sandCat in Dubai

Author: Cat Russell

  • Dubai wildlife

    You have probably heard a lot about Dubai night life – there is no shortage of that here with our umpteen shopping malls (with 24 hour weekend shopping during Eid), restaurants, hotels and night clubs (just have a browse through Time Out Dubai if you don’t believe me).

    But what you may not know much about is the Dubai wildlife. I have spotted a few little critters in my travels over the last few weeks.

    The first was an Arabian Red Fox (I think although it was night-time) that I spotted on my way to friends who live in The Villa. Now that might sound odd but the complex / development is called The Villa. So you have people saying stupid sounding things like “I live in a villa in the villa” and you scratch your head a bit if you don’t know. But anyway, this little guy was on the side of the entrance road, which is a bit off the beaten track as The Villa is out in the desert a bit. I hope he didn’t tarry too long at the side of the road and moved off into the desert after I passed him.

    Dubai Desert Conservation red fox
    [Arabian Red Fox photo by P. Roosenschoon from Dubai Desert Conservation]

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  • Dubai food styling workshop

    I’m one of those people who takes photos of my food when I’m out at a restaurant. I guess a couple of years ago people would have considered this odd behaviour, but nowadays with the increase in the quantity and quality of food bloggers it’s not a surprising nor unusual thing to see when you are out and about, especially when trying a new restaurant or attending some kind of foodie event. Whilst I love food and I enjoy sharing my experiences with you I don’t presume to call myself a food blogger. The pictures I have been taking are little more than snaps, in my humble opinion (IMHO).

    However this may soon be about to change. Armed with my still-new DSLR camera, and lucky enough to have time on my hands (more or less), I attended a Food Styling Workshop last week, here in Dubai. With a fair amount of trepidation I might add – I had no idea what to expect. Food styling is essentially what happens when a photo shoot for a cookbook, or even a food blog, needs to take place. The food, being the star of the show, has to look its very best. So a lot of the workshop was (as you might expect) about how to set up your camera for the all important shot, and then some post-processing hints and tips to tweak your photo (if needed). What I didn’t expect, to be quite honest, was the amount of AMAZING food that we got to consume, prepared and served up to us by some truly talented chefs. Honestly it felt like we didn’t stop eating for two days. And we probably didn’t.

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  • Dubai residence…take 5

    Stu and I set off this morning to (finally) apply for my new residence visa. He has changed jobs, and so has a new visa, which means I too must change (as he is my sponsor). This is the 5th time I am doing a residence visa, I had one in my own right once upon a time (ie employer sponsored) but this will be my 4th overall as the “housewife” (haha).

    Anyway you would think that we are old hands at this based on the number of times we have done it, certainly it works out at more than once a year. But of course nothing is ever that simple. Besides the fact that things are not the same if you are doing a Dubai proper visa, a Freezone visa (Jebel Ali), a Freezone visa (Tecom) or a Freezone visa (DMCC*) the requirements within each section also change. I have no problem with that, things evolve over time. What does get my goat is that these requirements are not widely known or published**, and sometimes it can really depend on the day, the office and the officer you speak to at immigration on how strictly they are enforced.

    pulling-hair-out
    [makes me crazy]


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  • the Suhail star

    There is an article in the paper today that has made me very hopeful indeed. The sighting of a bright light in the night sky just before sunrise at this time of year traditionally signals the end of the summer heat and a return to more moderate weather.

    Visible due south in the early hours before sunrise, Suhail, also known as Canopus, is part of the Vela constellation and is the second brightest star in the sky after Sirius. This astral body has always held a great significance to the people of the Middle East, it’s rise marks the start of the farmer’s agricultural calendar or droror, which begins with the star’s sighting and is then measured in 10 or 13 day micro-seasons known as dir. In addition it traditionally marks the start of the hunting season. As hunters had to endure days of travelling through the desert they presumably would have used this signal to know cooler weather was on the way and therefore a good time to head out.

    suhail-star
    [source: clipartpal]

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  • Eid Mubarak

    Eid al-Fitr falls on the first day of Shawwal, the month which follows Ramadan in the Islamic calendar. It is a time to give to those in need and celebrate with family and friends the completion of a month of blessings and joy.

    On the day of Eid, Muslims gather early in the morning in outdoor locations or mosques to perform the Eid prayer. After the prayer people visit family and friends, give gifts (especially to children) and make phone calls to distant relatives to give well-wishes for the holiday. These activities traditionally continue for three days. In most Muslim countries this 3 day period is also a public holiday.

    So as a hot Ramadan draws to a close I would like to wish you a happy Eid celebration, may every year find you in good health.

    Eid Mubarak
    عيد مبارك

    Eid-Card
    [thanks to rootsbd.com]