Its been a testing few weeks....

Hi folks - another blog before I depart for the UK on Tuesday.
The photos above are of my good friend Sheryl. I knew Sheryl when I was at Aramco previously and we have spent a lot of time together (especially lunch!) over the past few years. Sheryl is also my dive master and mentor and were it not for her, I wouldn't be the competent diver I am today. Sheryl and her husband, Ian, have been in Saudi for 10 years and are now embarking on a little adventure sailing their boat around the world for a year. I will miss them both. We had a sending off meal for them last week at the Blue Strawberry. Not sure when I will see them both again, but hopefully I will meet up with them in Australia when I get there in a few years (on my own round the world trip!).

The past few weeks have been pretty busy - well not at work. I managed to do my theory personal training exam (results in the new year) and now have to finish off my nutrition work and do the exam for that - scheduled to do that in 2011 when I have had a break. I then have to do a 2 day course in the UK next year to complete my full Personal Training Qualification. That is me done then! So, what to do next!? I have booked myself onto a Competent Crew course in Dubai in April and plan to do my Day Skipper and STWC qualification (for yachts) over next year. The plan then is to either see if I can get a leave of absence for 2-3 months in 2012 and if not I will leave end of 2012 and do a gap year and travel and work on boats. Thats the plan at the moment. I have no idea what will happen after that!

Work wise, I have been trying (again) to get transferred to another position. Three years of studying is now taking its toll. My boss gives me so little to do, BUT, refuses to release me to another position. There is a really good job that has just come up that would suit me so well (showing around new hires and orientating them) but he won't even let me apply for it before having a replacement in place. It is more challenging, busier and a higher grade code, but he is making things as difficult as he can. As you can imagine, there is rather a lot of tension in the office at the moment. My other boss, Ali G, is retiring in 2 weeks. No word on his replacement but things are very changable as you can see. I just want to move to something different now and will continue my fight to be released - I have never known a system like it. As I was promoted in July, I am now expected to stay in this position another 4 years!!!! Anyway, I will continue to work on it...

No news on houses - still waiting - there are 10 extra mid-size houses due out in the new year with more to follow - I hope I get a place soon. Three years in an apartment is now taking its toll too...

I am keeping a low profile with PAWS too for a while - I got caught catching cats (to be sterilized) by pest control last week and although I am doing Aramco a favor by doing this job (their option is to catch and kill, our's is catch, sterilize and release) they refuse to agree with what we are doing. So, I received a very nice warning letter from community services telling me to stop feeding the cats outside my building! Go figure! I very rarely feed cats outside my building and there is, in fact, only one cat who lives outside my building and I wasn't even trying the catch the cats close to my building! Basically, the pest control man, who saw me catching strays, is just fabricating things to try and get me into trouble. He was actually lying in wait for a colleague who feeds the cats and I was just in the wrong place and the wrong time with my trap and a tray of food in my hand to catch them!!

I have been back and forwards to the dentist too to get my bridge fitted, which kept falling out, but I think she has finally super-glued it in now so that seems ok! Also, my car was in for a service - he was just bringing it back and the key stuck in the ignition so that cost more to fix, then I went into the PAWS safe to put some money in and all the money in there has gone moldy - so I am currently trying to clean all that with vinegar - and there is quite a bit - and then I cut my finger open on a glass I was washing up. I am beginning to think I am becoming a liability!!!

Anyway, spent the other weekend on Sara - I went for a Thai massage, then there was a Christmas Bazaar held and then we just stayed in - James cooked which was nice and on the Friday we went over to Bahrain for lunch. It was nice to have a quietish weekend as opposed to a mad one!

This weekend I had Sheryl and Ian's leaving do and then we went to Bahrain on the Thursday - had nails and hair done and then went out for a Christmas meal at the Ramada hotel and ended up in JJ's afterwards. It was a great night and good to catch up with some friend's I hadn't seen for a while.

Anyway, thats about all for this year. The next blog will be in 2011.

Hope to see some of you whilst I am at home - just call me if you want a chat - 07903 497122. I am home 15 Dec - 3 Jan. Otherwise, have a great Christmas and New Year.

Jill xxxx

Amazing India

Hi folks - here is my blog on India. I haven't put too many photos on here as I have sent you the link to my picasa album already - here it is again - there are too many anyway to post on here - http://picasaweb.google.com/Jillbarrows69/AmazingIndia2010?feat=directlink.

We started off our journey in Bahrain - myself, Tracy, Breige, Jean, Lou and Sam made the most of the Irish Bar whilst waiting for our flight. It took around 4 hours or so to fly to Delhi. On walking out of the airport, Louise said whats all that stuff in the air - welcome to Delhi pollution! There was this haze in the air... there was some confusion with the bus that was picking us up - they had gone to domestic arrivals for some strange reason - so by the time they picked us up it was 6amish - and then there was the traffic to get through - road accidents all the way or trucks breaking down.

We were staying at the Viyasa Hotel in New Delhi - a small boutique type hotel - they were very good - had breakfast then the rooms were ready for around 8.45am so we all got a few hours kip before hitting the streets. Louise was a great tour guide and took us via the tube (it cost next to nothing!) to some markets first - this is where we also witnessed the start of the begging, street kids at the traffic lights wanting money, etc. We ended up having pizza the first night for food as we thought we would play safe with Pizza Hut!! We took the tube back - they have cars just for ladies on the tubes which was great as the men's cars were completely rammed to the rafters - it would have been a bit uncomfortable being squished up against an Indian man! We managed to find a booze shop too on the way home so got a few drinks in (the hotel didn't serve booze) so we had a few drinks before bed.

The next day, Angel, our tour guide, picked us up and we did a tour of new and old Delhi. The population of Delhi is 15 million. We visited India Gate - this was built to remember those who fought in the wars. I noticed a large presence of military everywhere - on the streets, outside hotels, etc. Also there were loads of stray dogs too - Hindus believe that these are reincarnations of people who have been bad so
basically they are left to wander around the streets. Of course, I did end up trying to feed some of them! After India Gate, we went to a temple - it was very busy. We all put the red spot on our heads too!
There were lots of swastika signs on the temple - apparently Hitler stole this sign from the Hindus - it means perfection and success.
We also saw lots of guys going to toilet at the side of the road, seemingly without a worry in the world - also there were these urinals at the side of the street with no doors on them!! The noise is mental too everywhere you go - the horn rules the roads - its constant - and the traffic is mental too - you are fighting with cows, bikes, camels, lorries and cars on the road - compared to Saudi, I didn't find it quite so frightening really as you don't get the speed over there - how there are not more accidents though I don't know - our driver was amazing at missing folk by inches!!

The rest of the day we went to see Ghamdi's grave, Parliment House (where the female Priminister lives) and also had a nice (but expensive) lunch - we did go for curry today - there are restuarants that cater for tourists but the food and the drink are very expensive - we found that everywhere and some places even have menu's for locals and one for tourists with different prices in them!

After lunch Angel asked us if we wanted to go on a rickshaw ride through Old Delhi, which we agreed to. It was complete madness really - and the street kids were constantly harrassing us - especially poor Jean - they wouldn't leave her alone. The streets were really small too so we were constantly trying to avoid people and other vehicles - hats off to the rickshaw drivers! But we did find the trip quite stressful and at one point the rickshaw guys starting abusing the street kids which upset us all. We did see some amazing sights though through the streets. We also visited another mosque - Breige took some photos of us in these lovely coloured sheet things we had to wear to cover up! Ill post them soon! After the rickshaw ride, we went back to the hotel, got a quick change, then went to see the light and sound show at the Red Fort - the traffic was manic tho, as it was coming up to Hajj, so we missed half of it! After, we had dinner at this really nice restaurant in Delhi - quite old colonial style. It was weird eating in there and outside there were loads of homeless folk just asleep on the pavement...

Next morning we were up early for Agra - we stopped on the way at Akbar's tomb - he was the third ruler of India and founded the Mogul dynasty. There were deer and birds in the grounds - it was very peaceful compared to the hustle and bustle outside. We also saw a monkey - did see quite a few of them out and about too. Carried on our journey into Agra and went to check in at the hotel - The Holiday Inn - it was ok but pretty worn, but ok. Had some lunch there and then the tour escort picked us up and took us to the Taj Mahal. It took some time to get in as there was a massive queue - and they do search you very intensly before you go through the gate. Industry is banned from a large radius around the Taj (100km away) due to pollution and it is cleaned with mud every 2/3 years. Between 10-13,000 visitors go to see the Taj each day. It took 22 years to build and 20,000 workers to build it. Sarah Jahan built the Taj in remembrance of his wife who died in childbirth after her 14th (!!) child. The building is actually only marble on the outside and brick on the inside - if it were all marble, then it would be so heavy it would sink

At the back of the Taj Mahal there is a wide river and the plan was for the Shah to build a black Taj over the other side of the river, but it never happened as his son threw him in prison

It started raining at the Taj, so we had a quick trip to the Red Fort and were then taken to some shops, neither of which I found interesting and then back to the hotel We stayed in that night and just ate at the hotel as the weather was so bad - there was a really bad storm..

It was quite noisy that night in Agra due to it being wedding season - it happens for 3 months apparently from Oct - Dec so there were fireworks going off and bands playing - somehow I managed to sleep through it!

The next morning we went to Jaipur - another 4 hour trip on our bus - we stopped off at Fatehpur Sikri an old town where the Moguls lived. We found this very interesting although I think the guide gave us information overload! It took years to build and was built by Akbar (he built alot of stuff it seems!) and it took 25,0000 workers to build it.. We then carried on to Jaipur where we stayed at the Country Inn and Suites - lovely 5 star hotel and 5 star prices for drink - Louise - I am not paying that much!!! we went for a few bevvies in the outside bar then for curry up the road - managed to help out a fellow tourist - Dana - she had got lost on a tuk tuk and was a bit worried about getting back to her hostel, so she ended up coming for food with us - I gave the leftovers of the curry to the street people and a dog!

The next day we went to the Amber Fort via elephant - this is 400 years old and took 200 years to build apparently - think this was the highlight for most of us -




The picture above is the Palace of Winds in Jaipur. All of Jaipur is painted pink with Terracotta paint and now all buildings must be painted this color - it was for when Prince Albert visited some years ago apparently. The palace is just a facade and the ladies used to look out the windows at the guys down below - beats curtain twitching I guess!

We did some shopping later in various shops and then probably went out for another curry later! None of us suffered from Delhi belly either so we all did quite well! Especially me as I always seem to get ill!

Other sights were prostitutes at the side of the river on the way somewhere - they were sat on these bed things and the squallor and poverty to you - it is everywhere - and the people sifting through bags of rubbish looking for anything that they can sell and the piles of stinking rubbish around and people and pigs living in the middle of it!!

Back to Delhi then the next day which was some trip and the fan belt snapped 40k from Delhi which took 2 hours waiting for a spare part but it was entertaining at the side of the road!!

Just went out for another curry once we got back to Delhi - it took forever!

A great trip - and very memorable but not sure for the right reasons - the poverty and dirt - I cannot believe people survive like that in this day and age. It is very sad really.

Anyway, back to the madness here now - it was my birthday on Monday I just stayed in as I was tired from travelling and had some Thai food and a nice bottle of real red wine which was a gift!! Then tomorrow we are celebrating it with lunch over in Bahrain - just small scale really compared to last year! And its not long til I am home again for Christmas - just over 2 weeks.

Over and out - enjoy the blog and pics!

Jill
x

Less than a week until India....

Hi guys - hope everyone is doing ok. Life here is much the same with me - and I am still coughing (from my long lasting virus) - 7 weeks on - another two trips to the Dr and I think my latest steroid inhaler seems to be doing the trick! I have been attempting to exercise - still teaching of course - but it starts off coughing fits - so not been doing too much exercise really and desperate to get back into it!

Went on a trip to Nariyah the other weekend - I was a tour escort on one of the buses - we visited a market and then went for lunch and sat around Arabic style eating. It was a good, but long day. I even made it out that night - went to a Halloween party - it was ok but due to the 5am start for the trip I was home by 11.30!!!

I had another trip to the dentist to get a crown fitted - the initial visit was pretty awful but they are now made and hopefully I will have my new teeth fitted either Thursday or Saturday! I have also been busy in the week catching up with friends, running PAWS erands and getting spray tans done! We have the Marine Ball this weekend at the US Consulate so my latest orange glow is in preparation for that. One of the new girls, Nicola, is also a trained hair and makeup person so we are getting the full works this year! Looking forward to it...

Last weekend was also busy - we had Carol's retirement party - she has been a major part of PAWS for the past few years and is a big loss - she will be missed. Also went to another leaving party (there are alot of those going on at the moment) and Thursday to Bahrain for hair do, nails and then lunch at Trader Vics. Caught up with some Bahrain mates there, then came home, got changed and went off up to Sara for the Children in Need Charity Night. Had a good time up there too - catching up with folk. Friday James came over and we just did some running about and got some tea later.

There has been uproar this week as quite a few girls have been refused entry to the coffee shop opposite where I live. Basically, its a fenced off area with the Tandoori restaurant, Cafe Nejaar and the library all enclosed in there and you have to go past security to get in. Some of the security staff have been saying that the girls are not appropriately dressed even tho they had nothing out of the normal on for what we wear on Aramco (its not like we go walking around in bikinis - even though we are on camp - we are still respectful to some degree) - so its caused alsorts of issues but is, I understand, being dealt with. Aramco is, primarily, a camp for Westerners and what happens inside the walls of the camp is unique to Aramco. Anyway, I hear that things like this usually kick off every few years and then it dies down!!! Its just something else for us to get wound up about!!

Anyway, off to India next Sunday - going to Delhi, Agra and Jaipur - looking forward to that - it will be a cultural experience... and then after that its my birthday (where did that year go?) and 3 weeks after that I will be in the UK for Christmas...

Thats all for this time. Speak to you soon,

xxx

Busy busy week....

Hey folks

I think my blogs are only coming out now every 2 weeks - I have just been busy lately and ill!!! I had a bronchial infection for 2 week sand only just got antibiotics last week for it and today is the frist day I haven't been really coughing my head off. I felt so sick too - I was off for most of last week just laid up. Anyway, its lasted over 3 weeks now and I think it is going finally...

The past few weeks I have been very busy either back and forth to the vets with cats I have caught and taken for sterilization or back and forth to Rashid II compound taking down home brew for the PAWS event last weekend! I havent done much exercise as there has been no time! And then I got ill. I was in Dubai 2 weekends ago (just as I got sick) for my nutition course. It was pretty interesting - but I did struggle through it being so ill - I was due to do my advanced PT exam but can now do that in Saudi instead so I thought I would wait til my brain was more focused! I did manage to catch up with my friend Liss, who drove down from Abu Dhabi to see me, which was great to see her, despite all the coughing. We went to Apres - the restaurant that overlooks the ski resort in the mall.

So, last week, as I said I was off for most of it - walking between the couch and bed - boy I havent felt that poorly in ages - no energy, hardly eating. So glad I feel better now! Managed to pull off the PAWS event tho - 80s disco night - it was an amazing evening - everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and I made around 4k for our charity!!! Everyone looked great too - there were some fab costumes - and lots of folk won prizes. I am out of prizes now so need to go off canvassing to blag some more in the next few weeks...

Been busy teaching this week - circuits and the gym - managed to (finally) get housing to start things moving and offer us more units to bid on - that was after me getting as many girls as possible to write to the manager and going to see one of the Assistants to the VP. Its paid off, but it still doesn't mean I will get a house! I hope I don't have to wait much longer!

Been catching up with mates too this week, a happy hour tomorrow, up at 4.45am on Thursday to help with a coach trip to Naraya Market (I must be mad!) and then supposed to be going out Thursday night but reckon I will be too knackered from the market! We don't get back til 6pm at night. Its a full day! Friday I am seeing my friend...

And its only 2 weeks til my India trip and 7 weeks til I come home for Christmas!!!

Anyway, over and out,

Jillx

Finally the blog is back!

Hi folks - its been a while, but I am back. Hope you are all doing ok...

I have been so busy since I got back to Saudi - mainly with a PAWS 80's disco event I am holding in a few weeks and I am trying hard to get some revision done for my personal training theory - that is hard going as I am struggling to concentrate at the moment... I did, however, pass my practical exam which was good news - finally found out about that...

Home was great though, although it was a mad rush as usual. I ended up going home a day earlier than planned as I had messed my flights up and if it hadn't been for BA sending me an email about my flight I wouldn't have known! I spent the majority of the time catching up with friends and also spent as much time as I could with K,K and G too and Dad. All are doing ok.

Had a wild night out at Rock City with Nicki and some other friends - real trip down memory lane - such a laugh... Spent a few days in York also with James which seemed to go ok. He is back in Saudi now next week - it seems ages since I last saw him! Also had a day at Alton Towers with my friend Tracy, from here, although managed to get whiplash from the Rita ride and got stung by a wasp!

I got back here for a few days and then went off to Muscat in Oman on a diving weekend. The resort was absolutely gorgeous - right on the beach - and we got a few good dives in. Saw a turtle, huge pod of dolphins, lion fish, moray eels and some cuttle fish. It was nice to relax at the bar in the evenings too and a lovely setting... really impressed with the place.. My diving is improving loads now and I really do enjoy it now I am much more confident...

Work has been silly this week - I have been organising a retirement lunch - glad its over now as everyone was changing their minds til the last minute about who was invited, how many were coming, etc.. driven me mad. Havent had time to do any gym work - was at the vets again last night with another cat for sterilization and there are 8 more to catch from that area... Going to town tonight to do some PAWS stuff and meal tomorrow and Bahrain at the weekend - and next week will be all about selling the PAWS tickets for the event!

I am off to Dubai on the 13th Oct for my nutrition course then a few weeks later off to India and then on the 15th December I will be home for 2.5 weeks over Christmas!!! Its non-stop the rest of this year...

Anyway, hope you enjoy the photos I have posted on my blog.

See you soon,

Jill

xx

Not long til I am home now....

Hi folks

Another couple of weeks have flown by - more than half way through Ramadan now and I am surviving! The humidity outside tho is really getting to everyone - it has been humid now every day for weeks - normally we get the odd day or so of it but not continuous like this - apparently its the worst its been in years.... I am looking forward to some cooler weather - although most of you will probably find that weird!!!

Since I last wrote, I have been pretty busy - PAWS has kept me busy again although last week I managed to re-home 7 kittens and a tortoise - yes, a tortoise turned up on my doorstep but the next day I did manage to reunite him with his owner, who, in fact, said I can do a PAWS event at the hobby farm when it gets cooler - so it was worth "Mr T" being lost - the hobby farm is basically the stables on Aramco and is pretty out the way so I could do a barn dance or something down there I think and no-one would bother us!!!!

We had a girlie night the other Weds which was nice to catch up with friends and some of the new girls also joined us. There are quite a few new hires coming out over the next few months so some new faces around... On the Thursday I went to Bahrain with James and then on to Sheryl and Ian's place on Amwaj Island. Lovely apartment with great views. Ian cooked curry and it was just nice to stay in for a drink - we managed to get some wine from the hotel too as Bahrain generally is dry during Ramadan so that was a bargin... Friday we just chilled out at the hotel and then came home later...

I have been doing the usual this week - teaching, PAWS stuff, gearing up for coming home next week... my boss has been out most of the week so its just me here and I seem to have spent half my week in the coffee room!! Going for a meal tonight at the Heritage Village - traditional Saudi food etc - will post some photos - and have to go into town tomorrow - pain really as the shops don't open until 8.30pm but I need some new sunglasses as I just managed to break my others again - last time I ordered a new part for them it took 6 months to fix them - so think I will have to bring them home to the UK to be fixed this time...

Oh and last weekend I went to Dubai with James - a last minute decision really - but cheap time to go. We stayed at the Shereton in Jumirah - visited the Atlantis and the aquarium there and chilled at the pool - it wasn't so humid over there and went out for a lovely meal and visited the malls. It was nice to get away for a couple of days...

Got another girlie night this Weds too - I am cooking lasagne - and Thursday I am going for my first sailing lesson and then to a leaving do and then the countdown really begins. Fly out Weds morning of the 8th - arrive in the UK around 7am...

Anyway, over and out from me - hope to see you all soon...

Jill

xx