Friday, October 31, 2014

A Canadian in Abu Dhabi says Happy Halloween

All the ladies who work at Tips N Toes in Marina Mall were done up like this.

There are so many changes in Abu Dhabi since I moved here in 2008, but one of the biggest is the explosion in interest in Halloween (mostly commercial, of course). That year there was basically no sign (that I saw) that anything was out of the ordinary on October 31. This year the stores have gone crazy, restaurants and bars are in on the fun, and kids are actually trick-or-treating. 

I thought I saw my first costume a couple of minutes ago at Waitrose, but it turns out it was just the doorman from the Eastern Mangroves Promenade in his top hat and tails buying some water for his break.

If you don't have anything to do tonight, we drew up a pretty exhaustive list. I am just putting on some heels and going out for a steak, as I am still traumatised by my attempt at dressing up up like Hank from Breaking Bad last year. 

No, you can't see a picture. I had the yellow meth suit right, but it turns out you can't buy a gas mask or anything like one anywhere in the UAE, and since I felt my costume hinged on the mask pushed up atop my head, a la Hank, I ordered one off the internet. I looked like a childish fly. 

Have fun out there. 



Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Abu Dhabi Film Festival: A horror of a movie mess

I managed to catch the second screening of Adityavikram Sengupta's film Labour of Love yesterday at Vox Cinemas in Marina Mall. 

The girls beside me left about 20 minutes into the film after first crunching through this unholy mess, each of them walking on it as they left. 

Their behavior was about as opposite from the sentiment of the lovely, wordless film - which focuses on a day in the life of an Indian couple who pass each other in the morning while working opposite factory shifts - as could be.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Overheard in the newsroom

He needs to eat some humble pie. Some humble falafel pie.

Overheard at the spinning studio

"I woke up this morning without having all these noises in my body."

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Banana Balloon bus spotted on Abu Dhabi road raises lots of questions, offers few answers

For starters: Is it one large banana balloon, perhaps a water attraction that children can ride? Or perhaps just a lot of small balloons shaped like bananas? And what is the deal with this guy:

Thursday, October 2, 2014

How to be a happy expat

Because a cloud wall makes you want to take a selfie.  After 10 years living in the UAE, some of that time happy, some miserable and ...