Last Blog From Dubai

Today is "P" day, all the piles that are spread from one end of the apartment to the other have to get Packed into my 32 kilos of baggage allowance.

Thank goodness for the Emirates frequent flyer programme at least I get all this extra allowance for my baggage.

I have to change everything in my purse from here stuff to there stuff, driving licence, credit cards, library, membership cards and storecards....have you noticed, I am sure you have how many pieces of plastic we carry these days! I have to swap all my keys from here to there, make sure I have the NZ address book and the NZ simcard for my phone.

I then have to make my hand luggage look like 7 kilos, even if I can't actually lift it, It has to look like it is feather weight when I swing it around.

So my sewing for the journey is ready and I have checked no scissors in my hand baggage...I have lost so many pairs of embroidery scissors through customs/ sercurity, I now buy lots of really cheap Chinese ones so it is no loss if I forget a little pair that have got tucked away in zip pockets somewhere.

Last time I came back to Dubai via Aussie land, can you believe they took a small and I mean SMALL roll of sellotape off me, told me I could "bound and gag" someone with it, the mind boggles....who in their right mind is going to sit still long enough for me to do that with a 2 cm roll. Can you just imagine the event and it would be my luck " hold on please I have lost the end of my tape".

So basically if it is not sorted for my case now it stays for the packers and I do without it until November.

Here in Dubai there is an amazing array of spices from all different places, I have been so sorry I have not been able to bring some back home with me in the past. I got to thinking what are the real regulations on stuff into NZ, what do MAFF really say in the "big book of rules" so I looked it up on line.

Guess what! they have a help desk on line so I sent a message and low and behold I had an answer in one day from a nice lady, who proceeded to tell me

"I can bring in spices" as long as they are in original containers or packets from the manufactures and unopened ...so whee! I have been shopping and there will be some nice new spices in the packing coming by ship. As the Wage Earner said I should print a copy of the email in case the customs have not read it.

The car here has been my wheels for the 2 yrs

a Ford Escape 4x4.

I am going to be sorry to leave it behind, it has seen some aventures in the desert and taken some rough treatment on sand dunes, has carried some amazing things in the back, it's been camping and done "Beer runs" Beer was a lot cheaper in another Emirate so we used to drive 45 minutes and collect 20 cases.

I just have to pack the "trusty computer" and all it's parphanalia, how did we manage without it in the past? it is a life line, how much the world has opened up to us all...because of it, in fact without it I would not be talking to you all out there now.

So now I am ready to go.........

To top everything I have had a "stinking cold and sore throat" this last two days, just what I need to travel, I have enough problems with the ears while flying with out this added extra. I am sure my fellow passengers will love me, and my hacking cough for the 14 hours flight, it always seems to get worse on a flight because of the dry air. So I have bought things to suck and sniff and swallow in case of all eventualities.

So, New Zealand awaits ("Inshalla" if God is willing.)