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Kickers Ice Cream

December 16, 2013

Posted by Kanga. Please do not reblog.

business sign for Kickers Ice Cream

On an impulsive lark, we stopped by Kickers Ice Cream for dessert. We walked in even though these businesses are used to customers driving up and honking. We didn’t know the menu, so we went in to find out what was available. The huge ice cream machine is so loud that I fully understand why they don’t have inside seating.

plastic glass of white and pink soft serve ice cream layered with pomegranate seeds

This is what I got – pomegranate ice cream. Based on the cartons of full cream milk that were on display, I expected it to be much heavier. It was very light like ice milk instead of ice cream. Still doesn’t beat Finjan’s tea in clay pot as a dessert.

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Meandering through UAE Archaeology

December 8, 2013

Posted by Kanga. Please do not reblog.

entrance of the park

We headed out to Maleha with the intention of visiting the wildlife center there. Unfortunately, this is a private park and not open to the public. So, the closest one can get is these pictures and this video.

From there we went just down the road to the Umm an-Nar Tomb of Maleha.

round stone structure

This was interesting, although it was clear that no one visits this site or uses the park around it.

stone structure

This tomb dates back to around 3000 BC. There are eight chambers.

brown road sign

Next we went across the road to the fort archeological site.

partially restored stone structure

The structure has been partially restored. The lower, rougher wall in the foreground is most likely the original wall remains.

camel laying by the side of the road

We headed north a bit to look for the camel race track and saw this fellow just taking a rest by the side of the road.

stone ruins of a tobacco drying shed

On the way back to Fujairah we stopped off at Al Fara to drive past the remains of Sheikh Suhail bin Hamdan’s home and tobacco farm. These walls were a tobacco drying shed. Most of the site is not easily accessible due to a current residence near the site. We didn’t want to trespass.

covered archeological site, stone riuns

After a quick, late lunch in Fujairah, we headed up the coast to Bidya to search for the ancient fort site. This site dates to back approximately more than 4,000 years. This is one of the oldest archaeological finds on the East Coast of the UAE. It was a small, round fort built around a well.

These places are not necessarily easy to find (although some are right on the side of the road). They are also not necessarily set up for visitors as there is little to no information displayed at the sites. (A bit of a missed opportunity for education and tourist attractions.) However, information on some of the sites is available at area museums. Information and artifacts related to the archaeological sites in Maleha are on display at the Sharjah Archaeology Museum in downtown Sharjah city. Fujairah Museum– located near Fujairah Fort- is small, but very nice, and includes information and artifacts from the fort at Bidya in its archaeological section.

Posted in camel, camels, Fujairah, historical site | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

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Thanksgiving

November 30, 2013

Posted by Kanga. Please do not reblog.

plate of turkey slices, brussel sprouts, carrots, sausages, potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce

It’s that time again and Thanksgiving is difficult to recreate when living abroad. First, you don’t normally get the day off from work. This year I did get the day off, but only because Dubai won the World Expo 2020 bid. The email telling me that I didn’t have to come to work was sent out 10:35 pm the night before, so no time to plan anything special.

Secondly, ingredients are challenging to find, although that seems to be improving. The number of restaurants offering turkey dinners seems to be improving also. This is what we opted for this year. I didn’t have high hopes, because our last restaurant Thanksgiving dinner was disappointing (in terms of food) at best.

This time the turkey was lovely – moist, tasty and plentiful. I ate almost everything and much like a real Thanksgiving dinner, I was stuffed to the point of pain. That didn’t stop me from having a bit of dessert.

cheese cake and chocolate sauce

We ordered one cheese cake with three spoons, so I didn’t eat all of this myself. It was nice, but not actual cheese cake. If you can pick it up with your fingers, it isn’t cheese cake. It’s gelatin dessert. Many restaurants here offer “cheese cake,” but what they actually serve is mousse or gelatin. Real cheese cakes are very rare.

It was a pleasant afternoon with good company, good food, and no dishes to wash.

Posted in Dubai, food | Tagged , | 1 Comment »

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Thunder Bolt and Lightning

November 15, 2013

Posted by Kanga. Please do not reblog.

We had a wild rain storm last night in Fujairah. The lightning was hitting close by. One hit was so close it was more like a pop than a rumble.

http://instagram.com/p/gsqylOpUjT/

The electricity went out all over town. At least in the buildings without their own electricity generators. We found ourselves in the dark except for the battery run light in the entry way. We expected it to take quite some time – hours, if not days.

a book, candle, and make-shift aluminum candle holder

I settled down with a book and a candle, but before I could finish reading the first page, the lights came in. That spoiled the reading mood, but it was pleasant since it was starting to get a bit stuffy and warm without any air conditioning or fans running.

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Veterans Day

November 11, 2013

Posted by Kanga. Please do not reblog.

My grandmother and grandfather sent their three sons off to World War II. Happily, all three of those sons came home intact. My Uncle Ray served as a medic helping to transport wounded soldiers back home. My father worked in the Pacific as an airplane mechanic. Their younger brother, Marv was a combat soldier in Europe.

soldier in uniform

My Dad

World War II impacted everyone. It was part of everyday life. Those who stayed at home supported friends and loved ones in a variety of ways. My mother was a pen pal for several soldiers from her hometown. For those who might not know just what to write, the greeting card industry helped out.

colorful card

We’re all behind you soldier! We’re proud to buy the bonds and stamps. We’re glad to pay the taxes! Because we know you’ll grab the foe…

inside of greeting card

and kick ’em in the Axis! Keep ’em flying!

The world is an imperfect and sometimes ugly place. Bullies have to be policed on the individual level and on the global level. This means that some have had to put their lives on the line and stand up to them. Being mostly a pacifist, I would prefer it if we all just did unto others as we would have them do unto us. Since not everyone does, someone has to do the kicking.

Posted in USA | 2 Comments »

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Totally Fabulous Fujairah Food Tour

November 3, 2013

Posted by Kanga. Please do not reblog.

peanuts, onions, chili

Peanut Sandeko

The tour began at Nepal Kitchen House. Peanut sandeko, chicken momos, mutton momos, thukpa (noodle soup), chicken chili, chicken tass (chicken and puffed rice), and aloo jeera fry (potato, cumin seeds, cilantro) graced our table.

crescent shaped dumplings

Mutton Kothe Momos

Then we took a brief break from eating to drive up to Al Hayl Castle.

twisted tree

This is the historical home of the Fujairah royal family.

inner courtyard

Al Hayl Castle inner courtyard

We stopped briefly to check out a petroglyph. There are many in the hills, although rock quarries and development are taking their toll on these historical treasures.

image of a man carved into rock

Petroglyph

After a quick tea break, we were off to our next meal at Salu Salo, a Filipino restaurant tucked away in an alley.

four plates of food

Salu Salo Filipino Restaurant

Bicol express, Bopis, Lumpia, Pinakbet, and Kare Kare were our choices. Bicol express is a stew in a coconut milk sauce. Bopis is heart and lung sauteed in tomato, chili, and onion. Lumpia is meat filled fried rolls, Pinakbet is a shrimp and vegetable dish, and Kare Kare is an oxtail stew in peanut sauce.

milk tea in a unglazed clay cup

Another tea break on the beach with tea in a clay pot – the best tea I have ever had – then, we were off to Zamarod Al Afghani Rice Bukhari Restaurant.

mixed grilled meat, flat bread

After a mixed grill, flat bread, and hummus meal, we were done in. With a cup of mint tea, our eight hour eating experience came to an end.

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Pinoy Lomi House

November 2, 2013

Posted by Kanga. Please do not reblog.

restaurant sign

We tried out another Filipino restaurant last night. We noticed it while driving down an unpaved alley on our way to the grocery store. In preparation for the “Totally Fabulous Fujairah Food Tour,” we thought we better check this one out. When we arrived the restaurant was about half full of Filipino patrons, which is a very good sign.

salad with fish, cucumbers, onions, lemon, turnip, and vinegar

This is kilawin, a salad made with fish, turnips, cucumbers, onions, chili peppers, red bell pepper, and lemon. The fish starts raw and is cooked by the vinegar marinade. Very delicious (as long as I avoided the little pieces of chili pepper).

two plates, one with a beef dish and the other with a shrimp dish

The dish on the left is caldereta, a beef dish. The dish on the right (name unknown) is made with bitter gourd and shrimp. These were DaddyBird’s choices and he didn’t want to share the caldereta with me, so we will need a double order next time. Very delicious. I’m not as crazy about the bitter gourd, though. It has earned it’s name.

beef and cabbage soup

This is bulalo. It is a very savory but simple beef soup. Next time I have a cold or flu, I will be requesting bulalo from this restaurant and seafood soup from The Oriental. That will make everything better.

two bottled drinks

For drinks, we chose orange flavored basil seed drink and coconut juice. The basil seed drinks, which come in multiple flavors, are interesting because the seeds are a bit gelatinous. The coconut juice is the most refreshing. The dish in the front is our dessert choice, a coconut and ube gelatin which also had corn in it. Ube is a purple yam that is used in many desserts and pastries.

Normally, all this would come with rice, but due to our semi-paleo diet, we are not eating rice. This will be a great restaurant for us because we can get dishes that fit our diet and fill us up.

We give this restaurant a A+. This meal cost us a whopping 65 AED ($17.00 USD). Great value and great taste.

Posted in Dubai, food, Fujairah, restaurant | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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Random Dubai Sights

November 1, 2013

Posted by Kanga. Please don’t reblog.

storefront of Magnetic Technologies

What is magnetic water? It looks like fun.

picture of baby swimming "I love magnetic water...try it."

Halloween decorations at the cinema

It’s amazing to see the amount of Halloween decoration this year.

a female mannequin dressed as a witch and a male mannequin dressed as a devil with a coffin

Ah, Halloween. The holiday when tacky is perfectly acceptable.

bilingual sign explaining how to put on a bra

The Marks and Spencer fitting room had this helpful sign.

close up of the sign

Make sure to put your arms in the traps and adjust accordingly.

huge cement support column in a food court

When you build a massive building – shopping mall with floors of apartments above it – you end up with huge view obscuring support columns in your food court.

food court restaurant sign

Extreme Shawarma – Is this where the Avengers eat?

blue ankle boots

Those are SOME blue suede shoes.

brown sweater with a cream colored squirrel on it

Squirrel!

Tweety bird underpants

There was a whole rack of cartoon themed underwear all sporting tags claiming to be official Warner Bro products.

tag on underpants

That’s the feature you want in children’s underwear – potential for bursting into flame.

women's clothing store called Cartoon Fashion

The name Cartoon Fashion doesn’t exactly inspire visions of large women’s clothing. I didn’t see any cartoons in there.

Posted in Dubai, malls, Shopping | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments »

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A Business Proposition

October 25, 2013

Posted by Kanga.

plates of Filipino food

Many is the time that we go to a restaurant and have a good meal while having to bear the assault on our ears of blaring, annoying music. It is usually so loud that we cannot carry on a conversation or order our food without yelling. This results in a lot of pointing to the menu to make sure we get what we want. It also makes the dining experience miserable.

We have started asking wait staff to turn down the music. They sometimes do, although not low enough, but at least we can talk at a medium level instead of yelling. At our last (and I mean last) Texas Roadhouse experience, when we asked the wait staff to turn down the music, he told us that “Our sponsor wants it that way.” Well, then I guess “your sponsor” doesn’t want our patronage.

So, here’s my business idea — restaurants for introverts. An introvert restaurant would provide a quiet, nonintrusive dining experience.

  • Any “mood music” would be barely audible. Total lack of music would be even better.
  • Waitstaff would not constantly be interrupting the diners conversation to ask if they can clear an empty plate from the table and snatching barely used napkins. Unless the table is overcrowded with plates, the clean up would be left until after the diners have gone. The waitstaff would bring the bill to the table automatically after the diners have expressed that they do not want dessert or any further items.
  • The lighting would be pleasant – not so blaring that you have to squint and not so dark that you can’t see your food or dining companions.
  • Any loud, obnoxious customers would be ushered out. The owner or manager would not sit at one of the tables with laptop and phone, talking loudly while presumably doing business. Waitstaff would not sing or dance. The only music performance that should be allowed on this planet is the accordion player at the Rheinlander Restaurant in Portland, Oregon.
  • No televisions allowed.

I’m sure as soon as I publish this I will think of some other vitally important feature of the Introvert Restaurant, but for now this will do.

Posted in restaurant | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments »

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Sohailia, How I Miss Thee

October 24, 2013

posted by Kanga. Please do not reblog.

There is one more American thing we miss — good dental care. Specifically, good preventative dental cleanings.

En Amérique un dentiste au travail [soignant un molosse] : [photographie de presse] / [Agence Rol]
En Amérique un dentiste au travail [soignant un molosse] : [photographie de presse] / [Agence Rol]
Source: gallica.bnf.fr

We were spoiled by Sohailia. She was such a good dental hygienist that I looked forward to my cleanings. With her range of picks she would carefully clean each and every tooth with such a light touch that it tickled. She would examine each tooth for problems and evaluate the state of the gums. When she finished, she would report to the dentist any and all problems that she observed.

American dentistry is amazing. It comes complete with guilt trip. You can count on being asked how often you brush and if you floss. If you admit that you don’t floss, you’ll get a little lecture about how important it is. The last time I was at an American dentist office, they took a swab of my mouth and showed me the bacteria from my mouth under a microscope to try to shame me into spending more effort on my oral hygiene.

They also go to extreme lengths to retain teeth. I had the root canal done in one tooth three times before a dentist finally admitted that the whole thing had to go. The truth is that I would have been a lot healthier if it had been extracted instead of remodeled.

In the UAE, dentists are everywhere, but hygienists are few and far between. Every “cleaning” I’ve had so far has been done by the dentist with an electric powered tool. This cleaning tool experience is unpleasant, at best. It sure doesn’t hold a candle to Sohailia’s light touch.

The first two dentist experiences I’ve had in the UAE were unpleasant. I specifically requested anesthesia for any drilling to be done and the dentist blatantly ignored this request. I did not go back for more. Our insurance makes it even more annoying, because everything has to be preauthorized, even diagnostic x-rays. So, the first visit is a bit of a waste, because nothing can be done unless you are willing to pay for it out of pocket.

I seem to have finally found a good dentist. The cleaning still involved an electric power tool, but I survived. Before working on fillings, she asked if I wanted anesthesia and then actually gave it to me. Hoorah! She rebuilt a broken tooth rather nicely.

Posted in Dubai, medical care | Tagged , , | 1 Comment »

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