When Dubai feels like a vacation

One aspect I love about Dubai is its ability to feel like you're on holiday, even when you're not. Of course, being a housewife makes this easier than if I were working. Plus, Ryan's job often allows him extended days off between trips. This week really felt like a vacation. A very beachy vacation.
Saturday Ryan and I spent the afternoon at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. We weren't there long, but it was nice to get out in the sun and relax.




Sunday Ryan had a doctor's appointment, so I got up early and met our friends Dan, Amanda, and Jett at the beach by our house. Or, I should say, they picked me up in their boat at Jumeirah Beach. We spent the morning and a good portion of the afternoon just lounging on the boat and in the water. It was fabulous. The water was the perfect temperature and since it was a Sunday, which is the first day of the work week in Dubai, we had the water to ourselves.




Monday was spent at the Wild Wadi Water Park. It was our first time visiting the Jumeirah Beach Hotel's water park and we weren't disappointed. We made sure to get there early, which was a great move and we didn't have to wait in any lines. I unknowingly rode the Jumeirah Sceirah water slide, which is a slide so fast they actually drop the floor out from under you. It was thrilling, and something I'll do just once. My favorite part was the ride where you float along in an inner tube. It was a good combination of lazy and relaxing, with some fun slides mixed in. Another thing we did was get the fish pedicures. I've heard about them before, but since they are banned in the states, I never got to experience one. Let me say, it is WEIRD! Dozens of tiny fish sucking on your feet and legs, eating the dead skin. I'm glad I tried it and can scratch it off my bucket list, but I will not be doing that again. My favorite part was watching the expressions on the faces of the new people entering the tub.




I'm trying to make the most of being in Dubai as a housewife by making as many days possible feel like vacation. I've started looking for employment, which will change all of that. I've loved having time off, and am so grateful that I have been able to do so, but I'm just not cut out for the life of a "Jumeirah Jane." I need something to keep me busy and to feel like I'm contributing to my future and to our household. So, wish me luck on the job hunt!
-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Dubai

Turning 30 and Vietnam

I recently turned 30 this month and to celebrate Ryan and I spent a week in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.  It was my first time in Asia (Europe AND Asia before 30!  It's nice to surpass a goal) and I chose Vietnam because it came highly recommended and also would be a budget friendly holiday.
We stayed at the Movenpick, which is one of the hotels that Emirates uses for their crew.  It was a pretty nice hotel with a pool and a good selection of restaurants.  Each restaurant or bar had some sort of food or drink special each night, which was nice for times we just wanted to relax at the hotel and not venture out into the 95+ degree, 100% humidity weather.  (Maybe next time I'll do more weather research before booking a trip?)
A full week was probably more time than necessary to spend in one city, but it was super awesome to be there long enough that we didn't feel rushed and could spend time just relaxing at the hotel.
Here's some highlights from the trip:
-A day trip via speed boats to the Cu Chi Tunnels.  I can't believe how extensive the tunnel systems were.  They were also so tiny!  They made them larger for the tourists and I still had a mini panic attack trying to get through them.  The best part was when Ryan got stuck.  We used the Saigon River Express company and they were great.  Our tour guide was super friendly and knowledgeable.  Plus, they picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel.

Boat ride to the tunnels.

Ryan's stuck in the tunnel.

-The spa.  We were a little nervous about finding a good spa in the city.  We'd heard that services are extremely inexpensive and can be high quality.  We just wanted to find a place that was both clean and legit... if you know what I mean.  But we found a super fantastic place called My Spa.  Both Ryan and I had a 90 minute massage and pedicures.  I will warn you, though.  Those ladies are strong!  I had a few bruises the next day, but they did a great job.
-War Remnants Museum.  The museum is pretty much dedicated to the Vietnam War.  I found it somewhat awkward as an American because there was an obvious Anti-American sentiment in the air. There were also a lot of really gruesome photos and stories.  It was interesting, and I think important, to see how we were, and to some extent are, viewed by "the other side" of a war.
-Ben Thanh Market.  Most of the items for sale were massed produced junk, but we walked away with some decent stuff.  We each got pretty nice back packs for traveling and a t-shirt or two.  It was mostly just fun to walk around and see what everyone was selling and, of course, to haggle with the retailers.

Ben Thanh Market

-FOOD!  The banh mi was probably my favorite and definitely Ryan's.  The pho was delicious and we had some super amazing sushi.  Almost every meal was really great there, and as a bonus it was super cheap.

First meal.  Ryan ate a pepper that made him cry.

Banh Mi 

-And probably my number one highlight is the heavy metal cover band we saw at the Seventeen Saloon.  The bar itself was a total rip-off, as they put things on our bill that we didn't order or consume and then refused to take them off, but the band was fabulous.  They played a ton of really amazing songs and were just super talented.  It was the most fun at night we had in Vietnam by far.

Best cover band I've ever seen.

A dog on the back of a motorbike, just for good measure.

I actually turned 30 while on the Emirates flight home.  The crew was super nice and gave me a "Happy Birthday" plate of desserts.  All-in-all, not a bad way to leave my 20's.

Terrible photo, super fun flight.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi

A few weeks ago I went with some AWA ladies on the good ol' Zara bus to Abu Dhabi for a trip to the Sheikh Zayed* Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.  I won't go into the history or architectural facts of the place, since I did not take any notes (whoops,) but I will say it was so beautiful and I really enjoyed the tour.  The tours are free and if all of the guides are as sweet and knowledgeable as the woman we had, then you'll love it.  She was very informative and, most importantly, super patient and kind with all of our questions.

Here's some photos from the tour.  I really do have to be better about taking a real camera and a notebook.

They gave us hooded abayas to wear inside for modesty. 

Walking up to the entrance.  It's hard to see, but there was a beautiful pool/fountain. 

This large courtyard area sometimes is completely filled with overflow from the inside during special holiday prayers.  I think our tour guide said that 40,000 can fit?

Beautiful artworks/mosaic

The temperature difference between the white tile and the colored tile was crazy

It's name really does fit

*Have a really been spelling "Sheikh" wrong for almost a year?  Or is it another Arabic word that has many different spellings?  I mean, I've seen some crazy versions of Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah on road, restaurant, and other signs.  Oh well!

Mardi Gras

Happy Mardi Gras!  I've never really celebrated the holiday (it's always on a school night!) but this year I sort-of did by chairing the AWA Mardi Gras Gala.

It was a great learning experience and kept me busy for my first 8-9 months in Dubai.  I met tons of people and really learned my way around the city.  Plus, I had a ton of fun Friday night at the event. The set up that day was a mad rush (they always are) to get everything up and ready, but I had a great team working along side of me, and everything that evening went off without a hitch!  Cirque du Soleil even made a surprise visit.  They are in town performing, and I guess had a small show upstairs from our ballroom.  The hotel was kind enough to ask if they'd come down and do a quick 10 minute performance and they obliged!  It was very cool and the perfect kick-off to the evening.

I loved the centerpieces

All the decor was fabulous

Sponsor and auction chairs and me with the Consul General and his wife

Bad photo of the Cirque performance

PROM! ( Photo of a photo)

Next up, Ryan and I are planning some travel.  I turn 30 in April so we're celebrating with a trip to Vietnam.  

The Disappeared...

Between Christmas, the AWA Gala, and just general life, I've totally forgotten about this blog.  I'd like to keep it up so that I have something to look back on one day and remember all of my adventures.  I've really started to settle into living in Dubai, and therefore my life has become a little more "regular" and doesn't feel as exciting as it should be for a blog.  But I guess I shouldn't let that stop me from writing about my goings-on and, at the very least, posting pictures.  So my super late New Years Resolution will be to use this more!

I went to Al Karama today with some girl friends and I really should have taken more advantage by taking pictures.  We shopped for some quality knock-off handbags and ate some delicious Indian food.

Other than that, my life is consumed with the AWA Gala.  It's this Friday at the Ritz-Carlton DIFC.  (Shameless plug - go to www.awadubai.org if you want to attend or donate.  All proceeds go to the AWA Scholarship program and also worthy charities in the UAE.)  It will be a ton of fun and I can't wait to enjoy the evening after all of my hard work.  I have to say, I  give all of donors/volunteers I used to work with back at NMF credit - it takes some serious drive to be passionate about what sometimes feels like thankless volunteer work.  I guess maybe I was driven by a paycheck more than I'd like to admit!  It's been a great learning experience for me, though.  And it also made me realize that I do know my stuff when it comes to events, but also that maybe a career change could be in order.  All very exciting!

I promise to write all about the event after it's done.  And I have some travel plans in the works, so more blogs to follow!

Until then, here's a photo dump from the last few months.

Even though Ryan didn't get to come home for Christmas, I got to spend some time with the Schure family.  And see these two little dolls!

I spent a week in Chicago catching up with two of my best friends.

I spent two weeks with my family in Omaha and even got to meet my new little brother.  He was not happy that one of the first things I did was give him a bath.

I'm totally biased, but Renard is so dang cute. 

We had a low key NYE with dinner at home.  Then we rode our bikes to the beach and saw three firework shows at once.  All three were completely over the top and awesome.

We went camping one night with Dan, Amanda and Jett.  Renard came along too.

Ryan and I eat way too much at the Shangri La's Dunes cafe.  But they have a buffet with all you can eat macarons!

Rain, rain (don't) go away

I've been in Dubai now for a little over 6 months and it's raining for the first time!  We've had a few sprinkles here and there, but usually in the Marina area and I've never actually seen them.  But this morning I woke up and took Renard out for his walk the ground was wet!  There are even dark, grey clouds in the sky.  We made it home from our walk just in time because it started to POUR.  Then the thunder started.  Loud claps that scared poor Renard (and I may have even jumped a bit.)  I'm going to take advantage of this weather by watching movies on the couch in my PJ's and maybe even ordering a pizza for lunch.  Perfect rainy Friday afternoon!

It was raining pretty hard for quite a while

Dark clouds

Wet street

Election 2012

Smug Obama is awesome

Four years ago Ryan and I were lucky enough to get tickets to the Obama rally at Grant Park on election night.  We rode our bikes to the Regal Beagle (RIP) for a pre-election pizza and some beers and then continued onto Grant Park.  It was an unusually warm night for early November, which gave the evening an even more exciting buzz.  (It also turned out to be a great thing since I got a flat tire not even half way home and had to walk the rest of the way.)  It was an indescribable feeling when they announced that Barack Obama had won - so many people so happy and excited all in ONE PLACE.  I remember hearing him speak, but being so far away that I really had no idea where he was actually standing, but just being so proud and delighted to be there.

Proof!

Fast forward four years and I spent the morning (evening, of course, in the USA) on my phone, texting with my sister and family, streaming CNN on my computer, and obsessively checking Facebook.  It was obviously a very different election experience, but I somehow still felt SO connected, and it was great.  Ryan was getting ready for work for a portion of it and they announced the results just in time for me to call him with the wonderful news before he flew to Seattle.

It's not hard to guess who I supported in this election, and I'm obviously thrilled with the results.  But even more important, I'm just proud that I had the opportunity to vote even though I'm half way across the world.

Our First Visitor!

Last weekend we had our very first guest come to Dubai.  It wasn't surprising that our world traveller friend, Barry, was the first to make it here.  Ryan and I spent the months and weeks before his visit talking about where to take him, what to do, etc.  Needless to say, after 6-9 months of not seeing a familiar face, we were pretty excited to see Barry.

Here are some of the things we planned for our very first Dubai visitor (with a bit of a photo dump):

We were supposed to go to a friend's costume party, but it was so late on Thursday evening when Barry arrived, that we decided to take him to take him out for a quick drink instead.  We headed to Barasti and then to Rock Bottom, which are two of the three bars that Ryan and I usually attend.  It's nearly impossible to find a dive bar in Dubai since only hotels have liquor licenses, so our cool bar options are pretty limited.  But it was great to catch up and help Barry through his jet lag.

On Friday morning we woke up somewhat bright and early and got ready for brunch.  I've mentioned the Dubai brunch before, and it truly is a Dubai expat staple.  We decided to go all out and make reservations for Saffron at Atlantis on the Palm.  It was, by far, the most amazing buffet or brunch experience of my life.  It blew any Las Vegas buffet out of the water.

Halloween themed "blood martinis"

Mini bottles of champagne with a straw!
Given to us upon arrival.

Tons of seafood and sushi... yum

Dessert galore (also Halloween themed)

Boozy watermelon with straws

On Saturday we decided to do something a little more "old Dubai" and took a taxi to Bur Dubai and explored the souks.  We ate at a little Lebanese restaurant that our friend Dan introduced us to and then took a water taxi to the gold and spice souks.  Barry and I stood in corner and laughed at Ryan outrageously haggling with each shop owner.  But we both got some really cool lanterns and some other souvenirs.  That evening we decided to take it easy and spent our evening grilling and hanging out in the back garden area on our new outdoor furniture.

Waiting for the water taxi

I wanted to stick my hands in each barrel

SO SHINY!

Barry's final night in town was spent in the desert at a desert"safari" dinner.  We were picked up by the company and then taken out to the desert where we switched from van to 4x4 and a maniac drove us through the sand dunes to the camp site.  It was the scariest car ride of my life - on purpose, of course.  There was a BBQ dinner, camel rides, sand skiing, henna painting, shisha and other "traditional" middle eastern activities.  It was pretty touristy, but kind of a fun activity and probably the only time we'll ever eat on carpets way out in the desert.  It would be perfect if you have visitors with kids.  I got my hand painted with henna, tried grape shisha and saw some camels up close.  I really want to ride a camel but we ran out of time.

Sitting at our table on the carpets

Henna

The shisha made me cough like crazy

The guys left the following day for a quick trip to Paris to visit another friend, Pierre.  I spent that time recovering and catching up with AWA business.  Back to real life!  We loved having a friend come see where we live and what we do.  We get so many questions about Dubai and how our lives are here, so it was awesome to be able to share it with someone for even a few days.  We can't wait for our next guests (taking 2013 reservations now)!

Full Moon Yoga

My friend Amber is a certified yoga instructor and often inspires me to try and do more physical activities.  So far, I've signed up for a vertical flex class (I'll let you guess what that actually is,) a ladies only 5K in November, and for the last two months we've gone to Full Moon Yoga at Talise Spa in the Al Qasr hotel.

It's such a cool experience.  You meet at the spa and then they transport you to the beach via golf carts (or buggies if we're getting British about it.)  They have an entire yoga area set up right on the beach for about 125 people, with lanterns lining the area.  To the right is a super bright, gorgeous full moon and to the left is the water and the Burj Al Arab, which is one of the coolest buildings in Dubai.  It's all very calming and I can't wait to go again, especially when it cools down a bit.

Full Moon

The Burj Al Arab

Germany

A little over two weeks ago, Ryan and I embarked on a two week Germany adventure.  In all of Ryan's 5+ years at his last company he'd had ONE WEEK of vacation.  Combined.  Thankfully, his new company is much better and gives their employees a pretty great vacation package.  So, when we discovered they'd actually given him two weeks of paid vacation time (in a row!) we decided to make the most of it by renting an RV and driving all around Germany.

We started in Hamburg where we stayed in a tiny, but cute, hotel.  The next day we picked up the RV and started driving.  We basically went south east to Berlin, then down through Saxony, into Bavaria, through a small part of Austria and Switzerland, up to Frankfurt, through Cologne, and then back to Hamburg.  We returned the RV and stayed another night in Hamburg at a much needed hotel (7 days in an RV turned out to be more than enough.)  After that, we ended our trip by taking the ICE train from Hamburg to Munich and spending 2.5 days at Oktoberfest!

Here are some highlights:

Our ride

• A different campsite every night. 
• I learned to read a map!  We decided not to rent a GPS so I was the navigator the entire trip.  And I rarely got us lost!
• The scenery.  Everywhere.  It was just beautiful.  So many trees, so much green, lots of hills and mountains.  I think Bavaria and Saxony were my favorite. 

The Austrian Alps

• Dresden was probably my favorite city.  We didn't really get to see much of it, but I hope to go back one day and spend a few days there. 
• The people were so nice.  One instance that stands out to me is when Ryan and I were in Frankfurt we stopped in the city to stay at his company hotel (another RV break) and to do some laundry.  Of course, the directions on the machines were all in German and we couldn't understand a word.  The only other person in there noticed right away and jumped in to help.  And pretty much everywhere else we went we experienced really nice people willing to help us.
• Seeing the restaurant/town Ryan's ancestors started.  Unfortunately the restaurant was closed, but it was still awesome to see.

Herchenbach

• While "winging it" on a vacation is fun and adds to the adventure, next time we'll at least do some research.  We spent a lot of time figuring out what to do.  Plus, driving didn't go as quickly as we had thought it would so we didn't have as much time to see the things we had wanted to see.
• I really enjoyed spending time with Ryan.  We had a lot of fun just talking on the drives, making hot dogs and pasta in the camper, and playing Yatzee and Go Fish (the only card game we could remember) at night.
• I saw a castle!  We stopped and toured Neuschwanstein, which was King Ludwig II's castle.  It also inspired Walt Disney for his princess' castles.  It was pretty cool!  We saw a few other more ancient castles, which were also amazing. 

Castles and camping hair

• Oktoberfest was SO MUCH FUN.  Ryan has always wanted to go, but we were both a little afraid it would be more hype than anything.  Thankfully, we both really enjoyed ourselves.  We met so many interesting, really nice people.  I was afraid we wouldn't be able to get into any tents since we didn't have a reservation, but it was actually pretty easy.  And people were almost always more than willing to let us sit with them.  

Who wouldn't want to sit with these two?!

• The food!  We at schnitzel, currywurst (yuck), some of the best Thai food I've ever had, and lots of bratwurst (yum).  Oh, and we even had Mexican food in Berlin.  I guess I can't forget to mention the beer, which was also pretty yummy.

Schnitzel in Hamburg. 

It feels so weird to be home after two weeks, especially since home is still relatively new to us.  I'm so grateful that we were able to spend such an adventure together, exploring another country.  I'm also very glad to be out of an RV and back in my home!