It has been a tough couple of days. Job hunting is starting to frustrate me. One meeting yesterday was postponed after I arrived. The recruiter that I was supposed to meet was sick; but she had not told her assistant about our meeting. Feeling stood up I called to see what had happened. We will reschedule for another day but it was not a good start to the week.

 

Another meeting in the afternoon was better but really just a case of meeting people who I hope will make some introductions for me and pass on my resume.

 

I am finding this job search harder than expected. My resume is good. My experience is extensive. I am available immediately. I am not that expensive; there are no school or relocation costs. But there are simply not that many vacancies and the recruitment process is slow.

 

I work the phone - people are helpful but it is hard to get past the gatekeepers to the decision makers. And then many of the decision makers are away on business...."he will be back next Saturday" is a regular expression.....

 

There must be work here for me - I really am quite smart ! And I am good at what I do.

 

In the meantime I feel a bit guilty that it is Tai who is working so hard.....all I can say is that I have done many many years of hard work !!!

 

Fingers crossed for a change in fortunes and some good news......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tai and I arrived back in Dubai this morning. As usual EK 385 was packed and it was not a very comfortable flight. 

 

I enjoyed being back in BKK with Tai. She was excited to be home and it is amazing how much we were able to do in one week.

 

It was all good; well a couple of rough moments ! There were some highlights.

 

We went and saw Tai's old primary school as well as her University. I enjoy learning about her life :)

 

The Let Us Sea resort in Hua Hin is a very attractive small resort with a spa and with rooftop decks above half of the rooms where you can lie back and star gaze. The restaurant is good; it has beach access and the staff pay great attention to the small details. There are only 40 rooms built either side of a 100 metre long pool.

 

We ate on Sunday night at Breeze restuarant. This is the newest addition to the restaurants at State Tower (the Lebua hotel). It is in the open air on the 52nd floor. Mainly a seafood menu  the food is excellent and is very nicely presented. A very romantic place to eat. Not cheap !

 

Tai had a haircut; not just a cut but a complete restyling. And the new short style is very classy indeed; she looks fabulous. After over three years of seeing her with long hair this will take some getting used to and will mean a huge new collection of pictures.

 

I bravely went to Bumrungrad for my first full medical check up for four years and am basically in better shape than I was four years ago.  That was pleasing; must keep up the exercise.

 

And we shopped! Pratunam; the markets around Silom and Saladaeng; the textile market; the market at Thammarsat University and at Saphan Taksin; Central; TOPS. A healthy contribution to the Thai economy!

 

Some pictures follow:

 

 

Well, we are back in BKK - although things have not gone quite as I hoped; albeit rather as I feared might happen.

 

We had a great flight over - it was fast to BKK - just five hours flying time. And we spend most of the flight paying Reversi and Tetris against eachother; the flight passed very quickly. I am truly hopeless at Tetris....

 

But today I am in Bangkok on my own while Tai is at home with her family. Not quite what I hoped for. I know she will have a great time with her family. I just was not ready to spend 2 or 3 days on my own in BKK and I really had hoped that we would be spending the holiday together.

It was a difficult evening for a while last night when I knew we would be apart; but there really is no room for me with all the family arriving home to meet Tai. And they should have time to be together as a family and I should be OK with that ! It is like she went on a layover - albeit to Ratchaburi.

 

Instead I will keep busy - reviewing contracts for our Dubai apartment and rather more scary - going for a full medical at Bumrungrad hospital tomorrow. That will be my first full medical since early 2003 and it will be interesting to see what changes have taken place. I dug out the old report so that I can compare the two !

 

Time for a haircut as well....lots to do tomorrow ! Doesnt sound very exciting does it!

 

 

 

 

 

Tai and I will be in Bangkok around 6pm on Monday night (5 Feb). We will be flying together on EK...a few firsts; our first long flight together, Tai's first flight as a passenger out of DXB and her first passenger flight since graduation. It is also her first trip home since coming to Dubai. And I am happy for her.

 

Many of her friends in Emirates have already had the opportunity to head home; and I know it will mean so much for Tai to be able to spend time with her family and to catch up with her friends....

 

It will be a busy and happy time. So much has happened to us both over the last few months. Life is often about choices that you make. But the best choices are those that are made together. We have chosen eachother and chosen to build our new life in a new city.....we will always have family and friends but now it is an extended and new family. 

 

I have not mentioned Alex here for a while; I always thought I would stay and work as close to him as I could; a very wise friend once advised me that I should make sure that I look after myself; don't do things because of the past but get out and live your life. Actually he was my lawyer and a wise friend.

 

Tai once wrote that I should forget the past and embrace the new.

 

Alex will always be a part of our lives. Tai loves him very much and I believe he knows that he will always have a home wherever we are. I won't be able to see him as much or as often as I did in the past. And I always miss being a part of his life; I miss watching him grow up day to day. But he is a wonderfullly mature boy. And I hope we will always be able to find a way to bring him to Dubai or to share holidays with him.

 

If he ever reads this I hope he knows that my love for him never changes.

 

But Tai is right, and my lawyer is right. If you find someone to love then embrace it, cherish that love; learn from the past and live for the present and future. I am engaged to an amazing woman and that is life changing !

 

More from Bangkok in the next week; and hopefully a few pictures as well.

 

 

 

It is the 1st February; the beginning of a new month - Tai has been flying two months; on 3 February we will have been engaged for two months; there is our first trip back to BKK together starting on Monday 5th; Valentines (although Tai will be in Vienna) and Tai's birthay at the end the month.

 

It is also the month when I really should find some work in Dubai; I should not be despondent; I only started my job search 20 days ago ! But things just seem to move more slowly here.

 

We were out in the desert today! Riding 4WDs, camels and eating under the stars. It was a fun day.

 

It would be good to get settled here soon - we have a year to wait until our apartment is ready. So I need a job to get a residents permit to be able to sign a lease to have an apartment near to Tai in Dubai; and I need a job to keep me busy and give me something challenging to do. And I need a residents permit to own a car etc etc. And a car would be a real benefit for us here.

 

It will be a busy month. I wish I felt completely certain how everything will turn out.....I know I am doing the right thing; and I know what I want for me and for Tai.....the destination is crystal clear and is everything that I want....I just hope that there are no bumps or detours along the way....

 

It was a fun day to start the month - and here are a few pictures from our desert safari!