Dubai Welcomes Your Battlefield:
Day One: 23/07/06
Left the house, double checked mentally what I forgot to bring along with me π and then sat patiently in the car awaiting the terror to come, the airplane ride. I am not an airplane gal mainly due to the fact that the trip I once took for more than 7 hours flying with no rest was a horror. So this was pre-jitters anywhoo it weared off. My papa and big sis jackie took us to the airport..my mama, my 15 yr old sister and 4 yr old sister…let’s call one darling and the other lulu nickname for her real name lujain and me left on the jet plane to dubai ;).
We checked our bags, passport check, etc and then we waited for the flight to be called- ordered for my babay lulu mc donalds to eat. I at this point couldnt stomach anything and if I did I would throw it up, I took a pandol sense my stomach was aching…mainly cuz it was that time in the month of all the days :(…suprisingly I wasnt in much pain this time specifically on the plane ride. But when we got to the hotel, after I stupidly ate dinner, the food didnt want to stay in so I threw up, and then that’s when the pain kicked in…mama was my angel trying to make me feel better, hott water thingy on my stomach and I slept and apparently I talked in my sleep and she heard everything she told me i was reading sourat il fat7ah and she thought I was awake I have no clue anyways ;)…
The hotel we stayed at was kind of not the one we wanted, appartently the other hotel didnt confirm our rooms so we basically had to make due with what we got…My reaction to dubai was totally shocked and intrigued…I never pictured dubai like this. I’ve been here before but I never saw what I saw now… It was beautiful, different, glamorous and nothing I could have imagined it to ever be…
Day Two: 24/07/06
We changed our hotel room, since the one given to us was small and we were four, and the bed was king size yet it’s not comfortable to all sleep on one bed when you have a little baby who likes to kick in her sleep ;). So we go to a bigger better room, me and my sister in one had two small beds and my mama and lulu had a room, a big king sized bed, etc anywhoo this is day one of really exploring dubai.
We grab a taxi and head off to get some lunch at Sahari Mall in sharjah, our hotel is also in sharjah since it’s alchol free place and when you travel all girls you can never be too careful my point of view..anywhoo the mall was amazing, huge, decisive and so different from the one’s in kuwait. We had lunch, spent over 6 hours walking around, exploring, shopping and then we stopped at this toy store that was freakin amazing. My darling sister fell in love with this doll and I think I met a gay prince charming…;) we browsed my baby sister wanted a toy so we got her what she begged for..a barbie car and day two is when she shall ask for a barbie π and get one.
Me and my darling sis, found a hot guy at 10 oclock typing on his Imac…so hot and tempting…ohh excuse my french but damn he was hott..why I wrote this here is beyond me…
My feet were aching when we got to the hotel, it was a damn entertaining excerise shopping. The driving there is awkard and different, they seem more civilized and people dont cut by you or chase you…people just drive and let you be. Just like in the mall as well, it’s different than marina were you cant walk without someone chasing after you, annoying you, basically they have no gez which i enjoyed. Hell, you can go out in your pajamas and no one would give a damn.
Day Three: 25/07/06
We head off to Ibn Batutah Mall, this is where the real shopping begins and the bad part was having to carry the bags all around. Pictures of some of the things I got are below. We first tried to find the food court but that was a dead end so we found pizza express and the atmosphere was so soothing. They had interesting art hung on the walls, picture below. My baby sister had a blast thus far bas this is when we figured that our walking is too much for her, so we bought a baby stroller from mothercare and there is where I saw the hott ghana accent guy behind the counter…he’s accent is just sooooooo speechless and when he smiled at me..attraction at first sight…what is wrong with me??.
Best part, my mama said go wild, buy what you like anything… So in each mall we go into a store, she and lujain go one way and me and my darling sister (15 yrs old) we go the other way and shop shop shop…and we met up when it’s time to hit the cashier counter. Anywhoo, the atmosphere there is so friendly everyone I repeat everyone is friendly.
My feet hurt and ache some more; I can’t feel my toes. When we got to the hotel and such, my sister jackie at home not with us tells me what I longed to here. Finally I’m registered for TOEFL thank to her, which is so pleasing to hear, part one of the process of college is underway anywhoo we tell her how we spotted this shop named “Jacky’s” that’s also where we buy sister fee who is in the states at college her birthday gift since last month she turned nineteen.. the mobile she wanted and we buy a camera since wooops we forgot to take one with us.
Day Four: 26/07/07
We head off to Wafi City, personally I didnt like the mall the shops were too labelish and ridiclously expensive for no reason what so ever. But I love the walls that are painted with scenery. We leave and head off to another mall, Dubai city centre and it’s fun and very crowded. I buy some sexy shoes, heels personally i dont were high heels but those were worth the ache my feet would go through wearing them. We spot Aldo and go in, and me and my sister get the aids necklace chains thingy…you purchase it and part of the profit goes to aids research I presume. The leather of the chain is too strong smelling but it’s for a great cause.
We browse up and down the mall, hott guy salesman at 9 oclock and eye contact vice versa…it’s a physical attraction no something is really different with me I would never have said this but why am I even blabbing this out.. I duno…I left my brain in kuwait I presume.
I hate the taxi rides; too long since we go from dubai to sharjah. My feet are really sore, I think this is the exercise of my life ofcourse I feel the aches and such since usually I am sitting on my lazy bum or walking but not this much…;) Sleep sounds very tempting at this point, and when your out from morning to night for more than 7 hours you’ll sleep like a baby.
Day Five: 27/07/06
Where the real fun begins, it’s dubai ski time…we were sweaters, dress lujain in warm clothes since we dont want her to get sick and we head off to Emirate mall. It was freakin huge and we stop first at Dubai Ski. Since we have a four year old, ski slope is out of the question and thus we pay for the Snow Park thingy, we get our boots, the oversized jackets, lock our possesions in the lockers and head on in.
I have see fake snow before in malaysia never the real thing but someday I shall. Anywhoo it was great, it was dark in the begining blue and dim and then you walk and see all the snow moldings, the carvings beautiful and apparently the people outside look in on you. It’s like we are being studied, we were the monkey’s, funny and weird. We take pictures here and there, I wore no gloves and stupidly made a snow ball to throw that’s when I stopped feeling anythin in my hands…it was sooooooo cold, freezing cold my hands were numb.
Lulu had a blast I went with her down this baby slope thingy for the kids, she had a great experience there and we captured her adorable reaction on camera as well as my small fall that froze my behind for minutes. Everyone was kind and friendly and we got some unwanted attention from the kuwaiti guys…who coindcence were on the same flight back home. π Interesting.
We shop, spend hours and such then head on to the hotel, me and my mama watched the movie they put on channel one “Man without a Face”. We both were glued and intrigued and liked it. It was then and that day where mama enjoyed what I enjoy the most. Without A Trace and CSI crime investigation shows…i’m just fascinated and love how crimes and such are analyzed and people are caught etc…anywhoo…A great start and end to a wonderful day.
Day Six: 28/07/06
Homesick/ Longing for kuwait/went to china town aka dragon mart and then to another mall…i grew tired of shopping..i am anxious to get back to kuwait. I want out now.
Day Seven: 29/07/06
Let’s say I am so homesick, the water in dubai is different, it tastes weird. I miss everything at home. Anywhoo I give my baby lulu a bubble bath in the tub to distract her since mama is going out alone. We just didnt feel like going out so it was a laid back day…the day we must pack and I felt anxious to go back to kuwait. Lujain enjoyed the bubbles and played with her toys while I montiored so she wouldnt slip or injury herself etc… Let’s just say giving a baby a bath/shower in the process you will get soaked and wet all over. I dry her up, put her clothes on, she wants me to powder her tummy and neck and she’s ticklish so she laughs and giggles from her end and me tickles her. I again try to distract her so she wont notice mama went out.. so I blow dry her hair so she doesnt get sick, I let her listen to the ipod and she starts singing “babe i’m gonna leave you”…she has it memorized. She then puts Rhinna “Unfaithful” on replay and sings and sings and sings….it was a total kodak moment.
We start packing, me and my sister finish within a matter of thirty minutes, my mama still didnt start. We order some dinner, eat and I nap for a while. Then when it was time to sleep, me and my sister just couldnt fall asleep. For the reason being, I kept talking to her, asking her questions, life related and such and we reminisced about the past and how anxious to get back we were. We couldnt sleep, and didnt. Our flight was at 12 dubai’s time and so we had to go early to beat the traffic and let me tell you…traffic in dubai is nothing compared to kuwait. Our traffic is a blessing there you wont move for over twenty minutes…argh.
Day Eight: 30/07/06
Got dressed, called the reception to send someone to pick up our luggage. We left the baby stroller in dubai since it would be far too time consuming and back breaking to open and close and up and down place it here and there so we gave it away. Anywhoo, we check our bags and then go have some breakfast I later regret eating before the flight.
We browse the shopping area inside the airport, I buy some dvds, Manisfield Park and Sense and Sensibilty…basically eposides of the chapters and such of the novels I love. Anywhoo we check in and sit down waiting for the doors to open so we can board the plane. This is where I find the same people the guys I saw in dubai ski on the same flight back home. We flew via Jazeera airlines it was great in the coming but going back home was horrible.
The pilots voice was annoying, he sounded like a drunk tempered guy anywhoo my sister, baby sister and mom sat together. I am faced to sit away but beside them on the other side and two empty seats beside me. Suddenly I loved being there without any annoyance beside me but then two kuwaiti guy come and they sit in those two empty chairs beside me. The one near me was rather dashing but totally rude and such. I heard his whispers to his friend and it was rude and totally unkind of him to say what he said but whatever. I didnt give a damn and continued doodling what he remarked about was what i was doing…drawing…anywhoo screw him.
The landing was bummy and at a point I felt like I needed to grab the barf bag…we land hamdallah everything goes well the guy beside me was scared as well π deserves it for what he said. Anywhoo we get off the plane, I need my bed, I need to rest, we go threw the doors and spot jackie waiting for us. Papa couldnt come since he was still at work. We hug her, she greets us and I tell her how much we truly missed her and she drives us home. At one point in the car ride, I was feeling the entire airplane ride take a hold on me and the motion sickness but finally we get home. I greet them and then I just say i’m off to sleep. I just couldnt keep my eyes open and I couldnt stomach eating lunch so I slept.
The adventure was great to dubai, I had fun it was absolutely not what I expected but I missed kuwait, I missed my papa, sister and my everything…..I missed everyone and I shall miss my jackie and papa who are heading to USA this wednesday….heheh this trip was kind of like since she goes to usa and since we were meant to go but they backed out and said no so this is like the compensation but whatever…I had a blast and it’s okay america can wait for me another day maybe next year inshallah if all goes well and things happen…but now I need to rest I’m flushed.
I need a vacation from the vacation. π Those are but a few of the pictures taken the others include us (mama, sis, baby sis, and me, so i opted not to post them π i hope i didnt bore you π
I dislike using the colors, I just wanted you not to blind your eyes from the constant white hope it helped