2008 Year In Review

January 14, 2009

Leah’s yearend post inspired me to do some sort of a review of the past year myself.  I’m also doing a round up of the first sentences of the first posts of each month.  Who knows, it might magically paint a vivid picture of what I’d gone through the past year.  The sentences are preceded by the title of the post.

 

January 2008. Choices:  If given the choice, where would you rather live and work?

I guess this was around that time I was weighing the pros and cons between HK and DXB.  I had two competing offers and, at the same time, was also speaking with a Singapore-based headhunter.  If one could only turn back time.

 

February 2008:  System Solutions will not address Personnel Problems:  unless, of course, if it totally replaces the people amen

I don’t really recall what the specific issue was but this sentiment still holds true.

 

March 2008: So there was another rally:  For Filipinos, it’s just one of those things that happens on an almost daily basis in the Philippines.

This was my first photographic coverage of an event. Hehe

 

April 2008:  First Week in Dubai: I’ve been in Dubai for 5 days now.

My hopes were still so high then.

 

May 2008:  A Country of Excess:  Dubai is a capitalist state much like any other capitalistic country. 

I guess this was an attempt at an objective look at Dubai.

 

June and July 2008:

Nothing.  I think this was around the time when I had very limited access to the net.

 

August 2008:  Major Update:  It’s been three months since I last blogged.

There were enough words in this post to make up for those three months.

 

September 2008:

Nothing.

 

October 2008:  Telephone:  We call the television a “TV” then why don’t we call the telephone a “TP”?

One of two posts for the month, wasted on ridiculousness. Hehe.

 

November 2008:  What to Buy?  I just got my driver’s license today, after several months of waiting and days of waster effort at the local driving school.

A major positive change that drastically uplifted my spirits - in general and towards Dubai. 

 

December 2008:  New Car Pics:  Here we are picking up the car from the showroom.

You can tell how happy we were from the pictures.  We really got into the materialistic side of Dubai.

 

It’s pretty disappointing.  I thought this round up was going to result in something more poignant, that it would offer some insight that I could only see by looking back at the past year as a whole.  Oh well.

 

Anyway, here’re some of 2008’s highs, some with their corresponding lows.

• Highlight:  Got married twice (to the same woman!) - one a civil wedding the other a church wedding.  Had a rocking time at the wedding, reception and afterparty with friends and family - many of which will concur.  Lowlight:  Reminds me of how good I had it in Manila.

• Highlight:  Moved to Dubai.  Lowlight:   Moved to Dubai.

• Highlight:  Moved to a higher paying job.  Lowlight:  Realised some things are simply not worth the money.

• Highlight:  Moved to a higher paying job.  Lowlight: Moved to a high cost location.

• Highlight:  Bought a massive new car.  Lowlight:  I feel guilty when I drive.

• Lowlight:  Gaining more weight than ever. 

• Highlight:  Moved my family to Dubai.  Lowlight:  Can’t afford a two bedroom apartment.

• Highlight:  Took a risk.  Lowlight:  Paid the price.

Period.

Karting at the Dubai Autodrome

The Dubai Autodrome features a professional karting track complete with straighaways, long bends, up and downhills, tight turns and even a small tunnel.  You can get a 15-minute crack at the track for AED 100.  No reservations needed, just “arrive and drive.”

 

Don’t remember if this was before or after the race. 

 

My fastest lap was 1:18.  I’d previously done 1:14 I think.  Bianca did almost 3 minutes.

 

 With my evil sisters.

Za’abeel Park

Za’abeel Park has a small man made lake where you can rent electric boats that can carry up to four people.  For 40 AED, you can spend 30 minutes going round and round the lake like a goldfish in a bowl. 

 

The fountain in the middle of the lake

 

Part of the Dubai skyline.  The Etisalat Building on the far right.

 The whole gang on the boat - Orin raring to get away and play with his cousin

Emirates Towers Mini Park

January 13, 2009

We usually bring the kids to the Dubai Creek Park or Za’abeel Park during the weekends so they get to have some really physical playtime.  Dubai isn’t really one of those places where your kids can just go downstairs and play on the streets.  In fact, you can rarely see kids on the street (old people too).  They don’t get to go out too often when we have work so it’s really important that they are able to enjoy the outdoors.

 

There’s quite a few parks around Dubai, and they’re all very popular destinations during the weekends for families to have picnics, couples to stroll around, friends to get together over some grilled food and even just workers looking to relax after a long week of work.  It’s no wonder that they’re really packed on Fridays, which is the common weekend for most people (some work 6 days a week with Friday off).

 

One Friday before Christmas, we decided to bring our kids to the Dubai Creek Park but couldn’t find any place to, ironically, park.  Several cars had already been ramped onto the sidewalks, while others were using the waiting/pick up/drop off areas.   This is completely illegal in Dubai, so I don’t know why these people insist on doing it.  Most of the cars already had tickets plastered on their windshields. 

 

From the Dubai Creek Park, we went to Za’abeel but also couldn’t find any parking.  We eventually ended up at the Emirates Towers, owned by the none other than the ruler of Dubai, which had a circular patch of grass surrounded by trees no larger than a basketball court.  We were the only ones there but at least the kids were able to have their fun while I was able to take some pictures.

The Emirates Towers

 

 

With Sean

 

Skyline with the Emirates Towers.

 

 With Orin.

First Christmas in Dubai

So, we had our first Christmas in Dubai.  It was nothing fancy and could not be co mpared to the celebrations and general atmosphere that you would normally get in the Philippines.  It wasn’t a holiday or a non-working day so I had to take a few days of leave but my wife had just started work so she took the 24th off but had to go back to work the following day. 

 

We settled for a simple dinner at home with my sister and her family.

From Left to Right:

Yaya Cez, Bianca, Sean, Me, Orin, Ricel, Elvin, Darien and Yaya Cathy.