Beyond Oman, Lies Musandam

Oh, man! Two weeks ago, I had some weekend getaway to experience Omani traditional dhow cruising in Dibba, Musandam - the Norway of the Arabian Gulf because its inlets are similar to Norway Fjords. See and discover its stunning scenery through the pics from friend's cam (the ones I have taken are already posted on my Instagram)

Let the journey to the endless Hajr (stone) mountans begins...!!



Hajr is the highest mountain range in the eastern Arabian peninsula

a traditional Omani dhows

a banana boat in a speed boat :D

and co-cruiser has taken the plunge

;)

Can you tell where a person is from?

If you're in the UAE for more than 5 years, you will acquire a skill of identifying nationalities. You can't be in Dubai for 5 years and won't be able to tell nationality, seriously.

The only confusion you will have is the difference between Indian and Pakistani but they can tell. I mean, Indian will be able to tell if someone is Pakistani, or Bengali or Sri Lankan. 

Europeans will be able to tell each country because it's their own region, they know their own and that they look different. 

Just like how I can tell if someone is Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Malaysian, Thai, etc and not my own.

So, if an Arab see an Arab somewhere else they can tell -- Egyptian, Lebanese, Syrian, Kuwaiti, Bahraini, Saudi, etc even if they are not in their sheilas and abayas or wearing anything Arabs on them. It's their makeup, the features, the accessories, the colors, etc. 

They said...

• Kuwaiti girls are more on their skin. If a Kuwaiti wears (or not) an abaya in Kuwait, she'll do the same outside her country because they have their freedom there so she'll be natural outside. They also love to accessorize and put colors, bright colors. Kuwaiti men love bling-bling.
• While Saudi girls are the opposite. Most likely they remove their abayas when they're outside their country. Also they put really nice and extra dark kohl over their eyes to bring it out because normally those are the only features visible to others in their country.
• Emirati girls have certain ways on putting their make up and more obsessed with blings. You'll find them blinging a lot.

What about you, can you spot the difference?

Random Facts about UAE

I was bored the other day and wasted 135 dirhams ($37) answering Du SMS Mega Win (they should pay me for this free advertising LOL) questions via texto to collect points (I have had 2035 points) which give me chances (and BILLIONS of hopes) to win 5,000 dhs, Audi Aq and Audi Q7.. what the hell! LOL.

So the following facts are taken from the said 'competition': 

• Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE.
• Oman & KSA countries border the UAE.
• The official currency of the UAE is Dirham.
• Before 1971, UAE was known as Trucial States.
• Sharjah is one of the seven Emirates.
• Sharjah is the third largest emirate of the UAE.
• Peregrine Falcon (bird) is the official symbol of the UAE.
• The very popular Falconry season, runs during the Winter.
• The tallest building in the world is Burj Khalifa.
• Adrian Smith designed Burj Khalifa.
• Shasha is a palm reed fishing boat.
• The city of Ras Al Khaimah was historically known as Julfar.
• You can discover UAE heritage in Heritage Village.
• The King is the nickname of the Sharjah Sports Club.
• E11 highway starts in Abu Dhabi and ends in Ras Al Khaimah.
• Dubai Tennis Championship is held at Tennis Stadium.
• Djokovic won the 2011 Dubai Tennis Tournament.
• The Al Quoz Industrial District is divided into 4 areas.
• Louvre Museum is to open a branch on Saadiyat Island.
• Ghaus is how pearl-fishing referred to in the local dialect.
• Ibn Majid was a great poet and seaman.
• The navigator which Ibn Majd associated to was Vasco da Gama.
• Liwa is a traditional music & dance.
• UAE national footbal team played the 1990 World Cup.
• Afghanistan national team plays in Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
• Camel racing is a very popular sports activity in the UAE.
• Harees is a traditional dish consisting of wheat.
• Majboos is a popular dish in the Emirates.
• Coffee served in the UAE is often flavoured with Cardamon.
• Al yoleh is a traditional Emirati folk form of art.
• Ras Al Khaimah is one of the northern Emirates.
• Palm Islands are located in Dubai.
• Palm Islands are man-made islands.
• Al Ittihand was first published UAE newspaper.
• The United Arab Emirates University based is in Al Ain.
• Dubai Shopping Festival takes place every January.
• Al Fahidi Fort was erected 1799.
• Dubai Mall has the largest number of shops.
• There are 22 cinema screens in Dubai Mall.
• Burj Al Arab is the fourth tallest hotel in the world.
• Al Ghurair is the oldest shopping centre in Dubai.
• Dubai Zoo was built by Ottto Bulart.
• Giorgio Armani Hotel is located  in Burj Khalifa.
• Al Mamzar is famous for a public park.

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P.S.  I just want to let everyone know that this blog is not associated with the Du telecom and I am not connected nor have affiliation whatsoever with them. I endorse no products/promotions etc. I do not speak for anyone else. I am a consumer/subscriber too and just shared my experience.

Something Arabic

I was BBM-ing my Thai friend few days/weeks back, when suddenly she sent me a pic asking me to guess where she was at that time. It was a pic of a cafe with some Arab magazine, the Maktoums on cover. So I was like, "you in Dubai?" She laughed. She said, "No I'm at my favorite Arabic coffee shop, drinking my favorite Arabic coffee." (!!!!) So I was like huh?! Arabic coffee - what was that? 

Honestly, it made me ponder big time and realized something... been in Dubai for 6 yrs or so but I've never been in Arabic coffee shop nor drink Arabic coffee while her in Thailand and never had set her foot in any Arab countries telling me she's drinking her favorite Arabic coffee is so embarrassing!!!

Oh and I've never been to any Arabic resto (unless Al Safeer is counted) neither in any Arab house.. How uncool is that?! 

Again I've realized that I have never had any Arab friends to hang out with in the Emirates.. the only people I'm hanging out with -all the time- are my fellow countrymen and other Orientals/Asians.

Is there anyone out there who shares the same feelings with me? Or have you been "Emiratified" or "Arabified" already? Tell me about it.. I wanna know.



P.S. Emiratified or Arabified is not about going to Burj Khalifa or belly dancing or sand-boarding in Dubai... because it is so touristy. It's about eating shawarma, drinking chai karak from hole-in-the-wall places and stuff like that.. something natives really do.

Act of Negligence or Teaching Independency?

It bothers me when parents here show some "neglect" to their child. I don't want to judge nor talk parenting skils because I'm not a parent myself and never been a parent yet. I'm just basing how my parents or most Filipino parents treat their children.

Long time ago, I was having dinner with my sister and her hubby at Chilli's when suddenly a little girl kept on coming to our table, tapping it with her crayon, screaming and trying to play hide-and-seek with us. Her parents, sitting next table, were busy enjoying their food. They didn't even bother to call the little girl to join them nor feed her. I don't know how could parents -especially mother- enjoy the food when their daughter is running around? I can't help but compare them to Filipino parents. In our culture, the mother will attend to her daughter/son first and spoonfeed her/him (if needed), before she starts eating. It is a MUST to make sure that her child is well-fed before herself. Most Filipino mother would choose to be hungry than seeing their child not eating. That's the difference.

Then one weekend, we were in the cinema, a kid was playing and running back and forth the stairs. So the cinema guy/attendant told the kid not to run/play there because it's dangerous but the kid kept on doing it. He almost tripped but the cinema guy was fast to catch him. While he was holding him he again told the child to stop running. The dad came shouting, asking why the cinema guy is stopping his child from playing. The cinema guy explained that he's only concerned to the safety of the child. The dad said still shouting "It is not your problem if something happened to him. Where is your manager? I want to talk to him. You have no right to scold my child." O_O WTF! What kind of reasoning was that? Again, in our culture in a situation like this, you will always see Filipino parents holding their child's hand. Most Filipino parents are over-protective. If they let the child plays, they will follow the child anywhere he/she goes and won't take their eyes off from him/her.

And just recently, while getting off from the Metro underground station walking to the escalator going up, a family of four walked ahead of me. First was the father, then the mother, followed by 2 kids (son and daughter, around 5 and 2 years old, respectively). The cute little girl was walking like a baby duck, she was obviously still learning how to walk  and I was shocked when the parents stepped on the escalator without looking back, seriously!?!. The little girl started crawling to get on to the escalator!! I ran hurriedly to assist the little girl but she crawled too fast. She was literally crawling to get closer to her mother on the escalator. The mother only looked back when they were already in the middle of escalator and she did it only ONCE maybe just to see if her kids are following them. When the parents were about to step out of the escalator, I was expecting she will hold the little girl's hand but she didn't. She stepped off the escalator and continue walking without looking back. She was busy following her husband. Apparently, she doesn't care for her children :-| I was standing behind the little girl and was happy that she once again managed to step out from the escalator.

I am not sure if the "exhibits" above is just how they do thing. I don't know if the parents' behavior towards their children is one of the many ways how they teach their kids to be independent and strong. Not sure either if it's really a good parenting skill or not. I also don't know if these "parenting skills" are acquired because MAYBE this is the same way how their parents raised them. I'm just kinda sad because kids are kids, parents should be the first ones to give protection and care to them.