Finding out that we were not able to travel at Christmas was about as funny as getting an arrow through the neck, and then discovering there was a gas bill tied to it. Having been so lazy as to steal my opening line from Lord Blackadder I needed a plan as cunning as a fox who’s just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University.

The end of term parties came and went and the Google Classroom-free atmosphere was convivial. Having caught up on sleep, filled the apartment with biscuits and compiled ‘my list’ on Netflix, I was ready for the holidays. A Teacher Abroad was staying that way and he now needed a few modest activities to occupy some time in between ‘Biscflix’.

I thought that perhaps some pampering was in order to start with. Some time ago, my golfing buddy Matt had given me a spare complimentary day pass to the Saadiyat Beach Club. This is a very swanky joint indeed, for which a standard day pass is pricey. So off I went, book in bag, podcast on phone, ready for a day of sun, sea and sand. The club is beautiful and was particularly well decorated for the season. Having spent the last 37 Christmases in the UK, I was somewhat amused by the juxtaposition…..

Suitably rested and recuperated, I had heard that the shopping malls were worth a visit at this time of year. You must bear in mind that Christmas is culturally off the table in the UAE, school is a Yuletide-free zone and it was the first Advent that I can recall in which I hadn’t had anything to do with a carol. Hark! The Herald Angels were not singing. I was pining for a festive atmos, and help was at hand. There are certain places where it is deemed acceptable for ye gentlemen to rest merry, where they are tidings of both comfort and joy. I needed my fix and I got it….

Strolling around the mall put me in need of refreshment. Other famous coffee houses have already been exhibited within these posts, however I am particularly pleased with my latest discovery: Tim Horton’s. I’m told it is the Starbucks of Canada (an immediate win; anything to do with Canada is fine with me) and its delicious festive lattes and even more delicious doughnuts have impressed me on several occasions…-

There is of course another craving in my life for which I need my fix. In an (almost certain to fail) attempt at brevity and not boring the arse off anyone who has actually bothered to read this: my Half Term post reported getting to play golf at Abu Dhabi National Golf Club, home to the HSBC Championship European Tour event. This left me two other main courses to play in Abu Dhabi and I managed to get round both during this holiday: Saadiyat Beach GC has the advantage of being right next to where I live and has incredible sea views, however Yas Links GC is without doubt the jewel in the Abu Dhabi golfing crown. This was a true highlight of the holiday and of my time here so far…

After getting my golf fix (not possible, this was in fact just a day when I didn’t have any golf booked), I decided to see a bit more of the city. The Corniche has featured in previous posts and I thought a walk along the promenade would be a wholesome cultural activity, as well as helping to build up an appetite for more Biscflix. To be able to take photos like this three days before Christmas is as strange as it is stunning….

And so Christmas day arrived. Matt and his wife Sarah were kind enough to invite me to join them in their brunch plans. I was very grateful for this, but also somewhat surprised as Matt has spent a significant amount of time with me on various golf courses in Abu Dhabi and has therefore suffered endless hours of my golf chat. The fact that he hasn’t run away very fast, let alone invited me to Christmas Day, probably qualifies him for the New Year’s Honours List.

My first brunch-related post back in September was all about the Market Brunch at the Saadiyat Rotana and it was here that we returned for our festive feast. Let’s cut to the chase: it was superb. Firstly, our table was outside! Secondly, it was absolutely rammed: there must have been hundreds of yuletide diners, and yet the service was impeccable. Thirdly (and this is something I have not yet experienced at brunch) the atmosphere was incredible. They had built a stage in the middle of the outdoor seating area for a live singer, which turned the whole thing into more of a party than a meal. My co-diners, Abu Dhabi veterans that they are, informed me that this is much more like a standard brunch from the pre-Covid era……

(A further note on the quality of the service: there is a ritual of 4pm stockpiling at any brunch. Ordering a back-log of drinks at 3.55pm ensures a post-brunch extention which can carry on for another hour or even more. The serving staff were stockpiling our table without us even having to ask! I ordered a cocktail: two arrived. A glass of champagne arrived: I hadn’t ordered it. More drinks arrived for us to sample: they hadn’t been asked for. This is my kind of service: no wonder they were sold out.)

Every action does, unfortunately in this case, have an equal and opposite reaction, and so a marathon Biscflix was required for the ensuing next-day recovery period. The week between Christmas and New Year was typically lull-ish. I didn’t have plans for New Year but a last minute invitation found me back at the Saadiyat Beach Club for a gala dinner and party. Another poolside table, delicious buffet banquet, free flowing drinks and fireworks over the sea at midnight rounded the holiday off in style…

The next day required just as much Biscflix. Once the haze had lifted and I had emerged from under my blanket there was the inevitable New Year moment of reflection. Christmas: done, but this year 3500 miles from home, away from my family and my UK friends, in a (not so much now) new environment. I cannot, however, help but feel very fortunate. The weather is gorgeous. I have played a lot of golf. I have made wonderful new friends and have had some great times. It seems to me that the only thing that has suffered during this break is my credit card, and for that I have to be thankful.

Another big reason for personal celebration follows in the next episode, which is going to be rather a yang to the ying you are currently reading. Today’s installment has been a light hearted, whimsical review of my holiday; something slightly more earnest is to follow.

But it seems to me that a considered life is all about balance. Even A Teacher Abroad must have its moments of seriousness amid the quaint (or just odd) ramblings.

Just like school holidays must include some downtime amid the golf and parties….