I’m here !!!

Just thought I’d start with a quick blog to let everyone know that I have arrived safely and am beginning to settle into my new home. Plus I’m guessing some of you might like to see some photo’s of my flat and when I go into school tomorrow, my new classroom.

I arrived late Saturday night and was picked up by my ‘buddy’ from the airport in Dubai. It wasn’t until I was putting my luggage into the car that I actually realised how hot it still is at 10pm at night. Dumped my bags in my flat, met another newbie and was invited to another flat for a nice cold glass of wine !!!

Yesterday I was up quite early and began unpacking into my 4 huge wardrobes . . . . . 30kg of clothes don’t even come near to filling 1 wardrobe let alone 4. Made myself some toast and was straight out of the door to the ‘Mall’ Just like the Trafford Centre, quite a few high street shops. 700 dirhams later I have a weekly shop and lots of cleaning products, plus a new sim card for my phone. Then off to the pork shop which you can imagine is an experience as locals don’t eat pork, blacked out windows and set in the corner of a fairly expat community. Then a trip to the alcohol shop, well, it would be rude not to. At the Hilton hotel, no signs, at the back out the way,  not sure I’ll find it again, unfortunately it was closed.

Met a lovely girl from Canada this morning and she invited me out for the day, so ......

My flat has everything I need, sofa’s, kitchen appliances, table and chairs, Ikea bed etc, but very bare and neutral. So another trip to a different mall this morning and a bit of furniture rearrangement and it’s looking much more homely.

A new guy arrived late last night and needed to go to the ‘mall’ for supplies so it would be rude not to go to yet another mall this afternoon, for ice-cream and a starbucks !!!

We are off out tonight for a few drinks at the Hilton so another chance to meet some more of the staff that hopefully I’ll be working with.