Posted by Kanga.
Sad to see the Kitch Go
March 22, 2013Posted by Kanga.
We stopped by Lamcy Plaza last night. Lamcy is a unique mall, or was. It had truly eclectic decor. When you first walked in, you saw a waterfall that stretched over all three floors.
(2009)
To the right there was a robotic clown climbing up and down a rope. And, behind you, over the entrance was the Tower Bridge, a medieval castle also stretching up three floors.
I didn’t check for the clown last night, but I don’t remember seeing him and I think he may already be gone. The waterfall looked like this:
The signs said “coming soon” a new passager elevator. OH NO!
Belated Thanksgiving
March 17, 2013Posted by Kanga.
Saturday we finally had our postponed Thanksgiving meal. We shared the traditional meal with our Indian, Pakistani, British and African friends.
There was turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, candied yams, green bean casserole, cornbread dressing, California olives, and dill pickles. Two pumpkin pies and a pecan pie topped it off.
Daddybird orchestrated the cooking. Volunteers were put to work dicing veggies or mashing potatoes.
It was a pleasant evening with good friends and great food.
China Sea
March 15, 2013Posted by Kanga.
Recently friends introduced us to the China Sea Restaurant. We dropped in a second time.
Ordering was a little odd because the waiter said “huh?” after everything. “Sizzling shrimps, huh?” “Crispy duck, huh?” “Steamed broccoli, huh?”
It was all very tasty. Watching the cooks through glass windows adds action. It is one hoppin’ kitchen.
China Sea restaurant is located in Deira, Dubai, near the clock roundabout. Cash only. Five items, a pot of tea and large water = 209 AED ($55.00)
Emirates Airlines International Festival of Literature Part 2
March 10, 2013Posted by Kanga.
Saturday at the festival began with Maitha Al Khayat and her newest book When A Camel Loves Loqaimat. Loqaimat is a traditional Emirati dessert similar to doughnut holes, although not as sweet as doughnuts. After sharing the story with her rapt audience –
-she shared fresh loqaimat with them. It was a big hit, as you might imagine.
And there were cookies at the book signing.
Next was John Connolly, author of The Book of Lost Things, which sounds interesting to me, but the bookstore was sold out. I’ll have to look for it later. It’s not like I’m caught up on my reading and desperately in need of it. (He didn’t intend for it to be a “children’s book,” but having a young protagonist almost guarantees being pigeon holed as children’s lit.) The book incorporates fairy tales, although they are not necessarily told the way we remember them. About a fourth of the book at the end is essays about the tales and early versions of each (before the Brothers Grimm cleaned them up).
Then I was off to a two (and a half) hour book binding workshop.
I really enjoyed this. The instructor, Mark Cockram, who is a book artist and teacher was quite a comedian. The time flew by. I was amused when one of the participants told him he should have brought some of the books he has made to sell them. He found a way to politely say “you couldn’t afford them.”
I made this!
Next was Chris Cleave, author of Incendiary, The Other Hand (aka Little Bee), and his newest Gold. It was interesting to hear the different authors describing how they write. Chris says he chooses a challenging question and then finds characters, places them in pressure situations to force them to answer the question. For example, the question behind Gold is “what would you sacrifice for your career? Family? Friends?”
Last was Anthony Horowitz and the young fans of his Alex Rider series and Power of Five series. Kids are always fun and have the best questions during Q&A time.
Addendum: More information about Jeffrey Deaver and Anthony Horowitz writing books about Bond and Holmes was requested. So, here is what I remember. Jeffrey Deaver was approached by the Fleming estate because he had mentioned in a speech that he was a Bond fan and had begun reading Bond novels when he was eight years old. He was given room to update Bond, making him a veteran of the Afghanistan war instead of World War II. He also softened Bond’s mysogyny. Other characteristics of a Bond story were retained – creative character names, the over the top villain, and, of course, gadgets. I missed how Mr. Horowitz came to write the Holmes novel, but he was given more latitude in his writing. Arthur Conan Doyle’s own inconsistencies made being faithful to the previous stories difficult. He chose not to have Moriarity be the main villain, but he did give him a cameo appearance. He pointed out that what makes Holmes stories captivating is not the plot, but the relationship of Holmes (cold, intellectual, addicted) and Watson (warm, helpful, caring).
Emirates Airlines International Festival of Literature
March 8, 2013Posted by Kanga.
We are spending the weekend immersing ourselves in the Emirates Airlines International Festival of Literature. (The conference center very kindly provided paper and pencil. It seemed like a retro gesture.)
I started Thursday evening with Alan Dean Foster, writer of science fiction and movie novelizations such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Aliens, etc. His talk was very interesting. He could not give us details, but promises that the newest Star Trek movie coming this May will be even better than the last.
Then we attended the Poeticians recitation. The Poeticians are people here in Dubai who write poetry and meet regularly to read their works. Pictured above is our lovely friend Hind.
Friday morning, I began with Jeffery Deaver and Anthony Horowitz. Mr. Deaver recently wrote a new James Bond novel and Mr. Horowitz wrote a Sherlock Holmes novel, so they were discussing the ins and outs of working with such iconic characters.
Then I went to a two hour workshop on plot development led by Greg Mosse. It was very interesting and the two hours went by quickly.
Next was Deborah Moggach author of These Foolish Things, which became The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. (If you haven’t seen the movie, you should.) She was very funny and delightful. We could have sat there for another hour or two happily.
Then I went off to a “workshop” on bullying, but didn’t learn anything new about bullying or how to deal with it.
Next was Geraldine McCaughrean. The session was designed for children. I arrived late because the bullying session ran over. When I got there Geraldine was telling the story of Perseus killing Medusa. She then went on to invite volunteers up onto the stage and led a very engaging session that had all the kids paying attention and participating. I was so attentive that I forgot to take a picture. The question and answer period was fun, too. One tiny little voice asked “Why do you EVEN like writing?” Another asked “How many books have you written?” The answer was “167” to which there was a loud exclamation somewhere in the audience “Oh, my god!” Kids are so fun.
Whole 30 Diet
March 5, 2013Posted by Kanga.
For the last month I have been on the Whole 30 Diet. It boils down to no dairy, no grains, no sugars or sugar substitutes, and no alcohol. I’ve been eating meat, vegetables and fruits.
The main purpose of this diet is to improve health. We learned of this from my mother-in-law whose testimonial can be read here. I have to admit that weight loss was the main motivator for me. However, I was tiring of the increased fibromyalgia, and painful muscle cramps. My blood pressure had been high and the doctor had placed me on medication for it. I was more than ready for better health and less weight.
The diet is actually very easy. It is just a matter of what is eaten, not how much is eaten. I stuffed myself plenty of times with yummy food and still lost weight. The only thing I truly longed for was chocolate.
The result of one month is that I’m 13 pounds lighter. I don’t wake up with muscle soreness. I’ve had very few muscle cramps. My blood pressure is nice and low.
I’ve added chocolate back in, in moderation. It is organic dark chocolate lightly sweetened with raw cane sugar. The diet continues and we’ll see what happens.
Xiao Wei Yang
March 4, 2013Posted by Kanga.
In attending a friend’s birthday party, we got to try out a “new to us” restaurant. Xiao Wei Yang (apparently means “little lamb”) is a Chinese restaurant featuring hot pots. You can order a spicy pot, non-spicy pot, or a half-n-half pot plus raw ingredients which you then cook in the boiling pot.
There is a wide variety of ingredients – lamb, beef, chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, veggies, and more. It is fun and tasty.
Unexpected Visitor
March 3, 2013Posted by Kanga.
The grocery store usually provides a surprise. This time it is apples from back home. Halfway around the world, here they are.
Fujairah Morning Sights
February 23, 2013Posted by Kanga.
While I was out early on Friday morning taking pictures of the sunrise, I took a few more of random sights. Starting with the new mosque which is either completed or near completion. There hasn’t been an opening ceremony, yet.
It has been interesting watching this building being built over the last year and a half.
The building on the far right is our apartment building. I suspect that we will hear the call to prayer loud and clear from there.
The mosque is a beautiful addition to the skyline.
The tree in the picture below is interesting and hardy.
You never know what you will see, including feral donkeys wondering around. The city is expanding and encroaching on their usual territory.
Living the Travel Channel 