4 days to go before I am back to reality!!

Hey folks - here I am again. And, full of yet another darn cold/cough virus thing. I blame Darron - he had it last week and passed it to me - and I passed it to my boss!! So went home yesterday after a few hours to bed to try and sweat it out. Feeling ok today, but not great. Be ok in time for my trip home though!!

Another full week has passed. I was at the gym again - training Jacqueline, Wajd and myself. Did all the usual classes too.... so busy, busy. Busy with PAWS too - I was getting a bit worried as I seemed to have more cats coming in than going out - but I have had a few folk contact me offering homes to cats, so that always makes me happy!

Work was pretty busy last week with the return of my boss - as is this week - I was only off a few hours yesterday and all hell broke loose - they were phoning me up at home - they just cannot function without me - goodness knows how they will manage when I am away next week!

I had a nice time on Weds night. I trained Wajd at the gym and then met with my friend Louise - it had been a while since we caught up - had a sauna and jacuzzi which was lovely really and then got some food and had a few glasses of home brew and watched a movie! Really nice. We have decided to go to Dubai in May too for a long weekend which will be nice.

Thursday I went over to Bahrain with the girls. Myself and Tracy headed off to the spa and Anthea and Sharon went shopping. We all met up later at Trader Vics (just for a change) and had an enjoyable afternoon in there..

Later I met Darron and we went for some food. I hadn't been too well all day what with the start of my cold and me losing my voice at some points during the day, so we went home after food at the Meat Co.

Friday was quite a nice day. It had rained on Thursday and was forecast it for Friday, but it was pretty sunny so we went to the Yacht Club for some food. Came home early though and just chilled out as I was not feeling good still. Decided to drive home at 11pm then - it didnt take long, but we were in a queue for Saudi passports and this ideot behind us (local) decided to see if his horn on his car worked whilst we were sitting in the queue waiting our turn. He did this over and over again - Darron got out at one point and told him to stop it (although his language was obviously slightly stronger than that) - but he continued - then at the customs - when Darron got out - this guy came over and started shouting at Darron so I got out and told him to calm down at which point the customs guys interefered and he walked off! Drama on the causeway! He was shouting in Arabic so I have no idea what he was saying! All rather stressful at 12.30 in the morning, not feeling well!

Anyway, we got back safe and sound - which brings me up to today really.

Teaching tonight - I think I will be ok. Out for dinner tomorrow and Thurs am having a pampering session, before over the causeway on Weds for our flight - and joy of joys some of the lanes on the causeway are closed so it could be an interesting drive over!

We have 6 hours to get to the airport tho so should be ok I hope!!

Anyway thats all really - looking forward to seeing some of you in the next couple of weeks....

Jill

xxx

Gloomy weather in Saudi

Ayon's yellow Porsche! (which he lets me borrow for going to pilates sometimes!!)

Hello folk - here I am again for another update. Only one more to do before I am home - I am so excited as I have been feeling I really need a break from here recently... I had another busy week (just for a change!!) - the usual pilates classes most days and I also started my personal training with a friend down at the ladies gym - it seemed to go quite well really - so doing that twice a week and also another girl from work is doing training with me once a week - and I am still fitting in my own training before I teach them!!!

Went to boot camp on Monday night - the circuit had changed and we now have to do hoola hooping, which I must admit, I am rubbish at, but it is good fun. I do enjoy the classes and get a lot out of them! Afterwards, we stayed for a drink (well water!) and I had a catch up with Louise from PAWS and met a few other people we I know in there...

Tuesday bought in another round of personal training, then I went to Prima Dona's for a facial which was ok - would have been done better at home, but thats the way things are here! It was free anyway - I won it as a safety award!

Weds afternoon was a bit of a mad rush trying to re-organise the weekend. I was due to go on a trip to Qatif and I was helping out with the tour, but that got cancelled last minute, due to some government restrictions. Then the band who were supposedly playing Thurs night also cancelled - even though I wasnt going to that! It was just one of those weekends! Instead I decided to go to Bahrain early and meet some of the girls for drinks in Trader Vics (just for a change!). Weds night I did a training session then we just stayed in. Darron was quite poorly Weds night so we were up and down and in the end I couldn't get back to sleep so was up at 6am with him going to work - even though he didn't decide to go in til a bit later. He then came home early and we drove over to Bahrain. Not the best of journies as we hit the worst time to go... see the pics for yourself - this is what you contend with any time after 10am on a Thursday!!

The first picture shows around 8 lanes of traffic waiting for Saudi side car clearence - the queues are just the same after the first gate as you wait for Saudi immigration - 8 lanes - then once you get through there the 8 lanes bottle neck into 2 lanes and then spread out again into 8 lanes for Bahrain immigration, then you have customs, then you have car insurance. All this happens within a 2 mile space and it can take 2-3 hours to get through it! Now you know why it drives me mad or that I go at 7.30 in the morning to avoid the queues!

I think we made it over in just over 2 hours. Darron dropped me off at the mall and went to bed to recover. I had a quick look around, met some girls from Aramco, had a coffee with them, then headed to Trader Vics. Had a few drinks with the girls and then went to the hairdressers at 6pm to get my hair done. It is a good experience going to the hairdresser after a few glasses of wine I must say!!!

Anyway, Darron felt a bit better later so we went to try and get into a restaurant in the Ritz - but all were full, so ended up getting take out and went home and watched season 2 of prison break!

Friday was dull and overcast and raining - it reminded me of the UK! We got up early to meet Ayon and Herb and went up to Bahrain International Circuit. There was a car show on and Ayon took his Porsche down there as there were a load of other Porsches there. Darron did his off road hummer driving too - I did initially go out to watch him, but it was in the middle of nowhere so ended up getting a lift back to the main arena to wait for him.

There was quite a lot of activity up at the circuit at any rate as the F1 is in a few weeks time so they are getting ready for that.

After the driving thing was over, we went to Camelot for lunch - its just been refurbished and has a new menu - it was really nice I must say. We just chilled out for the rest of the day...

Came back over at 5.30am on Saturday morning (I hate the early starts) - more personal training that night, followed by a PAWS meeting until 8pm - I was shattered when I got in! Darron had cooked tea though - he took Saturday off work as he still wasn't well.. Sunday pilates and that brings me up to today!

Anyway, thats about all for my update this week. 7 more work days to go and counting.

See some of you soon....

Jill

xxx