Ask the lonely

Been in the airport for ages!
So decided to go on a tour of Singapore for a couple of hours, got on the bus, but I was so tired that I started to drift off! Saw some interested sights and is definitely a place I would come back to visit!

The airport is the best airport I been to, free Internet, shower if you want too ($7) sleeping areas, and a lot good shops. after the tour. Feeling a bit hungry as I only had the airplane food and it wasn't much.
Went around the airport and finally decided to go to Sakae sushi. as someone had been talking about eating sushi this week making me want some!

Prawn temaki, I had a lobster one as well!
Fried Octopus balls, these where really nice! So nice that I couldn't wait and ate one!
Fried Scallops

Yum!!!!

Total = $17.69 (£9)

Location:T2 Basement Dr,Singapore,Singapore

All that you can't leave behind

I really hate goodbyes! I understand why my former boss / flatmate left in the middle of the night and didn't tell anyone until he was back in the UK! I thought of doing that but I feel that I would be cheating my friends! I am sure that I will see some of you again! I am sure I make the effort to see some of you again! I definitely want to go to the Singapore, the Philippines and a lot of the Asian countries. Heck I might be back in the UAE! Who knows what the future holds!

Goodbye Abu Dhabi!

Hello Australia!

Daysleeper

At Changi airport in Singapore, I was sitting on the plane beside the most annoying filipinno girl I have came across. I couldn't sleep, so a bit tired, justed rested my eyes. I can't never really sleep when I am travelling, I must say the cabin crew are very nice, although the plane was a bit on the small side!

Don't tell me that it's over

Well my time in Abu Dhabi is over! It's been fun, there are people I will keep in touch with for the rest of my life. maybe I be back ther working one day!

Just the way you are

Today was my last day in Abu Dhabi, filled with regret somewhat about what I am leaving behind, to be honest I had only started to settle into a routine here! Although I am glad that I don't have to work for that company any more! Arranged my last game of volleyball today at 2am when I got in form PJ's as Diane had been pestering me to arrange it all day and I finally gave in!  She told me she was going running in the morning, I didn't believe she would wake up but she did so we went running together. Walking back I noticed she was holding her back, our conversation went something along the line of this.

I said "It must be the way you run, it be causing the pain in your back."
Diane replied "what do you mean?"
me "You run funny and seem to make a lot of noise"
Diane "What, What do you mean, I am heavy footed"
me "You don't seem to run properly, I don't think it's because your heavy footed, "
Diane "You are telling me this now, after all this time we been running together!"
me "Well I didn't want to offend you"

I proceded to show her how to run, but seriously I thought people knew how to run, when people tell me they don't know how to run I take them a bit more seriously in the future! Bascially strike with the ball of the toes to absorb the impact and then land with the heel!

Spent the rest of the day tidying and went off for dinner at Hanoi for the last time, by myself.
Ran again in the afternoon to the volleyball and it was a good turnout. Sixteen people turned up!

Ain't it fun

Today played squash and then went for dinner to the Beijing with a few close friends.. Afterwards we walked to PJ's as it Was Australian night. It was ok, until some guy bumped into me spilling his drink over me! The internations thingy (Group for expats in Abu Dhabi for networking and socialising) last night was okay, couple of my friends told me it wasn't for them! You either have to business minded or older, which they are neither!

I won't miss that much... probably stop going out to bars.. only really did that in Abu Dhabi as there was nothing else to do really!

What's my age again?

On the job search again today. Went out for sort of farewell drinks last night it wasn't planned very well and was a bit of a sham if I am honest. In Melbourne I am just going to be a follower and not a leader when it comes to social events! I am fed up of organising things and people not turning up! Was asked last night what my age was! Lets just say I look younger than I am, one of the plus points of being asian is that we look younger than we really are! (well in most cases!). To be honest I didn't feel like mingling last night the Internations crowd can be a bit serious sometimes, it's more about networking than having fun! People where trying to have a conversation with me, but I rather spend time with my friends.

Just done a quick search on www.seek.com.au there are;

• 154 jobs for architects, 58 jobs for project managers in Melbourne
• 31 jobs for architects, 5 jobs for project managers in Perth
• 135 jobs for architects, 49 jobs for project managers in Sydney 

On http://mycareer.com.au/

• 886 Job Search Results for architect in Construction, Building & Architecture in Melbourne
• 150 Job Search Results for architect in Construction, Building & Architecture in Perth
• 630 Job Search Results for architect in Construction, Building & Architecture in Sydney

So on the face of things picking Melbourne seemed like the right choice! Just need to keep applying I might have to stay in architecture but I was hoping to move into project management. I do whatever is in most demand and that pays well! In the last couple of years I been disillusioned with architecture, maybe cause of the dreary architecture in Scotland or just cause the firm I worked for wasn't good!

Meant to be playing squash again today! Played yesterday was just so tired!

Awakenings

Just before I went to sleep at 2am (I was busy applying for jobs) I got an email from a recruitment firm in Melbourne, they arranged a meeting with myself a couple of days after I land, so that is a positive sign already! Doing an excel sheet with contact details, job descriptions, salary so I can see which jobs I applied for and for easy of contact etc.

Speaking to a good friend in the UK, he is looking to move to Melbourne as well so that be good if that happens!

My ribs are sore from being hit in the chest with a squash ball, You got to watch these filipino chicks they are very violent! lol. Squash was fun, if I wasn't leaving I am sure I be decent in about a month and would buy myself a racket as the rackets are rubbish as they are slippery in your hand and a bit the worst for wear and you have to pay 12dhs for the priviledge of using them!

Went out for dinner afterwards as I hadn't had any dinner the night before. We then headed to PJ's to meet up with the guys from squash!

You stole the sun from my heart!

Today I woke up, happier than I have been for a while, but with a sore head for about an hour but that past after about an hour!

Playing squash later! Love the game, just need to find some new squash partners in Melbourne! Thinking about my future, I would like to work in Abu Dhabi again, but that might all change when I am in Melbourne. Looking into getting into project management type roles, applied for about 7 of them today in Australia as there is a longer term future (where ever in the world you end up!) for myself and my future wife! (No I don't know who that is yet!) "Destiny is the bridge you build to the one you love."

Thinking about the people I am going to leave behind! Being listening to the Manic Street Preachers, nice relaxing music to chill out with, though slightly somewhat depressing! To be honest a bit scared as well, the fact that when I tell everyone that I am off to Australia with no job, no place to live and they seemed amazed!

To be honest I either plan things very carefully or the opposite, when I came to Abu Dhabi it was all within a week of my friend emailing me it has turned out to be the greatest experience of my life, so hopefully the same will be of Australia! It cannot be as bad as the company I worked for here!

Go get yourself loved!

Today I went to see my friend who was doing his paperwork when I arrived, he literally had a bin liner full of statements etc. He had a look at my CV and gave me some pointers and we had a good chat, he was the person who got me the job here in Abu Dhabi (before he got terminated 2 month after I joined). It was good to see him again; it had been a couple of months.

Later on in the day I was doing my CV again, when I got a text off my friend she seemed to be upset and wanted to talk so we went to the level lounge at Crown Plaza (this is one of my favourite bars as it gives you a chance to talk). She is a lovely and attractive girl and deserves better.....perhaps me! ;) Seriously why are you girls so cold, like an icicle? ...we ended up drinking spirits!

Rum, Vodka and Whisky... mixing drinks isn't advisable on a weekday! At least it isn't so bad for me as I don't have to work! I really miss working...its fine to take a break... but what do you do when you start getting bored and everyone is at work?

The title of this post was the blackberry messenger status I had on my phone! One of my female friends said “It’s easier said than done” How true is that, deep down everyone wants to be with someone they care about!

Those where the best days of my life!

It is getting ever closer to my leaving day! Heading off to Australia, whilst I am nervous about starting over again in a new country I don’t think I will miss Abu Dhabi that much, just the few very close friends I have made, if I have given you this blog address personally then you are probably one of them! I could probably count my closest friends here using one hand!

Friendship is not determined by the amount of time you know someone; it’s about how you are with people how they are with you! For example; there are a couple of people that I instantly clicked with and were comfortable with, whilst others the friendship has taken months to nurture!

What else will I miss running along the corniche, the weather, the Beijing Chinese Restaurant (this is the best Chinese Restaurant in Abu Dhabi)!

Sometimes I feel that some people are just your friends for connivance here in Abu Dhabi, facebook is a prime example! I keep on getting people requesting to be my friend and I really don’t know them at all. There was the study (Dunbar’s Number) done at Oxford University by Robin Dunbar that proved that the human brain is only capable of handling a maximum of 150 friends. I think I am going to limit my posting on facebook or use my other facebook account! I only really interact / chat with a handful of people regularly!

There are some people I will miss a lot, you guys know who you are!....Thinking about it makes me sad :(