Finding yoga and solace in India

Let's talk about India. February's epic African adventure was still buzzing inside of me when spring break rolled around. But I was tired, so tired. When you work as an educator, springtime bears down on you before you know it and you don't even realize you are taking less and less care of yourself. I felt like crap every day. So I gifted myself with a week of yoga on the beaches of Goa, India. It's a yogi's dream to make the pilgrimage to the birthplace of this ancient practice. I couldn't believe I was actually going to India. I got off the plane with my travel bag packed with spandex and bikinis. A two-hour taxi ride on crazy roads through both the city and countryside was only slightly terrifying-- it's every man out for himself out there! It is also no exaggeration when people tell you that cattle are walking along the streets roaming free.

 I am afraid this is the most cultural my experience in India was. I barely even took any photos. When the taxi left me on the main street at Patnem Beach, I enjoyed a blissful week with the sun and the sea. A five minute walk down the beach brought me to Bamboo Yoga Retreat. The receptionist was wearing a sarong over her bikini, and the main area was an open-air restaurant/lounge built onto the sandy beach. I knew immediately that this was the place for me with beach bum yogi written all over it.

 I was brought to my quarters, a private bamboo hut with an open-air bathroom. I showered the travel off of me under the blue sky and warm sun.. it was amazing! From the hammock on my porch I could see a small palm-covered butte dropping down toward the Indian Ocean. The fresh ocean breeze and sound of the crashing surf would lull me to sleep every night; the crows would wake me in the mornings. It was a simple place, which is all you need after spending days practicing yoga and lazing on the beach. Coming from a state of constant fatigue and feeling sick from lack of self-care, this was the holiday I needed. I enjoyed delicious healthy food, an ayurvedic massage, rejuvenating yoga that challenged me to achieve things I didn't think I could do, and a lot of R&R.

A typical day was as follows:

7am wake up, enjoy a refreshing juice or tea with fresh fruit and oatmeal as you stare out at the ocean
30-minute meditation followed by 90-minute yoga in a beachfront yoga shale as leaping dolphins distract you from your tree-pose
Enjoy a delicious brunch prepared by Nepalese chefs
 Lie on a beachfront sun lounger all day, periodically dipping in the ocean
Shower the beach off of you while crows circle above and spy on you
90-minute yoga practice as the sun sets over the ocean in front of you
Enjoy the magical hour of complete peace and stillness as the final light of the day fades over the water
Decide if you wish to enjoy supper at the retreat or walk up the beach for ridiculously cheap local cuisine
Enjoy a restful night's sleep

 I didn't need to go anywhere. I didn't feel the desire to adventure into the countryside or trek into the city. Once or twice a group of us yogis ventured up the beach for our evening meal. Each restaurant displayed the fresh caught fish from that day, and we feasted on seafood and the most delicious poppadoms and naan that will ruin your taste for Indian food anywhere but India forever.

 Nearing the end of the week I considered changing my flight so I could stay longer, but alas I knew I had to return to Dubai. The week left me feeling restored, peaceful, and healthy. I was surrounded by like-minded individuals-- when I was there it was mostly women like me from all over the world who left their men behind in order to indulge in a solo holiday of self-care. The place was magical and the yoga instructors were brilliant. At the end of my last class I said goodbye and cried, blaming it on the deep hip-openers. I left wishing I didn't have to, but knowing that here was a place I would surely return to.

"The Circle of Life" Kenya Part 2 of 2

In lieu of images, this entry includes a video, above, and slide show at end of post. Enjoy :)

There is no greater feeling in the world than seeing a wild African lion striding across the savanna. Once you have been to Africa, you will never be able to appreciate a zoo again. There lies a great wild land, unspoiled by human influence. Winding dirt tracks through the savanna and the occasional fellow safari vehicle are the only evidence of man's presence in the majority of Tsavo National Park, Kenya. I hope it stays that way forever. Animals are everywhere. Some people might say that after a day or two of safari, the novelty wears off. You cease to be impressed every time you come upon a family of elephants, a grazing giraffe, or a herd of zebras. I never felt that way. After every turn there was a new magnificent experience.

It was a three hour drive to Tsavo National Park from where we were staying at Che Shale. Much of the road passes through an area that is dotted with small villages and homes. Here, children don't go to school. They wait on the side of the road for vehicles to pass, begging for food. The children from each village had their own characteristic style of 'trick' to get people to stop for them, like buskers on the street. Some lined up one in front of the other, from the smallest child to the tallest. Some waved at you with two hands flopping up and down. The most inventive arranged themselves into group poses that resemble cheerleading pyramids. They do this rather than going to school, because for them the hope of food is more worthwhile. The children shout "ciao" at the tourists in their vehicles, having learned this from the multitude of Italians that pass through.

Our driver was a Kenyan named Sketi. He had been doing safaris for 25 years and loved his job. He was fantastic at getting us the chance to see as much as possible. Safari drivers communicated by CB radio; when one sees a rare animal, he announces it on the radio and all of the safari vehicles make a beeline for the spot. On the first day, Sketi told us there was a cheetah sighting 45km away. We told him to go for it, and it resulted in a wild ride blazing through the landscape in our massive 4x4 jeep. When we arrived, the cheetah was still there-- resting after having had its dinner, a young water buck. Sketi told us we were very lucky, as cheetah sightings were rare.

The first lodge we stayed at was Voi Safari Lodge, high on a ridge, with an amazing panorama view of the savanna. It is customary for lodges to create watering holes, a guarantee that there will be a constant presence of animals. The typical safari schedule is 6am game drive, return for breakfast and checkout, drive throughout the afternoon across the park to the next lodge, check in and rest, evening game drive, and return before dark. The evening game drive of Day 1 was an experience I'll never forget. This is when we saw the lions.

Someone radioed us that lions were nearby. We arrived to the customary sight of many safari vehicles clustered together. My instinct was to look across the bushy terrain but to my surprise, three lions were casually napping on the side of the road! The male remained further back, more hidden, but two females soaked up the attention, un-phased by the gasps of humans and clicking of cameras. I think they knew they were superstars. We discretely left these lions after Sketi received a phone call that there were others nearby. We were the second vehicle this time, as two lionesses prowled around a watering hole, their bellies full from their supper. The sun was setting, and it made the mud and the dirt glow a brilliant rusty red. The other safari van left and we were alone with these two magnificent creatures.

Once the lionesses had their fill, they settled atop a large mound of dirt. They were affectionate with each other, rubbing against each other like big kitty cats. One lay down but the other remained stood, peering into the distance. She began making throaty grunts, calling into the brush. I thought perhaps she had seen the lions from just down the road coming by to join them. She was fixated, in a way that reminded me of how Bebe (our deer back in Quebec) would look when she was calling her fawns out of the meadow. We thought maybe the lioness was calling her cubs, waited around and watched, but ultimately saw nothing. The sun was below the horizon, and we had to return to the lodge-- it is illegal to be in the parks after dark. As we began to leave, the lioness descended from the mound and walked into the brush. I continued watching her and then, two small shadows appeared from the brush. "Stop! Sketi, stop! There are cubs!" I shouted. No one believed me, it was too dark to see anything now. I insisted that we stop, and lo and behold, we turned around just in time to catch two little simbas trotting onto the road to meet their mother. It was too dark for quality photos but I managed a few seconds of video which you will enjoy very soon. This was the highlight of the safari. To see lions with their cubs was fantastic. We slept that night listening to the sound of elephants at the watering hole (and, apparently, the roaring of lions in the night, though unfortunately I was dead asleep).

We saw more lions the next morning, a male "maneless lion" with his pride of females stalking prey. We then drove to Tsavo West National Park, which is known for its beautiful landscapes rather than the game. Tsavo West is rocky and mountainous in parts, with thicker brush. It is the home of leopards, one of which we were lucky to see. Leopards were Sketi's favourite, and it was great to see that after 25 years of doing this job, he was still so excited to get to see one, taking out his own camera and snapping photographs. We spent the night at Ngulia Safari Lodge, high up on a mountain. This lodge is known for having a structure made of branches, where every night they hang a piece of meat for the leopards. In the middle of the night someone knocked on our door and shouted something. I thought it was "Leopard!" I was tired from an exciting day and couldn't be bothered to leave bed, a task which would require the complex process of fixing the mosquito netting, so I thought "Aw to hell with it, we saw one today anyway." In the morning I inquired about this, and a member of staff confirmed that yes, when the leopard comes by, they actually go door to door and wake up the guests so that they can look out the window and see it. Talk about service, right?

Our final day brought us to Mzima Springs, a beautiful oasis populated with monkeys, hippos, and crocodiles. On the way to Mzima we had the chance to view Mount Kilimanjaro. As it was a bit cloudy, we could just barely see the shadow of it far off in the distance. We enjoyed a few more sightings of animals, including a giraffe directly in front of us in the road, and were out of the park by noon. Goodbye, Tsavo, hope to see you again. We had seen 4 of the "Big 5" lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, leaving only the rhino which was not typically seen in Tsavo. We had been to a rhino sanctuary, but alas they were all hiding from us. A four hour drive, this time, via a different route brought us back to Che Shale, where we recuperated from our exciting yet exhausting safari on the beach.

Africa was, and likely will be, the best travel experience I've ever had. Bucket list #1: check. The entire experience was pure wonder. From the eye-opening reality of people living in true poverty, to the majesty of some of the world's largest animals gracing the incredible landscape.. all of it I will treasure. I hope this great wild land can stay wild forever. Hopefully one day my path will take me back to the African savanna, maybe as a tourist, or maybe as a worker-- part of me wanted to quit my job right then and there, and move to Kenya to become a safari tour guide or volunteer. My travels have made me more aware, and have doubled my belief in the need for conservation so that future generations can also appreciate what I was lucky enough to see. I am happy to see Kenya has just passed legislation banning plastic bags, in the hope to clean up its areas of human population.

If you ever get the chance, go to Africa. Just go. Forget the cost, take your malaria pills, wear sunscreen, and just go. Because it is worth every penny, it is worth the hours of travel, it is an experience you will never forget. Until then, I hope you enjoy the video I hastily put together (I have learned that editing is not my favourite thing) and my photographs.

"I bless the rains down in Africa..." Kenya 1 of 2

Writing is one of those things that you need to feel like doing, isn't it? I have been the worst at catching up with my updates and I promise I will try to do better. I am writing this in July somewhere in the middle of Northern Ontario on the last leg of "The Great Canadian Adventure" looking forward to writing about that one soon! We'll get to it eventually, but today let me tell you all about the best holiday I've ever been on, one that will most likely remain in the top 5 for the rest of my years... Kenya.

Highlight from the savanna... can you spot the lions lyin' in the shade? 

Africa is one of those places that exist in our imaginations from childhood as an exotic land of wide open spaces and big exciting wildlife. Growing up watching Discovery Channel I marveled at the footage but never would have dared to dream that I would ever get there. I let it remain an elusive fantasy-- leaving it to what I thought was only the incredibly wealthy who could afford to fly across the world and embark on an African safari to see the lions and elephants in person. So when I found myself a 3 hour flight away from Kenya, all I needed to say was "Shut up and take my money," and in February 2017 I was on a Rawanda Air flight bound for Mombasa.

The trip was split into two parts-- a wonderful combination of beach love and safari. I will have to write two entries in order to do this Kenya trip the justice it deserves. We arrived in Mombasa at the tiniest, most primitive airport I had ever seen in my life. Arrival security was virtually non-existant, there must have been only 2 or 3 members of staff present and only a handful of fliers disembarked the flight before it continued on to Nairobi. After obtaining our visas (cash only... Did they even have computers?) we were met by our transfer taxi that would take us to Malindi which was to be our beachfront home base. Along the drive I was amazed to see hundreds of children walking home from school, some for many miles. The schools were tiny, simple buildings, many perhaps with only one room. Women walked alongside the road with massive jugs balanced expertly on their heads, and local markets teemed with people.  I was saddened to see the amount of litter alongside the road. Plastic everywhere. Water bottles that had been there so long they were flattened. All kinds of garbage carelessly tossed away. Huts and shops were built from discarded planks and scrap metal. This was a poverty I had never seen before, my first experience in a third-world country. 

It was a three hour drive from the airport to Malindi. We turned off the main road and met a donkey casually ambling along the dirt track. We passed him and continued for another 15 minutes through the winding road laid with coconut shells for more traction and lined with palm trees. Che Shale is a beachfront 'retreat' and kite surfing school perfect for a hippy like me. Bamboo huts and bungalows ("bandhas") on the sand, all with an ocean view and windows that welcomed the sea breeze and the sound of the waves into the unique, spacious rooms. We were met by the owner, an expat who lived for the sand and the surf. While we filled out our paperwork, he excused himself briefly and returned with coconuts freshly chopped from the tree, a perfect welcome for two people travel worn after a red-eye flight and long drive.

Che Shale main building

We stayed one night in a 'cheaper room' a two-floor bandha further in from the beach. If we had stayed in that bandha the entire trip we would not have complained. All of the bandhas had a porch, this one with sun loungers and a hammock. The interior was all open-- I equate the entire place to 'roughing it' in style. No proper doors or windows here! We climbed a winding staircase to the bedroom, tastefully simple yet natural that it felt like living in a treehouse. I experienced my first taste of "welcome to Africa" when we awoke at 6am to leave for safari to find that we had to go down the stairs into the bathroom and shower in the dark as the generators were turned off overnight. The bandha was fed by seawater, great for big wild beach bum hair.

After a delicious breakfast, we were picked up for our safari. You can read all about that amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience in my next entry.  Upon our return from the three-day, two-night excursion, we splurged on the deluxe and more secluded beachfront bandha for the remainder of our stay. We awoke every morning to sunrise over the Indian Ocean and fresh coffee served in a basket on the veranda. Days were spent lazily soaking up the sun (and a few pina coladas) and playing with the three dogs that lived there. Che Shale operates not only a windsurf school but also an organic crab farm. I enjoyed a few delicious meals including a fried softshell crab burger-- my stomach rumbles just thinking of it! The resort was small and quiet, with few guests at that time of year, so it was a very peaceful and relaxing way to end an amazing trip to Kenya.

One thing that made me sad was one day we took a walk down the beach, and were followed by a local boy. He was about 10 years old, give or take. He followed us silently, not asking for anything, but simply enjoying the company of other people. "Do you go to school?" we asked him. "No," he said sadly, "Not enough money." It was a heartbreaking reminder of how we are so privileged.. How we came from a place where school is taken for granted, where families pay so much in fees yet the kids aren't even bothered to go or try.. and there are still people in this world who will never be so lucky. I thought I had seen poverty before going to Africa, but I was wrong. This is a poverty that you cannot even imagine, that you cannot even believe unless you see.. It is sombering and it makes you want to do better both at home with the life you are so lucky to have, but also for the greater world. I hope that one day I can return to Kenya and give what I can in order to help enrich the lives of children who are not so lucky.

I don't want to make you too sad. I will leave you with this.. throughout the trip I enjoyed making video tours of our accommodations. Here you will see both of our bandhas at Che Shale. I hope you enjoy, and look forward to seeing the rest of the wonders I experienced in Kenya in my next post.

A Very German Christmas

The second of my retroactive posts finds me on December 19th on a plane from the Middle East to Europe. That morning I had my cast sawed off prematurely in exchange for a a removable and waterproof brace that only cost me a small fortune. With this I would find it easier to travel, dress for the winter cold with long sleeves (!), and would be able to shower with less difficulty. Unfortunately, this did not help in my photo taking abilities, so I am afraid the few photos I do have that I took clumsily are not up to usual standard.

Thermalbad Spa, Zurich, Switzerland

First stop: Zurich, Switzerland. It was a short trip, a last minute add-on. As a spa-seeker, it was one of my dreams to sit in an Swiss spa and look upon the Alps.My weariness from travel and ever-present pain in my wrist made me apprehensive about going further into the foothills of the Alps-- I'll leave that for another holiday. I settled on one of the city's most well-renowned spas, the Thermalbad. Located in an old brewery, it is known for its rooftop bath with spectacular views. After donning my swimsuit, I was keen to test out the new brace and I swam out onto the roof in time to see a peak of the Alps behind the city, rosy from the setting sun. I then enjoyed an Irish-Roman bath ritual and finally, a well deserved massage. Obviously I couldn't bring my phone, so I've included an image from the internet.

After my spa time I took a tour of the highlights of Zurich: the beautiful architecture, Swiss cheese fondue (obviously!), Christmas markets galore, a selfie with Van Gogh in the amazing art museum, and the beautiful Swarovski-encrusted Christmas tree that twinkled in the central station Christmas market.

I was not in Zurich very long. After my adventures in the city, lots of eating and a little shopping, I booked a first-class ticket on a panorama train from Zurich to Munich to enjoy the world-famous German Christmas markets. Unfortunately, it was a very misty day and I did not get to see much scenery but it was still very cool to sit on a panorama train. When I arrived in Munich, the friendly neighbor that checked me into my AirBNB offered to give me a tour of the heart of the city-- one of the reasons I LOVE AirBNB! I ate one of the best German sausages I've ever had from one of the market stalls! My tour guide pointed out a few interesting places, gave me some history, and showed me how to get to a few places I had earmarked for later.

I would move to Germany in a heartbeat. Every German city I've visited, I'd loved immediately. The friendly unassuming people, the cool places, the food! Munich was dolled up for Christmastime, the entire city redressed in sprawling Christmas markets. I enjoyed the marionnettes dancing in the city's famous glockenspiel, drank mulled wine to warm myself up from the cold, saw picturesque views of the city from the top of the Rathaus (town hall) tower, and went to the Hunting & Fishing museum which deserves a post of its own! I met up with a local friend from my days at summer camp and we wandered in and out of churches, cafes, and ate a delicious hearty meal at a medieval Christmas market. She also told me a lot of about the city's history and its little lucky spots and legends. Upon parting with my dear friend, I finished my tour of Munich with a visit to the famous beer garden, the Hofbräuhaus and went on a mission to find the "Pink Christmas Market" a gay Christmas market which ended up très Lady Gaga, and was like an outdoor nightclub. Fascinating. Images below can be clicked on for full-view.

My last stop was Vienna. I'd been there before, in fact it was the first European city I had visited when I moved to England. My friends told me that Vienna at Christmastime was beautiful-- as if it isn't beautiful enough the rest of the year! Since my last visit, my friends bought a house in the suburbs of Vienna. His parents were driving in from Munich, so conveniently, I was able to get a ride with them. The drive from Munich to Vienna was breathtaking-- there I got to see my view of the Bavarian Alps. I made a mental note to return to Salzburg. We expected to arrive in Vienna to an empty house... my friend had gone into labour! However, we arrived as they returned from the hospital as the doctor had sent her home, it was too soon.

Vienna, Austria

I took my time in Vienna to relax. I was tired from running around Zurich and Munich, and coming from Dubai, wasn't used to the cold. I was happy to have some R&R and a bit of help getting through life with a broken arm. I either had to modify my lifestyle in travelling so far (ie. eat something that only requires one clumsy hand, and struggle for ages to zip my coat up and put on gloves!). It was nice to have people to help cut my food, butter my bread, pour a drink, etc. My friend's mother even offered to blow dry my hair. On Christmas Eve, my friend went back to the hospital. I'll spare the details for privacy but it was quite the story. I spent the evening with the German family, enjoying German Christmas traditions and drinking Scotch with Grandpa-To-Be (thanks Flo) while anxious and excited for news. On Christmas morning we woke up to the news of a healthy baby boy. I get tingles just thinking about it, and I know if you're reading this, beloved friends in Vienna, I know you just did too :)

Suffice it to say I had a Christmas Day like no other! Everyone went off to do their own thing as I headed into the city. I enjoyed the city lit up for the holidays, perused the Leopold art museum, and prowled the streets for another wiener (can't get enough of those German sausages!). In the evening we all reconvened at the hospital and had a lovely little Christmas celebration with the new baby beside us. A lovely Christmas Day with old friends and new.


For my last day in Europe, I thought I'd add another city to my list-- Bratislava. My AirBNB host in Zurich was Slovakian, and he recommended me to visit the theater if I had a chance. It was just my luck that I discovered the Slovak National Theater had a performance of the Nutcracker on Dec 26th. I obtained a ticket for about 16 Euros! Bratislava is only a one-hour train ride from Vienna, so I spent an afternoon in the beautiful old part of the city before seeing the ballet. This was my first ballet-- bucket list #23 = check! The theater was gorgeous, the ballet was lovely, and the prosecco was cheap. I had just enough time before my train back to Vienna to enjoy another hearty meal and cheap 1 Euro beer-- something unheard of Dubai and thus when we go to Eastern Europe we appreciate it all the more!

Slovak National Theatre, Bratislava, Slovakia

This year's Christmas holiday was different from the typical "Canary Islands Feliz Navidad beach getaway" that I had enjoyed in years prior. I was happy to change it up a bit with winter weather and got a few glimpses of snow. Time spent with friends was something that fit a need within my soul after having finished the first few months of "my new life" in the desert. With that said, I went back to Dubai feeling restored, and had a renewed appreciation for the sun and the sand... I had missed it after all!

I would see more sun and sand in my next adventure in February... the trip of a lifetime... Kenya! Stay tuned :)

Broken in a Dubai December

After a very long hiatus, I am back and writing again. This year has been a whirlwind with quite a few curve balls sent my way. At the end of November, I broke my wrist and experienced great difficulty in functioning in day-to-day life, forget typing up blog posts! After I was all healed up, life was crazy busy, as you can expect. Now we have arrived in the Holy Month of Ramadan, where life slows down and people have much more spare time. I'll write my blog posts retroactively, starting with that one fateful day...

29-Nov-2016
"So.. umm.. this happened.
Bucket list #62 break a bone: check! #fml"

Netball. This is a British sport similar to basketball but mostly for the ladies. I wish I could tell you the rules but I'm afraid I still don't understand them. All I know was that I wanted to play football-- "soccer"-- during a staff competition at school, but my team was short a few members for netball so I caved. In a heated defensive play, I crashed into an opponent twice my size and fell backwards. In order to save my head from hitting concrete, I threw out an arm without thinking and snapped my wrist.

I didn't realize it was broken at the time. My body was in complete shock. My initial reaction was silently screaming and swearing as to not draw too much attention to myself (there was a student there). I figured I had just sprained it. I got off the ground, and tried my best to get back into the game. After a few moments I felt like I was going to pass out, or be sick, or both, so I sat out the rest of the game. A PE teacher asked me if I was alright after the game; at this point the pain was setting in, I was starting to turn white and couldn't move my wrist or hand. She used my sweat to bound my arm in a sling, and encouraged me to seek medical attention ASAP. I was able to get a walk in appointment at the clinic nearby.  At this point the pain was in full force. The radiologist had a good laugh at me because I couldn't stop swearing as they were x-raying my wrist. I both laughed and cried in a state of delirious pain when they told me it was broken-- me, an Art teacher, breaking her dominant wrist playing freaking netball! How was I supposed to do what I do? It was silly and it was infuriating at the same time. So off to the hospital I went.

3-Dec-2016
Trying to stay positive. "I just leveled-up.
 #poolside #brokenarm #problemsolved #likeaboss"

My wrist was properly broken, a fracture to my radius where the bone begins to widen close to the joint, split cleanly in half. Luckily, the bone had only shifted slightly and didn't require surgery (to do: download xray images and add to this post). What then followed was 8 weeks of helplessness, taking taxis to countless doctor's visits, and a test of my perseverance trying to do my job as a teacher during a very busy end of term. Try doing computer work left handed, it was miserable! I requested a touchscreen laptop with speech recognition software. I dictated my emails, progress reports, and text messages. I developed mad skills with making art left handed. I didn't bother to cook or clean my apartment and instead ordered takeaway and hired a maid as needed. I eventually learned to bathe and wash my hair without getting the cast wet.

 6-Dec-2016. I had my students tape my paper to the table so it wouldn't move as I demonstrated charcoal techniques left handed. As we all sat around a large table in my classroom, we enjoyed a relaxing lesson of experimentation and exploring the media. My demonstration evolved into something that didn't look so bad after all so I carried on with it. I taped it to the board in my classroom and labelled it "Ms. Alain's left-handed art. Don't ever give up!" It's still there today. 

10-Dec-2016
Main foyer of the Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi,Grand Canal

Two weeks after being broken, a large group of us girls had booked a weekend getaway in Abu Dhabi. Someone had found an amazing deal for the Ritz Carlton-- about 500AED/100GBP/180CAD per night.

To be able to say I've stayed at the Ritz-Carlton in Abu Dhabi? I felt like it would be a once in a lifetime experience. Sign me up!

We rolled up to the hotel with a direct view of Sheikh Zayed Mosque (visited in a previous post), valeted the car, and were greeted by an enormous beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the grand lobby. We had a wonderful weekend of lounging in our beautiful rooms and by the luxurious pool.

View from one of the rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi

Taking a whif of this to discover, yes, indeed,
real gingerbread decorated with real icing sugar and chocolate!

Life can't always be all that bad.
Sending home a thumbs up from the Ritz, poolside.

 I took advantage of the massive shower to have my first attempt at washing my hair by myself, but still had to ask a friend to help me dress. I had been wearing sports bras this whole time, and wanted to be a big girl for a change but couldn't get the clasp myself. After a restful night's sleep following a delightful Mexican brunch with free flowing margaritas, my friend and I enjoyed a full room-service breakfast on the balcony. It was a weekend of bliss that was much deserved during such a frustrating time.

December sped by as Christmas preparations began. I had booked an amazing trip to Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. When I broke my wrist I was devastated that this would be ruined, but I received clearance from the airlines and had my cast changed to a waterproof brace just before I left. You can look forward to hearing all about my Christmastime in Europe in my next post.

The Dubai "glitz & glam" lifestyle is for real

It has been two months that I have been in Dubai, and from the large gap of time since my last post, I am sure you can imagine that it's been a busy time for us now that school has gotten into the full swing of things. Since my last post, I have been on half-term break--for which I was unfortunately stuck in the country due to the ever-pending visa process-- and have moved into a brand new art classroom. The latter has been responsible for keeping me quite busy!

It is crazy to think that we had a week off mid-September for Eid, and then had another week off at the start of October for half-term break. I was looking forward to a yoga and meditation retreat in Sri Lanka when I found out that I could not leave the country, as my tourist visa was being changed to an employment/residency visa. So I took advantage of the opportunity to engage in much needed R&R. Who would've thought you could get a cold living somewhere that is 40 degrees every day? But alas, the shifts from the extreme heat to extreme cold air conditioned environments did me in, and I had a cold for a solid week, on top of another week or two of coughing.

I spent one day at a beach club called Zero Gravity, which was free entrance for ladies. We were spoiled with luxury sun-loungers on the beach, with food and drink at our beck and call. The sea was gorgeous, warm but not too warm, and so salty that you can float effortlessly. Zero Gravity also has a refreshing pool that has plexiglass walls so that you can see bathers hanging out.

Later in the week I took a day trip to Abu Dhabi with a few friends to see the Grand Mosque, which was absolutely stunning. If you ever want to visit, be aware that ladies need to have their heads covered with a scarf or veil, and must wear full sleeves. We arrived around noon, and were able to hear the call to prayer in the mosque. Walking along the pure white colonnades is nearly ethereal. Once inside the actual mosque, you must take your shoes off. I giggled at the memory of taking my shoes off at Tristar to get into the gym, and placing them on the shoe racks.. and comparing that experience to the rows of huge racks covered with shoes. Needless to say, the carpeting in the mosque was gorgeous and very cushy.

I have a new appreciate for Islamic art now that I've seen it up close. I have been inside some of the most famous cathedrals in the world, including Notre Dame de Paris and St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, but the Grand Mosque gives them a run for their money in a completely different way. Islamic art is iconoclastic, which means there are no images. All of the decoration in the mosque is ornamental and inspired by nature. It was breathtaking.

Sunday October 9th marked the return to school after the holidays, and was also my birthday. It was a busy week at school, moving from one side of the school to another. My classroom was a construction zone up until this last week, and in fact still is in some respects (still waiting for installation of sinks, display boards, and shelving). I was too busy to really celebrate my birthday until the weekend. Another new teacher at school was celebrating her birthday on the actual weekend, and decided to organize a yacht party. Perfect timing. So thirty of us paid a ridiculously cheap amount of money to have a four-hour yacht cruise around the Dubai marina and along the coast. Music blaring, people dancing, drinks flowing, and the skyline of Dubai with its famous buildings loomed behind us. We anchored twice and people were allowed to jump off the top of the boat into the sea. Once I was sick of swimming, I had someone throw me a lifejacket and just floated around thinking "Wow, this is a hard life."



After the yacht party I went to brunch at the Media One, the same place I mentioned in a prior post. But let me fast forward to yesterday and tell you all about the Toy Brunch.

It is exactly what it sounds like. This brunch was a daytime brunch from 1:30-4:30 at the China Garden in the Westin Hotel, and offered a 14-course menu of Asian-inspired food and house drinks. Some of the food was brought to our table, and the rest was set up buffet style. Our table was next to the smorgasbord of desserts, poor us. At the door we were greeted by Pikachu. Not a picture, not a little action figure.. someone in a full Pikachu costume. After Pikachu left and our appetizers were served, a midget magician stopped by our table, pulling handkerchiefs out of peoples' ears and giving us little puzzle-props to try to solve. We were then visited by a Minion, and two Emoticons with an Instagram frame that you could photograph yourself in. The most entertaining visit was the Pokemon Go, where your friend could put on a cap with Pikachu on it, and float around in a giant iPhone frame whilst you threw Pokeballs at them. I think I just found the idea for my Halloween costume! There were also toys scattered around the place, things like adult-sized Tonka trucks (yes, the drunk girls rode around in them), a rocking horse (yes, a drunk girl rode it), and Legos (yes, we got in a bit of trouble for stealing them from the bar downstairs...).

The only strange thing I have to say is the fact that at around 4pm this trendy posh restaurant became a full blown nightclub. We left around 6pm, and it was so strange to come home and think "well, my night is done already." I think the idea is to go out again afterward, but that's just exhausting! But there you have it people, this is the reality of extracurricular activities in Dubai. The struggle is real.

In other news, the cat I rescued is doing well. I'm afraid I've gotten quite attached to her and I don't think I have the heart to rehome her. She has been good company for me, and she has the best temperament you could ask for in a cat. I've called her Cricket because she chirps incessantly. Having a pet in Dubai is complicated if you are like me and travel on your holidays, but if the universe wants to send you a lifelong friend, you can't just say no right? I might have just found a special souvenir from Dubai.

Settling in to everyday life

I have been in Dubai one month now. The culture shock has mostly dissipated, and I have had the time to settle in a bit and make this place more like home. It is difficult not to get caught up in the Dubai "glitz and glam" as everyone calls it. This city provides everything you can want, and things you never knew you wanted.

View from The Observatory, a restaurant-bar on the 52nd floor of a hotel in the Marina 

Driving on the Palm like it's no big deal (Atlantis Hotel in front)

Everyday living becomes so much easier. Almost everyone I know by now has a maid that comes to their apartment once a week to clean, because it is so easy and inexpensive. No one washes their own car here; most apartment buildings have a service that washes your car regularly while it's in the parking lot for a monthly fee, alternatively when you go to the mall there are guys in the parking garages that will do it. This is what everyone does. Oh, and pumping your own gas? Please. That's unheard of. Every gas station is full service, and the good ones wash your windshield as well.

Then there's the food. There are several websites and mobile apps that you can order delivery from-- they have everything from gourmet food to Burger King. To my dismay, I live too far from the city center to get delivery from Tim Hortons :(  Whereas food at some of the grocery stores can be quite expensive-- there is one grocery store in all of Silicon Oasis where I live, so you can imagine how prices are inflated-- there are always good deals on delivery. If I can order healthy, delicious food that will feed me for at least two meals, when that's what it would cost me to cook, why wouldn't I?

There is an app called "Instashop" that offers free delivery on grocery items. Can't be bothered to carry home your 12-pack of bottled water? Just get it delivered. Making a recipe and realize you don't have red onions? Get them delivered. Craving bacon and eggs? Out of milk? You got it, delivery.

Just a side note on the pork-- as this is a Muslim country, you cannot find pork products with the rest of the food in the grocery store. There are special rooms off to the side that are for "non-Muslims only" (yes I have seen signs stating this!)  that are secret treasure troves of bacon, sausages, and prosciutto all in one place.

View from Pier 7

Let's dispel a myth while we're at it. A lot of people have said to me, "Oh but in Dubai you won't be able to drink [alcohol]." This is completely untrue. In the UAE there are dry states such as Sharjah, and states such as Abu Dhabi where you can get alcohol no problem, and Dubai is somewhere in between. In order to purchase alcohol from a retailer you need to possess an alcohol license, which can be obtained with a residency visa and proof that you are non-Muslim. The license costs about $75 CAD per year and allows you to purchase alcohol and keep it in your home with no repercussions should there every be an incident arising from it. You can also get alcohol at bars and restaurants in Dubai that have licenses, which I think is why there is such a big nightlife scene here. You can expect to spend a pretty penny on drinks at the bar, and to make up for this there are many Ladies Nights and all-you-can-drink offers throughout Dubai.

I went to one such Ladies Night last week during the holiday. We arrived at Pier 7, a seven-story building with breathtaking views of the Dubai Marina, and a restaurant/bar on each floor. Our first stop was a trendy Asian place. At the door, ladies received three free drink tokens. Once you are out of free drinks, you simply move to the next bar in the complex, where you'll get three or four more tokens. Then the next bar. Then the next bar. Then it's time to go home. So, really, you get a free night out and all you have to do is pay for your taxi, because Dubai has a very serious zero-tolerance policy for driving under the influence of alcohol. And, I learned that evening, the taxi is perfectly happy to go through the Burger King drive-thru for you on the way home!

Chillin like a villain by the pool

As we near the end of September, the weather is already beginning to cool down. At 10am, it is currently 32C with an expected high of 38C for the day. This may sound hot, but you do get used to it, to the point that it is almost refreshing to step outside after being in air conditioning all day. On days I get home from work early enough, I try to spend an hour or two on the roof and enjoy the pool and the sun before it sets. We are close to the equator, so the sun sets earlier here than at home; you can give up on getting tan around 5:30pm and by 7pm it's dark.

It is crazy to think that we have another week of school and it will be time to go on half-term holidays again. I have yet to book my next adventure, as I have been waiting to get clarification on my visa processing to see if I'll have my passport. It is going to be a last-minute plan to whatever destination I fancy going to on a whim. Like I always say... life is an adventure.