Done and dusted, part 2

Since Christmas Day and Boxing Day were to find me poking about 'under the hood' of the automated playout software which runs our GearOne channel there was never going to be much to ho, ho, ho about.

But being in Dubai meant a hotel room was needed. The Radisson SAS which is located actually within the campus of Dubai Media City is becoming a firm favourite, convenient, friendly and great value for money.

Staying there every three months or so also has the bonus of providing a grandstand seat from which to observe the constant skyward climb of the towers which one day will make up the amazing Dubai Marina neighbourhood.

I settled for the hotel's Italian restaurant for Christmas Day dinner. I was the only diner apart from a forlorn table of four. Good food again.

But the joys promised by Christmas Crackers are a bit of a damp squib when one is solo. I did make the damn thing pop, though, after the quartet had left. Out fell a pair of nail clippers. Well, in fact I had left mine at home in Abu Dhabi.

Work on the 26th went well. I am not by any means a computer programmer or code-jockey. The problem confronting our people was one related to procedures to be followed when scheduling the programs for transmission. I quite enjoy formulating and perfecting workflows and suchlike and in future our operators will have a thick volume to guide them in their task. And if anything goes awry again it will be a loud shout of RTFM which will echo in their ears!

The close proximity of the grandiose Mall of the Emirates made a shopping expedition inevitable. But I was prudent and bought only a Paul Smith striped shirt to replace an identical one I reckon I managed to leave in a hotel room in Europe sometime during the year fast approaching its end.

I felt a bit lame about the unimaginative purchase, but at least I would be colourfully attired for two meetings of some importance scheduled for my third and last day of this excursion to Dubai.