December | 2011 | Living the Travel Channel

Archive for December, 2011

December Lights

December 16, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

I have to admit that I do miss the cold weather of winter and the American holiday season from Thanksgiving through New Years Day. The weather here gets down into the 70’s (Fahrenheit) which is pleasant, but not very wintery. We aren’t bombarded with Christmas shopping commercials and ads. We don’t get to see “It’ a Wonderful Life” or “Frosty the Snowman” or “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” or “Miracle on 34th Street” on the TV. The last three years I haven’t had any time off for Christmas, even working the day when it fell on a weekday. So, it doesn’t seem much like Christmas.

Happily, one thing that hasn’t been missing is lights. The U.A.E.’s anniversary falls on December 2nd. This means lots of red, green and white lights. This year was a special anniversary – 40 years – so there was even more celebration.

There were concerts, dance performances, jet ski parades, air shows…

Fireworks on multiple occassions…

Decorating one’s vehicle with pictures of the leaders and colors of the flag is a widespread tradition.

And lights, everywhere.

This is the Fujairah central souk (market – meat, fruit, vegetables, clothes).

The number 40 is everywhere.

Lights are done in a big way.

I particularly like the lights shaped like boys carrying the flag.

My favorite building display is the Fujairah Municipality Building.

It has been a pleasant celebration season and a delight for the eyes. Happy 40th Anniversary to the United Arab Emirates.

Posted in celebration, culture, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates | Tagged celebrations, Fujairah, lights, National Day, United Arab Emirates | Leave a Comment »

Donkeys

December 15, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

These donkeys found a clump of green. Life is much easier for the donkeys during the cooler months. It seemed like we were seeing fewer donkeys with the advent of cooler weather. My theory is that they don’t have to travel as far to find enough to eat.

We usually see donkeys in multiples of two, so five is odd. I walked toward them until it was clear that they had noticed me and were on the alert. The two that are looking straight at the camera did not flinch the entire time I was taking pictures.

Posted in animals | Tagged desert donkeys, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates | 1 Comment »

Fujairah Celebrations Continue

December 12, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

The Al Saif sword competition and accompanying celebrations continue through December 17th. So, last Friday we headed down to the Fort to see what was happening. We were too late to see the bull butting contest or the camel race, but some of the camels were still out basking in the attention of their admirers.

This little fellow was lucky enough to get a ride.

We had a tasty snack of lamb and chicken skewers.

A wide range of traditional items were on display – pottery, tools, platters, coffee pots, etc.

More camels – these are taking a rest. In the background, a horse and a miniature pony who have been giving rides to children.

Two majlis tents were available for those wishing to sit, rest and enjoy each other’s company. (Majlis has a variety of meanings, but generally refers to any area where people sit comfortably and discuss.)

The activities at the Fort have been very enjoyable, much like a county fair. These are genuine foods, activities, sports, and arts of the local area.

Posted in camels, celebration, culture, Fujairah, historical site, United Arab Emirates | Tagged culture, Fujairah, Fujairah Fort, historical site, United Arab Emirates | 2 Comments »

Curry House

December 11, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

We recently had dinner at the Curry House (in Fujairah) an Indian, Arabian, Chinese restaurant. This combination is advantageous for us, because DaddyBird can have his food spicy and I can order non-spicy dishes.

1970’s decor is alive and well.

Condiments for the international menu include soy sauce, chili pepper sauce and ketchup. Ketchup (or catsup) seems to be the global condiment. We find it everywhere. I think sushi restaurants are the only places we haven’t been offered ketchup.

I had garlic chicken, chappati (flat bread) and salted lassi (yogurt drink) and DaddyBird had three spicy dishes with plain appam (pan bread) and tea. All this cost us 66 AED ($18.00 US)

When we ordered, the waiter asked about spiciness and we were able to explain that my dishes should not be spicy at all and DaddyBird’s should be very spicy. We will definitely be going back regularly.

Posted in food, Fujairah, restaurant | Tagged Curry House, food, Fujairah, Indian food, United Arab Emirates | 4 Comments »

Discount Shopping Gems

December 9, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

In a country where the word “pork” gets bleeped out of TV cooking shows, it is always surprising to see pig themed items. (9.95 Dhs is $2.70)

Trademark is of no concern when you can misspell.

These birthday “candles” come with a warning that they throw off sparks. There’s nothing like having road flares on your cake.

Posted in oddities, Shopping | Tagged oddities, shopping | 1 Comment »

Random Words on T-Shirts

December 6, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

We haven’t posted crazy t-shirts in a while and found a few gems while shopping this evening, so here’s a fresh batch:

“Chan meal love best beateliful things mahe thin feel good” – If you say so.

This is for that layered look that never gets old or tacky.

This one says “Employd women wieh infane children face, dilemma of whether tokeep” The best I can make out of that is “employed women with infant children face a dilemma of whether to keep.” Why would anyone want such a depressing message on their shirt? What are they deciding to keep/not keep – the children or the job?

I never cease to be amazed at the amount of Playboy imagery there is here.

Apparently, the young Pluto started out with Shopmark before he was picked up by Disney.

Posted in clothing, oddities | Tagged clothing, strange t-shirt messages | 2 Comments »

Happy 40th U.A.E. National Day

December 4, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

On December 2nd the United Arab Emirates turned 40.

We went to the Fujairah Fort to join in the celebrations. There was music, dancing, food, and fun.

The third week of the Al Saif sword throwing competition was held in this arena.

The swords used have thin flexible blades to reduce the chances of injury. Competitors balance the swords, feign mock fights, and toss the swords up into the air as high as possible.

The sword must be tossed from inside the circle on the arena floor and, hopefully, caught safely while remaining inside the circle.

I don’t know all the details of the scoring system, but points can be lost for loss of headwear, failure to catch the sword, or landing outside the circle. Two young men compete at a time and when done stand before the judges for evaluation.