A Canadian in Abu Dhabi

Lost in translation: Romantic room? Hmmmm?

2012-01-26T00:02:00.000-08:00

Spotted this the other day when I was leaving the Marks & Spencer mall on Airport Rd.

Is there some sort of local Hallowe'en-type celebration I don't know about?

2012-01-25T23:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, here is where I get a little judgey. I spotted this American Horror Story of candy and treats that seemed endless, with just some milk, juice and a few other items sprinkled throughout, in front of me in line at Lulu Hypermarket in Al Wahda Mall the other day. A mom and dad, with one small child in tow, were buying them. Even if this spread intended for a children's party, is it not still wildly inappropriate? There was literally almost nothing of substance thee.

There is an epidemic of diabetes in this country! Too much crap. Too much sugar. Too much of too much.

I like to write: Kim Kardashian's Dubai limo discussion may not have actually happened in Dubai

2012-01-23T02:55:00.000-08:00

An entry (by moi, BRING IT ON Anonymous) from The National's Scene & Heard blog:

A story making the rounds (and finally popping up in the UAE over at Emirates 24/7) indicates that Kim Kardashian and her mom, Kris Jenner, may have faked a key "scene" in the Dubai episode of E!'s Kourtney & Kim Take New York. In it, the pair sit in a limo with blacked-out windows, with zero background sound, and have the world's most non-emotional conversation (Blackberry checking included) about what in any other family would prompt screams if not physical violence: a daughter confessing to her mother that just weeks after her extremely expensive, big-deal wedding, she is having second thoughts. The "evidence" being presented online are pap photos taken in December, showing the pair leaving an LA production studio separately, Kardashian wearing the exact same outfit and hair, Jenner's tell-tale purple tunic seen trailing behind her.

To continue reading click here.

Overheard in the newsroom

2012-01-10T06:23:00.000-08:00

If I was queen of the world, the limit would be 3.

Tim Hortons in the UAE: And I thought you advertised heavily in Canada

2012-01-09T10:46:00.000-08:00

Look, I have been one of the loudest proponents of the Gulf expansion. Why wouldn't I want one of the most constant and comforting aspects of my life back in Canada here with me in Abu Dhabi? But then I saw this:

Okay, it's a little hard to tell from the picture I snapped on my Blackberry while travelling down Sheikh Zayed Road toward Dubai before Christmas, but each of the three billboards that can be seen here on either side of the road are ads for Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake shop. They were among a series lining the highway. A quiet, deserted highly, lined with the same giant ad everywhere you looked. Then, to our right we saw a giant Tim Hortons warehouse, just as a Tim Hortons truck overtook us to our right.

Spoooooky.

Can this kind of wallpapering of billboards be an effective advertising tool? They were not even helpful billboards. At least the ones in Canada tell you where you can find the next Tim Hortons.

Tweet of the week: Nice job on linking Sheikh Mohammed's baby with Beyonce's, iAmLcoholic

2012-01-08T07:11:00.000-08:00

iAmLcoholic Adelle Lumalang

Trending topics: #RoyalBabies Zayed and Ivy Blue could possibly be bf/gf 10 yrs frm now :D #nonsensethought

Awww: Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed, wife Princess Haya and new baby son Zayed

2012-01-08T02:59:00.000-08:00

The Dubai ruler tweeted news of the birth Saturday, prompting many to marvel at this break with the UAE's traditionally very private royal families. One might expect to learn about the new child of a ruler via the state news agency WAM, well after the fact – if at all. With his Facebook page and Twitter accounts, though, Sheikh Mohammed has been much more open.

Dubai largesse hits a new (low) high OR If you have ever been embarrassed by your bar bill

2012-01-06T01:48:00.000-08:00

The National published an awesome story yesterday about a crazy-high bar bill from the Cavelli Club in Dubai's Fairmont Hotel that's gone viral (full disclosure: the Dubai Fairmont is a regular advertiser on this blog). The tally from Sunday night's shenanigans? Dh387,988, or more than $107,000 Canadian. As a non-high flier, I don't even understand some of the items on this bill – although I can't help but think the group was overcharged when they paid Dh125,000 for one bottle of Cristal. Outrageous. Also, these people drink WAY too much Diet Coke. (24; Dh528) I loved the first (and cheapest) item on the bill: Dh120 or about 32 bucks for a small birthday cake.

I am not entirely sure this bill is even real. It seems to be missing things, for example the section where they add up and break down the 10% municipality fee and the 10% service charge. But hey, maybe rich people don't care about things like that. Adding further credence, the club's operation manager David Lescarret told The National: “Spend of this nature is not unusual at Cavalli Club".

Regardless, there has been lots of chirping on Twitter etc about how far this kind of cash would go in say, the UAE's impoverished neighbour India.

Today in strange group-buying offers for the UAE: The Snuggie

2012-01-05T23:00:00.000-08:00

I just left Canada, Toronto specifically, where it was minus 15 Celsius and very snowy. Brrrr, a Snuggie would have come in handy. (And I have, while living back there, secretly coveted one). But as a Groupon offering in Sharjah and the Northern Emirates? I know it gets a bit less-hot at night in January, requiring a sweater or perhaps a light jacket, but seriously? I am wearing flip-flops right now.

Oh well, 17 people thought "Yes!" when they saw this and so and the deal is on people.

Have falcons, will travel

2012-01-04T17:12:00.000-08:00

I spotted these two fine falcons in the duty free section of the Abu Dhabi International Airport as I was heading out for the holidays and asked permission to take their picture. Although I have friends who have spotted falcons in business class, in passenger seats of vehicles driving down Sheikh Zayed Road, in rest stops along the highway, I've never personally seen any in the airport and it was quite a thrill.

You know they were not going in a cage in the cargo hold.

Snap caption: Abaya shop chooses excellent, if odd, name

2012-01-03T17:08:00.000-08:00

McQueen Abaya Tailoring, Muroor Rd

Coldplay in Abu Dhabi on New Year's Eve: If only it were possible to be on two continents at once

2012-01-02T14:39:00.000-08:00

I made a decision to stay in Canada a little longer this holiday, soaking up the love from family and some friends (hopefully giving a little back) – but it meant I had to give up my ticket for Coldplay's New Year's Eve show. (Instead I babysat my amazing niece while my brother and his wife slipped out for a little early dins. It was a pretty good trade)

Judging from these pics and Saeed Saeed's review in The National, it was a great show. Not sure I missed being in all that traffic though.

Tweet of the week: Tim Hortons in Dubai edition

2012-01-01T09:08:00.001-08:00

YasminAlMulla Yasmin Al Mulla

That awkward moment when you order your regular Tim Hortons's drink at Starbucks! ... & Yes that's how I'm addicted!

Al Dhafra Camel Festival: Steven Seagal edition

2012-01-01T09:01:00.000-08:00

Catching up on some old press releases this New Year's Day, I thought I could just post some cute camel pics. Little did I know that Steven Seagal had paid a visit. Does anyone know why this late-80s American action-movie staple (of late more the straight-to-DVD variety) has been spending time in the UAE? I cannot find anything online.

This autumn someone reported a sighting at the Intercontinental in Abu Dhabi, but I was never able to confirm. Now, photographic evidence that Seagal (accompanied by lady friend+child) has something cooking in the UAE.

Overheard in the newsroom: Christmas edition

2011-12-26T06:39:00.001-08:00

"Is that a Christmas outfit?"

"No."

Overheard in the newsroom: between 2 journos edition

2011-12-14T08:18:00.001-08:00

Journo A: Why are you wearing a khandoura? Is it a special occasion?

Journo B: No I just didn't want to wear pants.

Tweet of the week: Soooo true

2011-12-14T07:34:00.001-08:00

@YasminAlMulla I'll never get the ridiculous amount of Abaya Designers & Cupcake Entrepreneurs we've got here, this is just ....... Hilarious!

Overheard in the newsroom: dribs and drabs edition

2011-12-14T07:33:00.001-08:00

I love Alan Greenspan!

Overheard in the newsroom

2011-12-14T07:20:00.001-08:00

So I can call you fatty but I can't call you an American?

Today in very shiny things: Happy 40th, UAE!

2011-12-01T06:52:00.001-08:00

Maryam Al Falasi, a recent graduate from Dubai Women's College, created this UAE coat of arms out of crystals. You can see it at the Mercato Centre through Saturday.

Snap caption: If only it was available for women

2011-11-30T07:14:00.001-08:00

Tim Hortons in Abu Dhabi: It's here, I went there

2011-11-30T07:05:00.001-08:00

Happy sigh. Smile. Medium with milk.

My friend, who is British, asked a staffer if a lot of Canadians had been by. "Too many", he said, to which we laughed hysterically. ("Too many" or "too much" is what a lot of people from these parts say when they mean "a lot", and that's what this guy meant too, but it was funny still)

I had a lovely chat with a fellow Canadian and his American wife, both of us kind of giddy and talking about why we love the place so darn much. Here I am with all the staffers.

Tim Hortons in Abu Dhabi: Literally, just moments away

2011-11-27T04:00:00.001-08:00

My colleague was out at Mushrif Mall earlier and snapped this photo. She said goodies were in the oven and staff told her it would open in "two to three hours".

I cannot get out there until tomorrow evening (see you all there!) so am seeking any and all man-on-the-street reports.

But I don't have an alias

2011-11-25T11:21:00.000-08:00

I had to fill out some paperwork recently and was immediately stumped by the second question. I briefly considered "Blackjack" and "The Lone Ranger" but ultimately left the space blank.

Only in the UAE would a health club promote their shisha night

2011-11-25T09:57:00.001-08:00

I got this email the other night:

Greetings from Al Wahda Health Club!

As from tomorrow night, we will have our Sisha Lounge back on the 31^st floor again. This is a great way of enjoying a Sisha and Mocktails with the best view of the city!...