how to make it in America - CANCELLED!

CANCELLED !!!

#HBO cancelled the show after it's second season along with all its beautiful photography inspired entrepreneurial swag. The inspiration for my blog and for my 20something life. Rest in Peace xoxo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0hor1YHXeU

How to be "professional"

Hi Guyysss!!!

First of all - and most importantly, I PASSED MY CPA EXAM!!! Yay for being a "professional" and all that jazz. Second of all - I sang "Oh Canada" to basically all of Dubai in a dress and 4-inch heels on Al Nahda Rd. Yep, here it goes.

After a day filled with lovely messages and congratulatory phone calls (thank you everyone), I updated my resume with my newly earned credentials and sent it out to a couple of people. Might as well get a head start on the job search right? Right. Shortly after, I get a call for an interview. Oh, you bet i'll be there!

Let's fast forward to the point where I'm obviously very lost. During one of my several u-turns on Al-Nahda road, singing along loudly to Hedley's - "invincible" to ease the tension, I hear Brent Black (on @VirginradioDXB) make a random Canada joke. I honestly don't even know why I had to respond to that. But I sent a text saying "Easy on the Canada jokes" and continued my search for the office. 15 minutes to interview time. Not impresssive.

I'm like a guy when it comes to asking for directions, I NEVER do it. So it was a small miracle that I was standing here knocking on a cabbies window asking for "dubai airport free zone". As the poor guy was trying to explain to me; I absent mindedly answered my buzzing blackberry. "Is this Sharon?" .. "yes".."congratulations!! you have won a spa package and a chance to visit bangkok, under one condition". "What's the condition?".. "You have to sing Oh Canada".

Meanwhile; this poor cabbie has customers waiting on him. And i'm trying to pull off some kind of awkward sign language asking him to wait and help me as I sing "oh canada, our home and native land" 10 minutes to interview time. Did I mention I was in 4inch heels and a dress trying to speak Hindi?.. yea, this happened.

Needless to say, I aced the interview after getting good directions there AND won a spa package to "Thai Privilege Spa". Oh and did I mention I'm a professional CPA as of today?

 

How to be a tour guide

I love this time of the year when we get visitors in Dubai on their lay-over to other countries (mostly India for us). Thank you to Emirates Airlines for the awesomeness! My Texan cousin was here for the weekend, for the first time in Dubai, and I really hope he got a good taste of the weird culture. It's very hard to explain the place and the atmosphere to most people. Dubai is not comparable to the west or the east. It has a little bit of everything.

here's a little taste:

-Eat an authentic lebanese dinner watching the dancing fountains under the Burj Khalifa

-Party with an intense crowd and TIESTO at creamfields on Yas Island,

-Watch christmas carolers and ski bunnies at the mall

-Take an abra ride on the Dubai creek while listening to the wailing muslim prayers across Deira

-Eat Mexican food on the Marina

It's always fun trying to explain the confused emirati culture of Dubai. Apparently it's more than visible with just a weekend here, thats for sure! Thanks for an awesome weekend @suganthpaul. Have a good christmas!

Friends being freaks at Creamfields 2011

the 400+meters of German cake on sale for charity @mallofemirates; with christmas carolers singing

Mexican food on the marina, so pretty with the lights!

Old Dubai - Deira area.

How to shake it off

Hello beauties, can you all just let out a HUGE sigh of relief with me? It's December!! FINALLY.

Happy Sunday after a super long weekend (in Dubai). It's that time of the year when cars go crazy and the parties go all night long to celebrate National Day. Last year, this weekend brought me some fun Rugby Sevens partying and an Akon concert. But this year, post-exam, sleep took first place. Yeah.

Well, to be fair, I did party for one night, but it was all very tame. The rest of the time, I thoroughly enjoyed having my place to myself (parents on vacay) and catching up on all my TV and movies, celeb gossip, friend gossip (being honest here) and naps. I guess i'll work on my social life next weekend -_-

Now it's time to officially add to the unemployment stats as I start job searching. Taking this real slow haha. Meanwhile, I'm going to be stepping up the yoga practice and running more. Get ready for a whole bunch of fitness junkie and "zen" blog posts.





Looking out the window this weekend - the sky was littered with hot air balloons, I'm guessing it was part of the UAE B'day celebrations. Can I celebrate 40 like this when i get there? - this was my view from my balcony in Al Barsha.



This balloon was shaped like a bday cake, cute right?

Only from the heart can you touch the sky.  ~Rumi

xoxo

How to push.

Okay this has to be the worse studying EVER. Not only is the material super boring (internal control theory and info systems, blah); I feel like I actually have the attention span of a squirrel on shrooms. And I STILL can't get over the fact that I had zero birthday celebrations this year. And then I read this tweet from @CPAwannabePrblm 

Suddenly my attention span has become longer.
Can't wait for this BOSS feeling.
T minus 15 days.

And then CHRISTMAS?!! No, not before Rugby Sevens and Creamfields. Waddup December? 

How to be amazed (Musandam, Oman).

Hi guys!!

EID MUBARAK..  we get a long weekend!! woohoo.. and finally, after suffering through the torture of a 3 hr accounting exam and a lack of birthday celebrations or halloween, it was time to take a breather.

Musandam, Oman

No camera can capture the gorgeousness that is Musandam! This peninsula in Oman, just a 3-4hr drive from Dubai is filled with nothing but mountains, sea and beauty. I hate taking pictures of landscape to share - but I had to this time!! We took one of the tours that took us dolphin watching and snorkeling around the islands off Khasab. It was worth every last penny because not only was the weather gorgeous, we got to see SO many dolphins (none of which photographed well) and we swam with some gorgeous fishies. I need someone to take me diving here!! Apparently there's a really cool shipwreck that's pretty close to the islands. Anybody? please? divers? c'monnn..

Disclaimer: The uae-oman border is a horrendous horrible shitty experience; but its a small price to pay for what lies beyond.

ps. I MISS YOU @nmerwin!! :( family trips are just not the same without someone to jump into the water with.

 

The view behind us as we drove toward Khadaf, the place where the dolphins live.







The camera-shy dolphins. There were so many of them! and they all travelled in families. So cute!



 


Dad and I kick our feet up on the carpeted upper deck of the traditional Arabic boat called an 'Abra'




The gorgeous man that helped us get on the boat. He was the best!!

 



 

oh hayyy.. wanna jump?



How to road-trip!

The best part about road trips used to be the unlimited McDonalds and sleeping in the back seat of our sweet mini-van for way too many hours as my parents drove around the east coast of North America . I'm sure my brother @nmerwin, Marsha and Noah can vouch for that. So many memories!!

The best parts about road tripping in undeveloped areas around Dubai is that it is definitely less gluttinous and more adventurous. We get to stop at small little fruit and vegetable vendors for fresh coconut water and oranges #nom.

The worst part about road tripping in undeveloped areas around Dubai? Try crossing the Oman-UAE border. I will never complain about the niagara region border patrol ever again. These guys are a joke in comparison.
1) you dont even get to stay in ur car - u have to get out and LINE UP INDIVIDUALLY
2) nobody speaks english
3) the kid in front of you may throw up his breakfast.

gross.



The UAE-OMAN border, looks like a war zone and refugees right? .. well, it felt like it too.




Buying fruits and coconut to go from untrustworthy sources.



COCONUT LOVE xo

How to SUP (Stand-up Paddle)

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadians (belated, i guess). I hope the turkey leftovers are keeping you happy and healthy through the week. Especially if your suffering from bbm withdrawal like me...

This past week has been crazy..

-I found out I passed 2 out of my 4 cpa exams... (2 more in November)
-I played squash in the tallest building in the world

-I got asked at the salon; "how would you like your fart ma'am?" (filipino accent; she meant my part, how I would like my hair parted). Which was the highlight of my week until...
- I swam with jellies and learnt how to paddle board!!

Finally got around to Stand-up Paddling this morning. I've been wanting to try it for a while and also since I read this article by @lululemon. Basically, it's a watersport (think surfing mixed with kayaking/canoeing) that requires the MOST amount of balance you can ever conjure up from within. I guess it's a fitness geek thing to do, because you definitely do not look as cool as the surfers. But the core workout is amazing! And if you are a yogi, you can definitely show off with your balancing skills. I had a very graceful fall once for the entire hour and a half that I was out there; not bad for a first timer I hear. Can you believe you can even do yoga on a paddleboard?!?! Hello core strength!.. We need this in Dubai!

I later saw some jelly fish swimming around... and was told that small sharks, big turtles and huge king fish are also super popular here. No more falling for me. We paddled out a little longer and swam for a while in the deep blue sea before heading back to reality... Thanks to Duco & Thomas at DucoMaritime for this awesome morning of sun and surf! I love the sea!! Who knows, maybe i'll get to do Paddle for the Planet next year.

Lmao at this pic though! Don't worry, I was in nothing more than a bikini... pics next time! xo

Disclaimer; i did NOT take my lesson with surf dubai.

How to be adventurous

Nishanth and I went to this place this super fun obstacle course at Adventure HQ before we left to Canada.
Honestly, you think your not scared of heights? But even with the harness, my feet were shaking and sweat was dripping down my face! This whole thing is elevated off the ground at the entrance of one of the smaller malls in Dubai - Times Square on Sheikh Zayed Road.

On a side note- it was super safe and the staff were really friendly and knowledgeable; which is generally unusual in Dubai. Can't wait to go back!

With my brother gone now; I am currently on the look-out for some random adventure-seekers. Any takers? In Dubai?

I want to go Standup Paddling next! Just sayin..
xo.

How to walk too fast.

I have a real problem with this. I walk wayy too fast about 99.9% of the time. In my room, out on the road, in a club, at the mall, everywhere. This has led to:
-several bruises on the shin
-skinned knees
-several falls
-washroom gender confusion
-nausea,etc.

you get the point.

This time at my stopover at Heathrow Airport (London, England). My speedy walking got me on a 10 minute bus-ride to the wrong terminal and a 12-minute bus-ride back to the right one. Where I came across this:

Love. Eat. Live.
Sounds cliche & over-said. But it really made me slow my roll and smile a little!

Def. ate the most delish breakfast here (Giraffe, Terminal 5, Heathrow Airport)

How to make a come back

Welcome-back-to-Dubai-Week has been pretty sweet. The weather's cooled down, I've been active in my squash league (finally) and I got my membership to @Core_Direction - unlimited yoga and BODYPUMP™ anyone?

Highlight of my week; watching Planet of the Apes at Dubai Mall  (@thedubaimall @reelcinemas). The movie was pretty good (I love you James Franco) but it was the service at the Platinum Suites that was unbelievably good. And it got me thinking, like damn - Why don't we have this in Toronto? Like how much cooler would it be to get your popcorn delivered to you with a pint of Canadian or Bud on the side while you recline in a lazy boy?

Turns out they do have this at Cineplex in TO. .. check it out: http://www.cineplex.com/Theatres/VIP.aspx AND its much cheaper than Dubai ($18.35 in comparison to $32.40 here). Why hasn't anyone taken me here? Next time? You better...

For the record; alcohol was not served at the platinum suites, therefore Toronto's version is the automatic winner.. #TeamCanada!!

How to stay hydrated #fail.

Two weeks is WAY too short for visiting home. And I'm sure I would be saying the same thing even if I was home for a whole month. I tried my best to see all my besties and I think I did a decent job, even though it was often just for one dinner or lunch. I can't believe how much I missed everyone!

All the sappiness aside, I did manage to get some lululemon shopping done. It's the only exclusively Canadian brand that I could bring back without feeling guilty because I'm going to put it to good use (yoga gear). I also signed up for a 10 day unlimited yoga deal at @onesparetreat in Mississauga and kept myself busy in the mornings with amazing runs in the crisp fall weather followed by an hour of hatha yoga. Which was a refreshing change from the unstoppable-sweat-in-my-eye-runs in Dubai.

This is the reason why I was trying to keep myself hydrated with my 3 litres of waters a day when the following incident occured:
I always park by Sears at any mall, its just habit. It's the least crowded area and you'll never forget where you parked. So this time as soon as I got out of the car at Square One (@shopsquareone).. I felt like my bladder was going to explode as I started a steady jog into Sears; darted to customer service, got directions to the washroom and with my eyes darting back and forth; slowly begun to unbutton my pants as I approached the sears washroom. 3 stalls, one is wide open, clean and has toilet paper - deal! My pants were off before I turned around to shut the stall door. OH wait, NO DOOR. too late; i'm already peeing..in a wide open washroom and OBVIOUSLY it had to be one of those long, never-ending ones too.

too effing late. Thank goodness my relationship with God was good enough for my instant prayers to be heard so fast. Nobody walked into the washroom for what felt like the LONGEST whiz of life.. how do things like this happen to me? WHY?

If I ever had any thrill-seeking issues, this definitely satisfied all of them.

Thanks Canada.xo

How to be RICH.

20 billion dollars worth of gold, diamonds, silver and any other shiney thing imaginable.

No, that's not my personal net worth - This is the latest most craziest archeological find in South India. Six secret vaults in a Hindu temple in South India is STACKED with chests of treasures dating as early as the 8th century AD.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

My FIRST question was: "how the hell did the Indian buggars not loot the place clean?"
Answer: 
1) Nobody really knew about it
2) The one guy who did find out in the 1930s; tried to get his hands on it but landed in a cobra infested vault and decided it wasn't worth it (LOL - I'm sure his reaction involved a "ah HELL nah, fuck this shit!").
3) The priests and the royal family guarded it with their lives

Now, five out of 6 vaults have been opened and they keep finding the COOLEST stuff. "Bags of diamonds, an 18-foot (5.5 meter) gold necklace, statues of Hindu gods and 19 kilograms (42 pounds) of precious coins" They say opening the vaults might be a bad omen (death by cobras?), but honestly, if I could get my hands on just ONE chest, or even HALF a chest, I would definitely take on the task. Obviously, I would immediately outsource the task to an Indiana Jones, Lara Croft or Jack Sparrow. And I'm sure my greedy friends would pitch in.

Wham bham, thank you ma'am. Job Done. PEACE OUT.

That's kind of what the Brits did to India while they were there for over 400 years. Greedily outsourced the dirty jobs and stored the treasures back in England. Today (August 15th), India marks 64 years of independence from the British. I just wanna say - HAHAH; you forgot 20 billion suckers.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!


Sources:
http://news.oneindia.in/2011/07/15/travancore-scion-puts-fear-of-god-on-supreme-court-aid0113.html
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-08/indian-supreme-court-halts-opening-at-cobra-guarded-vault-of-hindu-temple.html
http://www.sreepadmanabhaswamytemple.com/history-of-sree-padmanabhaswamy-temple-thiruvananthapuram-kerala.html

How to accidentally party - Part 2

Here's a clip of my dad and others singing this rubbish song that only people from India probably sing. It's hilarious because not only does it make no sense to me; I have only ever heard drunk people sing it... This is also my attempt to create a caricature of my Dad. Strangely accurate I would say...

But ofcourse, google proved me wrong. It's a very popular song where my parents grew up. It is a combination of a 1926 folk song called "meet me tonight in the moonlight" modified with Madras/Chennai language and slang.

Chorus:
Meet me tonight in the moonlight
Darling, meet me tonight all alone;

For I have a story to tell you

A story thats never been told.
VERSE I
Once a Papa met a Mama
Under a Banyan Tree
Said the Papa to the Mama

“Will ya marry me?”
VERSE IICourt court court court my darling
court is not a joke
If you want to marry me darling
come to the tennis court

See.. it makes no sense. The other verses (that are in Tamil) don't make sense either.

How to accidentally party.

I know I'm supposed to be studying 24/7, no breaks, no sleep, caffeinated and irritated. But I just could NOT help myself this weekend. Our favourite household Leo is turning 50 and we surprised him with a VERY small, but a VERY fun party.

The kind that you finish a bottle of wine by 1am.

The kind where you lose all inhibitions past 2am.

The kind where your singing lady gaga and adele at 3am.

The kind where someone's wearing underwear on top of their clothes at 4am.
The kind where the guitar and piano accompany runny mascara and raccoon eyes at 5am.

The kind that's so memorable that you dont even remember.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! Love you xoxo.

How to be frazzled.

Here are the things that are generating this feeling right now:

1) The fact that I have 2.5 weeks of studying left to do to pass an exam with like a 45% pass rate.. One of which I have already bombed.

2) I have to wait until OCTOBER to get my results. Has to be the worst part!

3) It is ramadan- do u know what it's like to live in a muslim country during ramadan? I don't either.. Finding out now.

4) Booked a family vacation to Turkey and then Ireland! (3 weeks to go!) But I can't even get excited until exams are done.

5) My brother is only gonna be with me for 4 more weeks :( .. But he's going to MAC! yayy!

6) It is bloody 50 degrees celsius outside. And not "feels like 50 but its 40"... ITS FIFTY DEGREES!  And somehow I'm still freezing in my room.

7) Just the fact that it's August. Almost a year since I got here..

8) I'm indulging in way too many dates. Not the kind with a boy- the fruit...I've always wanted to make that joke. haha.. It's date season!! And I know most Canadians don't like dates. But you haven't lived until you've tasted a fresh one.



The display in the grocery store for the season.



How to drink wheatgrass.

DISCLAIMER: If your gonna try this at home, be warned of all the "cleansing effects" it may bring about. Make sure you are within a 20second reach of a toilet bowl.

Hey, don't say I didnt warn ya!

NOW, FOLLOW STEP-BY-STEP.

First you grow the wheatgrass.

 Then, you harvest the wheatgrass.

Then, you apologize for breaking your mom's blender and drink the juice.

I've had a wheatgrass shot before, but this is the first time I tried growing it myself. Yea, okay, i'm bordering on hippy-freak right now. But listen to all the benefits!

• One ounce contains 103 vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
• One ounce of wheatgrass juice represents as much nutritional value as approximately 2.5 pounds of fresh green vegetables.
• Wheatgrass juice is high in chlorophyll.
• It is very high in vitamins A, B-Complex, C, E and K.
• Wheatgrass juice is a natural source of laetrile (B-17).
• It contains beta-carotene, which is found in red, green and yellow pigmented fruits and vegetables.  Beta-carotene acts as a scavenger against harmful molecules flowing naturally through the body or through toxins inhaled from cigarette smoke, air pollution and other damaging sources.
• Wheatgrass cleanses, purifies and feeds the body by activating the white blood cells, which boost the body's immune system.
• Wheatgrass juice is also beneficial for people who need to lose weight or cleanse their bodies.
  (Source: GreenHealthCanada.) 

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Enjoy!
xoxo

How to SWEAT.

You know what's hard to do? ....Blog. Especially when you have NO life. Sad - but true. Excuse me for being inactive and useless. My life has dwindled down to studying in my PJs all day (CPA exams). Sound familiar?

The highlight of my week so far was my workout last night. And considering that I can barely stand up straight or walk this morning - I think it was a success. After reading about @coredirection in @Aquarius magazine this weekend (3 month membership + 1month free, unlimited classes, Dh1050) I was determined to check this place out. Located on Dubai Marina - it's about a 10 minute drive from my place. Since it was my first time at the studio, I got a complimentary first class!

Now, I wasnt expecting anything fancy, but I wasnt expecting a one studio facility either! But it had everything you needed. A studio with a stage for all the #zumba/#bodypump/#bodyattack enthusiasts which converts to a spin studio with movable stationary bikes and weights along the back.. it is NOT a gym.

I opted to do a "bootcamp" session last night - outdoors (think 40 degrees celsius with 100% humidity). WHY?

The high-energy class (led by Sharon - who was awesome!) started with a 10 minute warm up run along the marina, proceeded by mat exercises, body bar, weights and step circuits. Fastest hour of my week. My heart rate stayed at max for the entire time! And the breeze that was initially hot and humid started feeling much cooler at the end of it.

DEFINITELY going back for more. Besides, I just remembered that I left my usb key at reception, so I have to. #forgetful #preoccupied #braindead

back to studying for now. xoxo

How to learn from a tall ginger.

I have a thing for commencement addresses, and I have a thing for Conan. Even though, it's been a year since graduation, I'm still studying and broke. So, this still applies. Disclaimer: If your not a late-night TV fan, you may not get some of his humor, but this was the best 20 minutes I spent all day. If you don't have time to watch the full thing, just read my favourite part:

"In 2000, I told graduates “Don’t be afraid to fail.”  Well now I’m here to tell you that, though you should not fear failure, you should do your very best to avoid it.   Nietzsche famously said “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”  But what he failed to stress is that IT ALMOST KILLS YOU.  Disappointment stings and, for driven, successful people like yourselves it is disorienting.  What Nietzsche should have said is  “Whatever doesn’t kill you, makes you watch a lot of Cartoon Network and drink mid-price Chardonnay at 11 in the morning.""....

"In 2000, I told graduates to not be afraid to fail, and I still believe that.  But today I tell you that whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come.  The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality."

RIGHT? .. now watch the 2011 commencement address from Team Coco!




This has to go under "Things I miss about North America"

How to live on coffee and cigarettes.

If you don't live in New York City or Paris - living on coffee and cigarettes is kind of lame. Especially in Dubai, where desert-like conditions make drinking hot beverages and standing outside for over 2 minutes unbearable. So, why is it that Arab culture calls for this lifestyle?

It's all in the packaging! Atleast in Dubai - where your cigarettes come without the disgusting warning labels and sheesha/hookah is all over the marina or on gorgeous rooftops around the city. I don't smoke cigarettes and I don't smoke sheesha often, but I have to admit - they make it look GOOD!

However, I do give into caffeine more often than not. I usually have my regular cup of Americano everyday. But being a sucker for cute packaging, I just had to try this amazing/authentic turkish coffee! Tiniest serving size, but SO strong and SO yum!

Turkish coffee is coffee prepared by boiling finely powdered roast coffee beans in a pot (cezve), possibly with sugar, and serving it into a cup, where the dregs settle. The name describes the method of preparation, not the raw material; there is no special Turkish variety of the coffee bean. It is common throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Caucasus, and the Balkans, and in their expatriate communities and restaurants in the rest of the world.

How to celebrate the full moon.

I don't think I'm hippy enough to completely embrace yogi culture- c'mon, let's just admit that it's a huge commitment to make. And what's the point in doing a half-assed job of it? I mean, chanting "om shanti shanti shanti om" just makes me feel like I'm calling out to my mom..(Her name is Shanthi).

But, that being said, I never fail to feel the positive effects of practicing yoga on my body. So, I indulge once in a while. And if your going to indulge in yoga, this has to be the BEST way to do it.

on the beach

with warm ocean breeze
at sunset

as the full moon rises.

(Actually, anything "on the beach" tingles my Canadian senses)

Al Qasr hotel's spa (Talise Spa) offers an amazing deal to practice your "downward dog" and "full cobra" on every full moon. For 200aed (96aed with cobone.com), you get valet parking, a bottle of cold water, a cold towel and a yoga mat on the beach. The amazing view of the Burj is just a bonus.

After sunset, we did moon salutations, various warrior poses and breathing exercises for 90 minutes. My favourite is and always will be the bridge!  After working up a good sweat, we turn to the dark ocean, focus our minds and listen to the waves breaking at shore. I left my mat feeling so energized and blissful under the bright full moon.

 

 My view for most of the class (before we turned to the sea). The three guys on stage led us through the practice.

 

.



Pretty, eh?

How to know your roots.

With the amount of migrating my nomadic family has done over the years, it's really hard to know our true roots. The closest connection we have is through our food. The food our families make and the stuff that reminds us of "grandma's house" is what keeps us Indian, Chinese, Jamaican, Scottish, American, etc.... think about it!!

I'm not going to get into detail about my "roots", that stuff is worth an entire blog in itself... But you can educate yourself on wikipedia as always. (See: Madras, Nadar, Nazareth, South Indian, Jaggery, Toddy)

This post is completely inspired by the arrival of some sweet treats from India. My Dad brought back the coolest and rarest South Indian candy (which was actually brought to him by an uncle from the dirty dirty south). It's made with Jaggery & ginger and moulded into bite size weird-tasting things, it's really not something everyone enjoys. But i LOVE it.

The best part about it? The case that's woven with palm leaves!!

Two lessons from this:
1) packaging is everything
2) the best things in life come without nutritional information

 

How to Friday.

Ok step 1: Equate my Friday to your Saturday (if your not from the UAE)
Now imagine having to listen to an accounting lecture from 8.30am-6pm .. all I ever want to do is SLEEP.

But this Friday was awesome, we had a half day and it felt so amazing. My mom, bro and I went out to lunch at Nando's on the dubai marina and then dessert at haagen dazs after (SANS the father - because he's in India for the week).

I want to say "while the cat is away, the mice will play" ... but honestly, my dad's probably the one "playing" in India. So we took the opportunity to have a little fun ourselves. I love hanging out with these two. I'm gonna miss Nishanth when he goes away to University this fall  =( . But I'm SO happy he's going to McMaster!!

 

Our view of the marina from inside Nandos.




"family photo" aka. waiting for our bill. Bad customer service as usual.




Oh hey it's my favourite people! Waddup?!






 


BEFORE





Just like Vancouver! apparently.

Check out this cool twisty building they are building on the marina.
Apparently it rotates?? I'm nervous already.

How much green tea do I have to drink to wash away Nandos and Haagen Dazs hangover? Somebody help!

How to Easter in Dubai!

Easter went by really fast. What I missed the most were Cadbury chocolate eggs!! - in all forms - mini-eggs, creme eggs, caramel eggs, minimini eggs.. etc. You get the point!

Well, I also missed having an Easter Sunday! My butt had to be at work for 9am (Dubai has a friday/saturday weekend remember?). So our day went something like 5am church service, work, MASSIVE lunch, dont go back to work. sleep.

HAPPY EASTER from our fam to yours. Better late than never! Right?

We be stylin. Dress from Koton.

Happy Easter!! - That's a little Lindt chocolate bunny. We tried to get in the spirit.. know what I mean?