Living in the Gulf can at times be challenging. The lives of millions of inhabitants ruled by tight and blurry regulations put a strain on what is deemed normal, whilst the weather punish the days with its unforgiving heat.

The diary reads:

     ‘I am not a ‘work-a-holic’ and I normally enjoy resting and sleeping , but having four days-off in a row when I didn’t ask for it -and believe me , there are crew that practically fight to have them- was just too much for me.’

I request to be placed on a small list of ‘willing to work on days-off’ crew and, whilst my roster changes at the pure mercy of our rostering department, I decide to face the forty five degrees Celsius of a hazy August afternoon and sort out visas for my next annual leave and do some spring cleaning.

The calendar turns festive in the Middle East and I experience my first Ramadan in loco. The dusty streets of Doha turning even more vacant whilst shops close for the day and only reopened at sunset. Expats and locals alike are unable to eat in public, so a marathon of homemade lunches follow for the fasting period, at least until the shopping centres open and remain trading until as late as three in the morning.

Whilst in Rome, I received my new roster for September which now reads:

– My month starts in Munich, which I had swapped for my second layover to Ho Chi Minh City. My first time in Germany, I am hoping to buy good quality model planes, Nutella and Haribo cola jellies.

– Returning to Doha and with minimum rest I will set off for London Gatwick. Originally intended to fly this with a local friend, the bidding system at this time did not cooperate. Sightseeing on my own it is.

– Some days-off and one lovely Bahrain tray-basketball turnaround later, I am going to the Philippines to some city named Cebu. I requested this flight because I have been told of the famous beaches and the affordable tropical paradise it can be.

– Things turn sour with a long row of stand-bys. Hopefully my luck with the rostering department will continue.

– The system’s will of sending me to Bangladesh has paid off and I will operate the series Doha-Dhaka-Doha-Tripoli-Casablanca-Tripoli-Doha at the end of the month. A total of six days in the roster with the same crew. Not enough, arriving from Morocco and with minimum rest, I finish with a turnaround to Dubai.

-Cairo follows again and then I’m off to Cebu again.

Ramadan Kareem!