Report from Dubai

[Corpulent Tosser]

Hi Scottish PHers, in particular Mr Kiltie and the rest of the Aberdeenshire contingent, the Corpulent one here reporting from Dubai

It's good here !

Staying with my daughter a stones throw (actually 4mins drive, I timed it) from the Dubai Autodrome, went there today to watch part of a 24 hour race for road and sports cars, loads of Porsches, plus the usual assortment of saloons, but the most surprising was a VW Sharan MPV, presumable without a load of screaming sprogs in the back.
The buggers kept me awake last night though.

Visited the go-kart track at the Autodrome twice so far, bloody good circuit, 400cc 13hp karts, not super fast but good fun.

Excellent eateries here, the ever more Corpulent one is having a great time, alcohol is on the expensive side though

Murray

[duka]

Hi Murray,

your MPC(N) phone has been red hot so we've disconnected it!!

glad you're enjoying the break and sleeping well

Steve

>> Edited by duka on Friday 13th January 15:34

[Corpulent Tosser]

duka said:

your MPC(N) phone has been red hot so we've disconnected it!!

If I could land a job out here it could stay disconnected

Went out for dinner the first full day here and my daughter arranged transport to the hotel where we were eating,my jaw dropped when a s t r e t c h Hummer arrived to give us a short tour before dropping us at the hotel, I'll let you see the pics when I get back, just amazing.

I could get used to life here.

Tried to book a dune buggy safari for tomorrow but they are booked well in advance, that will have to be one for the next time

Murray

[sweatysock]

Corpulent Tosser said:

I could get used to life here. Murray

I'm hoping to!

As of tomorrow morning, I leave the UK weather and tax system behind

Looking forward to GP Masters, MotoGP, WSB and F1 over the next few months.

cheers,

Kevin



>> Edited by sweatysock on Friday 13th January 16:08

[duka]

Murray - get the work front sorted out - I'm surfing the net for flights as we speak!!

sounds great

>> Edited by duka on Friday 13th January 16:43

[Corpulent Tosser]

sweatysock said:

Corpulent Tosser said: I could get used to life here. Murray I'm hoping to! As of tomorrow morning, I leave the UK weather and tax system behind Looking forward to GP Masters, MotoGP, WSB and F1 over the next few months. cheers, Kevin >> Edited by sweatysock on Friday 13th January 16:08

Are you coming to Dubai Kevin ? What are you going to be doing here, you lucky bugger !

The only downsides I have seen here are
-Very poor standard of driving, the police attend 100 accidents per day on average.
-Alcohol is expensive, the cheapest bottle of wine I have seen was 110dhs about £16, and a fairly average bottle in a good restaurant would be around 250dhs.

However
-Cars are cheap, daughter has just bought a new Hyundai Tuscon fully loaded, leather etc for £11,000.
-Taxis are cheap, 30 min ride is around £7, that isn't the Hummer though
-Eating out is excellent and not expensive, and loads of good places to eat, we had brunch yesterday for 75bhs (£10) even I couldn't eat all that was on offer.
-Stuff in general is not expensive.
-The weather is great, though I expect it will be too hot in the summer, still AC in cars and houses etc.
-Good accessible race circuit, the race school starts at £75 using 200hp Audi S3, next stage is 315hp Impreza STi, didn't check out the price for that yet.
-Great parks and beaches.

I will be back later this year again, definately !!!!

Murray

[stiglet]

Corpulent Tosser said:

Staying with my daughter a stones throw (actually 4mins drive, I timed it) from the Dubai Autodrome, went there today to watch part of a 24 hour race for road and sports cars,

Local driver Jim Geddie was competing in that very race for the Alfa Romeo team - I heard that he was lapping faster than the regular team drivers at night ........ I wonder if this is because even at night the visibility in Dubai is better than Knockhill on any given Sunday afternoon

[Corpulent Tosser]

Hi John.
We saw a few Alfas on track but didn't get a programme so had no idea Jim was driving, could have given him a we drove up to the circuit and were able to drive all the way round out so watched at several vantage points (there was no pay booths and we were waved into a car park beside the refueling area at one time)

It looks a good circuit, F1 here soon ? I hope so !

It's good that the 24hr race finished yesterday as visibility is not so good today - sand storm! - so probably no karting tonight

Murray

[turnerlmp]

Fancy staying there and selling and maintaining some LMP's for the race school? I'm semi-serious. I'd like to break into that market but have no-one 'on the ground' out there...

Best Regards,
Steve
www.turner-auto-design.com

[Corpulent Tosser]

Steve

I would love to stay here but it would have to be doing what I know, and that is oilfield stuff.

If you just need someone on the ground here my son-in-law lives a few minutes, literally 4mins drive, from the autodrome. He is not a mechanic but is a petrolhead and knows his stuff, he work full time here though, if you needed an admin type person that is what my daughter is qualified in. I could put you in touch with them if you are interested.

Murray

[joncastle]

Hi All

Just to add a few thoughts - weather is fab at the moment, around 24C daytime highs, just the occasional sandstorm to keep things interesting.

Wine is generally expensive, but you can buy a bottle of real Scotch for around 25 dirhams plus 30% tax, about a fiver...

And petrol is around a pound a gallon...

And it does get HOT in summer.

If you're in oil, getting a job should be absolutely no problem at all.

Jon

[kenphetameans]

Hey folks,
On a similar subject, has anyone any experience of Saudi recently? Recently been offered a job there. I know loads of guys who worked there twenty odd years ago and had the time of their lives but haven't heard from any ex pats out there recently.
All advice much appreciated.

[Kiltie]

Corpulent Tosser said:

Excellent eateries here, the ever more Corpulent one is having a great time ...

CT's belly - sponsored by Team Kiltie.

See you Tuesday (or more likely Wednesday) man

BTW - not in the best of health I'm afraid - trying to go private, tired of waiting.

Cheers,

Eric

[Corpulent Tosser]

Sorry to hear you are not in good health again, APs again ?

I will give you a call on Wed, I will be in the Aberdeen office so lunch if you are up for it.

Murray

[Kiltie]

Corpulent Tosser said:

APs again ?

Corpulent Tosser said:

... lunch if you are up for it.

[Corpulent Tosser]

Kiltie said:

Corpulent Tosser said: APs again ? Corpulent Tosser said: ... lunch if you are up for it.

I'll phone re lunch.

It is just before 06.00 and I have been awake for a while despite not getting to bed until 01.00, thanks to Air France, they couldn't close the door on the plane that was supposed to bring me to Aberdeen from Paris, so we had to sit around CDG for an additional hour and a bit while they found another plane, bloody french !!!!

[Kiltie]

Corpulent Tosser said:

I'll phone re lunch.

[dave1888]

Where is the Autodrome Murray i'm in Dubai next week staying up in the Green community.

[Kiltie]

dave1888 said:

Where is the Autodrome Murray i'm in Dubai next week staying up in the Green community.

I'm sure CT will be along in a while to add more. In the meantime, look here.

Cheers,

Eric

[Corpulent Tosser]

dave1888 said:

Where is the Autodrome Murray i'm in Dubai next week staying up in the Green community.

If you have Google Earth it is around here.

25°03'08.41"N 55°15'33.52"E

My daughter lives at Arabian Ranches and that is literally 4mins drive from the circuit, so if you find Arabian ranches you are close, it is where Emirates Road crosses Um Sequiem (spl)

Um Sequiem runs out from the coast near the Burj Al Arab, the circuit is around 20mins drive from Burj Al Arab where I assume you will be staying.