hi there...
new photos posted on facebook.... have a look (:
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
pre-emptive post
in my ongoing quest to plan activities (wait, who knew i could do that? Seriously, that is nigel's job...)... anyway .... In my ongoing quest to plan activities, i am going to Oman tomorrow. We are getting picked up at 6am (OMG) and then heading to a whole different country. One with rivers and trees and mountains .... Really looking forward to it.
Below is the tour description.... i figured i might as well post it pre-emtively... so you would all know what i am doing this Friday. Photos, as always to follow.
DHOW CRUISE IN MUSANDAM (OMAN)
The tour will take you to the north, to RAS AL KHAIMAH EMIRATE. Cross the boarder and enter in Oman. After half an hour drive you will be in the capital of MUSANDAM -KHASAB – a calm fishing village and oasis overlooks the Gulf of Oman. KHASAB is ideal starting point for various daily excursions. Watch the traditional lifestyle of the fishermen and the Bedouin.
On the board of a traditional dhow you can sit comfortably on cushions and carpets, while feasting your eyes on the striking scenery. All dhows are driven by local, experienced captains. Enjoy SNORKELING, SWIMMING and DOLPHINE WATCHING. Discover BEDOUIN VILLAGE and sail to the TELEGRAPH ISLAND.
Below is the tour description.... i figured i might as well post it pre-emtively... so you would all know what i am doing this Friday. Photos, as always to follow.
DHOW CRUISE IN MUSANDAM (OMAN)
The tour will take you to the north, to RAS AL KHAIMAH EMIRATE. Cross the boarder and enter in Oman. After half an hour drive you will be in the capital of MUSANDAM -KHASAB – a calm fishing village and oasis overlooks the Gulf of Oman. KHASAB is ideal starting point for various daily excursions. Watch the traditional lifestyle of the fishermen and the Bedouin.
On the board of a traditional dhow you can sit comfortably on cushions and carpets, while feasting your eyes on the striking scenery. All dhows are driven by local, experienced captains. Enjoy SNORKELING, SWIMMING and DOLPHINE WATCHING. Discover BEDOUIN VILLAGE and sail to the TELEGRAPH ISLAND.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
the spirit of Dubai in one photo
It is lunch time in the tranquil Greens area of Dubai. Many local professionals and mommies are out and about looking to pick a resto to eat at.... But not this guy... he says ... "I am going to pull up beside the lebanese resturant, stay in my Mercedes, bekcon over the waiter, order a shisha pipe and spend my lunch hour in my air conditioned (i.e. running) car, talking on the phone, smoking the shisha pipe..... because sitting in the air conditioned resturant or out on the patio in the glorious weather is so for the little people..."Any way it was such a great image, i had to take the picture (ok i got Jules to take it on her mobile). He even honked at us ...lol
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
random photos from the past few days
I went to Sharja last night... to go to the blue souk for a carpet ... another story another time.....
along the way passed this magnificent mosque. It is a Turkish style... really the photo does no justice.. but limited in a moving car in traffic...
The almost fullmoon rising over the local mosque by the office
my on going commitment to bring you culturally sensitive bathrooms signs
the sun setting as i was leaving work in Abu Dhabi
out in the desert.... with a few photos
So there is a typical tourist excursion here call "desert safari". they pick you up at 4pmish in a land rover type car.. you drive about 45mins to 1hour outside of the city to the an area where the desert is covered with big rolling dunes .... You then bash around the dunes in the car. Up down sideways.. hope you don't tip over, break an axel or get car sick .... It is amazingly fun and beautiful... the sun setting on the red sand (yes it is redish in this area .. apparently there are 7 different "sands" in the UAE desert). Following that you drive to a faux beduion camp where you sit on cushions, eat traditional dishes, watch belly dancers, and have the opportunity to camel ride, have henna done, take photos in local dress, sand ski (snowboard down the sand) or just relax under stars.
Dune bashing and campout dinners under the desert sun is not just for tourists... it is a huge pastime here from dune bugs to atvs to families piled in suvs... the dunes are alive with activity on the weekends.
So how did my desert safari go.... well it as all of the above but more....
My local colleague jules has one of these giant 'entertainer" coupon books (v. good here) and she had a 2 for 1 coupon for one of the safari companies. So I called and made a reservation... there was no online info about this company, as compared to the leading tour operator but the person sounded good so we chanced it.
on Saturday, i get a call saying the car will pick us up 30 mins before the original plan ... no worries .. we will be in my hotel lobby (we by the way is a fellow deloitter Martine. From the GTA office originally from Montreal, been here 10 months, but not yet done anything tourist... i have strong armed her into joining me).\
4o mins after the pick up time i am calling the company ... no answer ... humm??? then i get a call from the driver, he was like i called before you did not answer, so now I will pick you put in 30mins... we were like WHAT!!!! yeah ... no call on my phone, but even still why not just come to the hotel to collect us, vs calling???? Ahhh the UAE ... park logic at the custom's counter....
we are finally collected then head off to another area of the city to collect the other passengers.. Now they have been waiting for over an hour as well....best part...the road to the dune area is directly adjacent from my hotel... so instead of picking up the other people first then coming to me and then departing the city ... the driver felt a big unnecessary circle tour of the city was necessary first before leaving ....
About 15mins into the drive to the dunes ... i smell something... burning... I am like .. something is wrong with the eng. They are all like no.. just smelly part of dubai .... 20 mins later, we are pulled off to the side of the road ... the clutch is gone ... ha ha ha... At least we pulled off just beside Universal Studios... Well at least the big welcome gate and sign for universal studios... there is absolutely nothing behind that gate or sign but sand.... this too is another classic dubai-ism, so i was happy to get to see it. We were also stopped near to the outlet mall.. i figured worst comes to worst... we check out the mall and take a cab back into town
after about 15mins of intense Arabic phone discussions later "a new car" will meet us at the dune location, if this car will re start" it does ...seriously don't know how given no clutch...but gear free we are on our way
at the meeting point … low and behold … no new car … yup they plan to take the clutchless 4x4 dune bashing … lol
Into the desert we go … racing up the first tiny crest and down the other side… and we stop … oddly enough… we can not go any further … now we are promised a new car in 30 mins …
We crash around in the dunes and watch the sunset and wait. We are also making best as to if we will actually go bashing or not.
The new car shows up… the negotiations begin … we all want to make sure we are not going to miss out on anything. The two drivers did not count on Martine speaking Arabic … can you say oops….
Well all the wait was worth it… we had an super extended super crazy dune bashing drive ….. this was one couple in the car, third time going, so we knew how our trip stacked up.. Anyway… we experienced some serious cartoon physics !!!
Nobody got car sick –close.. but no
Then off to the camp and the evening entertainment …. All in all a fun evening..
Dune bashing and campout dinners under the desert sun is not just for tourists... it is a huge pastime here from dune bugs to atvs to families piled in suvs... the dunes are alive with activity on the weekends.
So how did my desert safari go.... well it as all of the above but more....
My local colleague jules has one of these giant 'entertainer" coupon books (v. good here) and she had a 2 for 1 coupon for one of the safari companies. So I called and made a reservation... there was no online info about this company, as compared to the leading tour operator but the person sounded good so we chanced it.
on Saturday, i get a call saying the car will pick us up 30 mins before the original plan ... no worries .. we will be in my hotel lobby (we by the way is a fellow deloitter Martine. From the GTA office originally from Montreal, been here 10 months, but not yet done anything tourist... i have strong armed her into joining me).\
4o mins after the pick up time i am calling the company ... no answer ... humm??? then i get a call from the driver, he was like i called before you did not answer, so now I will pick you put in 30mins... we were like WHAT!!!! yeah ... no call on my phone, but even still why not just come to the hotel to collect us, vs calling???? Ahhh the UAE ... park logic at the custom's counter....
we are finally collected then head off to another area of the city to collect the other passengers.. Now they have been waiting for over an hour as well....best part...the road to the dune area is directly adjacent from my hotel... so instead of picking up the other people first then coming to me and then departing the city ... the driver felt a big unnecessary circle tour of the city was necessary first before leaving ....
About 15mins into the drive to the dunes ... i smell something... burning... I am like .. something is wrong with the eng. They are all like no.. just smelly part of dubai .... 20 mins later, we are pulled off to the side of the road ... the clutch is gone ... ha ha ha... At least we pulled off just beside Universal Studios... Well at least the big welcome gate and sign for universal studios... there is absolutely nothing behind that gate or sign but sand.... this too is another classic dubai-ism, so i was happy to get to see it. We were also stopped near to the outlet mall.. i figured worst comes to worst... we check out the mall and take a cab back into town
after about 15mins of intense Arabic phone discussions later "a new car" will meet us at the dune location, if this car will re start" it does ...seriously don't know how given no clutch...but gear free we are on our way
at the meeting point … low and behold … no new car … yup they plan to take the clutchless 4x4 dune bashing … lol
Into the desert we go … racing up the first tiny crest and down the other side… and we stop … oddly enough… we can not go any further … now we are promised a new car in 30 mins …
We crash around in the dunes and watch the sunset and wait. We are also making best as to if we will actually go bashing or not.
The new car shows up… the negotiations begin … we all want to make sure we are not going to miss out on anything. The two drivers did not count on Martine speaking Arabic … can you say oops….
Well all the wait was worth it… we had an super extended super crazy dune bashing drive ….. this was one couple in the car, third time going, so we knew how our trip stacked up.. Anyway… we experienced some serious cartoon physics !!!
Nobody got car sick –close.. but no
Then off to the camp and the evening entertainment …. All in all a fun evening..
Sunset in the desert
our brokend down car .... not the little blackthings up in the left that is about 10 cars... they are pretty far up... just for some perspective.... the black bits directly left ... lost tire and car parts...
Dune bashing is not a car friendly sport
Me and the flacon... I am pulling a face but it was not scary at all... v. beautiful
Hello mr. camel...... still as stinky and rough riding as I remember ....
belly dancer in motion!!
Friday, October 30, 2009
F1
So the big weekend is finally here. After 3 years of construction, the Marina Circuit on Yas island is complete and the F1Aub Dubai takes place this sunday.
Having been to our F1 event location in Montreal... this is like a world away. The entire complex from the circuit to the golf club, to the grand stands to the pits, to the concert area, hotel, marina.... is WOW.
For the circuit apparently they have taken the best bits from all the global tracks and combined them here. Even the "montreal hair pin" has been recreated here. Other tidbits about the track ... it is left handed- the direction they drive around the track is the opposite to how most of the other circuits are laid out. This screws with the cars apparently , making it a harder track. Also, apparently there is a tunnel coming out of the pits so you can not see who is out in what order, which is apparently better too??? Not to sure on all the details. on the bus back last night i was chatting beside some english eng. guy who has been building the island for the past 3 yrs. so all above details are from him.
Yesterday, at the client, our contact gave me a ticket to the opening F1 concert - Beyonce. My colleague Jules was already going to an opening night event (private yacht with gypsy kings and Alica keys --- jules' brother in law runs an event company here) so i would be going on my own... I figured, hell, what do i care, strangers will look at me with pity. Okay. That will not kill me. Better to go and experience all i can, even if i have to do it on my own... Although it would be great to be one of these people (like Cheryl) who so easily meets people everywhere they go.... well i guess it is always good to have new skills to learn!!
Anyway...... off to the concert i go.
The show is slated to start at7:30 which means 8, but the island is closed to all cars as of 6:30pm (not sure how that one works, but whatever). Yas Island is about 2 km from the client site, if you could just drive straight. So by 5pm, i pack up and drive over to the island. I wait in the line ... they ask me where my parking permit is... i say i have no permit, they say you have to leave the island and go to a park and ride location. I am like .. where are those locations... but i have no clue about the places the guy list. So, v. deflated i head off the island for the long drive back to Dubai.
About 5 mins down the road, i see on the other side of the highway, signs for F1 parking. There is a Park and Ride spoke here !! So i get off at the next exit and try to find my way over to the other side of the highway. I eventually find a tunnel, i am on the other side,no i just need to find an entrance back to the highway heading towards Abu Dhabi. After a bit of expoloring in what ever area i was in, i finally pick the right exit of a round about and on to the highway I am. Afew mins later, i pull into a massive carpark, stategically pick a parkign spot, not close tothe buses, but close to the exit tothe road. I board the buss and am on my way to the concert!
By 6:45 we pull up to gate 25. This is after a cool tour of the island, really the facilities are amazing. Leaving the bus i ask 3 different people, where i should go after the concert to catch the right bus. There are no signs. They all say right here.. but I think to my self... there are 3 differnt park and ride locations, plus 6 car parks on the island all of which have bus service.. i can just imagin all 30k people trying to get on to the right bus from this one location.... I decide right then, i am not waiting to the end of the concert to leave... I don't need the level of cahos that this bus situation promises to bring....
So with the crowd i go .... into the concert venue. It is just a open space ... no seating and no arranged sections. I am thinking about the safety implications of a mass crowed by the stage ... yes.. safet princess was alive and present. it was a pretty impressive set up. Although, the ground was covered with small white gravel. Really. Not very nice onthe high heals. And really, how are they planning on cleaning up?? you can't sweap that stuff.
Of to the concession stand. I buy two waters. (the heat) and intothe crowd i go. I figured, i am here I will try to get as close to the stage as I can. So I found a spot about 25m back.
When it finaly started it was like wow!! you haveto know she just landed in Dhabi about 3 hours before the concert so you have to give her props for all the energy. It was a really good show and cool to be able to watch the performer and not just their image on the big screens. There were two 18 or so year old guys behind me they were both like 6foot 5 and they knew every word to every song .. it was great! A huge mix of people were there ..every age (kids go to everythign here) every background.....
Now from my eng friend on the bus, i have learned that they did nto start building the stage until 1 week ago, and the area where everyone is standing was a full dirt pile with massive holes. So thinking back on it ... pretty impressive.
True to my promise i worked by way out of the crowd and headedback to the buses... asked a series of "marshalls" where my buses were... they all said "right here". Finally, i found a female marshal, she told me I had to go to the next gate and that all busses to the shahama car parkwould be there... Ah finally someone who knew something. So me and my very tired feet (you have to remember i came from work, so i am in total work clothes, minus the suit jacket i left in the car, including a v.cute pair of pointy toe heels) truck up to the next gate. I make it to the bus and back to the car.
next challenge... find my way back onto the highway going in the Dubai direction ... another 15 mins of wrong turns and i find it....
Home by 11pm ... great night!!
xo
kjm
Having been to our F1 event location in Montreal... this is like a world away. The entire complex from the circuit to the golf club, to the grand stands to the pits, to the concert area, hotel, marina.... is WOW.
For the circuit apparently they have taken the best bits from all the global tracks and combined them here. Even the "montreal hair pin" has been recreated here. Other tidbits about the track ... it is left handed- the direction they drive around the track is the opposite to how most of the other circuits are laid out. This screws with the cars apparently , making it a harder track. Also, apparently there is a tunnel coming out of the pits so you can not see who is out in what order, which is apparently better too??? Not to sure on all the details. on the bus back last night i was chatting beside some english eng. guy who has been building the island for the past 3 yrs. so all above details are from him.
Yesterday, at the client, our contact gave me a ticket to the opening F1 concert - Beyonce. My colleague Jules was already going to an opening night event (private yacht with gypsy kings and Alica keys --- jules' brother in law runs an event company here) so i would be going on my own... I figured, hell, what do i care, strangers will look at me with pity. Okay. That will not kill me. Better to go and experience all i can, even if i have to do it on my own... Although it would be great to be one of these people (like Cheryl) who so easily meets people everywhere they go.... well i guess it is always good to have new skills to learn!!
Anyway...... off to the concert i go.
The show is slated to start at7:30 which means 8, but the island is closed to all cars as of 6:30pm (not sure how that one works, but whatever). Yas Island is about 2 km from the client site, if you could just drive straight. So by 5pm, i pack up and drive over to the island. I wait in the line ... they ask me where my parking permit is... i say i have no permit, they say you have to leave the island and go to a park and ride location. I am like .. where are those locations... but i have no clue about the places the guy list. So, v. deflated i head off the island for the long drive back to Dubai.
About 5 mins down the road, i see on the other side of the highway, signs for F1 parking. There is a Park and Ride spoke here !! So i get off at the next exit and try to find my way over to the other side of the highway. I eventually find a tunnel, i am on the other side,no i just need to find an entrance back to the highway heading towards Abu Dhabi. After a bit of expoloring in what ever area i was in, i finally pick the right exit of a round about and on to the highway I am. Afew mins later, i pull into a massive carpark, stategically pick a parkign spot, not close tothe buses, but close to the exit tothe road. I board the buss and am on my way to the concert!
By 6:45 we pull up to gate 25. This is after a cool tour of the island, really the facilities are amazing. Leaving the bus i ask 3 different people, where i should go after the concert to catch the right bus. There are no signs. They all say right here.. but I think to my self... there are 3 differnt park and ride locations, plus 6 car parks on the island all of which have bus service.. i can just imagin all 30k people trying to get on to the right bus from this one location.... I decide right then, i am not waiting to the end of the concert to leave... I don't need the level of cahos that this bus situation promises to bring....
So with the crowd i go .... into the concert venue. It is just a open space ... no seating and no arranged sections. I am thinking about the safety implications of a mass crowed by the stage ... yes.. safet princess was alive and present. it was a pretty impressive set up. Although, the ground was covered with small white gravel. Really. Not very nice onthe high heals. And really, how are they planning on cleaning up?? you can't sweap that stuff.
Of to the concession stand. I buy two waters. (the heat) and intothe crowd i go. I figured, i am here I will try to get as close to the stage as I can. So I found a spot about 25m back.
When it finaly started it was like wow!! you haveto know she just landed in Dhabi about 3 hours before the concert so you have to give her props for all the energy. It was a really good show and cool to be able to watch the performer and not just their image on the big screens. There were two 18 or so year old guys behind me they were both like 6foot 5 and they knew every word to every song .. it was great! A huge mix of people were there ..every age (kids go to everythign here) every background.....
Now from my eng friend on the bus, i have learned that they did nto start building the stage until 1 week ago, and the area where everyone is standing was a full dirt pile with massive holes. So thinking back on it ... pretty impressive.
True to my promise i worked by way out of the crowd and headedback to the buses... asked a series of "marshalls" where my buses were... they all said "right here". Finally, i found a female marshal, she told me I had to go to the next gate and that all busses to the shahama car parkwould be there... Ah finally someone who knew something. So me and my very tired feet (you have to remember i came from work, so i am in total work clothes, minus the suit jacket i left in the car, including a v.cute pair of pointy toe heels) truck up to the next gate. I make it to the bus and back to the car.
next challenge... find my way back onto the highway going in the Dubai direction ... another 15 mins of wrong turns and i find it....
Home by 11pm ... great night!!
xo
kjm
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