Survival!

Well, I survived the early morning Body Attack session, just about!

It was one hour of music thumping, high impact aerobics and I really feel like I worked my ass off! The instructor, Sharon, was great, very motivating and giving alternative suggestions if you were loosing the will to continue. An hour later I felt like I definitely deserved my breakfast!

There were a few crazy ladies staying on after the Body Attack session to do a session of Body Pump! This involves lifting weights, doing lunges, sit ups etc for another hour! I was so pooped by the end of the first round that I could barely make it up the stairs back to my car so well done to those who managed two rounds!

As its Thursday, I'm taking it a little easier this morning and starting off a little later, and with some Vinayasa Yoga, so I'll still be exercising but in more of a calm, relaxing way than yesterday.

I will, however, be throwing in a Body Attack session at least once a week as you really do feel like you worked hard!

An Early Start

It's before 9 am, on my day off and I've been up and about for half an hour! Why? I hear you ask! Well, this morning, I am going to attempt to tackle a BODY ATTACK class! Sounds scary, yes! Why? Well, I want to get a bit fitter and if I'm going to the Maldives next week then it would be nice to be a bit less wobbly too! I'll let you know how it went when, or should I say if, I make it back!!

Inspire & Mentor with Marie Claire

During the summer, I had the opportunity to attend an 'Inspire and Mentor' session run by Marie Claire, the  popular magazine in the UK. The event took place in the MalMaison Hotel in Edinburgh and I have only good things to say about it.

It was a sold out event and, when I arrived, the place was buzzing with soon-to-be writers, journalists, publishers and those who were simply curious about the writing world. Delicious canapés and sparkling champagne were promptly served and each guest was given a goodie-bag filled with lovely treats before we were ushered through to the function room.

The first speaker, and in my opinion the best, was Lindsey Kelk, author of best-selling chic-lit books 'I heart New York', 'I heart Paris' and 'The Single Girls To Do List.'

Lindsey spoke honestly about how difficult it had been to get her first publishing contract and told us about some of the pit-falls she had encountered, like not getting herself an agent. She came across very much as she does in her books, witty, sarcastic and highly amusing. Sharing lots of tips on how to finish a novel, how to edit it and what to do next, she was truly motivating.

Second up was Rowan Lawtons, an agent at Peters Fraser and Dunlop in the UK

Rowan spoke about the benefits of finding a good agent and the doors that can be opened once you have one. She stressed the need to be determined and have perseverance.

Third was Sarah Ritherdon, who works for Harpercollins Publishers. 

She backed up Rowan's advice, explaining that publishers very often don't even open unsolicited material as they are simply too busy so that having an agent is crucial. Having a tough exterior and being able to take criticism is another point that she made as publishers will be highly critical when editing work. She also advised us to write about something that we love, as passion always shines through.

The final speaker of the day was Kasie Davies, features editor at Marie Claire. Her speech was highly inspirational. She advised reading every single magazine that you can get your hands on and immersing yourself completely in the magazine world. She also stressed the need to get out in the world and physically meet people, rather than hiding behind emails. Her final point was to think about the audience you are writing for. The most important thing about any feature in a magazine is for it to resonate with the people who are reading it thus you should select each story with a very clear audience in mind.

I left the event feeling very motivated and with lots of new feature ideas. 

Thank you Marie Claire for organising such a fantastic event.

The Maldives!

Today I received one of the nicest phone calls of my life so far!

Channel 4 Radio in Dubai gave me a quick call to tell me that they were sending me to the Maldives! Yes, thats right, the Maldives! For free!! Cue crazy screaming and excitment on my part!

I did a quick search on google images, and this was the first photograph that popped up!

Perfection!!

It looks like absolute perfection! Just what I need after a hectic few weeks teaching summer school! Taking one of my closest gal pals with me and we are going to relax to the max! Pampering, resting, relaxation! I can't wait!!!

Thanks again Channel 4!

Ten Signs the Recession has hit Dubai

Ten Signs the Recession has hit Dubai




The world’s economy is on a downward spiral and even here, in the luxurious climate of the UAE, we are having to make major sacrifices in our daily lifestyles. Here are ten signs that the recession really has hit home in Dubai….

1 Changing your weekly call home to the parents to a thrice weekly one. Keeps the Du bill down and stops them worrying when you tell them that you spent your DEWA money on a Yalumba brunch, again!

2 Taking the long route home from work in order to avoid those pesky Salik fees, that Dhs 4 could really come in handy elsewhere.

3 Only watching TV shows/series’ that you can download, for free. Dhs 125 for a box set!! That’s a weekly shop!

4 Putting on around 4kgs. You’re saving money by not going out on the weekend but you have to entertain yourself somehow and Dominoes delivery or Zatar W Zeit is still cheaper than those nightclub fees.

5 Developing an unhealthy obsession with good old pop stars such as Peter Andre, Robbie and Craig David. They were there in the golden age i.e when we still had money so we like to reminisce with them frequently.

6 Actually purchasing nail varnish again in an attempt to paint your own nails! Weekly mani-pedis are a luxury we can no longer afford!

7 Cleaning your own apartment. Heaven forbid!

8 Driving around certain parts of town for hours in the hope of finding a precious unmetered parking spot.

9 Reverting back to your natural boring brown hair as those beautiful sun-kissed highlights you’ve been sporting are eating approximately a third of your rent money.

10 Being late for work after trying to give yourself a professional at home blow-dry since your credit card just won’t accept any more salon visits.

Art Conversations

"Everything we do in life is reflected in art."

On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of attending an 'Art Conversations' talk at Dubai Ladies Club. The key speaker was Sheikh Sultan Al Qassimi who I have been following, with interest, on twitter for some time now. His tweets are always informative and interesting and so I thought it would be wise to take the opportunity to see him speak in person about something he is passionate about. He is the founder of the Barjeel Art Foundation in Dubai which consists of more than 600 works of art.

In the last few decades the art scene in the UAE has flourished and has become somewhat of a hub for both national and international art. Persian, Arab, Iranian, Asian, European and American art have all found a home somewhere in the UAE. According to Sheikh Sultan, Dubai in particular has become the 'soul of the country's art world.'

An point I noted with interest was the fact that Dubai or the UAE as a whole is one of the very few countries in the world who have taken art from foreigners living in the country and proudly displayed it in the National Gallery. This, for me, says a lot about the good relationship that the UAE generally has with the many expats who live and work here.

Sheikh Sultan showed a slideshow presentation featuring some of the works in his collection. This included a fascinating piece entitled 'Snow White Without The Dwarfs' by artist Ghada Amer which is a highly controversial piece. You ave to look very closely to see the hidden image but trust me, it is very clever art. Another piece, created in 2008 was entitled 'Democracy is Coming'. This piece by Egyptian artist Huda Lutfi has proved to be very insightful if we reflect on recent events in Egypt. The Arab Spring is happening now and can, and is, reflecting events as they unfold.

The evening was highly entertaining and Sheikh Sultan spoke energetically and enthusiastically and is clearly an expert in his field. He stated "art should be free" and that "it is more beautiful when it is free." However, I couldn't help but notice the cautious undertones in some of his words. Not suprisingly so, when so many writers and intellectuals in the arab world have recently been hampered or restricted in their 'freedom of speech'.

The tragic tale of Amy Winehouse

On Saturday morning, Amy's bodyguard checked on her at her flat in the heart of Camden, London. He saw  the troubled singer asleep in bed. After a late Friday night this was nothing unusual and he left her napping.

By 4pm in the afternoon the pop starlet still hadn't surfaced and her bodyguard entered her apartment to wake her up. It was then that he realised the singer had no pulse.

Amy Winehouse was dead.

Although only 27 years old, and with an worldwide army of fans, Amy's death was not entirely unsurprising. Her entire career had been plagued with stories of drug abuse, alcohol abuse, domestic issues and she was constantly in the headlines for the wrong reasons. Just a few weeks ago she appeared in Serbia to open her European tour, only to be booed off stage when she appeared drunk, confused and unable to perform.

This followed on from her performance in Festival City, Dubai earlier this year where she took to the stage exceptionally  late, seemed confused and disinterested and proceeded to muddle her way through some of her tracks as fans left the venue disheartened.

In death however, she has shocked many. Despite all her troubles she truly was a beautiful and gifted musician and was still so young. Her powerful. throaty voice had a unique appeal and her fans showed their love for her by sending her album "Back to Black" back to the top of the charts just days after her death. Many of them also paid tribute to her by laying flowers, teddy bears, bottles of wine and cigarettes outside her London.

Although her funeral was a private, family affair, her father graciously gave away many of her clothes and belongings to her dedicated fans lining the streets as something for them to remember his 'little angel' by.

Amy battled her demons through her music and we can only hope that finally, in death, she has found her peace.