Day dreaming and thinking of life

Did you have an uneventful trip back to Phnom Penh?

2009-05-15T05:02:00.006Z

Ha! Uneventful? The 'limousine' bus was infested with mozzies, the seat in front of me squeaked the whole time, I was sat next to a Singaporean woman with no idea of personal space, we hit a cow - don't know how much damage the cow sustained but we had a broken light and cracked bumper from the encounter
- and the best bit...we had to inhale noxious fumes from the engine coming through the a/c ducts every 20 minutes until the bus company finally sent another bus out to get us - one hour from our destination after a 5.5 hour trip!
Oh well, not much different to a trip I took on Virgin trains from Manchester to London once...except for the cow!!

The world's best passenger complaint letter?

2009-03-30T07:27:00.002Z

Oh how I wish I'd thought of writing something like this on some of my travels.
It's your hamster, Richard. And it's not breathing.

How to sell kleenex in the Middle East

2009-03-16T15:40:00.003Z

Have an advert of a woman tucking in a tissue to her husband's collar in a display of affection.
1. Why can't he do it himself? Does he no longer have opposable thumbs due to evolutionary regression?
2. Why does he need a bib in the first place? Is a grown man not able to eat without one? (The fact that it seems like he is just working on his computer at the time is even worse...perhaps he can't stop drooling onto his clothes.)
3. Does she not have anything better to do?
-Rant over-
PS Kleenex is one of the brands on the boycott list because of their sending money to Israel.

On the road again...

2009-02-26T11:45:00.002Z

...sung a la Donkey in Shrek 2...

In 4 hours I'll be on a flight to China (well, actually, I'll be on a flight to Qatar, then wait around for about 5 1/2 hours, then I'll get on a flight to China, but same same yanni). Am I sad to leave Abu Dhabi? In one way I will be sad to leave; I've made some good friends who I'll miss seeing regularly and I'll definitely miss living in a big flat overlooking the Arabian Gulf. But on the other hand, the list of things I won't miss is too long to mention!

La Aguilera

2008-10-25T14:32:00.002Z

Surrounded by screaming teenagers, I started to question my decision to see Christina Aguilera live in Abu Dhabi. When she was an hour late starting, after leaving the crowd to be warmed up by a seeming karaoke winner, followed by reggae from the local DJ, that sinking feeling just grew and grew. But, when she finally did appear she belted out the tunes and all was forgiven.
She danced and pranced in an array of outfits, from tasteful white suit to spray on leopard-print leotard. During the costume changes the audience got to watch videos of her. My favourite was the one where she was all but having sex with what looked like a hookah pipe. You've got to love a woman with the guts to show that in a Muslim country!
It wasn't long before she screamed 'It's hot in Abu Dhabi'. Funny 'cos we were just commenting on how nice the weather was. But then again, I suppose she couldn't feel the nice breeze under all those lights. After a short break to introduce the band and amazing backing dancers, she followed on with 'Hurt', hitting every note perfectly and facing a sea of raised lighters. She carried on with hits from her current and past albums and even treated us to a preview from her upcoming album, which I'm sure she mimed. In fact, the more time went on, the less she was singing, relying instead on belting out occasional words. It didn't make 'Fighter', the finale, any less brilliant with silver bits showering down all around. But with no encore I think it would be fair to say Christina Aguilera came, sang and melted.

2nd Middle East International Film Festival

2008-10-21T07:59:00.000Z

MEIFF mark 2 has just ended here in Abu Dhabi and I was lucky enough not to have too much work on while the festival was in full swing. Here are some of the films I got to see (imdb links follow where available just for Shu ;)):

Pray the Devil Back to Hell is a documentary that reignites your belief that you, an individual, can make a difference. It's all about the women's movement for peace in Liberia during the time of Charles Taylor. These powerful, brave women basically put an end to the civil war in their country. (imdb)

The Prisoner - an Indian film about a writer who is released from prison and hopes to start a new life after writing a new book. He loses the manuscript but finds a lot of cash and we follow him as the mix up leads him to redemption.

War Child made me want to go and build a school in Sudan. The incredible story of Emmanuel Jal and his rise to successful rapper from child soldier beginnings. (imdb)

Laila's Birthday was at times frustrating but ended brilliantly and was also awarded Best Artistic Contribution. A day in the life of a Palestinian judge turned taxi driver, we watch as events outside his control shape the course of his day. (imdb)

Vicky Cristina Barcelona - simply marvelous. Enough said. (imdb)

Written. What can I say? I have yet to see a Korean film that isn't weird. This was not the one to break the pattern!

Henna was the UAE's entry into the competition for best narrative feature. If it had won, I would have picketed the jury until they changed the vote. Bad. I couldn't even stay til the end. And I'll watch anything!

Perhaps if I'd watched Sleep Dealer on a different day, I might have appreciated it more, but as it came hot on the heels of a rubbish film I guess I wasn't really in the mood. I did see Jane Fonda on the way to the screening, though! (imdb)

Quiet Chaos is a slow moving Italian film about a man whose wife dies. The story focuses on how he and his daughter cope with the loss, or rather how they seem not to notice it much. An enjoyable film but there is a totally incongruous sex scene in the middle which just doesn't fit. (imdb)

What happens when you make a documentary about the Iranian women's football team? You're banned from showing it in Iran. Football Under Cover. (imdb)

Wild Blood (Sanguepazzo) should be given its Italain title as there were no subtitles to help me! The wonderful performances by the lead actors were all the help needed to bring back my rather rusty Italian in this tale of toing and froing among partisans towards the end of World War 2. (imdb)

Gulabi Talkies made me feel really sad. In a small community why must people still have bias and mistrust just because of religion? Why are women still treated like chattle even in our 'modern' age? That doesn't mean that you shouldn't watch it, though, because it was very good! (Click here for a full on review)

O'Horten - who'd have thought a film about an old geezer (called Odd!) who retires from his job as a train driver would actually be entertaining?! A very enjoyable Norwegian film that looks firmly in the face of old age. (imdb)

Frozen River tells the story of a trailer park mom whose husband runs off with the money for the family's new trailer. She tries to keep things together by getting involved with smuggling. You just know that that kind of a story is going to end in tears, don't you?! (imdb)

What I liked about Beirut Open City is that it tries to dispel the myth that Lebanon is an open and secular society. The main character is an Egyptian filmmaker who is trying to confront the truth about the Arab world, believing that he will be able to do so in liberal Lebanon.

I can't really give you a full review of Time of Comrades because the (dreadful) subtitles disappeared and unfortunately my Moroccan Arabic is not good enough to follow the plot without them ;) What I did understand looked OK...

Terribly Happy - my personal favourite of all the films I saw. The Danish director's style has been likened to the Coen brothers'. Possibly. What is for certain is that this film deserved its win at Karlovy Vary and should have got more credit here. In my humble opinion! (imdb)

Disgrace, winner of the Black Pearl award and a big chunk of cash. Based on the book of the same name. A sometimes uncomfortable look at post-apartheid politics in South Africa, this film deserves praise...but I wouldn't have given it the prize! (imdb)

Yoga

2008-09-23T11:03:00.003Z

I have been a trainee yogi on and off for a number of years and have normally enjoyed the classes that I have been to (except for that one Iyengar class in Edinburgh I tried!) but recently I have discovered it again and I don't enjoy the classes, I love them.
Despite initially being put off by the surly receptionist, I tried calling the Yoga Tree Studio again a couple of weeks ago and went along to 'a gentle introduction to yoga' class. I am so out of shape right now (and have never been a pro ;)) that I thought it was probably the best option. I was not wrong. One month later and I'm totally hooked. I had wanted to get into Pilates with the studio next door and had even booked private lessons to do it, but comparing the two there is no competition. It's yoga all the way. I cannot recommend this studio enough. Although I might regret it when classes get busy and there's no space for me…I can already see the numbers increasing as people start to come back after Ramadan.
One day I hope to be able to do this!

Facial

2008-09-20T17:38:00.000Z

When you think of having a facial, how do you imagine you'll feel? Relaxed? Tranquil? Sore? I just cam back from having a thorough, if somewhat painful, facial. It started out well enough with the therapist asking questions about my medical history and what I hoped to get from my treatment, all while I was wrapped in a duvet on a therapy bed. I could answer those questions with ease. Although she did make me feel like a naughty schoolchild when she told me off for not drinking enough water every day.
She cleansed my face which turned out to be how she found out about all the 'problems' under the surface of my skin. Next came the steam. I was just starting to relax and it felt very calming when she put patches on my eyes but she didn't warn me to expect hot steam to be blasted all over my face and up my nose. Thankfully, she left me alone in the room so I could wiggle about and peel one of the eye patches off to have a look at the contraption. Suitably satisfied that it would not melt my face off, I tried to breathe normally until she returned.
Well, I'm not sure that I wouldn't have prefered her to have stayed away because when she came back, she blinded me with a magnifying mirror and said, 'I'm just going to do some extraction, OK?' What she actually meant was 'I'm just going to squeeze all the spots I can see on your very spotty face and make you squirm on the bed.'
To be fair, she didn't actually pick the red spots that I already had. She electrocuted them! I couldn't see from my prone position but if I had to put money on it, I'd bet you could see blue sparks flying between face and machine.
Instead of massaging my face (because I have the type of skin to breakout at the slightest touch), she massaged my shoulders. She spent quite a long time trying to work out the knots in my shoulders but I'm pretty sure they were only there due to the stress of having the facial.
Anyway, I've already booked my appointment for next week…masochist or what?!

Back in business

2008-05-31T19:29:00.002Z

Hurray! After months of waiting, we now have internet at home again. Watch this space for updates from the past months...

Sugar

2008-05-19T13:29:00.000Z

What a great idea to have a beauty salon where you can watch back-to-back Desperate Housewives while having a pedicure :)

Bride show

2008-04-25T16:34:00.000Z

Who would have thought I'd be the type to go to a bride show?! But where else in the world do you get more abayas at a bride show than wedding dresses? Dubai apparently!

Chamas

2008-04-20T13:25:00.000Z

Vegetarians look away now!
We went to a Brazilian restaurant tonight where you get a coaster which acts as a signal for the waiters to bring you food or not. Turn it to green and you soon get tired of them turning up, switch it to red and you actually have time to eat. And what food do they bring? Meat. Lots and lots of meat. Here madam is a big hunk of cow, how much would you like? Fabulous!

In The Name Of The King

2008-02-28T13:32:00.001Z

Please, please, please do not be tempted to ever watch this film!

Catching up

2008-01-18T12:10:00.001Z

I know I haven't posted on here for ages, but it doesn't mean I haven't been writing the posts. I have just uploaded posts from the end of Nov until now so you can catch up on what has been going on here ... if you're interested! :)

It's raining, it's pouring

2008-01-15T12:11:00.000Z

Last week was cold. I had to go and buy a jumper (oh the hardship). But this week has been a washout. It started raining a little a few days ago and gradually got worse until half of Dubai had to close because it was flooded, and the number of businesses closed here was catching up. Unfortunately for me, the BC in Abu Dhabi remained open as usual even though all the computers in the reception had to be moved and the lights switched off for fear of electrical fires from the amount of water leaking through the roof!

A good book

2008-01-12T12:17:00.000Z

I've just finished reading "Selling Olga" by Louisa Waugh. It's a bunch of stories about human trafficking - not a cheery subject, I know but I would really recommend it as it is very interesting and well-written.

New Year 'Fancy Dress'

2008-01-01T12:05:00.000Z

I bought a beautiful new dress for NYE. A red one from Mango that I had seen months ago and drooled over but resisted from buying. Anyway, I spotted it in the sale last week and snapped it up. Karin also bought a red dress but it wasn't planned that we would both be in red. Nor was it planned that we would end up in a sports bar that had a fancy dress theme of an enchanted forest! What a great start to the new year!
Actually we had lots of fun as you might be able to see from the photos :)

Christmas

2007-12-26T11:51:00.000Z

The annual nightmare of what to do for Christmas struck again. It's great to get a break from work, but every year it's the same panic, plan and , generally, anticlimax as you feel like you have to have a good time because surely everyone else is. This year it was even more last minute than normal. I arranged to go to some friends' house for dinner almost the day before Christmas Eve and while there rang a hotel to book for Christmas lunch the next day.
Christmas Eve was quiet - just 4 of us - very civilised and grown up. The shopping beforehand was slightly less civilised when we couldn't find risotto rice, but it was a very pleasant evening. After dinner I went out with another friend and we met our good friends Jim (Beam) and Jack (Daniels). The after party we went to seemed like such a good idea at the time.
The "mega buffet" sounded good and it wasn't too expensive so it all seemed like such a good idea the night before. That was before the copious amounts of alcohol and the random after party that lasted until 5am. Getting out of bed felt like the worst idea in the world when my alarm went off at 11am. But I managed it - just! Karin wasn't quite so lucky and had to throw up on the way to lunch. Not a great start perhaps.
But the buffet was one of the most random experiences ever. First, it was in a massive ballroom so the atmosphere was more like a school canteen than a nice festive lunch. Next were the mainly Asian waiting staff with Santa hats trying to look busy. Then there was the Colombian band playing Latino music. But the piece de resistance was definitely the Philippino Santa and his band of out of tune carollers. They seemed to stay on the stage for an eternity and in my hungover state I was incapable of getting away!
All in all a very random day.

Driving licence

2007-12-18T11:49:00.000Z

I'm not quite sure why you have to convert your UK licence to an Emirati one when there is no test involved and the eye test can hardly be called that either. It must just be another one of those money making scams the government has of taking your dosh without you actually paying tax. Oh well, I am legal now so my dad had better watch his car key!

Justin Timberlake

2007-12-07T11:40:00.000Z

Is he bringing sexy back? Oh yes!
So, as an antidote to all the cultural things I've been doing laely I had to go to the Justin Timberlake concert. When I bought the tickets ages ago I thought I'd easily be able to find a couple of people to go with, but what with friends already having plans or not wanting to spend money on seeing the Trousersnake (shocking, I know!), I started to think I was going to be going alone. Fortunately I managed to persuade Mohamad (a guy I have been seeing lately) to come with me. Oh yes, and I sold the other 2 tickets I had for a slight profit which bought us MacDonalds afterwards ;)
Well, on to the concert. It was fab! I can't claim to be a JT fan but I recognised a lot of the stuff he sang and he even did a cover of a great INXS track. The most impressive thing about it was his musical talent. He played piano, guitar, some strange keyboard/guitar hybrid and even performed a drum solo. He was on stage constantly for about 2 hours and danced his little socks off the whole time. The only negative for me was the amount of sweat visible from about 5 minutes into the whole show. I mean he could easily have solved the problem by taking his clothes off. I'm sure nobody would have minded!

Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra

2007-12-04T11:37:00.000Z

Just so you don't think I'm uncultured...this was my bit of culture for the week, thanks to free tickets from Karin. Of course the offer of the free food and drink after the show might have been a contributing factor to me deciding to go. Even though I did have to wear a 'long' dress!

National Day

2007-12-03T11:30:00.000Z

It was the 36th National Day of UAE this week which meant a holiday from work. Woohoo! I made the most of the time off by getting out of Abu Dhabi with its crowds of boy racers trying to hoot their horns the loudest and do the most impressive donuts in their cars. Instead I went to Al Ain.
The original plan was to camp, but as the temperature there is quite a bit lower than Abu Dhabi and the fact that we didn't have the proper camping equipment, we decided to rough it in a hotel ;)
Al Ain is quite different to the capital. You can tell that it has been looked after (mainly because it was the original home town of the late Sheikh Zayed) and the wide, tree-lined streets make a nice change. It has a much more sleepy feel to it and the expanses of green also make it feel like you could be in a different country.
We visited the zoo, which was interesting. I think we arrived at just the right time as by the time we were leaving it was starting to get packed with gangs of labourers on their day off. I almost felt like I should have been in one of the cages what with the amount of staring that was going on!

Rugby 7s

2007-12-01T11:25:00.000Z

After weeks of whingeing and moaning that I couldn't get a ticket to the Dubai 7s tournament, I finally got one off my dad for the Friday session. He actuallt got two and as my mum decided she didn't want to go and sit among leary men getting drunk all day, I gave the other ticket to my friend, Karin, who is used to such behaviour!
It actually wasn't bad at all. We got our own DHL rumble sticks, mini coolbags full of wine and a seat close to the halfway line. I had to explain the rules of the game to Karin but she quickly picked it up and was banging her rumbles sticks together at all the right moments.
We didn't stay for the full day but what we saw was entertaining and I will definitely try and get back there next year for the whole tournament.

artparis

2007-11-29T11:20:00.000Z

Another cultural coup for Abu Dhabi - an international art exhibition came to ... you guessed it ... Emirates Palace.
There were stalls from UK, France, various Middle East destinations with a really good range of artwork from contemporary sculptures to Van Gogh to Andy Warhol and everything in between. I really enjoyed looking around even if I knew I was not going to be one of the ones walking away with a Marc Chagall at the end of the show!

Teaching mum to use email

2007-11-22T06:56:00.000Z

Can you believe that someone who used to be able to type at 50 words per minute is now reduced to two finger typing? I'm not sure why a computer keyboard is so different from a regular typewriter but apparently it is because your fingernails get caught in the keys!
And let's not get into getting the page to scroll up or down!

Fashion week

2007-11-18T06:58:00.000Z

I was at the launch of Abu Dhabi Fashion Week this week, which was exciting.

This is the back of a very nice Valentino dress. Unfortunately, I didn't get my camera ready in time to get the front too ;( The local designers showing collections are definitely worth checking out: Rami Al Ali for sophisticated, chic dresses and Milia M for modern, funky styles.

My main claim to fame: I met Mrs Ferragamo...and was completely star stuck!

Now if I can just get a ticket for London or Paris Fashion Week...

Visa run

2007-11-16T11:50:00.000Z

My dad booked my flight to Oman. 9.20 departure, back in Abu Dhabi just after 12. Great.
So, I get pestered out of bed in the morning and make my way to the airport with my print out clutched in my palm. "Sorry madam, but this is not a proper ticket. You have to go to the ticketing desk to get a number." OK. 55 minutes before the flight leaves, but that's enough time to get a number. Next problem: "Sorry madam but this ticket has not been paid for. You'll have to pay for it at the next counter." At this point, I'm starting to panic slightly as the check in desk is about to close. "Sorry madam, but this reservation has been cancelled so I'll have to re-enter all the details." Argh! "Oh and it's going to cost you 300 dirhams more than you thought." (That might not be an exact quote, but you get the idea!) "Sorry madam, the check in has closed now."
Maybe you'll be able to picture my face at this point…

Anyway, a nice supervisor got me checked in seeing as how I didn't have any bags and Abu Dhabi airport is hardly difficult to get through. She asked someone to rush me through security and passport control but he was too busy chatting up one of the check in clerks so I just got on with it myself. Surprise, surprise I got through in plenty of time and wasn't anywhere near the last one on the plane.

Arrival at Muscat. I go to the transfer desk to get my check in for the return flight and see that the efficient guy from Abu Dhabi has changed the original flight to one leaving at midnight. At this point I decide the only recourse is tears and lo! I'm on the next flight to Abu Dhabi.
The cabin crew were a bit disconcerted to see me back again so soon but I was soon sampling the delicious Etihad sandwiches (ahem) and preparing for landing back in AD.

I cannot wait for my residence permit to come through so I don't have to go through the whole palaver again.

HSBC

2007-11-12T11:49:00.000Z

Bad enough that it took 6 weeks to get my first pay check, but it looks like it will actually take even longer.
I could only get a cheque because I don't have a local ID yet. And I can't cash the cheque because….you guessed it…I don't have a local ID.
The world's local bank? The world's crappiest bank more like.

Carmen

2007-11-09T11:47:00.000Z

Abu Dhabi is trying hard to compete with Dubai for tourists and recognition. The new island construction (name?) will house a Guggenheim and a Louvre and this week we saw opera come to the capital.
Carmen is one of the more accessible stories, if a bit culturally insensitive, so there was much excitement about the show.
We were taking bets to see if the performance would start on time. With an international opera group, most thought that it would. I would have won enough to buy a small island if I had actually put money down. And even though the show started late, there were still people coming in to the auditorium 30 minutes into the performance. Anywhere else in the world, people are asked to wait outside so as not to disturb people who arrived on time. Not so here.
It immediately became apparent that the theatre was not designed for opera. In fact I can't imagine what it was designed for. The acoustics were more than lacking. And while you might think that the singers could adapt to the deficient surroundings, it seemed like they hadn't even rehearsed on the stage because it was certainly hard to hear all of what was going on. But of course you could follow the 'subtitles', I hear you say. The highlight of the evening was the translation / spelling / speed of the titles. 'Fans to make wind' ;)
What a disappointment. It felt more like a travelling circus than a professional opera outfit. While one friend pointed out that opera in Abu Dhabi was a miraculous feat and we should be grateful for any culture we can get, it begs the question: if the powers that be have so much money to spend, why could they not spend it on getting a top class performance?
Part of the disappointment was with the sets - sorry, set. Substitute faux wood for faux tiles and that counts as a whole new set…not quite the Vienna Staatsoper! But maybe all of these gripes would have paled away if it had not felt interminable. Act, interval, act, interval can get boring, particularly after 4 hours!
In spite of all this vitriol, I'm glad I went. No, really. I just wouldn't go again!

Ladies' night

2007-11-02T11:21:00.001Z

To quote the song: Oh yes, it's ladies' night. Oh what a night!
The only problem with as much free champagne as you can drink is that you tend to get quite drunk! I always think I'm going to be suave and interesting when I go out, then the next day I realise I just ended up being drooly and annoying.
On Sunday I even gave away one of my favourite necklaces. I'm all for random acts of kindness, but I think that was more a drunken act of stupidity!

Here it is on my neck for the last time… :( Bye bye beautiful!

Hair woes

2007-10-26T11:04:00.001Z

Finding a decent hairdresser when you live in the same place and speak the language is hard enough but imagine you keep moving from place to place and half the time you have to communicate by grunting and pointing. I have had the bucket hairdo, the mullet, the old lady and the just plain bad. Now I have a pathological fear equalled only by my fear of dentists (sorry Yamen!).
So, the choice now is to go to the only hairdresser I trust, who happens to be in Cyprus, a place I lived when I had no hair, or go on the search … again!

Film festival

2007-10-20T11:05:00.000Z

It must be challenging to set up a new event in a market saturated with international film festivals and the inaugural MEIFF here in Abu Dhabi seems to have had its fair share of ups and downs.

The venue was stunning, if a little out of the way for a non-driver. It is possible to get numbers to rival a national football match in the sumptuous Emirates Palace hotel and not feel crowded. The sheer scale of the place is more than impressive but the size also posed one or two problems when trying to find your way around. Thankfully, there were well-trained staff on hand at every corner to point you in the right direction but a few well-placed signposts would have been a welcome addition. Maybe they just don't go with the gold décor!

Let's take the promotion of the event - I only found out about the festival one month before and that was from a filmmaker coming to represent one of the documentaries in the official competition. Taking a look at the website, it seemed well set up and fairly easy to navigate but, again, where was the information? No schedule info appeared until about 10 days before the festival was due to start.
The majority of the people I spoke to were unaware of the festival going on, either before, during or after the event. At the closing party, those attending did not even know that it was to mark the end of a weeklong event.

There was an interesting selection of films - none of which were censored - in each of the categories but it was such a shame to see them so poorly attended on the whole. The main point and success seems to have been in the area of film finance; apt for a festival held in one of the capitalist centres of the world.

But the best part? Crashing the closing party. Red carpet and all ;)

Kite surfing

2007-10-16T16:41:00.001Z

I went kite surfing at the weekend. Well, when I say 'I', what I really mean is, I went to the beach and watched other people kite surfing. Which was cool. In fact, it was hard to believe we were still in the UAE. The beach was beautiful, the atmosphere was relaxed and everyone was just there to enjoy the sea, not to stare at white women in bikinis.

The ugly friend

2007-10-11T16:39:00.000Z

I've never thought of myself as being beautiful, but I've never been short of an offer or two when I've gone out. Now, I seem to have turned into the ugly friend. You know the sort. You see two girls out on a night out and you know which one is going to go home with a fit bloke at the end of the night and which one is going to have to talk to the guy's mate to pass the time. Well, I seem to have turned into the ugly friend. Time for a revamp obviously!

Feminism

2007-10-01T10:51:00.000Z

I have a degree in political science and a personal interest in international affairs; I like watching rugby, cricket, football; I have opinions of my own on a number of topics and I refuse to be patronised by someone by virtue of their age or sex.
And that seems to make me an arrant feminist.
What is wrong with being an independent woman with education and opinions? What makes us so scary a breed?
It seems little has changed since Samuel Johnson's times. Women are supposed to be incapable of higher thinking, particularly when they look good in a cocktail dress.
Maybe I've been reading too much Virginia Woolf and am just a bit touchy at the moment; or maybe the type of men I've been meeting in Abu Dhabi are just Neanderthals!

Open prostitution

2007-09-20T15:56:00.000Z

Ramadan has been going on for a few days now and unlike other Muslim states ('liberal' Dubai for one), bars are still open for the hordes of expats who want to carry on drinking throughout the holiest of holy months (me included). One change that does take place though, is that no music is allowed to be played within said bars. I'm not quite sure why music is more of problem than the consumption of alcohol, but who am I to question the wisdom of our illustrious leaders?
Anyway, finding a bar with some atmosphere is a little more difficult this month, except for those places showing the rugby world cup. On the hunt for an interesting place to have a beer with friends, I stumbled across a place that could definitely be described as just that. Having lived in Bahrain, I'm aware that prostitution goes on in this part of the world. I've even seen it firsthand. But I was lost for words at the openness and amount of prostitution going on in Blitz. I was the only woman out of about 20 who was not on the game. There was a sofa near the front door where about 10 girls of different ages and nationalities (mainly Asian) were lined up waiting for business. And the clients? The majority European.
The funniest thing was when I looked up the description of the place in Time Out: a mix of nationalities and a good band were the only things mentioned.

Fireworks

2007-09-13T11:07:00.000Z

This is my 3rd Ramadan in the Middle East but the first where the state has organised a fireworks display for the beginning of the holy month.
Despite the very lax advertising (between a group of 10, 3 people had seen the event advertised once), the Corniche was full of people eagerly waiting for the display to start. Again, the time was not well publicised so the main spectacle to start with was the mass of people trying to get to the vending machine next to the walkway so they could empty it of water and sweets full of E numbers.
When the show finally started, it was spectacular. I dread to think how much it would have cost - the fireworks seemed to go on forever. And with each new type, there was a new gasp of awe. And the 3 sites were in perfect unison, making it even more impressive.

This is my favourite. They looked like palm trees - cool! I hope you get the general idea from my amateur photography ;)

And then you can see the ones to match the colours of the flag. Impressive camera work, I know!

Random parties

2007-09-07T15:53:00.000Z

My expat life has seen a few random parties so far. Last night I went to one with more Swedes than I have ever seen in one place before (not having been to Sweden, obviously!). Coincidentally, perhaps, it was also the first time I've met someone who has a bottle of Jagermeister in their cabinet too.

There is always the awkwardness at the beginning, especially when you haven't actually been invited, but this usually gives way to drunken story telling and maybe even a bit of 'Arab man dancing'!

The complaint :(

2007-09-05T16:36:00.000Z

Well, I'm not loving it so far! 2 lessons in and I had my first complaint. I can't remember the last time a student complained about my teaching. To be fair, they didn't actually complain about my teaching this time. Apparently I'm not being nice and friendly enough to them. Now, where did I put those kid gloves? Oh, that's right. I never owned a pair!

The wonders of A/C

2007-09-05T08:55:00.000Z

I've been here 2 weeks and I still have a runny nose from living with constant air conditioning. Imagine what I'm going to be like after 2 months; I might not have any fluids left in my body :0

Students...the same the world over

2007-09-03T12:19:00.000Z

Ah...even though it's only been a few weeks since I last taught, I'd forgotten how hideous that first class is. Especially when you have really motivated people and others who don't give a sh*t.

Couchsurfing will find a way

2007-09-01T12:30:00.000Z

Apparently, the religious or cultural sensibilities of UAE might be in danger if the couchsurfing website is allowed. I'm not quite sure how that works when they allow Hospitality Club, but who am I to question these kinds of decision?
Of course, the ban hasn't stopped me meeting up with local surfers both here in Abu Dhabi and in Dubai.

Hop fest

2007-08-30T10:50:00.000Z

The first order of the day after my move to United Arab Emirates was to go to a beer festival! It was a bit random being in a marquee in the Irish Village in the middle of Dubai, surrounded by Europeans drinking beers from around the world. But it was fun ;)

Malls

2007-08-27T22:00:00.000Z

Apparently, Dubai has more shopping malls per capita than any other place on earth. That is a pretty impressive statistic. I wonder if it is only Dubai or if this fact could apply to the whole of the UAE.

I've visited 2 of the major shopping centres in Abu Dhabi since I've been here and they are quite impressive, in a weird kind of way.

Marina Mall is massive. It has a full size Ikea, Carrefour, and multiplex cinema, but the most impressive feature was the rain. Yes, rain. Sitting in a coffee shop-cum-restaurant on the first floor with some newly acquired friends, we were a little disconcerted to see the lights go off. The next event was even more worrying; thunder and lightning. Remember we are inside a shopping mall in August in the United Arab Emirates at this point, not outside in the street in the UK in winter. The ceiling was painted to resemble sky and there were lights behind it so that it can change from blue sky with fluffy white clouds to grey sky with menacing dark clouds. Excellent. Not only that, but there are holes in the roof out of which comes water. So, here we are sitting, having dinner in a mall and it's raining next to us. To top it off though, when we looked over the banister for the fountain below, we were disappointed. Instead, what we saw was a man from the sub-continent with a mop and bucket. What a masterpiece of design!

Arriving in Abu Dhabi

2007-08-23T10:56:00.000Z

Here is the view from the gym in the complex I'm living in - Hilton serviced apartments no less! Excuse the rubbish photography. It's not my strong point!

Doing a runner

2007-07-28T16:34:00.000Z

What better way is there of leaving a country than turning up at the airport, bags in hand and asking for the next available flight out of the country? Of course, the danger is that you just missed the last flight for a week, but if you can't go where you want to go, you can always choose somewhere else interesting.
Fortunately for me, I knew when the flights left and just had to follow my hunch that there would be seats available. I really do recommend doing a runner at some point in your life. It is very liberating!

Music mania

2007-07-07T10:49:00.000Z

I've been doing a lot of musical things lately.
First, there was the Fête de la Musique, a yearly festival that is held in various traditional houses around the old city. Unfortunately, we didn't realise there is no way of knowing which houses unless you got a map from the French Cultural Centre before the event. So, we turned up at one of the main gates of the old city and wandered around, hoping to see a group of people looking festive! Eventually I got through to a friend of mine who pointed us in the right direction and off we set to a hammam that was hosting Latino music. I don't think I've ever been so hot in my life! After sweating profusely for about 10 minutes, we moved on to a rock venue which was basically a guy electric guitar wanking so we made a swift exit and moved to a jazz performance. Definitely the best of the night. All in all, quite a random experience.
Then, I got free tickets to see the most famous musician to visit Syria in 30 years - Enrique Inglesias! One of my students was raving about going to see him in concert and I was quite unashamedly teasing him about it. But then I got a phone call on Thursday night asking what I was doing…30 minutes later I was on my way to the concert myself. All cred out the window!
Last was a jazz festival at the citadel. The setting was pretty impressive, an ancient castle turned into an open-air theatre. The event was sponsored by the Swiss embassy so there were flags everywhere but that didn't detract from the music; some of which was pretty good.
I have to grudgingly admit to Enrique being my favourite of the three - oh the shame!

QBP

2007-06-19T16:33:00.000Z

What do you say to the British Ambassador while celebrating the Queen's Birthday Party at their house? My line was, "What great posture you have, do you practise the Alexander Technique?" Although my line was way overshadowed by one of the guys I work with playing the Sex Pistols "God Save the Queen" on his lawn. Now, that is class!

Danish culture

2007-06-14T10:47:00.000Z

The Danes have been keeping a pretty low profile in the Middle East after the Mohammad cartoon fiasco of a couple of years ago. But the cultural centre in Damascus decided to get back into the scene with a DJ playoff between a Dane and an Arab. Pumping house music coming out of an old Damascene house, filled with an assortment of expats and locals.
Another random event in the life of Limebelly in Syria.

Dead Sea

2007-06-08T16:32:00.000Z

What do you do when the hotel reneges on its special offer price when you get to the reception desk? Sneak in!
I spent a wonderful weekend floating in the Dead Sea, drinking cocktails, pampering in the spa and all while hiding out and having breakfast smuggled to me in the room. A most satisfying experience!

UEFA cup

2007-05-23T16:31:00.000Z

Being the person that people notice wherever you go because you are white and blonde has got to have some perks. This week I made the most of standing out from the crowd when I went to watch the UEFA cup final. The barmen know me because I think I'm the only European woman who goes in the bar. Not only did I get a seat in the packed place, but right at the front.
Unfortunately most of the spectators were supporting the Italians, so I had to get a Liverpool chant going to liven the place up a bit. I guess doing things like that might add to the fact that people often know me before I know them!

My first surfer

2007-04-16T10:46:00.000Z

I had my first Couchsurfing experience this week.
A Greek guy came to stay with me for a few days on his way to study in Israel. I was perhaps a bit too eager but Pantelis was an amazing guest; polite, tidy (much more than me), and really interesting.
I feel like I may have been a bit spoiled with my first surfer, but the experience has made me even more enthusiastic about hosting people.

Jet Set

2007-02-16T16:27:00.000Z

Oh how I love random experiences. In Damascus, in a really dark club, like something out of Miami Vice, at a stranger's birthday party, drinking beer with an Iraqi Muslim and a Syrian Christian at 7pm on a Wednesday night. Ahlan wa Sahlan!

Jorno's

2007-02-05T11:25:00.000Z

I'm staying with a friend of mine in the most conservative area of the city, which makes walking down the street an interesting experience. No matter what I wear, I am a freak! Blonde, white woman by herself. Shock horror.
It was a relief to find the Journalists' Club as an island sanctuary in the middle of all this.
The club is a big, open, licensed restaurant with a troop of smiling Kurds serving the beer. You do still get stared at, but at least you can have a beer along with it here.