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Posts Tagged ‘cats’

An Anniversary Not Forgotten

May 4, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

Earlier this week DaddyBird said “What are we doing Thursday?” I stupidly said “Is there a reason we should do something Thursday?” Oh, yeah. That pesky wedding anniversary has come around again. Needless to say I am not the romantic in this relationship. This was an improvement over last year when we both missed our 10th anniversary remembering it a week after the fact.

So, what did we do on our anniversary? Well, we started by driving around town to find the Afghani restaurant that I had previously seen, but couldn’t remember exactly where it was. This led to stopping to photograph stray cats and dogs around dumpsters. There were eight around one dumpster, including kittens. Unfortunately, we can’t take them all home and pamper them. (If I were independently wealthy, I would have a cat sanctuary.)

We did eventually find the restaurant.

We had a really delicious dinner of mutton bukhari (the rice dish – there are two large pieces of lamb/goat meat under that rice), grilled meat (I didn’t get the name of that dish), hummos, chana dahl (lentils in a tomato sauce) and lovely bread. The red substance in the small dishes is a cold soup or thin sauce made of tomatoes and spices. It was a lot like salsa. Very tasty. It was clear that they had used fresh, ripe tomatoes. The hummos was also very fresh tasting. On the whole, yummy! The entire meal cost us 41 AED ($11.00 USD)

Then it was onto the main attraction – The Avengers movie. I find it hard to describe just how good this movie is. All superlatives seem insufficient. As we walked out, DaddyBird asked if we could see it again – immediately. I insisted on waiting until the next day. It is action packed and witty. Perfect.

The evening was not over, yet, however. We finished with a trip to Baskin Robbins because DaddyBird was in the mood for a milkshake and it is hard to find a good milkshake here. I went for the banana split.

There you have it. An anniversary well celebrated.

Posted in animals, cats, celebration, food, Movies, restaurant | Tagged Afghani, Avengers, cats, food, Fujairah, movie | 1 Comment »

Athens Kittens

December 26, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

Another part of our Day Eight adventure involved finding these kittens in an abandoned building.

The kittens were adventurous, but Momma Cat was not sure we were trustworthy.

In the window above was another watchful tabby

Then he found something really interesting to watch. (Cat on the right, pigeon on the left)

We were walking through a run down neighborhood. Just prior to discovering these kittens, DaddyBird had noticed a rather suspicious fellow following us. When we suddenly stopped to take pictures of stray cats, it put a kink in the guy’s plan. He actually stopped and had to act nonchalant for a while. He continued to follow us, so we played a little leap frog, stopping suddenly and changing directions and getting behind him. After we “lost” him, we continued to be watchful, in case he was not working alone. Maybe it was nothing, maybe it was something. Either way, DaddyBird’s watchfulness averted anything bad from happening.

Warning pickpockets, we stop for cats.

Posted in Athens, cats, Greece | Tagged Athens, cats, Greece, kittens, pigeon | 1 Comment »

Athens, Greece: Day Eight

December 24, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

Today is one of those days when we did nearly nothing, but it is still too much to fit into one blog post. We went down to the Archaeological Museum which was closed for the holidays.

We met up with these orange kitties during our espresso/hot chocolate break.

We then walked down to the central part of town.

At first when I saw Jesus was missing, I feared he had been stolen, but then I remembered it is Christmas Eve and he hasn’t arrived, yet.

Yet, here come the wise men (two years ahead of schedule) with their camels (who appear to have escaped from the planet of the apes).

Then we walked to the central market. (Brace yourself, Kris – meat market ahead.)

Where we purchased some very nice pork chops.

You can also get goat/lamb, rabbit, chicken, beef, and various organs.

We also bought half a lamb/goat (not sure which, they look the same on the inside) and the butcher chopped it up for us.

We met up with this very amiable stray dog who would have liked a little of what we had in our bag, but luckily was not insistent about it.

These pan flute musicians were playing in Monastiraki square. They seem to be seriously confused about their Native American tribes. They are playing South American instruments, but are dressed and kitted out like North American plains tribesmen. But, I’m being picky.

Posted in Athens, food, Greece, Shopping | Tagged Athens, cats, Greece, Native Americans, Nativity | 1 Comment »

Street Kitties and Doggies

December 20, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

It was rainy, so the real street cats were out of sight in dry hideouts.

So, these were the only kitties we saw.

The dogs, however, were more conspicuous in their attempts to get out of the rain.

The Acropolis ticket office offered some dry shelter.

This one settled in near a store doorway.

Posted in animals, Athens, Greece | Tagged Athens, cats, dogs, graffiti, Greece, street art | Leave a Comment »

Tea, Surf, and Cat

November 5, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

We spent a pleasant evening at the Hilton with our friend, Rupert. Where we sat near the beach, drank tea, and listened to the surf. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I had hot chocolate instead of tea.)

If you look very closely at the horizon, you might see the ships and tankers lined up out there.

I dipped my toes in the Gulf of Oman for the first time. The sand here is dark, an almost chocolate brown. (I don’t know if that’s because of the actual composition of the sand or the occasional addition of crude oil.) The sand was soft and the water was cool.

There was even an affectionate kitty who wanted to be petted, until he discovered how good cheese cake tastes. Then his priorities changed. After he figured out cheese cake had run out, he decided that being petted was still good. He came by several times during the course of the evening.

Posted in beach, cats, Fujairah | Tagged beach, cats, cheese cake, Fujairah, Gulf of Oman, Hilton, tea | 1 Comment »

Cat Antics

September 11, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

It’s about time for some cat antics, don’t you think? It has been a busy and exciting two months for Oliver & Bert. Constant rearranging and unpacking of boxes meant lots of curiosity inducing movement.

A recurring theme is to be as high up as one can get. Even as I write this, Bert is on top of the bookshelves in the living room.

The arrival of the laundry machine resulted in a thorough examination, inside and out.

And the boxes, oh the boxes! To be up high AND in a box, that’s the best.

Apparently, my laptop bag is made of catnip, because it inspired a great deal of excitement.

Oliver frequently takes a respite in the corner behind the refrigerator.

Even the door tops had to be explored and the air conditioning vents as well.

The addition of several bookcases was a boon for the desire to be UP.

And, of course, there is the daily lounging in the sunny window.

Posted in cats | Tagged cats, moving | 1 Comment »

The Long Bathroom

July 1, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

We are now the proud renters of the world’s longest bathroom. Okay, probably not, but it is certainly a contender.

We had many trials and tribulations in getting our moving arrangements ironed out, but in the nick of time, things fell into place. We still don’t have our new electricity account set up, so further trials may be in store.

If Americans change jobs, first of all, they do not also have to change where they live. They do not have to cancel their phone/internet line a month ahead of time. They do not have to go back to the phone company five times to get a clearance certificate to satisfy their employer. They do not have to give their government id cards to their employer. They do not have to turn in their health insurance cards. They do not have to give their employer money to cover their final electricity bill. They don’t have to cancel or transfer their residence visa. They also don’t have to wait weeks or months for their final paycheck. In fact, if one were to do some of this in America, it could be done with a phone call. Suddenly, I miss America.

American rent is also paid one month at a time. The worst case senario is that you will need first month’s rent, last month’s rent, and a security deposit. The rent in the UAE is usually paid in one annual lump sum. At best, one can pay in four payments.

So, Americans count your blessings.

On Tuesday, the nick of time, we were able to finalize the apartment and on Wednesday at 8 am the movers came. We had packed up much of our belongings ourselves, but the movers finished packing everything else (including stuff I would have thrown away) and dismantled the furniture and wrapped it in plastic or pads. Once they arrived at our new apartment, they reassembled the furniture. I think is was about 7 pm by the time they finished.

I had left Dubai in the morning with the cats in the car. Oliver vocalized his distress all the way to the car, but settled down during the drive. He again howled horribly during the elevator ride to the new apartment, but once there, went nearly catatonic and didn’t loosen up until after the movers had left. Bert was distressed and wandered around the empty apartment meowing piteously when he wasn’t hiding in the litter box. As I had hoped, once the familiar furniture and belongings arrived and they inspected everything and every room, they have adapted. Oliver is back to his overly vocal self.

As Oliver demonstrates, moving is very tiring.

Now, for those who want the details, we have a 3 bedroom, 3 1/5 bath apartment with a kitchen, living room, two small storage rooms, and a maid’s (cat’s) room. It is a nice layout. More pictures will follow. Perhaps after we get things unpacked and arranged.

Posted in Fujairah, living abroad, moving, UAE ID | Tagged cats, living abroad, moving, red tape | 5 Comments »

Voyage, Not Particularly Bon

June 4, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

Oliver made his opinion about us packing baggage very clear. He did his best to get in the way and delay the inevitable.

We began our journey at the un-ostentatiously decorated DXB airport. The only frustration was the process required for paying an extra baggage fee for the third suitcase (because the website had stated clearly that we were allowed 2 each – LIE!). Instead of just being able to pay the person who was checking in our bags (as is done in any other airport) our boarding passes were carried to a different counter by a second person who turned it over to the staff of that counter. We then stood in line (too long) waiting for the first of the two people at this counter to match up our paperwork and ask us pointless questions. She then passed the paperwork to her coworker who actually took the money and gave us back our boarding passes. FOUR PEOPLE. Really, does it take four people to handle this transaction? No. It takes four people to delay you so that you stand in line saying, “we should have flown Emirates Airline.”

We proceeded to Heathrow Airport where getting to your connecting flight is so complex it requires a map.

And they give good advice.

It was not the best of trips. It was not the worst of trips. We really must stop this flying halfway around the Earth in one shot business.

Posted in cats, signs, travel adventures | Tagged cats, customer inconvenience, signs, travel | Leave a Comment »

First Stroll in Istanbul

January 22, 2011

Posted by DaddyBird

I don’t usually get around to posting on this blog. Unfortunately I’m usually too busy writing, editing, proofreading, tweeting and configuring things elsewhere. Hopefully, I can get a few posts in while we’re here in Istanbul.

After getting settled in to our cozy room, grabbing a few things from a local market and having a bit of dinner, Kanga was wiped out. I was tired too, but just had to go out for a walk anyway. We’re only a couple of blocks away from the Blue Mosque! Why wait ’til tomorrow to see it? When I’m in a new place, I like to walk around and get the lay of the land as soon as possible anyway, so out I went.

I took some pictures while I was out. Of course some of them were of the local cats. They’re plenty of them around, which is the sign of a great city. 😀 (Lara and Terrence over at The GranTourismo Travel Blog have a cool post about the cats in Istanbul.)

An Istanbul street kitty

Took a few night-time pictures of the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofia. They certainly don’t do to the structures justice, but then, I’m not sure that any pictures can.

Aya Sofia

The Blue Mosque

Walking distances are much shorter than I expected, which is great; we’re even closer to more of the sights that I knew. So far the city is just stunning. Can’t wait to see more of it in daylight. The weather is great! Nice and cool. While I was out walking around in 10 degree Celsius weather, wearing a t-shirt and no jacket, I was asked by several if I wasn’t cold. I told them I enjoy the cold, which I certainly do. This is my kind of weather. (Well, a bit cooler and rainier would be great too!)

Firuz Aga Camii

Our friend Rupert, who has lived in Istanbul, made a number of recommendations on places to go and things to do. One suggestion was to check out the pudding shops. I found one just a few steps away from Aya Sophia. The pudding is tasty, and the food looked good too, may go back for dinner.