tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560Thu, 29 Aug 2024 04:19:46 +0000Blogathon 2009Random LifeHappy ThoughtsVacation RecapVancouverRantsLive MusicWorkFriendsI have nothing to writeNew YorkChina VacationMusicboys boys boysDias Family VacationDubaiIris BreakItalyParisSolo TravelTripEdmontonLiving LifeMaybe I don't hate VancouverFamily VacationVegas BabyVisitorsAmsterdamBlah Blah BlahBoozey SmurfEuropeJarodStupid BoysSwitzerlandBeijing TravelBirthdayChina travel storiesSarinAllyBerlinEveGreat Move 2013Life RecapLis FaulknerTalkfooleryAndiBerlin 2011ChristmasCorey FischerGood life choicesLove is a BattlefieldShallowTravel StoriesWinter OlympicsswoonAmsterdam 2011BeachesBeerCopenhagenCraigDancingDaydreamin'DenmarkDubai FirstEmirates airlineHarpPodcastRock ClimbingSentimentalShanghaiShoesSmelly PaulTrainsVancouver 2010Year in Reviewbig girl nowwoe is meArcade FireBoredChanges AfootDirty 30Expat LifeFunziesGet me out of hereGong ShowsGrowing PainsHughKidlettesMemoriesMissing HomeMomSeattleSingleSydneyThe Avett BrothersWho the fuck cares?Yeah Yeah Yeahsbaby bump consigment boutiquedreamland2010 so far22 Again30th BirthdayA million miles away but okAir TravelAnimationsBabiesBon IverCelebration of LightCommodore BallroomConfusedCraft BeerDan ManganDavid LettermanDoes anyone give a shitDramaEmiratesEmo BunnyFood for ThoughtFootballFranz FerdinandGamblingGeekHawaiiHeineken Music HallHomeHoustonHunger PangsI hate VancouverIndonesian FoodInternational Dating AdventuresIts my lifeLike what?MagicalMichael JAcksonMmmmNew LifeOKCupidPaulPride WeekendSettlers of CatanShanghai shoppingSingaporeSkypeSleepTeam VancouverThe NationalVanity ProjectWTF?Wake UpWanderlustWhat about Slave Lake?maternity clothes sale#stilloilfans100 Episodes2008 in review30 is the new 2030th yearA Little LonelyAbraAgingAir China flight attendantsAl QasrAlberta branding disasterAmy WinehouseAsiaBeijing Olympic SitesBeijing ShoppingBeijing SubwayBeijing povertyBen AffleckBest Michael Jackson Song EverBetty FoxBike RidingBlackberry LoveBloc PartyBobby BBobby DBody TalkBoozy SmurfBrewery TourBrillianceBritish ColumbiaBrugesBrunchBumbershootBurj Al ArabBusinessBusiness ClassBusy BeeCalder BatemanCampingCanadaCeleb-SpottingCheap BeijingChilli crabChunky MonkeyCity LoveClosetClothesClothingConor OberstCookingCroquettesCubicle MadnessCute BritsDadDixie MaeDo-gooderDon't Lie To MeDood's WeekendDrivingDutch FoodEconomic StimulusEd HardyEd WestwickEl ScorchoElk Island ParkEmirati CuisineEmploymentEmployment StandardsEscapismEstheroEverlasting LightFat Tire Bike ToursFeboFeistFlorence and the MachineFood in ChinaFood in DubaiFood in ItalyFootwearFor Once In My LIfeForbidden CityFresh StartFridayFriendly FiresFrustratingFuneralGTFOGeekeryGhostbarGigglesGod's Chosen PeopleGoogleGovernment of AlbertaGreat Wall of ChinaGreetings from ArnoldGrowing Old GracefullyHappy Birthday blogHigh VioletHiro BallroomHoardersHoloceneHometown WorriesHot as hellI'm an overeaterI'm on a boatIce SkatingIndestructibleIndonesian cuisineInternationsIslandsItalian MenItaly ShoppingJ-DagJewish MuseumJim JamesJin Mao TowerJoshyJudgementJumbo RestaurantJumeriah MadinatJunyonguan Pass Great WallJustin TimberlakeKantjil and de TijgerKenneth ColeLALas Vegas NightlifeLavoLazy AssLeave me aloneLike WhoaLocal ExperienceLonely LonelyLonerLouboutinsLuxembourg GardensM. WardMain Press CentreMaya RudolphMeatMedia RelationsMeetupMike MogisMonsters of FolkMoulin RougeMoviesMovingMurano GlassMy Olympic ExperienceNYCNeatNetworkingNew Year'sNew York CityNine Inch NailsNot preparedNot the momNouveau CasinoObsess MuchOilersOld SchoolOlympic TorchOnline DatingOvereaterPYTPassoverPastaPeak Performance ProjectPetty crimePickyPisaPlaces Kids Shouldn't BePort CoquitlamPortland OregonPotty MouthPreparationPriscillaPropaganda Poster CenterPublic DrinkingPublic relationsPudongPure NightclubQuestioning EverythingRandom!Ready Set GoRelationsReligionReputationsRestRoad TripRobynRomeSNLSanlitunSappy GirlSentosaShanghai buildingsShanghai nightlifeShenanigansShoppingSiaSillinessSing Your Heart OutSingapore FoodSlave LakeSlave Lake AlbertaSlave Lake FiresSmart Life ChoicesSocial MediaSometimes I suckSpirit of BC WeekStanley ParkStevie WonderSunday DrinkingSurreyTampa BayTemple of HeavenTerry Cloth BathrobesTerry FoxThe xxThe Black KeysThe BundThe FearThe Painted BirdsThe PeakThe TrewsThe XXThe way I see itTiananmen SquareTorontoTravel and TourismTrystTunisTweet-UpTwo gays and a girlUghUnited Arab EmirateUpdateVacation RentalsValemountValentine's DayValerieVancouver 2010 GamesVatican CityVeniceVersaillesVicesVideo callsWater TaxiWeezerWhere the Wild Things AreWhitney HoustonWinterfestWomanceWowzasWrecking BallWriting GeekWynnXS NightclubYikesYou Silly GitZumanityassholesawesomeback in the daybeijing nightlifebest of 2008looking backmaternity clothestoon-fooleryvisits homeyayThe misadventures of an unapologetically inappropriate woman as she embarks on a Middle Eastern adventure. http://irisdias.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (iris)Blogger392125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-4185058904573417384Fri, 04 Jul 2014 06:31:00 +00002014-07-03T23:42:42.939-07:00AmsterdamBeerCraft BeerCroquettesDutch FoodFeboSolo TravelVacation Recap Having been to Amsterdam before, I was happy to skip many of the traditional tourist things. All I wanted from this short break was to roam. Roam the streets of a liberal city and enjoy its liberal perks. So roam I did. My first night in Amsterdam, I met Arthur, who introduced me to some fantastic Thai food, some great bars with extensive beer selections, and gave me a ride on the back of his http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2014/07/amsterdam-sequel-vacation-highlight.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-4304134509853383597Sun, 15 Jun 2014 15:12:00 +00002014-06-15T08:15:11.884-07:00AmsterdamArcade FireHeineken Music HallLive MusicNine Inch NailsSolo TravelVacation Recap When I moved to Dubai, one of the things I knew was going to frustrate me is the lack of good live music options. If you've been reading this little blog for a while, you may have noticed that I'm a huge fan of music. In Vancouver, Sarin and I were seeing shows at least once a month, sometimes more. I was looking for an excuse to escape the desert, and during my regular 'who's on tour' search Ihttp://irisdias.blogspot.com/2014/06/amsterdam-sequel-vacation-highlight.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-7979680605846147140Mon, 20 Jan 2014 14:13:00 +00002014-01-20T06:13:38.448-08:00 One of the hardest things I find about every relocation is deciphering which relationships are real, and which are purely superficial fluff. I'd like to say that in my many moons on this planet (hello 33), I've become a better judge of this, but it seems like that is not the case. Despite my claims of being a good judge of character (exception: the men I date) I've come to realize that I can't http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2014/01/real-vs-make-believe.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-2846223222962380291Tue, 14 Jan 2014 15:35:00 +00002014-01-14T07:35:22.610-08:00A million miles away but okbig girl nowBlah Blah BlahDubaiDubai FirstEmiratesEmirates airlineExpat LifeGood life choicesRandom Life I can tell you exactly where I was - my flight had just landed at Dubai International airport, and I was in the middle of a million emotions. You see, a year ago, to the hour, I stepped foot in my new home for the first time. It had been an emotional 20-hour journey - leaving home, my family, my friends, the man I was in love with - but I wiped my tears and got off the plane. To say this has http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2014/01/where-were-you-year-ago.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-1770909382429806894Wed, 13 Nov 2013 17:00:00 +00002013-11-13T09:00:06.410-08:00City LoveCopenhagenDenmarkSolo TravelVacation Recap I fell in love with Copenhagen, and though I did nothing cultural (aside from drinking the local beers), I couldn't have enjoyed a city more. So very walkable, and easy going, the city was beautiful. See?! View from the 21st floor. Thanks new phone! I was lucky enough to find an affordable hotel in central Copenhagen, so nothing was more than a 20-minute walk from me. The air was http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2013/11/copenhagen-vacation-highlight.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-1401292002383620445Mon, 11 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +00002013-11-11T12:27:38.591-08:00CopenhagenDenmarkSolo TravelThe NationalVacation Recap After arriving in Dubai I realized something: very little good music comes to the sandpit. Missing regular concerts, I decided early on that I would base my travel destinations on interesting music / events in places I've never been to before. The National playing in Copenhagen was the impetus of my trip. They were my excuse for visiting the city, they were my excuse to run away from Dubai for http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2013/11/copenhagen-vacation-highlight-national.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-6840189999787285661Fri, 08 Nov 2013 17:30:00 +00002013-11-08T09:30:03.513-08:00CopenhagenDenmarkInternational Dating AdventuresOKCupidRandom!Solo TravelTalkfooleryVacation Recap I've made a habit of using online dating sites to secure cute tour guides in various cities. In Berlin and Amsterdam, my trick worked quite well. Copenhagen put those experiences to shame. When I met my tour guide for dinner, we began the obligatory first date conversation, 'what do you do?' 'how do you spend your free time?' you know, the usual. I explained to my date how I have a podcast. He http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2013/11/copenhagen-vacation-highlight-okcupid.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-8535601485004447570Tue, 05 Nov 2013 01:16:00 +00002013-11-04T17:16:37.787-08:00BeerBrewery TourCopenhagenCraft BeerDenmarkJ-DagSolo TravelVacation Recap I love beer. I won't, no I can't, deny it. When I made my plans for Copenhagen, I knew beer would play very heavily into my adventure, and boy did it. Beer at Sticks n Sushi You see, the trouble with Dubai is the beer variety is generally limited. Heineken, Guinness, Fosters, the usual suspects. No interesting craft beers or even seasonal varieties. I was about to get quite the treat from http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2013/11/copenhagen-vacation-highlight-beer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-4061111545074323793Wed, 30 Oct 2013 13:03:00 +00002013-10-30T06:03:59.444-07:00A million miles away but okBlah Blah BlahDubai FirstEmirates airlineExpat LifeGoogleNew LifeWork Today, my department participated in a co-branded digital conference with Google. Neat, right? Google swag! As I was listening to the first presentation, I looked around at the room, at the branding of the event, at the content we'd be covering and it hit me: I could never have done this in Vancouver. I mean, I'm sure similar stuff happens in Vancouver, but here I sat, a part of one of the http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2013/10/an-ah-ha-moment.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-7639814274004858787Mon, 14 Oct 2013 07:42:00 +00002013-10-14T00:42:42.480-07:00Air TravelDubaiEscapismGTFOTunisVacation Recap Tunis! One of the hardest things about moving to a new city is not having the fallback options. You know, those things you do when you've got nothing else to do. During the long weekend in August I had nothing to do. My friends were all out of town, and I was stuck in a city without any plans. Thankfully I work for an airline and was able to hop a flight to a random destination. Random http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2013/10/vacation-highlight-running-away.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-1400388014593054454Sat, 21 Sep 2013 17:00:00 +00002013-09-21T10:00:01.155-07:00Celebration of LightHomeQuestioning EverythingStanley ParkVancouver Two months ago I went home for a visit. To say my trip home was an intense one would be an understatement. The visit was only ten days. With an 11-hour time difference and a 20-hour travel day, ten days is not enough. It took me most of the trip to get over the jet lag, and then BAM I was on my way back to Dubai, facing another 20 hour travel day. Blerg. Also, ten days does not leave you http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2013/09/first-trip-home-two-month-hindsight.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-416435434596054766Thu, 20 Jun 2013 17:54:00 +00002013-06-20T11:06:07.180-07:00AmsterdamAsiaChilli crabDubaiHunger PangsIndonesian cuisineIndonesian FoodJumbo RestaurantSentosaSingaporeSingapore FoodVacation RecapVancouver I landed in Singapore with no idea of what to do or sights to see – this was the least prepared I had been for a vacation in a very long time.  To be honest, I’d never thought about Singapore as a place I needed to visit. The impetus for this trip was the fact that my friend is moving to Dubai at the end of the month, and well, a free place to stay in an expensive city like Singapore is http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2013/06/singapore-vacation-highlight-food.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-2026170310090263361Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:22:00 +00002013-06-19T07:23:13.794-07:00Air TravelBusiness ClassDubaiEmirates airlineSingaporeTravel and TourismVacation Recap I’m not going to lie, the past few months in Dubai have been hard. The job isn’t all I had hoped, the city is fine, but not amazing, and I’ve missed my friends and family a ridiculous amount. When I landed in Dubai, I knew the first six months would be the hardest—no flight benefits and no vacation time to use. But thanks to a lieu day and a long weekend, I was able to utilize my flight http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2013/06/singapore-vacation-highlight-flying.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-5483963979344947659Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:18:00 +00002013-04-07T07:18:14.381-07:00DubaiDubai FirstEmirati CuisineFood in DubaiGreat Move 2013Local ExperienceUnited Arab Emirate Exterior of Al Fanar (courtesy of Al Fanar Restaurant) When I moved to Dubai, I thought shwarma was local food. I love shwarma and wanted it to be true. Apparently it is not. Maryam, my Emirati co-worker and first Dubai friend took me to Dubai's only - yes, ONLY - Emirati restaurant, Al Fanar and it was yummy! Since she knows the drill, I let Maryam do the ordering. We enjoyed hobool (http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2013/04/dubai-first-emirati-food.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-7423003931588513699Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:27:00 +00002013-03-24T09:44:05.966-07:00DubaiExpat LifeGreat Move 2013InternationsMeetupNetworkingIt seems that my depressing post from a few weeks ago did what it was intended to do: help me let go of the feelings of loneliness and pick up my boots. The problem is, where does a 30-something find new friends? After chatting with a co-worker of mine, Internations was suggested as a good forum. Despite my incredible awkwardness and hatred of networking events, I thought, 'what the heck' http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2013/03/calling-all-networks.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-4244477464106651106Sat, 16 Mar 2013 08:29:00 +00002013-03-16T01:29:48.600-07:00AbraAl QasrBrunchBurj Al ArabCookingDubaiDubai FirstHomeI'm an overeaterJumeriah MadinatMeatValentine's DaySince moving to Dubai I'd heard from many people about the legendary brunches. One of my guide books talks about the debauchery brunch can induce. The entire time I thought, 'I've been to Vegas brunches before, there's no way a Dubai brunch could be better.' I was wrong. Yesterday, my friend invited me to join her and her friends to brunch at Al Qasr. First, I was late because I got dropped http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2013/03/dubai-first-brunch.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-5994604660839356928Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +00002013-03-13T08:12:06.522-07:00A Little LonelyDubaiGreat Move 2013Missing HomePREFACE: This is not a complaint post. It is nothing more than the truth. Deal with it.  Sad puppy (via Easily Distracted) This is the third time in my life that I've moved to a city I didn't really know anyone. (The fourth if you count when I moved to Florida, because though I had my extended family there, I didn't have a social network.) This is the third time I've tried to make http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2013/03/unless-youve-done-it.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-5923793009815337856Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:22:00 +00002013-03-08T11:22:11.442-08:00I've started about 40 different blog posts since landing in Dubai, and none of them have hit the right note for me. Some have been about my daily experiences, others have been about how this move has affected me on an emotional level, but not one has really worked. So maybe I'll just hit publish on this one and see what happens. Dubai is interesting. The city itself is perfectly adequate. Not ahttp://irisdias.blogspot.com/2013/03/what-to-write.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-3833991650724459580Sun, 27 Jan 2013 18:16:00 +00002013-01-27T10:16:15.635-08:00Here I thought when I moved to Dubai I'd have a ton of things to write about and share. Turns out I've had very little I've wanted to share. The biggest reason is I'm too busy to really explore. Between the job and the apartment hunt, my life isn't spent going out and seeing the sites, it's spent being productive and grown up. Plus it doesn't help that I am currently staying in a hotel out by http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-lack-of-posts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-4556923583192057896Wed, 16 Jan 2013 13:44:00 +00002013-01-16T05:44:13.808-08:00I'm in Dubai. For many months it felt like I wouldn't get here, so it all still feels very surreal. And thanks to jet lag and a nasty cold, I haven't actually explored the city at all. All I've seen is the airport, my hotel room and my office. I blame last week for the cold - sleep was out of my reach, and I was making every attempt humanly possible to split my time between packing, spending http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2013/01/first-post-from-middle-earth.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-5966988215852834191Tue, 08 Jan 2013 23:42:00 +00002013-01-08T15:42:51.174-08:00British ColumbiaBusinessCanadaEmploymentFridayPublic relationsReputationsVancouverWorkWhen I came to Vancouver five years ago, I had no social life. I had no life in general. Work was my life, and because I liked my work so much, it was a-ok with me. You see, Reputations was the only outlet I had for normalcy. When I left the office, I either went home to a boyfriend who didn't really like me that much, or to an empty apartment. Seeing my co-workers was the highlight of my day, http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2013/01/representing-reputations.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-1346004547500341034Wed, 02 Jan 2013 17:20:00 +00002013-01-05T18:17:39.424-08:00ClosetClothingDubaiFootwearGreat Move 2013HoardersShoesShoppingVancouver An episode of hoarders. (Photo credit: BuzzFarmers) Yesterday I went through all of my (many) pairs of shoes to figure out which ones were coming with me to Dubai. After an hour or so, I decided to sell or give away 41 pairs of shoes. 41! Despite me being totally disgusted by myself, it felt great to get rid of so much stuff. It is interesting to know by the time I leave Vancouver, my http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2013/01/clean-your-closet-clean-your-soul.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-835541858331081627Mon, 31 Dec 2012 02:32:00 +00002012-12-30T18:32:48.723-08:00Changes AfootDubaiEdmontonGreat Move 2013New York CitySlave LakeSlave Lake AlbertaTampa BayTorontoVancouver Zemanta suggested the photo, so I included it. (Photo credit: Amanda M Hatfield) I've moved several times in my life. Some might even call me a bit of a gypsy, and that's fine by me. I like that one day I'll be able to tell stories of life in Slave Lake, Toronto, Edmonton, Tampa Bay, New York City, Vancouver and soon, Dubai. If you ask me, it makes me colourful. This move, however, feels http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2012/12/its-just-different.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)0Vancouver, BC, Canada49.261226 -123.113926849.0954115 -123.4366503 49.427040500000004 -122.7912033tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-2289115722792205895Sun, 30 Dec 2012 00:15:00 +00002012-12-29T16:15:38.263-08:00Blah Blah BlahDubaiGreat Move 2013Maybe I don't hate VancouverVancouverIt's about two weeks to go before I leave Vancouver, and already the emotions have begun to take over. Everything feels like a 'last'. Yesterday I landed at YVR and noted that this would be the last time I say, 'I'm home' when touching down. I went to my favourite sushi place today and wondered if this would be my last visit. I feel like crying at almost every turn, and have been. I was http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2012/12/let-emotions-begin.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29834560.post-8462382249678670278Mon, 17 Dec 2012 18:00:00 +00002012-12-17T10:00:02.913-08:00DubaiEmiratesEmirates airlineLike WhoaNew LifeVancouverFor the past five years, I have had a tumultuous relationship with Vancouver. Despite its intrinsic beauty, I haven't always been happy here. Then the past year happened and, well, happiness was all this city gave me. Huge doses of happiness. I have fallen in love with a boy and the city and it is with so many emotions that I announce my departure from Vancouver. Come the new year I will be http://irisdias.blogspot.com/2012/12/new-year-new-everything.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (iris)5