Two days (or three days) later, I can still the pain on my legs and behind my thighs...
A few days ago, I shared how my "charm" and "stubbornness" saved me while in Dubai for an immigration transaction. If you missed it, find out my about my little adventure here:
Use Your Charm. The Changes in My Life. (A Story)
Now, the rest of the story...
Tired feet
"Kuya, tapos na ako. Hindi ka ba lalabas ng office? Meet na lang tayo dito sa Jaffliya, bigay ko sa iyo passport ko." I called our Head Office HR Assistant. I needed to hand over my passport so that they can cancel my visa.
"Kuya, I am done here at the Immigration. Are you not going out of the office? Let's just meet here at Jaffliya so I can give my passport."
"Naku, hindi eh. May tinatapos pa ako dito sa office. Punta ka na lang dito." he replied.
"Oh no. I have things to finish here at the office. Just come over."
If I could, I really don't want to go to our Head Office. I wanted to avoid meeting people who may ask me why I am leaving our company after 12 years . I don't want to sound like I have to explain to every person I meet. Our circumstances change and yes, we just need to move on. But that is for another story.
Emaar Square, located in Downtown Dubai, is Dubai’s premiere business hub.
So premier, that an hour's parking fee is AED 20 ($5.50)! Pay, or park for free at the Dubai Mall.
The Dubai Mall, also known as the home of the Dubai shopping festival, is one of the world's largest shopping malls in UAE.
Because I want to save myself $5.50, I parked inside the Dubai Mall. From inside the mall, there is what they call the Metro Link.
Spot Cinema Parking and Emaar Square on the map and imagine how far I had to walk! Looking 0back, I should have parked at the Fashion Parking since that would have been nearer. I thought about parking there but eventually decided against it since as I can remember we always park at the Cinema parking.
Should have followed my instinct! Hah!
My big face and the Metro Link, finally!
Did you know that the Dubai Mall has a total internal floor area of 5.9 million sq ft?! Some people are actually not ashamed to admit that they use a navigator so as not to get lost!
Fear not, though, as now, Dubai Mall has a new app feature that should stop you from getting lost! Interested? Read about it here: http://whatson.ae/dubai/2017/08/dubai-mall-app/
I will agree if you will say that the Burj Khalifa looks more wondrous if I were not in the picture. Haha!
Trivia: Burj Khalifa, 160 storeys high, is the World's Tallest Building!
Kuya Allan and I (I forgot to take a picture of us together!) chatted for some time at the building entrance and after a few minutes I handed him my passport and National ID so that they can proceed with my visa cancellation.
Time check: 3.50pm, I have to really head back to Abu Dhabi so that I can reach at 5.00pm(ish) and fetch the kids from the baby sitter. That is now next impossible since I still have to walk back to Dubai Mall parking and the drive would be around 1 hours 45 minutes....
I just had to trace back my steps back to the parking... I confidently went to the parking lot. I took a mental note of my spot before I left "P5-H". Easy-peasy!
However, I searched high and low, and my girl Lois Lane (that's how I named my car) couldn't be found! Whaaat?? I legs already felt like rubber... The hot and humid air around the parking lot did not help very much. I felt like dying. The whole afternoon was so tiring and I just wanted to call it a day.
"This was the spot where I left her.." I thought. But why is it not here?! I went back and forth but to no avail.
Until I decided to just go back inside the mall and just collect myself and get some air conditioning. Maybe my brain would work better with some cold air.
Then it hit me... d@arn I am at P1!!! The whole time I was searching and looking at P1-H, not P5-H! Though I felt so stupid, I felt more tired. I hoped I could just teleport because I did not think I could still drive.
Ten thousand two hundred and five steps!
Apporoximately 7km! That was the distance that I covered, walking back and forth at the immigration office, the Dubai Mall and our Head Office.
That is the smile (errr, awkward smile) of success!
I reached Abu Dhabi a few minutes before 6.00pm. Hubby was the one who fetched the kids and they came a few minutes later.
I was dead to the world a few more minutes after.
Yesterday, August 24, 2017, I signed the document that would soon be the end of my 12 years journey with my company. It felt surreal - happiness, sadness... I do not know how to describe it. However, it has to happen. One way or another. Now or later.
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