From Brussels with Love?!?

Ok, so lots has happened since our last post. This is my feeble attempt at updating everyone on our last months in Dubai before we made the move up north on February 27.

Here we go....

Au Revoir, Dubai!

Finally, our last week in Dubai was upon us. Not hard to forget since we moved in with John Py, were driving a rental car and had tickets booked. It was a pretty emotional week for both of us....not that we weren't ready to move to Brussels, but just that it would be hard to leave our great friends and for me, to also leave the bank.

But we left in style, going to the Dubai Jazz Festival and 360 on our last weekend and having a going away party on our second-to-last night (thanks, John!) and spending our last day on a yacht (thanks, Amy Wiggins!). To our great friends and colleagues, we will miss you!

But onwards and northwards. More from Brussels to come!

Closing Out of Dubai

February was a frenzy of activity as we started to close our lives in Dubai. It meant (once again), organising a moving company and getting lots of documents apostilled by various government agencies in Belgium, the UAE and the US (including the FBI....don't get us started). We did a lot of back-and-forthing to Abu Dhabi, posting our car on websites, negotiating leaving dates with RBS/PwC and seeing friends before we headed out.

But it also meant going to the Dubai Tennis Tournament!

Gambhirs in Dubai (2010)

Mom and Dad Gambhir came to visit me in Dubai while Jon was off on his PwC UK tour. We had a great time, starting with a visit to the top of Burj Dubai/Khalifa, tour of Dubai Mall, the Dubai Fountain (check out the video!) and a BBQ at Nicoletta's. The next day, we had breakfast with my 'other' John (Py), did the customary desert safari (where Dad, like Herman before him, went driving on a moped) after taking the monorail to the Palm and Atlantis. We ended their trip with a stroll along the almost-completed Dubai Marina and a drive-by to Ski Dubai before ending their trip.

Burj Khalifa Opens

We came back to Dubai amid a sky of fireworks as January 4 was the day of the Burj Dubai (Khalifa) opening. On our way back from the airport, we were able to stop off on Al Wasl and catch the entire show. Was pretty incredible...and confusing since the name changed too?!? Below is a video of the show (not ours, so no, we haven't learned Italian). I could also see the Burj from my office window (above).

Happy Holidays II

In true Jon & Simi fashion, we couldn't end the year without a party. We hosted a traditional holiday party, complete with eggnog (a first for many), candy canes, decorations, santa hats, cheesy music and the like. Traditional in every way....except that we spent the next day recovering at the beach! It was a fantastic night and a fabulous way to see our friends (especially Paola who was in from Jo'burg), since by this time we knew our time in Dubai was going to come to an end.

Happy Holidays I

December was very much a month of holidays. We had the second Eid, which we took advantage of to go to Chandigarh, Delhi and Agra to attend Rosy Maci's wedding and visit the Guptas. The wedding was a three-day affair, kicking off with ladies sangeet on Friday, reception on Saturday and gurudwara wedding on Sunday. It also gave Dad a chance to show us Punjab University, the Rock Garden and his family home.

Hanging out in Delhi was really relaxing after all that activity: Jon played about 8 hours of bridge each day with Sunita Auntie and Juggie Uncle, while I got completely addicted to 'Twilight' (no comments, please). We then paid mandatory homage to the Taj Mahal, which despite being completely overrun with newlyweds, is still pretty impressive. While in Delhi, we tried to catch a lot of the news surrounding Dubai....remember this was also the month of the Dubai World crisis, in which the world's spotlight was on Dubai (and RBS) and its ability to repay its debt. Abu Dhabi eventually stepped in and paid US$10b in assistance.

After two whole weeks back in the office and spending our 5-year wedding anniversary in the KLM lounge, we were then off to OKC for a traditional Christmas with the Womacks. We were lucky to come in the day before the city got dumped on with 2-3' of snow, otherwise it would have been a nightmare travel day. It was great to be in their new place, spend quality time with the family and see the city a bit more. For NYE, I headed to A'dam to see the Gambhirs (and enjoy the 40-min firework display at Anne Frank Huis) while Jon played (what else) bridge back in OKC.

Other October Events

Oops. Forgot to mention some other interesting events in October. Our friends, Martin & Bea (who went with us to Kerala but moved back to Denmark in March 2009) came to visit Dubai...and with some exciting news that they were expecting! Due date is April 15 (ironically, tax day). We met up with them and number of other friends at the Al Qasr brunch, quite infamous for being completely over-the-top and lavish.

It was both, with a mojito bar, made-to-order sushi and ceviche stations, lobster, candy station, German room, it went on and on!

This was also the month of the Abu Dhabi International Film Festival (http://www.meiff.com/) at the colossal and kitchy Emirates Palace. Gave us a chance to visit the capital city, which is much more laid back but just as confusing to drive around as its frenetic younger brother. We saw 'Son of Babylon' (Iraq) and 'The September Issue'.

November 2009

As Vice-Chair of DA UAE, Jon was invited to attend the EMEA DA regional meeting in Berlin. We clubbed this meeting with a couple of business trips to Paris and Brussels to make it worth our while travelling from Dubai. It was a great opportunity to meet and discuss topics with other like-minded Americans and be in Berlin (especially during the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Wall). The venue was the city hall in West Berlin where Kennedy made his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech.

The eagerly-awaited Formula 1 took place at the end of October in Abu Dhabi. Nico Rosberg, one of the drivers, is sponsored by RBS, so he did a quick signing at our office on Bank Street. Don't ask me anymore about the race, because I have no idea.

The same day, I found a cockroach on the desk I was working at! Cost-cutting was getting pretty bad at that point.

November was also the month of Jon's birthday. We celebrated with a Friday brunch at our favorite restaurant, the Thai Kitchen, at the Park Hyatt with a bunch of our friends. From left: the Pys (visiting from Florida), John Py, Shehan de Silva, Tori de Silva, Jeremy Gray, Jo Hellyer, Barry Coughlan, Simi, Jon (being dumb), Mark Powell, Blackie (friend of de Silvas).