Sex and the City 2 - Set in Abu Dhabi!!

Apparently set in Abu Dhabi but filmed in Morocco because it was easier to film there?? I bet it wont show in cinemas here, pirated DVD please if you're coming my way!

Unwed couples on Target in Sharjah

Sharjah is one of the 7 Emirates, reputed to be the strictest and most Islamic of the lot..

Sharjah, April 23: Police in the conservative Sharjah emirate are hunting for unmarried couples sharing the same address.

The door-to-door search is the latest effort by Sharjah authorities to enforce Islamic codes in their enclave, which borders far more freewheeling Dubai. The campaign, detailed Thursday in local media, follows a police report that a couple was arrested for living together out of wedlock.

Violators may face jail and deportation. But Shariah, or Islamic law, remains on the books and includes possible sentences of lashings.

The UAE outlaws unmarried couples from living together, but Sharjah enforces the strictest rules. The emirate -- one of seven that comprise the UAE -- also imposes a blanket ban on alcohol.

Sharjah's Police recently arrested a man for wearing a lungi as part of a crackdown on the attire in public.

The lungi is a piece of brightly colored silk or cotton cloth that is wrapped around the waist. It is worn in India, Pakistan, Myanmar and other South Asian countries.

Sharjah Police said that indecent and revealing clothes are not allowed in public.

Kabayan?? It's getting tiring..

I'm feeling really tired of being thought of as Philipino. I have nothing against Philipinos, they are lovely people. They also really like singing for some strange reason (that's not a judgement, just an observation). They sing everywhere, on the street, in the shops, while they're wiping the sofas in the furniture store..I've seen it countless times.

But I digress. I went to church today, and of course there are tons of Philipinos in church. But there are also tons of Pakistani drivers waiting outside in buses and vans waiting to pick up the Philipinos once mass is over. So when mass is over, there is a mass of people (no pun intended) leaving the church, and another ton of people trying to get in. Then the Pakistani bus drivers try to usher all the people leaving into their buses/vans. They scream at the tops of their voices their final destination and really try to herd the people into their bus (think malaysian pink minibuses). And of course because I am so Philipino looking, they try to herd me into the bus too. And I literally have to push back to get around them and not to be herded into a bus going back to some labour camp (labour camps are accommodation for workers, I know it sounds horrible, but it's effectively like a hostel). It's extremely frustrating and stressful. Sometimes I feel like waving my car keys in front of them and tell them to p**s off.

I know people look at me strangely when I get into my car. I know it's not normal for a Philipino looking person to drive, let even own a car. I know it's weird that a single Asian girl walks into a store and buys a home theatre system or furniture, but maybe people just shouldn't judge others based on how they look!

A taste of Malaysia 2

OK how good does this look...I went back to the Malaysian construction cafeteria for lunch with a friend today and yum!! My friend took the pics below..I should start taking pics of the other fabulous ethnic food there is here - Indian and Lebanese in particular is fab! What's sad is that most expats only eat in fancy restaurants in hotels where a meal costs AUD50pp without drinks, while there is this amazing array of delicious and cheap food from all over the world that costs less than AUD10pp with drinks!

New Pad

I have been super busy getting my flat sorted..it just seems like it never ends. I think I have been shopping every weekend for the last 2 months, and I'm so sick of it. I'm nearly there, I still have a few furnishings (rugs, lamps, cushions, pictures, mirror) and 2 side tables to buy, but other than that I think I'm there. So here are a few pictures...you can see that it still looks empty, it's such a big change from my 36sqm hole in Sydney. I also have a HUGE HUGE patio, too bad it's summer and there's no way me or anyone will want to sit outside in 45degree heat! Hopefully this entices you to come - there's also a sofa bed :)

Cityscape Abu Dhabi

That my friends, is how Abu Dhabi will look like in 20 years. A 23 X 17sqm full scale model of the city of Abu Dhabi, mapping out all the development projects based on the Urban Masterplan. Obviously my picture doesn't quite capture it, but it's mind-blowingly massive.

This was part of Cityscape Abu Dhabi, an event that showcases all the major development projects going on here. Since coming here, I've always felt that what we were developing as a firm is massive, and it's so huge, but going to Cityscape puts things in perspective. What we're doing is a small part of the whole masterpiece. Its amazing.

When I saw the models, my first question was who is going to live in all these fancy apartments and villas? Call me a cynic but I don't necessarily believe in the "Build and they will come" motto that everyone in this region subscribes to. But who's to say, I bet someone said the same thing when they were building Hong Kong or Singapore.

Insyallah, I live long enough to see the city built up fully like the model!

A taste of Malaysia

Check that picture out. Does it not look like it was taken in a typical restaurant in Malaysia?

And it felt like Malaysia. Smelt of home. Tasted like mum's cooking. So perfect! Just that it was not in Malaysia but in Abu Dhabi! Yay! A friend brought me to this place last night. It's hidden on a construction site on an island whose first building will be open only in July. Trust Malaysians to ensure they have great food!

So the story is the master developers of Reem Island is Malaysian. Sadly when they came, there was no Malaysian food to be found, so they decided to open a cafeteria for all their workers that will provide a taste of home. Getting there involved driving through security, through barely tarred roads to the middle of this island, where this is a temporary office block housing this cafeteria. All the staff are chinese, speak cantonese and when I was there last night, the other customers were Malaysian Chinese construction guys. Very cool indeed, plus it was cheap! They even sell hokkien mee, ying yong, tai chow, dim sum, egg tarts, the works.

Now I just need to talk to the guys to find out where they buy their produce as the supermarkets here do not stock Chinese stuff well. I can't even buy decent tofu or chinese greens, but they served me yummy home style tofu and kai lan with ham yee yesterday! Well at least it's super close to where I live now, only a 15 min drive, so I think I'll be paying it a few visits for sure!

Easter in Abu Dhabi

I decided to head to church for Easter Sunday, and when I looked at the mass schedule for the ONLY catholic church in Abu Dhabi, this is what I saw (and note this does not include the saturday vigil). Impressive?

MASSES
07.00 a.m. English (Church)
08.30 a.m. English (Outdoor)
09.00 a.m. French (Church)
10.00 a.m. German (Assisi Hall)
10.30 a.m. Arabic (Church)
12.00 Noon Italian (Church)
12.00 Noon Polish (Assisi Hall)
04.30 p.m. English (Outdoor)
04.45 p.m. Urdu (Church)
05.30 p.m. Spanish (Assisi Hall)
05.30 p.m. Tamil (St. Joseph’s Hall)
05.45 p.m. English (Outdoor)
05.45 p.m. Konkani (Church)
06.45 p.m. Sri Lankan (St. Joseph’s Hall)
07.00 p.m. English (Outdoor)
07.00 p.m. Arabic (Church)
08.00 p.m. English (St. Joseph’s Hall)
08.15 p.m. Filipino (Outdoor)
08.30 p.m. Malayalam (Church)

So I turned up for the 5.45 Outdoor mass, and was greeted by a congregation of 2-3 THOUSAND people. It was amazing. And to think that at the same time, 4 other masses were going on in various languages around the compound. There is also a mosque next door, and as the priest was conducting one of the most sacred bits of mass, the azan call came on, so you could hear both the priest singing through the mic and the call to prayer from the mosque. Surreal, yet poignant and there could be no better reminder as to where I am living now.

There are so many catholics here, given the large Filipino population. After mass they even sell Filipino tidbits. And after mass there are private buses (illegal I'm sure) who are driven by screaming Pakistani drivers (think Malaysian pink mini buses!) who try to herd everyone into their own buses. Me included of course, as I look like I am Kabayan. I literally had to push some drivers off before I got herded into a bus. Maybe I need to start carrying some Prada or Gucci bags and start wearing much nicer clothes, or maybe start waving my car keys at them.

My Funny Cleaner

I am lucky that labour is cheap here, and I can afford a cleaner who comes in every week. He came highly recommended, and for good reason.

So he comes in for the first time, and asks to see my cleaning equipment. I show him my mop (it's one of those cool ones that have a wringing twisting thing so that you don't have to wet your hands wringing it dry - which is precisely the reason why I bought it).

He goes "No Mam, your mop no good"
Me: "Why? What's wrong with it? See it even has this wringing thing" (I was still very proud of my purchase)
Cleaner : "No Mam, that mop very small, so very slow, no good. It will take very long. Also you don't have wiper??"
Me: "Wiper? What is that?"

Cleaner makes some gestures - he means this fancy thing that can push water out of the way I think.

Me: "Err No, no wiper. (note also my very poor english - this is what I am relegated to in daily speech)
Cleaner shakes head. "No problem Mam, i will buy for you all new, no problem, I will bring next week. Also you need Clorox"
Me: "Hmm Ok fine" (feeling a little hurt, kinda reminds me of my mum when she comes to visit and says all the stuff I buy is not useful for real cleaning!)

Then he asks to see my other cleaning stuff..apparently my broom and dust pan pass the test, and so does my toilet cleaner and floor cleaner.

So he proceeds to clean while I leave the house to do more interesting things. I get back and this is what I find:






Do you see the pattern?? No wonder he comes so highly recommended, this guy is obsessed with not only cleaning but also arranging things in ascending order. I LIKE!

Beware of Road Surprises

So I am a proud owner of a new (Ok used!) car. The guys at the showroom were super nice, they even forced me to take pictures of me with the car, in it, outside, receiving my certificate!

Finally I feel like I have more freedom and I am slowly feeling like I'm living in this place. No more dealing with clueless cabbies, no more phone calls trying to direct cabbies from one nameless road to another, no more wondering how I'm going to get a trolley load of Ikea stuff back home!

Driving has been good so far. It takes me 15minutes door to door to work, and Abu Dhabi is so small that it really only takes 1/2 hour to get from one end of town to another (without the jam). I also drove down to Dubai and I know now for sure that I would not be able to do the daily drive that 1/2 my colleagues do. It's so stressful, 5 lane highways, so many cars, all driving way too fast, tail gating, flashing lights you name it, you'll find it on Dubai Road.

As I was driving I came across these 2 road signs.

Beware of Road Surprises

And then even better...

Beware of Others' Faults

Need I say more?

Desert Safari

I had the privilege of having my first visitor in Abu Dhabi over the Easter weekend. Not that I had an Easter weekend!

We drove around Abu Dhabi checking out the sites, and to be honest there really isn't that much to do in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, unless you're really into shopping malls. It is amazing however to check out how much construction is going on around here, and how different things are going to be in 3 years time, with the Louvre, Guggenheim, Zayed Museums, Saadiyat etc.

However, there are lots to do outside Abu Dhabi and Dubai. I would have loved to have time to take a weekend out to Sir Bani Yas Island which has a really good wildlife safari and falconry, Qasr al Sarab, or to drive around the other Emirates, which are said to be much more historical and rugged. There is also Oman a short 2 hours drive away.

Given my short weekend, my friend and I only had time to do a day trip to Dubai and then a desert safari. The desert safari boasted of visits to an Ostrich farm, camel farm, dune bashing, sand boarding, riding a camel and then finishing it all off with a bbq in the desert in a traditional bedouin camp underneath the stars.

So we set out for an hour's drive out towards the deserts near Al Ain, and stopped at the ostrich farm where we got to see some pretty huge ostriches. We then saw some camels at the camel farm, and then drove off in a convoy of 26 4WDs for a spot of dune bashing. To the uninitiated, that basically means driving along metre high sand dunes then tipping over them. It's pretty intense stuff, especially for the front passenger, aka MOI! It basically felt like a rollercoaster only scarier. We also got stuck once, and had to be towed by another 4WD (see pic). Would I do it again...er only if I had to.

Then we made way to the traditional Bedouin campsite and it so was not what I expected. It catered for maybe 200 people, with carpets and tables. It was nice sitting outside underneath the stars though it just was a little too touristy for my liking. I didn't bother trying sandboarding because there were so many people waiting and watching and I knew I would fall on my face. I did try the camel ride though (all 5 seconds of it!), that was pretty uncomfortable especially as the camel gets up from the ground. I of course, looked the obvious klutz and I think my friend and I made quite a sight trying to stifle our screams! They finished the night off with a belly dance which err if anyone has checked, is NOT emirati at all. She was the best belly dancer I've seen though, and I guess most tourists wouldn't know the difference between countries in the Middle East anyway.

All in all, a pretty interesting experience though I'm not sure I would want to go again..