Cutbacks

This week my husband and I have been talking about our financial goals and the way the cost of living in Dubai is way higher than we had anticipated despite our research before moving over here. Just as an example, our rent, which must be paid in advance annually works out to be approx $1100 per week for a 3 bedroom townhouse. The books and real estate websites we looked at before moving here suggested at least half that. We soon learned that real estate websites were at the time not kept up to date. It was during the boom and villas were being snapped up at a very fast rate.

We have decided to make some serious cutbacks in order to actually move forward and hopefully return to Australia next year. Our financial situation and the current world economic climate has me thinking about the way previous generations got on during the tough times.

The blanket pictured above is a beautiful example of stretching something and making use of every last scrap. The image is not as clear as I would have hoped, but this knitted baby blanket was passed on to me when my paternal Grandmother died 22 years ago. It measures about 50x30cm as must have over 100 knots from where the small lengths of cotton were joined. I treasure this blanket for the love and beauty that went onto such a frugal piece that has lasted over time.

Today's sunset and some festivity in Dubai

It's super grainy because it was taken on my phone, but this was the gorgeous sunset my family got to enjoy after a spot of shopping. I know, your boring typical view from your local shopping centre. Don't know why I'm sharing it really. Because it was quite hazy, you can't really appreciate how massive the Burj Dubai just to the right of the sun actually is. If I think about it next time I am at the shops I will take a decent camera to show what the skyline is like these days.

This time of year is amazing. The weather is gorgeous and people are moving into holiday mode with National Day this coming week, Eid next and Christmas just around the corner.

In true Dubai style where bigger is better, at the centre was a massive Christmas tree. Again, the shot is with my phone, so quality pretty ordinary but to help you with scale, that is a full sized palm tree in the foreground and I was standing about 2 metres above the level the tree started on.

In knitting news, I am four balls into eight for the baby blanket and completed one legwarmer. Not a scrap of Christmas knitting as yet despite some great patterns in the last few copies of Simply Knitting.

And That's Our Cue to Leave

It is nowhere near as bad as it sounds for us as we are able to go from air conditioned car to air conditioned house, office, mall etc and the girls can still play outside in the afternoon. The people who are building this city and doing other outdoor jobs do not have it so cushy.

So what's on my to do list before our flight to Australia on the weekend?

1. Charge camera batteries
2. Back up computer
3. Download some more music and audio books for the girls on the Zune.
4. Check that contacts etc are up to date on phone
5. Do my This Is for the week
6. Finish packing (need Melbourne and Brisbane/Gold Coast clothes)
7. Edit the girls' packing
8. Wash a shawl that I have knitted as a gift for a friend (it will dry in a flash here)
9. Finish knitting 2 other gifts
10. Do a load of laundry
11. Clean the fridge (DH will be here for most of the summer without us so there is no point in leaving food he won't eat in there)
12. Teach DH how to use the dishwasher and washing machine (I am serious. A big hello from 1955 here)
13. Lock valuables in the safe
14. Do some personal grooming so I don't look like an absolute scruff
15. Pay the guy who washes the car
16. Pay the housemaid---ME :) See number 12
17. Breathe

Textile Souk

For the fabric fiends out there, Dubai's Textile Souk. We popped in this evening to get some souvenirs to take to Australia and I must say, we had a blast. Funnily enough, we lost DH at one stage which really should have been very difficult to do. With our very pale skin we stood out as no tourist in their right mind is about in downtown Bur Dubai at that time of day during summer.

Oh and my lens kept fogging up because it is just so hot and humid now.

My Daughters Favourite Aussie Export

Coming Soon is written on a lot of shopfronts around these parts. A medical centre has been "coming soon" to our local shopping centre for well over a year. When some Boost Juice signage arrived a while ago we were hoping it would not take too long.

Well, this week it happened and we have a couple of fans enjoying themselves in the store this afternoon. The staff offered the girls balloons and little stuffed toy boost juice cups to ensure pester power does it's thing. Judging by the fact that they are now being cuddled by the girls in bed, I think it has worked.

My favourite Aussie export is Gloria Jeans, which happens to be the closest coffee shop to my place. Needless to say, the staff there know us by name. :)

This Is... Recycling Dubai Style

Our theme today is this is my way of recycling.

In Dubai there is no kerbside collection for recycling so here is our routine-

Step 1- Recyclables go into our trusty ikea hamper, and newspapers into a paper bag.

Step 2- On shopping day we drop the newspapers at ikea to be used at the check out for wrapping around breakables and the rest of the waste is dropped off at a recycling centre near home.

How hot is it?

So we are still a month out from the start of summer and this is what my cars thermometer had to say today.

Noice.