HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Well, looking back on my blogs is a good way to see how the year went, quite eventful! Already have had a great start to the year and I hope it continues!

Below is a group email I wrote to family and friends of a little synopsis of the year. Let's welcome 2017!! However, added bonus of fireworks pics here and already some new 2017 pics!!!

Dear friends and family,

HAPPY NEW YEAR from Dubai!!

Wow! What a year 2016 was, phew! As with most New Years, we look forward to the year to come, but I know I also use this time to reflect on the year that just passed. For one thing, 2016 marked my 5th year in Dubai! Crazy how quickly time has passed. 

Another exciting 2016 event was that once again, I was fortunate to work my 5th year with the ATP Dubai Tennis and personally met and worked on the winner and runner-up, Stan Warwinka and Marcus Baghdatis! Always an exciting experience. Shortly thereafter went off to Cape Town, South Africa to participate in my very first ultra marathon, a 56km (35 miles) run! It is a beautiful course and although tough with all the hills (with consideration that I live in desert and it is all flat here!), had a great experience and loved the atmosphere and finished just under 5 and a half hours (yes, of non-stop running!).

South Africa was the start of a fulfilling travel year! In April I finally went to a long awaited destination, Japan! It was an action packed trip (visited Osaka, Koyasan, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Hakone, Tokyo, and Nikko) in just about two weeks over the tail end of cherry blossom season. Really enjoyed the serenity of the country, beauty, and of course the organization! Then in early July met my family in Europe and had a loving time with them and of course enjoyed the culinary delights (and atmosphere and beaches!) of Sicily and also visited dear family and friends in Serbia. It took quite some time to lose some of that summer time added weight after all that indulgence (!!), but finally worked it off with a hiking trip to Krygystan, which was stunning and loved the beautiful pristine lakes, although quite a tough trek! Finally the year topped off with a trip to Singapore followed by another country I've been longing to go since it was 'closed' previously when I was traveling South East Asia, Myanmar! It is a newly developing country with so much to offer, I loved cycling around the temples and also exploring by bike. Being in Dubai, I REALLY appreciate nature all the more! 

Professionally I am still at the same job I have been these last 5 years, which I love! I work with great people and love the diversity (and flexibility to do all this traveling. U.A.E. has double public holidays than the States, so that certainly helps!). I took some great continuing education courses this year and look forward to more in 2017. 

Hope you are doing well and really love hearing from you! Please send updates and pictures! As my time is winding down here, visitors are most welcome.

Wishing you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2017! 

Be in touch!

Ellen

Have to admit, Dubai sure puts on a show! And the BEST part it, I walked a whopping 3 minutes to my friend's place that lives across the street from me (I think at 11:30pm? haha) and got this amazing display! 

Here are a few of my fave 2017 meme's so far:

Sooo.... against normal tradition of doing absolutely nothing on New Years Day, gasp, I decided it would be nice to start of the New Year doing something... healthy! I wasn't the only one so had a nice easy breezy 10km run with my running chums and then ruined the attempt with some coffee/tea and treats after, ha ha.

Here's to a healthy and happy start to 2017!!! Happy New Year all!!! 

Random Winter Stuffs, Dubai life!

Helloo!!!

As 2016 winding down, thought to throw in another random pic of random pictures of "winter life" in Dubai. This time of year ALWAYS is crazy and flies by. Still can't believe 2017 is just a couple days away, where does the time go! Here in Dubai, when the weather 'cools,' the city really comes alive. It's soo nice to be outside and lots of things happening. It's funny how it's rather difficult for me to remember to take pictures of my Dubai Life as I know these 'everyday' things are the ones I want to remember when I reflect back on my time here, buuuut.... well, I'm trying (kinda).

Soo.... I guess where to start with these random pics from the last couple of months is first to appreciate the winter here, vs the winter in Chicago, he he.

Here: Fog and clouds (clouds!!), yet sunny and warm temps,

Chicago: Umm... cold and snow and the lake freezes over.

To be honest, although I've been told I've become a true Dubai'n as I get chilly when the temp "drops" to the mid to low 70's F (or 20's C), I have to admit I do miss the snow a bit. Snow is really winter, and here, because the weather is hot, hotter, and hot.... I admit I do miss 4 seasons sometimes. But then again, can't complain about being still in shorts and wearing flip flops in December! hehe.

Lucky for me, have the good 'ol Mall of Emirates and the indoor ski slope if I really DO miss cold, ha ha. Better to sit outside with a cup of hot chocolate though! Here is me and my friend Tom that visited:

Speaking of, Xmas kind of came and went this year. A bit anti-climatic because I was working the whole time and didn't do much (as technically my Xmas is on Jan 7th), didn't feel much cheery spirit (but then again am living in a Muslim country where they don't celebrate these things, alas, here is some spirit): 

A work Xmas party where we did secret santa's (I got a penguin mug and again, realized didn't take any pictures of myself!):

No blog of mine without the mention of running! Haha. Well, again, this is the BEST time of year to run, so have had blissful days, below are some pics of some training runs, including our Creek Classic Recce Run, our "prep" run for my club's annual Dubai Creek Striders Half marathon:

Above and below, running with the full moon, that one day in Nov when we had the big o super moon

We did a route one day to admire the murals that have popped up around the city (Diera area)

Below: Our Recce (practice) DCS 1/2 mara run;

Me with Ajay and Michael - my fellow 2 hour pacers for the 1/2

Below: The canal! This is one of the amazing things about Dubai, they say they are going to do something that we think, "no way!" Like they were going to rip up a part of the the city to have a canal go through it, and wa-la, here it is! And look at that great running terrain! 

Here are some other random pics of the canal, it's awesome!

The DCS 1/2 marathon! Well, as after my summer time hibernation of running and gaining weight and totally getting out of shape, I assumed I wasn't going to be in shape at all to run a quality 1/2 marathon. Not only that, but feel I like to give back to my super club, so for the 2nd year in a row, was a 2 hour pacer!!! Quite a fun experience, this year clocked in at 1:59:40 :-). There is some pressure to it, but overall it is a good time and kinda like taking it easy during a race! 

Official 2 hour-pacer!!! 

Me and my super friend Brinda

No season sadly goes by without saying bye to special people. This winter brought the departure of my good swimming buddy Kev, he's one of the first people I met when I started swimming with the Masters Swim Club and as he swims the same nights we do, we became good buddies and had a little posse going, often would go to dinner after at our fave Eat and Drink. Sadly, he left for good and now my swim group of 5 or so people is down to me and my other buddy Rog. 

Then, my co-worker Rica. Truly truly a dear dear friend. She's leaving us for a better opportunity. She's a person that no matter what the struggles, is always cheery, smiley, and gives amazing bear hugs (although she is tiny). Out of the medical side at work (which I call "the other side," haha), I've been closest to her. We've both gone through so many ups and downs and were always a shoulder to lean on. She's still in Dubai, so I DO hope to see her, but... work just isn't the same without her. A truly awesome person. 

Me holding back tears, tears of happiness for her and also sadness to see her go :-) 

But on a more cheery note, my good friend that left 15 months ago, Heather, popped back in Dubai and super to have re-connected with her and hear about her life re-expating (eek!):

So, I welcomed X-mas with traditional 10km run with my lovely group (after doing a cheeky 9km run before hand, he he), always fun to have a casual super slow run and I was good by avoiding the traditional minced pies (not an American thing anyway, ha ha) as heard how much sugar it has it in, ouch!)

Then while I went off to work and was getting all these lovely Xmas messages and people sending me pics of their trees and what not (which I loved!), here was my view on Xmas day, ha ha:

As I wrap up the year, my friend that visited literally this time last year (haha, he's a bit slow with these things), edited some pics from his visit I wanted to share because they are cool pics! 

Thanks for following my 2016 Dubai Life as an Expat, and I welcome 2017 with open arms! (and yes, the below black and white pic is me!)