Jet lag

Was a long flight - extraordinary plane (hard to believe that it carries 300 economy class passengers below the first and business class level). Food was awesome, the configuration of the new A380 means that you have your own mini studio complete with table/shelf/huge screen and fully reclinable bed. There is a also a bar complete with snacks and more flavours of ice cream than a ice cream shop! Watched 2 fabulous movies (Grand Torino and Revolutionary Road - sobbed at the end of both which was a tad embarassing!!!!!!!). Arrived at dawn to a smog smeared horizon with the sun fighting to break through it and temperatures already agitating at 35 degrees.

Have felt a bit nauseous for most of the day - over tired no doubt. Slept for a few hours this morning then went to see the Meydan construction that rears out of the pollution like an enormous skyscraper that someone has forgotten to stand on its base. It is GIGANTIC. A sea of cranes, dust, desert sand, workers, and cement at this stage but you can already envision the end product. Saw the new training track [polytrack has been laid; grass track being seeded at the moment] with its giant solar powered de-salination plant (for irrigation), the trainers hut (a small mansion with glass walls really), and the sheer size of the facility which makes a number of Australian race courses look small. I had to try and keep getting my bearings as everything has shifted since I was last here. The camel tracks are gone, the new racecourse is up the road from the old racecourse, the equestrian centre has moved, there are canals now snaking their way up through once desert sand and the once feature landmark that helped me orientate myself - the twin spires of the Emirates Towers - have been dwarfed by a huge number of new buildings.

I also went to Festival City - 'size' takes on a rather banal meaning in this part of the world as everything is the 'world's biggest' (spotted the world's tallest building - the Burj Dubai - on the way). Wandered the lengths of polished marble floors and window shopped. I never go to shopping malls in Australia. I don't do the whole 'female clothes/handbags/shoes' thing (as much as I wish I could on occasion) so driving to Newcastle to look at shops always seems a complete waste of time. I am probably the only person living in Scone who has never actually been to the shops in Newcastle! Had to buy a pair of sandals though as have no summer shoes - Clippy having stood on my foot when I was wearing my only pair of summer sandals in January and destroying any chance of them having a longer life. It's, unfortunately, way too hot to be wearing RM boots. Luckily the sales are on over here so grabbed a pair of shoes for $18! Spent a few hours having coffee with Marty and Lisa at one of the coffee shops which was nice. Marty looks surprisingly well given his recent surgery and seems to be doing ok.

Tomorrow I am meeting up with David Sykes - am so excited, has been 12 years since I have seen him! Can't believe he is here !!!!!!! Tomorrow I am also going to the Dubai International Racing Club for lunch (weekends in this part of the world are Friday and Saturday) and then later in the afternoon Tracy and I are going out to see 3 Belgian and a French Warmbloods that Tracy is looking at. I have been asked to do their conformation and head shots. On Monday afternoon we are going riding.

Confess I am struggling badly with the jet lag. Not used to travelling and staying up against the clock. A few more hours and I will call it quits.

Pollution much worse than I remember. Weather reminescent of a Hong Kong summer really.