Two weeks rolled into one

Hi folks - didn't get chance to do a blog last week, so two weeks rolled into one now! I have had an incredibly busy 2 weeks - but what is new there!!?? We visited the new Lulu supermarket the other week - it really is huge and has a great stock of food (until they run out tho - it happens often here - stuff appears on the shelves - it gets snatched up and you don't see it for months then!!), then picked up a raffle prize from Desert Designs - they donated a carpet for PAWS. Went to Bahrain - had a lovely massage and then went for lunch - picked up another raffle prize for PAWS - meal for 2 at Jim's, then went to see Avatar. I thought the effects were amazing but the story line was a little corny! But a good film! Then on to Trader's and picking up another raffle prize - 25BD to spend there - as you can see I have been on the blag for prizes big time!!

We ended up staying in Bahrain at Darron's and came back to Saudi on the Friday for a spot of hashing!! That is running or walking in the desert. We did about 5k I think which was quite good, followed by pie and mash at Mary's house afterwards!! Good night - however, first time hashers (ie me) have to perform duties of being forced to drink beer!!!

I started running again last week - I got some good trainers from Athletes Foot which have a high instep so have found my legs and ankles are much better - so building up my running again now! Classes (pilates body conditioning) are picking up now as folk get back into the swing of things and I have a meeting with recreation tomorrow to show them the state of the equipment cupboard where I teach - the stuff hasn't been updated for years and the mats are all smelly and the weights falling apart - so hopefully they will spend a bit of money on some new stuff for us....

I am trying to do revision, when I can, for my personal training exam. I have, in fact, just had an email today to say that the company I use are coming to Bahrain in March and April, so hopefully they will allow me to do the exam then - save me paying to go to Dubai.... so need to get my backside into gear now I have dates to aim for...

I had a very busy weekend last week. I went to a sushi making class Weds night which was great and I now need to buy all the gear to make the sushi - we made loads though! Really enjoyed it! Then Thursday morning I was up early for the doggie dawdle, raising money for PAWS - lovely day too and loads of owners and their dogs joined in - around 60 folk! Joy bought down a dog too which needed re-homing and managed to find a home for it which was great! Then I had a PAWS meeting and we sorted all the socials out, then I went bowling, meal and then to a headbangers ball! Relived my rock chic youth!!

Friday in Bahrain to the mall and for chill out time.

So, that brings me to this week now. Its already nearly Tuesday! Just been running/teaching/sorting cats out - in fact when I go to Dubai in 2 weeks I have to visit a lady to pick up some donations for PAWS! I cannot believe where they keep coming from! Also hoping to meet up with my personal training mates and go up the highest tower in the world - the Burj Khalifa!!

I am off to boot camp shortly - don't get much these days, but have to go sort out a PAWS related matter afterwards on the compound there! It never stops!

Anyway, over and out from me.

Flights booked for home too - back 3rd - 10th June....

PLEASE WRITE BACK SOON!!!

Jill

xx

Hofuf trip weekend

Hello, another weekend has sped by.. PAWS is definitely taking over my life, but its a good thing - I am enjoying the challenge.. we have managed to sort out the garage sales so are having one of them in February and I have also secured a race night and band night over the next few months to raise cash and we have the casino night too in April! The race night should be good anyway, I learnt the ropes for that last night and we just need to get betting slips now - will see if someone can get some from the UK....

I spent Thursday in Hofuf on a trip - was helping out my friend Louise and was a tour guide. We went to the camel market, souk, fort and then the dairy farm. The farm was interesting - 11,000 cows there!! So, at least I know where my milk comes from now in Saudi!! It was a long day though - I was up at 5.30am and home at 6.00pm and had a stinking headache, so we just stayed in Thursday..

Friday Darron managed to set the smoke alarm off whilst cooking bacon - so before the firemen turned up he had to quickly eat the evidence!! Our fire alarms are connected to a central system now so the firemen always come round!! Then I had the PAWS meeting which went very well - we managed to sort out a lot of issues we had had and sort out the socials too so it was a worthwhile meeting. Later went to some friends for tea so caught up with them....

This week has been busy - just been working on PAWS stuff mainly and fitting in work around it and study for my personal training! I had to go to the Dr and have been given some arch supports which should hopefully help me with running as I have been getting injured.. Also, I had to take Sharon the hamster to the vet - she has a mouth infection - I am not sure if she will get better or not - she is quite poorly. Did my first class - pilates and conditioning mix - Sunday - that went quite well too and this weekend is pretty mad too!

Achieved more TV stations for the girls in the ballpark too after months of hasseling them so have something decent to watch now and I can cancel my satellite subscription too! And we managed to get a bus to go to the new mall after some wrangling with community services as they did refuse to put one on for us to start with! And I also managed to blag 8 prizes for the PAWS raffles off various companies! So not a bad week at all..

Weekend is busy - off to Lulu (the new supermarket) and then I have to pick up a carpet from Desert Designs as they are donating one to PAWS for the raffle - goodness knows where I will keep it though - currently my car has 5 old cat traps in it! There is no room! Tomorrow going to Bahrain - spa, Avatar, buying new trainers, Jim's for lunch and to pick up a meal for two voucher and then to TVs to pick up another voucher for PAWS!

And hashing on Friday - that is running/walking through the desert!

Over and out...

Jill

xxx

Christmas and NY in Saudi/Bahrain

Helllooo - here we are in a new decade and a new year. I am quite freeked out really as it doesn't seem 2 minutes since the year 2000 and we were in Bahrain then and coming back ove the causeway at 3am in the morning, wondering if anything would still be working as everyone was saying all the computers, etc, wouldnt be able to cope with the new date change! What a load of rubbish that was!

Being back in Saudi has taken me some time to adjust to after being at home for so long I must admit, and its only this week that I have begun to feel back to normal... the first week I was back I threw myself into fitness every week - running, spin and at the gym, practising for my personal training, then my ankle went and now I have my shin split injury back, so I am a bit annoyed to say the least. Am still training of course!!!

Christmas Eve we just stayed in - I had a few friends round for drinks - Liss and Andy drove up from Riyadh too - it was a nice, if not quiet night. Up early for Bahrain and Jim's the next day. It was good fun over there - the Secret Santa was a laugh, but to be honest, just another drunken day in Bahrain... its difficult for it to feel like Christmas when it is sunny outside really and you are not with your family... But it was ok. I stayed over at Darron's and was in bed for 8pm - up at 5am though the next day for work. That seriously was quite rubbish, I must admit - everyone you spoke to was on a downer having to work Boxing Day - and to top it off, one of the guys I work with upset me so much that I ended up walking out of work at 2pm! I was covering for my colleague for the week and basically wasn't aware of one of the systems she uses so he decided to haul me up in front of the GM to tell me off - even though it wasn't my fault. Not a great thing to happen at all - but its in the past now and he did apologise too.. Oh yes, I also did a Jingle Bell Run (before my legs went) - that was good fun - running around the best decorated houses on camp and singing carols - ran around 5K too! We all wore bells and flashing lights - great atmosphere!! There were numerous drinks do's going on on camp too.

PAWS continues to cause me some concern. Basically, we aren't recognised in Saudi as in Muslim religion you are not supposed to harm an animal and some locals see sterilizing cats and dogs, to keep their numbers down, as causing them pain. Anyway, so we are kinda underground but have become an umbrella group of the Women's Group on Aramco so we can use their facilities. There is a kennel club on camp too but they don't like us much - thats a long running feud apparently that goes back years so thats why we come under the Women's Group, not kennel club.

So, we hold garage sales that fetch in around 1,000 pounds a month - and now they have stopped us holding garage sales because some of the self directed groups dont like it we get priority over rooms when they struggle to book - its all a load of coblers really and childish, school yard politics, but we have now lost 3k pounds by not having garage sales and its really frustrating. I have had a meeting with the Manager of recreation (who book the rooms out) and he has decided it would be easier to become affiliated with the kennel club - however that doesn't solve the problem of the garage sales - and we have stuff piling up to sell!!! I am busy organising two socials tho in the meantime - a race night and band night, so that will bring in a bit of cash. Sorry thats a long story, but this company sucks at times!!

No news on houses - I bid and didn't get one - so that is starting to do my head in again. 2 years now stuck in student accommodation - what else can I do - I have been to the top and although the lists are out more frequently, it still isn't great... the next option is to storm housing I guess with as many of the girls as I can get!

New Year was eventful - went over on the Weds night to Bahrain - stayed with the girls in an apartment that night - with Breige, Tracy and Clodagh, Breige's mate from Abu Dhabi. Went to the Hard Rock for some food - just got out the car and got harrassed by some locals, one of them pinched my backside and subsequently got my handbag around his head - they should know better than to mess with me. Met up with a few more friends later and then me and Clodagh got a cab back around 11.30 and the driver was trying to rip us off - he wanted 8 quid for a 2 min taxi ride - we were arguing like mad and he was going to call the police etc... in the end I told him to get lost and I'd report him to the police for trying to rip us off - remember - don't mess with Jill!!

So, NYE was quite nice - had my done in the morning and then met up with Darron, picked up my bag and got ready at his then met up with friends at Camelots. We had lobster to eat - totally gorgeous. Later we went to The Dublin pub - great atmosphere and lots of our friends there - managed to stay out until 2am! It was raining really bad when we came out and we got soaked!!

NYDay was fine - felt ok and we ventured out later and went to see Sherlock Holmes at the flics which was really good. Just stayed in and chilled the rest of day really....

Anyway, that was it really - NY and Christmas for you.

Its already been an eventful year so far, following this weekend's madness - but you will have to wait to hear about that in my next blog!!!

Write soon - I am so busy with PAWS and revising at the moment, that I will do my best to stay in touch individually - but you know where I am if you want to write!!

Jill

xxxx

Blog - at home in the UK November 2009

OK - where do I start.... it seems so long ago that I was at home now!! Well, I started off by leaving here on Tuesday 17th November - went to Bahrain to fly from there - spoilt myself and went in the lounge this time - it is a bit of a busy airport and there aren't many seats, so it was much more comfy in the lounge!! So, flight, etc, all ran smoothly. It was a bit bumpy when we got home though, due to the winds, so landing was delayed due to winds and it certainly was a bumpy landing!! Anyway, got back to LHR and picked up the car - decided to upgrade too to a Peugeot 308 which was nice! Got back home and went straight for a spray tan - so looked like an umpa lumpa for the rest of the day! Spent the day with sisters, George and Dad. George is getting so tall now - he is doing fine though. His favorite catch-phrases are "why" and "are we there yet"!!!! I also went to Asda - I know its sad, but its one shop I do miss and its generally the first place I visit!!

Some of the days now, I can't really remember what I did! I think Thursday and Friday I was running around sorting out stuff for my party on the Saturday maily and getting my nails done, etc. Caught up with a few old friends on the way too.

Saturday 21st November was the day of my 40th birthday party. We held it in Blidworth at the Welfare. Myself and my sisters had decorated it the night before, so Saturday I spent at the hairdressers and also had my make up done, then got changed and off to the party I went. It was a wonderful night - some of the school friends who came, I had not seen since I was 16!! It was great to catch up with so many friends and family. I was worse for wear by the end of the night - I blame everyone else for buying me drinks - reminds me of how I was on my 18th! Some things never change! Sunday was a bit of a write-off although I did see my cousins and manage to go out for a meal later on!!

The rest of the holiday was very busy too. I spent quite a bit of time visiting friends - went to see Skunk Anansie in Manchester too - they were excellent live - met up with Mark - the drummer - afterwards - I have known him since my Big Breakfast days and we hav kept in touch - it was good to catch up. Was sick in bed one day, but managed to get better for Centre Parcs on the Friday - went with my sisters and George. Had a great time - managed to go tree trecking too - 30 foot up in the trees - can't quite believe I did it really!

Another week at home and went shopping with a personal shopper so bought a whole new wardrobe and more which I needed! Visited more friends, had a day at the spa and spent some time at my old house sorting out the garden. All is fine there - Jakub is looking after the house well - I met up with a decorator too and he is doing the whole house in January so that should spruce it up a bit!

Went to London on the 10th to meet up with Darron and we had a few days there. Went to see Little Voice - a show - which was really good and also on the Eye, a ride on a boat along the Thames and to Madam Tussauds. Spent lots of time in the pubs too sampling the mulled wine! Met up with some ship friends too on the way back and then it was time to fly back to Saudi.

Anyway, that was my blog from home. I have one from Christmas and NY which will be winging its way to you later this week.

Take care,

Jill

xx

Jill's 40th birthday - Part 1

Photos from my birthday:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/LYMC8Pe75mwWPtye-o8tCA?feat=directlink

Helllllooooo - one more day left before my escape from here - thank goodness. It has been a truely challenging week - my team have been driving me up the wall with travel orders or being unhelpful, but now I think most of them are on business trips so its nice and quiet finally....

My birthday weekend was great - had a blast. Went over to Bahrain with Ayon on Wednesday evening - only took an hour on the causeway - pretty amazing - problem is when you get to Bahrain then you get stuck in traffic as there are too many people living on a small island, and not enough roads! So it was another hour, via the bottle shop, before we got to the apartments...

Stayed at Desert Pearl apartments - they were fine - pretty cheap but clean and in a good area close to where we needed to be. Neil cooked Thai curry once he arrived and we finally finished off a few bottles of wine, once we had managed to find a bottle opener (!), so we just stayed at the apartment. Hetty arrived from Dubai later and my friend, Liss from Riyadh, was already with us. Bob M arrived later too from Dubai... Several bottles later and I was ready for bed - however, the others decided to go out clubbing and I think got in around 4.30am!!! I just don't have the staminer at my age and wanted to save myself for Thursday...

So, woke up Thursday - a bit worse for wear, but managed to drag myself off to the henna salon and get my hand's henna'd - looks better now as it was quite orange when it was done, but has gone a dark brown color now - looks good. Went back to the apartments - had some hangover food, coffee and got ready to go out...

Got to Jim's just after 1 - quite a few folk there - a few more of my friends arrived later. Had a few drinks then sat down to a buffet lunch - shepherd's pie, pasta, salad, mash, pork - very yum! My friends then presented me with a cake and also present - cash - around 400 quid - they knew I wanted a dive computer so I have now ordered this for when I go diving!

Went on to The Exchange later in the Ramada - killer pool games began and also arm wrestling - I am not sure where Breige has been training recently, but she beat us all!!!

Then later on the JJ's - caught up with a few more friends in there - some of the others went to another pub - I just stayed their til the bitter end - well 11pm - I had had enough by then!!!

Friday - most folk were up reasonably early - 8am - the girls and Neil went out for bacon and cobs so we had bacon rolls - they were yummy!

Myself and Ayon hung around with Liss as she wasn't due at the airport for her flight to Riyadh til 3. Went to the mall breifly and then lunch at Trader Vic's....

And the causeway was only an hour on the way back again!

The rest of last week was fun - my car broke down so I had to get it towed to the garage to be told it needed a new alternator, then the following day it wasn't the alternator, just a loose connection! So thats back but its not liking these colder mornings! I popped to the Mall with Tracy on Tuesday too..

Also managed my 30 minute run with the running club - been building up to that for the past few months so that free's me up tonight to pack!!! 30 mins is about 12 laps of the track! Around 3 miles...

Anyway, I leave tomorrow on a jet plane - back into the UK around 7am Weds morning.

Cannot wait - am so ready for a break - and looking forward to seeing everyone too and to my party on Saturday!!!

Take care and see you in a few days/weeks...

Jill

xxx

Smyla Myla's charity weekend and PAWS Louise's leaving do

Hi guys - welcome to another week of Jill's life in Saudi - hope you are doing ok. Another busy week for me - especially at work - really busy for some strange reason and in between sorting out PAWS stuff... not long til Louise (PAWS) goes now - I hope she manages to sort out her visa and come back to Saudi - it won't be the same without her!!

I think I last updated you last Wednesday - after work then I taught circuits and then went for a meal with Gay and Linda and also some old friends from my DMC days (1995!!) who now work at Aramco - Robin, Sue and Heather - so - it was good to catch up but as always it was - 10 degrees in the restaurant - note to self - must take a big coat next time I eat there!!

Later I popped into Tina's with Ayon for a quick drink at her happy hour and I have agreed to house sit for her over Christmas - will be nice to have space for a change as she has a huge house here on camp!

Thursday I ran around quite a lot - attempted to catch a cat or two with Chrissy but they were AWOL - so that didnt happen! Then went to this craft fair thing on camp and bought some more Christmas gifts, then had lunch with Ayon and Kaye and then got ready to go to Myla's charity event. Breige and Tracy had done a wonderful job in organising the event and 3 bands gave their time, along with DJ Andy to provide the entertainment all day. Here is a picture of Myla. She is so cute. We managed to raise around 12k pounds altogether for further treatment for a very aggressive tumor she has close to her brain. All the best Myla...xxx

It was a wonderful day and night - here is me and Spook also - I have known Spook since 1998 - he is still here and runs one of the watering holes on Azziz compound!! Also pictured, me and my friend Carmen....

It was rather a late night (or early morning should I say), but I got myself together on Friday and went off to say my farewells to Louise who is leaving for Australia in a week or so. She is having visa problems so cannot stay here so has to go home to sort it out - Louise has been wonderful in all the work she has done with PAWS and all the animals in Kingdom and will be very largely missed - especially by me as I have taken on some of her PAWS work - but I will continue with the plight to help animals out here and hopefully, eventually, be recognised by Saudi for what we are actually doing!!!

The rest of this week hasn't been too busy - in fact Saturday, after a massage (I have a really sore shoulder at the moment) I had a rare night in when I got back! However, my car didnt start, so I had to leave it in the car park at work and walk home.... went to try and get it going last night, and after setting fire to a set of jump leads and my car almost, we got a new set of leads and nothing happened - so Im thinking alternator, battery or starter motor - but the alternator and battery are fairly new... so a tow truck later I was back at the garage and only just made my pilates class last night! Still waiting to hear what the problem is...

Gearing up for the weekend. Going over to Bahrain with some friends for the night and staying and then doing a few things Thursday morning and then off to my birthday party # 1 at Jim's restuarant... should be a good weekend - around 35-40 folk are coming over....

And then only 4 days to go after the weekend and I am back to the real world!! Can't wait...

Off to another Christmas Fair tonight - there have been loads this year - all the "ladies who lunch" spend their year making stuff for the fair's - they are really good - I got some great presents... then we are going running round the golf course in preparation for my 30 minute run with the running club next week! Tomorrow off to Ikea to get a few bits... then its the weekend!

Right, over and out.

Write soon or Ill probably see you before you do!!!

Jill

xxxx

Personal Training experience in Dubai

Hellllooorrr - its been a long time since I wrote my blog - I really have been so busy this week at work - yes, I have officially had to work for a living - it has got in the way of me writing my blog!! Not good at all!!

Anyway's - Dubai was good - although certainly mentally challenging for sure and my brain is still aching and tired this week from all the information I tried to consume!!

First, Sheryl's birthday - here is the group of us - we went to Bushido in Bahrain - I am sure you will remember that I have been there several times before. Had a few hours in Bahrain - getting nails done - walking around the shops, then went for lunch - very nice too - then we went to Trader Vic's for cocktails and then I met Darron and went out for a meal with him - he was back from Milan (where he is currently based) and we went for a catch up...

Flew to Dubai on the Saturday evening - seemed to attract stupid taxi drivers who had no idea where anything was so it took some getting to the hotel - did eventually - the hotel was fine, although Ibis don't provide room service, so I ordered the food and had to fetch it myself - whats all that about!!!!???? Was a late night and I was tired, but fortunately didnt have to get up til 7.30 - in fact these days, that is a lie in for me!!

First day was fine - there were 7 other folk on the course - all similar ages in fact - and Anna who I knew from my gym instructor course, so nice to see a familiar face.... Mark Chambers was our instructor - he was very good throughout the course. Most days were very full on - there is too much to tell you really - but its intense stuff - ie muscles - but not the main ones, all the small ones I need to learn - I am worried about the exam I must say.... so, I didnt do any exams whilst I was there last week - I have to revise, absorb the information and then go back to Dubai possibly and also with the practical - I am using one of the girls - Sarah - from Bahrain as my "body" - have to fix her up with a 12 week personal training program and then for the exam show the assessor I can teach her - that is probably the easiest part. For the sports conditioning I have to find a sports person (ie my friend Sheryl who plays golf) - take a photo of her doing a swing for example - cut it into 5 parts - analyse 2 of the photos saying which muscles are used, what movement it is, etc, etc, then draw her up a program for a year!!!! This is going to take time obviously.

The rest of the week was good - apart from on-going problems with taxi drivers - I did get to see the Mall of the Emirates, Ibn Battuta Mall (see photo - that was the roof of the Iranian part - its made up of areas from all over the world!!) and I met my friend Hetty a couple of times (who bought a new car - see pic - Dodge Charger!!) too and we went out for a meal - was hoping to see my friend Jo who was on the Tatoosh private yacht in Abu Dhabi for the F1, but it never happened as she couldnt get off the boat - Feargus, another friend is in Abu Dhabi too and I had hoped to see him - maybe next time....

Anyway, a pretty gruelling week all in all and lots to take away with me to think about - I think it will take me a few months before I am ready to go back and do the exam and practical... I have stopped doing so many classes, but at the same time have now made space to get back to the gym so I can practise what I am going to preach!!! Amongst all the other stuff I do. The PAWS event at Halloween went well last weekend I understand and I have just collected a donation today off a lady of around 800 quid which is wonderful! Louise leaves soon so I am becoming busier with PAWS stuff I must say... I need to organise an event for the new year too and here is me saying I need time to revise - I have already signed up for 2 dive trips - one in March and one in April!!!!

Work, as I said, has been busy this week. My boss is away in London next week, so hopefully it will be a little easier. I will be busy I guess sorting out my parties for my birthday although I think both of those are pretty much sorted now... I only managed one run this week - I wasn't too well whilst I was in Dubai - had a tummy bug, but seem to be ok now. Ran Saturday, taught pilates Sunday and taught last night and tonight too! Had a challenging class last night - the lights kept going out!!! Also, the ladies who lunch are holding Christmas craft fairs so I went to a couple of those last night and again today at lunch....

Anyway, here is the weekend - at least I get one this week - teaching tonight, meal, then drinks at Tina's, tomorrow cat catching, then the charity do all afternoon and evening and Louise PAWS leaving do Friday! Full on really!

Right, over and out.

See you all in a couple of weeks - please write too - I dont seem to get many emails these days!!!!

Jill

xxxxx