October = tons of fun

So whats new.... A LOT!

Since the last time I wrote on this blog, Rémy(i.e. the Frenchman/boyfriend/fiancé/husband-depending on the situation...) have join me here in the UAE, there have been BBQ, nights out, headache and heat... I will try to give a short summary of October so far:

It's finally cooled down! I can now walk outside- "on small step for mankind many small invigorating steps for the Norwegian". Maria is now exploring Abu Dhabi by foot, and loving it!

I'm now a part of a team again with all the positive and negative sides to that equation. Love waking up next to somebody, don't like the socks everywhere...

I've participated in a BBQ that had a more Arabic feeling to it, even though there where no Arabs there :0( but it was in a neighborhood that reminded me of Cairo, with noise and curious neighbors, lovely!

This week we went to the Shangrila at the mainland. We(Rémy, 50% of the Swiss embassy + 1 German and me) were invited to a private concert with Switzerland's biggest DJ: DJ Antoine (Nobody knew who he was, but we figured what the hell). It was located in the best sushi restaurant in Abu Dhabi "So Cho"(or something...), we had a table outside and the food and cocktails were great! The venue was waaaay to small for the music (house) but it was a lot of fun even tho', we laughed our asses off looking at people dancing -and then we joined in with our own funky moves -especially yours truly. The great part of the evening was that in the end it was all for free, a local who own the restaurant paid for everything! -Thank you very much Sir!

Yesterday I had my first brunch here, and that was really something. We went to the Intercontinental at 12.30-13.00 and stayed till 16.00. There was TONS of food, and with tons I mean TONS. There where at least 11 tables of food, for 8 tables of guest. They even had a chocolate-fondue fountain hehehe and did I mention: ALL the alcohol you can possibly want to consume = NIIICE. In the end it was a bit pricey; 205 Dhs pr person, but it was worth it!

I'm truly enjoying Abu Dhabi and today we're off to Dubai :0D

Bar o' fun

Hehehe speaking about bars... Yesterday we were at the Meridian in a bar called Captains arms (I think...). We were sitting next to 2-3 tables with team A the French, Team B the British and Team C the South-Africans. Oh the joy of eavesdropping hehehe! They were as drunk as only sailors can get after 6 months at sea with out a drop of rum in sight. I personally was just waiting for the Brits and the French to get into a fistfight.... but... it got even better: they started to sing, or belch - whatever you might call that sound that they were uttering... They started on their national anthem ALL OF THEM. HAHAHA so bad yet so much fun; both the French, the Brits and the South-Africans were screaming their lungs out hehehe! Toby my Swiss friend started on the swiss anthem as well and I was close on screaming out mine too- just for the hell of it... When (maybe to a lot of other guests relief) the guys were told to shut it... Too bad tho' because if all els failed they would make a fine foghorn-symphony...

Nightlife

So after staying here for a while I know consider myself an expert i barology; the science of bar-life, a subcategory of partyology. First being a woman down here is GREAT (in this prespective...). You can always find a ladies night any day of the week. So here goes:

Sunday (week starts on Sunday here): Quiz Hemingway's, the Hilton corniche - this has now become a tradition for me and some now close friends. We range in age from 56 to 24 and it's a blast!

Monday: Champagne night! Get tipsy, drunk or hammered for free at Cristal in the Millennium Hotel. -The bar says that it is classy and you have to dress up, but after x-number of glasses of champagne and the entry of the Italian guy with the keyboard, accompanied by the drunk German girls it goes to trashy. This is definitely a favorite of mine!

Tuesday: Hemingway's, the Hilton corniche. Same place as the quiz... all tho' we're not sure about this one... It's not all that lively on Tuesdays and the chairs aren't that comfy. The drinks are strong enough thought so that's a plus.

Wednesday: Oceans the Royal Meridian (not the Meridian, THE Royal Meridian). This bar is great especially now that you can sit outside. It has a great ambiance(as the French say) and the outdoors terrace is really nice. Plus they got great shisha!

Thursday to Saturday: This is kinda become our "let's wing it!" week-end, although clubbing is also an alternative; free stuff in Sax, The Royal Meridian, on Thursday and Etoiles, Emirates Palace on Friday.

Otherwise The Meridian has lots of nice bars both out- and indoors, also good for eating.

Do's and don'ts in Abu Dhabi

Do enjoy the warm weather and sunshine - Don't enjoy it inside a parked car

Do be pleasant and nice to everybody you meet - Don't be too nice and pleasant to men over 40 looking for wife nr 5

Do profit the fact that you are staying in a city full of different nationalities - Don't start speaking in funny dialects in front of people (who actually can't help that they speak that way)

Do eat all the wonderful cuisine the town has to offer - Don't eat until the food resurfaces

Do enjoy your environment - Don't adopt or hug! every cockroach, fly or cat you see

Little Arabian Havana

The other day we(and by we I mean Sofia the Swiss intern and I) were at Havana Cafe. It's a cafe located just outside Marina Mall. Marina Mall is the biggest mall in Abu Dhabi, they have an ice rink, waterfall, cinema and tower that turnes 360 degrees...

Havana cafe is the first cafe I been to around here that has made me feel like I'm in an Arabic country again. Actually it's the ONLY thing that has made me feel like that.

Havana Cafe is not brand new, has an outdoors tent which is full of sheisha smoke, young and old Arabs, mint tea, pasteries and loud conversation. LOVE IT! My new favorite place!

Hot and kitschy

So the other I was at the Beach club (yes I’m a member at a beach club now that is how stuck-up and posh I have become) and I wanted to take a swim in the sea. Holy Cow it was something like 25 degrees Celsius…!! It was like take a bath during winter (when you actually need some warmth in your body) insane… and it was really salty as well, got some in my eye… and I personally don’t consider myself as a hysterical female going bonkers over seawater but THE PAIN!!! Otherwise we were there past Iftar (the breaking of the fast in Ramadan) so we were kinda having this very kitschy Miami Vice feeling of it all; with the palm trees, light up pool, skyscraper skyline and slightly pinkish sky… All we were lacking was a huge umbrella-drink, but atlas the bar was closed :0P

A man and his falcon

Today there were some men outside my house doing falconry, which by the way is really popular down here. One of them seemed to be the owner of the bird while the others were assisting him. 

What got me about this was the way this man interacted with his falcon, it was such a nice sight like they were one in a way. In the middle of the city with tons of cars passing by in a small clearing sits this man and talks and trains his falcon. In the middle of all that noise and movement are two beings in perfect harmony with each other.

I stood there in my window watching them, and I found myself wanting to experience exactly that kind of bliss that those two share in a brief moment of our buzzy world.  

Sorry but I was listing to Kings of Convenience and the poetic side of me took over there for one moment.... ;0)