Sunday, March 9, 2008
Abu Dhabi
I went to Abu Dhabi on Saturday for the first time since I moved to the UAE. It's very pretty and much greener than Dubai. It also seems quieter than Dubai. I really enjoyed driving along the water front as well as touring through town. I'd forgotten that it was Saturday and that a number of places (like the Women's Coop) would be closed. I guess I'll have to go back another day...
Saturday, March 8, 2008
On the road to Abu Dhabi
Today I went down the road to Abu Dhabi. I'm embarrassed to admit that though I've lived in the Middle East for 1.5 yrs, I've never been to Abu Dhabi. I was told that it was quieter than Dubai and that the royal family lives there. It definitely was different-- lots of greenery, low rise buildings (though you can see many cranes and high rise buildings are rising up out of the sand) and has a much different vibe from Dubai.
Anyhow, on the road to Abu Dhabi I ended up behind a Toyota pick up truck. It took me a couple of minutes to realize what was in the flat bed as my mind was wandering. When I finally took a look, I think I actually shook my head a couple of times because I wasn't sure I was really seeing the scene in front of me. Not sure if he was heading to/from the camel market or camel races, but he sure looks comfortable back there doesn't he?
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Dubai Orienteering Challenge
I've decided that signage in Dubai is a combination of comedy and a waste of time. Because of the constant construction very few signs are accurate, so you either have to know exactly where you're going or you try to make the best guess possible and hope you end up in the right lane or in the right place. Today for example, I was driving back from Al Mamzar and saw a sign that said "Bur Dubai" and a sign that said "Jumeirah". I live in Bur Dubai so I took the exit-- wrong! I ended up in the wrong part of Bur Dubai stuck in massive traffic. I should have taken the "Jumeirah" exit which, though it doesn't state it, would take me to the right area of Bur Dubai. See what I mean??
Now to the signage. I will be taking photos and posting them because you really have to see them to believe them. I'm not sure how to describe them. You're driving on the highway and suddenly you see this sign with 2 loop-de-loops and an arrow that's 180 from the direction in which you're traveling. It means you take an exit ramp, immediately take an off-ramp and go back up to the road on which you were traveling (but in the opposite direction), then head back the way you came. They're just the funniest things I've seen. There's one about a block from my apt and I'll go get a photo of it in the next day or so. It took me several months to completely understand these signs (or as best as I could) -- I really couldn't grasp that I was supposed to drive exactly the way it was sketched out on the sign. It really is funny.
Now to the signage. I will be taking photos and posting them because you really have to see them to believe them. I'm not sure how to describe them. You're driving on the highway and suddenly you see this sign with 2 loop-de-loops and an arrow that's 180 from the direction in which you're traveling. It means you take an exit ramp, immediately take an off-ramp and go back up to the road on which you were traveling (but in the opposite direction), then head back the way you came. They're just the funniest things I've seen. There's one about a block from my apt and I'll go get a photo of it in the next day or so. It took me several months to completely understand these signs (or as best as I could) -- I really couldn't grasp that I was supposed to drive exactly the way it was sketched out on the sign. It really is funny.
Dubai Mini-vacation
Today I decided to try a new beach. I really haven't done much beaching since I came to Dubai-- I'm just not a 'go lay on the beach and do nothing' kind of girl. However, I thought I'd give another kick at the can and see if I liked it. Dubai has so many beaches that it'd be a shame not to try some out.
Today I went to Al Mamzar Beach. It is actually in and around Al Mamzar Park. I zipped through the Shindagha Tunnel and headed to Al Mamzar. The drive out reminded me of Al Ain-- every few metres we had a roundabout to go around. I must have gone around 4 or 5 before I go to the turnoff to Al Mamzar Beach. Then I had another couple roundabouts to navigate before I got to the beach- how people around here don't get dizzy is beyond me! :)
After paying my 30 AED fee (cars are charged a flat fee; pedestrians are charged 5 AED), I drove through the park to the beach. I actually had 4 beaches to choose from. I decided to go as far back as I could and went to beach 3. When I walked through the little gate/pagoda to the beach area, my mouth dropped open. In front of me was white sand, azur water and the bluest sky you could ever imagine. There was also virtually no one on the beach, so I quickly nabbed a couple of shots.
It was so lovely-- I set up shop under a palm frond umbrella, read for a bit, then napped while listening to the thunder of the waves hitting the shore. The smell of the salt was in the air, and , except for the fact that it is warmer here, I could almost pretend that I was at Crystal Crescent Beach in NS. 'K, the water here is WAY warmer! After a while, more people came along and I was struck by the interesting mix of beach goers-- Russians in their bikinis and (gulp!) Speedos (we really need to ban those things!), other westerners in their bathing gear and local/ Gulf visitors including some women who went in to the ocean fully covered-- I actually wondered if they had gone in with their regular clothes on or if they had a bathing suit under their long cover. One lady was even bobbing and diving in the water while wearing her shayla. I was truly impressed that she was able to keep that on. Had it been me, I'd have lost it the first time the waves crashed over me. Perhaps she had a barrette or something to keep it in place. Other ladies were wearing long pants, 'coats' (they kind of looked like lab coats) & shaylas, but they didn't go in the water. Wednesdays is ladies' only days, so perhaps then they do not need to cover up when they go in the water? I was so taken with the differences I was seeing, yet no one batted an eye about it. I just think it's so neat and interesting to see the difference in cultures.
After 1.5 hrs, I decided to go as I had had a headache all morning that was now getting worse. I chose a good time to go b/c a group of elementary school boys from Al Ain showed up with their teachers just as I was going-- so much for a quiet beach at that point!
Driving back to Dubai, I was thinking that I felt like I'd been on vacation and was now heading back to town, yet the beach is only 15 mins from home. That is what I love about Dubai-- you never have to go far to feel like you've had a wonderful vacation and that your batteries are re-charged and you're ready to face another crazy week!
Today I went to Al Mamzar Beach. It is actually in and around Al Mamzar Park. I zipped through the Shindagha Tunnel and headed to Al Mamzar. The drive out reminded me of Al Ain-- every few metres we had a roundabout to go around. I must have gone around 4 or 5 before I go to the turnoff to Al Mamzar Beach. Then I had another couple roundabouts to navigate before I got to the beach- how people around here don't get dizzy is beyond me! :)
After paying my 30 AED fee (cars are charged a flat fee; pedestrians are charged 5 AED), I drove through the park to the beach. I actually had 4 beaches to choose from. I decided to go as far back as I could and went to beach 3. When I walked through the little gate/pagoda to the beach area, my mouth dropped open. In front of me was white sand, azur water and the bluest sky you could ever imagine. There was also virtually no one on the beach, so I quickly nabbed a couple of shots.
It was so lovely-- I set up shop under a palm frond umbrella, read for a bit, then napped while listening to the thunder of the waves hitting the shore. The smell of the salt was in the air, and , except for the fact that it is warmer here, I could almost pretend that I was at Crystal Crescent Beach in NS. 'K, the water here is WAY warmer! After a while, more people came along and I was struck by the interesting mix of beach goers-- Russians in their bikinis and (gulp!) Speedos (we really need to ban those things!), other westerners in their bathing gear and local/ Gulf visitors including some women who went in to the ocean fully covered-- I actually wondered if they had gone in with their regular clothes on or if they had a bathing suit under their long cover. One lady was even bobbing and diving in the water while wearing her shayla. I was truly impressed that she was able to keep that on. Had it been me, I'd have lost it the first time the waves crashed over me. Perhaps she had a barrette or something to keep it in place. Other ladies were wearing long pants, 'coats' (they kind of looked like lab coats) & shaylas, but they didn't go in the water. Wednesdays is ladies' only days, so perhaps then they do not need to cover up when they go in the water? I was so taken with the differences I was seeing, yet no one batted an eye about it. I just think it's so neat and interesting to see the difference in cultures.
After 1.5 hrs, I decided to go as I had had a headache all morning that was now getting worse. I chose a good time to go b/c a group of elementary school boys from Al Ain showed up with their teachers just as I was going-- so much for a quiet beach at that point!
Driving back to Dubai, I was thinking that I felt like I'd been on vacation and was now heading back to town, yet the beach is only 15 mins from home. That is what I love about Dubai-- you never have to go far to feel like you've had a wonderful vacation and that your batteries are re-charged and you're ready to face another crazy week!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Dubai Shopping Festival / Pharmacy hawkers
The Dubai Shopping Festival has started once again. I know there's all kinds of sales, etc. on at this time, but I find that people shop a lot throughout the year; it can't be that shopping increases that much more during the Shopping Festival? If so, it must hit epic proportions this next month!
So I went to my local pharmacy earlier today as I have a cold. All I wanted was cough syrup and drops, yet the new pharmacist there kept trying to paw off other medications on me. I asked if the syrup would help me sleep and he brought out sleeping pills and tried to convince me to buy them (cough syrup, cough drops and sleeping pills-- now THERE's a good combo!). Then he tried to have me buy antibiotics to help clear some supposed phlegm in my chest (this after I chose a cough syrup that would do the job). Finally he tried to have me buy multi-vitamins with calcium and when I told him I had multi-vitamins at home, he was convinced that they couldn't have Calcium in them and kept on with his sales pitch until I told him to STOP, I was not buying anything more. Had I bought what he suggested, I would have walked away with cough syrup, medicated drops, sleeping pills, antibiotics, and multi-vitamins with calcium. This on top of my asthma meds which I'd told him about. Talk about possible med OD... yikes, what was he thinking?? I was so annoyed with the 'hawking' of goods that I left as fast as I could and swore I'd never go back there again. Hopefully there's another pharmacy in my area that doesn't do that.
So I went to my local pharmacy earlier today as I have a cold. All I wanted was cough syrup and drops, yet the new pharmacist there kept trying to paw off other medications on me. I asked if the syrup would help me sleep and he brought out sleeping pills and tried to convince me to buy them (cough syrup, cough drops and sleeping pills-- now THERE's a good combo!). Then he tried to have me buy antibiotics to help clear some supposed phlegm in my chest (this after I chose a cough syrup that would do the job). Finally he tried to have me buy multi-vitamins with calcium and when I told him I had multi-vitamins at home, he was convinced that they couldn't have Calcium in them and kept on with his sales pitch until I told him to STOP, I was not buying anything more. Had I bought what he suggested, I would have walked away with cough syrup, medicated drops, sleeping pills, antibiotics, and multi-vitamins with calcium. This on top of my asthma meds which I'd told him about. Talk about possible med OD... yikes, what was he thinking?? I was so annoyed with the 'hawking' of goods that I left as fast as I could and swore I'd never go back there again. Hopefully there's another pharmacy in my area that doesn't do that.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Dubai Outlet Mall
Yesterday I went out to the Dubai Outlet Mall for the first time. I took about 3.5 hrs to walk through the entire complex. There are lots of great stores there and great deals to be had. I was slightly disappointed because I had hoped there'd be a home furniture store there, but no such luck. The closest I got was a store that sold dishes, cooking pots, etc. I did take the time to check out the clothing store and was quite impressed overall. Next time I need clothes, I think I'll head to the outlet mall to check the deals out. Some of the stores include Mango, Monsoon, Nike, Puma, stores that sell Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger clothes, Massimo Ditto, etc. It's worth checking out!
Muse of the Day
So I'm driving on the highway and take an off-ramp on my way to a shopping area. Right at the junction of the two roads are two signs: The first one says "Shopping Area" with an arrow pointing me in the right direction. The second sign says "BinLadin onsite office" with an arrow. I had a good chuckle about that-- apparently he has his own office here! (Okay, so it's really a construction company, but I still found humour in the sign. It was almost as good as the company's "Sorry for the inconvenience- binLadin" under construction signs you occasionally see around).
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