UAE NATIONAL DAY BOAT PARADE!

Yesterday, John ditched me.

(Imagine that!)

He left me sitting on the couch with my broken leg elevated.

Then off he went to pick up tables and chairs,

and head to his office to decorate and get organized for 

today's office party.

(His division of Ingersoll Rand 

is officially being spun off today!)

I imagine he figured I'd be more of a hindrance that a help!

(REALLY?)

So instead, I looked up what National Day activities 

were to take place in Dubai.

I saw that a Boat Parade would be held on Monday

in the Dubai Marina!

Not fifteen minutes later, 

I heard loud music playing outside

and horns honking!

I went out on our balcony and saw this.....

Yes, it was the Boat Parade!

In typical Dubai style, it was taking place a day earlier

than what was on the schedule!

John may have ditched me,
but I'm glad he did!

Not only did I get to see the Boat Yacht Parade 

(a day early),

I got a front row seat!

HAPPY NATIONAL DAY, UAE!
42 YEARS!*!

BREAKFAST SURPRISE IN DUBAI!

I was going to spread a little cream cheese

on a bagel for breakfast this morning.

OH.DEAR.LORD.

And so I opted for a 

yummy, seedless Clementine instead!

OH.DEAR.LORD.OH.DEAR.LORD.

Yes folks, 

"IT IS WHAT IT IS!" 

Breakfast surprise in Dubai!*!

WINTER IN DUBAI!

Yes, 

it's been a stylish winter

here in

DUBAI 

er, SOMEWHERE!!

The last few months we 
have enjoyed
NEAR PERFECT TEMPERATURES
here in Dubai.... 

....but come on!
Who wears this stuff?

Yes, I'll agree, they are beautiful.

Sorry, but I'll take my shorts and flip flops
any old winter day here 
in Dubai!

BANKING IN DUBAI!

I can sum up banking in Dubai with one simple word:

F.R.U.S.T.R.A.T.I.N.G.

I.N.S.A.N.E.

U.N.B.E.L.I.E.V.A.B.L.E.

C.R.A.Z.Y.

Okay, so one little word doesn't really do it justice! I was over-the-top FRUSTRATED yesterday at the INSANE and UNBELIEVABLE and CRAZY banking system here.

Every month I have to go to one of our bank's ATM machines to withdraw cash from our bank in the States to then put the money back into the machine to pay off our Dubai charge card. Our maximum withdrawal is 3,000.00AED and we are charged $5.00 for each withdrawal. No problem. Except that the cash machines NEVER have enough money to let me withdraw my maximum. So I am paying a surcharge of $5.00 to withdraw 1,000AED, sometimes (like yesterday) as little as 500AED. Imagine how many trips I make to the ATM machine to pay off a 15,000AED or 21,000AED credit card bill. (We charge everything!) Sometimes it costs me $40.00 and eight trips to the bank machine to pay off our card. GRRRRRRR!

Suddenly, last month, John started getting alerts every time I used our credit card. The bank actually lets John (the primary card holder) know that I (the lowly supplemental card holder) am spending HIS money again. Good Grief, do you know how annoying that is? Believe me, it's ANNOYING!

Yesterday, I went online to change our settings. It took me a while to maneuver through all the steps, but finally I figured it all out. I turned off the supplementary charge alert...and reconfigured several others. When I hit the "Complete" button, I was informed that the Primary Cardholder was the only one allowed to make the changes. NOOOOOOO!

Yesterday, I received (as always) our credit card statement. This time, however, it was only a summary of the charges. For the past two years we have received a detailed report of all our purchases -- and I go through and match up our receipts to the charges. I went online, pulled up our detailed statement from our bank's website and printed it. When I looked it over, it was only the charges I had made on the Supplemental Card I use. I called the bank to ask how I could get the entire statement and was told that only the Primary Cardholder had access to that information now. WHAT????? I asked if John could go online and change this so that I could continue to (as I have done for the past 31 years, thank you very much) receive and balance the monthly statement. "No ma'am only the Primary Cardholder can view his charges."  CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE THIS????

Needless to say, I am totally and completely.....

F.R.U.S.T.R.A.T.E.D.

at the

I.N.S.A.N.E.

and

U.N.B.E.L.I.E.V.A.B.L.E.

and

C.R.A.Z.Y

system they call banking here in Dubai! Oh, and John thinks it's absolutely hysterical!

He comments on every "Supplemental Card" alert he receives and it drives me bonkers! Let's just see how funny he thinks it is when every single solitary month he is going to have to get on the computer and maneuver through our bank's website to request a copy of our complete monthly statement!

Needless to say, I think I'm going to have the last laugh!!!!

 

PARK ISLAND, DUBAI MARINA!

John and I live in a flat in Park Island.  Park Island was named "Park Island" because of the parks that would be built on either side of its four towers. 

Currently one of the "parks" is being built. 

 TaDaaaaa...here it is!!!

Next time someone asks where I live I'm going to have to say, "Mosque Island"!  

SAY WHAAAAT?

Two things happened yesterday that made me
 (almost) scream,

"SAY WHAAAT?"

Yes, they both added up to a humongo wake up call

that made me remember

IN A BIG WAY

that I live in the Middle East and

"IT IS WHAT IT IS" must remain in my vocabulary!

So, what happened?

Well, first of all, after I dropped John off at work,

I pulled up next to the guard station 

and asked the guard that was on duty

if he would press the button to raise the gate.

(For the past almost two years

I have done this every time I have the car and it has

NEVER been a problem!)

You see, John and I both have access cards.

However, for some unknown reason,
only one of the cards controls the gate.

John carries that card.

So I ask the guard, whenever I drive in,

to raise the gate for me.

Today, however, do you know what the guard said?

First, he asked me where the card was 
that controls the gate.

I told him that it was with my husband.

He told me that the card needed to stay with the car.

As nice as I could, I replied,

"But if he kept the card in the car,

he wouldn't be able to get in the building."

"Ma'am, the card needs to stay in the car," he replied.

"SAY WHAAT?"

Later in the day, I was driving with Teddy in the front seat.

Okay, actually he was sitting on my lap.

I was stopped at a traffic light

and a police car pulled up beside me.

When I looked over the cop in the passenger's seat

nodded to the back seat.

I looked at my back seat, wondering what

he was trying to say.

He rolled down his window.

I rolled down my window.

He pointed to Teddy.  He pointed to the back seat.

He said, "I write fine."

"SAY WHAAAT?"

When I got home, I pulled up to the guard station

and asked the guard to raise the gate.

He smiled and said,

"I certainly will ma'am, and have a nice night!"

Then I came upstairs and googled:

RULES ABOUT DOGS RIDING IN CARS IN DUBAI.

I couldn't find a thing!
So I sent DKC (who imported Teddy to Dubai)
and email asking if there were laws in Dubai
prohibiting pets from riding in the front seat of cars.

 Here's what a rep with DKC said,

Hi Jani,

Thanks for your email.  We have certainly never heard of such a law and find it difficult to imagine that they would even think of a law in relation to dogs in cars but that's not to say that one doesn't exist here or cannot be introduced by a policeman when he feels like it!!

I would hazard a guess that as with young children in the front of a vehicle, it can be considered a potential safely risk and this is why he called you on it. A different policeman might not have even blinked an eye!  I guess the only way to check for sure whether there is a law regarding this, is to visit one of the police stations here to ask.

Happy driving!

I've said it before and I'll say it again (& again & again!),
"IT IS WHAT IT IS"
here in Dubai!

Tedders and I choose to simply
smile,
shake our heads, and say, 

"SAY WHAAAT?"

DRAGGING AT THE DRAGON MART!

John and I spent a week

last Friday

at the Dragon Mart, here in Dubai.

 We went in search of a new bracket

for my shower

(no more bruised ribs in my future, by golly)!!

When we got there 

we found out that the "Sanitary" (plumbing) stores

didn't open until 2:00PM.

Whoopee, that gave us HOURS to browse around!

The Dragon Mart was choc-full of people

SHOPPING.

 It didn't take long for John and I

to get in the 

shopping mode

ourselves!

We actually were quite excited by our purchases......

First, a wall mounted hairdryer that actually plugs into 

the "Shavers Only" outlet

in our bathroom.

A real bargain, I might add, at only 50AED!!

 Second, we found a couple of adapters.....

for just pennies each!

Third, once 2:00 arrived and the

"Sanitary" stores finally opened,

we found several

brackets that looked like they would fit perfectly

on my shower!  
Yea!

And they were oh, so cheap!

And finally, John decided to dig deep

into his pockets

to come up with the 200AED to

purchase what he has been wanting for 

a long, long, LONG time!

Arms full of packages,

we dragged our way back through the maize 

that is the Dragon Mart

in search of the 

door

closest to our parked car. 

We were tired, but happy with our purchases!

.....Fast forward to our arrival back to our flat,

where we discovered that....

1. The hairdryer's plug was a three pronger, not 

 the same plug that was on the display.  

Soooo, it would not work!

2.  Neither one of the adapters worked.

3. Neither one of the shower brackets fit.

4. And, after charging the battery for two hours

per the instructions, (and waiting so patiently),

the remote controlled helicopter

lit up, the rotors spun, however,

it wouldn't fly!

(We returned the hairdryer and the helicopter 
the next day.  
The helicopter only needed to be adjusted 
and it now flies perfectly.  
The hairdryer was exchanged 

to one with two prongs, 

however, still does not come on when plugged in!!)

What a bust, after.....

DRAGGING AT THE DRAGON MART!*! 

 

NOOOOO! SAY IT AIN'T SOOOOO!

I'm really not sure

what 

is worse......

Waking up to yet another sand storm,

....or discovering I have a gi-normous spot on 

my camera lens!!

Nooooo!  Say it ain't soooooo!

C.O.M.P.R.O.M.I.S.E.D.

I'm sitting here writing this post while wrapped in not one, but two ace bandages.  A bottle of water is on my desk with three little brown ibuprofen pills laying next to it.  I swear it's as if those pills are smirking at me while thinking, "Bet she can't make it a full four hours!"   Indeed, I can't. 


The ice packs came out multiple times today.  I went to my golf clinic as a spectator instead of as a participant.  The fun of having bruised/broken ribs continues. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they are only bruised!

C.O.M.P.R.O.M.I.S.E.D.....Yes, our bank account has been compromised -- not once, not twice, not three times, BUT FOUR TIMES!  Can you even believe that?  First, my debit card was compromised and used twice to withdraw $3,500.00.  Someone in Vietnam is having a ball withdrawing money from our account. EE GADS!  After multiple phone calls to our bank in the States (thanks Kelly!), all the necessary paperwork was finally completed.  Our cash was promised to be back in our account in ten days. (Hand wipes brow.)

But before that money even had a chance to get close to our bank account, John's debit card was compromised, to the tune of $4,200.00.  Yup, someone is doing the "happy dance" in Vietnam.  More paperwork on our end; my favorite thing in the world.   (Again, thanks Kelly!)

How in the world....or should I say, "How in Vietnam" does this happen?    Our banker in the States told me it was probably a skimmer.  "What the heck is a skimmer," I asked her.  She told me that someone can put a tiny camera in the ATM machine that can capture all of your information.  That someone then makes cards and sells them all over the world.  Ours happened to land in Vietnam.  

I'm not exactly sure if I have that story totally straight.  But I do know one thing for sure:  If that person would get a real job and use his/her brain power for something legit, I am sure he/she would be worth a mint by now!

Okay, that's all the rant I have left to air!  Thanks for listening and TGI-TH!  Have a great weekend everyone!

GOOD IDEA / BAD IDEA!

While at Carrefour last weekend, John and I (and about a million other people) stopped to pick up some groceries.  We thought we hit the jackpot when we spotted frozen crabs -- BIG CRABS -- for a mere 20 Dirhams a piece!  We picked up two and planned a crab salad for dinner one night.

Next, we decided to buy a beautiful head of cauliflower (usually the cauliflower doesn't look so good).  We had heard from Deb and Don that mashed potatoes were really good if you use cauliflower in lieu of the potatoes.  Hmmmm, well we decided to give it a go.

Fast forward to Sunday night.  We had steak, a salad, and mashed potatoes made of cauliflower.  What do you think?  Did the no potatoe potatoes turn out, or not?

Forward to last night.  We had our nice, big crabs for our nice, big crab salads.  What do you think?  Was the crab fabulouso, or not? 

First, let me share pictures of these awesome critters!

I made the salad, poured the wine, drank the wine, and watched John do what John does best (NOT)!!
 

He absolutely HATES digging meat out of crabs!  He claims it is TOO MUCH DARN WORK!  Couple that thought with the fact that he was armed with only a knife, a hammer, and barely any patience....

....and the end result was a pile (a very itsy, bitsy pile) of crab meat!

So, which do you think was the GOOD IDEA and which do you think was the BAD IDEA?

Undoubtedly, the no potatoe potatoes were the GOOD IDEA!  They were absolutely delicious and John and I had to fight each other for the last serving of them. (Just kidding!)


The crab, on the other hand, turned out to be a really BAD IDEA!  After John picked out tiny morsels of meat for like HOURS (all while I was drinking wine and watching), we ended up picking bits of shell out of our teeth throughout the entire meal!  UGH!  Definitely a BAD IDEA!


However, we undoubtedly have a GOOD IDEA for dinner tonight:  We're going out and ordering something off of a menu!

GOOD IDEA!*!

THOSE SILLY, SLIPPERY, SON-OF-A-GUN SUDS!!!

I feel like I've been hit by a mack truck.  If only it was true (just kidding).  The real story is, I slipped and came crashing down while taking a shower.  

You see, the shower bracket broke while the foursome was here.  What that means is it is now a hand held shower until we find a replacement bracket.  I haven't mastered the fine art of holding the hand held shower head over the entire tub to wash all those silly, slippery, son-of-a-gun suds down the drain.

So that means I slipped on those silly, slippery, son-of-a-gun suds and came crashing (and man, do I mean CRASHING!) down.  I couldn't breathe for like FOREVER!  But finally I did....just not any deep breaths.  Still can't....a day and a half later.

GRRRRRR.  I know, I know, it could have been worse.  But I am sore and wrapped in Ace Bandages and I can't go golfing and I can't do yoga on the beach and I can't lift weights and I can't run (okay, okay, can't WALK and PANT) up the stairs like Don The Trainer made me do while he was here. (WHA WHA WHA WHA!!)

I ice it.  I take three ibuprofen pills.  I ice it.  I take three ibuprofen pills.  REPEAT. REPEAT. REPEAT.

Yesterday, I was supposed to go golfing.  I have to admit I SMILED when my golf buddies said they decided not to go -- no, not because I wasn't going!  They cancelled because it was actually kind of a yucky day here weather wise! 


So I've stayed indoors for two solid days working on stuff for the upcoming AWA Gala.  Have I mentioned that I am going STIR CRAZY?  Well, I am!  I plan on being 100% mended for my golf clinic this Thursday.

That's my plan and I'm sticking to it!  Wish me luck!  OUCH, it literally hurts to MOVE!  Dang those silly, slippery, son-of-a-gun suds!







 

WHAT DID HE SAY?

Last weekend John and I went to a small, far-from-fancy (about as far as one can get!) Chinese restaurant for lunch.  We ordered the duck and pancakes and quickly decided it was some of the best Chinese food we'd ever eaten.

After the meal, I walked outside to enjoy the sunshine while John paid (He does that so well!)  After a minute or two he opened the door and told me to "come back inside -- there's something here that you are going to LOVE!"

So in I went and indeed I LOVED what I saw!  In the corner was a little pond area with a fountain of water and several chubby, healthy looking turtles.  They were ADORABLE!!

A little boy and a little girl came up to watch the turtles as well.  I asked the little girl, "Do you think they are smiling at us since I am taking their picture?"  Her big brother looked at me and said, "I kinda doubt it since they're gonna be soup soon."

WHAT DID HE SAY? 

I can NEVER go back.   I simply cannot eat at a restaurant (with really, really good food, darn it!) where there are happy turtles swimming in the corner one minute and on the table in someone's soup bowl the next. 

 UGH.  MAKE THAT A DOUBLE UGH.

LOAD LOST!

It happens often here in Dubai.  Traffic comes to a standstill for no apparent reason.  That's what we thought until we came closer and saw that someone had lost their load!!

And you thought you were having a bad day!!

(It was not funny and I did not laugh -- I promise!)

WHEN NO OTHER WORD WORKS!

And what, pray tell, is this?

 

Well, I guess when no other word does the trick (duh, how about escalator?) you simply go with "travelator"!!  Makes perfect sense.....here in Dubai!

GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN!

I can sum up driving in Dubai in three words (okay, so maybe five):  SPEED, WEAVE, and DO A U-EY (U-Turn)!!!

No kidding, that's my mantra every time I get behind the wheel.  (Which I only get to do every now and then -- when John goes out of town and leaves the car for me.)  Actually, I blame what happens to me on the road on this simple matter.  I drive, then I don't for a month to a month and a half.  That, in and of itself, does not help (at all)!

Take, for instance, today.  I jumped into the car to head literally across the street (Sheikh Zayed Road-SZR) from the Marina to Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) to the Park and Shop that recently opened there.  When John and I went to that grocery store for the first time, we drove south toward Jebel Ali through lots of construction.  I learned from Anna at the pool that I could go the other way and enter JLT from the north end.  She guaranteed me that it was so much easier to get there this way.

So I jumped in the car for my short excursion across the street to the Park and Shop.  This resembles the conversation I had between me, myself and I, on the way there: 

"Okay, so I need to remember to put the coordinates in the Garmin when I arrive at the store so I won't forget how to get there the next time.  Let's see, Anna said to go on the road from the north end of the Marina and I will see a JLT sign -- here I go....hmmmm, would I head to Jebel Ali or go north on SZR?  It makes sense to go north, I guess.  Oh there - I see the JLT sign so I do go north.  I better SPEED up......OH NOOOOOOO, I should have gone south.  Good Lord mister, will you stop WEAVING!  Okay, so maybe I'll just go to LuLu supermarket.  OH NOOOOO, why did I get off here -- now I'm going to be in Media City.  Oh well, I like the Choithram store on Al Wasl anyway.  So how do I get to Al Wasl from here?  Maybe if I do a U-EY up here.  Oh geeze, now I'm on Umm Sequim Rd. --- how did that happen?  I guess I'll just get back on SZR heading south and see if I can find the entrance to JLT.  Well, I just passed the dang Marina and didn't see any signs....maybe I'll just go to Waitrose at the Marina Mall.  No, here's a sign that says JLT, so I guess I may just end up at Park N Shop as planned!  I need to remember (if I ever find the darn store) to set the coordinates in the Garmin.  OMGosh, this construction is impossible!  Now where do I go?  Oh, oh, good, a JLT sign!  I just need to SPEED, WEAVE and do another U-EY!"

I uttered a huge sigh of relief when finally, and at long last, I saw this sign....

I went in, purchased my groceries, and headed home.  And guess what?  I forgot to set the dang coordinates in the Garmin!

And that, my friends, is what driving in Dubai is like (for me at least)!  So, if you ever get in the car with me at the wheel, be sure to.....

GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN!!!

IT IS WHAT IT IS!

Guess what I got to deal with yesterday afternoon?

Yes, our freezer drawer (one of a whopping three) was frozen shut!  What?  We live in a glitzy, over-the-top, big-better-BEST city (er, emirate) and we don't have a frost-free freezer?

To be perfectly honest with you, I had to think about what I was supposed to do about it.  I'm not sure I've ever had a freezer that wasn't frost-free.  Maybe my college apartment's fridge wasn't, but back then I don't think we ever put anything in the freezer.  Well, maybe beverages, but I certainly don't ever remember cooking!

I am happy to report that I figured it out. (Actually, I owe it to an episode of Man Men that we watched recently -- Betsy was putting pans of hot water in her freezer to get the ice to melt!  Thanks Betsy!)  We are now, once again, able to open the drawers to get out a frosty beer mug! 

Here we are living in Dubai, surrounded by glitz and glam, and we have a freezer that gets frosty (in a bad way), no garbage disposal, a mini washer/dryer combo unit......oh well, you've heard it before and you'll hear it again, "IT IS WHAT IT IS"!!!