Debt

I wanted to explain my plaintive wail of the last few weeks 'I can't afford to, I'm broke'. Not because it's a lie, but because people are feeling sorry for me, and they shouldn't.

In the year that I have been in Dubai, I have bought a Rav4, brand new, off the showroom floor. I have done my PADI scuba diving course, and my Advanced Course. I have learned to wakeboard, and do so every weekend, at a tiny beach club outside of Dubai. I have invested in off shore trusts (watch this space - it sounds very grown up!). I have taken my whole family for high tea at the Burj Al Arab.

I have been back to South Africa once, to Holland twice, to London and Thailand once, to Jordan and Beirut for long weekends, to a music festival in Denmark, and of course to Brazil for 3 weeks over Christmas and New Year.

I have bought the basics of a new wardrobe, twice, once for losing weight - finally - and once for starting a new job, in a new field, that requires 'meeting clothes' that are not jeans and a t-shirt! I drink delicious beer, which is probably the only thing that gets taxed in this country, so it's bloody expensive.

I have also just paid a years rent up front, after not working for 5 weeks in July/August. I'm broke. But happy ;-) And I forbid people to feel sorry for me, I certainly don't deserve it!