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Lighting Up the Sky

April 20, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

Two nights ago we were on our way home from the grocery store and saw something flashing, very bright, lighting up the sky. It was happening so frequently and at such regular intervals, we thought it might be man made. We actually turned around and drove back to investigate.

It turned out to be lightning. There didn’t seem to be thunder, until I realized that there were no individual claps, just a contant rumble. It was quite a light show and then the rain started. Lovely, huge, cold drops.

Posted in Fujairah, rain, weather | Tagged Fujairah, lightning, rain, weather | Leave a Comment »

Sharjah Archaeology Museum

April 3, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

Our local vacation included a visit to the Sharjah Archaeology Museum.

The museum presents the history of Sharjah from the stone age up to 611 A.D. The museum is nicely arranged, fully bilingual, and multi-media. An audio tour is available and worthwhile.

Each time period includes a diorama showing a typical abode.

It is always amazing to see how delicate the gold work was in early times.

In addition to shells and pearls, carnelian was a common component of jewelry.

There are many petroglyphs in the Hajar Mountains. The stones develop a red pateena. Chipping this red layer off is a fairly easy way to leave behind art. The above image is a bull tied to a post under a crescent moon. The crescent moon is a common image in area petroglyphs.

These ancient metal bracelets are very similar to those used not too long ago.

The two parts of this sculpture of a man holding a bird were found on two separate occasions and reunited here.

Mother of Pearl gathered along with pearls was used in these carvings.

These gold decorations were amazingly small.

We recommend the museum. It is very well done, very educational, and well worth your time.

Posted in museum, Sharjah | Tagged archaeology, bronze age, iron age, museum, Sharjah, stone age | Leave a Comment »

Old Abu Dhabi Documentary

March 31, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

Oil Discovery and Distribution of Wealth in Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (1968)

This is a 52 minute film about Abu Dhabi in 1968, prior to the formation of the United Arab Emirates in 1972. It is a bit blunt about some things. It definitely shows the drastic changes that oil discovery and production caused. The best part is seeing so much footage of Sheikh Zayed in a variety of settings. It is a little melodramatic with some forebodings about the future, but it turned out that Sheikh Zayed was a very wise man.

Posted in Abu Dhabi, culture shock | Tagged Abu Dhabi, blunt truth, documentary film, oil discovery | Leave a Comment »

Arabia’s Wildlife Centre

March 30, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

Yesterday, we ventured to the Sharjah’s Arabia’s Wildlife Centre. It is located between Sharjah and Dhaid. The centre is part of the Sharjah Desert Park which also includes a children’s farm (we’re assuming this is a petting zoo) and a natural history & botanical museum. Entrance to the park is 15 AED for adults ($4.00 US).

Photography is strictly forbidden in the wildlife center, so all you will get in this post is this picture of camels crossing the road which we encountered on the way there.

We highly recommend the wildlife center. It is very well designed and most of the animals were visible and active. Included are animals of all kinds native to different areas of Arabia, not just the U.A.E. – snakes, geckos, lizards, frogs, mice, rats, gerbils, grasshoppers, locusts, beetles, scorpions, foxes, wolves, wildcats, sand cats, jackals, porcupines, hedgehogs, honey badgers, gazelles, ibexes, oryxes, ostriches, flamingos, pelicans, owls, bats, and so much more. If only I could have used my camera, I would have so many desert hare pictures – bunnies everywhere!

On our way out, we passed the big animal enclosures. Starting with the baboons. It was feeding time, so they were quite busy. The next enclosure had desert wolves, who can look over the pit separating the enclosures and see the baboons. They were pacing up and down undoubtedly thinking “those baboons look tasty.” Next door to the wolves were striped hyenas also pacing up and down looking at the wolves thinking “those wolves look tasty.” Next to them were the cheetahs. If the cheetahs don’t fancy a hyena meal, they can also see an enclosure of gazelles. I’ve never been so close to a cheetah, separated only by glass. And, last, but not least, came the leopard. He, being the king of all, was just chillin’ out.

This is definitely a value deal. Give yourself plenty of time. The exhibits are extensive and you’ll want to stop and watch the active animals. One little Egyptian Spiny Mouse had a grub and was being chased mercilessly by her roommates. I hope she got to eat it in peace, eventually.

Posted in animals, birds, camels, cats, museum, Sharjah | Tagged Arabian animals, museum, United Arab Emirates, wildlife park | 1 Comment »

Falconry

March 25, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

A couple of weeks ago, we attended a meeting of the Emirates Natural History Group Fujairah where Guy Foster explained falconry and showed us some very beautiful birds.

The session was very informative. Falconry is actually not common in the Fujairah area because of the hills. It is usually done in wide open, flat areas so that one can maintain visual contact with the falcon. If a falcon flies over a hill, it may not come back to the “owner.” One never really owns falcons. They do not bond with people. Falcons are in it for the free food.

Female falcons are larger than males and more desirable for falconry. The indigenous falcons that are in country all year round are a small species. The larger species that pass through the UAE on their migration route have been considered more desirable. It is no longer legal to catch wild falcons.

We were all given a chance to gently touch the back of one of the birds.

DaddyBird enjoyed the chance to get up close and hold a falcon.

Posted in animals, birds, Fujairah | Tagged falconry, falcons | Leave a Comment »

Blustery Days

March 25, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

This photo was taken in February.

This is approximately the same view in March.

The wind has been blowing quite viciously this winter. “Sand storm” doesn’t really describe it, because the airborne particulates are a very fine dust not sand granules.

Living on the 16th floor of a new building with very leaky windows during these wind storms has been interesting. Aside from the high pitched whistle of the air coming through the windows, there is the vibrating of the building at large. It feels like living in a rocket ship about to take off. Even the cats didn’t want to be in the living room alone due to the wind howling around the sliding glass door.

Posted in Fujairah, weather | Tagged dust storm | Leave a Comment »

The Search for a Burger in a Foreign Land

February 24, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

It took three years, but I’ve developed a yearning for a good American burger. It’s not impossible to find here, but they are few and far between. Yes, there are Burger Kings, MacDonald’s, and even Hardy’s here, but I am talking about a REAL burger.

The top candidates, so far, are, Biggles (Dubai):

Small in circumference, but it was a handmade patty, not a thin, flat pre-made one. And, it comes with a cute beany.

Ace’s (Fujairah):

The problem with this one is the giant bun, which proudly touted in the menu. I start by moving the patty to the side of the bun and then cutting off the excess bread, downsizing the bun to a more appropriate circumference.

Also a contender is Gourmet Burger Kitchen (Dubai), but I do not have a picture. They have good sized burgers with savory patties and put lots of interesting toppings on them.

To be avoided are the Shake Shack burgers (Dubai). They are tasty, but small and WAY over priced.

We recently had burgers at the Harbor Club (Fujairah) which were classic in toppings and the meat was savory. There was a large portion of good fries as well.

Our most recent discovery is Burgerfuel (Dubai).

They claim to have engineered “the ultimate burger” and they are close. This is the “BF monster” which includes cheddar cheese, slices of beet (or beetroot as they call it here), mango, avocado, beef bacon, tomato, lettuce, & pickles. You had me with beet, mango and avocado. One of my favorite veggies and two of my favorite fruits. Put some asparagus on there and I might be devoted for life. The one weak point of this burger was that the beef patty was not as savory as it should be. It needs either salt & pepper or to be flame broiled, maybe both. (This large burger costs about the same as the Shake Shack tiny burger = better deal)

None, however, have conquered the Carolina Alehouse Burger. Oh, how we pine for thee.

Posted in Dubai, food, Fujairah, restaurant | Tagged American, burger, Dubai, Fujairah, hamburger, monster burger, savory | 2 Comments »

This is How Customer Service is Done

February 22, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

We are often asked “How is living in Fujairah?” Well, here is a very clear example:

Thums Up is DaddyBird’s favorite soda. I have to admit I drink way too much of the stuff, myself. It was hard enough to find in Dubai, but there is only one store in Fujairah that carries it, Choitrams. After discovering this, DaddyBird has gone in occasionally and purchased it a case at a time. Choitrams is a predominantly Indian store, so we stick out like sore thumbs as it is, but DaddyBird also purchases Indian food stuffs and an occasional Bollywood movie magazine, so he is somewhat memorable to the staff.

Yesterday, he went into the store looking for Thums Up. There was none in the front of the shop, as there sometimes is, so he headed to the back beverage section. Only a few individual cans there. He was about to give up when he was approached by a staff member who asked if he wanted a carton of Thums Up. They had set aside a case just for DaddyBird without being asked.

That is what it is like to live in Fujairah.

Posted in Fujairah, Shopping | Tagged Choitrams, customer service, Fujairah, soda | 2 Comments »

Sharjah Light Festival

February 15, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

DaddyBird and I spent a very pleasant Valentine’s evening seeing some of the Sharjah Light Festival sights. It was an evening well spent – that’s an understatement. We started at Al Qasbah.

There are two displays. One is an amusing laser show. The other is a beautiful celebration of the UAE and it’s 40 year anniversary.

Camels travelled the length of the building.

Date palms appeared.

I particularly liked the Trompe L’Oeil effect when parts of the building moved in and out as if it were a chest of drawers.

Next, we went to the Hisn Fort where we saw things from a falcon’s point of view.

Another amazing show including desert scenes and colorful buildings.

Refreshing garden scenes.

When we drove by the Central Souk, I said “It’s on fire!” thinking that it was another projected light illusion. NO! It was decorated in flaming pots. Fire, fire everywhere. The adjoining park was filled with flaming sculptures, water fountains, and avant garde music.

Here was a fountain that DaddyBird chose not to put his fingers in. Wise, considering that the water was steaming by the time it reached the bottom. The displays in the park were amazing. Some were tall chimneys that were glowing red because the fire inside was so hot.

We continued on to the Maghfira Mosque. Unfortunately, my camera battery was dead by then. It was beautiful.

Don’t take my word for it. If you are in the UAE, get up and go to Sharjah to see this. It ends Friday, so you must hurry.

Posted in culture, Sharjah | Tagged fire sculptures, light show, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates | 1 Comment »