do daft things then no-one bats an eyelid if you make your way across four lanes of traffic in order to reach a left turn at the last minute and they let you in which would never happen in the UK. You can also do U turns at major junctions so if you take a wrong turn it's pretty easy to rectify the mistake (must make a note not to try this at home!) I've been able to bring back wicker chairs, lamps and all kinds of stuff from the Mall with ease. Though I got carried away with a massive shop at LuLu supermarket which was easy to wheel into the car but less easy to get up in the lift from the underground car park to the apartment!
I can even neatly park the monster in our narrow space between a BM cabriolet and a Range Rover with help from the parking sensors and the reversing camera. I'm now planning trips to Al Ain and places we haven't yet seen on the strength of it.
I have Coast (a Radio Two type station but without Terry Wogan) and BBC World service on the radio and it even does this neat trick of being able to start the engine from a distance without unlocking the doors so that you can the air con fired up before you get in - amazing! I can't see me needing the heated seats anytime soon though!
So watch out Abu Dhabi - I'm on the road!
Saturday 24 October 2009
The Masquerade Ball
Friday night saw us attend one of the major social events of the Abu Dhabi ex pat calendar the inaugural Masquerade Ball at the Hiltonia Beach Club. Organised by our friend Maria Brown from Reed and the Abu Dhabi Networking Group to raise money for Ethiopiaid it was a glittering event which we greatly enjoyed. 15 years after Bob Geldof and Band Aid started to highlight the plight of people in Ethiopia there is still plenty to be done.
So we put on our ball gowns and dinner jackets and thanks to the efforts of my new friend Carmel, donned the necessary masks and tried to head for the Hilton. We had the usual trauma of booking taxis (2 from two different companies who we were assured were on their way) that never turn up - we were reduced to wandering around Al Nasr St in full regalia desperately trying to flag one down! Eventually we got lucky as one was dropping people off and we lept in. I am getting to despair about hard it is to get a taxi. Anyway we arrived and after some strange blue cocktails found ourselves on the VIP table with Maria (who was rushing around making sure all went smoothly), Carmel and her husband David, who works for Rolls-Royce, a couple from Dubai, the acting Canadian Ambassador and Stuart Law, the cricketer. Stuart has been based in the UK for some time and it seemed amazing to sit down at a ball in Abu Dhabi and find my neighbour lives in Wilmslow!
The ball was in the garden and it was a beautiful evening. It just seemed incredible to be sitting outside, warm and comfortable, under the stars at the end of October!
We ate a sumptuous buffet and then were entertained by a whole host of sporting stars who regaled us with stories and helped the auction along, adding in personal memorabilia and even auctioning off views of their (in Scott Hastings' case very) private parts! As well as Stuart and Scott there was Ian Rush, Darren Gough, Chris Cairns, Phil Neal and Dominic Cork.
It all seemed to be a huge success and most have raised tens of thousands of Dirhams for the cause.
The dancing started at 12.30, but, being old fogey's we decided to head for home, gathering up our well stuffed goody bags and making a last stumbling (due to the sand and unsuitable Gina stillettoes combination, not alcohol consumption!)exit. Thankfully at the Hilton you can get a taxi any time of the day or night.
It was a lovely evening.
So we put on our ball gowns and dinner jackets and thanks to the efforts of my new friend Carmel, donned the necessary masks and tried to head for the Hilton. We had the usual trauma of booking taxis (2 from two different companies who we were assured were on their way) that never turn up - we were reduced to wandering around Al Nasr St in full regalia desperately trying to flag one down! Eventually we got lucky as one was dropping people off and we lept in. I am getting to despair about hard it is to get a taxi. Anyway we arrived and after some strange blue cocktails found ourselves on the VIP table with Maria (who was rushing around making sure all went smoothly), Carmel and her husband David, who works for Rolls-Royce, a couple from Dubai, the acting Canadian Ambassador and Stuart Law, the cricketer. Stuart has been based in the UK for some time and it seemed amazing to sit down at a ball in Abu Dhabi and find my neighbour lives in Wilmslow!
The ball was in the garden and it was a beautiful evening. It just seemed incredible to be sitting outside, warm and comfortable, under the stars at the end of October!
We ate a sumptuous buffet and then were entertained by a whole host of sporting stars who regaled us with stories and helped the auction along, adding in personal memorabilia and even auctioning off views of their (in Scott Hastings' case very) private parts! As well as Stuart and Scott there was Ian Rush, Darren Gough, Chris Cairns, Phil Neal and Dominic Cork.
It all seemed to be a huge success and most have raised tens of thousands of Dirhams for the cause.
The dancing started at 12.30, but, being old fogey's we decided to head for home, gathering up our well stuffed goody bags and making a last stumbling (due to the sand and unsuitable Gina stillettoes combination, not alcohol consumption!)exit. Thankfully at the Hilton you can get a taxi any time of the day or night.
It was a lovely evening.
Thursday 22 October 2009
A nice problem to have
So another busy week and I guess I'll eventually get used to Thursday being Friday and Sunday being Monday and all that kind of thing though at the moment I still get very confused indeed!
I am now in receipt of the two job offers I've been mentioning over the last couple of weeks and will have to decide next week which one to go for. I've already started doing work for the Emirates College of Advanced Education as this week saw the biggest careers fair of the year in Abu Dhabi. The college had a stand and, having gone along to look on the first day, I ended up spending hours there. It was great fun though I'd forgotten how hard it is on the feet when you have to stand around for hours in heels. We managed to collect over 500 names of interested potential students, though I think quite a few were really only after our freebies and we wouldn't let them have any till they'd signed up. I remember from years of UK conferences that the giveaways are nearly always the main event and that's certainly the case out here. We had mugs, pens, key rings, book marks, stress balls as well as getting through 16kg of chocolates and still we kept running out. I was filling goody bags like a production line until I felt confident enough to talk about the college courses. I was also able to get to know the recruitment team pretty well and to meet lots of staff and students from the college which has given me more of a feel for the place.
John came along too for the opening, since Masdar Istitute also had a stand. However, once he'd met the Minister for Higher Education and appropriate dignitaries he was able to go back to the busy life of a Provost, whilst we marketing folk stayed on to give things away and try to recruit students.
I have also been busy putting together two marketing skills workshops for the recruitment team which will start on Monday so I'm pretty well embedded but haven't yet been given a contract to sign.
However, the offer at this stage is for a 6 month temporary contract to work as a consultant so on manageable responsibilities and more of an enabling role rather than a leadership one. However, I am do have lots of experience of working as a consultant so that shouldn't really worry me unduly.
The Emirates Advanced Investment company have also made me an offer though subject to security clearance and the usual (and unusual) checks. This is a more concrete, permanent offer with all the bells of whistles of living allowances and the rest. However, they are a somewhat mysterious company, although Helen, next door has given me the low down on some of their interests and their mission to keep the UAE in a place of safety in an unstable part of the world. It's a classic case of the lack of understanding of candidate management - we'll decide if we want you and we'll make you an offer. Not the two way process that we try to instil into our clients where both candidate and hiring organisation have to understand each other and arrange something mutually beneficial. So I know very little about what's expected of me apart from the fact that they want me to set up and run a marketing and communications department, but to market what to who I really couldn't say!
Either way, both jobs sound interesting and I'm sure I'll sort out the best one for me, plus it's pleasing to have reached this point after such a short space of time looking for a new opportunity in a strange country. It would also be nice to start earning some sensible money again rather than just spending it!
In the meantime I'll keep doing the work for the College whilst I get the final details sorted out on both. Since both jobs will gve me control of a marketing budget they should allow me to continue to work with my colleagues at work and send some revenue in their direction.
Hopefully over the next few days I'll be able to firm up some more detail from both of them and make a sensible decision.
I am now in receipt of the two job offers I've been mentioning over the last couple of weeks and will have to decide next week which one to go for. I've already started doing work for the Emirates College of Advanced Education as this week saw the biggest careers fair of the year in Abu Dhabi. The college had a stand and, having gone along to look on the first day, I ended up spending hours there. It was great fun though I'd forgotten how hard it is on the feet when you have to stand around for hours in heels. We managed to collect over 500 names of interested potential students, though I think quite a few were really only after our freebies and we wouldn't let them have any till they'd signed up. I remember from years of UK conferences that the giveaways are nearly always the main event and that's certainly the case out here. We had mugs, pens, key rings, book marks, stress balls as well as getting through 16kg of chocolates and still we kept running out. I was filling goody bags like a production line until I felt confident enough to talk about the college courses. I was also able to get to know the recruitment team pretty well and to meet lots of staff and students from the college which has given me more of a feel for the place.
John came along too for the opening, since Masdar Istitute also had a stand. However, once he'd met the Minister for Higher Education and appropriate dignitaries he was able to go back to the busy life of a Provost, whilst we marketing folk stayed on to give things away and try to recruit students.
I have also been busy putting together two marketing skills workshops for the recruitment team which will start on Monday so I'm pretty well embedded but haven't yet been given a contract to sign.
However, the offer at this stage is for a 6 month temporary contract to work as a consultant so on manageable responsibilities and more of an enabling role rather than a leadership one. However, I am do have lots of experience of working as a consultant so that shouldn't really worry me unduly.
The Emirates Advanced Investment company have also made me an offer though subject to security clearance and the usual (and unusual) checks. This is a more concrete, permanent offer with all the bells of whistles of living allowances and the rest. However, they are a somewhat mysterious company, although Helen, next door has given me the low down on some of their interests and their mission to keep the UAE in a place of safety in an unstable part of the world. It's a classic case of the lack of understanding of candidate management - we'll decide if we want you and we'll make you an offer. Not the two way process that we try to instil into our clients where both candidate and hiring organisation have to understand each other and arrange something mutually beneficial. So I know very little about what's expected of me apart from the fact that they want me to set up and run a marketing and communications department, but to market what to who I really couldn't say!
Either way, both jobs sound interesting and I'm sure I'll sort out the best one for me, plus it's pleasing to have reached this point after such a short space of time looking for a new opportunity in a strange country. It would also be nice to start earning some sensible money again rather than just spending it!
In the meantime I'll keep doing the work for the College whilst I get the final details sorted out on both. Since both jobs will gve me control of a marketing budget they should allow me to continue to work with my colleagues at work and send some revenue in their direction.
Hopefully over the next few days I'll be able to firm up some more detail from both of them and make a sensible decision.
Sunday 18 October 2009
Getting about a busy city
Finally the weekend came after what seemed like a very busy week. We decided to go out for dinner on Thursday night and I booked us a table at the Rodeo Grill at the Beach Rotana. I hadn't realised that the whole of Abu Dhabi goes out on a Thursday night and my newly discovered taxi call centre number was continually engaged. We thought we might get a cab on the street (dream on!) so plumped for a bus. There just seemed to be one bus for the whole city that night and even when you might think the bus was full more and more people kept on piling on board. It was quite a squash and took ages so we arrived a little dishevelled but on time and laughing about the experience. We had a lovely meal and then, although we had to stand in quite a lengthy queue at the Abu Dhabi Mall we did manage to get a cab home.
Friday morning is always very quiet with all the shops shut and people preparing for Friday prayers but we've got into the habit of going out for the papers and then chilling out over a coffee during the morning. It's a bit like having Sunday before Saturday so you end up with something of an upside down weekend but I'm sure we'll get used to it!
Friday afternoon we headed for the Mall where the shops open at 2pm and guess what? So does the whole population of Abu Dhabi! Once again we were squashed on a bus for quite a while a long with most of the island. It's really time we sorted out this transport thing! We bought a desk for the study (hooray) I can work and blog without wandering around for a signal or sitting on the floor. Also a table and chairs for the balcony, now that it is getting cool enough in the evening to sit out for an aperitif. They are coming on Tuesday evening which will be great.
Saturday morning we finally took the plunge and went to buy a car. We'd seen some great offers on Jeeps and the garage is just a few minutes walk from here so we thought we'd go and take a look. I can't imagine driving a Jeep at home, but here it somehow feels right. I took one out for a test drive - the first time I've driven in Abu Dhabi so I was pretty nervous, especially with John (some teeth sucking but not too much!) and the sales guy in the car offering advice. I enjoyed bowling up and down the Corniche in the test Jeep and we decided to go for it which I'm thrilled about. It's a silver Grand Cherokee with all the bells and whistles - not just parking sensors (which have to be a must when you're used to driving a 3 series BMW) but a camera as well, so there's no excuse for backing into a pillar! It also has sat nav, though without postcodes, I'm not sure how that will work and enough room in the back to bring no end of furniture back from the Mall. I'm picking it up on Monday morning and can't wait to feel I have the freedom to go around the city on my own. I'm also pretty terrified but I'm sure I'll soon get the hang of it. No more buses for us for a bit. I was impressed by how well organised it all was. Because it's a new car, the dealer is organising the registration for us, which sounds like quite a pain if you have to do it yourself and he has also sorted out the insurance, which is a percentage of the purchase price. We had a bit of a hiccup there, as I'd managed to leave the paper copy of my UK licence in the car in Manchester and you need to be able to prove that you've had a licence for some time in order to keep the insurance down. Fortunately John had his or it would have been an expensive mistake.
Saturday we went to the Emirates Palace for lunch to use the voucher that I bid for in Maria's charity auction when I was here in June. It was a buffet (and you know my aversion to buffets) but with just the two of us and a lovely seat by the window, overlooking the gulf and the Emirates Palace beach we had a super lunch.
Back to normal today and a bit less manic this week so far, but I'm sure this will soon change with the careers exhibition later in the week, a dinner tonight with some more prospective candidates for Masdar Institute and a reception on Monday night at the Australian embassy.
Most exciting of all I hope to be on the road by tomorrow morning.
Friday morning is always very quiet with all the shops shut and people preparing for Friday prayers but we've got into the habit of going out for the papers and then chilling out over a coffee during the morning. It's a bit like having Sunday before Saturday so you end up with something of an upside down weekend but I'm sure we'll get used to it!
Friday afternoon we headed for the Mall where the shops open at 2pm and guess what? So does the whole population of Abu Dhabi! Once again we were squashed on a bus for quite a while a long with most of the island. It's really time we sorted out this transport thing! We bought a desk for the study (hooray) I can work and blog without wandering around for a signal or sitting on the floor. Also a table and chairs for the balcony, now that it is getting cool enough in the evening to sit out for an aperitif. They are coming on Tuesday evening which will be great.
Saturday morning we finally took the plunge and went to buy a car. We'd seen some great offers on Jeeps and the garage is just a few minutes walk from here so we thought we'd go and take a look. I can't imagine driving a Jeep at home, but here it somehow feels right. I took one out for a test drive - the first time I've driven in Abu Dhabi so I was pretty nervous, especially with John (some teeth sucking but not too much!) and the sales guy in the car offering advice. I enjoyed bowling up and down the Corniche in the test Jeep and we decided to go for it which I'm thrilled about. It's a silver Grand Cherokee with all the bells and whistles - not just parking sensors (which have to be a must when you're used to driving a 3 series BMW) but a camera as well, so there's no excuse for backing into a pillar! It also has sat nav, though without postcodes, I'm not sure how that will work and enough room in the back to bring no end of furniture back from the Mall. I'm picking it up on Monday morning and can't wait to feel I have the freedom to go around the city on my own. I'm also pretty terrified but I'm sure I'll soon get the hang of it. No more buses for us for a bit. I was impressed by how well organised it all was. Because it's a new car, the dealer is organising the registration for us, which sounds like quite a pain if you have to do it yourself and he has also sorted out the insurance, which is a percentage of the purchase price. We had a bit of a hiccup there, as I'd managed to leave the paper copy of my UK licence in the car in Manchester and you need to be able to prove that you've had a licence for some time in order to keep the insurance down. Fortunately John had his or it would have been an expensive mistake.
Saturday we went to the Emirates Palace for lunch to use the voucher that I bid for in Maria's charity auction when I was here in June. It was a buffet (and you know my aversion to buffets) but with just the two of us and a lovely seat by the window, overlooking the gulf and the Emirates Palace beach we had a super lunch.
Back to normal today and a bit less manic this week so far, but I'm sure this will soon change with the careers exhibition later in the week, a dinner tonight with some more prospective candidates for Masdar Institute and a reception on Monday night at the Australian embassy.
Most exciting of all I hope to be on the road by tomorrow morning.
Thursday 15 October 2009
Long time no blog
I can't believe it's been a whole week since I found the time to catch up with my blog but it's certainly been a busy week and a good one in lots of ways.
John arrived back from Boston in good shape considering the journey and didn't seem too jet lagged, if a little tired. It was lovely to have him back and I went to the airport to meet him, remembering the times he came to meet me on my returns to Abu Dhabi.
We had a lovely weekend though we failed to find a desk or any shelving that we really liked and, as the wireless only works properly in the study where the box is, I have to camp out if I want to use it properly. We went to the Amalfi for a meal on Friday night which is rapidly becoming a favourite of ours, especially as they use real pork in their meals and not substitutes! We went and booked a few days holiday in Muscat at the end of November, as it is the second Eid holiday. We managed to get into the Chedi, which we have always wanted to try and the flights from Abu Dhabi only take an hour. I had thought we might do something more adventurous whilst we're so much further East and look at the Maldives or Far East, but with all the long haul flying to go West we decided against it and this sounds like a lovely break. Unfortunately Etihad holidays managed to book us 8 nights instead of 7 so we'll have to take a bit more time off work than originally planned. Note to self,double check all dates in future!
We went to the pictures for the first time to see 'The Time Traveller's Wife' which was excellent though sad (not as sad as the book though so I was weeping at the end in anticipation of a more harrowing ending than we got!) As warned the cinema was freezing so I was glad I'd brought woolly socks and a jumper even if John was laughing at me! There was less disturbance from mobile phones and talking than I'd expected which was good.
All in all we had a great weekend, but like weekends the world over it was over too soon.
Sunday I went back to the Emirates College for Advanced Education for a group interview with senior staff and had to spend some time preparing a document on my thoughts. It went really well and they were so lovely. A really mixed international group from the US, Tunisia and New Zealand as well as the Provost being originally from the UK. They have offered me a 6 month contract to run their marketing and communications so, although I'm keeping an eye on other offers, looks like being a great start to my career in Abu Dhabi. The challenge of marketing teaching as a career and raising the profile of the college and recruiting a higher quality and larger student numbers, whilst challenging, is something I feel sure that I will really enjoy.
Sunday night we went out for a dinner with some potential Faculty who are being interviewed for posts at the Masdar Institute. We went to the seafood night at the Officers Club - quite amazing just how much can be done with fish and seafood! Although I still struggle to overcome my aversion to buffets! The candidates came from all over the world so it was interesting to hear their initial impressions of Abu Dhabi and to feel like an old hand rather than the new girl. It was also nice to meet one of John's colleagues wives properly for the first time.
I was really busy on Monday and Tuesday as Ben from work asked me to put together a new business proposal for him. It was a really interesting proposal looking at employer branding for Nottingham University so it got my brain going again and it was good to think about UK HE in preparation for working with HE in Abu Dhabi. It was a full on piece of work and kept me good for hours. Everything is with the guys in Manchester now so I'll wait to see what comes back next week in order to get it finished off.
We finally received our credit cards from HSBC, though still no sign of any PIN numbers. However, these are supposed to be coming by post to John's work PO box which I am very suspicious of as nothing much seems to arrive (according to the Etihad web site we both now qualify for silver frequent flyer cards but John has never even received his permanent card). Still I gave my card a try in Spinneys and it worked! John then had to rush around to transfer some money into the account as it wouldn't look good to be spending money against an empty account. I also haven't received our internet banking number (is that HSBC or the mysterious PO Box at Masdar swallowing it up I wonder?) Hopefully though we are close to getting somewhere with the bank.
Two other major steps forward this week. My new cleaner arrived this morning and is busy working away so I no longer have to spend quite so much time with floor mopping and chasing fluff balls and bits of sand round the apartment! Just in time for me to start working full time. I also managed to order and receive a water cooler so I don't have to lug bottles of mineral water around with me and we can at last make a decent cup of tea and coffee. We were using the filtered tap water but it still managed to taste of salt and sand. You get two bottles with the cooler and buy ten prepaid vouchers, which you leave outside with the empty bottles to be replaced, so it seems like a pretty good system. It cost about £100 with the vouchers but the bottles themselves (I can't remember how many gallons they hold but a lot) only cost 7 AED each (just over £1).
Yesterday the bed and furniture for the spare room arrived so once I get along to buy some bedding (hopefully today) we are ready to receive guests.
The guys who do the marketing for Masdar also contacted me to see if I might do some work for them. We didn't manage to get together this week due to diary clashes and the problem of getting around town without a car. Then John's marketing people called to fix up a meeting to talk about consulting about Masdar Institute's marketing so we're meeting on Sunday. I'm starting to seriously think about whether there might be room for a specialist education marketing consultancy business and if this might be a good route when I've done the contract for ECAE. Setting up a business or as a consultant is fraught with difficulty and bureaucratic hoops to jump through but people do manage it so I should be thinking about it for the future.
Anyway it's really nice to be in demand and to feel that my skills do have value here.
Yesterday I went back for another meeting at ECAE to talk about deliverables with Monika and Julie, who I'll be working with. We had a great meeting with lots of good ideas floating around so I think it will be very rewarding working with them. I'm going back today to meet the local recruiters and talk about preparations for next week when there is a huge careers exhibition. Everyone, including John, will be involved in this so it'll give me a really good chance to see what kind of careers/employer marketing is going on out here and what needs to be done.
In between times I managed to cook meals, buy food and cleaning materials, wash clothes and generally keep up with the housewife job description specified on my visa, though I failed to buy a hoover (I went on a 40 minute walk to a local shop in the humid early evening to find they sold lots of electrical goods but nothing of a domestic nature) so for this week I'm afraid the cleaner has to make do with a brush!
The other thing I did for the first time this week was go running outside. I went out three mornings as early as possible. It's still a bit hot, though it is always going to be hotter than running round Manchester. However, I really enjoyed it, despite being pretty slow. The run along the seafront and back through the parks is really wonderful and as it is so hot, it feel like a really good workout. One day I failed to find away to get across the Corniche Rd so ended up going much further than I meant to but it was still fine. We bought me some long, lightweight trousers and a long sleeved top so that I could run without offending anyone though I did see people in shorts. It feels like rather too many clothes for the temperature but better than upsetting anyone. I'm really pleased with myself for getting started on a proper running programme again and hope I'll be able to keep it up when I start work.
I also managed to entertain three of my new friends for coffee on Tuesday and Wednesday. Carmel, who used to work at the British Embassy in Saudi, came over as well as Bettina, the young Austrian dancer, who is married to one of John's colleague and Liz, who works in training and development and has a client who is interested in Investors in People. Sadly though I was unable to take up invites from Angela and Daksha to go to some of the screenings of the Middle East Film Festival which has been on this week. I would have loved to have gone as I'm mad about film and this has been so exciting and such a new development for Abu Dhabi. Still, you can't say I've been idle this week!
John has also had a crazy week with long hours and lots to worry about. They have been preparing the business plan in order to present it at the big Board of Trustees meeting in a couple of weeks time and it has involved masses of work, alongside all the day to day work of interviewing, meeting visitors, running the Institute. Like everyone the world over, these important things get left to the last minute (I thought that was just people who worked in advertising but it happens to academics too!)
So hopefully you can see why the blog has been neglected and why this has been such a mammoth posting. What I really need now is a car. Taxis are getting harder and harder to find (though I had real success with the new call centre number yesterday, hope it wasn't just beginners luck!?) and the traffic is so bad at present that the buses get all bunched up so you wait for ages then 3 come at once - nothing changes! We've seen an ad for some new Jeeps at a really good price so we'll perhaps try and go to see one at the weekend. I feel ashamed that so many other wives drive and I am still faffing around with taxis so there's the next challenge!
Very slowly I'm getting life here in place but it's fun doing it.
John arrived back from Boston in good shape considering the journey and didn't seem too jet lagged, if a little tired. It was lovely to have him back and I went to the airport to meet him, remembering the times he came to meet me on my returns to Abu Dhabi.
We had a lovely weekend though we failed to find a desk or any shelving that we really liked and, as the wireless only works properly in the study where the box is, I have to camp out if I want to use it properly. We went to the Amalfi for a meal on Friday night which is rapidly becoming a favourite of ours, especially as they use real pork in their meals and not substitutes! We went and booked a few days holiday in Muscat at the end of November, as it is the second Eid holiday. We managed to get into the Chedi, which we have always wanted to try and the flights from Abu Dhabi only take an hour. I had thought we might do something more adventurous whilst we're so much further East and look at the Maldives or Far East, but with all the long haul flying to go West we decided against it and this sounds like a lovely break. Unfortunately Etihad holidays managed to book us 8 nights instead of 7 so we'll have to take a bit more time off work than originally planned. Note to self,double check all dates in future!
We went to the pictures for the first time to see 'The Time Traveller's Wife' which was excellent though sad (not as sad as the book though so I was weeping at the end in anticipation of a more harrowing ending than we got!) As warned the cinema was freezing so I was glad I'd brought woolly socks and a jumper even if John was laughing at me! There was less disturbance from mobile phones and talking than I'd expected which was good.
All in all we had a great weekend, but like weekends the world over it was over too soon.
Sunday I went back to the Emirates College for Advanced Education for a group interview with senior staff and had to spend some time preparing a document on my thoughts. It went really well and they were so lovely. A really mixed international group from the US, Tunisia and New Zealand as well as the Provost being originally from the UK. They have offered me a 6 month contract to run their marketing and communications so, although I'm keeping an eye on other offers, looks like being a great start to my career in Abu Dhabi. The challenge of marketing teaching as a career and raising the profile of the college and recruiting a higher quality and larger student numbers, whilst challenging, is something I feel sure that I will really enjoy.
Sunday night we went out for a dinner with some potential Faculty who are being interviewed for posts at the Masdar Institute. We went to the seafood night at the Officers Club - quite amazing just how much can be done with fish and seafood! Although I still struggle to overcome my aversion to buffets! The candidates came from all over the world so it was interesting to hear their initial impressions of Abu Dhabi and to feel like an old hand rather than the new girl. It was also nice to meet one of John's colleagues wives properly for the first time.
I was really busy on Monday and Tuesday as Ben from work asked me to put together a new business proposal for him. It was a really interesting proposal looking at employer branding for Nottingham University so it got my brain going again and it was good to think about UK HE in preparation for working with HE in Abu Dhabi. It was a full on piece of work and kept me good for hours. Everything is with the guys in Manchester now so I'll wait to see what comes back next week in order to get it finished off.
We finally received our credit cards from HSBC, though still no sign of any PIN numbers. However, these are supposed to be coming by post to John's work PO box which I am very suspicious of as nothing much seems to arrive (according to the Etihad web site we both now qualify for silver frequent flyer cards but John has never even received his permanent card). Still I gave my card a try in Spinneys and it worked! John then had to rush around to transfer some money into the account as it wouldn't look good to be spending money against an empty account. I also haven't received our internet banking number (is that HSBC or the mysterious PO Box at Masdar swallowing it up I wonder?) Hopefully though we are close to getting somewhere with the bank.
Two other major steps forward this week. My new cleaner arrived this morning and is busy working away so I no longer have to spend quite so much time with floor mopping and chasing fluff balls and bits of sand round the apartment! Just in time for me to start working full time. I also managed to order and receive a water cooler so I don't have to lug bottles of mineral water around with me and we can at last make a decent cup of tea and coffee. We were using the filtered tap water but it still managed to taste of salt and sand. You get two bottles with the cooler and buy ten prepaid vouchers, which you leave outside with the empty bottles to be replaced, so it seems like a pretty good system. It cost about £100 with the vouchers but the bottles themselves (I can't remember how many gallons they hold but a lot) only cost 7 AED each (just over £1).
Yesterday the bed and furniture for the spare room arrived so once I get along to buy some bedding (hopefully today) we are ready to receive guests.
The guys who do the marketing for Masdar also contacted me to see if I might do some work for them. We didn't manage to get together this week due to diary clashes and the problem of getting around town without a car. Then John's marketing people called to fix up a meeting to talk about consulting about Masdar Institute's marketing so we're meeting on Sunday. I'm starting to seriously think about whether there might be room for a specialist education marketing consultancy business and if this might be a good route when I've done the contract for ECAE. Setting up a business or as a consultant is fraught with difficulty and bureaucratic hoops to jump through but people do manage it so I should be thinking about it for the future.
Anyway it's really nice to be in demand and to feel that my skills do have value here.
Yesterday I went back for another meeting at ECAE to talk about deliverables with Monika and Julie, who I'll be working with. We had a great meeting with lots of good ideas floating around so I think it will be very rewarding working with them. I'm going back today to meet the local recruiters and talk about preparations for next week when there is a huge careers exhibition. Everyone, including John, will be involved in this so it'll give me a really good chance to see what kind of careers/employer marketing is going on out here and what needs to be done.
In between times I managed to cook meals, buy food and cleaning materials, wash clothes and generally keep up with the housewife job description specified on my visa, though I failed to buy a hoover (I went on a 40 minute walk to a local shop in the humid early evening to find they sold lots of electrical goods but nothing of a domestic nature) so for this week I'm afraid the cleaner has to make do with a brush!
The other thing I did for the first time this week was go running outside. I went out three mornings as early as possible. It's still a bit hot, though it is always going to be hotter than running round Manchester. However, I really enjoyed it, despite being pretty slow. The run along the seafront and back through the parks is really wonderful and as it is so hot, it feel like a really good workout. One day I failed to find away to get across the Corniche Rd so ended up going much further than I meant to but it was still fine. We bought me some long, lightweight trousers and a long sleeved top so that I could run without offending anyone though I did see people in shorts. It feels like rather too many clothes for the temperature but better than upsetting anyone. I'm really pleased with myself for getting started on a proper running programme again and hope I'll be able to keep it up when I start work.
I also managed to entertain three of my new friends for coffee on Tuesday and Wednesday. Carmel, who used to work at the British Embassy in Saudi, came over as well as Bettina, the young Austrian dancer, who is married to one of John's colleague and Liz, who works in training and development and has a client who is interested in Investors in People. Sadly though I was unable to take up invites from Angela and Daksha to go to some of the screenings of the Middle East Film Festival which has been on this week. I would have loved to have gone as I'm mad about film and this has been so exciting and such a new development for Abu Dhabi. Still, you can't say I've been idle this week!
John has also had a crazy week with long hours and lots to worry about. They have been preparing the business plan in order to present it at the big Board of Trustees meeting in a couple of weeks time and it has involved masses of work, alongside all the day to day work of interviewing, meeting visitors, running the Institute. Like everyone the world over, these important things get left to the last minute (I thought that was just people who worked in advertising but it happens to academics too!)
So hopefully you can see why the blog has been neglected and why this has been such a mammoth posting. What I really need now is a car. Taxis are getting harder and harder to find (though I had real success with the new call centre number yesterday, hope it wasn't just beginners luck!?) and the traffic is so bad at present that the buses get all bunched up so you wait for ages then 3 come at once - nothing changes! We've seen an ad for some new Jeeps at a really good price so we'll perhaps try and go to see one at the weekend. I feel ashamed that so many other wives drive and I am still faffing around with taxis so there's the next challenge!
Very slowly I'm getting life here in place but it's fun doing it.
Thursday 8 October 2009
Just me in Abu Dhabi
John went to Boston on Tuesday morning, for a meeting at MIT, leaving me to experience Abu Dhabi on my own for a few days. It was only one meeting but Boston is a long way from here and you have to go via New York or London so it takes the best part of 24 hours each way - what a journey!
I got very used to Manchester on my own when John first came out here but I was a bit nervous about how it would feel in a new country and without a job to go to every day. Even before John went, his first two days this week, were long and hectic, since he'd been away and was off again so I didn't see much of him. It's been a busy week so I certainly haven't been sitting around staring at the walls though I do talk to myself and to the inanimate objects around me!
On Tuesday I went to Dubai to meet up with Phil from PA Consulting who was taking me to meet the Dubai government Human Knowledge and People Development Agency - similar to Ofsted in the UK in that they inspect schools, though they seem to have a wider influence in terms of looking after the quality and general inspection of all education provision. I went to talk about Investors in People and how that works in the UK. We had a really good meeting but I still have to learn what constitutes genuine interest, which may result in action, or what is just politeness - I wonder if I'll ever really know since, on the whole, the Emiratis are always charming and polite. In the evening I went to the Abu Dhabi networking group and met yet more interesting and friendly people. It did feel strange going into a pub on my own and talking to a mixed group of strangers but I met some of the ladies I'd met at Monday's event as well as some new people. The speaker was an Emirati journalist who runs the 'Ask Ali' column in The National - a kind of Muslim agony uncle. I've always enjoyed his column and he was a terrific speaker. He appears to specialise in providing cultural awareness for expats so he had lots of helpful advice and funny stories. He has experience on the other side, as he planned to open a Middle Eastern restaurant in New York on 13 September 2001 and really felt what it was like to be an outsider. I am keen to learn about the culture here and to ensure that I fit in as best as I can. I am always very careful about covering up when outside. I can't decide whether to be impressed or threatened by the unquestioning devotion to their faith which people show. Having been brought up in a culture where you are encouraged to question belief and custom, makes it hard sometimes not to ask more difficult questions, which might well be likely to cause offence without meaning to.
Wednesday was a very busy day. My taxi, which was due to take me a job interview, failed to turn up and, as it was 9am, I couldn't get one on the street. Vowing to get a car as soon as possible and to hate all Abu Dhabi taxi drivers forever, I managed to get hold of the original taxi driver who came eventually and I was only a few minutes late. This is a possible marketing role at another university, this time one which specialises in teacher education. Abu Dhabi are in the process of re-engineering their entire education system, from early years through to PhD and beyond, so being able to educate and train existing teachers as well as the next generation, is going to be crucial to the success of the system and the ability of the country to maintain a sustainable local workforce without having to rely permanently on expats. I love the challenge it could offer and it all seems so familiar, as I grew up in teacher training colleages with Dad being a sociologist who specialised in teacher education and Mum being a headteacher. It all sounded so very similar. I have to go back on Sunday to meet the senior management team as this meeting was with the Provost.
I rushed home and ran round the supermarket, returning home to bake one of my chocolate chip, fudge cake specials, which used to go down so well in Hale, for tonight, before heading off for the second job interview of the day. This was a second interview with the inscrutable company I'd been to before. It was a whole new experience, being put through the interview mill, by two Emirati men in full Arab dress. It seemed to go well though the questioning was very intense and they were not prepared to talk about the company. I know they are involved with defense related projects which made me uncomfortable, being a confirmed pacifist. However, by strange coincidence (and sadly I only found out after floundering through the interview trying to answer questions on possible strategies for a company I knew nothing about!), this is the company that Helen next door works for. She could have given me the inside track. She also put a whole different perspective on the defence activity, saying that Abu Dhabi needs to have weapons and military capability as a deterrent and to ensure that the kind of thing which happened in Kuwait in the early 90's would never happen here. Abu Dhabi needs this to keep the peace. Anyway, I don't think I did the best job that I could in terms of the interview but what an experience!
I then rushed home to cook a huge vat of chilli, make garlic bread, decorate my cake and generally get ready for my girls social night in.
It was lovely to welcome people into my home here and to provide them with food and drink. In the end I had 7 guests and I think everyone had an enjoyable evening. It was a mix of people - really everyone I've met and enjoyed their company since I've been here, so I didn't know how it would go but we seemed to have a good time. I am hoping to do it again soon so I'll know if no-one accepts the invitation next time! When we were in the UK we bought a new camera so that I could take pictures to show people and post on the blog. Last night would have been a great opportunity to take some pictures and I forgot all about it! Hopefully next time I'll have some pictures to show you.
This morning I went to The One and managed to buy some bedroom furniture which is coming on Wednesay so, after that, I will officially be able to receive visitors so please take this as an invitation. I went to Spinneys to buy food for the weekend and bumped into Carmel, who has just come out here to join her husband, who I met on both Monday and Tuesday. Now I really feel like I belong when I meet people I know in the supermarket!
John returns tonight and since he has been out of phone contact most of the time he should be glad that I have this blog. Instead of keeping him awake all night telling him about all the things I've been up to whilst he's been away and boring him with it, I've been able to tell the blog all about it! It's a bit like talking to the furniture but it doesn't feel quite so mad when you can put it on a website!
I got very used to Manchester on my own when John first came out here but I was a bit nervous about how it would feel in a new country and without a job to go to every day. Even before John went, his first two days this week, were long and hectic, since he'd been away and was off again so I didn't see much of him. It's been a busy week so I certainly haven't been sitting around staring at the walls though I do talk to myself and to the inanimate objects around me!
On Tuesday I went to Dubai to meet up with Phil from PA Consulting who was taking me to meet the Dubai government Human Knowledge and People Development Agency - similar to Ofsted in the UK in that they inspect schools, though they seem to have a wider influence in terms of looking after the quality and general inspection of all education provision. I went to talk about Investors in People and how that works in the UK. We had a really good meeting but I still have to learn what constitutes genuine interest, which may result in action, or what is just politeness - I wonder if I'll ever really know since, on the whole, the Emiratis are always charming and polite. In the evening I went to the Abu Dhabi networking group and met yet more interesting and friendly people. It did feel strange going into a pub on my own and talking to a mixed group of strangers but I met some of the ladies I'd met at Monday's event as well as some new people. The speaker was an Emirati journalist who runs the 'Ask Ali' column in The National - a kind of Muslim agony uncle. I've always enjoyed his column and he was a terrific speaker. He appears to specialise in providing cultural awareness for expats so he had lots of helpful advice and funny stories. He has experience on the other side, as he planned to open a Middle Eastern restaurant in New York on 13 September 2001 and really felt what it was like to be an outsider. I am keen to learn about the culture here and to ensure that I fit in as best as I can. I am always very careful about covering up when outside. I can't decide whether to be impressed or threatened by the unquestioning devotion to their faith which people show. Having been brought up in a culture where you are encouraged to question belief and custom, makes it hard sometimes not to ask more difficult questions, which might well be likely to cause offence without meaning to.
Wednesday was a very busy day. My taxi, which was due to take me a job interview, failed to turn up and, as it was 9am, I couldn't get one on the street. Vowing to get a car as soon as possible and to hate all Abu Dhabi taxi drivers forever, I managed to get hold of the original taxi driver who came eventually and I was only a few minutes late. This is a possible marketing role at another university, this time one which specialises in teacher education. Abu Dhabi are in the process of re-engineering their entire education system, from early years through to PhD and beyond, so being able to educate and train existing teachers as well as the next generation, is going to be crucial to the success of the system and the ability of the country to maintain a sustainable local workforce without having to rely permanently on expats. I love the challenge it could offer and it all seems so familiar, as I grew up in teacher training colleages with Dad being a sociologist who specialised in teacher education and Mum being a headteacher. It all sounded so very similar. I have to go back on Sunday to meet the senior management team as this meeting was with the Provost.
I rushed home and ran round the supermarket, returning home to bake one of my chocolate chip, fudge cake specials, which used to go down so well in Hale, for tonight, before heading off for the second job interview of the day. This was a second interview with the inscrutable company I'd been to before. It was a whole new experience, being put through the interview mill, by two Emirati men in full Arab dress. It seemed to go well though the questioning was very intense and they were not prepared to talk about the company. I know they are involved with defense related projects which made me uncomfortable, being a confirmed pacifist. However, by strange coincidence (and sadly I only found out after floundering through the interview trying to answer questions on possible strategies for a company I knew nothing about!), this is the company that Helen next door works for. She could have given me the inside track. She also put a whole different perspective on the defence activity, saying that Abu Dhabi needs to have weapons and military capability as a deterrent and to ensure that the kind of thing which happened in Kuwait in the early 90's would never happen here. Abu Dhabi needs this to keep the peace. Anyway, I don't think I did the best job that I could in terms of the interview but what an experience!
I then rushed home to cook a huge vat of chilli, make garlic bread, decorate my cake and generally get ready for my girls social night in.
It was lovely to welcome people into my home here and to provide them with food and drink. In the end I had 7 guests and I think everyone had an enjoyable evening. It was a mix of people - really everyone I've met and enjoyed their company since I've been here, so I didn't know how it would go but we seemed to have a good time. I am hoping to do it again soon so I'll know if no-one accepts the invitation next time! When we were in the UK we bought a new camera so that I could take pictures to show people and post on the blog. Last night would have been a great opportunity to take some pictures and I forgot all about it! Hopefully next time I'll have some pictures to show you.
This morning I went to The One and managed to buy some bedroom furniture which is coming on Wednesay so, after that, I will officially be able to receive visitors so please take this as an invitation. I went to Spinneys to buy food for the weekend and bumped into Carmel, who has just come out here to join her husband, who I met on both Monday and Tuesday. Now I really feel like I belong when I meet people I know in the supermarket!
John returns tonight and since he has been out of phone contact most of the time he should be glad that I have this blog. Instead of keeping him awake all night telling him about all the things I've been up to whilst he's been away and boring him with it, I've been able to tell the blog all about it! It's a bit like talking to the furniture but it doesn't feel quite so mad when you can put it on a website!
Monday 5 October 2009
Back in Abu Dhabi
Back to our life in Abu Dhabi, though John doesn't have a moment to get used to the time difference or the temperature as he flies out to Boston tomorrow morning - still think of those Etihad air miles he's clocking up! He certainly got straight back into it with loads of meetings to catch up on in between the international jet setting.
As a special welcome back present Etisalat turned up yesterday, completely unannounced, to connect the wireless broadband. It feel like a huge step forward in getting settled and it means I can now sit comfortably in the lounge to blog rather than squashed in a corner of the bedroom. In the end, hopefully, everything will get sorted. No news on the credit cards but hey!
It's a busy week for me too and not just with getting the laundry sorted and adequate food supplies in, though I do plan to do a bit more work on the apartment. Mum gave me some lovely prints of Yorkshire for my birthday which I'd like to get framed and hung and some general bits and pieces to improve the aesthetics. Hopefully we will also have our first visitor at the end of the month as Keith, who was John's witness at the wedding, is planning a trip to this part of the world. This should give me renewed vigour in the furniture buying department to get the spare room kitted out. Plus, now that I have an internet connection I need an office!
Today I went to a women's networking group lunch at the Beach Rotana which was lovely. Everyone is so very friendly round here so once again I met lots of new people. Amazing women with careers, jobs, experience and even entrepreneurs running their own businesses out here. It is very humbing to see how much other women can do and should spur me on to make something happen in my own professional life. A fabulous guy from a Dubai PR company gave an exciting speech about social networking - nothing new for me there, though he has persuaded me to give twitter another look - I've always found it a bit intrusive but I can see how relevant it is in a blackberry world with permanent on line networking. Perhaps I'll link my blog to twitter rather than sticking with linked in.
Tomorrow I'm going to Dubai for the long awaited meeting with the Minister for Knowledge and People Development, which is a bit scary but should be interesting. Then on Wednesday I have a second interview with the mysterious firm that I had a first interview with a few weeks ago. They seem to have moved offices but still can't furnish much information or a job description - still we'll see how it goes. I've also had word that the university where I went for the interview might be interested in using me and work to do some freelance on their marketing literature, whilst they make up their minds on the permanent job front, so plenty of interesting things going on.
There are two more networking events and a speculative meeting with a consultant over the next week so I hope to have something to report very soon and my experiences won't just be about bathplugs and internet connections!
Bad news on the beach front though - the actual beach bit is still not going to be finished for till November so no free access to the sea at present. This is a real shame for those of us who live so close to the sea, as the weather is simply peachy now (sorry to everyone reading this in Manchester and other northern climes). It is still hot and sunny but now feels lovely with a pleasant breeze and a temperature in the late 30's. I promise not to mention the weather too often in the coming months but there needs to be some compensation for not being able to pop to Tesco's for a bottle of Pinot Grigio!
As a special welcome back present Etisalat turned up yesterday, completely unannounced, to connect the wireless broadband. It feel like a huge step forward in getting settled and it means I can now sit comfortably in the lounge to blog rather than squashed in a corner of the bedroom. In the end, hopefully, everything will get sorted. No news on the credit cards but hey!
It's a busy week for me too and not just with getting the laundry sorted and adequate food supplies in, though I do plan to do a bit more work on the apartment. Mum gave me some lovely prints of Yorkshire for my birthday which I'd like to get framed and hung and some general bits and pieces to improve the aesthetics. Hopefully we will also have our first visitor at the end of the month as Keith, who was John's witness at the wedding, is planning a trip to this part of the world. This should give me renewed vigour in the furniture buying department to get the spare room kitted out. Plus, now that I have an internet connection I need an office!
Today I went to a women's networking group lunch at the Beach Rotana which was lovely. Everyone is so very friendly round here so once again I met lots of new people. Amazing women with careers, jobs, experience and even entrepreneurs running their own businesses out here. It is very humbing to see how much other women can do and should spur me on to make something happen in my own professional life. A fabulous guy from a Dubai PR company gave an exciting speech about social networking - nothing new for me there, though he has persuaded me to give twitter another look - I've always found it a bit intrusive but I can see how relevant it is in a blackberry world with permanent on line networking. Perhaps I'll link my blog to twitter rather than sticking with linked in.
Tomorrow I'm going to Dubai for the long awaited meeting with the Minister for Knowledge and People Development, which is a bit scary but should be interesting. Then on Wednesday I have a second interview with the mysterious firm that I had a first interview with a few weeks ago. They seem to have moved offices but still can't furnish much information or a job description - still we'll see how it goes. I've also had word that the university where I went for the interview might be interested in using me and work to do some freelance on their marketing literature, whilst they make up their minds on the permanent job front, so plenty of interesting things going on.
There are two more networking events and a speculative meeting with a consultant over the next week so I hope to have something to report very soon and my experiences won't just be about bathplugs and internet connections!
Bad news on the beach front though - the actual beach bit is still not going to be finished for till November so no free access to the sea at present. This is a real shame for those of us who live so close to the sea, as the weather is simply peachy now (sorry to everyone reading this in Manchester and other northern climes). It is still hot and sunny but now feels lovely with a pleasant breeze and a temperature in the late 30's. I promise not to mention the weather too often in the coming months but there needs to be some compensation for not being able to pop to Tesco's for a bottle of Pinot Grigio!
Our trip back to the UK
I've been absent from the blog due to a busy visit back to the UK. We seemed to do a lot of rushing about trying to squeeze everything in but it was fun and nice to be able to see so many people.
We had a very pleasant flight as John kindly paid for my business class ticket and it was a day time flight so we were able to take full advantage of the champagne, wine and lovely food as well as watching films. It was really great to be back in Manchester and I was so glad we'd kept the apartment. Seeing the familiar sights and popping to Tesco Express - I never thought I'd enjoy it so much! Sunday was a beautiful Autumn day and we went out to Alderley Edge on the train to have lunch with Alison and David which was great and we enjoyed roast pork and red wine for the first time in ages. Monday I went into the office. It was lovely to see everyone though, despite still having a desk, I felt a bit displaced, with everyone so busy about their daily tasks and nothing for me to do but talk. Tuesday was my birthday so we went over to Skipton and went to the Angel at Hetton for a fabulous meal during their Champagne and Seafood festival. It was great to see mum again and on Wednesday we took Kirsty up to Grass Wood to see Dad and Mangar and Jim's memorial woods. The trees were at their most lovely though the special woods were overgrown and Kirsty is too big to carry over the stiles though she tried to run at the fence a couple of times but just got a squashed nose!
On Thursday we went to see Giselle at the Palace - English National Ballet put on a lovely, traditional performance which I enjoyed though John thought there weren't enough fairies and didn't believe me when I told him they were called Willis!
Friday we set off at 6am to drive down to Leysdown to see Isobel. I'm not so used to the early starts these days! We took her to Reads in Faversham to celebrate her 80th birthday - a lovely restaurant with rooms and the weather in the South was a perfect, sunny Autumn, unlike the wind and cloud we'd been experiencing in the North. It was a super place though I prefer my baths at the edge of the room rather than in the middle but I know that's the trendy place to put them now! The food was amazing - another find from the good hotel's guide which has never failed to yield wonderful little hotels with great kitchens.
Sunday we headed off to Wendover to see Rachel, Andrew, Ellie and Alastair and had another lovely day with family. Hopefully they'll be coming to visit us before too long, though Rachel tends to have their holidays organised well in advance.
Monday it was time to start doing some work again so we made our way into London. We left the car at Luton since last time we were in London the hotel charged £45 per night for parking so on top of the congestion charge and the general annoyance of driving in London it seemed like a good move. We stayed at the Sofitel St James which we haven't tried before but is really handy for the Royal Academy of Engineering and proved to be a good choice. John had endless meetings to chair and a visit to Imperial to see the Masdar fellows who are studying for PHD's there. I fitted in an Investors in People steering committee and a board meeting. It's a tough time for the staff at IIP at present as they are being transferred into the UK Council for Education and Skills, which should mean a great future for the standard but a lot of upheaval for the people involved. Like anything involving government it also takes longer than it should and the communication could be better which doesn't help. From next March there won't be any need for a non exec board so I guess my involvement then will become more informal.
On Wednesday I went to Nottingham to meet with Liz at Boots which I really enjoyed - it was great to be back and to hear about everything that is going on. I also enjoyed driving the car from Luton to Nottingham and back as I didn't get much of a turn on the other journeys as John was keen to drive!
Despite all this I managed to find time for a little shopping and we had our customary visit to Rules since it's the game season. It nearly ended in disaster as they had no record of our on line booking, despite having a text and email confirmation. With slightly bad grace they did manage to come up with a table and we had a fabulous meal (roast grouse with all the trimmings!) Wednesday night we went out for dinner with Stratos and Maria, John's friends from Imperial and had a most convivial evening. They took us to an amazing restaurant in Mayfair 'Petit Maison' which seems to be the in place and was certainly buzzing though we ate so late and I'd enjoyed several preprandial beverages so probably wasn't in top form for food appreciation!
You'll have noticed a constant theme of incredible dinners during this trip and you'd be right to wonder how we managed to eat so much! The cooler weather gave us our appetites back and we ate like kings the whole time. It will be short rations and lots of exercise when we get back! Though I did manage to run in Skipton and Leysdown and Kirsty seemed to enjoy her first experience of going running with me. Like Hamish and Magnus before her, shelties make excellent running partners.
Thursday, after more meetings, we headed back to Manchester to get ready for the return to Abu Dhabi. Washing (which is much harder to get dry in Manchester) and tidying up ready to leave the apartment for much longer this time, together with a bit more shopping. I was over ambitious with buying things I haven't found in Abu Dhabi and had a hard job getting my suitcase shut. Rachel bought me a lovely teapot for my birthday which I was determined to take back and did manage to get it in, along with half of Boots, M&S and three bath plugs acquired in Sittingbourne (at last bath plugs for all bathrooms though Kent would be a long way to go to get more!)
Everything sorted we packed up and headed for the airport. Funnily enough I was struggling not to cry as we set off, even though I'd been looking forward to getting back and on with things, it still felt a wrench to think I won't see Manchester till Christmas. However, it was windy and rainy so the thought of some constant sunshine was very cheering.
So a busy couple of weeks and now back to our new life in Abu Dhabi.
We had a very pleasant flight as John kindly paid for my business class ticket and it was a day time flight so we were able to take full advantage of the champagne, wine and lovely food as well as watching films. It was really great to be back in Manchester and I was so glad we'd kept the apartment. Seeing the familiar sights and popping to Tesco Express - I never thought I'd enjoy it so much! Sunday was a beautiful Autumn day and we went out to Alderley Edge on the train to have lunch with Alison and David which was great and we enjoyed roast pork and red wine for the first time in ages. Monday I went into the office. It was lovely to see everyone though, despite still having a desk, I felt a bit displaced, with everyone so busy about their daily tasks and nothing for me to do but talk. Tuesday was my birthday so we went over to Skipton and went to the Angel at Hetton for a fabulous meal during their Champagne and Seafood festival. It was great to see mum again and on Wednesday we took Kirsty up to Grass Wood to see Dad and Mangar and Jim's memorial woods. The trees were at their most lovely though the special woods were overgrown and Kirsty is too big to carry over the stiles though she tried to run at the fence a couple of times but just got a squashed nose!
On Thursday we went to see Giselle at the Palace - English National Ballet put on a lovely, traditional performance which I enjoyed though John thought there weren't enough fairies and didn't believe me when I told him they were called Willis!
Friday we set off at 6am to drive down to Leysdown to see Isobel. I'm not so used to the early starts these days! We took her to Reads in Faversham to celebrate her 80th birthday - a lovely restaurant with rooms and the weather in the South was a perfect, sunny Autumn, unlike the wind and cloud we'd been experiencing in the North. It was a super place though I prefer my baths at the edge of the room rather than in the middle but I know that's the trendy place to put them now! The food was amazing - another find from the good hotel's guide which has never failed to yield wonderful little hotels with great kitchens.
Sunday we headed off to Wendover to see Rachel, Andrew, Ellie and Alastair and had another lovely day with family. Hopefully they'll be coming to visit us before too long, though Rachel tends to have their holidays organised well in advance.
Monday it was time to start doing some work again so we made our way into London. We left the car at Luton since last time we were in London the hotel charged £45 per night for parking so on top of the congestion charge and the general annoyance of driving in London it seemed like a good move. We stayed at the Sofitel St James which we haven't tried before but is really handy for the Royal Academy of Engineering and proved to be a good choice. John had endless meetings to chair and a visit to Imperial to see the Masdar fellows who are studying for PHD's there. I fitted in an Investors in People steering committee and a board meeting. It's a tough time for the staff at IIP at present as they are being transferred into the UK Council for Education and Skills, which should mean a great future for the standard but a lot of upheaval for the people involved. Like anything involving government it also takes longer than it should and the communication could be better which doesn't help. From next March there won't be any need for a non exec board so I guess my involvement then will become more informal.
On Wednesday I went to Nottingham to meet with Liz at Boots which I really enjoyed - it was great to be back and to hear about everything that is going on. I also enjoyed driving the car from Luton to Nottingham and back as I didn't get much of a turn on the other journeys as John was keen to drive!
Despite all this I managed to find time for a little shopping and we had our customary visit to Rules since it's the game season. It nearly ended in disaster as they had no record of our on line booking, despite having a text and email confirmation. With slightly bad grace they did manage to come up with a table and we had a fabulous meal (roast grouse with all the trimmings!) Wednesday night we went out for dinner with Stratos and Maria, John's friends from Imperial and had a most convivial evening. They took us to an amazing restaurant in Mayfair 'Petit Maison' which seems to be the in place and was certainly buzzing though we ate so late and I'd enjoyed several preprandial beverages so probably wasn't in top form for food appreciation!
You'll have noticed a constant theme of incredible dinners during this trip and you'd be right to wonder how we managed to eat so much! The cooler weather gave us our appetites back and we ate like kings the whole time. It will be short rations and lots of exercise when we get back! Though I did manage to run in Skipton and Leysdown and Kirsty seemed to enjoy her first experience of going running with me. Like Hamish and Magnus before her, shelties make excellent running partners.
Thursday, after more meetings, we headed back to Manchester to get ready for the return to Abu Dhabi. Washing (which is much harder to get dry in Manchester) and tidying up ready to leave the apartment for much longer this time, together with a bit more shopping. I was over ambitious with buying things I haven't found in Abu Dhabi and had a hard job getting my suitcase shut. Rachel bought me a lovely teapot for my birthday which I was determined to take back and did manage to get it in, along with half of Boots, M&S and three bath plugs acquired in Sittingbourne (at last bath plugs for all bathrooms though Kent would be a long way to go to get more!)
Everything sorted we packed up and headed for the airport. Funnily enough I was struggling not to cry as we set off, even though I'd been looking forward to getting back and on with things, it still felt a wrench to think I won't see Manchester till Christmas. However, it was windy and rainy so the thought of some constant sunshine was very cheering.
So a busy couple of weeks and now back to our new life in Abu Dhabi.
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