This week’s Into-yous features British expat Dee Ford.

Tell us a little about yourself
I have 2 children, 4 cats, 2 dogs, 1 now deceased hamster, but thankfully only one husband! I set up a company online a year ago whilst convalescing with a broken leg, called Bluecampervan. It is a network both offline and online for people either working in or having a keen interest in the Wellbeing sector.

When did you move to Dubai and what brought you here
2 years ago, I came with my husbands work, he had already been here for 6 years.

Have you been an expat elsewhere and if so, where
I wouldn’t necessarily class it as Expat, but I lived in Holland for a year when I was 21 as a Tour Guide.

The best advice you were given to prepare you for life in Dubai
Make sure you stay for at least a year, as it will take that long to feel more like home.

What surprised you most about Dubai
The shocking driving – the first week I drove here instigated a mouth full of ulcers!.

If money were no object, where would you most like to live in Dubai
In the Ranches in a La Avenida Villa overlooking the Lake.

Your favorite Arabic word or phrase you have learned so far
En Shallah!

Your least favorite word or phrase you have adopted since moving to Dubai
La!

What has been your best experience in Dubai to date
New Years Eve from Festival City, thereby having a view of the whole city including the Burj Khalifa.

Where do you hope to spend your next holiday
England

Who is the person you most miss when you are in Dubai
No specific person but generally England as a whole – the fresh smells of woodland and the small quintessential English villages.

What is your favorite restaurant in Dubai
A restaurant at Le Meridien Hotel in Al Garhoud as they have a fantastic band that plays Bob Marley tunes on the terrace.

What grocery item do you most miss from your home country
You can get most things here now, they are just more expensive I guess.

When friends and family visit you in Dubai where will you absolutely take them
To a restaurant at Souq al Bahar to watch The Fountains.

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The team at Expat Echo Dubai would like to feature you in our Into-yous section

Please complete our 5 minute interview and submit your answers along with a profile picture (in JPEG format).