What a week!

Wow, I'm exhausted! What a week. I would like to say that I will be taking it easy this weekend to recover but hey, you all know me by now, probably means I will party harder to balance my inner feng shui. Can't have the work side of my brain overtaking the party side can we?

Still no sales person so juggling two jobs. How hard can it be to find someone in Dubai who can sell mini cards!!

So, to pick up where I left off last week....

Thursday

Very slow start to evening with drinkies at mine. Then out to look for mischief but could not find any so home early, 3am.

Just settled down to watch telly, in pj's, makeup off and eating cheesy toast when the door bell went at 330am. Could it be the man of my dreams traked me down at last? (I secretly hoped not coz I had not waxed) but no fear, it was my mad neighbour. He was hosting a stag night for his mate and they were one player short for one of the teams. And bless, he thought of me.

Well it would have been rude not to go so pulled on my breeks again and armed with my cheesy toast and a smile, off I plod barefoot down the corridor. The game was Buzz and Dougie and I won (but to be honest I don't think anyone else was paying attention. Especially after the pizza arrived. Then I had my first game of table football. Me vs 5 boys. Can't remember who won that!

Sun was up by this time and in their drunken wisdom decided to go for a swim in the pool. I went to act as life guard. Just in case. I wish I had a camera! So got to bed at 7am and realised that I had to be in waxy's at 2pm for Danny's birthday.... not a hope in hell!

Made it by 6pm, just in time to get the 50 Dhs tickets. I danced my little pants off all day and night and had fun. We started out with 10 of us, 5 girls and 5 boys. As usual The Vampire and I were last standing and the only ones who made it til closing at RBs. God we are hard core.

And, wait for it, I had to get up at 8am to go to a workshop at 9am!

Saturday

Do not know to this day how I made it on time! Sat in the conference room with eyes that truly looked like piss holes in the snow and held my breath so long in between vodka breaths I though I would pass out. Plus I thought we were going to get fed so didn't have breakfast. 5 hours in a 12x12 conference room with 7 other people, who didn't look like they had ever tasted vodka never mind consumed the litre I had the day before, hung-over, starving and hot. Quality.

Went home for a sleep in afternoon and then off to Cally's at night for dinner. Paul cooked three mouth watering courses. Goats cheese salad to start, roast beef with all the trimmings plus more, then a choice of home-made banana cheese cake, brownies or ice cream! It was that after-Xmas-dinner-feeling. Truly scrumptious!

Sunday/Monday, usual work and yoga stuff. Tuesday went to brown mafia's for dinner.

Last night went to Laughter Factory with Bex. Its been a very long time since I've gone to one and it was ok but will think again before going. I had to rush from office to yoga for 615pm then finish at 730, shower and drive like mad woman possessed to get there by 830pm, with no dinner. No parking in car park so had to park on other side of road from Crown Plaza and walk/run to get there on time. So got there stressed and ordered a beer! Not quite what you are supposed to do after yoga.... As I had my car I had to nurse one beer all night. Yuk!

Did speak to a very cute boy. Met him before and forgot how nice he was. Not very often I find new eye candy these days. Blew it as usual though. I am pants with boys. Not enough practice I guess! So what is the acceptable etiquette anyway? Should I ask for his number? Should I assume if he does not ask for mine that he is not interested or too shy? How exactly do you let a boy know you like them without out sticking your tongue in his ear and asking your place or mine? (well it usually works). but what if I actually want dinner or a movie (fuck, did I actually say that - has the ice queen finally melted!!!) Guess I will have to revert to stalking again. Now if I can just find him again....

What I learned last week...

1/ There are no sales people in Dubai looking for a job (or willing to work with me!)
2/ If you have 4 boys and a sun lounger, the 5th boy can be launched half way down your pool without drowning.
3/ I am glad I do not have a camera yet.
4/ No-one can keep up with the tartan tots at the weekend.
5/ Laughter is good for the soul, but not if your stress levels go off the richter scale to get there on time.
6/ I am shit at chatting up boys.

So nearly the weekend again.

Bring it on.

Nikki
xxxx

Not over the hill quite yet...

People often ask me why I have stayed here for so long. Well its simply because life is never dull. There are always new people to meet, new places to go and new things to do. There is just always something to look forward to. As you will see by my last week.

But firstly in response to the young whiper snapper who wrote to 7days and complained that there should be an age limit ban for "oldies" over 40, I wholeheartedly agree, bring it on! A club for over 30's would be FANTASTIC! It would certainly stop all the children who are not even old enough to shave yet, never mind hold their beer, from thinking they had any remote possibility of getting a date with us older but truly fabulous women of the world.

Makes me smile that they still try, makes me laugh that they are confident enough to think they would be able to keep up! And I'm not talking about the dance floor.

Which I might add is usually children free by the end of the night as its only the old skool kids that have any stamina...

So back to my wonderful life. Last Wednesday (seems like so long ago now) we went to see the musical Chicago. It was absolutely fabulous. And not just because I got freebie VIP tickets and didn't have to sit in a tin bucket, it truly was the second best show I have ever seen. (First being Lord of the Dance). We all loved it, everyone there loved it. An Iraqi couple sat beside us, in full national dress, and after the initial shock of seeing half naked women and men on the stage and wondering how they got away with it (maybe I have been here too long!) I dared to look right, waiting for them to walk out. But you know what, we all had a great time! They loved it too. Mr Selophane, oh Mr Selphone.... dah dah dah and all that jazz!!

Thursday was an interesting day. I was interviewing for the sales exec position in my office and met a very bizzare lady who said she was a pranic healer. And did you know that I am a psychic healer. Actually I knew that already. Obviously. She went into some sort of transe half way thru the interview and told me to close my eyes until she healed by stress by an energy scraping my back! Strangely enough I did feel better when she left but don't know if that's because she did send me masses of new energy or just because laughing so hard released so many endorphins in my body that I was as high as a kite for the rest of the afternoon...... Needless to say she did not get the job.

Then I went to a meeting in Deira and my car broke down - again. Power steering went. Scary. Had to ditch car and Yvie came and got me and we went shopping in M&S and spent a months salary to make me feel better. Then went back to Yvie and SQs for dinner but took an alergy to the dog and my eyes swelled up like melons and I had to leave.

Was so traumatised by the day by the time I got home I stayed in and watched a movie!

Friday was good, NO hangover - yahooo! Caught up on stuff and was supposed to stay in and have alcohol free weekend but got a serious dose of house fever by 8pm and went out with SQ to RBs. Josh was doing karaoke and we had a blast! It was very funny we had a good night, so good we will probably go back for more soon.

Saturday was good too, ladies beach then cooked up a feast at night. Yum yum. The yoga would work much faster if I could just stop eating!

On Sunday unexpectedly ended up at Boston for roast beef dinner with SQ. Very nice!

Monday went to yoga and met the son of two clairvoyants! Spooky. Being a psychic healer now I should have known I would meet him, mmmm, I must practice harder.

A WARNING for anyone I know considering botox! I went to Lamcy last night to Paris Gallery to buy girlie stuff and there is a girl there who is an advert for every reason under the sun not to do botox. Her top lip is so huge that she looked like a monkey. When she smiled at me only her bottom lip smiled and her eyes and forehead didn't move a muscle. It was very scary and quite sad. Don't take your kids, they will have nightmares. Bless her. Hope she gets her money back.

Getting my hair cut tonight and then girls at mine for pre drinks then out on town to look for mischief. Will probably meet up with boys, its Danny's 40th today - HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANNY BOY. Monster party to celebrate at Waxys tomorrow. You have been warned.

Bless, if the children of Dubai have their way then he is now too old to go to clubs! Little do they know that he will be on the dance floor longer than all of them. And still going strong after the clubs have closed till the sun comes up. Party at Danny's!!

What I learned last week....

1/ I have a year and half to go before I am considered too old to get into Dubai clubs.
2/ I am a psychic healer. Be afraid, be very afraid.
3/ There ARE comfy shoes made in the world. In M&S. I may look like a granny at least my feet don't hurt anymore.
4/ I am still very allergic to dogs.
5/ I officially admit to loving karaoke! Well when my favourite eye candy in RBs does it anyway.
6/ I am never getting botox done no matter how wrinkly I get.

Remember, twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than the ones you did! That's my excuse in advance for this weekends behaviour anyway!

Life is for laughing, loving and living.

Nikki
xxxx

Still drooling.....

Corrr.... still drooling........ x 

Forgive me friends for I have sinned...

Forgive me friends for I have sinned, its been a few days since my last blog.

Can't tell you ALL my sins since last week on-line but a few below.

Anyway, five hail Nikki's and one my Father's and woo hoo, I'm forgiven. (Although I imagine his sins are a lot worse than mine....)

So I've been a busy little bee last 10 days.

Last week was the Arabian Travel Market and I was there every day clucking over my five display stands like a proud wee mother hen should do. Quite successful although the launch of my new LCD screen stands didn't happen. In typical Dubai style, , the display stands were not delivered until the day before the ATM and of course were not to spec and the lcd screens didn't work. Ho hum. Just as well I have lived here for a while and had a plan B.

After first two hours cheeks were sore smiling, shoulder aching with carrying crap and feet were swollen and killing me. By the end I had truly lost the will to walk.

But I was very impressed this year. Especially loved the Dubailand robot and the Jack Bauer look alike! Corrrr - just finished watching series 4 so he was very lucky to escape unruffled this time.

Thursday
I went to Lou and Kerry's pool party. Great stuff, met a few peeps I have not seen for a while and met a few new peeps too. BTW - the "pool" was a 3" high, 20" wide inflatable paddling pool which wasn't even deep enough to soothe my sore feet. Tequilla table helped though.

Afterwards we went to Boston then RBs. Well I remember RBs coz I danced, but Boston??? Yvie assures me I was there but like I said the Tequilla table was good....

Friday
Went to Laura's birthday at Trader Vics at Madinat. Excellent night. Great cuban band and lots of salsa dancing show offs on the dance floor. Very entertaining although music so loud we couldn't talk. We all shared a cocktail served in a mini bath tub (as big as Lou and Kerry's pool) with 2 foot long straws. First two sips were hard work to swallow but after third one my mouth was numb and taste buds and brain cells frazzled. Then went to RBs, don't think I went anywhere before that but then again who knows...

We met a group of lads from the Navy there and seconds before I started running to the nearest hills I actually tried a new tactic of smiling and talking other than the usual "man hating she devil from hell when drinking" tactic and surprisingly had a proper conversation. Which is a very rare event in RBs. They turned out to be ok and I should have been on the HMS Glouster last night as a guest at the Chief Petty Officers Social (which apparently is an honour with the Captain there etc but I have no idea!) but had to decline as at BNI meeting this morning so 530 am start. Very tired already but getting used to it now and its very productive for me so don't mind getting up in the dark now if it keeps bringing me business.

Saturday
Lovely chilled day. Beach and yoga. Then cooked a monster pan of home made soup on Sat night to keep me going all week. Scrummy.

Week started shit at work. I now have to find a new sales executive urgently so if you didn't get my e-mail and know anyone who wants to work with me doing my sales please call me urgently!

Other than that work is great just now. Two new projects just launched, Destination Dubai (series of 5 collectable mini cards) and the Dubai Map (beautiful illustrated map being hand made in Kenya).

Plus a third up my sleeve which I can't tell you about yet or I will have to cut your tongue out. Oh and chop off your fingers so you can't type. In fact I would have to poke your eyes out too so you could not read my blog either. Mmmm this is getting into the Vampire's territory, I must be spending too much time with her...

Going to Chicago tonight. Got freebies from my Aunti SQ. Going to take a cushion in case they are VIP seats. According to 7days I will need one!

What I learned last week....

1/ There are no comfortable shoes made on the planet yet that are designed to allow you to trail round hundreds of stands in a 5 hall exhibition for 4 days. My solution - slippers! If I set up a stand selling slippers at all exhibitions I would be very rich very quick! (I have already patented the idea so forget pinching it!)

2/ 9 foot robots can sing and dance.

3/ a 4 foot person/it/thing who is painted/dressed to look like a plant on stilts can make you scream louder than you ever thought possible in public.

4/ Tequilla truly kills brain cells. Actually I had learned this already so why do I keep going back for a refresher course? Anyone else I spoke to in Boston - just in case - sorry - again!

5/ As someone with a strong 6th sense, people still never fail to surprise me. Some good, some bad but always interesting enough to make life challenging. Oh well what does not kill me will make me stronger.

Debi once told me that friends are either for a season, a reason or a lifetime. Luckily for me I have enough lifetime friends to make up for the seasonal and unreasonable ones!

Open to suggestions for this weekend if anyone is doing anything exciting?

Whatever you do this weekend, live and let live.

Nikki
xxxx

Yum, yum.....

Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum. Still drooling. This is how close we were to Him. And this is not a zoom lens. Of course He was looking right at us for this photo. Sigh....

So what has been going on this weekend? Quite quiet for me really.

Thursday started slowly with an unexpected yoga session after work. Couldn't decide what to do, where to go or who to do it with so, being a creature of habit, went to the Vampires for pre going out drinks then the usual cold spots.

Although we did bravely venture into Jimmy Dix for a change (haven't been there since a laughter factory night about a year ago) and came quickly running back out again. There were more staff than punters! Apparently its been dead since the band left. We only went because we heard that the band had left! Met my neighbours there, haven't seen them since my last party. They have probably been avoiding me.

So ended up at RBs - again. Yawn. Usual crap but met loads of people I have not seen for a while so good crack. Ended up having a wee after party with neighbours. Last memory was dancing on the couch with a wooded tray and wooden spoon beating away on it like an Irish drum (can't spell the b word!) like I was a pro. Boys had Sri Lankan shakers and bongo drums and we thought we were it. I have a sneaking feeling that I should now be avoiding them for a long time. I might even have to move house again......

Head like a bear on Friday and didn't move all day. Have now watched the entire series four of 24. Brilliant. Just as good as all the others. If you have not watched it yet, get plenty supplies in, you will be stuck in for a while.

At ATM this week so will be very busy. If you are there gimme a call, I will be in need of lots of caffeine excuses.

What did I learn this weekend....
1/ I should not try my yoga head stands at home unless Mairead is there.
2/ The V is simply not capable of pouring normal measures at home, no matter how many times after 10 years you ask.
3/ You just never know who you are going to bump into on a night out.....
4/ Vodka, tequilla, khaloua, vegetable juice, milk and grapes do not make a good cocktail mix, especially if you want to be able to function as a human being the next day.

Keeping walking on the wild side......

Nikki
x

PS - NO guys, I do not sit all day at work and type on my blog. I do most of it at home and then copy it over from my memory stick.
PPS - my boss is here this week, I have to say that.