Cela roams around: abaya

Showing posts with label abaya. Show all posts

Wednesday, 30 March 2011

I'm sitting on top of the World

Last weekend I’ve finally completed all must see in Dubai. I had a friend visiting me over the weekend and basically except going to the beach, resting and relaxing we did not do much. The only remaining touristic attraction was to go to Burj Khalifa. Finally!

I’ve booked tickets on-line a week before already, if you want to buy them at the entrance it costs 400Dh (sic!), although if you book them online you pay only 100 Dh.

We went there on Saturday after being at the beach, where we did some running, and trespassed from the Jumeirah Park Beach to the Kite Beach and then back, which was more risky as JPB is closed beach. Of course when we were coming there we’ve paid for the entrance, but we did not take tickets with us when we jumped over the fence to get out from there. Luckily we’ve managed to get in easily again without anyone noticing us jumping over the fence.

I was also lucky enough to spot two women in the water who were completely dressed with their heads covered, as this is the picture that I want to bring from here. Group of women in the sea wearing black robes and shawls. Unfortunately they were not wearing abayas, but at least they had their heads covered. I guess that to be able to shot such photo I should go to the beach on Monday, which is women day at the Jumeirah Beach Park.

This is where our luck was gone. Fog has come, we would not get dry after running and swimming in the sea, we went to the top of Burj Khalifa and did not see too much. What I was hoping to see was The World and Palm Jumeirah and airport maybe. I dunno how far it reaches, but I saw only the closest surrounding. It was cool too, although not that impressive. Even though cars were of the size of match boxes and we could see roofs of all buildings round it did not feel that high. We were at the 124 floor, so at the height of more than 400m. Burj Khalifa itself is 828m and more than 160 stories and is world’s tallest building. It was built in little more than 6 years. It was named Burj Khalifa – Khalifa’s Tower for the sake of Abu Dhabi sheik who helped Dubai when they were in some financial difficulties. It was to honour him and express gratitude for his help.

Burj Khalifa was expected to bring a lot of money from rental fees, but apparently these are apartments around it that bring money to their owners. Price of apartments with the view over the tower doubled at least, whereas probably more than half of the office and apartments spaces in Burj Khalifa is still unoccupied.

Having a guest also pushed me to go out for the dinner during the week. Usually I’m too lazy to go out somewhere during the week or even on Saturday evening, but with Pedro every evening was planned and we were meeting friends and having very nice dinners. House warming party of a German friend in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, dinner in Social House in Dubai Mall with two lads from France, dinner with German crew in Indian restaurant Manvaar (good, but Mumtazmahal in Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa was so much better) and finally oysters, french fries and beer in Warehouse in Le Royal Meridien with the French guys again. I’ve never been any great fan of beer and oysters, but that was fun! Especially that apparently I’ve never had oysters prepared like that and I never knew how to eat them properly, i.e. that you use the shell like tweezers to pick meat from oysters. Travelling broadens horizons ;-)

Covered swimming

Jumeirah Beach Park

Aquarium in Dubai Mall - aquarium with the biggest one piece of glass window

Paper butterflies in Dubai Mall

The biggest bullshit talk ever

Shiny Burj Khalifa

Waiting for the elevator. Average speed: 10m/s

View from Burj Khalifa over the Dubai Mall and fountains

View from Burj Khalifa

View from Burj Khalifa. Dubai Mall again

View from Burj Khalifa. Dancing fountains during the show.

View from Burj Khalifa. Dancing fountains during the show. This is the best pic, as you can see the pattern which they make.

View from Burj Khalifa. Dancing fountains during the show.

Friday, 4 March 2011

Black and Yellow

Dubai is a comlex of buildings (it's not even a city) where:

alcohol is forbiden, but pint of beer costs about 10 euro
alcohol can be only bought in hotel bars
it is forbidden even to kiss even in such liberal place like dance floor
I'm being asked about my id when I want to enter the club
clubs are full during the weekends, but the only people there are expats
the only friends that I've made so far are girls
there are no street names and taxi drivers very often don't know the way so it's you who has to show it
there is minimum speed limit on the road in the city - 60 km
my colleagues from India speak their mother language with taxi drivers
75% of population is male
60% population is from India
fewer than 10% of population are Emiratis
kids of all nationalities play together on the playgrounds watched by Philippines baby sitters
women hidden behind abaya (full-length black robe) and shayla (black veil) or even niqab or burqa walk in shopping malls with lingerie bags
there is additional fashion category: Arabic Ladies Fashion
in the most expencive stores (RL, Armani, Gucci, Hermes etc.) there is noone except Emiratis
protagonists of commercials of electronics or office spaces are Bedouins in gutra (head cloth) and dishdasha (man's shirt-dress) knows also as thawb
everything is practically in the middle of the desert
in the middle of the city or living estate you can find see shells
with the highest building in the world (Burj Khalifa, 828m)
where every district looks more impressive than Warsaw's city center
there are no natural green spots, every piece of lawn, each tree or bush must be watered
even during the winter it is incredibly hot and you cannot live without AC
there are separate carriages in tube for woman, so that you can easily avoid being pushed or squeezed by man
my curiosity drove me that far that I've asked if even though Arabic women cannot be seen by anyone not belonging to the family without burka or shayla what happens if they need to be examined by the gynecologist. And what's more what happens when he's a man, as there are male gynecologists here too. The answer is, that it is allowed and accepted.

Sunday, 27 February 2011

A seven nation army couldn't hold me back

This weekend was very exhausting and active. It's already started on Wednesday when with Diti we went for a meeting organised by Internations - it's an expat portal, but not only locally here. Groups exist in every bigger city. It's basically targeted for people traveling for work and being in a need to make some friends in a new place where they arrive. Very good concept I think. Meeting itself also was ok it took place in Blends at the Address Marina. We made friends with two German girls (why am I not surprised, that German?), had one drink and went home.
But on the Thursday night out took completely different course. With some people we met in Barasti Bar - beach bar with sandy dance floor, electro music and light shows, life music on a top deck, shishas. Not bad one, but electro music was not entirely my kind, but I guess that I was so desperate for some dancing that I wasn't giving a monkeys and I was dancing there and made friends with another female (is that gonna remain Dubai trend?). This time with a girl from Czech Republic, but shortly after I was told that we have to go to another place. Sanctuary in Atlantis Hotel, which is located at the top of the Jumeirah Palm.
A the door we had to pay 100 Dh which is 20 euro. I've never paid that much to enter a club. And when we entered there was again alectro and house, but with live drumming, which was not anything that I would have wanted to pay 100Dh for. Gladily in the end it's showed up that there is seocond dance floor at the balcony with dance and R'n'B sounds and that music was awesome, so I was not regreting any more leaving Barasti and getting there. Music was awesome and I had great 2 hours of dancing. Unfortunately all clubs close here at 2 or 3 a.m. At least you can get some resonable amount of sleep unless you get up at 8 cause you had an appointment with your colleagues to have breakfast at leave Dubai at 9 to go to Abu Dhabi.
Going to Abu Dhabi you still could get enough sleep if only you knew that excursion will be delayed about an hour.
In the mean time I've also realised that I've lost my mobile phone, I was guessing that it's happened in a cab. It must have slipped out of my pocket. And indeed this is what's happened. I've managed to call my Dubai mobile from my Polish one and after the cab driver picked it we've arranged that he'll bring it back to me in the evening and I'll pay him for that. Hand set that I am using is not the fancy one, but that'd be too much hassle to buy new one, new SIM card, recover all contacts. Paying him 50Dh for bringing it back to me was the easiest and also the cheapest option.
I was very, very frustrated with that delay (prolly also the fact that I was very tired made me more frustrated) and there was another aspect that I was very unhappy with and in the end I've just exploded. I was leaving the car and had a quarrel with two out of three of my colleagues. Last time that I had this kind of 'conversation' was in Siem Reap, I remember how winded up I was there. This time it was doubled. I just hate the fact that some information was hidden from me and I was not asked neither what I think nor what i want.
In the end we've straightened things out and I did not leave the car and I've calmed down and we reached Abu Dhabi. Where we were greeted by great Sheikh Zayed:

Sheikh Zayed welcomed us in Abu Dhabi

Next we directed our steps to Emirates Palace which was exactly behind his back:

Emirates Palace - colossal hotel with nearly 400 rooms, 114 domes, 1.3 km private beach

Stairs leading to Emirates Palace

Emirates Palace

Interior of Emirates Palace

Piano in Emirates Palace. Steinway & Sons

Emirates Palace - Private beach

My beloved tiles in Emirates Palace

There are 1002 chandeliers with Swarovski crystals

Abu Dhabi city center:

Park in Abu Dhabi, feels almost like Central Park in NY

Starbucks in Abu Dhabi

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan Mosque:

To get into Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan Mosque I had to wear abaya (long black gown) and shayla (headscarf)

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan Mosque is also knows as Grand Mosque is the newest landmark in Abu Dhabi. It can accommodate up to 40000 worshippers in its central courtyard and main prayer hall. Conceived by the late Sheikh Zayed - the 'father' of the UAE.