Sandier Pastures

This week’s theme: What is that!?

You take a guess in the comments! No prize up for grabs though. I’ll just put all your guesses (and link to you) on this post.

Robin, Maribeth, Addie and Donetta all guessed CORRECTLY that this is inside a hotel. Betty, however was spot on, as this was taken inside the Burj Al Arab hotel!

For the lack of better things to do while waiting to be picked up by M after work, I stumbled upon this typing speed test and I scored (on the first try):

75 words

*****

Oh, and Happy Birthday to my father, who’s typing skills is truly inspirational - he types as fast and on the typewriter when I was younger.

This is my 53rd Thursday Thirteen post. I can’t believe one year has passed already and I am still loving this weekly meme!

During the past twelve months, I have posted random topics about:

1. Reasons to love Dubai, although at this time of the year, there’s nothing to love about the heat and humidity! As of this writing, it’s 45C outside with 60% humidity!

2.  How did you arrive on this blog? 13 keywords that brought readers to Sandier Pastures were interesting.

3. I never knew dates (the fruit) until I relocated to the Middle East. Writing about Date Facts were educational for me as well.

4. On some days I don’t have any other idea what to post but don’t want to miss writing for Thursday Thirteen, I post about my favorite scents.

5. Or yak about the veggies in my salad bowl.

6. Living in Dubai provides a lot of writing opportunity - the things I see in the beach made up a good Thursday Thirteen list.

7. How do you know Dubai? This is not a typical Arab country so I posted about the misconceptions about Dubai.

8. When I’m totally clueless (happens from time to time), I grab random interesting facts from the net. Have you seen square watermelons?

9. I’ve lived in Japan for more than 10 years before relocating to Dubai so I’ve listed the signs Part 1 & Part 2 that tell one have been living in Japan too long.

10. On a random date, I posted about the events that happened in November 22.

11. I also posted photos of our great desert adventure.

12. I loves quotes and these motherhood quotes melt my heart.

13. Lastly, not entirely unrelated to Dubai, the 2 cows and a system post is one of my favorites!

Here’s to another year of Thursday Thirteen!

Even a hired limo gets stuck in traffic! I spotted this loong car while waiting for the bus to take me home a couple of days back.

Whoever wished me luck yesterday, thank you. I got on the bus 10 minutes after I arrived at the bus stop. I couldn’t be happier because this is a very rare event in the history of my bus commuting experience in Dubai. Though the bus had a faulty airconditioning system that left the passengers sweating and smelling, I am still glad to be home at a decent time.

We had a dry heat here yesterday afternoon. Some parts of the Emirates registered 52C at midday. However, the humidity was low but with accompanying wind. Just imagine having a hair dryer aimed straight at your face! Dry heat spells are going to continue for the next days but I’m glad I won’t have to take the bus again.

Anyway, it’s only 14 more working days before my vacation (I only have Fridays off). Can’t wait to get out of here (even for just a month).

I went out after lunch today to buy something and the moment the I slipped out of the sliding door at the building entrance, I had to squint my eyes. It was so hot!

The word hot probably wouldn’t come as a surprise when talking about Dubai in summer but today, the mercury hit 51C (124F)! Outside, people are rushing from one airconditioned building to another. Within seconds, my back was wet with sweat. No doubt, today is the hottest day since summer started and too bad I had to take the bus today as M is on an urgent errand for work and in the other side of the city!

I wonder how hot is hot later at 6 pm. It would be a little bearable since the sun has almost set but still, the 50%humidity is still there. Let’s hope the bus comes fast and that I’ll be able to get on it without wrestling through other passengers in the afternoon rush nightmare.

I didn’t plan to talk about the latest controversy/scandal that occurred here in Dubai a few days ago but alas, I can’t help it!

The news of the woman arrested and probably facing as much as six years of jail time for having sex on the beach must have reached you now. No? I even read it sensationalized in Perez Hilton, a Hollywood gossip page.

As the news said, the woman who’s smiling photograph and real name is displayed in The Sun, is charged for the following:

• Drinking alcohol in public
• Caught drunk in public
• Having sex in public
• …with a man not her husband (I suppose it’s half ok if it’s your husband? Just kidding)
• Verbally assaulting a police officer who reprimanded her by calling him, “f****** Muslim **** “
• Physically assaulting the same cop with her high-heeled shoe (she was wearing shoes while having sex?)

I’ve read comments like, “Don’t go to Dubai because of its backward, traditional, stone-age rules”, or “Beware, you’ll get charged for having sex in public in Dubai”.

Having lived here for almost two years now, I find that the mentality towards foreigners in the Emirates, most especially Dubai is very relaxed, forward thinking, progressive and accepting. Remember, the policeman warned them the first time and yet they continued to have a second round! 

Doing the act in public is a crime not only here but in any Western country as well. Not? Having it in public (plus hitting a police officer) is just plain ignorance and appalling disrespect, regardless of wherever country you are!

Ok, I give up. This will be one of those Saturdays that I won’t be posting for the photo hunt. The theme is a little difficult for me and I have searched high and low through my photo albums yet couldn’t find one photo that speaks “support” in it.

Moving on, I’m at work again. Oh I hate Saturdays, but if you have been reading my blog for a while, you’ve probably known that.

This morning started quite crazy. I overslept! Shopping on a Friday night is such a bad idea when you’re in Dubai. We went out last night to buy souvenirs for friends we’ll meet with during our vacation next month. On Fridays, when it’s holy day in this Muslim country, most shops only open at 4 pm. Big department stores do open from 9 am but the souvenir shop we went to only opened at 4 in the afternoon.

Battling the shopping rush - there were sooooo many people buying souvenirs as summer time is exodus time in the UAE. Expat families go back home to escape being roasted alive from the hot summer sun. Traffic was so heavy in the parking areas and in the streets, we were home at half before midnight!

With the headache I am having today (I don’t do well without enough sleep) I swear I’ll never go out on a Friday night again!

Are We There Yet, Mom? has tagged me with a fun meme where I tell you something, Quirky or Boring about me, that you haven’t read about before.

Haven’t read before? Oh, that would be difficult since I have posted memes almost every Friday here so I think you all know me so well now.

First, here are the rules:

1) Link to the person who tagged me.

2) Mention the rules.

3) Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about myself.

4) Tag 6 other bloggers by linking to them.

5) Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment that lets them know they’ve been tagged.

*****

Here are things that make me quirky yet boring (?)

1. I sleep with two pillows. Can’t sleep with only the one under my head. I need something to cuddle, prop my feet up or simply to wrestle with into the night.

2. I can’t sleep if it’s not pitch black. This explains why I can’t sleep properly on planes and trains.

3. I can live without makeup but not without a lip balm. That’s the bare necessity in my hand bag.

4. I am highly dangerous and possibly lethal on some days of the month. Beware.

5. I can’t stay awake beyond 11 pm and can’t sleep beyond 7 am.

6. I wish to retire “temporarily” from work - around 6 months to one year. Just stay at home and be a Stepford wife!

*****

So it’s that time of the month (see #4) so I’m lethal and will be tagging new commenters Eaton, Amy, Adria, Betty, Peter Plum and Vered!

On Thursdays, I only work until 1:30 pm but this is my most hectic day of the week (most times). Here are 13 things I’ll do today:

1. Wake up and prepare breakfast.

2. Go to work.

3. Work. Work. Work. 

4. Go out of the office at 1:30.

5. Call the doctor for appointment for my mother who not feeling well.

6. Drive home, beating the terrible Thursday afternoon Dubai traffic and unbelievable afternoon heat.

7. Take Pristine to the clinic for follow-up checkup.

8. Go home and put her to sleep for her afternoon nap.

9. (While she is sleeping, request my mother to watch her) Go to the gym.

10. Go home and prepare dinner.

11. Let Pristine have her dinner.

12. Get dressed up and wait to be picked up by hubby.

13. Go out for our 5th wedding anniversary dinner date! - After a long and tiring day, I’ll try not land face down on my dinner plate!

How’s your Thursday today?