Posted by Kanga.
December is here and the weather is beautiful. Here’s what the weather stats are like.
It is Christmas at the malls. Every year the decorations are new. I wonder where the old ones go.
Nice, subtle decorations.
With the “cold” weather comes the winter wear. These are not just meant for wearing in Ski Dubai. People wear them outdoors.
I took the picture below just for the little, understated number in the middle.
Once again it seems that the manikins have been partying too hard.
Posted by Kanga.
With the cooler weather comes the Global Village. We lined up at the gate for opening at 4 p.m.
The façades of the pavilions change each year. I particularly like the fake fans on this colonial style building.
Thailand’s marketing seems a little redundant.
The Hong Kong pavilion is quite colorful and inviting.
Gangnam style coffee was available in the South Korea pavilion, but I didn’t see anyone dancing.
Being early in the season and early in the evening, the crowds were light and it was quite pleasant.
We purchased a few things in the African pavilion. They have many intriguing, hand made items. On our next visit, I will definitely go back to the Tipsy Gypsy booth in the Spain pavilion for lovely Christmas gifts.
If you are in the UAE and haven’t gone to Global Village, you are missing out. Go, have some legaimat (Emirati doughnuts), stroll through the pavilions, and catch some of the music/dance performances. It is worthwhile.
Posted by Kanga.
There were at least two foggy days in Dubai last week. Generally, this does not affect us in Fujairah, but we both had to go to Dubai on Thursday, I for work reasons and DaddyBird for the dentist.
So, we got to experience the fog.
Driving was a challenge. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of drivers who pulled over to the side of the road. Those who continued to drive slowed down. This may seem like common sense to you, Reader, but the UAE is known for it’s 35+ car pile ups.
If you want to see a video of the fog from the topside – click here. Nature is amazing.
Posted by Kanga.
That’s the thing about Dubai. You never know what you are going to see.
Posted by Kanga.
The mall window displays never cease to amaze.
I’m not sure what Louis Vuitton is selling, but I found this off-putting.
Posted by Kanga.
I’ve blogged previously about the difficulty of finding an American style breakfast in the UAE. ( Here ) IHOP (International House of Pancakes) recently opened in the Mall of the Emirates (Dubai).
If we were in America, IHOP would not be our first choice or any choice, in fact. IHOP has been around a long time (est. 1958) and quality of the food and service has decreased over the years. Because this restaurant is new and probably performing at it’s best in food quality and service, we gave it a try.
The place was buzzing with both customers and a large team of staff. I’ve been craving eggs benedict for months now, so deciding what to order was easy for me.
Over the years I have observed as DaddyBird would read the whole menu, considering all his options and then order country fried steak. After protesting that he doesn’t do that, he ordered country fried steak. I rest my case.
The food was quite good. The hollandaise sauce on the eggs benedict was very cheesy. Yum. A refillable coffee caraffe and a jug of grapefruit juice topped it all off. Service was very attentive and good.
Posted by Kanga.
Last week we revisited the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding for the iftar meal. This is an excellent program introducing tourists and ex-pats to Emirati food and traditions. The volunteers do a very good job of explaining traditions and are open to any questions.
We opted for “Eastern wear.”
We attended the event with some of our friends.
Arabic coffee served by a bedouin.
The meal.
Several young Emiratis volunteer at the center. During the dinner they mingle with the attendees to converse and answer any questions. Mohammed, from Sharjah, had his hands full in conversing with us. Our friends are all “old timers” in the UAE. DaddyBird and I, with our four years of residency, are the new comers. Mita came to Dubai about the time that young Mohammed was born.
After the meal, the group walked to the nearby mosque for a basic introduction to Islamic concepts and rituals.
After a walk back to the cultural center, it was time for dessert and a question/answer session.
Just in case you came to this blog for information on Ramadan, here are the basics: Ramadan is a month in the Arabic (lunar) calendar. During this month, muslims fast during the day (sunrise to sunset). This means no food or liquids. They also exercise discipline by refraining from things like sex or smoking. The goal is to focus on being a better person. Once the sun sets, the fast is broken with an iftar meal. This meal may be done in the home, at the mosque, or at a restaurant. Another meal, suhoor, is eaten in the early morning hours before sunrise and the beginning of the next fast. It is not uncommon to stay awake most or all of the night and sleep during the day. Work hours are usually reduced to 6 hours (8 am to 1 pm, or 9 am to 2 pm). Some businesses close during the day and open after sunset.
For those in Dubai, we recommend the meal related events at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding. During the other months (non-Ramadan) they serve both breakfasts and lunches. It is well worth the time and money.
Posted by Kanga.
If you are old enough to remember the Cold War, this store name probably has more meaning than they intended.
When you run out of vacation spots on Earth, there’s always Uranus.
Posted by Kanga.
Singapore Airport has the best piece of public art. It is hundreds of silver tear drops, each suspended on a transparent thread and animated to move up and down in a variety of patterns. Very zen.
It was mesmerizing. We could have easily missed our plane while watching it.
Luckily, we tore ourselves away and made it back to Dubai safe and sound. Our plan for getting back to Fujairah from Dubai was a reverse of how we got there (taxi – bus – taxi). We fully expected to have a long wait in the heat waiting for the bus, however, we could not have timed it better if we tried. We arrived at the bus stop at 2:40 pm. A bus was waiting and it departed at 2:45 with us on it.
Living the Travel Channel 