A little too excited about the Belgian Beer Bar

...then again, I'm not the only one.

The pub-to-be has 421 fans on its Facebook page and it isn't even open yet. (That happens next Wednesday, December 16, at the Intercontinental Hotel) The way Abu Dhabi is, I would not be surprised if every last one of those fans turned up on opening night next week for mussels and chips and some seriously potent yet delicious Belgian brew.

Part of the attraction is that this promises to be a normal pub, not some grotty weathered version circa 1978 with sticky floors, the smell of stale smoke in the air and a smattering of leering, wizened expats around the taps. (Not that there's anything wrong with that).

I whiled away quite a few hours at the Dubai version of the Belgian Beer Bar a couple of weeks ago and can't wait.

This is what Abu Dhabi is like people. We get very excited when new venues open.

Not the most earth-shattering headline anywhere else

But here, well, I snapped to attention. From the Gulf News:

"Chance of light rain as temperature falls"

The weather has been gorgeous by the way. Sunny and beautiful during the day. At night it's just getting to the point where in Ottawa I would think about putting on a sweater. That's why I laughed the other evening when I left work: in the lobby I saw a man wearing a sweatshirt and gloves; outside a man had donned a leather jacket.

Radio traffic updates are ALMOST the same in the UAE as at home

Listening to Lady Gaga on Radio One the other morning, aside from the crisp British accents – which so surround me they sound almost normal now – I could almost pretend I was driving along Bronson listening to Hot 89.9 in the nation's capital. And then this, from the announcer urging people to report traffic tie-ups:

"Even if it's a camel jam in Ajman, we want to know about it".

Happy 38th UAE; hate to tell you, but 40 is right around the corner

Oh Google:



And let's hope not too many of you did this:





Police are handing out Dh200 (almost 60 bucks Canadian) fines.

A couple of days off, a couple of yoga classes

I've been off for the last few days for Eid, and rather than go anywhere (I'm going to Canada for Christmas in a couple of weeks) I just took it easy. I've also taken in a few vinyasa classes at One to One hotel's new yoga studio Yogalosophy. Check out my review here (scroll down a bit).

When I lived in Ottawa I never appreciated that there were at least 3 yoga studios offering a ton of classes within walking distance from my place. Until now, Abu Dhabi has had just one dedicated studio, Yoga Tree. I'll never forget finally finding it, enjoying my first actual yoga class in months (not just Eon Finn on DVD in my hotel room) only to hear the teacher say "have a good summer everyone, the studio will reopen in September.

Now there are a ton more options to get your warrior on. And even though I didn't know about it, Yogalosophy was open through the summer.

Also, and this is a bit of a tangent, but it's fun living in a place that is always adding new things.

Things I learned or was reminded of this November

1. Irish whiskey, not scotch.

2. When the Starbucks barista says "skim milk, ma'am", as those he's telling, rather than asking, it's time to get back to the freaking gym.

3. Hardware stores in Abu Dhabi rarely sell the hardware you are seeking.

4. Even moustaches start to look good, if you have enough time – ie all of "Movember" – to get used to them.

5. Again, to never give up: 13 months after completing a freelance assignment for the University of Ottawa, the cheque really was in the mail.

6. Bit torrent=just one more thing for a borderline OCD to obsess over.

7. Flying home for Christmas from this far away is very expensive.

8. If you leave a car in a parking lot for long enough, someone here will hit or scrape it.

9. Never try to drive anywhere in Abu Dhabi rush hour, between the hours of 2 and 8pm.

10. Mosquitos in the Middle East.

Overheard at the yoga studio

"It's just that I've never heard of anyone going on vacation to Calgary before."

-Yoga teacher, reacting to a student's Eid travel plans