Archive for the ‘birthday’ Category

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COVID-19: What to do on your birthday

March 18, 2020

Posted by Kanga. Please do not reblog.

scooter and bicycle traffic at an intersection

The day before my birthday we ventured out to a clinic where I had a follow up for breast cancer which showed zero signs of recurrence. Woo hoo! 27 months free and clear.

It was a beautiful sunny spring day. There are signs that life is getting back to normal, like the increased scooter traffic. Traffic and pedestrians are still light, but it is a step up from empty streets.

small businesses, sidewalk, people lined up at a food stall

People are starting to line up at the food shops for buns or dumplings.

temporary tents at a business gate, piles of boxes dropped off by delivery personnel

The gate at the clinic building was a bit chaotic with people coming to work, deliveries piled up, and the temperature check station.

sunny day, empty street

Another sunny day on my birthday. We ventured out for a meal. I really wanted sushi, but since I am not sure how safe that is (how safe is it ever?) I opted for cooked food — pancakes. When we arrived at the restaurant our temperature was taken and recorded on a form with our names and phone numbers. A short time later two police persons (one male, one female) came into the restaurant and spoke with the staff. One waitress came to our table, took our temperatures again and recorded them again. I’m not sure if she thought we had been missed the first time, or what. The restaurant closed at 5 pm (abnormally early).

blue berry pancakes with blue berry syrup and whipped cream on the side

Blue berry pancakes – super yummy.

inside of a taxi with plastic sheeting between the driver and passengers

Our second taxi was taking some extra virus protection measures. It was not air tight by any means, but I suppose it would stop any sneezing or coughing splatter.

crosswalk where twelve people are crossing all wearing face masks

This is how it is done, everyone. Wear a protective face mask. For decades China has had severe air pollution with a significant mortality rate from respiratory disease, however only a small percentage ever wear masks for that. A fast spreading virus and government restrictions = masks on everyone.

line of taxis waiting in front of a major grocery store

The best part of the virus situation is that taxis are lined up in front of the Carrefour store. This never happens normally. It is so nice to go in, shop like crazy, and know that you can get right into a taxi with all your goods when done. This I will miss when things are fully back to normal.

store display of three printers

Our printer has died, so we stopped in to get a new one. We nearly missed the display as there were only 3 models to choose from. However, there were nine models of fancy door locks to choose from. Also, the sales staff couldn’t be bothered to assist the only customers in the section.

nine electronic door lock models on display

The day ended with fig and pear pie. Quite tasty.

a plate containing a large piece of pie

And, the perfect gift for a librarian.

a box containing two pins, one shaped like eyeglasses, the second shaped like a pile of three books

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Another Year Older, but Wiser?

March 19, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

We celebrated both our birthdays by eating copious amounts of food and enjoying the company of good friends.

There are no photos of my birthday celebration this week due to the “no photo” policy of the restaurant, but here is shot of DaddyBird’s birthday last month.

crowd of people at a table full of food

It was held at Aroos Damascus restaurant. We didn’t take a head count, so no idea how many were there. Let’s face it, there comes a point where you shouldn’t bother counting. Many, but not all, of our dear friends were there. Fun was had by all and the deserving waiters were well tipped. A success.

My birthday was this week and a smaller more intimate affair was held at the North Korean restaurant, Okryu Gwan. (Previous post about this restaurant here.) Seven of us ordered amazing dishes and shared them all round. The stuffed squid was a big hit with everyone. The spicy kimchee soup was a delight to the Indian tastebuds (and DaddyBird’s), but I know enough to stay clear of that.

The musical floor show did not disappoint. This restaurant is fun, tasty, and I highly recommend it to anyone in/visiting Dubai.

So, we are another year older and I believe a little bit wiser and definitely happier.

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Kanga’s Birthday

March 23, 2010

Posted by Kanga
birthday girl and birthday cake
Happy birthday to me! We went to one of my favorite places, Bu Qtair Cafeteria.

party goers
With some of my favorite people.

party goers

fish on a plate
And ate some of my favorite food.

fish on a plate

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One More Picture

February 19, 2010

birthday partyI tried to stand far enough back to get everyone in the picture.

[In DaddyBird’s defense, we started out sitting together, but as the group grew, he mingled. We ended up sitting next to each other. As for my birthday, I don’t know what we will do, yet.]

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DaddyBird’s Birthday Party

February 17, 2010

Posted by DaddyBird

Last night, to celebrate my birthday, we had a dinner at my favorite restaurant, Aroos Damascus, with a number of our Dubai friends, most of whom we have gotten to know through Twitter. We had a great turnout, including ourselves 30 people showed up over the course of the evening, and it was a really wonderful time. Aroos Damascus serves very delicious Syrian-style Arabic food, and has a large menu, so there’s plenty of choice. The staff there is always very helpful and kind. I like getting people to visit this restaurant with us, but it can be difficult coaxing some to our part of town since the traffic can be very heavy coming this direction in the evenings. So last night, it was a particular thrill to have so many of many favorite people together at one of my favorite places.

Aroos Damascus has a large outdoor seating area which is very popular, and always full in the evenings when the weather is nice. We managed to monopolize several tables for our large group. It was a lovely way to spend a birthday evening!

Here are a few pictures taken by our friends at the party:

Our friend Mahdi took this picture of me, along with (part of) Muhammed Ali, Wajiha and Money:

Micheline had several picture to contribute, capturing much of our group:

Here’s Micheline herself flanked by Muhammed Ali and Ritesh:

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Honey did good

March 21, 2009


My Honey did good. He asked me what I wanted for my birthday and it occurred to me that I wanted a speaker dock for my iPod. He went one better and got one with two docks (for my Classic and my Touch) that also has radio, alarm clock, video output and a remote control. Excellent! This also solves the problem of having four iPods in the house and only two charger plugs. He can have the plugs now, because mine are nestled in their docks.