Mashed Potatoes

I think I'm gonna make a trip to England. I've always wanted to go and see all the places I've read about. If I can arrange it, I'd like to go when my Auntie will be there with her husband, so I can have a proper visit to her second home. John's actually flying there next week and I hope that he is able to pass the time of day with our Uncle. I think they can cook up a good scheme of how I might get all around England by train or something like it. I really do want to see it all. I'm turning 30 this September, so I'd like to mark it by doing something special. I've no idea how long I will need to be there in order to see all the sights, but I'm sure to find people who can point me in the right direction. There are so many British people around me, and they are all from different regions, I'll just have to ask where they think I ought to go. John's on board with the idea, now let's see if we can get him to go with me!


I decided not to take the real estate job. It's more then the language barrier, I could learn Castillion Spanish easily. But, there are just too many negatives about the job, it's full time, which I didn't want. It's a late work day with quitting time at 7pm. There are office politics and rebellion... and last but not least they are lagging far behind in what the ought to be doing and don't seem to have any unity. I don't have to work, and real estate isn't my preferred proffession, so if I am going to work in real estate I'd like to work for an office that can offer what I'm looking for. Or perhaps, I can find work doing something interesting, something I've never done or have always wanted to try. All the 'good' jobs required Arabic as a second language. Mostly because all the people with money speak Arabic, but I don't hear them using it that much. I can take the course if I want to learn it. I have a friend who is taking the class now, and she's learning it very rapidly. Last week, when I was in the training session with the director from Spain, I was actually thinking in Italian! I used that method to translate alot of what he said before the translator actually did. Any how, there are so many job opportunities here and I don't want to settle on the first one that is offered. The director called me a few hours after I rejected the job and he insisted I was making a mistake, and that he'd give me another month to think it over. But, unless they can make me a better offer, I will have to pass.


I was never one to wear my sunglasses on a daily basis back home, but I've gotten in the habit of wearing them here. It's so bright all the time, there aren't any clouds and the sky is always white or a hazy color grey from all the construction dust and heat. But my old sunglasses were falling apart and they are and old prescription. Even my newer glasses weren't working right, I think that my left eye is worse then my right eye. Since I have been getting so many headaches, we thought it would be wise to get an eye exam. But I haven't seen an Optomologist anywhere... So once I found some new frames for sunglasses, I asked were I coud get an exam. The salesman told me they could do it there, but I didn't see how, it was teeny tiny shop. My next question was "how much is the exam?" His reply, 'free'. FREE EYE EXAM! I couldn't believe it. I asked when, they said now. So this nice, little, very well spoken Filipina (who turns out to be a very well educated and completely certifiable optomologist) took me into this tiny closet with all the machines in it and did the most thorough eye exam I've ever had. My left eye has astigmatism which was part of the problem. So I got my regular glasses fitted with new lenses and I got a good pair of sunglasses. It's not one hour processing, but that's okay by me. They did everything for less then 300US. Amazing! I can barely get a regular pair with lenses back home.

I had 'Stamp Pot of Holland' for lunch today. You would never guess by the name what it would actually be. But I do imagine it's comfort food back in Holland. It's veal sausage and beef bacon served with mashed potatoes with finely chopped leeks and a pool of butter. It was really good, even though I only ate half. Which worked out, because John was still hungry and he ate the rest. Our new favorite drink is lemon mint. Basically, lemonade with fresh chopped mint blended into it. So good.

They are very big on entertainment here. Each mall has some kind of show at particuler time each evening. This year they have all gone with a 'fair' theme, so all the various malls are set up with a stage and some kind of acrobatic show or clowns or something like it. They have dance exhibitions and full on drum circles. It's nuts. The mall we went to today was particularly busy, like Christmastime busy...and it's just a wednesday. Tomorrow looks promising. We're going to get my e-card. Everyone who lives in Dubai is required to have on if they are going to be doing and sort of traveling. From what I hear it makes the passport and customs portion of the airport experience go faster. I don't know about that, but I do know that 'easy' is on my list of things to have.

I found a store that carries a lot of western goods. But you have to be crazy if you think I am going to spend 27 bucks on Tide... and it's not even the big bottle. I did find Starkist Tuna and Bumble Bee and Pringles and Dr Pepper and a bunch of other items that are actually packaged and produced in America or England. Of course they cost more because it arrives via air frieght, but it's nice to have a Dr. Pepper once in a while. Oh and FYI, 'black forrest cake' in Dubai, does not automatically imply the extra chocolatyness you may expect... actually, it's got a lighter then usual cocoa content and they put fruit in it! It wasn't bad, just unexpected. Thankfully I wasn't having a chocolate fit!