I am a bad blogger..sorry all!

This week I have massively slacked off on my blog, I just got really busy and I am only now finding time to write this over due post.  This is now going to be a roundup of the weekend and the week…here goes!

So this weekend we decided to have a quiet Thursday night and tried a new Pizzeria which was great!  Now if only I could remember the name…sorry!!  Still I am sure we will order again and I will update you all then.  It was a lovely evening in and we finally started watching ‘Mad Men’ – I know I know we are WAY behind the times!  So far I am really enjoying it but I am waiting for it to really kick off.

On Friday we met up for a pool sesh which was lovely!  Then I even managed to fit in a gym session, I powered through and did an hour on the treadmill…I seem to have twinged my knee a tad so I took time off the C25K and took some advice from a gym buddy.  I upped the incline and reduced the speed and the calories seemed to MELT away.  I nailed through nearly 400 calories.  I stretched off afterwards and even felt fresh in spite of the fact I had pushed myself quite hard.  I figure if I do this a few more times I will lose some of the weight I have gained quick enough to make a difference to how my dresses fit…fingers crossed!

In the evening I undid my hard work by going for dinner with Bond at Nezesaussi at Souk al Manzil.  It’s a great South African Sports bar and if you like your meat then I can’t encourage you enough to go.  The food is EXCELLENT and super fresh.  The pork ribs were especially wonderful, the marinade was delicious.  We ordered some divine wine from Stellenbosch which was a definite highlight. I am so keen to go back and try the sausages as I bet they are excellent.  I definitely recommend it if you want a relaxed night out with excellent food!  I had most definitely overdressed for the occassion so to make up for it we decided to go for champagne cocktails at the Manzil courtyard hotel.  It was really great to toast Bond’s success with the marathon.  The manzil is really lovely, very laid back but chic and has a nice buzzy atmosphre.  also if you like Shisha then definitely check this out as they had lots of flavours!  All in all it was a really fun Friday night!

On Saturday we decided it was time to run some errands…so off we went to Mall of the Emirates.  First Bond needed new shirts (need is a stretch, he said need but I think it was more ‘want’) so off we went to Hackett and he got two new additions to the collection. From there it was time to get a vase and we lucked out as Marina Home was having a sale.  From there new flat shoes for me from H&M (which were an actual need!) and then on to the dreaded Carrefour…which I will not regale you with, one because I don’t want to bore you and also I don’t want to relive it!

Sadly the weekend had to end sometime and so on Sunday it was back to work.  I braved the gym again but it was really full of people which was a shame as I wanted to do some toning. I also did a yoga session so I felt really smug by the time I got home!  In fact I have begun to enjoy yoga this much I got up this morning and did two sessions to make up for the ones I missed while I was doing all the car madness.  Who knows I may soon be like Adriene…well a girl can dream!

On Monday it was the leaving do for one of my closest friends at work.  We have had lunch together practically every day since I got here so it is quite a wrench to say goodbye!  She is off back home to China and I miss her already – even though I know this is the right move for her.  Anyway we had cake during the day with everyone and my boss made a lovely speech which moved us both to tears!  Then in the evening a load of us met up to go for drinks at the Jetty Lounge at the One and Only.  The Jetty lounge is a really lovely spot where you can enjoy a luxury experience right on the ocean!  They do great food and cocktails and have a decent wine list too!  We all had a really good time hanging out together and reminiscing about old times.  It was an oddly sad but fun evening…

Tuesday night I said goodbye to Percy Peugeot…I had decided to buy my colleague’s car when she announced her emigration.  This meant it was time to return Percy to the owner all the way in motor city.  Anyway it was not the most emotional goodbye really as I was SO excited to have my own wheels the next day.

For those of you who have not bought a car in Dubai yesterday I learned the hard way that it is not the easiest process!!  One of the guys from work came too so he could say a last goodbye and also to save myself taking a taxi.  The three of us got to work…first you take your car to the ‘testing centre’ where they apparently check the car is safe.  Then you fill in some forms which turned out to be a major hassle as my insurance company had in fact registered me incorrectly!  Anyway two and a half hours later I had my car registered, insured and salik tagged (for the toll booths throughout Dubai)…if any of you are going to do this then for sure take the VIP service like we did, I can only imagine how many hours it all takes otherwise!

Anyway now I have a new car, it’s another Peugeot 308, silver this time and with a much nicer interior.  So far it’s driving really well and I like the feeling of responsibility of car ownership!

All in all a hectic but fun week really!

This weekend we are off to brunch at the Westin to celebrate Bond completing the marathon madness!!

Sushi, Take That and Rugby…an unlikely trio!

On Thursday evening I decided to have a quiet evening in with some trashy TV and a heap of sushi.  I used to eat Sushi all the time but as Bond is not a fan I haven’t indulged in quite a while! Apparently I was keen for a lot of it because after I placed the order at Sushi Art the lady said ‘Shall I send two or three sets of chopsticks’!  Anyway in spite of her thinking I couldn’t eat it alone I managed to demolish it over the course of the evening while I watched my new guilty pleasure ‘Shahs of Sunset’.  It is total mindless trash but rather enjoyable if you like reality TV.  I turned in for the night at 10.30 because that’s the kind of wild party animal I am!

Friday morning I was up bright eyed and bushy tailed and decided the best thing to do was conserve that energy so I did some more relaxing before a bit of a pamper session to prepare for the highlight of my weekend – ‘Take That’.  Two of my friends and I had decided a night of nostalgia was definitely called for.  The concert was at Dubai Amphitheatre which I hadn’t been to before but I had heard it was great and quite intimate which for a 10,000 person arena is no mean feat. The girls and I met at the Radisson Blu nearby for a drink on the rooftop which was lovely, they made yummy strawberry dacquiris and we had some nibbles too.  We then headed off to get a decent spot and a bottle of wine to share while we watched.  The concert was hosted by Dubai 92 and their DJ’s put on a good pre-show before the boys took the stage. It seems that when Gary Barlow came to perform he promised to bring the band to Dubai and they certainly came back with a bang.  The screen they had projected the most amazing images and graphics, I was really impressed.  Each slide was better than the one before!  They also played a great mix of old and new hits and I knew all the words to every song which was fun for me (if not for the girls because I am of course tone deaf!) It really was a terrific night, for once I could actually see the stage and really get the most out of seeing a band perform live!

Once they had finished we decided to go to the One and Only Royal Mirage which is within walking distance from the amphitheatre.  The Jetty Lounge is really one of the most beautiful spots in Dubai, you can sit over looking the water and enjoy the lovely atmosphere.  I am a big fan and definitely recommend a visit if you’re in Dubai (though do try to book so you get a good spot to sit!).

Truly it was a fab evening, if ‘Take That’ come back to Dubai I will be the first to book my ticket and I have been dancing along to their music ever since in my car!

Saturday Bond and I were invited to our favourite couple’s house for dinner.  N is one of my closest friends here and her husband and Bond get on like a house on fire too so we always have a good time.  N’s dad was over and she was very keen for us to meet him and have dinner altogether while the rugby was on.  I am not a huge Rugby fan but Bond loves it – N and I decided to support Australia while the boys cheered on New Zealand – naturally they were VERY smug when their team won!  All in all it was a lovely evening and I was thrilled to meet my friend’s dad who is great fun!  Now I am missing mine a lot and can’t wait for Christmas more than ever!!!!

Fun at Fume

A few weeks ago a lovely colleague of mine left the company to go and be a mum and we all went to wish her well at Jetty Lounge.  While I was there I got talking to some other colleagues I hadn’t previously met and one of the girls proposed dinner and drinks.  The two of us finally got round to going last night and after a long day at work we were both ready to have fun!

We met at Fume in Pier 7 to get to know each other better and catch up and we had a blast!  It was so fun to spend time with someone new who was very open to sharing and who has a great wit.  I will definitely be looking to go out with her again.  She’s recently divorced so is looking to make new friends and re-build her life, I think she would be a great addition to our crowd of friends as she’s very positive and seems to really know her own mind.  Qualities I really like in a person!

Fume is a fun French style brasserie in Pier 7 which is the local haunt for Marina and JBR residents.  The place has a fun vibe and also an alcohol licence!  A lot of places in Marina and JBR are dry so Pier 7 is a popular choice if you fancy a glass of wine with your meal, which we did of course.

My new buddy had the salmon with cucumber salad and said it was delicious (we aren’t close enough yet to share food!)  I had the brisket which was quite nice but a tad too heavy and the sauce was extremely sweet.  It wasn’t quite what I had imagined and I don’t think I would order it again because the flavour of the meat was totally overshadowed by the sticky sauce.  The potato wedges and edamame beans were yummy though.  I would definitely go back to the restaurant and just make a safer order…perhaps the pasta and meatballs as they were my second choice.

The vibe is very laid back and cool, the menus are on skirt hangers which is pretty unique and they have a huge coca cola fridge too.  The view over the marina is also lovely and they seem to have a great cocktail list too with some funny names which I always enjoy.  Of course I have now forgotten them but at the time I was most amused! I can definitely picture myself on their terrace enjoying the view with a comical cocktail.

See how cool they are hanging there?

In other unrelated news my friend just messaged to say she got a great job interview and they may fly her out here!  Fingers crossed my partner in crime and I get reunited in a few weeks for good!! (This obviously is BIG news but I felt like a whole blog post might jinx it all!)

This is very true…she’s 5 foot 8 and I am 5 foot 2, when I stand up very straight and think my tallest thoughts!!

Joyous Jetty

Last night was the leaving drinks of a lovely colleague of mine, I am very sorry she has left but she’s off to be a mum and I know she’s going to be amazing at that!  Also we have promised to keep in touch so I hope that we do.  She’s really lovely and a fellow Brit so it’s been great to meet her and become friends.  Also as she grew up in Dubai she’s a fount of knowledge.

A group of us met up at the Jetty Lounge at the One and Only Royal Mirage, I have never been before and had heard really good things.  It is a lovely venue and the weather was perfect!  Hard to believe as we are now assaulted by a sandstorm! We sat outside overlooking the water next to a fire of all things.  It was really beautiful if a tad warm.  Sure it’s Dubai winter, but fires aren’t quite required…still it was fun to see!

I was quickly served a delicious Mai Tai and we had some lovely platters of food. Everyone got on like a house on fire and I met some nice new people.  It’s really amazing how lovely everyone at my company is.  I am so lucky to work with such delightful and fun people!

After some more chat I had a Cosmopolitan which was as good if not better than the Mai Tai.  At about 10.30 we all remembered we had work the next day and so we headed home.  It was so much fun and I am already looking forward to the next get together!

Tonight I will be at home getting my flat ready for the arrival of my best friend!!  I can’t wait to see her and show her around and of course persuade her to move to Dubai.  I am really quite frustrated by the horrid sandstorm and hopefully it will pass before she arrives!  Please keep your fingers crossed for us!