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Yes another month has flown by and its Blog time!! It is incredible how quick time is flying for us our here in the Desert, and that is with me not having a job……..but guess what, I finally got one!!! :) After about 6 interviews and psychometric testing, I finally got the contract from Pepsi, so I am now an employed woman! I will be working for PepsiCo International as an assistant for the Regional Planning Director of Finance. All the paperwork and visa processing is now going through and I officially start work on March 18! So unfortunately on St. Patty’s day I will have to stay away from the green beer. I’m really looking forward to my job and the start of my career. So as I mentioned last month, the spiraling economy has now hit here. Lots of people are departing Dubai, mostly due to redundancies (laid off), but now that I have a secure job we are a little less on edge.
Mark has also been put on another project, so we feel quite secure with what he is doing as well. It all changes here very fast, but as for now we are ok. Of course with this extra project mark is now doing, he is working a lot and lots of over time. I don’t think he’s had one Saturday off this year yet.
It definitely feels like home here now. We see the beautiful sun, the burj al arab, the burj, the busy roads, the beach, a few sandstorms, etc every day and now have got used to the fact that this is our home and that we aren’t just on holiday. It is a good feeling, for we feel comfortable and used to Dubai now!! And our apartment is coming together as well into a nice home! We even have our own plant, we call him Chesney. I wanted a doggie, so this was a compromise.
We went to this insane place called dragon mart – which is this huge shopping complex with loads of retailers selling everything and anything you could possibly think of, but at the just imported from china value! They have everything from bath tubs, to electronics, to plants, to restaurant size fryers, and even fork lift trucks. Mark and I were very overwhelmed, but we managed to find a few nice lamps for our house there (courtesy of Mr & Mrs G Foden)
We celebrated our first valentines day – actually together! Made tons of sushi from scratch and tempura! It was lots of fun learning a new type of cooking! We will defo be making sushi rolls again in the near future – they are easier than we expected! Mark has decided he is going to take up golfing again. So he got a very nice full set of Taylor made irons – well they were supposedly from me for v-day! Hehe So he’s been heading to the driving range, and considering taking some professional taught lessons.
Marky Wakeboarding
We drove out to Umm Al Quwain (another emirate) to this marine club. And relaxed in the sun by the ocean and pool all day. Mark then had wakeboarding lessons from a professional wakeboarder (ex world champion, Emma Jones)! This was a gift from me from Christmas. He managed to get up right away and was riding the wake and loved being on top of the water. He now wants to take up wakeboarding, and get a boat, etc! Sounds good to me, I could drive or ride in a boat on the weekends!! :)
We still don’t have our residency….but it literally should be through in the next week! We had to go through the treacherous process of getting a medical…imagine going to a clinic with 100s of Indian men waiting to get their medical as well! Just not a fun part of the process!
The girls at the shower!
Our friends Dan & Gemma are pregnant and due in a few more months, so I decided to throw a surprise baby shower for them. There were about 10 of us, with lots of food, drinks, cake and balloons! Some of the brits/guys don’t really understand baby showers, so it was more just a party, instead of a pressie and game event. (as I don’t think many traditionally baby showers finish at 4.30am with all the guests wasted)! But was lots of fun and they were happily surprised!
My parents and Amber are heading out here in a few more days, so we’ve been busily planning a schedule for when they are here! Really really looking forward to seeing them, for haven’t seen them since September! Mark has off work while they are here and I start after they have gone! It’s gonna be a blast! Can’t wait!
Well I’ve blabbed on for way to long once again…hope you managed to get through it!
Hope this finds you all well, happy and healthy!
Send us an email of what you’ve been up to and what is happening in your lives!!!
We love and miss you all!
Love,
Love,
Erin & Mark
Xxxx
P.S. we finally have an address here in Dubai, so if you would like to post anything to us (copies of Viz, Nuts and Zoo for Mark) please send it to:
Erin & Marky
PO Box 487029
Discovery Gardens
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
For those of you who don’t have facebook or haven’t seen our albums, here are some links to picture albums from the last few months:
A fine start to 2009:
Dubai desert classic & Al Ain air show:
Chinese state circus, global village, home additions, valentines day:http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2235516&id=6402232&l=297ce
Gemma & Dan’s Baby shower:
