A Trip to Hatta

My nutty friend leaves room for the Holy Ghost while posing with some of our guides. This was taken in Hatta.

A Flower That Thrives in this Climate

...at least part of the year.

Ski Dubai

The indoor ski hill located within Mall of the Emirates

Diversion Ahead

An all too familiar sign around the UAE-construction and road works are a way of life.

Waiting for the bus...

The public bus system in Dubai is used primarily by men. Generally, it is the lesser paid expats in our midst. While there is a women's section it's not common to see women occupying it. As the bus fills at peak times the men seemingly overflow into the women-only section. While the day that this was shot was relatively cool (80s for the American readers out there/24+ C for the rest of the world), imagine the 6 months out of the year when the humidity soars and the temperature skyrockets! So few bus stops have proper shelter, and while they began to create air-conditioned stops, I'm not sure it's panned out at expected.

Another shot in Motion

Perhaps an illegally snapped shot from Airport Road in Dubai.

Al Ain to Dubai

This photos was taken on a drive from Oman crossing into Al Ain(an oasis town within the emirate of Abu Dhabi). Anyone who's ever done the border crossings between the UAE and Oman will understand how the first time is somewhat confusing. As we left the UAE we passed the trailers where we were meant to get our exit stamp. 7 km later, at the Omani border, we were told to drive back to the UAE border to get the necessary stamps. On the way back into the UAE I approach a different border crossing-also in Al Ain. I got of my car and approached another trailer (construction all around us). I had to walk up a wooden plank to speak to the man behind the window, who motioned for me to enter through the side door of the trailer. One retina scan later, and my passport was stamped.

One of the things I love most about driving through Al Ain is that, unlike other parts of the country, there is vegetation along the major highways. This photo was taken through the windshield with the car in motion, so the quality is 'iffy.'

A few more jars...

Ann from Montego Bay Day by Day commented on how many pots she liked in this post, so I decided to share one more shot from the Picasso Gallery located in the Satwa neighbourhood of Dubai. The two bigs one must have been at least 7 feet high.

Ready to go!

Taken on a camel farm-this male is looking for Mrs. Right Now. Perhaps someone with more camel knowledge can jump in here, but I am told that this swollen gland hanging out of the male's mouth indicates that he's ready to mate...right now.

Um al Quwain Mosque After a Fleeting Rain Storm

Umm al-Quwain (there are about a billion different ways to spell it)is one of the northern emirates, and it's also the least populated-as a drive through town would clearly suggest. :) I shot this post-rainstorm last year.

Picasso Gallery in Satwa, Dubai

A bit of a rainy afternoon in January. Picasso Gallery in the Satwa neighbourhood of Dubai sells clay pots and does custom framing. A friend of mine was getting some things framed to hang in her school, so I tagged along with camera in tow. It rained just after I took this shot.

Malboro Man

Another shot taken on the desert safari. He looked over his shoulder, but I missed the opportunity. I kinda liked his profile, anyway. Now if I could have only convinced him to move into the sun...

Desert Safari

This was taken on a desert safari a few years back. For anyone who's ever been on safari in Africa, safari is a rather misleading term. You begin the trip in 4 x 4 vehicles. They take you and the others guests (typically tourists or newcomers to the UAE) out to the desert for some dune bashing. Eat light before this journey, folks, and strap yourself in. You have the option of trying skiing/sandboarding before all the vehicles head to the camp. At the camp belly dancing (not native to the Gulf states and often performed by a woman from eastern Europe), henna applications (mehndi), dress-up in local attire, falconry, and other local "traditions" (I used that term loosely) lead up to a nice grilled dinner inside the tent. The photo seen here was taken during the skiing/sandboarding session. The guides positioned themselves on this steep steep hill in order to toss the gear back up the hill.

Britain warns of high attack risk in UAE

DUBAI (AFP) — Britain has warned of a high risk of a terror attack in the United Arab Emirates, the booming oil-rich Gulf state and regional economic and tourst hub that is home to several million foreigners.

"There is a high threat from terrorism. We believe terrorists may be planning to carry out attacks in the UAE," said a travel advice posted online by the embassy.

"Attacks could be indiscriminate and could happen at any time, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers such as residential compounds, military, oil, transport and aviation interests," it said.

The warning posted on Saturday informed Britons in the pro-Western desert nation and key OPEC member that they should "maintain a high level of security awareness, particularly in public places."

The UAE is a conservative Muslim nation but has become a major regional tourist hub, attracting millions each year, mainly in the bustling city-state of Dubai which is known for its liberal lifestyle.

Rest of the article found here.

I should add that The Gulf News, one of the UAE's newspapers published in English, made no mention of this recent report in today's paper.

So what does the housing look like?

The photos below aren't a very balanced view of housing in the UAE. Sure, many families do live in nice villas (usually semi-detached homes). Some have have a bit of grass while others have a small paved bit of land. For most residents, though, life in a block of flats is more common. Photos to come of apartment buildings, as well as more varied shots of accommodation around the UAE.


The photo above is taken from a friend's street in Dubai (Mirdif). Their villa is considered "older" by UAE standards (perhaps it's 15 years old). They are still lucky enough to be paying 80,000 dirhams/annually (approximately 22,000 USD) for their 3 bedroom villa. Prices for newer places in Mirdif are much higher. 80,000 dirhams in Abu Dhabi, where housing is seemingly spiraling out of control, will not likely find you a 1 bedroom flat...that's the rumour, anyway! I'll be looking for accomodation in Abu Dhabi come August, and I've heard some horror stories about prices and lack of availability.


This photo was taken in the backyard of a friend's home in Dubai, also. The neighbourhood is referred to as the Arabian Ranches. Lots more green in their backyard!


This is a pretty common scene around the UAE. There are lots of construction fences up(as something is always being built). What's an empty sand lot (i.e. parking lot) this week, could be an eight story building in a few month's time.


This photo was taken from my friend's front porch. To give you some perspective, they live in a 1 story villa. Across the way is a bit of a McMansion. This photo was taken in January, so rain has helped some of the flowers to come to life.


Contrary to popular belief, not all is beige and sandy (though there's a lot of that, too).

When a girl needs some pampering...

This photo was taken from inside one of the rooms at Imar Spa in Um al Quwain. It's a women-only spa with just a handful of rooms for those who opt to spend the night. This is a FANTASTIC way to treat yourself or visiting female friends and family to some extra special pampering. I went up with a group of friends, and we shared the rooms between us. Though the weather prevented us from getting any sun, the weekend included a Moroccan bath (must try at least once), hydro-therapy (wish I had a photo of that), aqua aerobics, pedicure, waxing, and facials-all sampled by at least one member of our party. The bill, food , accommodation, services and all, came in under $300 USD for me.



The outside of Imar Spa where one can sun bathe.

Roundabouts of Interest

Roundabout in the UAE often display some pretty interesting statues. This one was shot in the emirate Um al Quwain on a stormy day last year.

Not all gold and glitz...

The UAE is, upon first sight, very glitzy and glamourous. There is another side of life that is not so pretty. Many expatriate workers in the UAE face hard labour and crooked employment practices. This shot was taken from the window of a friend's flat in Sharjah last year.

Rubies and diamonds and sapphires, oh my!

Gold is a popular souvenir to bring back. Entire markets(souks)and malls have been dedicated to the sale of gold. There is no 14k gold-only 18 and up. There is gold that caters to every possible buyer on the market. Stay tuned for the 24k stuff!

This was taken at a branch of Liali in Dubai (Uptown Mirdif shopping centre). My friend and I stopped in to try on some pieces on multiple occasions, though we never bought any. I suppose that's part of the fun: look 95% of the time and buy the other 5%.

View from a Sharjah Balcony

That's the Sharjah corniche from the view of my old flat. This photo is actually 10 years old, but last I checked, the City Centre building behind the Corniche Pharmacy was still standing. Across the street is the Marbella Resort. A few of my colleagues and I got a "couples" membership and made frequent visits. While you might see the water behind the hotel, there was no swimming in this lagoon. The cascading pool is the best part of Marbella. :)

Snoopy Island

Snoopy Island is located off the shore of Khor Fakkan in the emirate of Fujeirah. This is the Indian Ocean (sometimes referred to as the Arabian Sea). Why the name Snoopy Island? Looks a lot like a famous cartoon character on his back, no? This was taken in December-hence the clouds, rain, and rough waves (they must have reached 6+ feet that day). The Sandy Beach Motel is a popular place to stay for those visiting Khor Fakkan.

Jumeirah Beach

This was taken on Jumeirah Beach very near to the contruction site of the famous 7 star hotel, the Burj Al Arab. We drove over a plastic fence in order to get to this spot on the beach (it was the norm at the time). Jumeirah Beach used to have little straw shelters constructed for shade from the sun. I believe they've taken these down now.

Dubai Rugby Sevens

This is worth experiencing at least once! The Dubai Rugby Sevens involves international rugby teams from all over the world coming play. There are 7 players on each side, and the matches are shorter than standard rugby. Great for those who've never seen rugby and/or have a short attention span. The photo is from a good few years back. The team in green is the Abu Dhabi women's team.

Day Trip from the UAE

Taken on a dive trip to the Gulf of Oman. Note the ball cap and the traditional kandoora/dishdasha that the boat captain is wearing. This type of boat is referred to as a dhow.

Pilot testing of 10 hybrid vehicles starts in Dubai

I didn't foresee the UAE wanting to participate in fuel efficient cars, but this is a great sign if it catches on.

Dubai: Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, has opened the pilot testing phase of ten hybrid vehicles to be used in Dubai's taxi fleet.

The vehicles are the environmentally friendly Chevrolet Tahoe and Malibu models by General Motors, which are the first of their kind to be used in the Middle East.

Rest of the article can be found here.

The photo is of a friend's car. Not a hybrid (yet).

Seemingly "just like home" but not when it comes to PDA

Man and woman deny cuddling and kissing in public

Dubai: An employee and a saleswoman have denied kissing and cuddling in their car which was parked in front of a shopping mall in Dubai, heard a court.

Records said an undercover policeman spotted the Syrian employee, M.A., and his Belarussian female associate, R.R., cuddling and kissing each other in a car before he reported them to Al Muraqqabat police.

The suspects' lawyer told the Dubai Misdemeanour Court: "The claimant's accusations are absolutely baseless and illogical... M.A.'s car is a big one and the two front seats are too far from each other which make it impossible for them to cuddle or kiss. The claimant must have wrongly spotted them kissing on the lips when M.A. had kissed R.R.'s cheek."

Rest of the article can be found here.

Photo was taken at the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai. Regarding the sign, I believe there's a law that requires the signs to be in Arabic as well as English. The translations is often just the same words in Arabic letters. This one: Dnkin' Doo-nts.

From a Moving Car

This was taken on a drive from Nizwa, Oman back to Dubai. I passed through Al Ain (an oasis city within the emirate of Abu Dhabi). Much of the roads in Al Ain are lined with trees in order to keep the dust down, or so I'm told. These signs warning of camels crossing are relatively common once one leaves the city centres.

Construction and Faith

This photo is a metaphor for life all over the UAE.