Who's Palace???

With 5 days off it was time to get all the essential things done one is required to do in life. Like cleaning, washing, ironing and of course partying. With all the girls that I had become friends with during training also in Dubai (due to the fact we had all been given time off to get our Visa's to allow us to enter the United States), plus my flatmates (which bonding time was of course required) we decided to make the most of it and to hit the nightlife of Dubai relentlessly.

I have to say being female in Dubai has it's advantages. Of course you have to take anything at face value but in a city of users and abusers I decided 2 can play at this game!! Most men in this city are usually out with money to blow and like the company of fun girls so they don't look, well like a group of guys I guess. With Don Perignon champagne flowing as if it is water you'd be stupid to say no. This is what it is like to go out in Dubai. You rarely spend a cent...if you do more fool you I say. I guess your wondering for all this what is expected in return. Honestly nothing. Play nice and give them your phone number if you want otherwise the beauty of the job is there is always a flight to catch the next day and you must get home!!

So it was to no surprise when after one of our nights out we decided to recover at one of the hotel pools and a group of guys from the UK (here in Dubai for a stag week) offered never ending Moet to prevent us from becoming thirsty in the Desert heat. Nice group of guys actually and invited us to continue the party at Buddah Bar that night. So being obliging..we did.

The night was fun with great company, continuous drinks flowing and food at your fingertips. The biggest bottle of Moet I had ever seen was opened which just proves Dubai is a city of over indulgence and extremes. So a typical night out in Dubai I guess until my flatmate Val and I met this hilarious gay guy. Extremely eccentric but so funny you couldn't help but like him. The bar was preparing to close and not ready to go home the gay guy who we shall call Al invited us to an after party at "The Palace". Thinking immediately this was some underground gay day club I asked..."Where is The Palace"? Al changed the topic with his witty humour and then moments later said.."Shall we?" and off we went.

Waiting outside the bar for his driver to arrive (which is also very normal here in Dubai by the way) I asked again if we were going to another club. "No, to a friends place" was the answer and with that the car arrived and we all jumped in. Driving there laughing and chatting I finally realised that "The Palace" was just that when we pulled up to huge gates boarded with security and boom gates. I was trying not to freak out as everyone else seemed oblivious to what was happening, until we winded down the long driveway and passed a helicopter!! That's when I asked "Whose F%^%ing Palace is this"?

The response was of course.."The Sheik's son's". Right of course. The night turned into a very bizarre evening. With butlers on every possible corner of the palace ready to obliged to your every whim. All the Sheiks woman, both wives and keeps (keeps are woman basically paid just to be there because they are beautiful but not Muslim. Western culture has another name for this!!)

Once we arrived Al who was supposedly gay suddenly wasn't and his explanation to this was "if I didn't play gay initially would you have trusted me like you did"? Good point...sneaky bastard!! The novelty of the place soon wore off and Al offered us to come back on the weekend for a yacht party. I responded politely that I was flying (this usually always works) but of course Al's response was "Just give me your staff number and your roster will be changed tomorrow" I bet it will and when you ask for a favour back that I won't be obliging to I'll get shitty turn around flights for the rest of my days!!! No thanks.

With that a cab was ordered and we left. Just a normal night out I guess?? Not!!