Abra: Sailing the traditional way

Surf Safely: The UAE Way

This is what I get when I try to view all the gorgeous pictures in Flickr …

Dubai Metro Rolls Tonight!

Dubai Metro will make its maiden run tonight at 9 pm, making it the world’s longest automated driverless train system built in just four years.  But only VIPs will get to ride it tonight, and will be opened to public starting tomorrow.  The trains will offer first class ‘Gold’ section, standard ‘Silver’ class, plus a women and children only section.

FAQ about the Metro answered here, here and here.

How to use the Metro illustrated here.

There will be the mandatory fireworks at Dubai Creek and Mall of Emirates tonight.

Warning:

Motorists who slow down their vehicles or stop completely to watch the Metro run will be fined for obstructing traffic.

Image taken from Khaleej Times.

Sailing Through Madinat Jumeirah

When Mezba and Haleem wrote about their recent adventures in Italy – particularly the Gondola ride in Venice – I thought, “Hey, we have that here in Dubai!”  Of course it’s not like Venice, but it’s a unique and beautiful experience, nevertheless.  Credit to the following gorgeous pictures goes to my husband, who rarely holds the camera.  But when he does, he takes better pictures than me.

Madinat Jumeirah - which translates into the 'City of Jumeirah' - is one of the most beautiful resorts in Dubai.

The abra ride costs 50 dirhams, and takes you around Madinat Jumeirah, a ride that takes about 20 minutes.

Dining here is highly recommended, but very expensive.

When you check into the hotel, you get complimentary fresh fruit, cold towels and ice lollies - to help you cool down.

I love how they recreated the entire resort!

There is also a souk - or traditional market - nearby. But pictures of that will be on another post.

Oh, and of course, you get to see the Burj al Arab up close.

Dinner, Dust and the Guy Who Wants 100 Children

We met for the first time tonight and there was instant bonding, like we’ve known each other for so many years.  The way we first smiled at each other, asked about family, job, and the weather.  We exchanged stories over shawarma and kabab at a Lebanese restaurant.  We had a great time! He is Masood’s Pakistani cousin, who lives in Houston, so we didn’t get the chance to meet him in Karachi.  He, with his wife and four-year-old son, had a two-day stay in Dubai on their way back to Houston from their Umrah trip.  They’re a wonderful family, mashaAllah, and it amazes me on how easily we all got comfortable with each other in such a short time.    I ate a lot.  I’m like that when I’m super happy.

My precious D40 is still resting comfortably in its soft, velvet case.  Ever since we brought it home a few days ago, we have been having dust storms.  The UAE was covered in a blanket of very fine dust coming in from Iraq, experts claimed. I would never bring my D40 out at any cost;  I didn’t even dare take my point-and-shoot out.

There are different opinions on why we were having these dust storms, which started last Friday and has somewhat cleared out today.  One of the reasons is that the military operations in Iraq are changing the surface terrain there.  Six years of troop and vehicle movements had ground soil into fine grains, sending powder billowing skywards.  Another expert claims that Turkish dams have reduced the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to trickles and efforts to revive the Mesopotamian marshes appear to have been abandoned, causing vast swathes of land to dry up, reducing them to dustbowls.

Then there are these two Emirati men who love a household full of children:  Salem Juma’a, in his late 70s, father-of-52  (who also says he will probably stop there) and 60-year-old Daad Abdulrahman has 86 and says he is aiming for 100.  “It’s from God,” says Mr Juma’a. “God gave me this. I can’t object to God’s gift. God gave me because I deserved it. If I did not deserve, God would not give.”

Mr Abdulrahman will marry again after Ramadan, to a woman from Sudan 40 years his junior, and hopes for a further four children a year until he reaches his goal of 100. His youngest child is just 10 months old and two babies are due next month.  The secret to virility is healthy food, says Mr Abdulrahman. “I have 40 sheep and goats. Every week I slaughter one. I always eat at home.”  But will he stop when he reaches 100? “If I have 100 rupees and I walk in the street and I find one rupee, I will take it in spite of being rich.”

Images from Google