THE BEST EVER LIVE CONCERT IN THE UAE!
New Jersey's Bon Jovi and his band performed at The Palace at Abu Dhabi last night. Fans were screaming, singing and jumping throughtout the concert, and that included me too of course!
We were lucky to have had Platinum Tickets which ensured a spot close to the stage and it was SO worth it! I took a short video clip of the opening song, Lost Highway, with my mobile phone, so it's not the best of quality, but hey; who cares!
Next up - Bruce Springsteen in Dusseldorf and Amsterdam! Can hardly wait!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Thursday, September 13, 2007
WHEN IN ROME...
... in an Islamic country...
After living in the Middle East for the better part of five years I've become rather accustomed to the traditions and religious events throughout the year.
Today is the first day of the Holy Month of Ramadan in Dubai and already I could see the changes made to the coffee shop in my building to accommodate the non-Muslims. Unlike Saudi and other parts of the Middle Eastern World, we are being accommodated in many ways. We should be grateful for that!
This is thus a friendly reminder to non-Muslims/expatriates living here as residents or visiting this part of the world; this is not our country. Respect goes both ways.
After living in the Middle East for the better part of five years I've become rather accustomed to the traditions and religious events throughout the year.
Today is the first day of the Holy Month of Ramadan in Dubai and already I could see the changes made to the coffee shop in my building to accommodate the non-Muslims. Unlike Saudi and other parts of the Middle Eastern World, we are being accommodated in many ways. We should be grateful for that!
This is thus a friendly reminder to non-Muslims/expatriates living here as residents or visiting this part of the world; this is not our country. Respect goes both ways.
RAMADAN KAREEM TO ALL MUSLIMS!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
TO LOVE AND BE LOVED
If only we knew for sure...
One of the most valuable lessons we can learn from life is this: Try as we might, we will never have all the answers. The only certainty is that nothing is certain!
We can wonder for the rest of our days whether we are doing the right thing... Continuing in the best relationships and following the best paths towards tomorrow, but no one is ever going to answer those questions for us that we so desperately seek. We may have wonderings of what to do and curiosities of what's to come. Time will help us with the results, but more than anything, it's up to us to go in the right direction.
We sometimes wonder whether love will last a lifetime through... We may not know the answers, but what I do know is this: There is nothing better than loving and being loved in return.
TO LOVE AND BE LOVED
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
911 REMEMBERED
In some way or another I believe everyone was affected by the horror we witnessed the day the Towers fell.
At the time I was living in Cape Town South Africa and turned the radio on as I was making my way from work to the Vet... In times of crisis, people think about the most bizarre things... Shocked and confused after hearing about the second plane crashing into the second tower, it dawned on me; this might very well be the beginning of WWIII! Thank God that's not what followed!
As I arrived home all channels were broadcasting headline news and footage of the crashes. Hair raising moments and I suppose a sense of terror was shared with the rest of the world all now with big eyes glued to the television screen watching in disbelief.
Ashes and fire raining down from the sky; debris falling from everywhere as the flames breathe out of the burning holes on the sides of the towers... We waited and watched; "witnessing" people on fire plummeting to their deaths from the high floors of the World Trade Center... And then the towers fell... one by one...
At the time I was living in Cape Town South Africa and turned the radio on as I was making my way from work to the Vet... In times of crisis, people think about the most bizarre things... Shocked and confused after hearing about the second plane crashing into the second tower, it dawned on me; this might very well be the beginning of WWIII! Thank God that's not what followed!
As I arrived home all channels were broadcasting headline news and footage of the crashes. Hair raising moments and I suppose a sense of terror was shared with the rest of the world all now with big eyes glued to the television screen watching in disbelief.
Ashes and fire raining down from the sky; debris falling from everywhere as the flames breathe out of the burning holes on the sides of the towers... We waited and watched; "witnessing" people on fire plummeting to their deaths from the high floors of the World Trade Center... And then the towers fell... one by one...
What a very sad day for the New Yorkers; what a sad day for the families who lost loved ones. What a sad day to New York's Finest who lost their lives in a brave attempt to save another's life. What a sad day for the world!
I spent Christmas and New Year's 2006 in NYC as one of the top 10 things on my list of "what I want to do before I die". At first I visited St. Pauls Chapel next to Ground Zero and for the first time I read/heard about the gigantic sycamore tree that stood for almost a century on the corner of the churchyard that fell down in such a way that it missed knocking down any of the historic tombstones. None of the falling debris damaged the Chapel itself, which was just amazing! An act of God or just an "accident"?
I crossed the road and saw huge pictures fixed to the fence that was now cordoning off the construction site of Ground Zero. As I walked closer and saw the pictures up close I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with emotion. It was hard holding back the tears...There's no way of even coming close to what the New Yorkers must have felt like... What a sad day!
This will be a day that will be remembered for generations to come.
I'd like to share these pictures with you: In memory of all that's now lost.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Thursday, December 28, 2006
CENTRAL PARK
It's a beautiful day and great for the outdoors! Not that I've been "indoors" much since I set foot in Manhattan but what I'm getting at is that at least I can take nice "sunny" pictures :D The agenda for the day? Central Park. First of all back to Radio City, Rockefeller Centre and St. Patrick's Cathedral for a few day-time pics.
When I got to St. Patrick's they had a funeral going on... Apparently the Chief of the Police who passed away. I don't know if you can see this clearly, but in the picture below, right bottom, you can see an old lady walking next to the Officers alongside the car.. Well, the funny thing is that she was not part of the funeral! She just wanted to join them as the car moved on... and of course, being a senior citizen, no-one said a word. I bet she gave up on the walk-a-long after realizing she would not be able to keep up the pace!
Here we have Atlas. This is opposite the entrance of St. Patrick's Cathedral. Then the famous Waldorf Astoria and below that two smaller pictures of one of many of Mr. Trump's Towers.
Finally I reach Central Park. I also added this picture with the statue to see how they decorated the Bergdorf Goodman Building behind the Statue. It's got Christmas rings on every set of windows. I like that!
Now if I'm not mistaken, the Wollman Ice Skating Rink in Central Park belongs to Donald Trump... Never knew that! I didn't go skating today either.
Finally, what I've been looking forward to - Central Park Zoo! Once inside I realize it's so NOT what I expected! Where's Alex, Gloria, Marty and Melman? And what happened to the two gay penguins? Okay-okay I know this is only a cartoon but hey! I expected a bit more. Just imagine the disappointment on the children's faces once they enter the Zoo and it's not at all how they imagined it... Wishful Thinking! I guess they escaped again! OOhhh YES! I forgot! They're in Madagascar! Silly me...
Finally I reach Central Park. I also added this picture with the statue to see how they decorated the Bergdorf Goodman Building behind the Statue. It's got Christmas rings on every set of windows. I like that!Now if I'm not mistaken, the Wollman Ice Skating Rink in Central Park belongs to Donald Trump... Never knew that! I didn't go skating today either.Finally, what I've been looking forward to - Central Park Zoo! Once inside I realize it's so NOT what I expected! Where's Alex, Gloria, Marty and Melman? And what happened to the two gay penguins? Okay-okay I know this is only a cartoon but hey! I expected a bit more. Just imagine the disappointment on the children's faces once they enter the Zoo and it's not at all how they imagined it... Wishful Thinking! I guess they escaped again! OOhhh YES! I forgot! They're in Madagascar! Silly me...So here goes the seals, the polar bear with his his grin to keep the tourists happy and the jumping monkeys... The last in this pic is self-explanatory ;-)
Probably most exciting about Central Park Zoo was the Rain Forest. Hundreds of different species of birds! The red bird is called Scarlet Ibis. I only remember this because of Scarlet Johansson... I'm not much into birds, but they are sure nice to look at!
Probably most exciting about Central Park Zoo was the Rain Forest. Hundreds of different species of birds! The red bird is called Scarlet Ibis. I only remember this because of Scarlet Johansson... I'm not much into birds, but they are sure nice to look at!Can you see an animal in the first picture below? Look closer. It's a Two-toed Sloth. Her name is Matilda. I just loved this bird next to Matilda! I don't know what type this is, but it's beautiful and colourful.
Here we have the Bat-cave. I drew (not Barrymore) an arrow from the top left corner to show you the bat... It flaps it's wings so fast and as I don't know special features on my camera, this was probably my best shot.
A froggy, lizard, a Silvery Marmoset monkey and a very small birdie in the background.
Last but not the least about Central Park Zoo is the famous Delacorte musical clock. A bit about the clock: Italian sculptor Andrea Spadini (1912–1983) crafted the whimsical bronze sculptures, which depict a penguin, kangaroo, bear, elephant, goat, and hippo parading with a variety of musical instruments as well as two monkeys with mallets that strike the bell. Each day between eight in the morning and six in the evening, the clock--now digitally programmed--plays one of thirty-two nursery rhyme tunes on the hour. On the half-hour, the mechanical performance is a bit shorter. 
All these places have names of course, but I'll have to look it up again and get back to you on that... I'll update the site later n'chala!
I think this is the bridge where Harry met Sally. Below that as you can see heading to the Strawberry Fieldss" and a pic at John Lennon's memorial. Imagine that!
Finally, what's Central Park without Friends? Recognize the fountain? Unfortunately Ross was busy with the shooting of the earlier viewed Madagascar picture and Chandler couldn't make it either. He did however send his apologies.
A froggy, lizard, a Silvery Marmoset monkey and a very small birdie in the background.Last but not the least about Central Park Zoo is the famous Delacorte musical clock. A bit about the clock: Italian sculptor Andrea Spadini (1912–1983) crafted the whimsical bronze sculptures, which depict a penguin, kangaroo, bear, elephant, goat, and hippo parading with a variety of musical instruments as well as two monkeys with mallets that strike the bell. Each day between eight in the morning and six in the evening, the clock--now digitally programmed--plays one of thirty-two nursery rhyme tunes on the hour. On the half-hour, the mechanical performance is a bit shorter. All these places have names of course, but I'll have to look it up again and get back to you on that... I'll update the site later n'chala!I think this is the bridge where Harry met Sally. Below that as you can see heading to the Strawberry Fieldss" and a pic at John Lennon's memorial. Imagine that!Finally, what's Central Park without Friends? Recognize the fountain? Unfortunately Ross was busy with the shooting of the earlier viewed Madagascar picture and Chandler couldn't make it either. He did however send his apologies.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
TIMES SQUARE
So the plan of the day was to walk North up Broadway to reach Times Square and get cheap tickets for any one of the major Broadway shows. My morning started with the usual Starbucks (around every corner) in Union Square. Here I had my very first NY Deja Vu! Can't explain it but I had it! Anyway, if you HAVE to know, it was a deja vu with the dogs in the park... Union Square also have the Farmers Market where they sell from fish to veggies to jams etc. I didn't really need lettuce, so I skipped that part of the shopping spree.
... and so I reached the Flatiron District. The Flatiron Building splits the road of the two most popular roads named... of course Broadway and 5th Avenue! Very famous building in my opinion.
So I saw a lady in Madison Square Park opposite the Flatiron Building with one of these trolley bags the old ladies use and as I'm already realising that I have baggage issues, I approached her to ask where she got it from. "Next to the 99c Store, she said..." What? 99c? Nevermind the store next door - I'm heading to the 99c Store! :D)) Big Smiles. I bought loads for 99c each and now I really need a trolley! All trolley-bags are sold out, but okay, I have enough time left in NY to search for a trolley bag, so... aah - lookie here - Manhattan Mall. Sale! Sale! Sale! Let's go in! So now I'm hungry. I order Chinese from this fast food restaurant; option number 1. Noodles with one "topping" for $4,50 or something like that. Go to the till and Mr. Chinaman tells me it's $5-something... No-no Mr. Chinaman, I took option ONE and not TWO! Read my fingers! Option 1! No he sa u hatopa fy-something... Not planning to get screwed over by Mr. Chinaman I clearly show him that he's mistaken - look at my food - I have option 1. This goes on for about 2 minutes and I'm not about to give up. He keeps on saying the same word but I have NO idea what he says and after living in Dubai for almost 5 years, honestly, accents can't be an issue for me! I start to apologise for not being able to understand him and eventually he shows me the word on the bill - TAX! What?? Was THIS the word he was trying to explain? You're kidding me right? How many different variations and accents do you get for the word TAX?! Try it. I can only pronounce one accent! Anyway, I paid fy-something and left.
Whoo-hoo! Times Square!
... and so I reached the Flatiron District. The Flatiron Building splits the road of the two most popular roads named... of course Broadway and 5th Avenue! Very famous building in my opinion. So I saw a lady in Madison Square Park opposite the Flatiron Building with one of these trolley bags the old ladies use and as I'm already realising that I have baggage issues, I approached her to ask where she got it from. "Next to the 99c Store, she said..." What? 99c? Nevermind the store next door - I'm heading to the 99c Store! :D)) Big Smiles. I bought loads for 99c each and now I really need a trolley! All trolley-bags are sold out, but okay, I have enough time left in NY to search for a trolley bag, so... aah - lookie here - Manhattan Mall. Sale! Sale! Sale! Let's go in! So now I'm hungry. I order Chinese from this fast food restaurant; option number 1. Noodles with one "topping" for $4,50 or something like that. Go to the till and Mr. Chinaman tells me it's $5-something... No-no Mr. Chinaman, I took option ONE and not TWO! Read my fingers! Option 1! No he sa u hatopa fy-something... Not planning to get screwed over by Mr. Chinaman I clearly show him that he's mistaken - look at my food - I have option 1. This goes on for about 2 minutes and I'm not about to give up. He keeps on saying the same word but I have NO idea what he says and after living in Dubai for almost 5 years, honestly, accents can't be an issue for me! I start to apologise for not being able to understand him and eventually he shows me the word on the bill - TAX! What?? Was THIS the word he was trying to explain? You're kidding me right? How many different variations and accents do you get for the word TAX?! Try it. I can only pronounce one accent! Anyway, I paid fy-something and left. Whoo-hoo! Times Square!My first visit was to the Hard Rock Cafe to buy some pins for "my boys" at Hard Rock Cafe in Dubai. I walked out having to use my credit card - they have such a lot of nice goodies in their "rock shop" that I couldn't resist! The only very nice feature about this HRC is the wall with all the mounted signed electric guitars. Other than that it's not a match in comparison to our Dubai HRC! No live band - No fun :-( Snapped a pic - been here done that and outa here!
BROADWAY TICKETS! It's time to line up for Mamma Mia, Lion King or Chicago.. whichever one I can get first! When I got to the ticket booth there was a line of ... well, longer than the Empire State Building line of the 25th! Suddenly I had a fast forward replay of 3 hours waiting in my mind and that didn't look like much fun. I'll do Broadway tomorrow! Off I go to Mars 2112. Read up on this on the net. Once again, another queue. No thank you. I'm not that keen on eating weird and wonderful food from space!
I didn't purchase Hershey's chocolates, but thought you might like to see what it looked like from the outside... I read up in my NY book I got from Anine about Lindy's Famous Cheesecake! Who is counting calories right? So there's this little fella celebrating his birthday at Lindy's. He's there with his sister, parents and grand parents. So the waiters start singing "happy birthday" when suddenly one of the other waiters shout STOP! STOP! Now everyone is looking at the "stop"-waiter. Lets describe this waiter that you can imagine this: He is in his late 30s, semi bald, pleasantly plump and very "pink" if you know what I mean ;-) So he leans over the table and with a beautifully sexy husky voice he starts singing Happy Birthday to this boy of 6 years old in the "Happy Birthday Mr. President" version. By now you can just imagine the confusion and perhaps fear on this poor kid's face, not to mention the parents! I don't think they'll go there for his next birthday! That must have been the highlight of my day! My Cheesecake was delicious by the way.
Out of Lindy's and it's dark already, not to mention 1 Degree Celsius. There are SO many people on the streets that you have no choice but to walk halfway in the road. This is crazy! You can hardly move! I wonder what New Years eve will be like!!!
At night I usually take the Metro back to the hotel (tired) and as I was heading towards the Metro, I noticed Bryant Park - lots of activity. Detour! I bought the most beautiful handmade Christmas Tree Bee at one of these stalls, but I don't even want to share the price with you.. You only live once right? I decided not to make a fool of myself by trying to ice skate either... I saw too many daredevils falling their butts off in the short time I was watching... Time for bed. It's been yet another long day.
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