The Card's in the Post...Oh Really!?

My reaction to the bill. Minus tie and dodgy hair.

You probably know by now that Dubai has no postal system. Ridiculous, I agree. 

If you're in the UK, you CAN still send things here, if you're prepared to go to the post office and pay a little extra for an air mail stamp. 

Or, you could of course courier something, if you really wanted to. 

No one ever uses this option. 

In fact, it's rare to get any post at all. 

I have a few friends who do send me mini parcels on a regular basis, and when they arrive, they are like GOLD. The office boy chirpily brings them to my desk like one of the wise men clutching precious Frankincense. Honestly, it's THAT big an occasion when a parcel arrives from the mystical 'U.K'.

If you're in Dubai and want to send anything to the UK, the post office is a bit of a waste of time. There's a very good chance it will never get there. This means that in order to sort birthdays, Christmases, and general gifts, you have to use a courier.

I use the office UPS service. It's easier, quicker, no hassle of trekking to an office or a mall. I have to pay for it, it's not a freebie. Each month a finance bod brings me my bill, I sign it off, and it's deducted from my pay packet.

Want to know what this month's bill was? Really? Ok then:

• 200 GBP.
• TWO HUNDRED UK POUNDS
• $280

Whichever currency you write it in, that's a whole lot of dosh in my opinion.

I didn't feel like I'd sent a lot of things...a letter, a few packs of wedding photos, a couple of gifts. But wowser! Call me tight,but that bill made me flinch.

Here's the thing: I want to stay in touch with my lovely friends and family. I don't want to be the kind of person who gives to receive. But it's hard not to feel like things are a little one sided when you see the black and white evidence of the effort you make to stay connected, and compare it to the number of birthday, Christmas and wedding cards you've received over a five year period. Which barely make it into double digits.

What are your thoughts, Dubai chums and overseas ex-pats? How do you correspond with the UK? Rely on Moonpig? Never send gifts or parcels? Or bite the bullet and cough up, like I've been doing? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Christmas Fever!

He's even in the desert, you know!

So, it happened. I caught Christmas Fever!  To be fair, I’d been actively courting it since November 30^th, but a busy schedule and distinct lack of real Christmas trees in Satwa meant that I was a little delayed in getting on board.  Thankfully, that’s all changed, and my new (oh so beautiful) tree is resplendent at Harvarde Towers.

Don’t ask quite how we managed to fit it into a four door saloon car, suffice to say I ended up in the back seat with my face pressed against the rear view window for the journey home, but oh, it was worth it.  I’m actually excited when my key is in the lock each night, knowing the beautiful twinkly vision that awaits me.  And the smell of fresh tree is just a joy!

In addition to the tree I have a variety of festive treats around the house:  stockings, crackers, Bethlehem snow globe (no, really), Bethlehem donkey, Christmas candles, festive room spray, Christmas tunes, movies….oh it’s such a treat being home right now!

As I had the foresight to take a day off work last week to plough through the Christmas shopping, there’s also piles and piles and PILES of presents under the tree.  Now it’s time to go through the now traditional ‘will they won’t they make it stress’ due to the hideous UK weather. I have everything crossed. 

Christmas Joy!

Dubai Mall's tree: a bit big for my apartment..

One of the many beautiful things about living in Dubai is the way that nationalities (all 200 of them), religions and cultures not only exist side by side, but are positively encouraged. In the last few months we’ve actively celebrated Diwali, Thanksgiving, National day and next, we have Christmas.  We make an effort to share our different rituals amongst office colleagues and friends – thankfully many of these revolve around food!

One ritual which is hard to explain (and you can’t eat it) is how to choose a Christmas tree.  For years I went to B&Q back in the UK and chose my tree, but I honestly don’t know if I ever found it as tricky as I do here.  Firstly there’s the environment - I love the ritual of heading down to Plant Street in Satwa, but it’s hard not to feel pressured with crowds of shop assistants crawling all over you.  Then (and call me tight) there’s the fact that these trees are going to cost you the best part of a hundred quid – somehow it makes it all the more important to get the just right tree.

Things I’m looking for: fatness, bushiness, colour, smell and the one thing that you can’t put your finger on or explain: charisma.  When I see the tree I’m going to enjoy for the best part of a month, I just KNOW.  Which explains why I left Satwa without a tree yesterday.  New deliveries are flown in on Wednesday…until then I’ll have to make do with (last year’s) Marks and Spencer Christmas room spray.

They're Coming!

Are iced mince pies under those hats?!

It's that time of year again.  As the temperature finally starts to cool, and we romp into the final quarter of the year, every expat's thoughts turn to Christmas. More specifically: what are we doing?

This will be my fourth (fourth!) Dubai Christmas and as I may have mentioned before, I adore the festive period here. We really throw ourselves into it and I find it even more enjoyable than I used to back home. Something about the blue sky and sunshine behind the carol singers that just lifts my heart. And Christmas Day on the lawn at the Ritz is one of those joyful experiences that I'll take with me to the grave. Music, laughter, love and Turkey. Wonderful.

We had the usual debate this year. As predictable as the sequins and fake tan on Strictly (in itself worthy of another blog) we debate the cost (hideous) and the weather (will Gatwick close).  Joan Collins (my glamorous Gran) is also laboring under the misconception that if she didn't come, we'd all have a far better time. She seems to think we'd all be out cutting up a rug every night on Dubai's dance floors, bless her.  Whilst I have seen my dad’s toes tapping at 360 on Christmas Eve, we've never come close to dancing. We’re all too busy stuffing iced mine pies and champers down our necks, truth be told.

So after all these discussions and reassurances, the tickets are booked. My lovely family will touch down in Dubai on the 20th, inshallah.  Let the planning commence!