Hi gang
so glad to see you all survived and enjoyed Christmas.I achieved my objective of seeing it pass completely unrecognised.It was a normal working day here,and apart from the token gesture these wonderful people made to the ex pats, of small reminders of Christmas, on the whole it went without any provoking of memories i am not able to face just yet.
I am enthralled with this beautiful country which is as far removed from my preconceptions of an Arab country as it is possible to be.Every one is so kind and friendly,and tolerant of western ways while maintaining their own culture to the letter.Their devotion to religion within this setting seems so admirable and natural and has made me wish i had been more open minded when i was in England,but circumstances that have occurred withn our own culture have made it difficult not to brand a whole race with the same label of fanatics and madmen,and i must confess these lovely people are a far removed species from the ones i have encountered at home.The place as a whole has a deeply spiritual feeling and consits of many colours and creeds,the mainstay being Philipinos,indians,pakistanis and sudanese all mixed in with the resplendant Arabs in their full national dress.Each group of people have their own level in the structure of things and seem to live in harmony.It seems unfathomable that any one man should have so much money that he can just build such a beautiful clean city,and keep on changing it and expanding it to such a high level of intricate detail.It almost feels as if he doesn,t know what to spend it on next,but the parks and gardens,water features everywhere,magnificent hotels and shopping malls,schools and roads and hospitals are a real credit to him and his family.I have seen a level of understated luxury here that is quite amazing,and in all the time i have spent driving and walking around i have not seen any slums or graffiti or filth,and although the downtown area is considered the less pristine part of town ,it still looks splendid to me.
There is a nearlt zero crime rate ,a zero tolerance rate and it all seems to work.
It is all so simple .If you drink and drive you go to jail.No arguments,and every one knows that.All cars are fitted with alarms that sound if you exceed the 120kmph punishments for robbery,assault,burglary,are severe but not barbaric in the Saudi sense so no one commits theses offences.

Yesterday i had the best day i can remember for a very very long time.We were picked up in a six seater land Cruiser and driven out to the Khartim Desert.It was like driving on to the set of Lawrence of Arabia,and i wouldn't have blinked if he had appeared from over a sand dune at any moment.After a visit to a camel farm( beautifully kept clean creatures unlike the ones we have in our zoos) we went dune bashing .The air was let out in the tyres of the vehicle which then proceeded to hurtle all over the desert,up to the top of the dunes and then careering down the other side at breakneck speed what a ride!!!! we arrived shaken if not stirred at a beduoin village all laid out for an evening of food and entertainment,and before the magnificent sunset over the desert my brother and his daughter went dune bike riding and also had a short trip on a camel.As the darkness fell we were entertained round camp fires with belly dancers,smoked fruit flavoured shisha pipes and got our photos taken in full arab dress before eating a feast of local cuisine.What a day.

I am sorry if i havent joined in all the christmas messages here on the board,it is not because i didnt wish you all a great time,i just wanted to get through it without evry day being a reminder of what was happening last year,and i must say the mission has been successful.I carry robin in my heart every minute of the day but here i dont see him and feel him at every turn of my head and so it has helped me to wind down and relax.


To those of you who have kept in touch by PM and e-mails i thank you, they are something to look forward to at the end of the day although the time difference makes things awkward when it comes to replying,and to Ananth,what have i done now?

god bless you all and may i wish you health and happiness for 2008

all my love liz

Dearest Liz,
What have you done now? Well, you have answered the question yourself - you want to reply to the pms but think of the time difference. Thats not an excuse as you can always quickly answer and the person to who you have pm'd or posted something on the forum will read when they are either sitting foot loose or not being able to sleep or is not too bothered about the time difference.
Well, you are having a great time - so you are excused from my end - but dont you dare take off with a Abu Dhabian!!! They have harems you know! However, if such an event does take place - the get hooked up with the really richie rich one who will treat you like a queen and would not mind playing your little puppy on the leash.
Waiting to hear more from you.
All my love,xx and hugs,
Ananth

There are times my darling man when you remind me of a sulky schoolboy .I will answer every e- mail the minute i pick it up,but if i am out with my family i can't so it has to wait till we get in.I will not be out so much in my last fortnight as we have done the shopping thing,christmas is over and malcolm is back at work.We do have a boat trip arranged on Wednesday round the islands so i am looking forward to that.New years eve i am most definately not looking forward too as it is the anniversary of the night robin proposed to me so i am planning and escape down to the beach on my own if i can mange to slip out unoticed.

I consider myself chastised you brute and look forward to a resumption of communication

love and hugs liz

Dearest Liz,

Sulky school boy???? I am the original Peter Pan.

Love, xxx and hugs,
Ananth

Just text you did you get it?

Hi Beautiful,
Yes, I got it and will send you a nice reply about the arabs.
Love,xx and hugs,
Ananth

Its 10.30 pm and i am just heading off to bed.Sorry i missed your call that is an abu dhabi pay as you go that i just keep to phone the kids.Its been a quiet day ,i have read a lot and been thinking a lot now i am tired out.

Hard life isnt it?

night night xxxxx

Dear Liz,
As long as you are having a good time is all that matters. Do everything that you want to do and do it with complete conviction and without being scared. Just enjoy life the way it has been always meant to be - but a lot of people forget as there is a certain word called "tomorrow" that slips into their lives. Let there be only "today" as the hindi song I sent you and Vinod so kindly translated well - live with all you have today as there may be no tomorrow. It is my favortie song and has been for a long time. The other pet song of mine is "seasons in the sun", Christopher Cross - I will never be the same again and finally one song from a band that had only one hit ever - I only want to be with you - Baycity Rollers. Each song mentioned has a meaning and is worth listening to. I have about 5/6 hundred songas on my Ipod but hardly ever listen to the songs other then these unless I am really getting bored or while dozing off or while running.

Liz, have a great time in the sun as you are in a country here you can see both the sunrise and sunset unlike the British claims - "the sun never sets of the empire". I for one have never see it rising or setting due to the weather conditions!!!!.

Tak care and do post as often as you can.

Lots and lots of love, xxx and hugs,
Ananth

Ananth,

Although I was only a wee nipper at the time I do remember Rollermania and as someone who is married to a Scot I feel I must put you straight.

THE BAY CITY ROLLERS HAD MORE THAN ONE HIT EVER!

"Keep On Dancing" (1971) UK #9
"Remember (Sha-La-La)" (1973) UK #6
"Shang-A-Lang" (1974) UK #2
"Summerlove Sensation" (1974) UK #3
"All Of Me Loves All Of You" (1974) UK #4
"Bye, Bye, Baby" (1975) UK #1 (My favourite)
"Give a Little Love" (1975) UK #1
"Money Honey" (1975) UK #3
"Love Me Like I Love You" (1976) UK #4
"I Only Wanna Be With You" (1976) UK #4

Maybe a few more songs for your Ipod?

Lorraine

Its now 4pm and i have just returned from a day at the pool.sun was blazing and i swam a lot and tried to eradicate thoughts of tomorrow night.I just want to go to bed and sleep through it.I wonder why the thought of starting a new year without Robin feels so dreadful and empty.It is now 5 months since he went and i still expect to hear his voice at every turn of my head.All i want to do tomorrow is turn the clock back and have another chance.

Well its midnight here now and i have posted as and when i can during the day ,and has anyone replied or e=mailed....NO.I Rest my case

I wish I'd been sat by the pool in the blazing heat Liz. Saying that tho, if it was that nice I'd be out on my bike . I hope you get through tomorrow ok and I wish you some peace of mind for the new year. Hagg.

Dear Liz,
Maybe people are busy with their families but I am sure they care about you.
I have read some of your posts and I am sorry about Robin. I can't help with your pain and emptiness because we all have to deal with it in our own way.
I wish you all the best in the New Year and it IS a new year so go forward into it knowing that Robin would want you to enjoy your life, not mope or have regrets. Remember he is there with you and always will be.
Take care, All the best Nett xx

Hi! Liz,
It is the 31st here and the temperature is knocking on the door of 41c and the pc is in the hottest room in the house so we seldom venture here much during the heat(is that a good excuse?????)I have read about your holiday and like others grieve for you as well and if things could be changed what a grand life we would all have but sad to say life is a bitch and the mongrals who control life have NO sense of reality.
Deb and I had a great Xmas and as usual Deb got more pressies than anybodt else, but with a bit of nice food and laughfter we enjoyed our day and by 1.00 pm everybody had left and we were able to have a sleep .
I am working this evening only till 9pm and then Deb and I and our son from the Gold Coast will see the new year in from home, I trust you will be kicking up your heals and enjoying yourself as I enjoy you postings and lookforward to futer posts.
Hang in there love
LOve TREV

Anne Frank:
We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.

G'day Trev its the 31st here now as well 6 am and the call to prayer has just rung out over the morning sky.It is my first born grandchilds second birthday today,the second one i have missed,but the first time i have been able to talk to her on the telephone which i am looking forward too,but part of my heart will be in england today as the kids and their kids will be together to see in the new year and all it may bring.
My brother lives in one of the many compound complexes on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi and is taking part in a roaming dinner party tonight.It starts with cocktails in one house then moves to our house where we are providing the starter then we all move on for the main course and again for the dessert, ending up in the house next door for coffee and stuff.

I hope you continue to drink your fill(and eat) at the fountain of life and wish you and yours all the best

love to Deb

liz