You longed for the lines of a limerick
With all the wishes of a wanted wick
Alliteration was all you could ask for
While I was wanting something more
Perhaps a pickled Perry I’d pick
All seven thousand, seven hundred and forty-five of them; the first five reviewed here.
6. The Outsiders by Colin Wilson
One of my dad’s favorite reads. A story about diving into the depths of the mind and finding such awesome things there that ordinary life loses its lustre.
7. She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb
I borrowed this book from Spine and Sport when I couldn’t put it down from the chapter I read while in the massage chair. It’s a woman’s story about her life, and all the shit that happens in it, but the point of it is to find the good in the poor decisions you and others make that affect your life, and hopefully learn from them sooner than she did.
photo from weknowawesome.com via IMGUR
8. Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts
I found this book in a flea market and had to pick it up. I remember reading it non-stop as a pre-teen and was anxious to see if it still held the same value. It only takes place over seven years of the protagonist’s life, but it sums up a lifetime of perspective. Life is what we make of it – who we choose to keep in our lives and how we handle the ones that leave.
9. Emil and The Detectives by Erich Kastner
A childhood favorite from Caroline. Moral of the story – Money should always be sent by money order. It’s cute from a guilty kids point of view.
10. Germania: In Wayward Pursuit of the Germans and Their History by Simon Winder
Another loan from Caroline. A book about the disaster that was Germany through the 15th-20th centuries with great reading and travel recommendations. The author ends the book in 1933 before the terrible disaster that lay ahead.
photo from Monica Berg at rethinklife.today
11. The Art of Talk by Art Bell
I like his writing style. I enjoyed reading about his life, but as much as I like spotting aliens in the California desert, I’m just not fond of reading about him talking about them. It would’ve been a more interesting read had I listened to his show (off air in 2008).
12. Many Lives, Many Loves by Gina Cerminara
I got this book from the campus library. The author tries to convince the reader about the different positive aspects of reincarnation, clairvoyance, and psychology. The author’s best point is the importance of communication.
photo from 1hdwallpapers.com
13. Sailing the Pink Sea by Debbie Huntsman
I never thought I’d want to read a book about cancer. It seems as boring as watching golf on TV, but this book opened my eyes to the struggle to maintain life through chemotherapy, depression, and pity. I enjoyed the author’s honesty, though I’m sure the reader has it easier than her husband did some days – and he still loves her.
14. Seven Experiments that Could Change the World by Rupert Sheldrake
Can dogs tell when their owners are coming home? Is gravity pulling on us with a consistent force? These are some of the questions the author wants us to contemplate as he explores the powers of the mind and the constants in nature.
photo from masterandmargarita.eu
15. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
There were references I didn’t catch until I read the commentary and afterword. An honest book of the times, disguised as dreams, and a religious book with the characters in different stories – two thousand years ago written about in a current novel and the hero released by the author in the end.
16. Why Do Men Have Nipples? by Leyner and Goldberg
I learned that human brains can cause mad cow disease, that there are different sweat glands in your armpits that cause stains, that it’s more sanitary to be peed than spit on, and that more than half the US population has hemorrhoids by age 50.
17. The Seven Secrets by John Hagee
It’s a religious book and a positive read. There’s a lot of repeated passages on how to live a successful life. My favorite is “attitude of gratitude.” You are what you say and do. Be persistent in all things and you can do anything.
photo from resperate.com
18. Cooking for Health: Stress and Hypertension by Aveline Kushi
Wooden bowls and lettuce, yes please. More fish and soy sauce, perhaps not, though I would like to try more sea vegetables and foods foreign to me.
19. ‘Tis by Frank McCourt
Watching the sequel to a movie can be disappointing; reading this sequel was just depressing. The poor boy makes it to America only to become a poor man living on the pint – did he learn nothing from his childhood? I do like how he came into his own as a teacher and made a reputation for himself and inspired kids to be interested in learning.
photo from girlfriendology.com
20. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The author has an alcoholic father who smoked four packs a day and a mother that would sneak chocolate while her children starved. If you think your childhood sucked, or know someone’s that did, then this is the book for you.
21. Quran: A Short Journey by One Reason
A gift from the Al Fateh Grand Mosque. An intro to the 604 page version. It talks about equality, diversity, and being steadfast. It says to be nice to everyone but kill those who fight you over your faith, move you from your home, commit murder, or spread corruption. It’s a thick book on everything you can and can’t do with wide interpretations – because God forgives all.
photo from itworld.com
22. The Man in the Red Underpants by A.R. Green
It discusses away all reasons for believing in other religions – the books aren’t as fact worthy, not as old, not full of as many facts. It tells you that the Big Bang Theory doesn’t make sense, because there is no way that all this order came from so much chaos. It says that the Quran teaches – be nice, pray, pass the test that is life, give charity, and don’t lie.
23. Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk
Caleb got this from a friend at work, so I read it aloud to him. I like the wording and enjoyed the different points of view as men wait to help a woman set a sex record. I could smell the sweat in the room as I read.
24. Humboldt’s Cosmos: Alexander Von H. and the Latin American Journey that Changed the Way we See the World by Gerard Helferich
Alexander was a great man for science, his time, and the world. He documented heights, locations, stars, animals, politics, habits of locals, and brought you on his difficult journey met with disappointment and mosquitoes. He had more determination in his old age than most have in a lifetime. Humboldt was a great influence on other scholars and of place names in recognition of his greatness.
photo from bbc.co.uk
25. Operation Mincemeat: The True Spy Story that Changed the Course of WWII by Ben Macintyre
The Allies put a lot of work into deceiving the Axis powers. I didn’t know this side of the war. I thought it was just fought brutally in nice weather and waited out during winter and ration shortages. Is this where a lot of military tax dollars still go today, to making a lonely dead guy into a decorated officer with a history that saved thousands of friendly and enemy lives by what he carried in a briefcase?
26. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
Laugh out loud reading. He loved his boyfriend even though he walked so damn fast and he spent three months in Japan to quit smoking after 20 years. Life is definitely about perspective and possibilities.
27. Antebellum by R. Kayeen Thomas
It’s about a rapper that goes blindly through life until he’s shot, and sent back in time, to have an epiphany about his ancestors and change his outlook on life. He might not have gone the right way about hating the white man, but his message of loving who he is and bettering it, not covering it in chains and slang terms, is one I think many still need to learn. It’s important to know where you came from so you’re more prepared for where you’re going. But that still doesn’t give you permission to be a racist.
photo by dontfreaknow
28. Looking for Alaska by John Green
A book loan from Priya, who got it from her daughter. It’s about taking chances, leaving mysteries, and learning to love after a great loss. The kids make time to break rules and cause havoc because, “No one should take life so seriously, no one gets out alive.” I’m sure those would be some famous last words, something quoted often in the story.
29. The Qur’an and Modern Science by Dr. Zakir Naik
A book comparing Qur’an verses with modern science. It makes a reference to the planet’s rotation, the honey of bees, the pairing of fruit, how ants are closest to people in lifestyle (burying the dead and meeting for conversation), and how the embryo looks like a leech. What surprised me most was the depth it went into describing sperm. And it made me question why we have fingerprints. I think some of the scripture was stretched to fit opinion, but I suppose that’s a matter of perspective.
30. The Scarlet Plague by Jack London
A short story about a world where the humans that have survived the disease of 2012 have turned into savages 60 years later. The book revolves around grandpa telling his grandsons how things used to be and how fast the disease spread and what he did to escape it while in the San Francisco area.
I also read 600 pages of A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford
I didn’t know the characters at the beginning, but I was laughing and crying with them in the end. It’s a tale of a woman who struggled through loss as a child and used it to gain so much more for her grandchildren.
Sparky thinking inside the box
New Year’s Eve will come and go, but the year will take its time, as it does every year, as the Earth makes its way around the sun, and as the planets travel towards their destiny in space and time. People will go on living, some will make temporary adjustments, and others changes that last a lifetime. I’ve been blogging since June 2011 and have made some resolutions of my own – some small, some personal, and others that I thought were meant for another lifetime, or someone else.
sipping bubbly in the shade with friends by the canal
Here it is, the end of 2014. I’m 28 years old and some days I still feel 18. Caleb has noticed a lot of changes in me since we’ve been together and recently mentioned one that stuck with me. In 2005, I was eating meat, drinking beer, and smoking cigarettes. Here I am almost ten years later after being a vegetarian for five years and going a year without drinking. I quit smoking in 2009, but still try cigars and sheesha.
Piggy enjoying her favourite pastime
I’d like to think that each change has been in the right direction, making me a better person, and improving those around me. These were never intentional changes in the beginning, and none were made to start in the new year. My main goal as a child was to move out of my mom’s house and far away – and I have definitely accomplished that. I’ve grown a lot in the last few years and it has helped my emotions significantly to realise that things in the past can stay there, so I can move forward.
Caleb eating sideways at Lilou’s
The further I’ve gotten from the dramas of high school and the navy, the more I appreciate the time spent there, but also the ability to not dwell there. I’m no longer ‘friends’ with people, for the most part, that don’t have a positive influence on my life. I don’t need to know that I once knew someone who doesn’t make a difference in the world – for those that make a difference in mine: thanks, gracias, danke, shukran. I would prefer to meet people who live a life of selling fruits and offering kindness and coffee to travellers – those are people worth knowing.
#TheYearOfTheSelfie
My last few years’ resolutions have been to Do More: biking, reading, knitting, language learning, SCUBA, traveling, improving, experiencing, and to be more productive. I’ve read 28 books this year (of which a review will be later). I still haven’t found my incomplete socks that I started knitting in January as part of my resolution. And instead of continuing to learn Spanish, I’ve now taken on learning words and letters in Arabic to help me adjust to my new home in Bahrain (a place I never heard of before being told I was going to live here – I too had to use Google Maps).
Sparky being questioned on his YouTube history
I thought seeing the United States was going to be a difficult task itself, and it’s still proving so as I have yet to visit Hawaii. I never thought I’d get the chance to go back to Mexico, to go to Canada three times in one year, and then move to another country across the Atlantic. I’ve met some amazing people who share the same goals as me – learn, travel, enjoy. I’ve been too busy having fun to keep up with my blog, let alone try online school for a program that won’t transfer (still need to do more research in overseas programs), and definitely don’t feel like working – I have yet to get bored enough.
walking with the sun on my face and sand in my teeth
We should finally be getting scuba certified in February (when the next available class is), if Caleb isn’t underway, so we can scuba around Bahrain and Oman and see the shipwrecks. Then we can travel to Australia and Indonesia to see their incredible reefs.
What do I want to set as my goals for next year?
1. take a bike tour, and ride down to the Tree of Life
2. read the books on my shelves, and add to my list
3. finish my orange socks and learn to card weave, so I can finish my camera strap
4. learn to not say no so quickly, and to do the same with yes
5. try new foods and improve my Arabic vocabulary and spell my name
6. travel to three new countries, couch surf Germany and meet bloggers in China
7. keep my mind and body in shape, and set my soul free
8. continue to fill my passport with visas, and get lost.
And Caleb: ride my bike more, read more books, and stop being sick.
I suppose we have similar goals, and Caleb has a simpler way of stating them. I want him to have a life outside work, to be closer to family, and nicer to friends; to sit less and walk more; to learn something new every day; to appreciate what we have – legs, eyes, voice; and to be grateful for our history and what the future brings – a year of change, breaking rules, causing international incidents, and ignoring resolutions on weekends and holidays and vacations – because life is about taking chances, being outside your comfort zone, and living for the moment – because it might be all you have.
sunrise panorama from Royal Grand Suites
We decided to sleep in, hitting snooze on my alarm, and going back to sleep for thirty minutes. We were ready to go by 7 am. I didn’t feel like a shower, and even put on the same skirt, and skipped the steam room. Caleb bathed and we packed the new purchases into our bags before driving the car downstairs, and turning in the room key.
The attendant asked if we were settled on breakfast (checking out before the buffet opens) and while Caleb waited on them to check the room and get the receipt (another one), I went upstairs to get a view from the pool – the one I wanted since we arrived.
Heritage Village
We drove to Heritage Village, that opens at 8:30a, and got there at 8am. We walked along the water taking in the architecture, flowers, camels, clouds, shadows, cats, people, and all the details from the sea-life on the water’s edge to the different cuts of wood on the balconies, doors, and dhows that make this part of the city such a great morning destination. We find a sign that says doors don’t open until 4:30p on Saturday’s. I guess we will have to enjoy the wonders of an afternoon here on another visit.
We drove to Century Village (a gathering of eateries) for two coffees, a croissant, a muffin, and a lemon water at Costa with a kids’ tennis team – so we sat outside to lessen the noise and Caleb eavesdropped on the conversation at the next table about how Dubai used to be. I wonder how much cheaper a quick breakfast was – as today’s would cost us $25.
Century Village
We made it to Sharjah National Park at 10 am and though our tickets said entry was 2 Dhs we were charged 5 Dhs each – what’s another 80 cents when we’re helping preserve a green oasis among the desert and the city to give locals and tourists a place to relax and play. We passed the kitty train driver for the pink and white ride headed to nap town – as that’s where him and his assistant already were.
We walked down the long tunnel of pillars and flowers with a wooden trellis overhead and a metal fencing over that so that the shadows could fall, but not the plants causing them. I admired the lines, and the bright pinks and yellows… and chipmunk! I’ve adapted to the lack of animals, certain foods and traffic laws, so I was excited to see something scurrying after having gone months without – that, or Sparky has me trained well.
Sharjah National Park
We go over the hill, enjoy the view, and down to the bike rental shop. The employee is lounged in the grass and gives us a tandem – thirty minutes for 30 dirham. It’s a good thing we didn’t rent for longer as the bikes are only allowed on this small portion of the park that’s filled with trees, sprinklers, sunshine, a closed tunnel; and birds with bright blue, indigo, and turquoise feathers seen in flight – known as an Indian roller.
We walked by the teacups (Caleb’s favorite carnival ride) among others that had cats hidden in them, and a replica-looking Ladies Mosque, and a large set of swings – they’ve got the right idea in the Middle East – not skimping on things wanted or needed. We walked between wall and trees on one side and grass on the other looking at flower bushes and trying to capture a picture of the elusive Indian roller – so fast, so beautiful, and perched so high.
Indian roller
After all this beauty came the smelliest and brownest toilet I’ve been in, and used, since my arrival in the Gulf.
Caleb said we were headed to a surprise and then told me to take a quick right off the highway. The Sharjah Car Club & Museum… not my idea, but it would be a treat for him that he noticed on the map in time. I would have to wait for mine. There were enough cars in the lot to satisfy my curiosity, but we went inside and spent an hour looking at 72 years worth of fancy older versions of cars – some I like better than their modern ones. We put together a large magnetic puzzle and then got our picture taken in a Corvair.
cruising in a Corvair
Caleb wandered around back to find the stash of other cars left in the sun covered in dust waiting for the day they can shine again. I went to our car to eat. We had leftover rice and I used a drink lid as a feeding scoop which turned out to be more fun than it was messy.
My surprise would be the Eye of the Emirates, a Ferris Wheel and the only ride Caleb likes at carnivals. It’s five dirham to ride and we got to rock at the top while people boarded. I think the wheel is more picturesque than the view it offers of the skyscrapers/water on one side and skyscrapers/dirt on the other, but it’s nice and I want to come back at night.
Eye of the Emirates
We went to O’ My Buns (Idiocracy reference?) for drinks and a bun. The guy had trouble understanding our order even after he wrote it down, he didn’t serve us the carrot juice I wanted, and didn’t have change or a toilet, but the bun was new and the green tea latte and saffron tea worth waiting for while watching a toddler interact with his parents and make faces at me. These are the joys of traveling and what make my stories worth telling.
Next was the Heart of Sharjah. Caleb wanted historical looking and museums and this place is full of both. We already want to come back to the UAE. We thought the place might be closed and deserted, but when we saw the bus load of tourists we knew we were in the right place. We had the Heritage Museum to ourselves for five dirham each – full of clothing, pearls, pottery, and a courtyard that leads up to a roof with a view.
sippin on bun and juice
Soon we were in the Asra Souq looking at old Emirati coins with different designs on the back commemorating events. We walk along the harbor, boats on this side with sleeping crew and ships on the other, and on the rolling sidewalk that seems as if they laid bricks on the terrain without any forethought. They did a good job though and I appreciate the texture it gives to the area and its relative smoothness that could be appreciated on a bike compared to some of the cracked sidewalks I’ve been on in California.
With two hours before going back to Bahrain we drive to Irish Village. I stop for petrol where they have nine-piece firewood stacks and three-pack tissue sets, both in bulk for those impulse buyers. I take a u-turn instead of a left, but it’s only a ten minute delay. We arrive and parking is still free. We’ve gotten lucky with that because of the holiday. I order a Bailey’s and mint shot and a Wagner’s and Guinness drink and we go outside to watch the ducks and the three little girls in pink dresses. Caleb is the one to notice all the people with luggage (the ones that took cabs and will be leaving here less than able to drive).
Heart of Sharjah
We dropped the car off at National with no issue and were climbing in the back of a partially pink cab at 5:30. I should’ve done a better job of exchanging bills for change, they charge 25 just to get in the car. We had to wait on her to get change while the guy behind us honked at her blocking traffic. We got through passports and security within 30 minutes and I got a laugh out of the English guy, drunk from Irish Village, who thought I was Russian or Canadian and go to Aspen every year to ski.
We found a seat and then a guy moved for us so I could plug my phone in and try to update it. I didn’t think I would need a coffee, but I started to feel sleepy, so I went to the Dunkin Donuts stand for two lattes with a shot of espresso in each. Check out was harder than watching the drunk guys order a box of donuts. We saw the line form for Bahrain and then saw Natalie, our neighbor, when Caleb got up to throw away his cup. She was trying to get her parachute (she’s a serial skydiver) on the plane and they made her check it.
Scottish Courage – for all at Irish Village
She had row 7 (lucky enough to pick her seat) and we had row 28, so we loaded from the rear of the plane. I don’t know why more flights don’t do this. She was able to jump six times in two days and had an absolute blast. She wanted to hear all about our trip. I went to her seat and got into the one in front of her to take a selfie – like my dad running into a friend on a plane, but not as photogenic.
We lifted off at 8p and landed at 8p. It took us 45 minutes to get through passports, have Natalie offer us a ride, pay for long-term parking, and be on the road home. We arrived to happy dogs – happy we were home to walk them and feed them twice. I’m happy there’s not a bag of pee on the table. My throat started hurting on the plane and I thought it was the perfume. Now my nose is running too. I hope it’s just trying to clean out the mess and that if I am getting sick that I’m better before our next trip – that I still have to plan for.
6:15 am, view from Burj Khalifa
This morning came too early, but I wasn’t going to let being tired get in the way of our vacation. I showered and heard Caleb moving around when I opened the door to let the steam out. We left the room at 5:30 with a 20 minute ETA on the map. We got to the Dubai Mall with no problems and definitely no traffic, but had a hard time navigating the large parking area. We asked two attendants for directions and then Caleb pointed left.
We went inside and there are guys spaced throughout to help point tired people in the right direction. At one point we went up the wrong escalator and had a couple follow us as they had tried using the elevator without luck. You park in cinema parking, P2, M and then walk all the way to the end, with signs guiding you, and stop when you reach the shiny counter with the hard to read sign that says At The Top.
Souk Al Bahar
We were on our way up at 6:03 and I wanted to come back for the sunset as our ticket tells us it can be seen from the bottom of the building and then again from the top – two sunsets in one day! There is a long moving walkway full of screens and mirrors with the history and extravagance of this place. I didn’t realize the work and brain power that went into such a structure – and I thought I had been to some tall buildings. This thing is art, science, and technology. There are more screens, hallways, and steps leading to the elevator with more screens and lights that will take us to the top.
We are led out on to a balcony with a hole between glass and concrete at our feet and another one between glass panels so we can feel the wind and the height better – perfect for acrophobics and those willing to put their cameras out there unknowingly. This also allowed better pictures without a reflection in the glass, but I didn’t see a net for dropped items, but I suppose that’s what the fountain is for below.
Burj Khalifa
We are impressed with the view in the dark at 6:14 and it continues to get better as the crowd begins to thicken to watch the city come alive. We let some people enjoy our viewing spot for a moment, but were sure to claim it for the money shot – the reason we paid to come at this hour. The city becomes clearer for a moment before the pre-sunset fog blankets the view, only to be warmed away at 6:52 when the sun begins to peek through the clouds that have delayed the gratification of the crowd.
This is all I had planned for today, so I feel accomplished – it’s the little things. After getting my necessary retina burning done for the day, I can make my way through the crowd to photograph them taking selfies and take in the rest of the view that this height has to offer – Burj Al Arab standing alone with Jumeirah and possibly Jebel Ali in the distance. In the gift shop, we bypass the 400 dirham golden plate, the snow globes, pencils, keychains, mugs, and 120 dirham shirts. What we want isn’t for sale – the viewing lens with day, night, live, and historic options – and I’m sure it wouldn’t work the same in our living room.
Dubai Dino
We take the lift (elevator) down at 7:13 and wave goodbye to the sun – physically and metaphorically as we make our way down another hallway informing us of all the wealthy people who were in charge of the workers safety and accounting for the millions of man hours it took just to put in all the windows when the weather would allow. Another walkway with more screens will deliver us out of Burj Khalifa in search of coffee inside a very large mall in the Middle East where nothing opens till late.
The architecture is beautiful, inside and out, and though I’m concerned with capturing the light in my lens I also have a strong desire to give my body energy. The only places conveniently open by 8:15 (when I felt like passing out after walking around for an hour) were Caribou Coffee and Tim Horton’s (an American and Canadian company) – where we got drinks, a cranberry-sesame muffin, and a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese.
the proof is in the architecture – Dubai is a city built on outdoing itself
During that hour we saw a window display that smokes, moves, and plays music – it was fantastic – and the best one in the mall out of the others we would see. We walked by the second largest indoor aquarium, able to hold ten million liters, with the world’s largest acrylic panel. And we discovered the Dubai Dino, a Diplodocus longus that is over 150 million years old that made its way to the Middle East from Dana Quarry, Wyoming. The body is 80 feet long and 25 ft high, and has 90% of its skeleton, the most intact of its kind, which at first appears headless.
After breakfast, we explored the many fancy shoe displays and happened upon the hockey rink – in mid-game, complete with referees, seating for 400, and a VIP section. Though I believe sitting in the white leather chairs just on the other side of the glass would be more thrilling and comfy. We passed the Souk inside the mall which compares to the Souk Al Bahar (meaning market of the sailor) in size, outside the mall with over a hundred shops – one of them being Icon Coffee Couture that serves kopi luwak from 7 to 11 in the morning, but that just happened to be closed today.
Dubai Mall Waterfall
We should’ve gone to the Underwater Zoo when we had the chance, but we either left something to come back for, or the opportunity to see one when visiting another country. It took us a while to find The Waterfall, an indoor fountain that spans all four levels of the mall adorned with fibreglass divers, not just one of the other two ordinary fountains inside, let alone the outdoor one that’s supposed to be 25% larger than the one in Las Vegas that sprays water and spreads joy in the evenings.
We passed KidZania, with the ticket booth set up in the fashion of an airport, on our way to SEGA Republic, so that Caleb could ride his first indoor roller coaster. We put all our stuff in a locker (so no video footage) before climbing on with two kids. Under my screams, Caleb could hear one of them joining in to add to the noise of the experience. They got off playing it cool because they get to do this every weekend. I’m grateful my first ride was laughing in fear as Priya made sure Dana Mall heard the terror in her voice.
beach next to Burj Al Arab
We happened into a Tempurpedic Mattress store where I had to have my arm twisted to lay down on a $5,000 Cloud. I would’ve given the ok to buy, but ours at home has only reached its half-life, and I’d hate to think it was ok to throw me out at 50 just because something comfier has been found looking soft and unused under incandescent lights. The sales associate urged me to take off my shoes and grab a pillow. I don’t think she understood our need for coffee, though I could’ve crossed off a nap on a public bed while on vacation off my bucket list.
Before I could earn my coffee, I had to spend 40 minutes in the dressing room trying on things with and without sleeves. Caleb was smiling as he imagined me on the next billboard ad for barely there clothes. An agreement was made, some things were bought, and a yummy chocolate-swirled, whipped-cream topped beverage was given to me with a straw. I appreciate the lid for added content, but always take it off to make a mess first.
Dubai as seen from Meydan Golf Course exit
We left the mall at 2pm and went to the public beach next to Burj Al Arab. There was more skin here, on the sand in the Middle East, than food served at an Indian festival or at Grandma’s during the holidays. I didn’t bring my itsy-bitsy teenie-weenie pink polka-dot bikini, but I brought an appetite to fill it, so we thought we’d go to Heritage Village to find a large serving of traditional Emirati food.
We got detoured by Qube’s Inferno Burger that needs a waiver and has a thirty minute eat and it’s free time limit. It’s located 20 minutes out-of-town at the Meydan Golf Course, but when we get there at 3:30, after reaching a dead-end and finding another route, we find out that they stopped selling it months ago without telling anyone because a customer fainted or something – isn’t that in the fine print, and another reason to add your name to the list of attempts.
to art, or to eat, that is the question – at Qube’s
We order a Heineken and some fries while playing a game of pool – no point in coming out here for nothing. The place looks like a nice hang out, but besides the old guy in the corner, we’re the only customers in the place, but that’s because we didn’t look on the green for Tiger Woods practicing his swing.
It’s a good thing we got something to eat because Kate awakens from her weekend shenanigans to the picture of the flip-flops she was looking for that I sent her hours ago. She asks for two pairs of Havaianas, so we return to Dubai Mall at 4:00 to spend 240 dirham on shoes. We get to watch the sunset on the way to dinner at Hot & Spicy restaurant. We get there at 5:45, order rice with peppers, a roll (chicken shawarma in a paratha), and Marsala fries with three dips. We didn’t have to sign a waiver, but we got to sit outside, enjoy the food, and people watch.
to work, or to fly, that is the question – at construction site
I tried going to the petrol station before dinner, but missed the curb-less spot along the road. I u-turned to try again only to be faced with a cliff and rocks leading into a dirt lot. I kept driving and took the exit from the highway to wait in line to pay our 53 dirham to fill the car with Super. This will give us the gas needed to get back to the room, across towns, and run around tomorrow. I step on the gas and make the car beep once before keeping it at 100 kph, the speed limit.
We get to the room at 7pm and are excited for sleep, but my writing keeps both of us awake and we remember the gym/sauna/pool, and Caleb brought shorts this time, so we go upstairs to find out the pool closed 45 minutes ago (at 7p) and the gym closes in 15 minutes (at 8p) and that my computer is still on Bahrain time (7p). It’s now 8pm and we plan on sleeping in tomorrow, eating or skipping breakfast, and maybe going to the sauna.
TheJessicaness 