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.
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.
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