UKCityGent

You could engineer a fall out and say "we need time apart" coinciding with her birthday and then meet 1 or 2 weeks after - may only cost you a meal to get things back together again.

Bahtatboy

Not bad so far. About a 50:50 split between helpful advice and utter bollox.

Scamp, diamonds are good value out here. And if you do split up you can always hope she flings the ring/necklace/brooch back at you. (Just trying to maintain the 50:50 balance )

Ethos83

All right, fine, I'll contribute something useful:

1. What about a pearl necklace or earrings? The cultured pearls from Japan are pretty good value in Dubai and cheaper and not as committal as diamonds and I bought a few pairs as gifts for my mother/sister/old lady friends. 500-700 AED for a nice set of black pearl earrings. Got them at the Gold and Diamond Park by MoE. Be sure to tell the dealers that you are a Dubai resident and always haggle down to the breaking point.

2. When I left Dubai my company gave me a framed poster of the Burj Khalifa. Lest you protest it was actually quite nice, done in a mock - New Yorker cover style. It's an artistic rendering, not a photograph. (if you know the New Yorker at all
http://www.google.com/search?q=New+Y...w=1213&bih=669
)

Apparently the HR director got it at a store at the Dubai Mall. Probably cost a few hundred AED.

Sandboy

fnarr fnarr

Tockalosh

Dont give her a slap when you come in

That should make her feel special

Of course you can give her two the day after so she realizes you havent gone soft on her.

Oyibopeppeh

It's my birthday today....

Inside my birthday card was a ticket for a track session at Yas Marina circuit in an Aston GT4.

I had no idea Mrs O had planned this

For a petrolhead like me, this was an octanegasm

Thank you duckie!

lullabelle

One of the nicest presents I ever had wasn't expensive - I got taken to make my own perfume. I bloody loved it. I didn't actually make it but I was blindfolded and had to smell lots of oils. The smells I most liked wre checked to see if they were compatible then they made up a little bottle. So personal and such a nice experience. I then did this for my mum and best friend on their birthday to similar joy.

Here you can go into the perfumes shops like Yas and they Do similar scenarios. The Yas shop in the Duabi mall is very friendly. You say the kinds of smells you like and they let you sniff the oils. You pick a nice crystal bottle (or a hideous one - there are some corkers in there) and the oil you picked goes in the bottle.

Jewelry never fails (for this girl anyway). Pearls sound lovely and they part of the history here so it's a lovely relevant touch.

Now you've got me wanting to go and buy a pearl ring as a remembrance of Dubai....

TheShed

I once bought Mrs Shed a day with a personal shopper which she really truly enjoyed. You pay a bit of money to the lady, and suggest a max budget. Se does the rest.

Gotta say, the misus looked fab when she came home and has always looked good since. Decent investment I would say.

Millhouse

my thoughts exactly. Who below the age of 67 wears pearls?

scrubbedexpat141

Lots of useful shit there. Thanks people.

I like the perfume idea.

I bought her a ring with diamonds in for moving here for me.

So far my list looks a lot better than it did yesterday, so thanks for the help. I'm going to keep digging around for ideas and think I've settled on Jebel Ali Resort for the day on Friday....unless anyone else can suggest somewhere we can sunbathe, sit at a pool bar and drink, have a brunch, continue chilling out and then stay for the evening with DJ / Music and drinks???

I'm definitely going to give her a pearl necklace though, I'll make sure it's a surprise too.

co durham boy

Jenna Jameson ?

Oyibopeppeh

Go for it boy...

flares

There's two yummy mummy artists in Abu Dhabi who churn out good stuff

one called Jen http://jennifersimon.co.uk/events.html

and one called Heidi - don't know her website

Morecambe Mindy

You can't go telling them off for being childish and then hand them innuendo on a plate!

Ethos83

Most girls my age I know have pearls. Especially earrings.

I'm rather fond of the large Tahitian grey-black pearl earrings on the alabaster ears of a woman.

I much prefer pearls on a woman over any flashy gold or platinium jewelry. The understated elegance of pearls strikes the right chords.