A trip down memory lane....

My little UAE secret is that I actually lived in Abu Dhabi and went to school there for a year some twenty two years ago. Hence the fact why I did not really take long to decide on taking the job here in Dubai - I had a pretty good handle on what to expect in terms of culture.

Last weekend a good friend of mine invited me to spend the day in Abu Dhabi at their hotel - Le meridian. With little else to do I jumped at the chance and took the short trip through the desert to meet them.

While driving around Abu Dhabi - a couple of things struck me:

1. I have no recollection of the place at all
2. It is very laid back there
3. The driving is no where near as bad as Dubai

I had a very relaxed day at the hotel and as the weather seemed a little cooler than in Dubai we were able to chill out by the pool, have a splash about in the sea and chat to the other brit holidaymakers/expats. I really felt like I was on holiday - a great feeling.

However the highlight of the day was while we enjoyed an evening Italian meal at Pappagallo's a three piece Filipino band played a super acoustic of "Show me the way to Armarillo" followed by a nice rendition of "I want it that way" by the Backstreet boys.

Only in the UAE - I love it