Sandier Pastures

Date: March 31st

Time: 1:30 pm

Weather: Sunny (blue skies), little wind

Temperature: 38C (100F)

Sounds unbearable, I know, but since the humidity is still low everyone can walk normally outside and not melt.

Once M and I had a conversation on our way to work. I told him that it’s already getting hotter at midday but surprisingly, somehow I still feel ok.

“It’s only because you are staying inside an airconditioned office. But I don’t know if the laborers working outside feels ok about this heat and it’s still March.”, he replied.

The heat outside didn’t seem to bother me because my body is too cold (from the freezing aircon setting in the office) to feel it and I don’t go out for more than 10 minutes. So today, I walked outside for 30 minutes and knew that the real deal hot summer is finally greeting us desert dwellers hello.

Morning and night temperature is still very comfortable at 24C. Right now, it’s only the midday heat we have to deal with.

The richest horse race in the world otherwise known as The Dubai World Cup was held yesterday at Nad Al Sheba here in Dubai. American horse of the year Curlin won the $6 million horse racing event with ease among 12 other rivals.

I was NOT there at the event because I don’t understand the thrill of horse racing, the crowd and traffic is not something I look forward to on a work day. However, M for work, as tour guide to some tourists who flew all the way from Japan to watch and experience the event.

The annual event not only attracts horse racing fans from all over the world but also fashion aficionados who display their most fashionable dresses and fanciest (I’d say eccentric) hats at the races.

I must really educated myself with the connection between horses and hats. Why do women wear hats during horse races? 

Can this even be called a “hat”? The Dubai World Cup event also included judging and awarding the trendiest hat wearer/best dressed lady with $7000!

There were also categories for Best Dressed Couple ($5000) and I know you all want to know what hat won the Best Hat category:

Do you like it? I don’t know what is the criteria for judging but the winning hat don’t look like a hat to me at all - at least not the usual, common hat that I know and wear, the one that serves the purpose of protecting my face from the sun!

I still don’t get the fashion show tradition during horse racing events so I’ll leave you to comment if you know. I need some education.

Photos taken from Gulf News.

This week’s theme: High

Craning our neck looking at a high building. Wait! That’s no ordinary building. Burj Dubai, when completed will be the tallest building in the world. On July 21, 2007, it supassed Taipei 101 and became world’s tallest though still under construction. The final height is undisclosed.

The Month of My Birthday - Look in November for my answers

Here’s the rules:
1. Pick the month of your birth.
2. Bold the 5-10 things that most apply to you
3. Strike out everything that doesn’t apply to you.
4. Place the list of all the months under a cut.
5. Tag 6 people from your friends list to do the same.

JANUARY:
Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY:
Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH:
Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL:
Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY:
Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE:
Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY:
Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST:
Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER:
Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER:
Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER:
Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable ( sometimes).

DECEMBER:
Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

*****

Looking at all the months, I would say, except for Sexy, I think I should have been born on December.

Here’s tagging everyone who likes to do this!

 Instead of whining about some discomforts, I have made a decision to make Dubai my home so I’ve listed out things I love about the place to get me going everyday.

1. Blue skies 330 days of the year, on the average - It only rains in the winter and we had lots of it last January.

2. The amazingly great beaches -  So many tourists come here for the beaches and we live just a few minutes from it!

3. The wide green parks - that my family loves so much.

4. The cool, not cold winter - No need for thick jackets. No numb ears!

5. No ice to scrape off from my car in winter - If we decide to go out, we can just turn the key and speed off.

6. The multi-lingual environment - More than 80% of Dubai’s population is composed of expats from more than 200 countries. It is interesting to see so many people speak different languages. Pristine is learning French and Arabic in school. I love it when I hear her say something in French then panic and look it up in the dictionary!

7. Security - Despite the stereotyped image of the Middle East, crime is low here. Dubai is even voted one of the safest travel destination.

8. Shopping malls -  That offer almost everything from Japanese food to hundreds of spices. In one shopping mall, you could even ski.

9. Restaurants and food from all over the world - With expats comprising most of the population, Dubai is a gastronomic adventure.

10. Exotic desert resorts - Away from the chaotic city life and the relentless construction, you can relax at resorts built in the middle of the desert. Places where you can almost forget about the time. 

11. Dates! - The luscious, sweet fruit that I am addicted to since coming to Dubai.

12. Cheap petrol - The perks of living in a petroleum producing country.

13. Tax-free salary - Need I say more?

Just when I thought what to write, a large explosion that shook windows and the ground occurred in Al Quoz Industrial area producing a massive black mushroom cloud in the sky this morning.

~ smoke as seen from Al Nahda Road ~

We did not hear the explosion as we are not living near Al Quoz but the billowing smoke is very visible from our house and on the road on our way to work.

~ thick black smoke as seen in Salahuddin Road in Deira, near my office ~

Now, what exactly happened is still unclear but seems like a firecracker factory caught fire and exploded. Major roads near the area including Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road suffered severe traffic because of the incident. Injuries were reported but authorities have yet to confirm. Will post more about this later.

***** UPDATE *****

I went to the Immigration Department today to arrange visa amendment status of my husband and as soon as got out of the car, I was greeted by a really bad smell that looked like burning plastic. I can’t really describe it. The smoke was thicker there also because Al Quoz is near.

Gulf News had an update of the story with some shocking photos. A revelation that what I saw from my place earlier this morning was very far from what really happened in the affected area!

Witnesses said the explosion sounded like a volcanic eruption and from the looks of this mushroom cloud, I’d say, it really looks like a volcano has erupted!

This was the view of the sky taken by a photographer while facing Sheikh Zayed Road:

Last three photos taken from Gulf News.

While we were near The World Trade Center in Sheikh Zayed Road on a foggy morning:

The fog mist(?) seems to be moving in a very interesting manner I had to grab my camera and take a picture. Sometimes, traffic is good - it can make you appreciate the things around you and give you a chance of taking a still photo like this one.

Photos taken last week.

For so many people, well, 80% of the Dubai population, Dubai is just a temporary place. One day, every expat would go back to their home countries or go somewhere else. As a result, people leave furnitures, properties and sometimes, pets too.

We have taken two rabbits last year but had to give them to some family because they (the rabbits) were unhappy with us. We live in an apartment and keeping them in our small balcony outside was unfair. The floor would become unbearably hot during summer, scalding their paws. We don’t want them to be kept on a cage either. It was a wrong decision to accept the furries in the first place so we promised not to have any pets anymore.

It was heart breaking to see our little girl cry when she had to part with her furry friends.

There has been lots of ads in the expat community billboard (online) lately of cats and dogs up for adoption. Expats asking people to take in their cats and/or dogs when they repatriate. A cocker spaniel, bulldog and persian tabby cats were available for adoption. Now, these breed of cats and dogs (except the bulldog!) are really adorable.

*sigh*

But I have restrained myself. No pets for us unless we live in a house with some backyard. I hope the pets advertised will find a loving home soon.

*****

Stop by An Island Life. My second guest post is up while the beautiful Kailani is still somehere enjoying some snow in Lake Tahoe with her family.

In some parts of the world, there is an Easter mass/service going on, an Easter egg hunt or even a party. So what’s in store for me today, Easter Sunday?

Nothing special.

I will be working just like the usual days (Sunday is work day in the UAE). Actually, it does feel like the usual days. Is this bad? Oh, I hope not.

When I was living in my parent’s house some years back, we would wake up at 4 am, sip a cup of hot chocolate and drag our still half-asleep selves to church with hundreds of other people to see the Resurrection re-enactment. I don’t know if it was worth it, hearing the mass with an empty stomach, our hearts wishing we were back in bed, facing the risk of a possible stampede with the huge crowd, but at least it made our mother happy and thank God no stampede happened. My mother wanted to keep that tradition every year but my father contradicts. He said it’s risky for kids (I agree with him!) and only produced a lot of unwanted pregnancies in our little town: young couples convenientlyhiding in the dark bushes at dawn. Ok, I will not elaborate.

Anyway, we did not go to church to see any resurrection stage play today. The one and only Catholic church is far from where we live and as I said, it’s work day today.

To all of you celebrating Easter, Happy Easter!

This week’s theme: Metal

Round metal bars at the park near where we live.