Posted by Kanga.
Apparently, these manikins have been partying too hard.
(Wafi Mall, Dubai)
Archive for October, 2011
Bananas
October 26, 2011Posted by Kanga.
Not all bananas are 8 inches long and bright yellow.
In fact, you might think these look rather beat up. But, once they are peeled, you can see that they are not nearly as bruised as you might have thought.
They have slightly different flavors. We like the little yellow ones the best. They have a paper thin peel, yet are firm and sweet.
At Your Inconvenience
October 22, 2011Posted by Kanga.
I really miss American residential laws that require that a tenant be given 24 hour notice before the landlord or any repairmen can enter the apartment. We have been having a long string of disruptions as additional duct work, wiring, etc., related to the air conditioning is done. Apparently, it must all be done in separate phases. Add to this the fact that the workmen just show up at the door and expect to come in and make a mess and break your stuff.
[White Love Bird salt shaker became collateral damage of the last repairmen visit. Now Pepper Bird has taken up with Toast salt shaker who was widowed in our emigration. Toaster didn’t make it onto the ark.]
Never mind that today we were planning on going into Dubai to visit friends and I had a long list of errands I wanted to do. We had no way of knowing how long the workers would be doing whatever it is they were doing today. They finally left at 7:30 pm. We should never have answered the door.
Joys of New Construction
October 17, 2011Posted by Kanga.
You might think that moving into a brand new building would have advantages. Living in an apartment that no one else has lived in before sounds attractive. However, when you ask if it is “move in ready” and are told “yes” you may find a difference in definitions of “move in ready.” Our apartment was covered in and permeated by dirt.
There’s also the fact that construction may not really be completed. Two floors of our building had to be completely remodeled to suit the business that will be moving in. Also, the air conditioning throughout the building is being revamped, because it turned out to not be up to the challenge. This resulted in:
The mound of garbage has fluctuated up and down, but has been in our parking garage for weeks. Yesterday, we were shocked to see this:
Getting in and out of our parking space is much easier now that mound isn’t creeping out in to the drive lane.
Navratan Korma
October 16, 2011Posted by Kanga.
In my search for dishes at Indian restaurants that I can eat (i.e. containing no chili pepper) I have discovered navratan korma. It is cooked vegetables in a creamy sauce with cold fruit (sometimes fresh, sometimes canned) on top. I like contrasts in my food, either temperature or texture. That’s one of the reasons I like tacos so much. I don’t usually like to mix my vegetables and fruit, but this is a concept that is growing on me. I can’t always count on being able to eat navratan korma because some restaurants can’t resist putting some chili pepper in, but my loving husband has learned to make it for me at home.
Bithnah Fort
October 15, 2011Posted by Kanga.
Saturday afternoon we visited the Bithnah Fort…
which is across a wadi from the town of Al Bithnah…
and surrounded by date palm farm.
Restoration is still in process.
The restoration includes decorative stonework and woodwork.
I hope they don’t cover this wall in plaster. It is beautiful, as is.
This Mobil oil barrel probably didn’t expect to end up part of a water well.
The mountains are quite beautiful.
Al Bithnah is between Fujairah and Masafi. The fort can be seen from the highway. It is a short drive with good signage, BUT the road is not paved and goes through the wadi. We made it with our compact car, but had to drive very carefully because it is very rough roadway.
Thar be Rain Here!
October 12, 2011Posted by Kanga.
I finally got to enjoy a rain storm here in Fujairah. It happened suddenly at approximately 2:30 pm. Lightning, thunder, and torrents of rain for a goodly while. It was still raining, although more gently at 3:50 when I left work.
Sand is not as absorbant as you would think. Basically, the top few inches get soaked and then turn into temporary cement, so this results in a lot of water not being absorbed causing large puddles.
A flooded roundabout is a special kind of lake. (Sorry, no picture.) It slows people down, but doesn’t really improve their roundabout manners.
Right Place at the Right Time
October 8, 2011Posted by Kanga.
You have to be in the right place at the right time. We were driving down the corniche (beach road) when we happened upon a parade.
The road was blocked for the parade, so it took us a while to drive around and get back to the park so we could find out what was happening at this event.
There were pictures of traditional activities – games, fishing, pearl sorting, camels, races, etc.
Some boys were playing a game in which they hop on one foot and use their free hand to try to unbalance their opponent. Also, there were young men performing traditional dance.
There were dioramas of traditional homes, children at school and play, and caravans. In another display area, a fisherman was mending nets.
There were several historical pictures from the early years of the Emirates.
Camels probably don’t need a lot of explanation.
Several horsemen circled the exhibit area.
The weather took a turn for the dark and thunder cloudy.
“Emirates Heritage Club” and “Heritage Caravans”
There was little rain on the corniche, just “sprinkles,” but when we got back over to the side of town where we live, we found large puddles, so clearly there had been a short squall.
We would have enjoyed the rain, but, all in all, we were glad to be in the right place at the right time to catch this cultural event.
Furniture Addiction
October 7, 2011posted by Kanga.
After our furniture buying spree in August which resulted in closets and bookcases, one would think that the apartment is full and we should stop. However, we ventured out to buy two recliners. Here’s a few things we didn’t buy.
DaddyBird was impressed by this set. It’s a boy-thing. The closet doors are apparently gas pumps. A fully equipped military installation.
Tiger chairs! How Austin Powers is that?
And we got to see this bed in the flesh, so to speak.
We bought none of the above. Two boring brown recliners will arrive on Saturday. When they asked us where to deliver the chairs, it was kinda fun to go to the window and point to our building. It is rarely that easy.
Grocery Store Discoveries
October 7, 2011Posted by Kanga.
Rocky Road Ice Cream – and there was the sound of angels singing…
Fudgee Bars, which come in “vanilla jolt,” “mocha rage,” “milky craze,” and “durian delight” flavors. The size and packaging led us to wonder if these were like Twinkies, but no, they are not that squishy or lacking in nutrition. Cupp Keyk takes brand misspelling to a new height. Kat Kat Tat doesn’t sound very appetizing to me.
Quaker seems to have thought of everything. Oats to put in your rice, because not just any ol’ oats will do.
Discoveries at other stores:
Pega-bunny jumps over the moon!
These kinds of things always stick out like sore thumbs to us. Apparently, no one is concerned about sexualized toilet plungers.
Living the Travel Channel 