Home Is Where The…

… Santa Hat Is!

Merry Christmas from Dubai!!

xoxoxoxo

 

 

Surf’s Up, Dude

On our second day we woke up completely dazed and confused. That being said we felt that the beach was appropriate. Maybe it was our vitamin D lacking bodies that forced each of us (Dee and I) out of our beds at 2pm <—- jet lag people!!

We slipped on the flippy floppies and headed over for a walk on a Dubai beach – Jumeirah Beach to be exact.

We could feel the softness of the white sand as we just stared (zombie style) at the sparkling blue water which looked like a blanket of jewels from afar. The Arabian Sea entices you with its shallow, warm and turquoise water. The beachside is not very crowded, however, during this time of year (mild and pleasant winter months), many people, local and foreign, enjoy this awesome beach.

We were shocked (I think that classifies as ignorant) that this was a surfing hotspot. I’ve come to realize that’s probably because a large part of the population here in Dubai is made up of Australians and Californian’s. It was apparent that if you’re a beginner to surfing, you should try it at Jumeirah Beach. Surfing at a Dubai beach is actually one of the main attractions. There are tons of small waves, which is great news for the newbies – waves can rise up to eight feet high.

CRAZINESS FACT: the weekends fall on a Friday and Saturday here not Saturday and Sunday! So in other words I’m learning to hate Sundays and can’t wait until Thursday gets here. Ha!

We’re gonna try to get to the beach as much as possible during the winter months – sound strange? We’ve been told that planning a beach day in the months of June and August will result in our bodies becoming a grilled delicacy – dinner for two s‘il te plaît? Those two months are the hottest times you can be in Dubai. Water temperatures can reach above 40°C during then. Holy cow man! <— where’s bart Simpson when you need him?.

Dee….

… and me!

So when make your way to Dubai, pack up your swimsuit and sunscreen and go take a dip into the crystal clear water of Jumeirah Beach dudes and dudettes! The stretch of beach occupies the heart of New Dubai’s growth corridor in an area called Marsa. It’s a prime location that’s just minutes from tres illustrious neighbours such as Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Emirates Golf Club and string of luxury hotels, all along the beach. If you like the city life atmosphere (hustle and bustle metropolis), downtown Dubai is located just 15-20 minutes away. A perfect combination between the serenity of a beach resort lifestyle and a cosmopolitan city life. JBR is kinda considered the future address of Dubai – my pics probably explain the reason for that statement.

Thoughts on dubai so far –  truly a successful melting pot. It is a wonderfully modern yet ethnic city that values innovation and modernity. It is not all about malls or skyscrapers, when you come to Dubai, there is always something to do for everyone. Ranging from the gloriously tempting beaches to desert safari, old bazaars and spice souks to gold courses. Amusement parks and zoos for not only children but also for adult thrill seekers and wildlife lovers. Some people are unaware of Dubai’s hidden potential; it is home to many major multinationals. It has one of the world’s most intimidating hotel and retail developments, which make it a hot-tamale commodity in terms of job market.

I’m not really toooo used to walking past things like the tallest skyscraper in the world, BurjKhalifa. It is 828 meters tall along with the Burj al-Arab hotel, which is the only seven-star hotel in the world – Burj al- Arab.

After the beach we didn’t exactly leave the area but just moved further down to check out the relaxed side of the nightlife. We headed to Brasti Bar – recommended by the random surfer we probably scared when we ran up to him and asked where we should go for a drink.

It’s located in the heart of Dubai Marina (which is kinda part of the beach we were on. Barasti ended up being a really cool beach-front location. Laid-back, welcoming and sun-soaked, the reasons for this bar’s popularity is not exactly rocket science. The crowd was pretty cool and casual. Some people were at the bar some at the beach and all were enjoying the multiple pleasures of drinks, shisha pipes and sea views. Chilled-out tunes add to the ambience.

So tired – must sleep. Miss all of you!

Love,

Toto, I’ve Got A Feeling We’re Not In Kansas Anymore

Exactly what I was thinking as I landed in Dubai, UAE.  I found myself in a foreign world – my new world to be exact.

The Airbus 380 wheels touched down on the Terminal 3 runway as my tired eyes got a jolt of wide-eyed excitment. I was actually able to witness the touch down from the pilot’s perspective. Why? Well the 380 displays three outside views that come from live camera’s positioned on the tail, underneath and on the front of the aircraft (probably the coolest thing I’ve seen).

Straight off the plane and headed to customs where I was greeted by the ‘Marhaba’ who are the meeters and greeters that took me through customes and guided me through the airport process (the crazy awesome airport).

 

The man who greeted me was also busy with two other Canadians who had arrived via my flight (one being a great friend of mine who is also experienceing this journey). They took us past all the lines and straight to the customs where they take your passport and your print out visa to review. It was off to baggage . We were taken to a woman who gave us each an envelope with our addresses on it – here we go!

Dee with her luggage after a loooong flight.

After you get your envelope you’re taken to your new home by a driver. The drive gave me some time for the shock to set in… “OMG I live in Dubai now.” I walked into my condo building and entered the new place to see that my two housemates weren’t home. The place was really clean and cozy with a beautiful Christmas tree set-up in the living room. There are 38 different Emirates crew apartment buildings all over the city and its really debateable which ones are better. Some are luxury and out of the way some are older and in the middle of the core of Dubai – there are perks and downsides to each. This is my building along with the view from my apartment – pretty cool huh!

When the roomies arrived home it was comforting to see that they were both so friendly and helpful. One has been flying for ages so she had lots of good advice for me. One is from Malibu, California anad the other Melbourn, Australia.

As crazy as this sounds, my friend and I (the one on the flight) decided to force our tired eyes open and head down to a hotel for some hummus and Shisha before bed. Random – yes. We figured we were so tired and meessed up with time zones that we may as well see SOMETHING. We ended up at The Palace Hotel. Take a look – we literally felt like we were dreaming. Some photos of the entrance, the food and the table we sat down to eat at near the pool. Not sure if it was the beautiful surroundings or the lack of oxygen 30,000 feet in the air for 15 hours that made it all feel like a crazy dream.

It wasn’t long before we started to get a little delusional. We headed back to our unfamiliar apartments for some rest to face our first day in Dubai – which has passed already but I am going to take some time to get caught-up with the updates since I literally just got the internet installed and training is getting pretty hectic!

I have so much more to share!!!! I can’t wait to fill you in on the past week. It HAS dawned on me – I left behind an enitre life but the experience so so so worth it.

I miss all of you so much!

Bye from Dubai!

You clearly don’t have to be a good photographer here. The scenery does all the work for me – I’ve got some great ones to share.

“TisbaH ala-kheir”

Smile if Your Name Is Annie

 

Just dating a woman must be hard work – after all, we are a species with *certain expectations. *Certain: includes unannounced flower delivery, chocolates and all things shiny or sparkly.

But a guy in Toronto’s downtown core has used the snowy weather to get it right  - by carving his girlfriend’s name – Annie – in huge letters behind the snow-covered field behind the City Place condo.

I was helping a very good friend move yesterday morning when we decided to take a break and get some fresh air on the balcony. I looked over and behold – I was one of hundred’s of girls in Condoville who saw THIS and secretly wished my name was Annie.

NOTE: I AM aware that my point of view is all based on the assumption that Annie’s boyfriend did this. Maybe Annie’s neighbour who is deeply in love with her worked all night to have the secret love of his life wake-up to this cute gesture. <—- Days later Annie’s boyfriend p-r-o-b-a-b-l-y woke-up in the slammer for kicking a*! that morning. Who knows.

I betcha Annie is looking forward to the next snowfall!

Snowman hugs!