February brought with it yet another competition, but this time it was my favourite.. hockey. Both myself and Paul doned the Dubai Hockey Club colours one friday morning and headed to Sharjah (the dry emirate… thats arguable!). Dubai Hockey Club entered in 4 teams so we had a really good turn out. We made it to the final (with me scoring the odd goal) and lost on penalty flicks in the final to a team called Lusitanians. The team is made up of workers from pakistan (already have the advantage!). Both myself and Paul played in the final (Paul was the goalie) so it was really nice to have played on the same team. I should tell you that each team only required 1 girl… whereas others stuck to the one, we had 2 girls (amazing talent again!!)

Anyways, February then brought my birthday, and my parents arrived on Feb 21st so lots of fun was had that month! I’ll let the parents fill you in on the Friday brunch, the microlites, the bus trip, afternoon tea, the ski slopes, the desert safari.. pictures tell alot:)

We’re now back in Dubai, its 2008 so HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!

We’re just getting settled back in to reality here and now I’m getting ready to attempt (and I use that term loosely) to play GAA in the Gulf Gaelic Games on January 25th & 26th, my mum and dad are coming to visit in February, we have more visitors in March, along with a trip to Paris and the Dubai World Cup! Phew.. its gona be a busy few months.. and I haven’t even mentioned the Big Day in May?

Pam
xox

As you can see from the lack of posts on the website, its been a busy couple of months! November started with visitors and ended with more visitors!

To keep it brief, Pauls sister and some friends came to stay at the beginning of November, we ate out, drank out and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! I did play in the Dubai Celts Railway Cup day on Friday 9th November. My first ever real gaelic games tournament!! While I was representing Munster, as Connaught were short players I joined them and was so proud to be on a team that had their first victory (against Leinster) in 4 years?

Leo arrived a few days after Pauls sister left and we had some more fun in the sun! A desert safari and some shooting in Jebel Ali were definite highlights of the trip. Leo the sharpshooter showed us up bigtime. I wasn’t bad at the auld clay-pigeon shooting, but I managed to knock a staple off the top right hand corner of the pistol shooting thingy. I wasn’t very good at it?

After a few days rest, a bit of rugby and a broken nose later, Maurice arrived for the Dubai Rugby 7’s. For anyone that didn’t know, I was involved in the 7’s this year and had my nose broken the weekend before in my first ever rugby game!! Here’s a brief synopsis of the weekend.

The Dubai Celts – Dubai Exiles Ground- Dubai Rugby 7’s
Having decided to join the Gaelic Football Club over here I got roped into playing on the Ladies Social Rugby Team for the Dubai Rugby 7’s this year. We began our training (about 4 weeks before hand) at a local park and had our first “full contact” rugby match the week before the 7’s. This is when I had my nose broken!

We soldiered on to the rugby 7’s, held on November 29,30 & December 1st. We were one of 8 teams (all of which participate in UAE rugby leagues during the year) taking part, and we were placed in Group B, along with Doha RFC, Dubai Hurricanes and Abu Dhabi. We lost our first game against Doha FC 12-10, a dodgy conversion, (I did score a try in this game though!). We marched on to beat our biggest rivals Dubai Hurricanes 15-7 in the second game and lost 17-15 (another simple conversion) in the third game against Abu Dhabi.

These results placed us third in our group and into the semi finals of the Ladies Social Plate against Kuwait Agility Nomads. We took these girls on with some mighty strength at 9.20am on Saturday morning and narrowly kept them away from our line to win 10-5!

Having caused some major upsets in this tournament we had a good support system built up for the final as teams we had knocked out came to support us. We had also befriended a men’s team who were so impressed with our skills that they played waterboys for us! In the final we were matched against our other biggest rivals, the Dubai Exiles (on their home turf!). After a shaky start we started plugged away and claimed the Ladies Social Plate title with a convincing win of 31-10! Not only did I manage to score a try, but I also managed a conversion, one of 3 conversions our team scored in that game!

Next up is the Gulf Gaelic Games on Friday 25th & Saturday 26th January which will run in conjunction with the Irish Society “Irish Week”. Watch this space or check out www.dubaicelts.com for more on the antics of the Irish in the Middle East! My pictures are uploaded on www.picasaweb.google.com/paronan

Since my skiing exploits, (i failed level 1 & have to repeat it!) I’ve been rather busy. It began with going to the Burj for an “indulgent’ afternoon tea for Pauls Birthday. I’d highly recommend it to anyone coming to visit! Although 40 euros for a G&T & glass of wine just made me laugh:) We got a Friday brunch in before Ramadan started on September 13th & Paul & I were lucky to be flying to Ireland that day so we mised the first few days of it.

Ireland consisted of arriving in Dublin at 5.30am, legging it to Clonmel, frantically getting ready for a wedding at 1pm in Fethard! It was really good fun, all the girls from Clonmel were there, so it was great to catch up with everyone in the one go. The rest of the holiday for me was spent walking around in a daze due to tiredness but I did get to see Nanny and then up to Ron & Eileen before I left. We were only in Ireland from friday to tuesday morning so it was a very brief trip.

We’ve just been following the rugby since we got back from Ireland and had a really nice quiet weekend last weekend (first one in ages!). We are getting ready for our trip to Kenya on Oct 12th so I’m getting really excited about it. I’m just worried my camera wont be good enough to take all the pictures I plan on taking! We are heading to Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru & Amboselli Park (at the base of Kilimanjaro). Ramadan ends then too so its friday brunches, eating lunch out and lots lots more!

Hope this finds you all keeping well & safe!

Pam
xox

Anyways, the first night was a dry night in the UAE so we had grub & retired to our room. The friday was spent sleeping in the shade, only moving for a bit of watersports, food & I got a massage in the evening. Heaven. Back in Dubai for the dubs game & the start to the premiership which brought us back to reality!

In the last few weeks myself & Paul have completed our discovery & beginner Ski lesson in Mall of the Emirates. So much fun & we’re booked in for Level 1 on Sept 3rd.. cant wait.. Paul still laughs at the sight of me skiing down the hill backwards with a bewildered look on my face! I’m hoping he falls on his backside in 2 weeks..

Pam
xox

Paul & I went away for the weekend of June 14th – 16th, to the east coast of the UAE, a town called Fujairah. After a rather long drive to get there(more because we got stuck in traffic by the airport & then in Sharjah!). A rather fantastic time was had, drinking, eating, having a few beers by the pool. Unfortunately the beach had been pretty much wiped out & all water sports were cancelled due to the hurricane that hit the weekend before.

The weekend after consisted of getting on a plane in Dubai on friday morning, arriving in Dublin airport at lunch time, waiting for the flight to Karlsruhe Baden-Baden in Germany (with Stephen & Niamh), getting to the airport & eventually arriving in Goppingen at midnight. Get up the next day, get dolled up & head off to celebrate Michael & Tanjas wedding, which was a fantastic day out. Well worth the travelling to see so many of the Ronans together, as you can see by the family picture taken:)

The flight back to Dublin was a touch & go affair.. I”m never drinking before a flight again! I had dinner with Elaine, Emilia & Gill in the city centre & stayed with Elaine sunday night. Headed to the airport monday to catch my flight back to Dubai & I arrived here tuesday morning.

So now the washing of clothes has commenced to get them ready to catch the flight to Guernsey on sunday! Work here I come!

Pam
xox

After having a quiet weekend when we arrived back, our visitors arrived on Friday. Mark Lambe & Mark Russell ventured into unknown territory when they arrived in Dubai.

Friday is the day for champagne brunches etc and they boys headed off to Double Decker for a few beverages. I met them up at 360 bar, its a bar thats out in the ocean with a birdseye view of te Burj al Arab! I went on to the Dubai Rose of Tralee ball in the Dusit Dubai on friday night. I was lucky that Claire (a girl that works with Paul) decided to come with me cause I knew no one there. But we got to see how the heats are held and stuff. And its the closest ive ever gotten to the Rose of Tralee.

The rest of the weekend was taken up with the FA cup, have a few beverages and stuff with the lads.. and then the Champions League Final.

Pauls off to Thailand golfing for the week so I’m thinking of doing a bit of skiiing during the week to catch up with the few lessons Paul had during the year!

Pam
xox

Paul & I arrived home on wednesday & after working our way through the airport and car rentals we eventually made our way to Sallins to see Pauls parents. We got to watch the demise of Man Utd in the busom of his family! So aftre that heartache we went for a few scoops with Pauls dad down in the local pub!

Thursday was an early start again as I needed to be in Clonmel early. With the wedding friday I had several last minute things that needed to be done! I managed to pop into Maggie for a few minutes and saw kate for a few minutes thursday! One thing to note is that the weather was fantastic these 2 days! My choice of wardrobe was proving to be a good call!

Friday morning we woke up to clear blue skies which was brought with it a sigh of relief as we were heading to Baltimore, West Cork for my college mates wedding. Naturally she was a stunning bride:) We had a wonderful day and a fantastic night in baltimore. Paul & I always love going down there!

Paul & I changed paths on saturday and he returned to Sallins for the next few days to see his family and friends while Maurice & I came back to clonmel. We went to a friends house last night for a BBQ and some drinks. I took the first bite out of my burger when we felt some drops so we had to retreat inside to finish our feast:( I was asleep about 1 minute after my head hit the pillow!

Today was spent visiting my Grandmother in Dungarvan in the morning time and a trip to Mullinahone to see the “Irish Patient” in Mullinahone. I had the opportunity to catch up with the Burkes (alas stephen was not there) and Shiela. Tomorrow will be spent getting some washing done & a quick trip to Limerick before spending my last night having dinner with the folks. I have vowed to have a 3-in-1 from the chinese before I go back (a 155 as its also known as!)

There is a link on the righthand side of the page to my Dubai pictures website.

Pam

xox

Tried to keep it quiet 2 weekends ago cause we’d had a busy 2 weeks with visitors etc but Paul & I ended up stopping in the Irish Village for a coffee… the next thing I know we’ve decided to leave his car there and I’m dropping him to work the next morning!

Paul went to Mauritius last weekend for a team building with work, so while he was away the “girls” went to a champagne friday brunch.. needless to say I drank too much champagne & suffered miserably for the rest of the weekend

We are heading home tomorrow morning for a bit of a holiday. Yvonne is getting married on Friday and then I get to chill out with the folks and the mates over the weekend. We’re coming back next tuesday!!!

Still no job yet, but had another interview this morning which was really positive so keep your fingers crossed that I’ll get a job because they are clamping down on this “visa run” stuff that happens out here!

Enjoy your May Bank Holiday Weekend!

We went to the Dubai World Cup on March 31st. It was Prophet Mohammad’s birthday (PBUH) so there was a brief question about whether there would be any alcohol served at it. Nad Al Sheba race course got some sort of pass to serve alcohol, but pubs in the area closed from 6pm Friday to 6pm Saturday.

 My mate Widge is here at the moment, so we’re having some good craic here. She has a 2 yr old daughter so i have re-learned the knack of building sand castles.. i had forgotten that you had to tap the bucket before lifting it.. We went to Wild Wadi today & I finally got to go into the kiddies section… it was so much fun:) We’re heading off to a beach resort tomorrow & hopefully going to Ski Dubai sunday. They also want to fit in afternoon tea in the Burj & a parachute jump…!?!?!

Annie is arriving tonight so the fun will be mightly for the next 10 days anyway! Its a good job I’m not working yet, coz i just dont have time for a job!

 

Hope your all well.

Pam

xox