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Back to School in Style

August 20, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

There are always plenty of blank books available in stationary and discount stores. With school starting soon, there are now large piles of them near the front of the store. I always peruse the covers, because they often provide amusement.

three spiral bound blank books

These three caught our eye last night.

spiral bound book with text on the cover

“Thus I became a madman.
And I have found both freedom and safety in my madness;
the freedom of loneliness and the safety from being understood,
for those who understand us enslave something in us.
But let me not be too proud of my safety.
Even a Thief in a jail is safe from another thief.”

spiral bound book with text on the cover

“I saw a bee today, 1st time in years.
She was very tall and outgoing.
Looked like a young queen.
Seemed confused by flower tattoos.
Then left without saying goodbye.”

spiral book, cover contains the word "same" over and over

Same ol’ same o, I guess.

close up of the cover showing the word "same" repeated over and over

Posted in books, Fujairah, Shopping | Tagged , | 1 Comment »

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Because Sequins Just Weren’t Enough

August 14, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

Black sequin gown with beads and rosebuds

The mall window displays never cease to amaze.

black sequin gown with a huge black bow

red and white polka dot tentacles

I’m not sure what Louis Vuitton is selling, but I found this off-putting.

large multi-colored flower

Posted in clothing, Dubai, malls | 3 Comments »

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Adapt or Die

August 13, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

Our cats can be rascals. Unfortunately, they discovered that the dresser drawers come out AND they discovered that they can open these drawers for themselves. Suddenly the dresser became a playground and their favorite hiding place when strangers come around. This means cat hair all over whatever is in the drawers. Bert decided to kick it up a notch and he pulls clothes out of the drawers onto the floor to make room for himself. I’ve taken to putting anything I don’t want covered in hair or out on the floor into nylon net bags.

I tried putting a stick down through all the drawer handles hoping this would keep them from opening the drawers. However, it only slowed them down, making it so that they had to nudge all four drawers open at the same time.

white cat inside a set of dresser drawers

This would be why DaddyBird is attaching “child locks” to the drawers today. We’ll see if that makes a difference.

Then, Bert discovered the wonderful world of the false ceiling. Most of the ceilings are too high for him to reach and are cement, but the kitchen and bathrooms have ceiling tiles and conceal pipes and air conditioning ducts. Bert has always been a “tree dweller” wanting to be as high up as he can get including jumping up onto the top of the doors. He discovered that if he pushes up against the ceiling tiles he can cross over into the wonderland. However, getting up there is easier than getting down. It is not just a matter of clicking one’s heels three times. The ceiling tile usually falls back down, leaving him stranded up there. He has gone on enough expeditions that we now know for certain that the ceiling areas of the kitchen, entry way, hallway and three bathrooms are all connected.

Having gotten tired of the ceiling rescue routine, here is my un-elegant solution.

plastic sheeting taped up to the ceiling with duct tape

The air conditioning workmen had left behind a roll of plastic sheeting. It is now applied to Bert’s favorite access points.

tabby cat on top of cabinet investigating the plastic sheeting duct taped to the ceiling

There are still some access points that need to be “sealed.” We’ll see how this tests out first.

It is we who must adapt.

Posted in cats | Tagged , , | 2 Comments »

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American Breakfast Breakthrough

August 11, 2012

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.

IHOP menu cover

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.

eggs benedict, hash browns, blue berry pancakes, country fried steak, fried eggs

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

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Ramadan Kareem

August 10, 2012

Posted by Kanga.decorated atrium, lights, stars and crescent moon
Mall of the Emirates Ramadan decorations.

Posted in Dubai, malls, Ramadan | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

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Ramadan 2012

August 7, 2012

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.

man and woman dressed in Emirati fashion

We opted for “Eastern wear.”

people seated on cushions

We attended the event with some of our friends.

bedouin man serving coffee

Arabic coffee served by a bedouin.

containers of food laid out on the carpet

The meal.

young Emirati man talking with three women

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.

interior of a mosque

After the meal, the group walked to the nearby mosque for a basic introduction to Islamic concepts and rituals.

approximately 50 people seated on the floor in the mosque

 

traditional buildings lit at night

After a walk back to the cultural center, it was time for dessert and a question/answer session.

dessert dishes laid out on the carpet

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 in culture, Dubai, food, mosque, Ramadan | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment »

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Discount Store Expedition

August 4, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

We ventured out for an evening of discount store shopping. It is always an adventure.

entire store aisle of plastic dishes

Melmac, anyone?

entire store aisle with nothing but coffee mugs

The coffee mug aisle.

entire store aisle of glassware

The glassware aisle.

entire store aisle of facial tissues

Facial tissues, anyone?

brooms covered in ladybug design or black and white spotted cow design

How could you not want a ladybug or spotted cow broom?

toy sewing machines shaped like dolphins

Or a dolphin shaped toy sewing machine?

tiger toy

This one takes a little explanation (picture too fuzzy). It is a tiger with a lamb on it’s back. The lamb has a cat mask or hat on it’s head. In front of the tiger is a mouse who also has a cat mask or hat on it’s head. And, yet, we did not purchase this toy.

candy package with a cow and a large pail of milk pictured on it titled milko lacto

From the candy section, the appetizing “Milko Lacto.”

man with long red beard

But, of course, the big attraction of the evening was DaddyBird, whose beard gets the attention of everyone working or shopping in the store.

Posted in Fujairah, oddities, Shopping | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments »

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Travel By Book: Bryson’s Britain

July 31, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

Bryson, Bill. Notes from a small island. London: Black Swan, 1996. Print.

During this two week stay at home vacation I am visiting Britain through the eyes of Bill Bryson. We have a very similar sense of humor and perspective on the world, so reading a Bryson book usually results in my laughing out loud and then reading the passage aloud for DaddyBird.

Bryson is at his best when he is making up words, like imaginary (but believable) place names – the Buggered Ploughman pub, Ram’s Droppings bypass, or the rail crossing at Great Shagging. Or mocking the formality of a restaurant menu by asking for “a lustre of water freshly drawn from the house tap and presented au nature in a cylinder of glass.”

His description of Daniel’s department store in Windsor makes me want to explore it. The sad part is that it is probably not there anymore. In this book Bryson is describing his “farewell tour” of Britain in the early 90’s. He combines flashbacks to the 70’s when he first arrived in England and his 90’s observations giving a taste of nostalgia for the things already lost to the passage of time. His travel plan was to use only public transportation (bus and train), but 1990’s reality was that much of the public transport network had disappeared.

Travel by book means that I have no pictures to show my daily adventure. However, having been to Britain a time or two, I will slip in one of my favorite pictures from a previous trip.

street in Southwark

Southwark, London 2009

Posted in books, England, travel adventures | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments »

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Jigsaw Puzzle Cat

July 29, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

white cat laying next to a jigsaw puzzle box

As I am on vacation, I decided to do a puzzle. Oliver, of course, decided to help. He wasn’t crazy about the fact that I wouldn’t let him chew the puzzle pieces.

puzzle almost done, except for the sky section

It always comes down to the sky pieces, doesn’t it?

white cat sitting in the puzzle box

Oliver is being very helpful by holding down the puzzle box. Boxes have a powerful cat gravity.

white cat sitting on the partially assembled puzzle

Then he decided to be unhelpful.

completed puzzle

But, I finished in spite of his help.

Posted in cats, toys | Tagged , | 3 Comments »

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UPDATED: How to be a Happy Boy

July 28, 2012

Posted by Kanga. (With input by DaddyBird below.)

One evening we were exploring the bookstores of Fujairah. Bookstores do have a few books, but they are mostly stationary supplies. Some of the stock looks as if it has been on the shelf for 30-40 years. It can be an amazing adventure.

In one of the stores we saw this poster. It was tacked up above the shelving where educational posters were stored. We searched through the shelves for a copy to purchase, but did not find one. We went away, disappointed. But, the next time we were in the store, DaddyBird asked the storekeeper for one. He looked and was unsuccessful, as we had been. DaddyBird then asked if we could buy this one. It took a little convincing because the storekeeper couldn’t fathom that we would want it. In the end he gave it to us for free, because it was old and dusty. Who knows how long it had been tacked up there. We would have gladly paid, but accepted his offer.

poster showing things a good boy should do

A happy boy:

  • Love his father and respect him
  • Love and help his mother
  • Help the poor people
  • Love his friends and help them
  • Love his brothers and sisters and respect them
  • Cut his nails
  • Visit the sick in hospital
  • Brush his teeth morning and evening
  • Help the old people

I’m glad that fingernail hygiene rates up there with respecting people and visiting the sick.

DADDYBIRD’S INPUT: In addition to the poster being old and dusty, the storekeeper didn’t want to sell it to us because it was damaged. He said it had been cut down so it was small enough that it could be displayed within one of the panes of the front window of the store- the “Happy Boy” title had originally been at the top of the poster, but was cut out during the process and glued in its current position- and it was naturally faded and sun-damaged from having been in the window for some time. I’m glad that he relented and gave it to us when we convinced him that we really did like it and want it, but I certainly wasn’t expecting to get it for free! (We did buy a number of other items while we were there, including another similar educational poster that had not been modified. We’ll post a photo of that one soon as well.)
It’s a delightful poster to me. It reminds me very much of the the sorts of posters I used at times in the past when I was teaching Christian Sunday School in America, even though this particular poster is aimed at an Islamic and Arab audience. Despite the differing contexts, the message is much the same. So I like the poster on its own merits of wise content and endearing presentation, but also for the bit of nostalgia it invokes for me.

Posted in culture, Fujairah, Shopping, signs | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

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