Another month passes by.....

Hello folks

I can't believe another month has passed since my last blog. I really do not know where the time has gone! Above are some photos of Chrissie's hen weekend in Dubai. That is the hens stood outside the stretch hummer we hired! It was great fun driving around in that around Dubai!

Whist in Dubai I did my ENG1 - seafarers medical - I am in Dubai again in a few weeks to do my STCW - sailing safety course - still toying with trying to get work on yachts - as a back up plan to my many other plans!

In between all that I have done a PAWS yard sale - raised 500 pounds - I have a PAWS social in Bahrain in 3 weeks to raise more money. We have loads of prizes to give away and a KLM return ticket to London! Hopefully it will raise a good amount of money! I am mid-way organizing the Canberra reunion for old ship mates too which is happening in August in Bournemouth! So busy! Passed T3 assignment of my NVQ assessors award - next are the Skype interviews with candidates - I don't think there is much more to do then after that!

Still teaching PT at the gym and covering classes for now. I start my proper classes again in May... I have been working really hard at the gym doing a special program and also have changed my foods! Really had a major result from that in just 3 weeks! I feel great!

Went to Bahrain to an engagement party for Chrissie (she is celebrating lots!) - lovely night but got the tail end of tear gas at the end - not nice either - there are still problems in Bahrain every weekend. Thank goodness we weren't in the thick of the tear gas - being at the end of it wasn't nice!!

Apart from that I have been trying to move jobs. There is a job going as a Writer here - writing up tests etc for the clerical staff here and also being involved in their training - it overlaps somewhat with the NVQ I am doing. My boss is making it pretty difficult for me to leave (as usual) but as its a grade code higher then he has no justification to keep me here. His only reason is I must find my own replacement. Never worked anywhere where you have to find your own replacement - it really is just his own stupid rule. No one else in the office needs to find their own replacement - why do I!? Anyway, the fight is on!

All is ok at home - Kelly's house continues to be refurbished and Kat's Kitchen is doing well also. Dad is fine - his girlfriend, Kathy is moving up to Mansfield with him soon (from London) and he has finally decided to retire at 70 years old! George is good too!

I am home in 6 weeks now - cannot wait - its been a long time coming this break.

Might see some of you soon,

Jill

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Time flies.....

Hi folks - I just realised its about 6 weeks or so since my last blog. I am not sure where the time has gone to be honest - I haven't been exactly busy work wise but have been doing assignments, etc for my NVQ. I am busy with the Canberra reunion also on and off, so guess I have had a few things to keep me occupied.

Life seems to be flying here really, which I am glad about, as its getting closer to when I can escape from here really! Now looking at the beginning of next year around March time, but that is pending change if something better comes along of course! I have practically given up with looking for work in the UAE - the agencies just really do expect you to drop everything to go for interviews there, let alone the fact that they want you to pay for going, and I just find I cannot commit to going with 2 days notice - why they cannot do a first interview over skype or the phone I don't know. So I have just told them to stop looking for now. They wanted me to go for an interview in the middle of a hen weekend this weekend too when I am with my friends and I just wasn't up for it! I just wanted to go to Dubai and not have an interview for once and enjoy it! I think the best option, if I do decide to go there, is just go for a few weeks from here on my way out of here and if nothing comes up, then go home. I have plenty of folk to stay with so that isn't a problem... to be honest, the jobs have been quiet from there anyway so far, so I think the UK is having a knock on effect really...

My NVQ is going ok - I am nearly finished the second assignment now - so not much more to do - done ok so far though! There seem to be plenty of jobs in the UK for NVQ Assessors so I should be ok if I come home. Still not 100% sure what I will do - it is very difficult to leave the money here, but I seem to be spending that much on escaping all the time, I am not saving that much! My 5 years is up in December anyway, so it seems a good time to leave or around then anyway. Fancy doing a bit of travelling too first (Oz and NZ and Canada) then will come home and see what happens... but, who knows. Anything could happen!

Things have been busy socially - there does seem to be alot more going off here really and Bahrain is still a bit up and down with demonstrations happening every weekend and lots of tear gas flying around. But, the F1 is still going ahead - which is good as the island does need some money injecting into it for sure... We have been over on and off and never see much trouble apart from police check points. Most the demos happen in the villages...

I have been at Fitness First in Bahrain doing a bit of shadowing for personal training and learning how to use my TRX suspension system - you will have to google that one - I love it altough it is challenging! I am just teaching PT now but do some cover classes starting next week.

I went to a bike ralley on camp with Ayon - felt like I was in Matlock Bath to be honest - very surreal! The other photos are of Tracy's birthday in Trader Vics - we had a very nice time - for some reason I always end up with the bill and can never seem to get it right - obviously my years on the desk on the cruises didn't help me with counting money! And also Michelle had a Bollywood party so I dressed up for that!

This weekend is Chrissie's hen weekend in Dubai - we are there Weds - Saturday. Should be good fun although I hope I can keep up with going out so much! So a short week next week but I have a dive meeting Sunday, teaching Monday and the PAWS yard sale Weds/Thurs. I will be glad when the 30th March is here and I can have a rest!

I am in Dubs again in May doing another sailing course for 5 days, then home for two weeks

31st May - 14th June so looking forward to that. Its been a long spell away this time ...

Home again in August for a month (with a holiday somewhere!) and I will be away somewhere with Tracy in October as we have another week off - so the end of the year is all holidays. And I will definitely be home for Christmas this year too! Or I could leave by then maybe also....

Anyway, thats all for now. See you soon,

Jill

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End of January already....

Hi folks

Here I am again - its been a busy few weeks. I was in Dubai (again) a couple of weeks ago - I stayed with friends who used to work in Saudi so it was great to stay with Kerrie and Simon and catch up - they live right in the marina area too - so great for the metro and getting around to the various malls. Met up with friends - went to Frankie Dettori's restaurant for dinner and then went up to Abu Dhabi on the Friday to see friends up there and went out again! Had a great time!!

I have been very busy in the week with my personal training and teaching still so that is keeping me busy. I have up'd my own training now and am soon to start on TRX suspension training when I get the equipment - you will have to google that to read what it is! Also been doing loads of stuff for PAWS - we have had quite a few cats for re-homing and I think I have re-homed around 6 in the past week which is great news... we have the yard sale next weekend too to raise a bit more money!

I went to a pantomime too - the British Aerospace guys performed - Ryan and Stew were the dames - they kept fluffing their lines but to be honest it made it funnier - I haven't laughed so much in ages!!!

I was in Bahrain last week - things are still a bit "iffy" over there - it is nearly the anniversary of the shootings last year when the Pearl roundabout was in the news. There have been protests and tear gas going off - this happens most weekends but it is getting worse. The anniversary is Feb 14th - I just hope its not a repeat of last year. The area where the roundabout was is now a new junction but is still closed even a year after the event. Not sure when it will open!?

I went to fitness first to do some personal training shadowing - it was a really good few hours and gave me a good insight into how a normal gym operates and it was great to speak to the trainers.

Went out with my friend Chrissie who lives in Bahrain and her fiance for dinner later - had a really nice curry.

Am in SA this weekend - got the girls coming over tomorrow and then am having to get Ayon to drive my car to the garage on Thursday (as we cannot drive out of camp) to get a new tyre, then there is a bike ralley on camp, then party later! Another busy one!

Work is the same - I am still doing my studying which is passing the time...

Anyway, over and out from me.

Jill

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It's about time!!!

Hello - its been a while I know - but what with going home and Christmas, etc, I just haven't got round to writing a blog. I had a great time at home in December - went purely to see Motley Crue and Def Leppard - MC were amazing - it was definitely worth the trip back - I was transported back to being an 18 year old again!!! Met up with a load of folk I hadn't seen in ages too... I didn't do a whole lot why I was at home - I hadn't told many folk I would be home as it was just for a week, but I did a bit of shopping and caught up with a few close friends and also K, K, G and Dad.

So, back to Saudi and Christmas wasn't far off. Work is still as dull as ever but I am now doing an NVQ Assessors Course in preparation for coming home (for good) at the end of the year. That is taking alot of my time up so might as well make the most of the fact that my boss doesn't seem to think that I am actually capable of doing anything. There have been a few changes at work - we have another acting Manager who I don't really like now too and our GM has been promoted so he has moved. So, all change again in CFPD... not long left now though to put up with it.

So, I have decided I need a taste of the real life and will look at leaving in December or thereabouts - financially it is worth me staying til then and with holidays, that is only around another 10 months.

So, Christmas was ok - we had to work - my boss was totally bar humbug - we had a good party over in Bahrain though the weekend before Christmas and had a lovely Christmas dinner with 20 odd friends on Christmas night with secret santa and the like. New Years was much the same - at the US Consulate - but no pics from there as we weren't allowed to take cameras or phones in! But it was ok - my boss was yet again bar humbug and made me take an unpaid day off NY day - so down one X day already and we have only just started the year! I did find it really hard being away from home and equally worse that we had to work all the time!

I have been busy with classes (boot camp) and also personal training - I have around 3 clients which is enough really and gives me time to train. I have an injury though from running so had that worked on yesterday and now have a very bruised IT band muscle on my leg! It kills - hope it goes away soon!

So, busy with my course - it should set me up to assess in either customer care areas and fitness hopefully. Apparently there are a shortage of assessors in the UK and I would love to combine my fitness around assessing. Didn't think I would want to come home, but I do miss reality and there is only so long you can deal with life here - there are quite a lot of my friends leaving over the next year - we are all at 5 years - so a good benchmark to go....

Got a few trips planned this year - am hoping to be somewhere in April for a week - not sure where yet - June I will be home for a wedding and download festival and then a few days in Mansfield. August, I am looking at taking a month off and having a few weeks in Canada and the US maybe - need to plan that yet! And then Morocco in October and then leave in December for Christmas this year. Might then take off to Australia in the new year to visit my friends there before finally having to find a job!

Anyway, thats all for now. Enjoy the update!

Jill

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