Dubai Update 10/12: My 27th Birthday !

Birthday Surprise ~
 
     On December 7th, I started celebrating my upcoming 27th birthday week at the Seafire steakhouse in the Atlantis. We both enjoyed a wonderful meal, and indulged in their magnificent food. We of course both had our usuals - me a tenderloin. As a side note, Sergio Garcia was at the table next to ours since the Race to Dubai golf tournament was just starting.

       On December 8th, I was sleeping and thought nothing of it when he came to tell me he was home. As I stirred in bed and opened my eyes, I couldnt believe what I was seeing... My Mom and aunty Michelle were standing there in my bedroom - they had come from Ottawa to surprise me for my birthday & to bring Christmas spirit over to Dubai !!!

For the next 10 days, my Mom, Michelle & I were constantly on the move, enjoying our wonderful time together:
* We ended up going to the Race to Dubai to watch the pros of the European Tour on Sunday, the final day. Tickets were free! We watched from the tee-off boxes, fairway shots, and putting - and followed the #1 player on tour Luke Donald. It's always impressive seeing these guys live, just to see and appreciate their sheer talent. We then got home, and quickly got ready for my birthday dinner with friends at the Thai Bistro in the Dubai Marine. It was an all you can eat & drink thai buffet, but it wasn't that impressive. The food was ok, and it didnt live up to our Thai Wok experiences, but we had a great night with friends & family. Thanks to everyone who came and made it a great night :)

* I was absolutely spoiled for my birthday!!! Considering Mom and Michelle had come from Ottawa, I hadnt expected additional gifts. But, low and behold, my Mom showered me with presents - sandals, jean capris, two tops, a skirt, and a Hello Kitty bathrob. WOW! I can't wait to meet the dolphins and ride a horse :) THANK YOU !

* One day, the ladies and I rented a car and made our way to Abu Dhabi. I was worried that the ladies would have a hard time driving in the aggressive UAE manner, but they did really well and managed perfectly, without even getting lost once.
- We stopped at Yas Island's Ferrari World - the largest indoor theme park in the world, to experience their rollercoaster, which is of course the fastest rollercoaster in the world. We arrived at 11 am, and there was hardly anyone there, and so there was a very little wait for the coaster. We were all a bit tense waiting to ride it... to give you an idea, it goes from 0-240 km/hour is 4.9 seconds, with a G-force of 1.7 gs. This coaster is pretty impressive - riders must wear safety goggles, there is no overhead harness, there is a lapbar and seatbelt to keep you in, it is designed to replicate an F1 racetrack, and needless to say, it is FAST. I yelled my little heart out for the first half of the ride, then relaxed a bit... It is such a rush - so much so, that we got off and did it again immediately! For the rollercoaster fans, this is definitely a ride you must try at least once :)
- While the main attraction at Ferrari World is the Formula Rossa coaster, we also toured around the rest of the facilities and did their other coaster, where 2 tracks race side by side. It was also a great experience, and lots of fun.

- Next we headed over to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It is one of the largest mosque's in the world, and the largest in the UAE - it cost over $1 billion to build and it can accomodate 40,000 people for prayer. This mosque is absolutely beautiful, and a must-see if in the region. For those considering a visit, be warned - ladies you will be given an abaya and a headscarf to wear & men must wear long pants or they too are given a cover-up. It is free to tour the mosque, and there are several guided tours - we joined a tour for a bit, and the guides are quite informative. Unlike most tourist attractions, there are no souvernirs or gitchy things being sold. Nice. The artwork and sheer beauty was breathtaking - and while we were in a mosque, we didnt feel it was overly religious or awkward to tour.
- We finished off our Abu Dhabi day with a light Arabic dinner at the Fairmont. It's a beautiful hotel with great views of the mosque. Aaron was working at the Fairmont that night so we stayed and hung out with him before his event.

* The ladies wanted to go to the Gold & Spice souk so we spent an entire afternoon there one day. Again, this is a definite must-experience when in Dubai. We stocked up on spices, beautiful pashmina's and jewelry. The ladies did very well for themselves, and got amazing deals - when in the Souks, dont forget to negotiate the prices!

* Another day, we ventured to the top of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, and had lunch at the Atmosphere. This restaurant and lounge is on the 135th floor (I believe) just a few floors away from the observation deck, so why not enjoy your time at the top of the world with a delicious lunch. They have different lunch specials at decent prices, and I would also recommend this place... Great views of the city on a clear day, and nice food (call ahead for reservations though!).

* Friday afternoon brunches are famous in Dubai, and the ladies absolutely wanted to try one before leaving. We chose the Saffron brunch at the Atlantis so that they could see the hotel, the aquariums, and enjoy one of the best brunches in Dubai. It was my second time returning, and I must say I did quite well for myself the first time - great food & drinks, painting a picture. This time I didnt find the food as good, maybe the selection is too fast so it's hard to make a choice, but the drinks were just as delicious, and the ladies and I filled our boots. I was actually impressed with the shots Mom and Michelle were taking back haha - they were getting right into it. By the end, we were sitting at a drink filled table, paintings in hand, stuffed full of food, and thoroughly content :) Aaron joined us during his break...

All in all, I had one of the best birthday weeks ever...incredibly memorable and fun! It was so easy and such a pleasure to host these ladies; they are welcome back anytime :) Thank you Mom and Michelle for coming to Dubai and surprising me :) I think it's safe to say that 2011 has been the year of surprises. My 26th year was a good one, and Im looking forward to my 27th year on this planet - I dont feel older, only wiser ;)

Happy New Year !!! Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012 !!! Let's remember to be positive, caring and kind ... be the change!

xox <3 xox

Dubai Update: November v2

~ Paul McCartney Concert ~

On Sunday November 13^th, I had just returned from the gym when we got a phone call saying we were invited to the Paul McCartney concert at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi that night. It was 7:30 pm, it takes over an hour to drive there – we had to shower, get ready, and eat? We hurried ourselves up, and got there having only missed 4 songs !!! Not only did we have free admission, we were given VIP passes right at the front of the stage … incredible !

Paul certainly knew how to put on a show for the 20,000 plus in attendance… the following link provides the set-list for that night’s concert:

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/paul-mccartney/2011/yas-arena-abu-dhabi-united-arab-emirates-13d1fd8d.html

What can I say about Paul McCartney?
I was not familiar with his solo hits, but we wanted to see this living legend live. We were blown away with his showmanship and talent, and really enjoyed the concert. People didn’t really get too excited when he played his solo songs, but everyone was having a right good time when he played the Beatles songs.

Paul played song after song for 3 solid hours, including two encores. He continually made references to Abu Dhabi, spoke a bit of Arabic and told the crowd interesting stories along the way. Paul switched between a few guitars, a ukulele, and the piano… And then all of a sudden, the song Live and Let Die came on, and the pyrotechnics came out in full blast. Fireworks high above the stage, and shooting all over the stage – not something you would particularly expect from a man pushing his late 60’s. WOW!

I couldn’t review this concert without mentioning the band as well. Great energy and sheer talent!

All throughout the concert, I couldn’t help but think of my parents. Both of them had grown up listening to and idolizing the Beatles, and because of that – and Beatles RockBand, I had known that music as well. I had actually surprised Aaron with how many songs I knew and sang along too… My parents have not had the chance to see Mr. McCartney live, and so I was extra grateful to be standing there at this concert, only a few rows back, enjoying it in its entirety. I even got teary eyed during Eleanor Rigby and Let It Be …

For a short clip of Paul singing Let It Be at Yas Island click on the following link - you can even hear the crowd singing along, and I do apologize it's a bit shaky hehe:  

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K6GDxYp_4o&feature=feedu

And another clip from Live & Let Die with the pyro follow this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg0jSBp9Mp4

I often wonder which artists in my generation will leave a lasting legacy over 5 decades such as the Beatles and Paul McCartney, or even the Rolling Stones whom I had the pleasure of seeing live in Shanghai. Obviously the scene has evolved due to technology, but it seems sex tapes and scandals sell music, whereas sheer talent is often overlooked… Oh well, the Paul McCartney show is definitely at the top of my list for best concerts, and I would suggest going if his tour stops in a city near you.

xox <3 xox



Dubai Update: November v1

These past few weeks have been really exciting over here in Dubai, never a dull moment, that’s for sure. Events, holidays, concerts, work… No rest for the wicked!

~ Halloween ~
Halloween – one of my favorite holidays! So we went all out, and made the most of it… Friday October 28^th, we went to Chi The Lodge with Heather, her husband Matt, their friend Andy for their annual Halloween party. I was extremely impressed by the costumes, and the effort people had made – wow! Some costumes actually truly scared me to the point I had to look away, and some were majorly impressive – like the Predator, or BumbleBee Transformer, who both won for best individual costumes. We were dressed as 80’s punk rockers for this party.

On Saturday night, our friend Sumit was hosting a Halloween party at his house. Not too many people were dressed up, but it was nice to gather with friends and meet new people. I dressed up as a cat.

Finally, on Monday October 31^st – Halloween night – we went to the Cavalli Club for their dinner package with Sumit, Rasha, Heather & Matt. While there weren’t many people for the actual dinner, the club quickly filled with dressed up partiers having a spooktacular time. The club did an impressive job at theming the party. For instance, upon arrival we were given blood injections to be drank from a syringe – it was really blood mary, the decorations were quite well done, the food was Halloween themed, and they had acrobatics from the ceiling…We danced the night away, enjoyed the costumes & had a great time.

 

We also found a few stores that sold pumpkins… The nicer bigger pumpkins were rather expensive & I certainly wasn’t going to enjoy carving a $30 pumpkin! We ended up getting one each at Carrefour for only $5, and while they were small, they were still fun to carve. I did mine as a cat to match my outfit.

xox <3 xox

Parents in Dubai

In September, my parents came to visit us here in Dubai for one week. The week went by so quickly, and we did tons of great things around the city. My parents had spent about 3 weeks on safari in Kenya, so Dubai was on their way home back to Canada. While I have lived abroad in many countries for short amounts of time, this was the first time that they had come to visit me in my own place - what a grown up feeling, to host your parents in your very own apartment!

During the week we took them on a tour of the city and did many different things. They got to see that when Dubai sets its sights on something, it goes bigger & better than anywhere else. Everything from the Burj Khalifa, to JBR, the Palm, the Burj Al Arab, the Dubai Mall to name a few. We also spent a lot of time at the pool just relaxing & keeping cool! It was extremely hot the week they were here so we tried to stay cool as best we could.

Short summary of the week :
* We stopped by the Atlantis to view the hotel, it's grounds & the fishtank. While we didnt go in for the aqaurium tour, the tanks at the Atlantis are much nicer than the one in the Dubai Mall (in my opinion). You can spend hours looking at the different fish and watching their behaviours! The hotel is lavish, it's almost a bit tacky - like Vegas, but it's not something you see in Ottawa or Canada really.

* One night for dinner we stopped at Flavours on Two in the Towers Rotana. They have a great dinner brunch with a different theme each night. That night it was Indian, and so we indulged in a bit of food and a lot of wine. With the engagement two nights prior, and all the excitment of having my parents in Dubai, it was not a pleasant following morning for me YIKES ! hahaha

* We spent one afternoon relaxing on the beach in the Jumeirah Beach Park. I had never been, but it was beautiful ! When I was a child, we used to go on beach holidays and spend every day on the beach for hours on end. This reminded me of those times, and it was great. We swam in the warm ocean, read our books, people watched and I got a sunburn. And while I had told them the ocean would be warm - not even refreshing really, they were incredibly surprised to experience it for themselves. The ocean is quite clear, the sand was really soft, you could walk into the sea for a long time, and the waves were little - so it was perfect.

* My Mom had wanted to see the fountains, so I had taken her on two different nights. We must have seen them over a dozen times since one night they had a show every 15 minutes or so. No matter how many times you see the fountains, it is always amazing & never gets boring. Although I am rather disappointed that we didn't see the Thriller show, but we did see the Celine Dion one, the Whitney Houston one, some Arabic music ones, and a few Opera ones. On the way to the airport, we stopped to watch the fountains one last time before departure. My parents was amazed, and couldn't believe this was in our city - and it's free !

* When we visited the Fountains, we also toured the Dubai Mall. With it's own aquarium, a skating rink, Sega game world, a waterfall, and such, we didn't see it all - but we did tour the high end designer stores, which was quite a thrill. And what I always find amazing about this Mall is that it is always full and busy!

* We also ventured to the Bur Dubai area to see the Gold & Spice Souk. I had also never been, but it was terrific. I would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Dubai, and to those who live here. At the Spice Souk we got great little spice packages - they had vendors upon vendors with so many different spices and flavours on display, it was beautiful. Similarly in the Gold Souk, we just toured around the shops and couldn't believe the worth of all that gold just sitting in all those shops! My mom had wanted to buy something original as her Dubai souvenir, but we didnt' come across anything too remarkable. In both places you can negotiate the prices which add a little excitment to the shopping experience, and the spices were definitely cheaper than at the grocery stores here.

* With so many great places to visit, we decided to stop by the Souk Madinat. We ended up taking a little boat ride around the Madinat and the surrounding hotels, and it was quite nice. The grounds there are absolutely beautiful, and it was like we had ventured to another part of the world, but with the Burj Al Arab in the background. The shops were relatively quiet since it was a Friday afternoon, but my Mom did manage to find her great Dubai souvenir - a silk cover up that really could be a dress. It is a piece of art in itself.

* On our last night together, we went to Channels dinner brunch at the Media Rotana. It was Asian fusion night, but it left us all with a bad stomach. Needless to say, I dont recommend it. After we stopped in Nelson's and danced for quite a while. The DJ was playing some oldies tunes, and taking requests as well, so we all joined in on the dancefloor. I must say it was rather cute to see my parents dancing in the bar !

The week went by way too quickly, and it was sad to see them off. Now that they are both retired, they can technically come visit whenever they want ! There were still things we didn't get to do, so it is an excuse to come back - although visiting me should be excuse enough! haha It's too bad it's just so darn far with an expensive visit visa haha. Showing my parents around, and seeing their perspective on this city, also gave me a new appreciation of the city. When I had first arrived, I was just like them - in awe of the city, and loving it. But it gets so easy to focus on the negatives in every day life, and to forget the great things - I mean we are living in a foreign country tax free with such a great standard of living, great restaurants & shopping, beaches, hot weather, really almost anything we could want. Life in Dubai is great !

Mom & Dad thank you so much for everything, it was such a beautiful week ! Can't wait for your next trip :)

xox <3 xox

Thanksgiving in Dubai

Canadian Thanksgiving:

     This year, Canadian Thanksgiving seemd to come quick on Monday October 10th. For those of you who don't know, Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated the second Monday in the month of October, while American Thanksgiving is on the 4th Thursday in November. While the dates differ, the meaning is esentially the same - as the name would suggest, to give thanks for what we have with friends and family. Food usually consists of turkey, veggies, gravy, desserts - you know, all those yummy things!

   Seeing as we are rather far from family & friends, I started my own tradition in Dubai. HI thought Id cook a feast. For the appetizers, I put shaved turkey, hummus, cheese & herbs on a cracker, and warmed it in the over. Mmmm. I then served a roast chicken, asparagus, potato roasties, gravy & buns, and a large garden salad for dinner. Mmmm. It was also my lucky day since I found some Clamato juice in the Waitrose supermarket, as well as celery, so I treated myself to a delicious Caesar! Mmmm. We ended the night with two different desserts with a lot of chocolote and peanut peanut butter. Mmmm.

   There was a lot to be grateful this year, and we took the time to recognize it all. I am grateful for our health, for our work, for our happiness, for our wonderful families, for amazing friends, for good times & those not so fun times, everything! These are the things that I am grateful for all the time - not just one day of the year. Unfortunately, we often forget how lucky we are in this world, so it is nice to take the time to appreciate.
  

   Thanksgiving this year brought some very happy news ! A very good friend of the family had been diagnosed with cancer this year. Doctors weren't really sure what the situation was until they could operate, and remove the cancerous cells. After the surgery, there was a long 2 week waiting game... But then, right before Thanksgiving weekend, the doctors had let him know that they had managed to get everything and that he was in fact going to be ok ! He will now get a second lease on life, and everyone is just so happy for him and his family! I really couldnt have wished for better news, and what good timing :)

   October is a great month with Thanksgiving, Halloween, fall colours turning in Ottawa, cooler weather in Dubai - what a great time of year. I cant wait for Halloween here !

****

   Thank you for the continued support on this blog, I know I say it alot, but I truly mean it ~ I have nearly hit 3,000 hits from around the world ! I am a bit behind in my posts with some posts about our vacation to England unfinished, and I'd also like to post about my parents visiting here in Dubai ! What a great time :) That sums it up for now!

   xox <3 xox

Ottawa & it's surroundings

COTTAGE LIFE
With all the parties and social events we were attending within the first few days of landing in Ottawa, Aaron and I needed to unwind and simply relax ! BIG TIME ! When living abroad people back home typically ask the same questions over and over, and while I underdstand they are curious and are trying to make conversation, it is boring to explain the same thing repeatedly especially being jetlagged... so with that being said, Aaron and I went up to the Lac Bleu area, about 2 hours north west of Ottawa, for a cottage retreat. I would really like to thank Michelle and Phil for graciously allowing us to use their beautiful cottage!

Cottage life is much different than anything Im used to in Dubai... the remoteness of the cottage, the wilderness around us, the trees and greenery, the great outdoors! I guess what people would typically call "roughing it", which in our case meant no cell service, no dishwasher, no takeaway or food delivery, no cable television, no internet, etc. HAHA. Daily activities included lounging, relaxing, reading, board games, paddle boating, napping, hiking, cooking, drinking, and more drinking. A

STEREO:
As soon as we booked our trip, I immediately checked who was going to be spinning at my beloved Stereo. And... it was one of my all-time favorites, Victor Calderone !!! So it was set, we would go to Stereo for Victor :) The last time I had been, it was to see Nic Fanciulli - and while it was a good night, we were just so tired & had a hard time getting into it... so this time we changed it up a bit. Instead of staying awake all night, and going to Stereo a bit tired, we went to sleep fairly early the night before, and got up at 5 am, ate some breakfast, and got ready to party! What a great plan!

By 5:30 am, we were out the door and heading to a party! A bit strange in theory - but whatever, we went with it. The party was already in full swing when we got in, and within 30 minutes, we had let our morning guard down and had joined the party. It was quite easy since Victor was killing it! Plus, Stereo had a new visuals guy in to add to the ambiance - although it did have a strange 80s feel to it, haha. Not only was the music and the visuals rocking, everything else was Stereo as I know it - the staff, the people and the vibe... simply put, it was a FABULOUS party! Victor you are one of the best at Stereo, and I look forward to your next releases... a big THANKS to Tommy and Mike for everything xo

BEACH CLUB:
After Stereo, we had a mini nap in the hotel, then headed to Beach Club for their annual Ibiza themed party with many DJs including ATFC, Prok & Fitch, King Louis, and D-Formation.  Since we got there in the early afternoon, I took the opportunity to just relax on the beach, listen to the tunes and people watch. It's not exactly like a beach in Dubai since it was nowhere near as hot, and the beach was on a lake, but it was still nice. A few hours later, Audrey and a great Ottawa crew arrived to join the party, and we danced some more.

I love the entertainment provided at this party - the dancers on stilts, the costumes, the themes - they are pretty great additions.  This year there was room to circulate around the venue since there werent as many people as last year, which was probably due to the menacing rain clouds all day, but  it only really rained once.
Note: It was an interesting feeling to be back at Beach Club... I had spent most of the 2010 summer Sunday afternoons there; and in a year, nothing had really changed. But this time, I actually felt more like an outsider looking in, and I was ok with that. Could I be getting old? Or is this called growing up? hahaha anyways...

Since it had been an early morning, we were starting to get tired - but I wanted to see D-Formation... well it got to be about 7:30 pm, the dark rain clouds were moving in again, and so we decided it was time to head back to Ottawa considering there was still a 2 hour drive back. It was one of the worse drives EVER - the thunderstorm followed us most of the way home making it rather stressful. Once back in Ottawa, it certainly didnt take us long to fall asleep that night - we had had a long day to say the least, close to a 14 hour party day. WOWWY.

xox <3 xox

Ottawa & it's surprises !

OTTAWA TRIP #2 - 2011:
At the beginning of Ramadan, I travelled back to Ottawa for about 2 weeks. This was a rather last minute trip, and was planned only 7 short days before departure. We figured with the start of Ramadan, and the event season getting pretty slow, why not travel ? But, there was a more important reason to travel back to Ottawa... my mom was retiring from Canada Post after 33 years of service, and ending on such a high note as the Ombudsman. I simply couldnt not be there for her during this momentous occasion.


FLIGHT:
We took a United Airlines flight from Dubai to Washington - which took a LONG 14 hours. We had been able to upgrade to the Economy Plus which features an extra 5 inches of legroom, and it was well worth the cost. It sounds ridiculous that 5 inches makes a difference, but I would strongly recommend this option for long flights ! Ok so we got the flight over with, but the killer was the 13 hour stop over in the Washington airport ... the earlier flight to Ottawa was full so we couldnt catch it, and then our plane was delayed ! On that note, NOT impressed with United ! The airplanes are old, the service is mediocre, the food is hardly edible, and the flights tend to be generally delayed BUT also, they dont even serve alcohol on those long international flights. Now that's cheap !

THE SURPRISE:
We had only told my Dad about our travel plans so that we could surprise my Mom for her special occasion. And prior, I had told my Mom small lies about our plans during Ramadan so she wouldnt suspect and it worked. To come get us upon arrival, my Dad mentioned he was going to visit a family friend. Nothing out of the ordinary there. But then when we all got back to the house, my Dad went in the house and told my Mom that he had been in a car accident - that someone had hit him...and I hid beside the house. When my Mom came outside the inspect the damage, we jumped out from behind the house and SURPRISED her, to say the least. She nearly fell over & was in shock !!! Looking back on it, I wish we would have filmed the whole process, but it was definitely special. We settled in and got ready for more surprises.

MOM & Jacquey boy

SURPRISE #2:
The next day was my Mom's SURPRISE work retirement party, with colleagues, family and friends. Two huge surprises in two days - WOW ! My mom thought she was being taken out for a special retirement dinner by friends of the family. She obviously wanted us to come along too, but since the car wasnt big enough for 6 ppl, I went to the restaurant early for a drink. Since it was a surprise, everyone was there early, and we all eagerly waited for my Mom's arrival... About 30 minutes later, with all the guests in the back of the restaurant, and Aaron & I sitting normally at a table, she walked in and had no idea that her colleagues, friends and family were all there to celebrate her retirement ! Finally, it clicked - she realized what was happening !!! Again, my Mom was so surprised, it was truly moving :)

The event was a great success, and it was worth the long journey back to Ottawa. Quite simply, my Mom is an incredible woman ! Not only is she well respected in the workplace, but also within the family & her circle of friends, and also in the local and Kenyan community. To see all those people at her party, sharing so much love and respect, smiling and laughing, rejoicing in the great memories and looking to future memories - essentially, giving my Mom the praise and recognition she deserves so she can finish one huge chapter of her life, and continue creating future successful chapters.

During her speech - to which she hadnt had notice to prepare since this was all a surprise, a few things stood out for me. While my Mom always made it look so easy, her career was not always smooth sailing; nonetheless, she always found ways to perservere and keep moving forward. From my point of view, I saw how much she dedicated herself to Canada Post thereby investing so much time and energy, working long hours, working during evenings and weekends, and travelling for business - she really did contribute to the workplace and will leave a lasting legacy. I truly think that Canada Post is at a loss that both Goodfellows are now retired! Finally, I especially loved hearing my Mom's mantra:

"the good of the many, outweighs the good of the few"

- Spock, Star Trek 

FAMILY & FRIENDS:
With the retirement party, and many celebratory parties that ensued, it was a great time to connect with family and friends. I love my family !!!! I find it hard to be away from my wonderful family while we are in Dubai...although, technology has made communicating so much easier - but it's still not the same.

I couldnt have a family and friends section without mentioning one of my bff's Audrey. I miss her dearly while we are apart, but the good thing is that when we do get together, it's like we had never been apart.  We got together a few times, and it was so nice to have that girlie time with her and just be silly with her in our ways. What also makes it special is that our boyfriends get along, so it's a really fun group! I had thought that there would have been time to go visit Nadine in Toronto but we simply ran out time and needed to budget for part B of the trip.

I have learned that living abroad and visiting home is no vacation - its exhausting! There are so many people to see & spend time with on top of regular plans that it's difficult not to disappoint some people. And with this being a family oriented trip, I didnt even tell alot of people I was home... I left it up to fate, and who happened to be where I was going... I didnt manage to see everyone I had hoped to see, but that's that.

OTTAWA:
We visited Parliament buildings, the ByWard market, Elgin Street, Sparks Street, ate BeaverTails, poutine, maple syrup and had Tim Hortons. With the Ottawa Canal, the parks, the scenery, the museums, the sights & sounds - Ottawa is truly a beautiful and great city !

xox <3 xox

Vacationing

The United Arab Emirates is a wonderful place to explore. With having more free time on my hands - explanation to come in a following blog post, I went on a mini-vacation to get out of the hustle and bustle of Dubai. We stopped in Fujairah for one night and stopped in Ras Al Khaimah for a few more nights. We focused on beach resorts and relaxation, and really didnt do anything touristy - the entire experience was magnificent.

FUJAIRAH

Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort
http://www.lemeridien-alaqah.com/

To get to Fujairah, we had to drive through the desert and beautiful mountains. The desert here is quite unique and boring - sand, sand and more sand. It does have a bit of shrubbery, and sometimes camels or goats can be spotted. It's certainly different than driving through lush greenery with deers and bunnies in the fields, or desolate icy roads in the winter. The drive was about 2 hours - and went by smoothly... Drivers in the UAE have no road manners and common courtesy is often forgotten so it can be nerve wracking for back seat drivers! haha.

We stayed in a Royal Club Room which had a separate checkin level, a great view, a beautiful room, free massages, a complimentary afternoon tea buffet, a four hour unlimited drinks happy hour, free nonalcoholic beverages whenever we were thirsty, a complimentary breakfast, and excellent customer service. I would really recommend this hotel - the ocean was beautiful and you could enjoy the beach in a cabana; the pool was huge - and even had a swim up bar; and, the food we ate was delicious. The hotel offers activities and has a lot to do; however, we werent there long enough to enjoy everything.

Funny story: during the happy hour, we met an older German couple - very nice people. And, as we were leaving, we all decided to get the dancefloor going and so the four of us danced to some ridiculous tunes playing, and we were all laughing. There was no one else in the club, and the staff thought it was hilarious...

In Canada, some people decide to heat their pools - but here it is the complete opposite. Pools need to be cooled or else they get too hot to swim in ! The pool at this hotel was still a bit too warm to be a refreshing cool off from the hot sun. And the ocean is hot, like bath water. I never really believed people when they told me this, but it's true. Nonetheless, it is still refreshing to swim in.

For those who are traveling to the Fujairah area, I would absolutely recommend this hotel - and the upgrade to a Royal Club room.

RAS AL KHAIMAH

The Hilton Resort & Spa
http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/RKTRSHI-Hilton-Ras-Al-Khaimah-Resort-Spa/index.do

After Fujairah, we drove about an hour to get to the Hilton Resort & Spa in Ras Al Khaimah. Here we stayed in a villa suite located by the chilled pool and the ocean. We had booked a regular room; however, upon arrival we were offered the upgrade at a great price so we took it. Since we were traveling during the week, both hotels were not that busy so it made our getaway extra relaxing. The grounds at this Hilton were huge - we had to be driven in golf carts to get from one end to the other end. Everything was so well manicured and beautiful. We were rather spoiled with having the chilled pool, the salt water pool, the ocean and a bar all within a few feet of our back patio door.

I especially liked the little discoveries that I made during our stay at this resort. We were pleasantly surprised to have found the only inland duty free in the UAE right in our resort !!! Naturally, we stocked up on great wines and alcohol at really affordable rates ! During one of our nightly beach walks, we noticed things scurrying on the beach ... while at first I was a tad scared - thinking it could be snakes lol - it turned out that they were crabs and fish coming out at night. There were many different crab varieties - some large, some small, and some hermit crabs as well. This reminded me of the times during family vacations when we used to hunt little crabs in the sand & keep them hostage in a bucket all day... as a young girl, this kept me entertained for hours ! This was no different - Aaron and I hunted the crabs in the sand, and caught a few but quickly let them go back. It was also nice to see the school of fish swimming and jumping in the shallow water. There is something about seeing wildlife that just pleases me !

Considering we stayed for a few days, we were able to try a few of their restaurants. I had one of the best steaks we have ever had at the Brazilian restaurant there called Pura Vida - the restaurant had a relaxed atmosphere with really helpful and attentive staff, and the food was purely extraordinary, so we had a great night. We also tried the Japanese/Thai restaurant called Passage to Asia; again, the food here was amazing, and the Chef was friendly as were the staff. The food was a bit pricey in both restaurants, but considering we had 2 for 1 coupons from the Entertainer book, it didnt dent our budget too much. I would definitely recommend both these restaurants if you are staying in this Hilton!!

The one thing I would mention is that as it got closer to the weekend more families started to arrive at the resort. While I have nothing against families with children, it makes it hard to relax by the pool when there are misbehaved little children running around and screaming. Considering there was an entire resort section devoted for children, I would have expected the lifeguards to not allow them in the adult area or at least monitor their behavior a bit more.

The drive home took about 1.5 hours – and again, pure desert. Camels, goats and shrubbery were seen as we drove along, but nothing else too exciting. And before we knew it, we were back in the metropolitan of Dubai.  What's great is that you can truly get away from it all in just a short drive. Overall the getaway was much needed and very relaxing. I very much look forward to going back to these locations, and checking out more areas of this country – and the surrounding countries.

xox <3 xox