"It's time to pack for Dubai, and I'm excited! Chessies in my room while I pack, and I love her cheekiness; we have so much fun together my girl and me. We have been back and forth to Dubai quite a lot recently, and I'm excited to share it with the girls. I don't profess to be an expert on the country, but I think the girls are in for a treat.
Six years ago , Bruce and I were invited by Sheikh Mohammad - the Vice President and Prime minister of the UAE and Emir of Dubai, to the opening of Meydan Race Track for the inaugural Dubai World Cup. It was a week long event and we were one of 500 guests chosen by HH from around the world to enjoy this amazing place. It was an extraordinary experience, and both Bruce and I fell in love with Dubai immediately. We were treated like royalty by royalty and met some incredible people during this week.
As a result of this, we have been asked on numerous occasions over the last 6 years to work on many Royal wedding and private events. It has been an absolute honour and privilege to have been taken into this exotic world and trusted by so many local families. The reason for this explanation is that from the minute the invitation was given out to the girls, Lydia became the 'Dubai expert'. Constantly contradicting things that I said and telling us all that she had been going there for 25 years and it was like her "second home". As I think I said in the episode, Dubai was still pretty much a dessert 25 years ago so I am not sure what flight she took or where she stayed, but it would be interesting to know!
I'm hoping to get some ideas and inspiration for my lifestyle blog. I have been working on this for the last 18 months, and I love sharing lots of different things with my readers.
We are staying at Atlantis The Palms and having welcoming drinks on the beach; it's great to see the girls after having had the day to ourselves. Lydia arrives with Pettifleur and all of a sudden we see PF crying! What?? Yes, when Lydia walked in we gave her a reaction to the dress she was wearing. It was a different look to what she usually wears and we were just sharing the love. We had all arrived together so I'm not sure why she was making such a scene. I was so shocked that she started to cry. I think we were all so shocked.
I try to make PF feel included, so I asked her about her day ... She starts again on how my lip colour has changed which is an ongoing thing between us. PF always feels I need makeup and clothes advice! I never say anything to her about what she wears but apparently I need help! Lydia tries to make it a competition between her and I about who has been coming to Dubai longer and who knows it better. I am not a competitive person, and she is really starting to push my buttons. I don't understand why she feels the need to do this. I had planned so much for the girls to do and was excited to toast everyone - Lydia jumped in and told us this was like her second home..... Hmmmm.
It's a beautiful new day, so Jackie and I head off to Dolphin Bay while the other girls are swimming with the Sharks, going on the water slide and kissing sea lions. Jackie and I had the most beautiful morning together. Swimming with the Dolphins was so beautiful. Jackie felt very in tune with the Dolphins, and they are very spiritual! It was fun to see what the other girls were up to, and I think we all had fun.
Dinner was at the incredible Ossiano restaurant at Atlantis, and we all felt we were sitting in the fish tank! Gamble decides to confront Gina about the night before her wedding. Gamble was upset, and Gina is defending herself and saying she hasn't done anything wrong. Lydia, PF and Gina have become very close, and I think that Gamble is feeling left out. Pettifleur just loves to put her 5 cents worth in- her having an opinion on everything is starting to annoy a few of the girls. She is still going on about the birth certificate! If she went and stood in line for it, she would already have it by now! She is obsessed with Jackie helping her and I just don't understand how she doesn't know when to stop! Jackie has definitely not split the group in half.
We have split in half for the day to make life easier and are now shopping up a storm, and I am in heaven! I even found my dress for the races last year! I loved watching the scene with the other girls as I had heard bits and pieces about the goings on. Seeing PF constantly looking at herself in the mirror and turning and asking for the love from the other girls was hysterical! She had no regard for the other girls, and it was extraordinary!
I took the girls to lunch to Bice Mare on the edge of the fountain as I knew they would love the perfect view. It was fun having Gamble with us, and I really have enjoyed getting to know her better! The other girls are talking about Jackie and how they feel she is dark- Gina is right to stop Pettifleur! Enough already! It can't always be about you! Voicing your opinions is one thing but sometimes enough is enough. Jackie speaks her mind whether you like it or not, she is a good friend who is very confident and happy. I love being around her energy; it's contagious!
The day has arrived to take the girls camel riding in the desert! We are all dressed like we are on the set of Sex in The City! We all looked gorgeous, and I knew it would be a fun day! Gina said she was scared of camels and the more noises they made, the more nervous she became! She finally she made it up, and her ohhing was hysterical! I am thrilled she gave it a go and that's the most important thing. You can't be in the desert and not ride a Camel!
We continue walking, and I could have done it all day - it was incredible! As the sun started to set, we arrived at our next stop for dinner. Gina was waiting for us, and the music was playing the dancers dancing - it was picture perfect! We sat down for a well-deserved drink and the belly dancer started! Pettifleur got up and had a dance. When two surprise men arrived with a tray of drinks, I was blown away! I hadn't seen BJ for six months, and I just couldn't believe that he and Bruce were in the desert with us all!
How did they keep that from me? It was the best surprise ever! The boys leave and it's time to have dinner, and the feast begins!
Janet asks me about my blog that I have been doing for the last year. No one ever asks me about work, so it was so sweet of Janet to ask. She has been very generous and given me prizes etc. as giveaways for my blog, so I appreciated her feedback. Lydia just couldn't let this conversation happen without talking about her "blog" and that fact that she had been written up in a recent newspaper article. I had read what she was so excited to be in and said I was so glad not to have been included. This was definitely not jealousy, rather the article basically compared Lydia's blog to another reality tv personality, and pulled it apart. Again Lydia is comparing what she is doing to me! It's not a competition - I'm proud of all the girls doing their own thing and yet with Lydia, she always feels the need for one-upmanship. I'm getting a bit over it!
The conversation continues and I ask Lydia if she feels competitive with me as I constantly feel that she attempts to put me down. I have also been hearing rumblings of stories that Lydia is talking about me behind my back to both my clients and friends, and it's starting to really annoy me. They may have called me Switzerland in the early days, and that's due to my nature of being able to listen to any problem and resolve a solution. That said when someone attempts to be malicious for their own enjoyment I can assure you I move directly into defense mode. I am a great believer in true friendship, supporting your girlfriends and having each other's back. I know I have done that for Lydia during both season 1 and 2, as well as in her personal life - but I don't feel she is doing the same for me!
Susie shares with Jackie the conversation Lydia and Pettifleur had about her being a mean girl - Jackie confronts them both and off we go! It's back to me and my lipstick that Pettifleur always comments on and at a shoot telling me I looked frumpy in a white dress- again I have never said anything mean to her! This conversation is going downhill very quickly. All I want to do is go back to the hotel and see my gorgeous boys.
What happened to our beautiful day in the desert?"
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The Real Housewives of Melbourne Season 3 airs Sunday nights at 8:30pm on Arena
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