hey meedo-
i've been so bored at work- haven't done anything the whole day (openly) found a great blog http://tampaxtowers.*************/2006_03_01_archive.html
for anyone who is interested on a emirates girls flights/layovers etc- its pretty good- been reading that the whole day!
i also had my chest xray today and this old radiographer who i'm pretty sure was 130 told me to wait in this TINY cubicle in this dodgy robe with no back, i was freezing and she forgot about me for half an hour and i didn't have a watch so couldnt work out how long i was waiting and eventually i had to go out in this robe thing and ask what i was waiting for, when she worked out who i was (she forgot) she just goes oh i thought you had left you can go get changed and go if you like!!
medicals take up so long and are very expensive!!!
i will def take you up on the shopping for laptop etc- and with all my dubai research i'll be like a local 
hahah...... probably not but between my research and your language abilities we'll be cruising!
p.s helpful tip -- you can take 7kg hand luggage, so i'm going to take the biggest bag that will fit as hand luggage and stack all my shoes in it- that means you'll have like 10kg extra luggage!! i'm a thinker!