Awesome August

August has been hot, averaging 42 degree celcius. Even hotter during the first 3 weeks as Andy was here, a good long transit between Doha and Singapore, also an extensive celebration of his birthday.

Though I had to work (Karachi and London) on the 3rd and 4th respectively, it didn't interfere with Andy's stay here - having found company among my friends and rented a car. I managed to swap my other London flight for off days so I could remain in Dubai until the 14th (the day Andy's supposed to fly off to Singapore) in the end he extended his stay, still here after I went to Paris and back :)

There was also a scheduled US visa interview and that means the folks from my training batches are all rostered off days together, and that means together we make merry, eat-drink-man-woman.

We binged. In between drinking, eating, shopping, we explored Dubai and even Sharjah in the small Daihatsu Sirion. Everyday, we discover big restaurants, small eateries, tasty alcoholic concoctions, huge mugs of coffee, driving on the opposite side, driving up and down the 6-lane Sheikh Zayed Road, traffic conditions in Dubai, a renewed passion for shopping (ooh... yes!), massive hypermarkets and malls you can get lost in, the beach, the architecture, the endless construction sites and even the neighbour emirate Sharjah - where we chanced upon the Eye of the Emirates ferris wheel!

While Andy was here we both felt really happy to be in Dubai. I've had moments of home-sickness before that's when I seek company of new friends or distractions (the malls are always a good place to start). It's good that my job allows me to travel and return home but I am aware that I have to 'like' Dubai somehow. I have legal residency here afterall.

This entry continues in my Picassa album: Dubai oh, Dubai. Captions accompanying photos.