Thursday, September 30, 2010

MY BOLOGNA HAS A FIRST NAME......

Let's just say that I can't get the lyric, "Leaving On A Jet Plane" outta my head!!

LOOKS LIKE SAUERKRAUT...SMELLS LIKE SAUERKRAUT...BUT IS IT SAUERKRAUT???

Here's another "We looked and looked and could not find" story!   You know, we just wanted to have brats and sauerkraut for dinner one night!!   No problemo....unless you live in Dubai!   I don't know how many grocery stores John and I visited in search of sauerkraut!  Always the same -- NO GO!!

Yesterday afternoon I went across the street to The Jumeirah Beach Walk to the Al Maya grocery store.  It's not really a grocery store but more like a convenient market.  These small stores are all over the place around here.  In I walked with one thing on my mind, "We will be having brats tonight and they will be accompanied by sauerkraut!"  I looked in the vegetable aisle and unfortunately, had the same result -- NO GO. 

I searched and searched and finally found a young Indian man that worked at the store and asked him, "Do you carry sauerkraut?"  Needless to say, he was clueless to what exactly that was!  I added, "It's a vegetable....it's cabbage...it's like pickled cabbage...."  BINGO!!  I hit the nail on the head with that one....pickled cabbage!

He brought me a jar of this....


Maybe it said "Sauerkraut" in Russian......who knew?

The back label said this....


Okay, so I couldn't read the Arabic but I could read, "Pickled Cabbage" loud and clear!  I wanted to open the jar and smell it, but I didn't dare!!  Optimistically I purchased the mystery jar and headed home.

I opened the jar.....it looked like sauerkraut......it smelled like sauerkraut......


And people, I'm happy to report, it TASTED LIKE SAUERKRAUT!!  Mission Accomplished!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

MY BOLOGNA HAS A FIRST NAME.....

I simply can't get the lyric "My bologna has a first name..." out of my head!  I wonder why?  Can you guess?

Let's just say Teddy is soooooo excited every time I say a certain six letter word.  Hmmmmmm.....

WINTER IS COMING! WINTER IS COMING!!

No kidding!  I heard it at the pool yesterday.  Winter Is Coming To Dubai.  I mean WINTER IS COMING TO DUBAI!  I was told that if I needed any summer clothes like shorts, tops, or bathing suits, I'd better head to the mall immediately.  Cuz Winter Is Coming To Dubai.

So I went!  I melted into a puddle as I walked ten minutes in triple digit temps (remember, Winter Is Coming but it's not here yet!) to the Metro Station.  I then dried out completely and nearly froze to death as I walked through the super air-conditioned station and boarded the super air-conditioned Metro. 





Two stops and 45 minutes later and I was there -- at the Mall of the Emirates.

The first store I saw confirmed the fact that Winter Is Coming To Dubai!!!


OMGoodness!!  Who is going to wear this stuff?  Certainly not me!!  I intend to wear capris and flip flops all winter long here in Dubai!  Oh well, the search was on and my sources were correct.  Everything that I was looking for was on the Sale racks, er, should I say, The End of Range racks!  The rest of the stores were loaded with winter wear.  I simply do not get it!!

Finally, I had to do the unthinkable -- I had to find the bathing suit department.  And once I did look at what I found.....


Any guesses as to what these are?  Here, let me show you more....



This one looked like the one we saw at AquaVenture last weekend!!  And no, I didn't buy one!! :):)

Everything I purchased was on sale so I was HAPPY!!  It took me forever it seemed, as I had to walk around and around the department store, Debehams, to get a feel for it.  But I did!  So after a shwarma for lunch and coffee a little later I headed home.  But this time I froze first and melted second.

And all the way home I kept thinking about all the sweaters, jeans, scarves, and jackets that are showing up all over the stores in the mall.  I guess I have to believe deep down that Winter Is Coming!  Winter Is Coming!!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

MY BOLOGNA HAS A FIRST NAME.....

What in the world does that mean?  Can you guess?

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL IN DUBAI!!!!

No headlines shouted out who won!  No television broadcasters spoiled it for us!  Even the internet postings didn't give it away!  And no Facebookers told of the winner!

So our Monday Night Football in Dubai worked out well for us!  We watched the Colts play Denver last night.....only a day late but not a dollar short as THE COLTS WON!!!  Hip Hip Hurray!  We were thrilled to see the game!  We upped our broadband speed so that Peyton looked like Peyton and Saturday looked like Saturday instead of the little blue and white blobs moving around our screen like during last week's game!! 

Although we invested a lot of time shopping around for just the right cord to connect our laptop to our television (that is a story in and of itself!!) it just didn't happen.  So we jimmy-rigged our laptop to the bedroom tv that we sat on a little plastic table in front of our big screen tv!  (Don't even ask!)  All I can say is that it worked.....it really worked!!!


We had the munchies all ready.....


We had the wine glasses full.....


We had our spots on the couch....

But we were missing one thing for our Monday Night Football in Dubai.....our PEEPS!!!  The good news, I guess, is that we didn't have to share the wine!! :):)  WAY TO GO COLTS!!

Monday, September 27, 2010

SUNSHINE, BLUE SKIES AND DISTANT HAZE!!

John and I still can't believe how gorgeous the view is from our flat!  We feel like we're on vacation every minute we're up here looking out!

This morning I woke up and looked out expecting to see the same old thing (ha ha ha).....but instead of sunshine, blue skies, and distant haze, I saw this:


What in the world was that?  I'm still not sure!  Was it a sand storm that I'd read about?  Was it just clouds?  All I know is that about ten minutes later this is all I saw....



Yes, we were back to sunshine, blue skies and distant haze!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

SOAKING UP THE SUN AND SPLASHING DOWN THE SLIDES

John and I had an awesome day at AquaVenture this past weekend!  AquaVenture is the water park located at the Atlantis on the Palm Jumeirah.  IT.WAS.AMAZING!!!  Here's a photo (from the Internet) that I found of what the The Palm actually looks like.  If you look at the tip of The Palm, AquaVenture is located across the water -- you get there by car going under water through a tube or by a monorail that goes above the water.



First of all, where better to spend a day in triple digit heat than in the water!!  And that is just what we did!  Although my camera was stored safely in a locker most of the day, I was able to take a few pictures. 





The water slides were unbelievable! You might remember the largest slide with the biggest drop, Leap of Faith, as it was featured on The Amazing Race.  Well, John and I did that one first and it was Oh My God I Can't Believe I Just Did That fantastic!!  I couldn't believe I still had my suit on when it was over.  I meant to go back and take some photos of it at the end of the day but we were soooooo exhausted by then we simply stumbled back to our car and headed for home! 

And the Lazy River was unlike any we've ever been on!  It was lazy for a minute or two and then you were taken up a conveyor belt-like thing.......and then suddenly you were plunged into rapids that tossed you from side to side and up and down and you quickly forgot you were on a thing called the Lazy River!  You never knew what the next turn would take you!!  A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.!!!!

Because of my locked up camera, I used the Internet (thank you very much) for the following pictures.  I just had to give you an idea of what AquaVenture was all about!!  Enjoy!
 
Aquaventure Water Park: Slides

Aquaventure Water Park: more slides

the waterslides at aquaventure water park

Aquaventure Water Park: The lazy river



Aquaventure Water Park: The big slide

I know what you're thinking and yes, there were women wearing robes and swimming and laughing and having fun with their families! There were black robes and colorful robes and I snapped a photo of this one just for you!



 
A day of soaking up the sun and splashing down the slides...UNFORGETTABLE!!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

TGI-TH AGAIN!!

TGI-TH!!  And what a good day it's been!

First a ride on the Metro to the Jumeirah Emirates Towers for an American Women's Association luncheon at the Japanese restaurant, Tokyo.  Sat with 20 women while our fantastic chef cooked a magnificent meal for each of us!  Here he is:


And this is what he does:



No, no he didn't burn our food!!!  That was his dramatic side....but he also had a humorous side:


And I actually took a couple of pictures of the ladies too!  Still didn't want to come off as the obnoxious Hoosier with the camera, but I did snap a few photos as inconspicuously as possible!!





Not only was the food superb, the company was delightful!

Now I'm back at the flat and John is on his way home!  He's been in Saudi Arabia all week so I'm sure he's glad that it's TGI-TH too! 

TGI-TH EVERYONE!!*!!  GO COLTS GO!!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS!!!

And I'm not talking real RAIN, ya know!  Cuz I don't think it ever rains here in Dubai !!  I'm talking about the women's groups.....they are starting up again after a summer hiatus!  Today I walked over to Tiffany's Coffee Shop in JBR with Kristie, a girl (okay, a lady) from Kansas City that I met yesterday at the AWA meeting.  She is a "newbie" to Dubai as well. Today it was the Marina Mermaids who met for coffee!  About 15 women from all nationalities gathered....they meet every Wednesday at 2:00 at different coffee shops in the Dubai Marina area.

It was awesome!  It was wonderful  to share stories about life in Dubai!  It was fantastic to get tips about different places to go, sights to see, etc. etc. etc.  I enjoyed every minute of it!  Bottom line....every woman I met LOVED the experience of living in the Middle East!! 

After the Marina Mermaids went on their merry way, Kristie and I decided to take a walk down JBR to look at all the shops and restaurants.  It was blistering hot.  It was a sunny walk with not a lick of shade.  We were dripping wet in sweat.  But we so enjoyed having a "buddy" to hang around with we didn't really mind!  We snuck in a shop here and there to cool off.  We walked and walked and walked.....it was oh so fun!!

She came back to see our flat before she hailed a cab to her flat.  We're meeting at the Metro station tomorrow to ride together to a luncheon /demonstration at a Japanese restaurant with some ladies from AWA!  I'm telling you, WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS!  I am certainly happy to see this RAIN, that's for sure!  And I'm not talking real RAIN, ya know!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

BRING IT ON!!!

I went to an American Women In Dubai Meet & Greet this morning in a lovely villa on The Palm.  Because I haven't met one woman from the USA since moving here seven weeks ago, I was expecting a nice intimate little gathering.  WRONG!!  OMG -- it was amazing!  Over 60 women were present including current members and those of us new to Dubai.  I felt like a new pledge in a sorority....looking at all the different ladies and wondering....."hmmmmm, I wonder who I will end up being friends with?"  We shall see!

I wish I had pictures to post.  I simply didn't want to freak anyone out by being that obnoxious Hoosier with the camera!  But don't worry -- I'll earn that title at the next gathering I'm sure!!

Up until now I got all my information poolside!  Well, today I picked up lots of tips about living in and loving Dubai!  And I learned that there are many different organizations to belong to in addition to the AWA!  So, tomorrow I'm having coffee with the Marina Mermaid Group.  Thursday, if they still have a spot available, I'm going to a Teppanyaki lunch/demo with several ladies I met today!  And, get this, there is a Desert Daisy womens' group to join...I need to get information on that one!  I've heard the ladies are a hoot!

All I can say is it was exciting and relaxing to listen to voices that spoke plain and simple English!! And it was wonderful to be able to visualize where each and every woman I met was from!  I think I'm really gonna like this group!  And the activities they have planned.....

BRING IT ON!!  My social schedule just went from "zip-it-ee-doo-da-day" to "the-skies-the-limit"!!!

BRING IT ON!  BRING IT ON!!  BRING IT ON!!!

Monday, September 20, 2010

WE DID IT! WE ACTUALLY DID IT!

For the seven weeks that I have lived in Dubai I have craved one thing....WALKING!!  No lie, I look down at the Marina WALK and visualize myself and Teddy WALKING along the water's edge. 

This morning WE DID IT!!  WE ACTUALLY DID IT!!  I stepped out onto our balcony and felt a rather cool breeze across my cheek!  I haven't felt anything so wonderfully delightful in a long, long, long time!!  I grabbed Teddy from his lounging position on the sofa (he's become quite the couch potato, ya know), wiped the cobwebs off my tennis shoes that I found hidden and unused in the back of my closet, grabbed his leash, and kept repeating, "We're going for a WALK!  We're going for a WALK!"  In the past Teddy always got excited by the mere word "WALK".  Today he looked at me quite bewildered, in utter disgust as a matter of fact, and acted like he had never even heard the word "WALK" before and then had the audacity to snarl at me.....

But once we hit the pavement he got his little legs a moving and his tail was a wagging!!  We WALKED!  We could even breathe while we WALKED!!  It was amazing!  We walked along the water of the marina and then about 15 minutes into it the sun's rays started creeping out between two buildings and it was instantly HOT!!  Teddy started panting.  I started panting.  By the time we reached the door to our building I was covered in sweat....but I had a smile on my face.

BECAUSE WE DID IT!  WE ACTUALLY DID IT!!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

OH NO! MAKE HIM STOP!

Okay, so Teddy wants to post a picture of something he saw in the newspaper this morning....



I guess he has a bone to pick with me.  He's no longer happy sleeping in this...


And since he's seen this picture...


....he simply refuses to play with this....


OH NO!!  He's revolting!!!  MAKE HIM STOP!!!  PLEASE, MAKE HIM STOP!!

WOOHOOO!!! I AM SOOOOO EXCITED!!!

I am soooo excited!  I have been in Dubai almost seven weeks and, would you believe, I have yet to meet a woman from the United States!  It never dawned on me that this would happen!  I have been lucky enough to meet many wonderful women from the UK, Hong Kong, Canada, Russia, Philippines, Kuwait, the UAE and many other places that I can't remember at the moment!!  But I haven't met one other American woman!

But I will on Tuesday!  The American Women's Association in Dubai is having a Meet & Greet on Tuesday morning!  The members of the Association take the summer off and reconvene in September!  That's why I'm sooooo excited!  Three hours conversing with women that speak English without a hint of an accent....I cannot wait!!

I'm soooo excited!! 

Thursday, September 16, 2010

LIVING THE GOOD LIFE!

Hi folks, Teddy here!  I thought it was high time that I got to post something on this blog!  Just wanted to let you all know that I am living the good life here!  I slept in late this morning but woke up to the amazing sunshine feeling refreshed and ready for the day!


Spent some quality time with my boys, Jon and Jas!  (I really miss you guys!!)

 

Notice the wet windows behind me -- that, people, is what we call HUMIDITY here in Dubai.  The drippy, sticky, hot humidity you find here in the desert is going to be at an all time high today.  Believe me, that's why I stay inside!  The few seconds I spend out on our balcony several times a day is for, er, how should I put this -- the necessities of life!  And I aim to keep it that way!

I do, however, enjoy sitting on my chair on our shaded balcony each morning....only for about ten minutes though.  Then the shade slowly gives way to the bright sun beams and I am outta there!!!



Have I told you that the pet stores here in Dubai leave a lot to be desired?  I truly long for my beloved Petco and PetSmart stores!  I've been searching for dog toys here and this is what I ended up buying because I was quite desperate for something to play with:



Don't laugh -- I KNOW it's not a dog toy.  I told you, I was desperate for any kind of toy!  And I needed a bed too.  Would you believe the folks left my beds back in the good 'ol USA.  Yup, I had a bed in every room at the 'ol house.  And here.....I had nuthin!!  Again, I was quite desperate for a bed to call my own so we got a little creative and this is what I ended up with:


Okay, so it's not exactly a Select Comfort, but it will do!  I just better make darn sure that I don't gain any weight while I'm here!!

Well, that's about it folks!  I enjoyed talking to you all!  It's gonna be one H*@! of a day here --- that's dog talk for one HOT, HAZY, HUMID day here! 


Yawn, well I think it's couch time!  Just wanted to let you know I was A-Okay and living the good life here in Dubai.  Yes, I'm living the good life....as a cat!! 

Hugs and snarls to all of you!!

Teddy i.e.The Tedmeister i.e. Toughy

PS Just so you know...41 degrees Celsius equates to 105.8 degrees in your language!!