"Ma is-salaama"; last day. Weather 33°C, still sunny and hot. Music: Kate Rusby (Little Lights, I especially like Who Will Sing Me To Sleep). Now The Killers (Sam's Town), Kings of Leon and Leonard Cohen while I pack. New photos here on FB. Tip: carry a note pad, blog with pen and paper and then write it up later.
The batteries in my portable speakers have died, I’ve broken my lovely, Logica, wireless mouse and I've run out of mint teabags; they must know it’s time to leave. Today, when the course finishes, I hope to go back to the Corniche, hire a bicycle and ride to the port to see the dhows.
I wake at 5.30am and make tea then finish my current blog post, put captions on most, but not all, of the latest 90 odd photos and then realise the time. I may write a new blog “Blogging Stole My Life”! A quick shower and a rushed breakfast and I just make it to the office, at 8.07am, before the first delegate, the one who’s the worst at timekeeping, arrives. Typical; he’s early on the last day and already wants to finish and leave..
We are expecting a visitor from the university at lunch time and while we wait they do the post course quiz and complete the evaluations. It’s only then that I realise that of my 6 delegates only 1 will be using what we have covered in their current job. Of the others 3 are on the course because they were “sent by their manager” and 2 because they thought it was something else, the pre-requisite course which they should have been on before this one! It's all very disheartening but at least all the scores went up and the one lady delegate, Reem, who seems really interested and will be using it, wins with 23 out of a possible 30.
One delegate, a guy called Nawaf shows me how he can change his keyboard to Arabic and then types my name backwards, from right to left. Amazing.
Have the local fish, hammour, with rice and chips (only a few) for lunch and return to the hotel to get ready for this afternoon's adventure, a visit to the port.
Take a taxi to the Corniche by the sea. I might have known there would be two Shereton Hotels and the Indian driver chooses the one I don't want. When we near the sea and I realise that I'm nowhere near where I want to be, I get him to drop me off. He does this in the middle of a dual carriageway and I find I can't get off it, it's all fenced in! Eventually escape to the walkway by the sea and then find the bike hire. Dennis, from the Phillipines, a Christian, is lovely and very helpful.
I hire a bike for an hour for 20dhs, about £3.20 and set off. See where I went via the photos here. Meet a Norseman with his little dog. he's been here 11 years and I ask about the heat. He says he still walks his dog when it's in the 40s but drinks plenty of water. He even ventures out in July when its 50+ but says that is only on 6 - 7 days of the year. Who to believe; the Indian taxi driver says he can only leave his cab for about a minute in such heat.
This is another picture blog with comments, the best for me being the near fight, well a stand off really. See it here.
Arrive back with the bike after an hour. Dennis takes my picture and I his and he points me at a taxi rank on the main road. I wait for about 20 minutes and 10 taxis pass all taken, Go back to Dennis but can't find him until I spot him crouched behind his counter. Give him a tip of 10dhs and set off into town where I find a cab back to the hotel.
Just time for a quick shower before Rick, who I'm working for out here, arrives to take me for a drink. We go to one of only 3 venues in Abu Dhabi where you can sit and drink outside. It's a courtyard surrounded on all sides so gives no offence. It is very, very busy and at first we see no Arabs but many other nationalities, all of the women in western dress. I could well have been at home. Make merry with 2 pints of Kilkenny and do spot 3 Arabs although only one appears to be staying for a drink.
Now to finish packing and then checkout. I leave the hotel at 11.30pm for the flight at 2.15am so just time to skype home.
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