As I type this blog I am actually sat in my hotel suite in Dubai!!!
Yes really- DUBAI!DU…. BAI…
I have been working out here as a consultant for two wonderful days training forty four early years’ practitioners from well… ALL over. Dubai, Kuwait, Abu Dabby, Cairo…
How do I begin to start the story that is this adventure…..?
Of course - at the beginning!
On a very cold Saturday morning wrapped in about three layers of clothing, ugly boots, two pairs of gloves, hat and a scarf; I kissed all my children and pets “goodbye”, thanked my Mum a million times for looking after them all whilst I was away and journeyed to the airport. I could hardly contain my excitement as I traded my ugly boots for heeled shoes for the first time in three weeks and shed the first layer of hat, scarf and gloves! Check-in was easy and watching the snow plough carve a pathway through the snow for departing aircraft I silent whispered a ‘thank you’ for all those who worked those machines. Boarding the plane was when I realised I felt five again. Looking at the pilots chatting in the cockpit, sitting down on my seat; finding a cushion and blanket already waiting with head phones for the TV!
As luck would have it my chosen travel companion was a guy of similar age who lived in Dubai with his wife and children and we shared stories and laughed and giggled our way through the flight (9 hours on the plane!!) He told me all about Dubai and what I ‘must see’ during my two days – little did I know that this was crucial information.
As we circled Dubai waiting for a landing slot at 2am I was past myself with excitement and my travelling companion was laughing because I kept saying ‘we really are in Du … Bai!!!!!!’
He said ‘Even I am excited now and I live here!’
We said our goodbyes and I was put into the hands of the Maharaba - don’t worry that’s not the local law enforcement officials! This is an airport services that gets you straight through immigration and collects your baggage from the carousel for you! The Maharaba then deposited me with my driver – who happened to drive a large Mercedes with glass roof; at 3am my jaw dropped as we rode through the city of DUBAI! WOW!
My aeroplane companion had told me about the ‘towers’ but nothing prepared me for the wonderful sights I saw.
DUBAI filled me from the first moment with awe and wonder. I felt so grateful for the opportunity and the life experience this was giving me and as gratitude filled every part of my body so did tiredness as I had to be awake at 7am to go to the training venue.
Day 1 – 7.15a m (3.15 in UK)
Meeting the lovely Charlotte for the first time was like coming home. She made me feel so special and looked after my every need during my two day training. The training location was at the Rashid School for boys, a beautiful school with amazing facilities including a mini outdoor area with live tortoises – as I pressed my face on the glass ‘awe and wonder’ filled my whole body!
The catering was out of this world! The purple berry juice was addictive, the whole atmosphere welcoming and nothing was too much trouble.
I was working in DUBAI!!
Shonette Bason was as of that minute INTERNATIONAL!
We had a great day training, dancing, singing and making dough! As the last delegate left at 3.30pm Charlotte took me back to the hotel, instructed me on metro links and restaurants. I was so tired a part of me just wanted to hit the hay, but how many days of your life are you in DUBAI?
I showered, changed, bought a metro ticket and it was all aboard toot toot – although the trains are electric so no noise there really!
As I arrived in The Dubai Mall station I followed fellow passengers to the link bus but as we stepped off the down escalator they all suddenly began to get very excited and pull out cameras and then, as though they had been put into a trance, gaze upward towards the sky? Wanting to absorb as much culture as possible I thought it rude not to join them….
Well … well… the tallest tower in the world greeted my eyes, shining and glimmering like buffed tin cans stacked upon one another it rose & rose & rose … like a beacon in the Dubai skyline.
Now Dubai has many tall towers but this was the tower to end all towers! My travel companion said on the flight that there are already plans to build one even bigger. I said is it like who can build the bigger tower competition!!?’
I entered the mall and mentally followed my travel companion’s instructions and set off for the Dubai dancing fountains. Sat on the waterfront terrace at 6pm with a latte and cheese on toast (temp 30+!) I watched the water dance and found myself smiling at this clever scene. The tower twinkled at me from the right as if to say ‘you love it don’t you?’ People all round from all walks of life smiling, laughing, having fun and sharing in this DUBAI-ness. I found that since I had got onto the plane my awe and wonder switch had never been turned off!!!
As I walked in the mall there was a giant aquarium full of wonderful fish, sharks and under water plants. If the barrier had not have been there I would have run and pressed my face onto the glass. Instead I stood for full 30mins gazing.
As I turned to look at what was behind me the biggest sweetshop in the world greeted me – Candylicious! Wow, really this was like something from Willy Wonka as I entered and purchased delight after delight I checked the awe and wonder and it was still on full beam.
Leaving the shop with bags full of goodies and my arms laden with bags the candy pink colour of my shoes I nearly skipped towards the Dubai Mall Waterfall – yes I know a waterfall in a shopping mall? Only in Dubai! It was not just a water fall when my eyes fell upon it but there, dangling from the waterfall, were life-size glass sculptures of divers! I rode the escalator to look down upon this amazing sight and discovered a wonderful souvenir cart. Yes I know but I was a tourist and I bought a fabulous collection of Dubai glitter – I pondered over the glass ornament of the Buri Dubai but shook myself and left it for some tourist not so strong!
It was now nearly 8.30pm (4.30 uk) I was exhausted my feet were begging to be higher than my body so I slowly walked back to the metro and rode the train one stop to my hotel where I dropped straight off to sleep with a big massive smile on my face.
Day 2 - 7.30am (3.30 UK)
Charlotte is sat waiting for me in the Lobby and we skip to the car. I like Charlotte she is so lovely and down to earth and she is impressed by my Day 1 adventure to the mall! I want to climb the tower tonight but we think its pre-bookings only and for immediate entry its £75!!! Oh no but I am determined and during the day Charlotte tries her best to get me a ticket. In my heart I know I am going to get up that tower whether I have to scale the outside with my bare feet!!
Training day 2 goes well and lunch is even more gorgeous than day 1. The afternoon session rushes by and we are soon having a photo session and saying our Goodbyes. No one seems sad though in fact everyone is very excited as they leave – not sure if it was our last dance or the amounts of coffee served during the day!
Charlotte drops me off at the hotel for the last time this visit and I know I have a friend for life – as she drives off I miss her already and promise her first text when I get to the top of the tower. Determined, I head quickly for the metro and straight on to the ticket office for ‘At the top’ tickets.
4.55pm (12.55 UK) THE QUEUE IS HUGE!!!! The officials are telling people only the expensive tickets are available and pre-bookings are three days in advance. Undeterred I join the queue, think to myself ‘I am going up the tower, I am going up the tower …’ I queued for twenty five minutes, my feet were beginning to throb and I was 15 people away from the front of the queue. A girl came up to the outside of the queue and asked a boy if he was alone, she said ‘I have a spare ticket for one person on their own to go up the tower at 6pm tonight.’ The boy did not understand her but I did - I asked the three people stood near her to tell her I was on my own, had cash and could go up the tower right now!!!!!!!
The buzz grew and the message was passed to her. The queue cleared and went silent so she could speak to me. ‘You are alone?’ she said ‘YES!’ I said ‘Just me and I have cash right here and I can go up the tower now!’ She said ‘it’s yours then!’ The crowd gave a cheer as I climbed under the barriers and gave her the money! It only cost me £20 for her ticket not the £75 I was going to pay (maybe!).
I WAS GOING UP TO THE TOP OF THE TALLEST TOWER IN THE WORLD!!!!
Belen was from South America and as we drank a coffee to seal our deal she told me of her amazing life. Belen was the first naturally positive person I have met ever. She told me what a lucky person she was to have had the upbringing she had had and how lucky she was in general. She told me how grateful she was for culturally rich life experiences, her family, her education and the world in general. This 28 year old girl was amazing, her positive nature infectious, she had awe and wonder in all she saw and did and enjoyed a wonderful life because of her attitude.
We set off for our adventure upwards full of excitement, strangers 25 minute earlier now firm friends determined to enjoy this life time experience to the full. On entering we soaked up the stats of the Tower, 57 lifts, 198km/mph winds at the top, 160 storeys high!
The lift inside take 1 min to take you to the viewing platform!!! Something like 10 floors per second! You could hardly feel it move but your ears did pop! As the doors opened the lift fell silent and Belen and I gasped at the incredible view.
Walking round and round looking all over Dubai and out into the desert and sea was utterly a once in a life time experience I will never forget. Thank you to the person who had the original thought and vision to tackle this tallest tower challenge.
There is a souvenir shop “AT THE TOP” – at the top and we both bought key rings as a memento of our journey into the sky. As we queued to go back down I text Charlotte and told her where I was and she could not believe I got a ticket. Perhaps with all this awe and wonder dancing in my veins my luck had changed and I was as lucky as Belen - I truly feel it after my visit to Dubai.
As Belen and I shopped a little and rode the same bus to the metro station I felt again that Belen was someone I would stay in contact with. I fell once again into my bed with a big smile on my face and a dancing heart in my chest.
3.30am (11.30 UK)
Up, showered, dressed and ramming my suitcase with all my purchases!! As I was driven to the airport I gazed at the towers that had filled my sky line for three days and smiled I did not feel sad because I knew I would come back to this glamorous Dubai city.
As I checked in at the airport and waited for my flight I knew this experience had changed my whole outlook on life. I finally believed in myself as a life adventurer and I knew as I trip-trapped over the bridge to the aeroplane doors that Shonette Bason was now internationally lucky and grateful for every life experience past, present and future.
As I settled into seat 22 F I needed no travel companion except myself and my memories of the beautiful city of Dubai.
Thank you to all who shared my journey to Dubai and to Focus Education, my mum and Charlotte for giving me this life time opportunity.
Where to next I say?!!
