The holidays are flying by. The teenager has returned from his jaunt to Thailand in one piece with my bank account a lot lighter. Turns out the exchange rate wasn't in his favour! Yeah right! Put that on a Tui add. So much for learning budgeting skills but I suppose a foreign country isn't the best place for that.
I have finally got my iphone back with wifi capability so once again I've been able to connect with the world. Thank goodness for sisters who update me on what is happening in the world...
The swarm of earthquakes in Seddon being the major news back home in New Zealand at the moment. Wellington was also majorly affected. Naturally I was anxious about friends and family as my hometown of Blenheim is right in the middle of the fault lines. Earthquakes are something we live with in NZ but nobody likes to hear that there has been another big one. The Christchurch earthquakes are still too recent in everyone's minds for us to have become complacent. Reports from family and friends tell me that Wellington suffered severe damage which will have long lasting ramifications. As the risk of Tsunami became real I'm sure this will also have lasting implications for our island homeland and future development.
Hopefully my house in Blenheim is undamaged. I must say my rental agent was on the ball reporting to me the next day, stating that houses will be under closer scrutiny over the next three months. The down side is I'm sure our insurance payments will rise significantly again.
My computer has returned to the shop for a second attempt at fixing it. I think it's done its dash so when I took it in I purchased another laptop. So now the whole process of learning a new operating system begins.
Windows 8... mmmm... What can I say? I may have to purchase a 'how to' book downstairs from the supermarket to figure it out. One problem is that I can't seem to shut any windows once I open them. Another major problem for me is that there is no Office or Word Processing programmes on the computer. What do I need for my blog? Word processing - of course! So I'll just have to type directly onto the blog rather than doing a word document first.
A third problem is that the computer doesn't have a disc drive. No problem we thought when we bought it but how do you load your anti-virus or Office programme without purchasing online? I feel as if my technological skills are way behind the eight ball nowadays so may need to spend some time figuring things out.
So how am I spending my days? Well, each morning I walk around the podium at least five times. This takes me about 20-25 minutes. Then I swim in the infinity pool while the lap pool is under repair. I do 10-12 lengths (or should that be curves?) then I catch some sun to ward off Vitamin D deficiency. Then it's back upstairs for shower, breakfast and housework. Then maybe read a bit or continue with my difficult puzzle I'm doing. I may catch the bus into town or down to the Dr. Then it's time for an afternoon nap before thinking about dinner. Often I'll take my book outside around 5pm when it should be cooling down and read until dark then have another walk and swim. With all this exercise I should be fading away but I'm not, probably due to so much sitting around during the day.
Those astute readers will have noticed I said the Dr. Not that I'm sick but what I love about here is the accessibility of the health care, including specialists. Therefore, I'm visiting far more than I ever would at home just because I can. I'm having a spate of 'ologists'. I've seen the optomologist, dermatologist, urologist and am seeking a referral to the gastroenterologist to get a preventative colonoscopy. Each visit costs AED 30, around $10 NZ. Prescriptions are heavily subsidised so health care here is a bonus. I may even fit in a dentist visit which is a bit more expensive but still far more affordable than at home.
On my daily rounds I meet the same people. I often have the pool to myself just after it's been cleaned each morning. The lifeguards all enquire how Madam is today. Recently I've met another kiwi guy down swimming. I still marvel at how much sportier than the rest of the world we are.
When I was looking at holiday destinations and the huge amount it would cost for hotels I wondered why I would leave my fabulous facilities and pay to stay somewhere probably nowhere near as good. The packing up and going somewhere for six or eight weeks will have to wait until I no longer have school fees to pay. So I'm looking at shorter, cheaper getaways which are always available here, especially on long weekends. Sri Lanka is a popular and affordable destination so I may head there. Austria for a white Christmas sounds fantastic and with another sister coming next April I'm saving some local sights to visit with her.
I had a wee drama the other night when I switched my lounge lights on. Sparks flew then the smell of burning rubber permeated the air. I tried phoning our maintenance helpline but it was busy - 3 times! So I switched off the fuse in the meter box and hoped I wouldn't be evacuating during the night. The next day I changed the light bulbs then phoned again and finally got through. Within five minutes two men with a ladder were ringing my bell. They had the problem solved within 10 minutes, with a smile. My dimmer switches were faulty so now I have no dimmer. The same two men had been here only a week ago to clean out my air-conditioning unit and check my electricals and drains. One of them was so excited as he had just got his UAE drivers licence that morning and was telling me he could now leave the company and go home to Pakistan and marry his fiance. The drivers licence would give him better work opportunities when he returned with another company. He had to leave as no-one would give him that much time off. It still amazes me how many men live here permanently separated from their families with perhaps an anuual or bi-annual month long trip home. Just enough time to make another baby! No doubt there'll be a rash of George's born now.
This same guy told me that all the workers like coming to my apartment (holy moly!) as they respect 'Madam'. 'Sir' is once again conveniently absent at the moment but due back soon! (Men's shirt hanging in my room and shoes strewn about help reinforce this fact.) Also my apartment is clean unlike a lot of the locals! Apparently this hero worship is brought on by the fact that I speak to them and that I don't treat them as if they are my personal servants. I hardly ever tip them but did for the recent A/C work as during Ramadan it's customary to give to those less fortunate. Still the tip was only miniscule, AED 10 each ($3.50 NZ). So it's not for the financial benefits. They do extra wee things for me now for free so it's true - What goes around, comes around!
I have finally got my iphone back with wifi capability so once again I've been able to connect with the world. Thank goodness for sisters who update me on what is happening in the world...
The swarm of earthquakes in Seddon being the major news back home in New Zealand at the moment. Wellington was also majorly affected. Naturally I was anxious about friends and family as my hometown of Blenheim is right in the middle of the fault lines. Earthquakes are something we live with in NZ but nobody likes to hear that there has been another big one. The Christchurch earthquakes are still too recent in everyone's minds for us to have become complacent. Reports from family and friends tell me that Wellington suffered severe damage which will have long lasting ramifications. As the risk of Tsunami became real I'm sure this will also have lasting implications for our island homeland and future development.
Hopefully my house in Blenheim is undamaged. I must say my rental agent was on the ball reporting to me the next day, stating that houses will be under closer scrutiny over the next three months. The down side is I'm sure our insurance payments will rise significantly again.
My computer has returned to the shop for a second attempt at fixing it. I think it's done its dash so when I took it in I purchased another laptop. So now the whole process of learning a new operating system begins.
Windows 8... mmmm... What can I say? I may have to purchase a 'how to' book downstairs from the supermarket to figure it out. One problem is that I can't seem to shut any windows once I open them. Another major problem for me is that there is no Office or Word Processing programmes on the computer. What do I need for my blog? Word processing - of course! So I'll just have to type directly onto the blog rather than doing a word document first.
A third problem is that the computer doesn't have a disc drive. No problem we thought when we bought it but how do you load your anti-virus or Office programme without purchasing online? I feel as if my technological skills are way behind the eight ball nowadays so may need to spend some time figuring things out.
So how am I spending my days? Well, each morning I walk around the podium at least five times. This takes me about 20-25 minutes. Then I swim in the infinity pool while the lap pool is under repair. I do 10-12 lengths (or should that be curves?) then I catch some sun to ward off Vitamin D deficiency. Then it's back upstairs for shower, breakfast and housework. Then maybe read a bit or continue with my difficult puzzle I'm doing. I may catch the bus into town or down to the Dr. Then it's time for an afternoon nap before thinking about dinner. Often I'll take my book outside around 5pm when it should be cooling down and read until dark then have another walk and swim. With all this exercise I should be fading away but I'm not, probably due to so much sitting around during the day.
Those astute readers will have noticed I said the Dr. Not that I'm sick but what I love about here is the accessibility of the health care, including specialists. Therefore, I'm visiting far more than I ever would at home just because I can. I'm having a spate of 'ologists'. I've seen the optomologist, dermatologist, urologist and am seeking a referral to the gastroenterologist to get a preventative colonoscopy. Each visit costs AED 30, around $10 NZ. Prescriptions are heavily subsidised so health care here is a bonus. I may even fit in a dentist visit which is a bit more expensive but still far more affordable than at home.
On my daily rounds I meet the same people. I often have the pool to myself just after it's been cleaned each morning. The lifeguards all enquire how Madam is today. Recently I've met another kiwi guy down swimming. I still marvel at how much sportier than the rest of the world we are.
When I was looking at holiday destinations and the huge amount it would cost for hotels I wondered why I would leave my fabulous facilities and pay to stay somewhere probably nowhere near as good. The packing up and going somewhere for six or eight weeks will have to wait until I no longer have school fees to pay. So I'm looking at shorter, cheaper getaways which are always available here, especially on long weekends. Sri Lanka is a popular and affordable destination so I may head there. Austria for a white Christmas sounds fantastic and with another sister coming next April I'm saving some local sights to visit with her.
I had a wee drama the other night when I switched my lounge lights on. Sparks flew then the smell of burning rubber permeated the air. I tried phoning our maintenance helpline but it was busy - 3 times! So I switched off the fuse in the meter box and hoped I wouldn't be evacuating during the night. The next day I changed the light bulbs then phoned again and finally got through. Within five minutes two men with a ladder were ringing my bell. They had the problem solved within 10 minutes, with a smile. My dimmer switches were faulty so now I have no dimmer. The same two men had been here only a week ago to clean out my air-conditioning unit and check my electricals and drains. One of them was so excited as he had just got his UAE drivers licence that morning and was telling me he could now leave the company and go home to Pakistan and marry his fiance. The drivers licence would give him better work opportunities when he returned with another company. He had to leave as no-one would give him that much time off. It still amazes me how many men live here permanently separated from their families with perhaps an anuual or bi-annual month long trip home. Just enough time to make another baby! No doubt there'll be a rash of George's born now.
This same guy told me that all the workers like coming to my apartment (holy moly!) as they respect 'Madam'. 'Sir' is once again conveniently absent at the moment but due back soon! (Men's shirt hanging in my room and shoes strewn about help reinforce this fact.) Also my apartment is clean unlike a lot of the locals! Apparently this hero worship is brought on by the fact that I speak to them and that I don't treat them as if they are my personal servants. I hardly ever tip them but did for the recent A/C work as during Ramadan it's customary to give to those less fortunate. Still the tip was only miniscule, AED 10 each ($3.50 NZ). So it's not for the financial benefits. They do extra wee things for me now for free so it's true - What goes around, comes around!
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