So Number 1 son went off to university last September in UK - by coincidence, the same place that E. and I met so we were very much looking forward to re-visiting old haunts and I was lucky enough to be able to spend a few days with him when dropping him off at the start of term in September last year.
Sadly our subsequent efforts to visit were less successful. E had to stay home when A was starting as V was going back to school so the plan was for her to go back at Christmas last year to see her parents and then to travel up to pick up A before both of them would be flying back to Dubai for the Winter holidays.
This time last year all flights back to DXB required a negative PCR test and the day before E was due to meet A he announced his PCR test was positive. Cue rapid changes in plans. E flew back to Dubai as planned and A had to quarantine in his Hall of Residence with my Sister bringing him up some provisions and a Christmas tree as his quarantine lasted until Boxing Day.
Not a great start to the holiday (A was particularly unhappy as all his Dubai based mates - some of whom he was at college with - were all fine to travel).
Although we had a very lengthy zoom call with A (and the various other family members) on Christmas Day, it was perhaps not quite what we had in mind. E, V and I had a traditional Turkey Dinner (and swim in the sea) - the turkey was delivered to the house and revolutionised the whole preparing the meal arrangements so will definitely look at doing that again. A finally made it back just after Christmas (and there was plenty of Turkey left for him to feast on after his sandwiches for Christmas dinner).
For Easter, the plan was for me to go back to UK and spend some time with my Father, pick up A and fly back to DXB for the Easter holiday. The first part of the plan was somewhat derailed by my Father having to go into hospital shortly before I was due to arrive and as it transpired have a pacemaker fitted following a bout of ill-health. By the time I arrive he was on the road to recovery and after a few days visiting him in hospital, he was finally released and we spent a nice couple of days driving around the wilds of Kent to admire the countryside whilst I tries to persuade him that he might want to think about some home help.
He had a bit of a cough when he left hospital and so we both took covid tests which were negative. At the weekend I travelled up to pick up A - we had tickets for a big football match and the plan was to fly back to DXB the day after. However, when I arrived at his hall of residence I had a message on my phone to say Dad had tested positive for Covid. I briefly met A (at a suitable distance) so that he could give me one of his Covid testing kits left over from Christmas and of course I duly tested positive for Covid.
So yet further changes in plan. I had not been feeling great but assumed - having tested negative earlier in the week - that it was just a cold. I moved back the flights to the following Sunday - changing the airport to be nearer to by Father on the basis that it would make sense to quarantine with him and extended my hotel stay to try to shake off the worst of the symptoms (basically a very runny nose, lots of sneezing and generally feeling a bit run down). A stayed in halls and then travelled down to my Sister’s place.
As Dad did not really have any symptoms other than a bit of a cough I decided to stay away from the family and so travelled down to Kent half way through the week and stayed at another rather soul-less business hotel -formerly a Hilton - just outside of Maidstone which managed to have a power cut for most of the day just before I left. Nevertheless, the advantages of teams/zoom meant that I could continue to work in between sneezing fits and feeling a bit sorry for myself during the course of the week - the effects of Covid for me were much like a heavy cold. We eventually flew home the following weekend.
By the time we got to the academic year end, A had learnt his lesson so flew home on his own in mid-June to catch up with his mates.
I realise most of this post has been about Covid related issues but A seems to have enjoyed his first year at University. I suspect it was quite a culture shock and certainly the non-stop partying life style of some of his fellow students took a little getting used to after the relatively sedate ex pat life style of teenagers in a Muslim country that he had been accustomed to. He enjoyed most of his course and seems to have made some good friends and become very involved in the Dungeons and Dragons society and various other role playing groups.
This year he has moved into a House with 2 friends - one - R - from Dubai. E went back with him in September to help him move in but - needless to say - managed to pick up a very nasty cold (not Covid) so was once again unable to travel up to University with him so has still not managed to get back to her alma mater.
Moving out of halls is obviously a big step and with energy prices in UK through the roof at the moment, it promises to be a cold Winter but he seems to be enjoying the course and we are all - touch wood - due to be joining him in mid December for a few days so will be good to see him then.
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