Sandier Pastures

Are you a movie buff but would like to know if the movie is worth every penny and time you spend at the movie house? Do you love reading what other people think of the recent TV shows and sort the only things that are worthy to watch?

Go check out Critics Rant, a movie, tv and games review site where you can read and talk about your favorite shows. The site not only gives a very good summary of the show, it is also written in plain, simple words.

Having a toddler at home, we are not up to date with movies. Most of the time, we only wait for the DVD release and it saves a lot of time to see the movie reviews first before going to the DVD store. It’s also great to see some new TV shows and be updated even by just reading the reviews.  You can hang around and give your reviews in the site and win a DVD. Check out CriticsRant.com for more details.

Finding a perfect accommodation for a nice holiday can make of break a perfect vacation. It helps a lot to plan ahead by booking the accommodation at your destination, especially when travelling with a hyperactive toddler.

HotelReservations.com has one of the widest list of hotels in the internet which gives travellers more choices based on their respective budgets. It prides itself on low rates and helpful travel tools to make your vacation stress-free and more enjoyable.

The website is simple and clean, easy to navigate even for first time users and non-techies. I tried to search for accommodation in Dubai for future reference for friends wanting to visit us when once the summer is over and surprised to get a long list of hotels in the search result. I called a couple of hotels nearby and surprised to find out that booking through HotelReservations.com saves more than 40% of the nightly rate! That’s a whole lot of money to save for souvenirs!!

The site is not all about hotels, motels and apartment bookings at the best prices that can save you up to 70%. You can also easily book your flights, cruises, cars, vacation rentals and vacation packages all in one sitting.

HotelReservations.com also offers a comprehensive city guide to various worldwide destinations to keep you informed and ready before you even step out of your front door. That way you can plan ahead when and where to go, fun activities to do at your destination and the hottest eating and drinking spots. They may not have all the destination guides for every city but it appears that many are being added every time. 

HotelReservations.com accepts payments online though Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Your transaction will be fast, fully secured and protected. I’ve never had a trouble disclosing my credit card details online through this site. No mysterious bills, none at all.

Water is supposed to be free but it’s a different story here. We buy bottled water to drink and since we are paying money for a very basic need, I expect more, especially from a reputed company like Pepsi Co.

 Pepsi Cola Company was blasted for misleading the consumer public with their bottled water Aquafina. This is one of the leading water bottle brands in the UAE and honestly, I am shocked because we are patrons of this brand since we came here last January.

The Aquafina label image of snow capped mountains lead consumers to believe that the water in the bottles come from “natural sources” i.e., spring water when in truth it actually uses tap/public water as its resource!!

In a surprising decision, Pepsi has agreed to change the label on its Aquafina bottled water to list it’s source: public reservoirs.

If this helps clarify the fact that the water originates from public sources, then it’s a reasonable thing to do,” said Michelle Naughton, a Pepsi-Cola North America spokeswoman.

Dubai Refreshments, the sole franchisee and distributor for Pepsi Co. in Dubai and the Northern Emirates said Aquafina in the UAE is sourced from underground and is not tap water. Believe him?

In a land where water is more expensive than petrol, it’s not so refreshing to know that we are spending money on bottled water when we could just turn on our tap water at home. 

Don’t say huh!? You’re still in the right blog.

From Friday 10th August until Wednesday is Obon Festival in Japan. Obon Festival is a Japanese Buddhist holiday to honor the departed spirits of one’s ancestors. Most people from the big cities return to their hometown to visit and clean their ancestors graves. Traditionally, lanterns are hung across town for the spirits not to lose their way. because they are believed to return to this world each year during obon to visit their relatives. Creepy?

Creepier: Pristine carrying a lantern to the cemetery; lighting candles at M’s ancestor’s tomb AT NIGHT

Since I got associated with my Jap 9 years ago, we would go to his hometown and spend time with his family. Last year, it was Pristine’s first time to hold a lantern on our way to the cemetery. She was delighted!

Obon festival is just one of the many festivals during summer in Japan. It is also the best time to wear our summer kimono.

Pristine in her first yukata (summer kimono)

Never mind the smile/smirk: P in a Hello Kitty yukata

I’m getting some help here and a picture taken with our friends. Pristine is not dressed yet

Last year, my soon to be-sister-in-law V came to visit us in Nagano. She looked very radiant in the kimono I gave her as a gift. So many people mistakenly talked to her in Nihongo thinking she was a local!

Click the images to enlarge.

From left to right: My brother D and V (now engaged); the Jap wannabes; V’s back shot

So what is the connection with Japan’s Obon Festival with our life here in far away Dubai?

For one, I am working in a Japanese company, collaborating with Japan office. The Japs are out for vacation so I am not busy. How else would I be able to come up with this long post?

After 7 months, you know you’re in Dubai when:

•  you can’t lick your ice cream quick enough and it melts all over your face, clothes, hair and bag

•  you come out from a mall with and can’t see anything (fogs in your glasses!)

• 2 seconds after you come out from the heavily airconditioned building, you wished someone should have invented anti-fog glasses

• some a/c’s in cars and offices/malls are colder than siberia in winter season that you get ill and wonder how others bear with it

• you can ski and go to the beach all in one day

• you look like you played tennis for 10 hours, wet with sweat when in truth you were just standing outside for 2 minutes!

• you stand outside for two minutes and you feel that your skin in on fire

• you get into your car (leather seats) and burn your ass and arms!

• your neighbor’s dog refuses to step on the porch because the hot cement scorches its paws!!

• your bra is not designed for its primary purpose but more of a receptacle to catch sweat! yuck….

• You sweat in places you never thought is possible!

• You buy your first anti-perspirant and go crazy if the store runs out of them.

• you take a shower to refresh, at the end you’re even hotter because there is no difference between the cold and hot water!

• The swimming pool water keeps evaporating.

• You have to take a walk (for exercise) at 5:30 in the morning because by 6:30, it’s too hot to do it.

• You wonder why on earth you’re in such a rush to return!

• Everyone is complaining about gaining weight when it is supposed to be so hot and people sweat a lot!

• you know you’re in Dubai when you see people freakin’ bored with work and ridiculuously keep on expanding this list because there is not much to do outdoors!

See you next month! Yay for me for somewhat surviving my first summer in the desert!!

We’re finally got our internet connection at home. Are we happy or what!? Yes of course, we are, if only we’re not used to the 100MB connection speed in our previous home in Japan!

Our current internet speed is 256KB with real time speed of less than 100KB when we get lucky!

A friend called to say she is in her Europe post again and invited us over! That of course, made my heart leap.

Europe is very inviting. I have not met someone who did not think of going to Europe at least once in their lifetime. So many places in Europe is on “Places to Go Before I Die” lists.

My first taste of Europe was April of last year. Our first stop was Germany and from there we drove to neighbouring countries and Netherlands was definitely on our list. Since we were based in Germany, we drove to the border and decided for a day tour. Little did I know that there are so many things to do in Amsterdam and one day is just not enough! We ended up going back to Germany that night, sad and frustrated. We were able to visit Keukenhof in Lisse but we missed going to Anne Frank House, missed the canal tour, the Van Gogh, Rembrandt and the Rijks museums because it was a Sunday and the place is simply too crowded. We missed so many things in Amsterdam that I vow to come back!

 This time, we will be ready.  Cheap accommodation from so many places around the world can be booked online through AccomLine.  It is easy to use and the website includes descriptions of the hotels, pictures and customer ratings for easy reference. Be sure to check it out. So the next time we fly, we will book our Amsterdam accommodation to be able to tour the city and explore the attractions without thinking of the time and the drive back. 

Next time around, I’ll travel smarter, make good use of online reservations and come back with great photos of the canal city!

This week’s theme: Row

Circa 1991.

• A- Attached or Single? Thickly attached.

• B- Best Friend: lots of them, I can’t single one out .

• C- Cake or Pie: Cake - Black Forrest

• D- Drink of Choice: Classic Orange Juice or just plain bottled water.

• E- Essential Item: Maybelline lip gloss (but not during sandstorms!)

• F- Favourite Color: Blue

• G- Gummi Bears or Worms? Gummi Bears!

• H- Hometown: Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines but would like to call Nagano, Japan my hometown too.

• I- Indulgence: books and dinners out

• J- January or February: both as it’s the time for perfect weather in Dubai. February is extra-special because of the 14th.

• K- Kid(s): My no-longer-so-little Pristine, 3 years and 7 months

• L- Life is incomplete without: internet! seriously, my family!

• M- Marriage Date: July 14

• N- Number of Siblings: S-I-X — and we have only one mother, I must add! lol. Me, then a series of four brothers and lastly one darling sister.

• O- Oranges or Apples? Oranges.

• P- Phobia: Dying young

• Q- Favourite Quote: ”If you wish success in life, make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counselor, caution your elder brother and hope your guardian genius.”

• R- Reasons to smile: My daughter

• S- Season: Winter, Spring and Autumn! I am clearly in the wrong place.

• T- Tag Three: Can’t limit tagging to just three so if you like to do this, fire away!

• U- Unknown Fact About Me: I don’t open an email if I have no time to read it or most importantly, to answer it.

• V – Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals? Being non-vegetarian does not mean I oppress the animals. I love my meat and also kind to my rabbits.

• W- Worst Habit: Any friend of mine willing to volunteer answering this one? Well, I can be short-tempered when I am tired and sometimes give silent treatment to people I don’t like.

• X – X-rays or Ultrasounds? Have had and don’t like both. I have to get my top during X-rays and took off my bottoms during ultrasound!

• Y- Your Favorite Foods: My husband’s cooking.

• Z- Zodiac: In some books I am Scorpio, in some others, Sagitarrius (November 22)

Would you believe up until 1 minute ago, this little blog has 1,019 comments to boot! Well, I have no prize to offer except a link love and a spotlight to the 1,000th person to comment:

Thank you to Carey who left the following comment on my Summer vs Winter post:

I would take summer over winter any day.

Thank you to those reading this blog. I am always delighted to hear what you have to say. Have a happy weekend everyone!