Dubai in the pictures

Below are some aerial photos taken of Dubai that I got from the Gulf News website (www.gulfnews.com)


The buildings on the front left are the complex we stay in. The middle one being built is the Burj Dubai.

Sailing off the coast with the Emirates Towers in the background:

Crossing the creek from BurDubai to Deira:



















The Dubai Marina - great for lunches or coffees with a view




















The Grand Hyatt Hotel with the creek behind it





















Villas in Jebel Ali area



















The National Bank of Dubai in Deira (the building is nicknamed "the Preganant Lady")





















The Palm, Jumeirah





















Sheikh Zayed Road with the two Emirates Towers on the back right.

If we build it, they will come

We have fast come to realise that the motto in Dubai is: Can this be built - ok lets build it. Now see this is a subtle difference from "SHOULD this be built."

Case in point we have:

1) DubaiLand - as massive touristy themepark city - covering 3 billion square feet and including 6 themed "worlds". Said worlds include: Attractions and Experience World; Sports and Outdoor World; Eco-Tourism World; Leisure and Vacation World and Retail & Entertainment World

2) AbuDhabi has launched plans to build a revolving city. Apparently residents have expressed a desire to live in villas that will rotate.

3) AbuDhabi has bought the Louvre and and the Guggenheim (I'm still trying to understand how this is going to work)

4) a man-made jumble of private, residential islands (yes, the biggest development of its kind) that will resemble a map of the world when seen from above. (predictable it's called - The World)

5) The Hydropolis, the world's first luxury underwater hotel developed and designed by Germany's Joachim Hauser, scheduled to open at the end of 2007. (So you can order fish at a restaurant while watching other fish)

6) The Burj Dubai. Reputed to be the tallest building in the world at 800m it will flank the largest mall in the world and be completed in late 2008. BUT WAIT! A new tower will be started later this year at the Dubai Waterfront (which incidentally hasn't been built yet either) reaching 1200m! Originally it was going to be built as the focal point of Palm Jumeirah (that's the other man-made island that looks like a palm tree) but no they decided a harbour view would be more salubrious. (Can you imagine? "Nanana - I'm building the tallest tower in the... oh. no wait. the 2nd tallest tower....)

Back to basics

So as you know I've just settled down from a glorious two weeks of my dad visiting us, sightseeing in Cairo and sailing up the Nile. All 419 photos are available from either my dad or myself on request :D

Anyway it's back to reality (and work now).

We haven't been tardy though - last night we went to see the South African Laughter Factory at a club called Zinc in the Crowne Plaza. They had 3 SA comedians up - Joey Rasdien, Loyiso Gola and Malcolm Ferreira - and it was really great to hear some Afrikaans and SA colloquialisms again.

Tonight it's off to the golf club for drinks and dinner with friends from work and next week I have some CFA & GARP chapter stuff to attend. :)

Who's whom of what not

Alright, settle down. I know it's been a while, but Helen is activity based and we've been couch slouches lately. Me? I'm just lazy.

But I will tell you this:

• My new pet grammar hate in Dubai: 'revert' used instead of 'respond'. It's everywhere! 'Please revert back with any comments.' Aaaaaargh!
• The tiny island kingdom of Nauru has the highest incidence of diabetes in the world, around 30%. A spokesperson for the White House (la Casa Blanca) has stated that America is sparing no effort in its attempt to be number 1.
• I am slowly mastering the principals of driving in Dubai. Slow down fast and speed up fast, drive fast, hold fast and we'll be fast friends, except during fast.
• Helen is going to Egypt with her dad. I'm leetle jealous.
• What ever happened to the youngest son in the Growing Pains season? You know, the blond boring one? While trying to ask Google, I discovered that growing pains often strike in the late afternoon or early evening and disappear by morning. I guess those are the perils of syndication. Apparently once young Jeremy Miller is playing someone's uncle in the upcoming Chinese made movie Milk and Fashion. He never seemed avuncular to me, but hey, people change.
• It's late where I am. Night-night rabbitses.

Vroom vroom

We have a car! YAY! A Mitsubishi Lancer 1.6 automatic. OK so technically we're renting it at the moment but it's a start! At least we can now get ourselves lost as opposed to relying on expensive and tardy taxis.


















Now I must just master driving an automatic, in the right hand lane, sitting on the left hand side of the car.... *GULP*

SA Weekender Festival

Last night Dubai's Nad al Sheba race course hosted the SA Weekender Festival featuring Blinga, Watershed, Just Jinger and Johnny Clegg. More importantly thought was the supply of biltong, boerewors and castle lager!!

Watershed was great (although to be honest I only recognised like 2 songs of theirs)

The star of the show though was of course Johnny Clegg. He and his group performed all the usually songs like Impi, Scatterlings, Spirit of the Great Heart and Cruel Crazy Beautiful World. I can't even begin to describe the cheers from the (by then rather drunken) crowd when he launched into Spirit of the Great Heart. Being able to stand that close and listen to his music under the stars was a truly amazing experience.

I'm afraid by the end of Johnny Clegg it was past 10pm and I was heartily sick of being bumped and jostled by inebriated revellers that we decided to skip Just Jinger and head home for an early night.

Meet your neighbour barbeque

As many of you know the complex we live in is relatively new. This being the case, EMAAR (the property developer) decided to throw a "Meet Your Neighbour" barbeque for the residents next door.

It was actually a really great event. They had a Cuban band belting out music, bean bags with african drums for the kids and lots of tables set up where adults could sit while eating, drinking and chatting.

The Pretenders

Ok ok so I have been a it lax this week with updating the blog, my apologies. Since I didn't take too many photos of last weekend I'll be brief.

The highlight was Friday nights trip to the Irish Village where we watched Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders perform. For those of you who don't know them, you do you just don't recognise the name. Their best known hit is probably Stand By You.. (think lalala, I'll Stand by you, won't let nobody hurt you, i'll stand by you.)

Still nothing? Well nevermind. It was a great night out. We were right at the front and Geoff even managed to sneak one of her guitar pick's out.

Different but Same Same

Look familiar? These are some of the construction workers from our complex catching some shut eye in the sun during their lunch break.

Dhow Dinner Cruise

Yesterday we decided to have dinner on a dhow whilst cruising down the creek. A dhow is basically large wooden boat like in the picture below:

The cruise lasts about 2 hours during which you have a 3 course buffett dinner and the boats sails up and down a small area of the creek. It was fun to see some of the sights and the city lights from the boat but it was a bit annoying that we kept turning around and changing direction. The creek is a salt water one about 100m wide. The building on the rhs in the first pic below is the National Bank of Dubai (or known affectionately as 'The Pregnant Lady').

But the buffet was nice and anywhere they serve alcohol is going to make me happy. Here is a pic of Geoff and me at our window seat as well as a photo of Geoff deep in discussion with the boat's pasta chef.

Ski Dubai

Since Geoff mentions it below, here are some pics of the ski area in the Mall of the Emirates that I took yesterday from the outside viewing area:

Madinat Jumeira

On Saturday we went to go attend the Singaporean Chili Crab and Beer Festival at the Madinat Jumeira (Madinat just means town in arabic and the complex is basically a mall). Unfortunately when we got there we found out it was actually just a couple of beer stalls, a buffett and some dancers. No worries though since Mercato has a lot going for it.


The entire mall is built in the style of an anceint arabic city or castle with stone coloured turrets, a winding river and high surrounding walls. The mall itself houses various restaurants and shops selling the typical cheesy dubai tourist stuff. If you're looking for a mini statue of the Burj or a stuffed toy camel with sunglasses then this is the place.

We had dinner at a lovely persian restaurant by the waterside with a gorgeous view of the Burj Al Arab. (PS have looked into the Burj Al Arab but since non hotel guests can only attend high tea there and high tea is 450zar per person i don't expect to be sending you photos of the inside anytime soon). Shown below are some typical arabis dessert sweets:

OK I have no idea what this camel was for but it looked funny!

I am a huge nerd

A casual comment to Helen this weekend got me thinking. We were driving past the fabled Mall of the Emirates, home of the little ski slope that got lost in the desert. I said, 'Sweety, don't you think the Mall of the Emirates looks like the Starship Enterprise?' Now, we could spend an hour less commercials with Dr Phil examining what this says about me, but let's not and say we did.

Instead, let us ponder the striking truth of this statement and its wider application as a metaphor. Bear with me here. The thing is, in several important ways, not all of them amusing, the whole of Dubai is like a season of Startrek, viz:

• We seem to be on a five year mission to go where no man has gone before, to build buildings no-one ever thought would be worth the money, or to get to work through Sheikh Zayed Road traffic.
• All the culture I know and understand is foreign to this place, because I am the alien.
• I nonetheless think I own the place.
• Everything seems to run poorly until the Captain fixes it.
• Communications with my home planet are difficult and expensive, with lots of special effects static on the line.
• The communications officer doesn't really do anything, but still gets to sit on the bridge.
• All the little anonymous guys running around doing all the work are expendable extras.

On the other hand, I get danger pay and I get to see the universe unfold before my eyes. So who's complaining?

Marina Walk

Marina Walk is - coincidently- the walkway that skirts the Dubai Marina.

Basically a small, upscale yacht club, it houses a mish-mash of restaurants from the rather suave Blues to the more low key Johnny Rockets (one of our favourites I might add.) Restaurants spill out to al fresco outside seating where patrons enjoy their shisha and the usual market stalls selling jewellery, dodgy clothes, art and UAE memorabilia hug the railings.

The weather was a bit bleh when we went and started to rain as we were leaving but it is conceivably a lovely place to sit and sip virgin (not a hotel means no alcohol) cocktails as you watch the wealthy navigate their yachts. Most surprising was the clientel which was almost entirely WASP. No idea what the boat below is used for - probably evening cruise with dinner etc but it looked nice so I took a photo!

Spicy Food

On Thursday night we went to one of Dubai's "Hidden Gems", Coconut Grove (this is according to the restaurant guide I gave Geoff for Christmas). CG is an Indian restaurant with the usual Bukhara type foods, an extensive cocktail list and a very reasonable wine list.

NB. In Dubai, they do not f&*k around with hot food. We ordered the Devilled Beef but the waiter very kindly pointed out to us that this dish was quite "spicy". OK. So what does he suggest? The Erachi something or other apparently which is quite "mild". Great we'll give it a whirl.

Possibly the fact that they have a box of tissues on the table should have been a warning. Holy Cow. Mild? MILD?? are you out of your skull? This dish had been sauteed in chilli's. Nevertheless, at wine under 100dhs per bottle we will be biting the bullet and heading off there again soon!

Bob the Builder

AHHA!! Proof ladies! Years of subversive hypnosis mind control and interrogation techniques have finally proved successful!

(we're still dealing with the bird-flu type mask don't worry)

Home Time!

Yay back home in sunny Dubai - er no sorry, pouring with rain and only 22 degrees. I tell you, move to a desert and I STILL can't sunbathe! I foresee I will end up getting a job before I can crack a tan at this rate.

C'est la vie the show must go on. We hit Carrefour (think huge Pick 'n Pay hypermarket) this evening in Mall of the Emirates to supply ourselves with the necessary drill, sander and other male type machiney. Imagine our surprise during dinner when the following show came on in the centre court!!!

Back to the Mothership

Decidedly the best way to relocate overseas is to plan a trip back to your home country less than a month after you leave it. This allows you to essentially get a trailer of the next few years of your life.

Anyway on Jan 3rd we travelled to PE for Geoff to be best man and MC for Marc and Julie's, wedding. After 4 days of harried admin the wedding was held on the Saturday afternoon under a rather stormy looking sky at a place called Apron Strings.

Anyway, Julie looked gorgeous, it didn't rain and all in all went off without hitch - despite Geoff sneaking two pieces of the (chocolate) wedding cake...

And then it was off to sunny CT. Or for me it was anyway - Geoff headed back to Kimberley to see his folks and we would meet up in JHB the following Sat.

CT was great. I got to see the gang for drinks at the Radisson...

Eat chocolate brownies at Rhodes Mem with Fi...

Have a take-out girl's night with the Barra girls...

And visit Kalk Bay Harbour with my dad (just down from Kilimanjaro I might add - go dad) for much needed cocktails...