What Of Dubai...

Its been a good few days dwelling in the Arabian Delights of Dubai; certainly a very different way to spend christmas.

To keep it breif, the plus points:

• Good weather, excellent customer service, and beautifully presented.

And, negative Points:

• All the taxi drivers, drive like looneys!
• Many streets in Burj Dubai feel the same, causing a temporary sense of dislocation.

In all honesty I do like Dubai, the soothing tones of the locals being called to prayer and the ideal blend of pleasant, but not roasting weather, has made for a really relaxing and wonderous time! Which leads me to my final points, things I will remember the most:

• The amount the locals "honk" each other as they drive - its like a competition of who can toot their horn the most - very funny!
  
• Mistaking an Arabic version of a Szechuan for an English version of a Szechuan - Ouch!
  
• ...rediscovering the delights of relaxing and doing what the hell you want! Thank God for Starworld movie channel - Geez I've been watching some crap!
  
• Rekindling my love for water parks - even when they do rip the seat out your pants - isn't that right Chep? ;)
  

Non -Stop Non-Stopping!

I think its safe to say the last few weeks have been non-stop. So many funny things have happened, thats its almost too much to come out of one persons mouth. But above all I do have to admit the two drunk tramps shagging on the Audi does beat all events hands down (and trousers!)

We only have 5 days to go, and as much as it must be killing people with the amount we are saying we are tired - there's no two ways about it - we're absolutely knackered. Every now and then I raise my head and think "what the hell are we doing?", but in as much as I have the voice of the Nancy Queen of Mordor screaming that in my brain, I do have the silky tones of Barry White saying "Good things come to those who wait".

For my sake, sanity and libido - I hope your right Barry!

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry

This ones for those out there who had some misconceived perception of me being some kind of knuckle-dragging alpha male.

When I was in school some ten years ago (eeek!) , I was so terrified by the thought of injections I did the following:

• Told the nurse I was allergic to them
• Told the nurse I had already had them
• Feigned Illness (and didn't go to the nurse)
  

Having had a few years to mature (a little), and come to terms with the fact that injections are inescapable, I decided to book myself in for a few inoculations pending my journey to Oz. Bravely I agreed to have the Hep A, Typhoid and BCG (yep I skipped that beauty too).

Tuesday came around and it was Hep A & Typhoid (combined - still not that brave) and also the Mantoux test (the first step of the BCG). Off I trotted to the Premier Medical Centre in Knowle and bravely sat whilst stabbed in both arms. On the whole I was fine, not a trembling lip in sight - so proud!

Then...Thursday - which meant either I have a raised lump where the Mantoux test was done, or I'm having the BCG. No lump, so off I trot back to Knowle with Chep in tow. Nurse inspects my arm, little too thoroughly to be honest, considering were looking for a lump (I thought she must have 3D blindness!). Then in she pops the needle, wangles it round a bit then job done. No tears, no trembling lip, no conciousness!

Rule of thumb, your brain may be able to handle things that your body can't...bugger!