first of all, my apologies for not updating for so long. i can't believe i only put up one post in september! work has been a crazy whirlwind since i got back from my vacation and there's a few pending posts up my sleeves that are waiting to be cleared. my vacation series is still stuck in kathmandu! will get those out soon, i promise!
anyway, 12 oct marked the one year i've been in sandland, so i'd like to make a note about it here. i was reading back to the posts from my first days here, and it seemed like a lifetime ago! but at the same time, it felt like only yesterday that i stepped off the plane, puffy-eyed, into the summer night of the land of the shimmering sands. time does play tricks on us like that, huh?
was having dinner with the ooi's the other day, coz ryuu was here with his mother and boyfriend (a stopover on their way back from london), and he was asking how i find sandland, it being my 1 year anniversary and all. hmm... i've not really thought about what i like and don't like about this place, so his question set me thinking. what DO i like about sandland? and DON'T like, for that matter?
so here's the like and dislike lists, in no particular order.
likes:
1. the streets are relatively safe. at least safer than back home.
2. the shopping is great, with more varieties of things to choose from.
3. public transport is very convenient, especially now they've opened the green line, coz there's a station quite near the place i stay. of course, it'll be better to have your own car, but we can still survive comfortably with public transportation.
4. the cool winter months.
5. working with an international group of colleagues. in my last count, we have about 15 nationalities in my department alone!
6. opportunities to try new things that i've never dreamed of doing back home, such as taking horse riding lessons, camping in the desert, picnicking in the park (ok, we can do this back home too, but it's never been the trend) etc.
7. the labour law dictates that everyone gets 30 calendar days of annual leave each *woo-hoo!*
dislikes:
1. too many people of certain nationalities here! nations that start with I, P (they're neighbours, but not very friendly/neighbourly with each other) and another P (m'sia's neighbour across the south china sea). at least too many in the area where i stay...
2. the summer months.
3. the taxi drivers, which incidentally, are mostly of the I & P nationalities mentioned above. from the way they drive to the way they sometimes try to con you by taking the longer route (to get more mileage in the meter). and also their body odour! *phew*
4. the price of things here are comparatively more expensive than back home, coz most things are imported.
5. eating out costs a bomb.
6. we only have 10 public holidays in a year!
7. the work-week (sun - thurs) is different from the rest of the world
ok, that's all i can think for now. 7 - 7, so it's a draw... as for how long i plan to be here, well, i've not really given that much thought. it really depends on where life brings me next. but i hope i won't be here for more than 2 years, coz really, there's so many more places to see and things to experience, and life to live, right? ;)
anyway, 12 oct marked the one year i've been in sandland, so i'd like to make a note about it here. i was reading back to the posts from my first days here, and it seemed like a lifetime ago! but at the same time, it felt like only yesterday that i stepped off the plane, puffy-eyed, into the summer night of the land of the shimmering sands. time does play tricks on us like that, huh?
was having dinner with the ooi's the other day, coz ryuu was here with his mother and boyfriend (a stopover on their way back from london), and he was asking how i find sandland, it being my 1 year anniversary and all. hmm... i've not really thought about what i like and don't like about this place, so his question set me thinking. what DO i like about sandland? and DON'T like, for that matter?
so here's the like and dislike lists, in no particular order.
likes:
1. the streets are relatively safe. at least safer than back home.
2. the shopping is great, with more varieties of things to choose from.
3. public transport is very convenient, especially now they've opened the green line, coz there's a station quite near the place i stay. of course, it'll be better to have your own car, but we can still survive comfortably with public transportation.
4. the cool winter months.
5. working with an international group of colleagues. in my last count, we have about 15 nationalities in my department alone!
6. opportunities to try new things that i've never dreamed of doing back home, such as taking horse riding lessons, camping in the desert, picnicking in the park (ok, we can do this back home too, but it's never been the trend) etc.
7. the labour law dictates that everyone gets 30 calendar days of annual leave each *woo-hoo!*
dislikes:
1. too many people of certain nationalities here! nations that start with I, P (they're neighbours, but not very friendly/neighbourly with each other) and another P (m'sia's neighbour across the south china sea). at least too many in the area where i stay...
2. the summer months.
3. the taxi drivers, which incidentally, are mostly of the I & P nationalities mentioned above. from the way they drive to the way they sometimes try to con you by taking the longer route (to get more mileage in the meter). and also their body odour! *phew*
4. the price of things here are comparatively more expensive than back home, coz most things are imported.
5. eating out costs a bomb.
6. we only have 10 public holidays in a year!
7. the work-week (sun - thurs) is different from the rest of the world
ok, that's all i can think for now. 7 - 7, so it's a draw... as for how long i plan to be here, well, i've not really given that much thought. it really depends on where life brings me next. but i hope i won't be here for more than 2 years, coz really, there's so many more places to see and things to experience, and life to live, right? ;)
6 comments:
Wah, finally, your pro-con list :P
LOL, ya hor! i forgot about our conversation on the pro-con lists! :D
good right, to blog.. at least can search back and see what happened..
in FB, you can't..
i can't believe how fast time flies.. seem like just yesterday we were talking about you leaving for sand land.
yeah, me too. i guess after the first 2-3 months for me, i just fall into the rhythm of things and time just wooshed by.
Whatever it is.. I think you won't want to go to China to work.. no FB. Haha!
yes, u're right. and once they start banning fb in the uae, i'll be the first to move! :P
Post a Comment