Friday, January 11, 2008
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
The 25th of December has crept up on us here in Dubai. It is not just because Christmas celebrations tend to be a little subdued in Islamic countries, such as the UAE. We spent a cold Christmas day in London in 2006, so a swim at the beach in Dubai this year will be a welcome change.
We precede our Xmas day with a 5 day road and camping trip to the neighbouring Sultanate of Oman and Tory is very excited at the prospect of loading up the car with local pottery, jewellery and other craft-wares. We a excited to have Tory’s mum staying with us over this period, so if I run out of the local currency at least I will still have some goods to trade. (Just joking Tors....)
At this stage, we have no set plans for celebrating the New Year, but with both the 1st of January and the 9th of January (for Islamic New Year) public holidays in the UAE, we will endeavour to celebrate it in style……twice.
If there is such a thing as a year of transition, 2007 has been it. A new surname, new job and a new home in the Middle East is more than most people can handle in any 12 month period. However, I am very fortunate that my wife has such a resilient attitude and adventurous spirit.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for her support during 2007. If the MBA in Oxford during 2005 and 2006 was a challenge, it was a piece of cake compared with a winter in London spent looking for work. Thankfully perseverance still gets rewarded and an employment offer from the ICC was forthcoming.
2008 promises to be a year of consolidation for us here in Dubai. We hope to grow more familiar and comfortable in our sandy surrounds, make new friends and play host and hostess to as many of our family and old friends as possible.
Seasons Greetings to you all,
D&T.
We precede our Xmas day with a 5 day road and camping trip to the neighbouring Sultanate of Oman and Tory is very excited at the prospect of loading up the car with local pottery, jewellery and other craft-wares. We a excited to have Tory’s mum staying with us over this period, so if I run out of the local currency at least I will still have some goods to trade. (Just joking Tors....)
At this stage, we have no set plans for celebrating the New Year, but with both the 1st of January and the 9th of January (for Islamic New Year) public holidays in the UAE, we will endeavour to celebrate it in style……twice.
If there is such a thing as a year of transition, 2007 has been it. A new surname, new job and a new home in the Middle East is more than most people can handle in any 12 month period. However, I am very fortunate that my wife has such a resilient attitude and adventurous spirit.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for her support during 2007. If the MBA in Oxford during 2005 and 2006 was a challenge, it was a piece of cake compared with a winter in London spent looking for work. Thankfully perseverance still gets rewarded and an employment offer from the ICC was forthcoming.
2008 promises to be a year of consolidation for us here in Dubai. We hope to grow more familiar and comfortable in our sandy surrounds, make new friends and play host and hostess to as many of our family and old friends as possible.
Seasons Greetings to you all,
D&T.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Swiss Mister
Doug has just returned from almost a week in Switzerland where he attended a conference in Lausanne aswell as 'fact-finding' meetings with the International Ice Hockey Federation in Zurich and UEFA in Nyon. In addition to his work commitments he stayed two nights with a friends David and Emma in Zug who took him for a Saturday afternoon of snowboarding in Flims (part of the Laax ski area). On the Sunday morning he traveled to Lausanne where he met up for lunch with his old school mate Geoff and his girlfriend Sophie who had driven from Chamonix, approximately 1.5 hours away. Doug was very impressed by the international flavour of Switzerland, stunning scenery and outdoors lifestyle but was a bit frightened by the high cost of living.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Dubai Dispatches
On the eve of Tory's flight home to Australia for her sister's wedding it is timely to reflect on what on what we have achieved during our first 3 months in the UAE. We touched down during the hottest part of the summer and soon experienced daily temperatures reaching 50 degrees celcius. In that kind of heat it is impossible to function outside of air-conditioning, but since September we have noticed the weather become much milder and we are now regulars at the beach and pool.
While we were accommodated by Doug's employer for the first month, Tory began looking for a place to live straight away and stumbled across a little place called Jumeirah Beach Residences, Dubai Marina (little meaning 48 towers in the one development). When we moved in the developer Dubai Properties had just handed the keys over to the new owners so there was only 5% occupancy and in true Dubai style the promise of the pool, landscaping, gym, beach club all coming along in the "next month or so". Turns out we got the pool but the rest is "still coming along" something you have get used to. We chose to live at the Marina do to its close promixity to Doug's work in Dubai Media City, it is also right next to the beach and surrounded by amazing 5 star hotels and all the necessary amenities. Rental accommodation in Dubai is like an empty canvas, no white goods, oven or anything is included in the price so our weekends since have been spent trawling the plentiful shopping malls trying to fill in a few gaps of our two bedroom apartment. Thankfully in recent weeks furniture shopping has been substituted by watching of the rugby world cup.
Tory managed to score a job with a well established Australian property finance company that have recently opened their first overseas office in Dubai. There is a small team of 14 including the founding MD and some senior names to give the start up some instant credibility. Working with an Australian organisation certainly has it perks. One of those was made clear by our first experience of Ramadan the holy month of Islam. No food, beverage or loud music is permittedin public during daylight hours during this month. I got to eat at my desk where as Doug had to eat in private due to the Muselim employees at his work. No restaurants, bars, cafes can be seen to be operating before sunset - or as the locals call it *Iftar.
Making friends in Dubai has been a slow process, after wading through the piles of paper work associated with the relocation we have found little time to go out of the town. However we have managed to catch up for a few *brunches with an old work colleague of Tory's and some friends or friends. We also love a local bar called Barasti which is close by and only last night we stumbled across a new one the Cabana Bar at a hotel in front of our apartment. Right on the beach the place is "cheeze" deluxe, an out dated family hotel (for Dubai standards) however it ticks all the boxes as a convenient local for a cold beverage by the beach.
We bought a car recently (4 x 4), there was a few key criteria when thinking about what kind of vehicle we wanted. The UAE is reported to be the third most dangerous country in the world to drive after Saudi Arabia and Iran and the common theme here is the bigger the better. Hummers are in abundance, so it is clear that Climate Change is not really at the forfront of people's minds. We do feel safer being in a larger vehicle and luckily fuel is at bargin prices due to the location of the oil rigs only 90 nortical miles off shore and the rest of the Middle East production. The other key factor was our desire to get out of town on the weekends. The desert is only 25 mins drive, the border of Oman is 1.5hours away and there are some fantastic sights and beach camping within the UAE.
That is all for now,
Lots of Love,
Tory x
While we were accommodated by Doug's employer for the first month, Tory began looking for a place to live straight away and stumbled across a little place called Jumeirah Beach Residences, Dubai Marina (little meaning 48 towers in the one development). When we moved in the developer Dubai Properties had just handed the keys over to the new owners so there was only 5% occupancy and in true Dubai style the promise of the pool, landscaping, gym, beach club all coming along in the "next month or so". Turns out we got the pool but the rest is "still coming along" something you have get used to. We chose to live at the Marina do to its close promixity to Doug's work in Dubai Media City, it is also right next to the beach and surrounded by amazing 5 star hotels and all the necessary amenities. Rental accommodation in Dubai is like an empty canvas, no white goods, oven or anything is included in the price so our weekends since have been spent trawling the plentiful shopping malls trying to fill in a few gaps of our two bedroom apartment. Thankfully in recent weeks furniture shopping has been substituted by watching of the rugby world cup.
Tory managed to score a job with a well established Australian property finance company that have recently opened their first overseas office in Dubai. There is a small team of 14 including the founding MD and some senior names to give the start up some instant credibility. Working with an Australian organisation certainly has it perks. One of those was made clear by our first experience of Ramadan the holy month of Islam. No food, beverage or loud music is permittedin public during daylight hours during this month. I got to eat at my desk where as Doug had to eat in private due to the Muselim employees at his work. No restaurants, bars, cafes can be seen to be operating before sunset - or as the locals call it *Iftar.
Making friends in Dubai has been a slow process, after wading through the piles of paper work associated with the relocation we have found little time to go out of the town. However we have managed to catch up for a few *brunches with an old work colleague of Tory's and some friends or friends. We also love a local bar called Barasti which is close by and only last night we stumbled across a new one the Cabana Bar at a hotel in front of our apartment. Right on the beach the place is "cheeze" deluxe, an out dated family hotel (for Dubai standards) however it ticks all the boxes as a convenient local for a cold beverage by the beach.
We bought a car recently (4 x 4), there was a few key criteria when thinking about what kind of vehicle we wanted. The UAE is reported to be the third most dangerous country in the world to drive after Saudi Arabia and Iran and the common theme here is the bigger the better. Hummers are in abundance, so it is clear that Climate Change is not really at the forfront of people's minds. We do feel safer being in a larger vehicle and luckily fuel is at bargin prices due to the location of the oil rigs only 90 nortical miles off shore and the rest of the Middle East production. The other key factor was our desire to get out of town on the weekends. The desert is only 25 mins drive, the border of Oman is 1.5hours away and there are some fantastic sights and beach camping within the UAE.
That is all for now,
Lots of Love,
Tory x
Saturday, July 28, 2007
The Honeymooners
New country, new time zone and new author…………….
Welcome to the world according to TORY and Doug from the Middle East.
But before arriving in the Arabian Gulf, we first managed to squeeze in a weeks honeymoon on the Amalfi Coast, Italy. It was absolutely amazing and a much needed break before relocating to Dubai. We highly recommend staying in Praiano a little village 6km on from Positano as the view is magnificent back onto Positano and straight down the Amalfi coastline towards the Isle of Capri and the Sorrentine Peninsula. It is also quieter, and very coastal without the being under the tourist influence.
http://www.pensione-pellegrino.it/. Luigi Iaccono, the owner is a true host. His one-on-one attention to his guests is second to none. July or October is the best time to visit as they are not too busy then.
http://www.daadolfo.com/ An amazing day trip from Positano. You pick up a boat from the port with a fish on the mast. They take you to a tiny private beach, this is a full day as they have a fabulous rustic shack where you eat (best food I've ever experienced), drink and lounge in the sun!
We also did a boat trip of Capri, and managed to run into a friend’s father and partner from Brisbane, the world is forever getting smaller. Capri is very chi chi with all the top tier designers having their stores lining the winding coble stoned streets. Five star hotels are in abundance with paparazzi snooping in the quiet streets trying to catch up an unsuspecting celebrity. The yachts moored around the island defy belief and certainly generate intrigue as to who must be on board. The final day trip was to Ravello, high up in the mountains above the town of Amalfi. This place is remarkable, noticeably very affluent with lush streets and not a sign of rubbish or misfortune. It is home to one of the most spectacular natural amphitheatres in the world. International musicians of all music genres perform here throughout the year. Unfortunately we timed our visit badly and missed a concert that was a 10pm that evening.
We flew into Rome and hired a car. However I would recommend flying into Naples. Doug after not driving for years on a regular basis and never having driven in Europe (Right Side) managed the hectic autostrada and then the tricky coastal roads with ease. We later heard of another Australian group who hired their car from Rome and managed to have three separate scrapes on the way down, so it was quite an achievement. This was my first experience of Italy and I could not have been more inspired by the place.
Two days back in London, the final packing was complete. We said our goodbyes to Ben who had been Doug’s flatmate for the past six months in London and headed to the UAE.
Next update will chronicle our first impressions of Dubai, so stay tuned.
Much Love,
Tory & Doug
Welcome to the world according to TORY and Doug from the Middle East.
But before arriving in the Arabian Gulf, we first managed to squeeze in a weeks honeymoon on the Amalfi Coast, Italy. It was absolutely amazing and a much needed break before relocating to Dubai. We highly recommend staying in Praiano a little village 6km on from Positano as the view is magnificent back onto Positano and straight down the Amalfi coastline towards the Isle of Capri and the Sorrentine Peninsula. It is also quieter, and very coastal without the being under the tourist influence.
http://www.pensione-pellegrino.it/. Luigi Iaccono, the owner is a true host. His one-on-one attention to his guests is second to none. July or October is the best time to visit as they are not too busy then.
http://www.daadolfo.com/ An amazing day trip from Positano. You pick up a boat from the port with a fish on the mast. They take you to a tiny private beach, this is a full day as they have a fabulous rustic shack where you eat (best food I've ever experienced), drink and lounge in the sun!
We also did a boat trip of Capri, and managed to run into a friend’s father and partner from Brisbane, the world is forever getting smaller. Capri is very chi chi with all the top tier designers having their stores lining the winding coble stoned streets. Five star hotels are in abundance with paparazzi snooping in the quiet streets trying to catch up an unsuspecting celebrity. The yachts moored around the island defy belief and certainly generate intrigue as to who must be on board. The final day trip was to Ravello, high up in the mountains above the town of Amalfi. This place is remarkable, noticeably very affluent with lush streets and not a sign of rubbish or misfortune. It is home to one of the most spectacular natural amphitheatres in the world. International musicians of all music genres perform here throughout the year. Unfortunately we timed our visit badly and missed a concert that was a 10pm that evening.
We flew into Rome and hired a car. However I would recommend flying into Naples. Doug after not driving for years on a regular basis and never having driven in Europe (Right Side) managed the hectic autostrada and then the tricky coastal roads with ease. We later heard of another Australian group who hired their car from Rome and managed to have three separate scrapes on the way down, so it was quite an achievement. This was my first experience of Italy and I could not have been more inspired by the place.
Two days back in London, the final packing was complete. We said our goodbyes to Ben who had been Doug’s flatmate for the past six months in London and headed to the UAE.
Next update will chronicle our first impressions of Dubai, so stay tuned.
Much Love,
Tory & Doug
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