This weekend saw the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for which the city had built a race track on a previously uninhabited desert island just outside the city. We were lucky enough to be given some tickets by John's boss, Dr Sultan, a couple of days before and were able to actually go along. I had thought we'd be watching it on the big screen on the corniche so it was great to be part of it as the excitement has been mounting in the city.
The circuit is absolutely amazing with a hotel right in the middle and a marina and yacht club. In the sunshine it looked great with incredible yachts moored right up to the track and the sun shining on the water. But as night fell and the sun set it really came into its own with coloured lights on all the buildings and lights shining on the track.
We were sat with the real race goers rather than the champagne corporate hospitality set so we got the true flavour of the event. I think John could have got grand invites, but only for himself and, being the gent he is, he knew I'd want to be included.
I've never been to F1 before so it was a totally new experience, even if the outcome for this year was already decided. We got the shuttle bus from the Marina Mall which worked really well and went across the new bridge and onto the new motorway which has been built over Sadiyat Island, which will one day be a cultural hub with a Louvre, a Guggenheim as well as various other theatres, museums and galleries.
We watched G2 and Porsche's racing as well as the F1 practice sessions and qualifier. It was pretty hot but the stands were covered and the noise was incredible. On day 2 we were lucky enough to be given some BMW ear defenders which were rather more effective than the little sponge ones.
When Louis Hamilton took pole position we were hopeful for a British winner but his car broke down. Jenson Button nearly overtook Vettel in the final seconds but we were robbed of our chance to hear God Save the Queen and had to listen to Deutschland Uber Alles for the third time in the day (yes the Germans won the G2 and Porsche races as well!)
Etihad showed off their specially liveried planes with a fly past by two planes which was impressive to watch such big Airbuses performing so close to the ground.
I'm afraid though the heat of the long days meant we were too tired to stay for the evening concerts and missed Jamiroquai, Aerosmith and The Kings of Leon which everyone said were tremendous. We also missed a special Beyonce concert on the Thursday as we were invited to share his 60th birthday by Julian and his wife Bettina. Julian and John were at university together so it was a rather special treat. We had a lovely meal, sitting outside at the Hiltonia Beach Club.
All in all it was a pretty busy weekend and even more special in that John got Sunday off to see the Grand Prix so we actually had a non working Sunday which still feels right!
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
My first experience of training Abu Dhabi style
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!
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!
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.
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