[ goodbye dubai ]

AND goodbye to expat life. It's been swell.

lisa

[ one week! ]

I CAN'T believe that we've only got one week left here in Dubai! Time is flying by and we'll be boarding the plane in no time. It's incredible how many odds and ends there are to wrap up ~ hours spent sitting in utility, municipal offices and banks to make sure that everything is closed off properly, money is wired home, letters obtained stating you owe nothing, etc. I thought arriving here was complicated but leaving is just as involved.

Amongst all this running around, it's given me plenty of time to dream about some of the little things I'm looking forward to back in Canada...

1. Normal street addresses ~ buildings with numbers, streets with names, giving and getting directions without having to think of a landmark

2. A decent hotdog, real bacon, good pizza with real pepperoni

3. No more bad B.O.

4. Walking through a mall without the heavy stench of incense burning through the corridor or people trying to spray you with perfume from every storefront

5. Target and Walmart ~ silly how you take these things for granted until you don't have them

6. Fresh fruit and vegetables that don't require a mortgage and stay fresh for longer than an hour

7. Shopping in a store without a clerk following 2 paces behind

8. No more converting dirhams to dollars in my head

9. A postal system that works and will actually deliver a package to me and not disappear

10. Customer service ~ whether in person or on the phone, someone who understands what I'm saying and can actually provide an answer  

11. Normal driving ~ no one riding your bumper and flashing their lights for you to move, or backing up on the highway because they've missed their exit, or driving in the middle of 2 lanes

12. Being in the same time zone as our friends and family

13. Nature ~ breathing fresh air, the smell of grass, trees, 4 seasons, even a thunderstorm

14. Friendly people ~ a smile from a stranger

It's certainly the little things that make all the difference. And in seven days, my dreams will all come true.

lisa

[via laurenconrad.com]

[ wanna buy a camel? ]

ONE THING I hadn't done in Dubai was get up close and personal to a camel. I knew that before I left, I would need to cross this off my list. I mean, you can't come to the Middle East and not see a camel. But I wasn't about to go on a camel ride {like the girls in Sex and the City did} so I thought I'd try to at least snap a pic of one somewhere.

We've passed by so many camel farms on our drives around the area...

There's a famous camel market in Al Ain where camels are sold with intense haggling for meat, racing or milking {the majority for meat ~ apparently serving a whole camel for a wedding feast is a long time tradition}. Anyone can own a camel in Dubai ~ though I'm assuming they expect you to have a farm and not keep it in your villa's backyard. 

Since I wasn't really in the market to buy myself a new pet, we didn't drive all the way to the Al Ain market but instead stopped at a tiny market on the outskirts of Dubai and I managed to snap a couple of pics. There was a small tent selling camel milk, etc...

and a small pen of camels waiting to be sold. The camel handler didn't seem to mind me stopping to take a peek...

I got mostly rear views, but a couple of them posed for their mugshot...

Another thing crossed off my Dubai bucket list! {And with the MERS virus floating out there right now, I thought it best to use the zoom on my camera and keep my distance ~ just in case!}

lisa

[ room with a view ]

SO OUR temporary digs are working out quite well ~ we're in a hotel apartment until we fly back to Canada for good in June. We've got some good views...

...and conveniently located right on the metro line for me to get around...

Of course living in a hotel apartment has its quirks... living out of a couple of suitcases is a bit of a challenge for an extended period of time ~ I think I'll be pretty tired of the clothes I've got in rotation right now. Our room has a gas stove, but the oven has no temperature controls at all ~ it's just either on or off so cooking is a bit of a challenge, but I suppose it's better than only having a microwave ~ I just need to keep a close eye on things. We've got 2 English TV channels and 3 English movie channels {the rest are assorted Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Russian, German, French, Iranian} so TV watching is limited but there is a huge gym so being able to exercise inside while temps are 40C outside is a nice bonus.

Thanks for all of your sweet comments on our move back. We are super excited and I can't wait to have some new home buying/decorating topics to blog about!

lisa

[ life's decisions ]

HOW OFTEN have we all had to weigh the pros and cons of a major decision ~ is it the right choice? Is it a mistake? What does our gut tell us? Sometimes that's all we can go by ~ our gut. Taking a huge leap of faith that everything will work out the way we hope.

Well, we've reached that time ~ time to close the chapter on our expat adventures. It's been 7 1/2 years since we first moved overseas, first to Ireland and then to Dubai. Making that first leap was the hardest and I still remember the knots I felt in my stomach as I boarded the plane to what would be my new home for 4 1/2 years. I was excited and terrified at the same time. Adapting to a new country, trying to fit in, learning the lingo and hoping to make a friend ~ leaving behind everything familiar, friends and family, my comfort zone. I think we all imagine at one time or another what life would be like living in a foreign country and we certainly wear rose-coloured glasses thinking of how incredibly glamorous it would be. But I think only fellow expats can ever truly understand what it's really like and how incredibly difficult, stressful and lonely things can be at the same time. Living somewhere as an expat isn't like being on a holiday and while you are trying to settle into your temporary digs, life goes on back home ~ parents get older, nieces and nephews get bigger, friends make new friends.

We don't regret the leap we took ~ we have been able to experience different things and meet some interesting people. We've seen places we may not have seen otherwise {I certainly don't think we would have ever visited Dubai if we hadn't lived here!}. But we've also been on the receiving end of emails informing us of medical emergencies back home and undergone major surgeries ourselves with no support system to help us through. Those are the ups and downs of this type of life. If nothing else, being an expat has given me an entirely new appreciation for where I'm from and I'm excited to go back.

This has been our weekend ~ getting packed up and our container loaded for the slow boat shipment back to Canada. In 6-8 weeks we'll see our things again, hopefully ready to set up into a home we'll have for a while. We've got 3 weeks or so left in Dubai to tie up loose ends, do those last few things we haven't done here yet and say good-bye to some friends. But my world traveller days are over and I can't wait to be a Canadian resident again {and to shop for a home!}.

lisa

[via weheartit.com]

[ road trip to al ain ]

I ALWAYS love a road trip and yesterday we decided to take a drive out to Al Ain, about 120 km south of Dubai. Also known as The Garden City for it's lush greenery, it's the birthplace of the first president of the UAE and has the highest number of Emirati nationals. Weather in Al Ain is less humid making it a popular destination for many people escaping the coastal cities in the summer.

With its tree-lined streets and many opulent villas, it's a very pretty place to visit...

It's always interesting to see the traditional bits...

and the new Tim Hortons was a welcome sight!

One of the main attractions of Al Ain is Jebel Hafeet mountain so we decided to drive up it to see what all the fuss was about...

It didn't seem very big from below but driving up the 8 degree winding road was quite fun...

There are a few lookout points along the way so you can stop and admire the view...

The mountain straddles part of the border with Oman. At the foothills is the Green Mubazarrah, where hot springs gush up in little streams and form a lake ~ a popular tourist attraction.

We continued our drive up past various signs ~ not sure if they were warnings or welcomes...

... and finally reached the top.

At the top is a hotel, a private palace, a snack bar and a parking area with 360 degree views...

There were a lot of people there and some got into the weekend spirit by cranking their car stereo and dancing in the parking lot...

After admiring the endless view, we grabbed some snacks and headed back down...

We had a great day and now that the temps are hovering around the 40C range, a road trip in air conditioned comfort is a great way to still enjoy the sights.

lisa

[ happy weekend! ]

WE started our weekend with a fun night out with friends at the Atlantis for dinner. It made me realize that we really need to do these things more often! I guess no matter where you live, you get into a rut sometimes. What have you got going on this weekend?

lisa

[ arrggh! this place! ]

EVERY expat in Dubai knows that this place is an exercise in patience. Sure the sunshine is great, but it definitely comes at a price! I'm constantly encountering things that just don't make sense and are guaranteed to hike your blood pressure up a few notches. My latest encounter was this...

This is where we live ~ villa 57 on street 2 of our gated community...

Over the course of this year, the developer has filled in an open area just up the street from us with a few new villas. The boards have just come down to reveal this...

Seriously! How can you have two villas on the same street with the same number?? They had assigned this chunk of new villas numbers 53-63, right between existing numbers 12 and 13! Why 53-63? Seems pretty random since the existing numbering already goes to about 100 at the bottom of our street! How does this even happen?

I hadn't noticed until I called for a taxi on Thursday. I was standing outside my villa waiting for what seemed to be much longer than usual when my phone rang.

Taxi: I am here ma'am

Me: Where?

Taxi: In front of villa

Me: No... I'm standing right in front of my villa and you are not here.

Taxi: Villa 57?

Me: Yes, villa 57. Are you on Street 2?

Taxi: Yes ma'am

Me: Are you sure?

Taxi: Yes ma'am. Street 2. Villa 57.

Me: Well I'm confused. I'm standing right in front and you are not here. Are you sure you are on Street 2? Did you turn right at the gate or left?

Taxi: I turn right ma'am. Street 2.

Me: Well, you are definitely not in front of my villa. I'm confused. You're SURE you turned right at the gate?

Taxi: Sigh. Yes ma'am. I turn right. I go back and turn left. 'click'

Me: Sigh.

I stood there waiting to see how this was going to play out when I saw him approaching from the bottom of my street instead. He had driven around, past the gate, down Street 1 to where it joins my street and come up. He looked at my villa number with a confused look on his face. I got in.

Taxi: This is villa 57?

Me: Yes. This is where I've been waiting. This is Street 2.

Taxi: Yes ma'am but I was Street 2. I show you.

We drove up the street and he stopped in front of the new villa.

Taxi: Here ma'am. Here I was waiting. Villa 57. Street 2.

I couldn't believe my eyes! I was looking at a villa on my street with the same number as mine! The fact that it was clearly still under construction and obviously not yet occupied hadn't dawned on him. He was waiting at villa 57 so I couldn't very well accuse him of being wrong. He was right ~ sort of. I can't even imagine the problems this is going to create.

Sigh. Only in Dubai.

lisa

[ my weekend ]

WHILE much of North America is still digging out from under snow, we've had a dirty sandstorm weekend ~ beige skies, sand blowing, a bit of drizzle just to make the sand run slightly down the windows and then dry that way ~ yuck. This is my 3rd birthday in a row with a sandstorm. Gotta love waking up and checking the forecast on my iPhone and seeing this...

So needless to say, we didn't partake in the breakfast on a patio idea that I had originally planned. 

Instead, we chose a bit of Texas BBQ...

And we went to see this...

I hadn't heard of it ~ apparently it was at Cannes. Hmm... what can I say except it wasn't really my taste. I mean, how bad could it be with Ryan Gosling in it?? I guess I just didn't appreciate the artistry of it. 

But the best part was being surprised with these...

I can never have too many pairs of TOMS, especially here in Dubai. And this taupe colour is perfect to hide any dirt, even in a sandstorm!

Thanks for all your sweet birthday wishes! How was your weekend?

lisa

[ the beach at jbr ]

ONE THING about Dubai is that there is always development going on and something new popping up. This weekend we decided to check out what's been happening down at JBR, the area where we stayed 3 years ago when we first arrived here before we got our apartment.

JBR is a popular Dubai tourist spot with The Walk, a strip of hotels and all kinds of cafes and restaurants with outdoor patios. It's a great spot to people-watch and weekends usually bring the locals with their expensive cars cruising along the strip.

There has always been a beach along the shore and now there is The Beach, a new development of 4 plazas connected by an esplanade with more shops and restaurants, a running track, underground parking, valet parking, and an open-air cinema opening soon. A few places have opened so far with more to follow. 

With Dubai winning the bid this year for Expo 2020, there's been plenty of celebration here and plans for more and more development. I love this huge sandcastle...

We decided to stop for lunch and headed for The Counter, a build-your-own burger spot {we went to one a few times in Dublin when we lived there}...

My guy built his with sautéed mushrooms and chipotle aioli...

and I made mine more of a Hawaiian with grilled pineapple and bbq sauce...

add a chocolate banana shake and a side of these parmesan fries...

and yummo!

The Beach at JBR will be a great spot in the winter with mild temperatures and gentle breezes on the patios. But with temperatures jumping from highs of 24C to 31C just this week and climbing, it won't be long before it will be a little too toasty for many to take in the sights along the sand {including the camel rides!}. 

lisa

[via mytravelingjoys.com]