Updates

People, I really need to update my blog, but just have some much to do, so if you are linked to facebook, read a lot of my updates there, I'll cross link.

In the week when I'm relaxed I'll do some scribbling here, and cut and paste from facebook ... so till then.

Lazy git ...

So what did I do tonight? Well ... other than grilling peri-peri chicken than could feed an army ... let me cover that first.

So the plan was to braai peri-peri chicken on monday with some other friends, but one, who's house and braai we were suppose to use, got sick, and there is no way I'm leaving chicken in peri-peri marinade for a week ... people might die. So here I sat with 18 plus pieces to braai, good thing I got my sexy Italian cooker.

Was tasy, I chomped down two drumbstick.

Anyway, that is not the point, like a lazy git, I've not ironed for a week or two, so the amount of washed and dried yet not ironed clothes was forming a mountain and my ironed pile was shrinking, so between some series on my PVR and cooking I ran (ironed) through 1/4 of my wardrobe ... now I'll chomp down some Haagen-Dazs (Strawberries & cream) and then go work it off in the gym tommorow ... lets hope my blond Amazon is there tommorow ... but that is a story for another time.

My planned yacht trip

So part of my "live life to the fullest" mental trip is to doing some boat, or yacht to be politically and technically correct, excursion, this will be fun, from the marina to the Burj Al Arab, then some swimming etc and back. So I am doing the following "stint"
LEO Yacht

End of the World ... 21/12/2012

I pondered a lot about posting this or not ... but think I should.
People always joke with me or wonder if I'm serious about this "end of the world" thing ... and to be honest, yes, I am.

No-one can honestly say what will happen, it will not be the "end of the world" but it sure will be the end of the world "as we know it".

Seven reasons the world will end is a good link to read.

Also http://www.december212012.com/

So ... why do I believe this, lets just say there is a little voice I've learned to trust in my life, and not going to get into detail, but all past "visions" or "images" or "concepts" I've "seen" has come true, and there is one more that I know will come to pass.

Ask yourself about all the "new" disasters in the world, and next year, round May/June 2009, if you hear about the "new red planet" in our solar system, call me, because then its pure science and no longer fiction.

Do yourself a favour and watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlcPWa6SomE and/or read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_X

I have a plan, don't laugh ... we'll see.

I've come to realize something ...

In all my days of pondering I've come to realize one thing ... click me and you will see.

It is not all desert

Not everything is sand, in our current office park, EMAAR ... where I do not have covered parking ... I have to walk 500m to 750m... in 42C, ouch, to get to the office, good for loosing some weight, but I do walk through this nice little spot, so that makes up for it.
GPS: N25 05.670 E55 10.040

Shopping

Shopping malls are huge and different, here is a picture of "Festival City", I don't like the actual mall to much compare to the others, but I do love IKEA, ACE and Sharaf all at the same place, but attached to the mall, need to get a floor plan to explain, but its to big to post. IKEA is ... well the biggest get anything you can store in the world I'm told, I love walking round in the place, its like a Makro mixed with Boardmans. ACE is a hardware store, and Sharaf ... electronics :)

Here is a pic from inside the Mall, it is a 3 story waterfall (there are others in the same mall that looks different) and behind me ... need to take a pic also, is a view of a marina with boats etc.

GPS: N25 13.680 E55 20.909

The desert

So this weekend I did a desert safari as mentioned before, you arrive in the afternoon and drive in a convoy through the desert, about 50 Land Cruisers, then you go trough a "desert reserve" and have dinner and watch a belly dancer.

I did get wasted ... cost me 150Dhs a bottle of wine, so I had one red and two white, chardonnay, I don't know how I got home, well kinda, good thing is that they pick you up from your front door and drop you off there also ... I only sobered up at 11am the next morning ...

Will post some pics after I download then from my cam ... after scrutiny.

Plan for this weekend ... probably the Hatta wadi or Wild Wadi ... btw, me thinks wadi means water :)

First breakfast cooking

So I've been here is month and 9 days, give or take, well take a few hours, and this is the first morning I cooked for myself, in my own place. I only recieved my cooker yesterday, an nice Italian "La Germania" ... love it ...

So this morning I decided to go big, cause I can't go home :)

I bought some nice pots and pans and utensils yesterday, so figured I must give them a bash, with all the cook books I own and stuff I've read. First off, I did not believe that cooking on gas could make such a difference on the taste of food ... seriously, major difference.

So this moring after my shower and shave I dashed off to our local store, like a mini pick'n'pay back home and bought some stuff I forgot yesterday.

So I had Brazilian top side steak (kinda like minute steak), 2 eggs, toast, honey, fresh orange juice and tea ... breakfast of champions !!!

So the plan now it to prep some chicken for tomorrow, got myself a garlic crusher, and 500g of fresh garlic, Nando's peri-peri saus etc. Planning to make this kick-ass peri-peri Portuguese chicken I once learn from my dad ...

Till later folks.

Artificial Rain

Is is official, the rain yesterday was not normal, it was caused by the government testing "rain induction" with aircraft spraying the clouds with "chemicals" to induce rain ...

This was reported in the local news tonight ... no wonder I have acid burn marks on my side bars on my car ...

Blou Bulle !!!!

So in Dubai we also have "Blou Bulle" ...

South Africa Day

I was asked to drive the "pimp" mobile, this is Grim's truck, like a minibus back in SA, with one helava horn, but this story I'll tell some other time, he is from SA, living in JBR with his fam, and is kinda anti ... well ... everything I guess :) but a very nice guy.

This is his wagon, must show you the outside next time, it has this large "coffin" on the roof, and the back window is one of those art works showing the Sheik and his sons and the military leader of Abu Dhabi.

He has little skulls as door knobs ... and well, you can see the inside. The parrot on the dash can talk ...

Souq Madinat

N25 08.000 E55 11.237

From now on, if/when I remember, I will include GPS waypoints, so you can google earth it or use other mapping software.

This place is fun, a souq is a traditional arabian market, but here they mixed old with new, I don't have pictures of the "old" was blown away by the new. This is what their houses with the wind towers used to look like, but here they added restaurants, waterways, shopping, open air theater etc, pretty impressive ... and there is even a Meat Co from SA here.

Here are some pictures from my first "free" weekend, for the first 3 weeks, make that 4 weeks I did nothing but work and sort "stuff" out, you will not believe how much it takes into getting set up in another country. Getting a villa, mobile, utilities, car, bank account ... anyways, that is all in the "past" month :) So here the cool stuff start.







This is the 7 star hotel in Dubai and its beach, I had a champange brunch close by, at the 360 ... will get pics of that next time. We started at 13:00 and ended at ... well can't rember, but was fun.

Next is the walkway to 360, a bar/restaurant in the ocean, is the best way to describe it, this walkway forms the marina, and on the left is the hotel, and on the righ, in the water, on the point is 360.

Oh ... yes, that is the boat I plan to buy ;) the one behind the two you see ...

Oh, this also reminds me, I'm starting a diving course in two weeks ... getting my PADI, plan to go up to OMAN for some diving in the next two months.

The beach was awsome, water is calm, like a lake, will be perfect for the kids.

Inside, or behind me is the pools and pool bars, will take some picture of them next time.

My car ... forgot about that

So here is my dinky toy ... I had a few options here, either go for some major big-ass beast like most people do, or some road hugging speed mobeel.

Cars in the UAE are really cheap compared to SA, I looked at a Toyota Prado 4L 4x4, but almost every person here drives one ... or a 4x4 Porsche ... then I thought ... why not buy a mid size 4x4, because parking in some places can be tough, and trust me, you don't want to get in and out of some parking spots with your Hummer H3.

So I decided to get a Chevy Captiva LTZ 4x4 (or rather AWD) and a Willies Jeep for the desert, kinda the best of both worlds.

The Chevy was cheap, 102K Dhs for full spec, sun roof blah di blah, to put that in perspective, in SA I'd pay R350K second hand for this, here in Dubai R214K new ...

And now the rain ...

So after the sand storm the rain starts, I know its just rain drops, but hey ... its in the desert, at 8am in the morning. And listening to the radio they also said it is strange. ;)

My first sand storm and rain in Dubai

Today I experienced my first sand storm and rain in Dubai ... coming from South Africa and getting a face full of sand rather than water is strange ... and then suddenly the rain started.
So there I was, going into the gym at 6:30am, all clear outside, and then coming out at 7:50am and getting a face full of sand ... taste sandy (I know)... and makes your eyes itch ... anyone recall a windy day on the beach in SA? It looks like a massive storm you'd be used to back home, but its 32 degrees, hot, and dusty ... verrrrrry strange, this was taken just outside the IBN Mall, and the wind was blowing like crazy.

More on traffic

So on the same road, but a different day, on my way to the gym ... round 6am ... same road. This is where the road turns into 4 lanes, going into the round abouts ... you sit here for some time.

Traffic ... what traffic

Two things really strange about traffic in Dubai is either no cars or it is gridlocked. OK not really that bad or black and white, but here is a picture of a nice traffic day ... 12 lane highway, 6 lanes each direction, at 14:30 in the afternoon.

How to resize photo's quickly

Ever wondered how to resize all those photos you took with your fancy new digital camera down to a 50Kb size that you can email to friends and family back home? Here is a tool I found very handy, easy to use and free.
Batch Picture Resize
http://www.rw-designer.com/picture-resize
Here is an example of how I took a picture of our new office in Dubai down to 35Kb.

The following events are on the option list for this weekend, will do a brief description of each and cost.

• Evening Desert Safari (Dune Dinner) – 250 Dhs
• Overnight Desert Safari (same as above, but sleep over in desert with breakfast, only Wednesday or Thursday) – 400 Dhs
• Hatta Safari (Wadi Bashing) – 270 Dhs
• Dune Buggy Safari (Half day) – 375 Dhs
• Hatta pool Safari – 295 Dhs

Evening Desert Safari (Dune Dinner)

This off-road arabian adventure takes you from the bustle of Dubai city to the desert of golden sand dunes. You will travel to the desert from your pick-up point in a luxury 4WD (Toyota Land Cruiser) and reach there in around 45 minutes. Next, the Arabian roller coaster ride known as dune bashing (desert driving) will begin, where you will shriek and laugh with excitement as the car goes up and down the dunes.

As the sun descends into the horizon, we stop to allow you to take sunset photographs, while standing on top of the fading desert dunes. We now head to the campsite where a convoy of camels awaits your arrival for short camel rides. After returning, you can purchase some souvenirs before relaxing on a majlis (low cushions) in traditional Bedouin tents. Enjoy an Arabian BBQ (barbeque/barbecue) buffet dinner beside a blazing bonfire with traditional cups of coffee and dates, underneath the pitch-black night sky. You can also get more dressed for the occasion by dressing in traditional Bedouin male or female garments, and also have Henna (temporary tatoo) decorate your hands, legs and feet and smoke flavored sheesha (hubbly-bubbly/water pipe). Before we head back to Dubai, we will be entertained by the dancing of a belly dancer to traditional Arabic music, and you are welcome to join along.

The Dubai safari tour, also known as a half day desert safari, normally lasts for 5 to 6 hours and begins in the afternoon from between 3:30pm and 4:30pm and ends around 10:00pm.

Overnight Desert Safari

This safari contains the same events and thrills as the evening desert safari, but instead of heading back to Dubai city in the evening, we spend the night at the campsite. Under the starlit sky, you will slip inside comfy sleeping bags inside spacious tents and savour the genuine exotic beauty of the Arabian nights. In the morning, we have breakfast at the camp before heading back to Dubai city. Overnight desert safaris are only possible on Wednesday and Thursday nights and require a minimum of 4 people.

Hatta Safari (Wadi Bashing)

Start your day with a ride through the desert to the mountainous region of Dubai known as Hatta. There, we drive through deep trenches, where we see million year-old mountains of different arrays of colors. We splash through the flowing waters of the wadis (natural pools) during the drive, and visit a 16th century fort and some agricultural farms. This is followed by a visit to the Hatta Fort Hotel, where we can take a swim and enjoy lunch before we head back to Dubai. This is a 6 to 7-hour safari.

Dune Buggy Safari (Half day)

This is a half-day safari leaving Dubai at approx. 8:30 a.m. in the morning or 2:30 p.m. in the afternoon. We will take you from your hotel for a short drive into the desert where our buggies will be waiting for you.

This is your chance to experience an exhilarating ride first hand with Desert Rangers. After basic instruction, you will be lead en convoy on a dedicated roller coaster route through the dunes. Only with Desert Rangers, you will be able to experience the thrill of genuine Buggies designed especially for the Desert. Not to be mistaken for quad bikes! Dhs 300/- per person (2 persons sharing) if you wish to go in a two seat buggy.

Hatta pool Safari

We head into the desert for an exhillerating dune drive, then onto the spectacular wadis through mountain trails passing by traditional bedou villages and camel farms. A rest stop at Hatta Pools gives you the chance to have a dip and swim in these cool natural water pools followed by lunch at a beautifull mountain resort in Hatta.

Pick up time

08:00 - 09:00 hrs

Return Time

16:30 - 17:30 hrs

Tools for the Trade

One thing I did notice is how people get lost, or prefer not to go anywhere because its just so confusing to figure out where you want to go ... so the answer for this ... GPS & mobile with GPS software and peering, or peer point as they call it.

Peering is a feature where you, me, or anyone you wish can exchange GPS location information via SMS, so it is easy to find each other, or a location. For example, you found a nice shop, beach, you mark it on your mobile or GPS and send it to your friends, or request your friends location to track them down.

I personally believe in Garmin, and the nuvi GPS, they retail for between 1000 Dhs & 1500 Dhs
This is a very good review of the nuvi 710, it has everything, including MP3, photo, Blue Tooth. Best place to get one is the IBN Battuta Mall, China court in a shop called Sharaf DG.

Weekend plans in Dubai

Being new to Dubai, or I'd rather say being away from South Africa I decided the do something new each weekend. Unless you "force" yourself to do something each weekend you run the risk of becoming depressed and just moaping around in your apartment/villa each and every weekend, except for the odd occasion that you go to a mall or do some work related activity.

So I've started this blog to invite people I've met in Dubai, and when in future in other countries, to share life experiences, create new memories, have good times ... and bad, but overall to live life to the fullest while we still can.

So you will be added to my list and you will get the email or sms invitations to join myself and others in things to do, you are welcome to delete these emails or sms's ;) you are also welcome to show up or not to show up ... but be warned, if I, me, myself and my other 9 personalities think you are becoming a hermit our "collective" have the right to resort to kidnapping ...

Who, what & why ...

The first thing I thought I'd do is give a brief history why Harlock, and what about him has importance in my life ... Harlock is a fictional character created by manga artist Leiji Matsumoto in 1953, he became a main character in the 1970's. I was born in 1972, and this specific TV "series" (so yes, TV does affect children) had a lasting impression on me, it was Space Pirate Captain Harlock.

Most of how I view life, people, good & evil, righteousness, the universe etc ... was influenced by this.

Harlock is the archetypical romantic hero, a space pirate with an individualist philosophy of life. He is as noble as he is taciturn, rebellious, stoically fighting against totalitarian regimes, whether they be earthborn or alien. In his own words, he "fight[s] for no one's sake... only [...] for something deep in [his] heart".

That, combined with my INTP personality, being left handed and an aquarius might explain a lot ;) INTPs are about 1% of the general population, making this one of the rarest of personality types.

If you ever get time, read the following:
http://www.mit.edu/people/rei/MANGA/Harlock.html
http://www.intp.org/intprofile.html
http://www.intp.org/description.html