Wednesday, 25 May 2016

[2016 走過浮誇杜拜 Extravagance Dubai] Day 4

最後半天的時間,說是培訓,不如說是聯誼吧!大家圍在一起說說自己的國家,分享著特別帶來的當地糖果,份外輕鬆。
Finally, half day left for the business trip and supposed to be the corporate training. Indeed, we were having a gathering with food full on the table. Everyone talked about their own country and shared the delicious confectionery. It was relaxing.


但有一件事情令我由昨夜開始感到很糾結,就是今天晚上的住宿安排。原定今晚是我和南非女生同房,房間已經訂好。昨晚我問她今早要不要一起到新酒店check in才回公司,她說不知道會不會跟我一起,因為舊同事說可以到她家免費住幾天,她的經理也會一起去。我心想:不是吧?我們不是已經說好了訂酒店嗎?如是者,今早我自行check in,  付了房租,帶著有點傷感的心情回公司。早上,看到她帶著重實的行李姍姍來遲,問她是否決定到舊同事家?她還是說未決定,因為經理想她一同前往,但她本人卻猶豫不決,因為不想整個行程都要對著經理。我當然希望她可跟我一起,一來可以分擔房租,二來一起活動都方便些,三來她根本不想和經理一起,我找不到叫她離開我的原因,她決定跟經理講清楚。
However, I had a tangle of thought since last night which was the accomodation arrangement. I was supposed to be roommate with the South African girl and I have reserverd the room already. Last night, I asked her if she would like to check-in in the new hotel before heading back to the office. She told me she hasn't decided if she would stay with me or not because her former colleague invited her to stay at her apartment and her manager will be there too. My thought was: Are you serious? Ain't we agree to book the hotel? So, I checked-in the new hotel alone and paid all the rent. I honestly was a bit sad. I met her in the office and she was late. She had to carry her extra large luggage and I asked if she had decided to be with her former colleague. She was still uncertain and I learnt that it was her manager's idea to stay at the colleague's apartment. However, she herself was hesitating because she would prefer not to see her for the whole trip. I absolutely wanted her to be with me; it is not only because of sharing the rent of the room, but also more convenient to hangout. Most importantly, she didn't want to stay with the manager at all, I can't think of a reason for her to stay with her. That's why she talked to her manager to sort it out eventually.

公司送上最後一份禮物是邀請所有同事到杜拜最有名的海灘酒吧Barasti 暢飲。本來這個明明是Optional的活動,但當我們全都不想去時,人事部便發一個電郵給全世界說:今天離開杜拜回國的同事,明年見!仍在杜拜的同事,一會兒見!這句句子是紅色粗體,所以所有人都被強制邀請,不能不到!
The last present that given by the company to everyone of us was an invitation of cocktail party at the most popular beach bar in Dubai - Barasti. I have to say it was an OPTIONAL activity. However, it became a compulsory social activity when noone wanted to say YES. As a result, the HR department sent out an email to everyone saying "To those leaving Dubai today, See you next year! To those still in Dubai, See you later!" The sentences were in red bold font which it implied "YOU ARE INVITED!"

酒吧和公司本來10分鐘的車程,變成40分鐘。因為恰巧遇上大型活動日子,有封路改道,所以十分擠塞,加上杜拜的路很小U-Turn位,總要街頭走到街尾才能轉彎,又沒有泊車位,不停在市內打轉。
The distance between the bar and the office is only 10 minutes. However, it took us 40 minutes because of the large event nearby with road re-directed or temporarily closed. We were stuck in the traffic. Also, with the lack of U-Turn on the road in Dubai, we have to drive all the way from one end of the road to another end to make a turn. We were looking for parking which was even harder under all the above factors.

因為七人車後坐放滿了行李,只能坐一人,其餘四人擠在同一行,南非經理也是坐上客。之前聽說過有關南非經理的事,說她很自私,跟她同事有壓力,非要達到目的為止,這次同車40分鐘完全感受到。話說我們打算把車泊在酒店附近的酒店然後走路過去,全部人已連行李離開車箱,但酒店職員說我們不是住客不能使用泊車位,所以我們被迫離開。後坐椅背突然失靈打不開,所以我們五人要擠在一起,十分狼狽。這時南非經理已經舒服地坐進車裡,只有我和另一位同事嘗試擠進去。南非經理便以高八度聲線道:「為什麼你不走路過去呢?」我沒有為意她的意思,只嚷着要她們坐迫一點好讓我和另一位同事上車離開。然後也不記得是我還是其他人對她說:「那妳走路過去吧!」她便說:「我想跟著XX。」XX是我們同事兼司機,說是想跟XX 一起,說穿了根本不想走路。好不容易五位擠進車裡,走了十米,XX說有警察,如果被截查便有麻煩,說不如找些人走路去吧。南非經理插嘴說:「對丫。早叫你們走路啦!」火冒三丈,我說:「如果我知道怎走,一定會走路。」她再以高八度說:「就在隔離,兩步便到。」我忍不住說:「對啊!第一次來杜拜我是當然應該知道酒吧的路怎走!」她恍然大悟說:「噢!我不知道你是第一次來。」真的被她氣暈,最後我和兩位同事下車,要我多對著南非經理,我寧願在烈日下走路。
We were on the 7-seat car loaded with luggages. Since the back seat was with luggages, it could fit only one person. The rest of 4 took the middle seat and squeezed with each other and the South Africa manager was one of us. I heard something not nice about this lady. She is a selfish one and gives pressure at work to co-workers. She is aggressive to achieve her goal. I felt what I learnt in this 40 minutes ride. We planned to park the car at the hotel nearby then walked to the bar. We had our luggages with us and ready to go. However, the hotel staff said we were not allowed to use the service if we are not the guests and asked us to leave. Plan A failed which we had no Plan B. We all squeezed back in the car again with 5 of us in the same row because the back seat is broken. The South Africa lady was sitting in the middle and looked comfortable, but another colleague and I were still standing outside the car and trying hard to squeeze in. At the same time, the manager said with her high-pitch voice"Why don't you walk to the beach?" I didn't realize what she said but kept trying to squeeze in so that we could leave this hell place. Then I didn't remember if it was me or the other said to her "Then you can walk there!" She replied "I would like to stay with XX." XX is our colleauge who is the driver as well. To be honest, she just wanted to avoid the heat outside and lazy to walk. Finally, we all fit in the car and started to move, but only for 10 metres, because XX saw the police. If the police caught us, XX will be in trouble. XX suggested some of us could walk and the manager, of course, jumped into the conversation saying "Yes, I told you to walk already." Her attitute really made me angry and I said "If I knew the way, I would do it." She then used her beautiful high-pitch voice said "Just right there. Next to the hotel." I then said "Of course I would know how to get there for my first time in Dubai." She was shocked and said "Oh! I didn't know that..." I decided to walk because I did not want to see her and hear for her voice for one second more. 

來到酒吧另一個門口,有兩位黑人保安員駐守,說這個入口只限酒店住客,不讓我們進入。他們態度不太好,令本來已燥底的同事更氣憤,大駡他們一番,然後我們才離開再找入口。終於到達另一邊的正確入口,這時另一位黑人保安員走向我們說剛才對他的同事無禮。禁止我們進入。燥底同事一聽便再大駡是他們同事無禮,亦打算投訴,那黑人保安抱著懷疑態度放行,整件事雙方都有錯,我們應保持克制,保安員也不應擺出輕佻無視你的態度,惹人生生厭。
幾經波折來到酒吧,但坐車的南非經理和其他人居然還未到,原來封路的關係,附近不能泊車,要泊在JBR的另一邊然後轉電車來再走一段路,南非經理心裡應該在苦叫,一心以為不用走路,結果要走更遠。
When we arrived at another entrance of the hotel, the two black security guard stopped us saying it is only for hotel guests. His attitude was not nice which made my colleauge who was angry extra pissed. She punished them before we left for another trial. When we found the right entrance, another black security guard came to us and said we were rude to his colleauges and refused to let us in. That triggered our angry colleague to release all her anger to him. She want to file a complaint as well. That guard was questioning who was telling the truth and let us in eventually. I would said both us and the guards were wrong. We should be well behaved and the guards should not show their disgusting attitude to us and only having guest-only-attitude to VIP. Finally we arrived the bar and surprised to know that the South Africa manager group was not there yet. As mentioned, the road clousure made them park the car in another side of JBR and then took the tram plus a walk to arrive. The manager deserved it. 

酒吧的環境很亞熱帶風情,位於二樓能飽覽波斯灣和海灘景色,難怪成為最熱門酒吧。天氣好,拍出來的照片特別艷麗,五官也特別分明。
The ambience of the bar is quite tropical and is located on the second floor with a spectacular Persian Gulf view and beach undernearth. There is a reason to be popular in Dubai. The weather was very good and the pictures were tremendous. Everybody looks good on it.








逗留了一會兒,因為想把握時間遊覽杜拜,我們決定先行離開。回酒店放下行李,梳洗一番便出發到杜拜購物中心,就是前兩天她們說更奢華的地方。
We spent a hour or more only because we would like to see more of Dubai. We loaded off the luggages and had a shower before heading to the Dubai Mall which is the most crazily build and huge luxury place in Dubai.

之前出入都使用的士,然後向公司claim回車資。但由現在起,一切費用都需要自付,所以我們決定坐地鐵,順便體驗旅遊真樂趣。
Taxi was the main transportation for us the last few days because we could do reimbursement. However, starting from now on, we have to bare our own cost. That's why we decided to take metro and also to experience the fun of travelling.

杜拜地鐵目前只有兩條綫(紅色綫,綠色綫) 在營運,紅色綫主要穿梭市區,綠色綫就在杜拜河機場方向行走。說是地鐵,但沒有一個站是在地底,全都是架空的,這也合理,杜拜原本是個沙漠,建在地底不穩陣。另外地鐵全是無人駕駛,有女性專用車箱,車箱沒有我幻想中充斥著中東人的體味。
There are two lines currently operateing in the Dubai metro - red and green. The red one go through the downtown while the green one connected through the north side from Dubai Creek toward the airport. It is a metro but not an underground one. None of the stops are under but above the sky. It makes sense because Dubai was desert. If they build under the ground, it would be risky. Another thing about the metro is it is a driverless train which operated by computer. It offers ladies-only cabin and I did not find the cabin full of the body smell in my imagination.

紅色綫沿Sheikh Zayed大道而建,一條大直路,所以要到離地鐵站以外的景點要走一段路,杜拜購物中心站就是最好的例子,下車後還得走十五分鐘才到。
The red line built along Sheikh Zayed road which is a super long straight road. If you need to visit places away from the metro station, be prepared to walk 10 to 15 minutes. The Dubai Mall is a very good example which took 15 minutes walk from the Dubai Mall metro station. 



這個購物中心在哈利法塔旁邊,所以人流也特別多。購物中心超級大,兩層高室內水族館,不同的大型藝術品,可見花費不少。
The Mall is located next to Burj Khalifa which attracted many tourists most of the time. The Mall is gigantic features with the two-level high indoor aquarium. Besides, you could find a lot of large piece installation arts. I believed it is a big investment of this Mall. 




No comments:

Post a Comment