I had a great Christmas and New Year with the two people that I most love and care for - Tai was home for almost all of the the holiday and Alex (my ten year old who Tai is very fond of) was in Dubai from 22nd December to 2 January. I am lucky that they are such good friends.
As the new year starts there is so much that I am looking forward to on the personal side. I have never felt this certain about someone or this deeply committed.
Yet nagging away is uncertainty about my work - that is the nature of the company I work for. And a sense of not being settled in Dubai. In Toronto, Hong Kong and Bangkok I felt I was living somewhere that I could happily call home. But Dubai is not home. It is a place in transition and it is a place where I feel as though I am in transition. I work hard here and we make the best of the time that we have together in Dubai when Tai is not flying. But I do not feel at ease here.
We were in Bangkok together last weekend and it was great to be back amid the the energy, colours. smells, people sights and places. And it was good to see friends that I miss. One day we will be back there together.
When I joined Reuters the company gave me the chance to travel the world. There were long overseas trips which gave me the opportunity to explore and work in so many different cities and cultures. Within a year of joining Reuters I had been to the Middle East, the Far East and the USA. Now it is Tai's time to have that opportunity. And it is my time to work hard to give us the future that we want and deserve. One big difference is that when I was travelling there were no digital pictures and all my pictures are in old photo albums !
I think about Alex every day. It is hard being away from him. I remember the things I used to do with my Dad. How he would help with homework; how we would go over to the local playing field and kick a football around. How he would come home arly from work and take me to the evening session at the local Warwickshire county cricket ground.
There was good and bad of course. We moved from Birmingham to the middle fo no where - a tiny little village nf the Shropshire-Staffiordshire border. It was a great career move for him; but it was farming land, not city life; the local school was an hours's drive away and I dont remember being happy there. He would try though. In the end it was the incentive I needed when he encouraged me to go to his old boarding school, Haileybury. I remember when he took me to the school to meet some of the staff there. I had never been away from home for more than a weekend and then only with family. But now I was ready - and he helped me for hours with my Common Entrance exam as the grammar school curriculum did not easily fit to the baording school requirements.
I cannot do that for Alex. I know his Mum is there for him. But I am not. I call him most days and he always seems happy and sensible. But I miss watching him grow up. I miss helping answer his curiosity.
I lost one family. I lost that family because I did not put the family first; i put me and my work first. Alex's mum and I forgot how to look after eachother; we forgot how to make eachother feel needed, important and wanted. Of course there is more to it than that. It took me a large part of my life to understand the real obligations that come with loving someone without conditions.
But it is never to late to be the person you want to be; to be with the person that changes your life; to be with the person that makes you grateful for every new day.
Work is work; If I have to change job then I will as long as it is in Dubai and Tai and I are happy and together.
Thats about it for an update. We will be on holiday in four weeks. Time away together is important as we only get llimited time together in Dubai between flights.
On a final note, my baby brother, who is three years younger than me, is about to becone a step-grandfather. And there am I thinking how wonderful if would be if Tai and I have a family. She would be a wonderful mother !
Have a great 2008. I hope it is a very special year.
Tai and I are back from a week home in Thailand. It was hard to come back to the sandpit.
We had a few days in Bangkok and spent three nights in Pai in the North West. Pai was quiet and green and peaceful and a real escape. It is the perfect antidote for Dubai. The inaccessibility of the town is part of the attraction. You have to make a conscious effort to get there and when you are there you will stay in guest houses and small cottage resorts not in big named hotels; not yet anyway.
One of the great attractions of Bangkok is how easy it is to travel from the city around Thailand or South East Asia. A one or two hour flight can take you to the beaches of Samui or Phuket; to the historic cities of Luang Prabang, Rangoon or Chiang Mai; to the big cities of Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Saigon; to Angkor Wat or Hanoi. Or a drive and a boat to Thailand's remote beaches and islands.
It is all easily accessible and very affordable.
Where can you go to in two hours from Dubai. You can drive around the UAE and look at more sand and building sites; fly or drive to Oman, or take a trip to Iran or Saudi Arabia; neither being major tourist destinations.
Five hours takes you to Greece or Turkey but that is effectively a day of traveling.
What about if you want to stay in town. In Bangkok you have endless malls and markets. Siam Paragon is more attractive that any of Dubai's malls. And Dubai will never have a JJ market or Suan Lum.
In BKK you can eat by the river in 5 star comfort or from food stalls. Dubai has the creek but its just not the same.
Spas, nightlife, food or every description, Thai hospitality and that little bit of mystery and craziness that always makes Thailand so interesting. The politics are a mess but people dont truly care that much as long as they are making a reasonable living. There is always something to see or do. Traveling there with Tai I experience so much more of the city. We will have street noodles one day and eat at a nice restaurant the next. We visit the Erawan Shrine and pay our respects. We shop; drink street coffee and soya. And then go to Starbucks. Bangkok is a true fusion city and it was great fun to be home.
I did not play golf during our visit - and I dont miss it; I am quite happy exploring the city or traveling with Tai. We did have the pleasure of dinner with some dear friends and the time simply flies by as we all catch up on our news.
I do need to improve my Thai so that I can tell Tai's family that I am happy I am to be with them and to tell them that home is with Tai and that we will come back to Thailand.
It has been over two months since I updated this blog. I have still been updating the pictures and my main web site at www.rascott.com
Tai is in New York today. We were there together in May the week of my birthday and just before I started work. It was a happy time exploring the New World with her. And it is strange to think about her going to all the places that we went to so recently. She must be having fun....she is very quiet!
After almost three months I still have not fully settled back into work. It would be unfair for me to write about the work and the Company. But it has not been quite what I expected. There are some very able people. But after years working in public companies with significant accountability and transparency a private family business is a very different environment.
And working in Dubai is different. The hours are long - a 7.30 start. Levels of professional service are still not at the level of first class business centres. The quality of professional advise, innovation of ideas and progress on getting things done can be slower than expected. I am trying to be diplomatic.
Work should pick up as the new school year starts. It has not been an easy start to my Dubai career. But I need to make the best of my time working here. I came to Dubai because Tai and I want to be together; at least as much as her flying career wil allow.
It is late and has been a long week. I would like to sound positive and upbeat about my life here. But I have been uncertain about both my personal life and my career this week. I should be more confident. I know I am doing my best. But at both a personal and a professional level sometimes you need other people to tell you that you that all is well with the world!
Tai and I had a great time with Alex in England at the beginning on this month. There are plenty of pictures on this site. It was so nice to see green fields, to see and feel rain, to read a decent newspaper. My mother is doing well. She is strong and well and has a great network of friends in the village.
I am already looking forward to our next holiday (Bangkok in October). The last few weeks back in Dubai have been quite stressful; work, for both of us, has been tiring. Dubai in August has little to commend it. It is at least 45C most days; and not much cooler at night.
Tai will be back later tonight and I will be happy to see her.
Today was quite a momentous day. I am back at work....CFO of a Dubai based regional education business. It is a big role with great potential and is going to go through rapid growth and quite significant changes to its structure and organisation.
One downside - they start at 7.30am every weekday and finish at 5.30pm. That way they can have a 48 hour week and still have the whole weekend off.
It is what Tai and I have been working for since we knew that we should be together in Dubai. At some stage I had to find work and find something interesting and challenging to do. I have found that. But I will miss being able to stay with her when she comes back from her trips and to be there during the days she is at home and enoying her company.
But we will have to try and fit our schedules together as best we can. Her days off will not always be the same as my weekends off. So we will need to make the best of the evenings when we are both here; the nights when we are both here (despite the 6.30am alarm!) and the weekends and holidays that we have.
For instance Tai will not land from Rome until 1.45am - so home and tired at about 3.15am. We have less than 3 hours of sleep and then I have to get up for work. But it is worth it to see her; get her unpacked and hold her until we sleep. And then I have to try not to wake her in the morning !
Yesterday was six months since we became engaged. I would ask her very day but she would get bored. I always want her to know how important she is to me and how much I cherish the relationship that we have. Sometimes I may try too hard or think too much. There are days like today when I really wish she was here - that I could tell her about work and the people there; the things that need to be done; that we could eat together; that we could curl up on the sofa together and hold eachother and escape the rest of the world for a few hours.
Even now, when she is over three hours away, my heart still beats faster at the knowledge that she will be home later.
Tai is a very good influence on me - I know it, and other people have made the same observation. She makes me laugh, makes me cry, makes me incredibly proud of her and reminds me every day of why I love her.
She is also strongly rooted to her family and to Thailand. I grew up very differently. Always moving. Away at boarding school when i was 13 with my parents in Nigeria and my brother and sister at their own schools. It made me independent and fairly resilient. But it meant that we did not grow up as a family and as we grew up we all moved in our own separate directions.
I went to Canada and then to Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok. My sister went to Turkey 23 years ago and has built a life and a terrific family there. Just an indication of how unconnected we are is that it took 23 years for me to visit her in Izmir and it was being with Tai that prompted that visit.
It was time to be a family. It was time for Tai to be part of that family in the same way that her family makes me feel welcome. But it was Tai who encouraged a visit to Izmir and Tai who shows me what being part of a family really means.
We do of course have an extended family now ! Alex is 10 now and living with his mother in Hong Kong. It was easier to see him when we were in Bangkok. But I hope he knows that he is always in our thoughts and hearts. Tai sends him postcards from her lay-overs. It is a lovely gesture and such a nice way to keep in touch. Non one really sends letters or cards in the way that we used to - email and online cards have taken over. But I know how much I like to receive her cards and know that I was in her thoughts.
We had a lovely time in Izmir - too short. The pictures hopefully show how busy we were, how good the weather was and how strong the colours. Vanessa and family may have to let us cook for them next time. All the bread, cheese, fruit and vegetables is very healthy but I need spicy food !! We were made very welcome and now that we have been once I am sure we will be back.
Tai and I were back in Thailand for the Songkran, New Year, holiday. And we managed as always to do so much in so little time.
Songkran is to Thai families the same as Christmas in the West and it was good to be able to spend some time with our families. Alex came to Bangkok for a few days at the end of his Easter holiday; I am always happy that he and Tai get along so well. We had not seen Alex since he came to Dubai at Christmas and it was good to have some bonding time together.
Then we spend two night in Pranburi, on the coast south of Hua Hin, with Tai's mother, elder sister and two nieces. I did enjoy being part of the family; we rode bikes, swam, toured the Hua Hin market, went to Monkey Island and ate. You can see some of the pictures in the photo album.
And the little SGA Cessan Caravan to Hua Hin was a very different experience from the EK 777s.
Now as we both head back (on different days) to Dubai I do so with some trepidation. I cannot stay with Tai in the EK accommodation any longer and until I have work and a residence visa I will need to stay in a hotel; this is not a cheap option. Especially as I want to stay as clsoe as possible to Tai so that we can be together whenever we can and so that i can be close to the familiar surroundings that we have there. Being there in the daytime should be OK. Overnight is not going to be allowed. I hope we are able to get through this period. I want to be with her more than anything in the world - and to be able to build our lives and careers together and in time to build our home together.
It puts the pressure on to find work as soon as possible. Cross your fingers for me.
In the meantime hopefully we can still get to Turkey for a few days in early May and then there are certain celebrations at the end of the month to look forward to.
It is now also six months to the day since Tai left Bangkok for Dubia. I remember her departure so well. I remember how I suddenly felt that the most important person in my life was going away. And suddenly feeling quite devestated at the realisation. We had been so busy in the weeks and days before she left that the reality only became clear at the airport. For the first time I could say to her with complete honesty and total certainty that I was in love with her. I meant it that night. And I have said it every day since. I will be there for you honey, always.
It is Good Friday, the beginning of Easter and I was reminded in an sms this morning that I already have my Bunny - and she is with me every day not just for Easter !
The Easter bunny is a symbol or spring and of new life.....which I like as I know that I have been given a new life with my bunny. :)
The Easter bunny has its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. The Hare and the Rabbit were the most fertile animals known and they served as symbols of the new life during the Spring season. The bunny as an Easter symbol seems to have it's origins in Germany, where it was first mentioned in German writings in the 1500s. The first edible Easter bunnies were made in Germany during the early 1800s. And were made of pastry and sugar. It was German settlers who took their Easter traditions to the USA in the 1700s.
In the USA in particluar the Easter Bunny leaves baskets of treats on Easter morning for good children. The Easter Bunny likes to leave chocolates, coloured eggs, plastic coloured eggs and other fun things for Easter. The Easter Bunny likes leaving these in a basket or even in caps and bonnets as he used to do long ago. In the UK the tradition is more around giving chocalate Easter Eggs. These can be extravagantly wrapped and priced !
"Oh! here comes Peter Cottontail, Hoppin' down the bunny trail, Hippity hoppity Happy Easter day
There are of course many bunnies sold as pets at Easter.
Looking after your bunny takes a great deal of time, caring and love...so before you adopt your rabbit you should consider the following advise from a vet:
Bunny claws need to be clipped every three to four weeks.
Ears need to be examined periodically for ear mites.
Bunnies groom themselves and can get hairballs that need to be treated like a cat's hairballs.
Some bunnies get overgrown teeth that need to be filed by a veterinarian.
Caged bunnies need to be protected from wind, sun and rain. The cage floor needs to include a smooth surface to keep the rabbit's hocks from getting sore. (Some bunnies are best not caged !!!)
Indoor bunnies need to be kept from chewing cords on electrical appliances, telephones, curtains, etc. They also need to be barred from climbing into boxsprings or the batting of sofas and chairs.
Bunnies shed and need to be brushed or combed at least once weekly. They will accept grooming more readily if you begin grooming when they are young.
Bunnies sleep a lot; they are best left undisturbed when sleeping.
My bunny meanwhile is in Sydney today. And coming home tomorrow. I can't wait to see her.
One year on: Brian W Scott. 19 July 1932 to 30 March 2006
30 March 2007
It does not seem a year ago; but Dad died a year ago today.
He really was a decent man; wonderfully loyal, honest, sensible, hard working. He gave his best for his family. He loved us; though he never told us. He never judged us; he was proud of our successes and tolerant of our mistakes. He had a great sense of fairness, of right and wrong. And a nice dry humour.
He bore his illness with great courage and dignity and even a little humour.
When things are difficult my mother asks herself "What would Brian have done?" So do I. He still appears in my dreams sometimes. He would never have questioned my move to Dubai or the reasons for it. He would have given his usual strong quiet support and always his interest.
If I have any regret it is that Tai only met him on the one occasion. I wish they had enjoyed getting to know eachother. They would have enjoyed eachother's company. My father would have wanted to take her for long walks to appreciate the English countryside, its wildlife and the changes of scenery. He would have been explaining the joys of Belleek and Masons' Ironstone to her. And then there would have been the tour of the local village hall to appreciate his fund-raising work !
My mother meanwhile has great support and friends in the village. After living with someone that you love for 50 years I can only imagine how different life must suddenly be on your own. But she has managed with great strength and will continue to do so for a long time to come.
A short update - with more pictures to come after we get back to Dubai.
Tai and I are in Thailand for the wekend. In fact we have about 75 hours here from arriving at the hotel on Thursday night to leaving for the airport at midnight on Sunday.
Of that time I get about half of it with Tai, although we are sleeping for half the time we are together :) if that makes sense. On Friday she flew an evening turnaround to Hong Kong and she has been away with her family for Saturady afternoon and Sunday morning.
The flight over was a very light passenger load - only 73 passengers in Economy - it will be much busier on the way home.
As the only Thai crew on board Tai gets to make all the Thai language announcements and does so with great clarity and confidence. She is good at what she does and gets on well withe her colleagues; the warmth of her smile is genuine and she is very relaxed with her passengers. I enjoyed being on her flight; although it did feel a little strange. I feel guilty watching her work while I sit there.......
Should I mention who won our two games of Reversi.....
It is good to be back in Bangkok - there is life, energy and colour here that Dubai wil never have. There is so much more to see and do. So many more places to eat. So much variety. Just walking the streets is fun - and the street vendors and marke traders are part of the local scene that Dubai can never have.
A new week in Dubai - actually although it is Monday it is almost midweek in Dubai!
I interviewed on Saturday and early today. Saturday was really enjoyable but I have no idea what to make of this morning's meeting. Probably should not really say any more than that for the moment and see what happens next. Is it a job that I want to do? Is it an industry that I would enjoy? I know I can make any job interesting and find challenges in anything that I do....but.....
Tai came back from Bangkok with a dreadful bout of flu. All the worst symtoms of a high temperature, chills. body ache, sore throat, blocked sinuses. I have not seen her that unwell. And she has slept more than she has been awake since first thing Saturday morning.
I am glad she is recovering; I want the old Tai back. She is like me; she hates being sick.....fortunately she is not flying until Thursday and that is a short turnaround.
Meanwhile it is almost a week since I last went out other than to the supermarket or for an interview. I am beginning to get cabin fever :) - when Tai came back from Perth we had a couple of nice sunny, happy lunches out in Jumeirah. That was before she went away to Bangkok last week.
There are days when I do wonder what to do next......
But I also know I need to be positive. I am smart. I have a great resume and great experience.
There is work out there. Be patient. But I dont really have the time to be patient. I am ready to work. And I am beginning to feel bad about not working while Tai is working so hard at EK.
I know why I am in Dubai. The best possible reason. So work has to be here.
But I had not appreciated quite how hard job hunting can be in this market. It is a small market. The international firms largely staff from their overseas offices; the local firms want Arabic speakers and local knowledge. And if you are not working there really is not a whole lot to do.
The recruitment industry is not large in Dubai. And there are only a limited number of assignments. Many use to Dubai to focus on regional jobs and there is certainly work in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the region.
A old Reuters colleague reported to me that he met someone at a networking event last night who told me it is notoriously difficult to find expat jobs inside Dubai - they are normally imported. Not what I needed to hear today.
I was all set for an interview this morning - though that was postponed until Saturday. That is just the way things happen here. Get used to it.
More news after Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
Time flies - except on weekends when Tai is away. Another month gone; not sure that I made a lot of progress last month with the job hunt; but I did get back to BKK for over a week with Tai and that felt like being home; it is good to know that there is a place that will always be home for us.
Tai is on her way to Perth. It is a tough flight; eleven hours; some sleep; a little sight seeing; a few hours rest and then a long haul with a full load back to Dubai. But it is almost a quarter of the month's flying hours in a two night away trip. Sadly she only has only a couple of days of rest before heading of to Bangkok and Hong Kong.
I can tell you that there is little to do in Dubai of you are not mobile; know no one here and have seen everything in the city already !
Still it has been a good day to work on the personal finances and to clear up some old long outstanding paperwork ! So I feel like I was quite useful today.
A wise person said to me this morning that the best is still to come......I need to prove her right!
There are times when I have this great urge to write things down; at the end of a rough day it should be a great feeling to be told that someone loves you and appreciates you.
I do know that I have such dreams and plans - there is so much that I want to see and do - and I dont want to do it on my on but with Tai at my side. At my side when I sleep and when I wake.
I want her to share every part of the great days with me and at the end of the day I want to tell her about the bad days and let her voice reassure me that everything will be well.....and with her there, everything will be well.
I want to grow old with Tai, to be with her as our life unfolds and as our dreams become real. My commitment to this relationship is like nothing I have experienced before; it is total and knows no limits. But it can be an emotional roller coaster - no more just getting through from day to day - the good days are wonderful; but if something upsets the emotional balance and the dark clouds gather then the emotional lows beckon, although they are usually short lived.
When Tai is away i am lonely here – I try to be strong and for the most part I do pretty well – but without work and without the challenge it is not easy to get through the days when she is not around…….and tonight she was a long way away in Shanghai; the lines were bad and we were both tired. Not a good recipe.
I try to be positive on the work front – everyone says be patient – and that I will be OK – but it would be nice to roll the clocks forward and to know that is for real…..I am making a huge commitment to being in Dubai; following my heart and our dream because I do believe in us. I am trying to find a senior role in a city where I have no contacts and no experience and it is proving slower and a bit harder than I expected….
I was not able to eat tonight - just had some hot tea.....tomorrow is another day - i will wake up wishing that she was next to me and hoping that all is well in our world; that a hiccup is nothing more than that and that what we have is unbreakable.
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!
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.
Tai is on her way to Athens this morning; back on Sunday night for a few hours sleep and then we fly back to Bangkok for a week. Surprisingly that will be our first long flight together - although I suspect we both may be asleep for some of the flight!
I know Tai is so excited about being back with her family...I want to be with her and to spend time with her family; I want to see where she grew up; to see her school and home; but I am not sure if there is enough room for me.....I hope so !
I feel a bit sentimental today - my move to Dubai and to being with Tai is a great commitment and comes with a huge sense of responsibility to care for her and to do the best for us. So much of the time I feel so close to her it is as though we think, act, share and laugh as one. If every day could be like that...................
I will always be sad when she flies out of Dubai for work and will always be happier when we are together day and night than when we have to be apart. But as long as we both hold eachother close in our hearts then we will be able to look after eachother.
As I said - a bit sentimental today; to some extent it may be because I still feel in transit - finding work will help; sorting out our living arrangements for the rest of this year until our apartment is ready; having a car, residents permit etc...
Having somone put their arms around you - by instinct - and tell you that they love you and everything will be OK. That helps a lot 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!
Robert's notes from Duba...PhotosProfileFriends
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