Bangladesh

Bert recently travelled to Dhaka Bangladesh to recruit new workers for his company. Most of his photos were taken from inside a car as he worked the whole time he was there, but they still are so interesting

More window cleaning

Bert snapped this window cleaner on a recent trip to Dhaka Bangladesh. This guy despite his ladder made of bamboo and rope, has a safety harness of sorts on.

safety first

This is a reasonably common sight here. This guy is on the top floor apartment across the courtyard.
I walked into our dining room one day to find our maid balanced on the ledge outside the window. I resisted the urge to grab the camera, I was more concerned about coaxing her back inside safely

Qasar Al Sarab resort

Bert and I recently spent four lovely days at Qasar al Sarab resort in the Empty Quarter in the Liwa Desert. The resort itself is built like an Arabian villiage. It was just all very spectacular and restful.

Ibn Battuta Mall Persia court

Ibn Battuta is the closes mall to us and its spectacular. Ibn Battuta was one of the greatest travelers the world has ever seen and hardly ever heard of. Making Marco Polo seem like a casual backpacker, Ibn Battuta was on the road for almost 30 years, covering some 75,000 miles through the length and breadth of the Muslim world. The mall is divided up into courts to represent the countries he explored. These photos are from the Persia court.

Mall of the Emirates

Driving through Dubai

Something a little saner!

Driving

Since he first arrived in Abu Dhabi in February 2009 Bert has been a confident driver on the crazy roads here in the UAE. Me, not so much! I didn't even apply for a licence because the roads just look horrendous, and of course they drive on the wrong side of the road compared to Australia. Other women have told me it all looks worse from the passenger seat. Eventually I went and got my licence transfered, which really was a simple exercise once we found the right building and had the right paperwork. Confusingly, I did not need the letter of no objection from Bert that other women need to do almost anything nor did they give me an eye test that everyone else said they had.


Thankfully we did not film this ourselves this youtube clip made headlines all over the world. This is on the main road that runs through Dubai and on to Abu Dhabi.

Paul and Jacqui

While Marian was in Europe Paul and Jacqui arrived in Dubai to visit us. We had not seen them since November last year. They had been backpacking around Asia and had two weeks in New York before coming here, so they were weary travellers. They had planned to just relax at home but they were surprised at how lovely Dubai is. They had a great time and got around easily on the citys metro driverless train system. Mostly it was just so nice to spend time with them at home.

I have been doing some welfare work amongst Berts workers. He had promoted two men to a level that they were able to bring their wives and babies over to the UAE to live with them. Most low paid workers are here alone. We discovered that despite these mens families being due to arrive in a few days, they had nothing! I was able to in a very short time collect together enough furniture and goods for them to live comfortably. We were given, new bedlinen, new pillows, toiletries to get them started. Toys and clothing for the children, crockery, cutlery, microwaves, and towels. People really are very generous when they see genuine need. From this small start to look after these two men, I have continued to collect goods from people in Dubai, and a friend has been collecting on my behalf in Abu Dhabi.

As well as carloads of clothing, we have collected and given to low paid workers approx 50 new pillows, perhaps double that number of towels, microwaves, electric kettles, toasters, dishes, cutlery and more truck loads of furniture than I can keep track of. A couple contacted me from Kyzakstan and said they had a good quality furniture in storage in Abu Dhabi they wanted to donate to us, for us to sell and use the funds to purchase anything for these workers. We have put a water cooler in the grouds of the apartment complex we live in as it was bought to our attention that the gardeners and cleaners have no access to cold water during the summer heat. Money raised will give us the ability to buy water to keep this supply going. We have donated in the vicinity of 150 kgs of rice.

Bert's staff at first were incredulous at the quantity and quality of these goods we were being given, now they are just overwhelmed with gratitude.

I really do not feel like I am giving a great deal, other than facilitating peoples generousity into the right places.

Marian's visit

A dear friend from Melbourne Marian Watson came to stay with us on her way to Europe. It was so nice to have a visitor to show around. Marian as always was lovely company and we were sad to see her off to Munich, well actually it was probably more jealous! She was going to see the Passion Play in Oberamaggau Bavaria, it had been a life long ambition for her to go.


I know I am way behind on my blog posts, I will update a few more times in the next few days