Food poisoning

I have it.

After very delicious sushi last night (yes, I'm looking at you unagi!).

Bleurgh.

So here's a fun thing

Our internet has been cut off at home.

It had been acting funny in the evenings and then over the weekend... nothing. So I called up our internet provider (there is only one, got to love a monopoly!) and the conversation went a little something like this:


Foreigner: I'm having trouble connecting to the internet, could you have a look and see what the problem might be?

Call centre man: Certainly madam... ah yes, we have cut you off because you didn't pay your bill.

Foreigner: We haven't received a bill.

Call centre man: I see that we have no records of your address on file, that would be why you have not received a bill.

Foreigner: *head implodes*


Thaaaaat's right. And instead of attempting to make contact with us by any other means (the same company that provides internet are also one of only two companies to provide telephone services - both mobile and landline - oh! And they own half of the other company as well), they just cut us off.

Luckily, it is easy to remedy and after making a quick stop in branch to pay them some money we should be reconnected within a few hours. My guess is that this happens so frequently they need the remedy to be easy and quick.

Grrrrnnnnaarrrggghhhh.


On a more positive note (because my dad - hi dad! - is worried that I'm not happy due my latest bloggings being grump-driven) I broke-in my sexy red mixer over the weekend. I made oatmeal and raisin cookies, except I used currents instead of raisins because I like them more. The mixer works like a dream, is disgustingly easy to clean and the cookies weren't half bad either.

I'd like to say I only ate one or two, but that would be a lie.

I ate loads.

Firstly it was because I wanted to test how long to cook them for, but after that it was just because they tasted good. I need to add some cinnamon and possibly a smidge of nutmeg and then they'll be perfect.

I also went shopping on Friday. I've been inspired by The Sartorialist to put a little more thought into the way I dress, rather than just relying on the usual jeans and black vest. So to that end I bought a bunch of new stuff that is a little off the beaten track, for me. The sort of things I would want to wear but which required too much thought to put together - but now I'm prepared to put that thought in and went shopping looking at how things would work together, shape, colour, details and trying to look just that little bit more stylish.

Exciting stuff. Wish me luck!

I have to thank Cover Girl over at Sandy and Danny for indirectly introducing me to The Sartorialist - he's on her blog list and I'm nosy.


UPDATE: Since I'm sure everyone will be terribly concerned about this internet issue I'm letting you know that it is all better now. Hurrah for being able to lounge and surf.

I work in an office that has no windows

Which sometimes means by the end of the week I feel a little maudlin. I’m convinced it’s the lack of natural light. I start to feel a little blue because all day I’m under fluorescents, facing a fluorescent and breathing recycled air (NOT that I’m complaining about the air-con, by no means would I be so foolish in this country, but still… you know… fresh air is, surely, better for you).

So I’m feeling a little blue, partly because O is away this week and I miss him and it’s a big flat to be rattling around in on my own. But also because when O is away I notice my lack of independence even more. Contrary, some might think, but true none-the-less. I don’t really notice that I’m dependent on O for getting around while he is here – it’s no hardship to ask for a lift to the mall or whatever. When he’s not here I’m confined to taxis and the kindness of others for getting around.

Taking cabs is not such a biggie when it’s around town, and more often than not when I go for my weekly treat at the mall I’ll take a cab there, or back, or both – depending on what O is doing that day and if he wants to join me afterwards or not. But when it comes to going to and from work it’s another matter.

My office is a good half hours drive away from home, usually more like 45 minutes or even an hour, and taking a cab both ways soon adds up – both monetarily and with ones nerves. So I ask for a lift. It’s not a big deal, I don’t think either of the people who currently give me a lift to/from work mind terribly much (especially the person who gives a lift from work since it’s less of a lift and more allowing me to sit in the car while they drive back to their accommodation in town from where I catch a cab the last five minutes of the way home).

But I mind. I don’t really like it. I don’t like having to ask. I find it can be tedious to have to make small talk for an extra hour a day, and so I’m sure they find it even more so considering it’s their car (especially in the evenings when all I want to do is switch my brain off from work, in the mornings it’s not so bad – it helps that I particularly like the person who gives me a lift to work), plus my movements are dictated by when they want to move. At least with O I could very much say that I’ve had enough and if there wasn’t some emergency we could leave at least a little early. I can’t do that with anyone else. Not so bad when they want to leave early – pretty rubbish if they have to stay late.

In theory this situation could be easily rectified. I do know how to drive. I have a driving license. However, I don’t have a local driving license and to get insurance and thus be able to drive a car I would need my UK license transferred. This in itself is not really such a big deal and I should really pull my finger out and just do it – but I would have to go to Dubai to get it done (the joys of having my residence visa issued from Dubai rather than Abu Dhabi – long and boring story, much like this one really!) but… well I’d have to take a day off work, and I’d have to get O to take a day off work to drive me there, or I’d have to get a cab, and really I don’t strictly need to be driving right now since I mostly have O around, and I can get a lift if I really need one, and it’s bloody terrifying even being a passenger in this country never mind actually being behind the wheel of a car…

It’s days like today though, that really make me want to just get on with it and get myself independently mobile.

In an effort to look on the brighter side I have comprised a couple of lists:

Reasons to be sad
O is away and I miss him.
I hate my job.
I’m struggling to find a new job.
I miss my friends and family.
I’m not getting enough sleep.

Reasons to be glad
O is coming back on Saturday.
This job is ending soon!
I'll have lots of time for baking.
I'll be back at the end of July for a bit (graduation).
It's the weekend.


I think that’ll do for now. All the negatives are cancelled out and then add an extra positive because the weekend always means two extra points.