Quotable Quotes on Chairs @ The Walk, JBR

dubaians definitely know ‘the walk’, jbr as a place to lepak – hang out with friends over a cuppa coffee, ice-cream, cinnabon, pancakes, munch pizzas or pasta; or fine-dine on steaks and burgers.

and amidst all that cafes and restaurants, there is a ‘public’ area with chairs and tables to sooth your tired feet – with quotes on them.

 

 

I love the design – victorian gone quirky – with pastel colors. just a simple place to hang out when you don’t want to hang out at any particular café or restaurant.

 

 

on the seat is the quote with the famous name who uttered it, and at the back is the picture.

 

“we cannot all do great things, but we can go small things with great love,” – mother teresa.

 

“a man who won’t die for something is not fit to live,” – martin luther king

Rare Night Ride : Murtabak Jumeirah, Creek Pictures & Movie Date

my sis-in-law was here last february. so we had a babysitter. who loves my boys like crazy. doesn’t mind doing the job for a place to stay and free food. haha. so that their mak and bapak could go out. just the two of us. date-night!

thanks teh!

 

going out just the two of us meant that we could take the harley! vroom! zooming through the night across jumeirah road…

 

..stopping over at a small restaurant that says MURTABAK up front!

 

the place is along jumeirah road, called ‘murtabak masoub’. turns out to be a saudi-owned restaurant selling arab food, along with (the owner said) a ‘healthier’ version of murtabak.

 

 

when we said we’re malaysians and we have murtabak in malaysia, she said yeap – acknowledging that it IS from malaysia and that they’re putting a healthy spin on this favorite malaysian pasar malam dish.

 

how healthy? for starters, I miss that super OILY feel when I eat our malaysian murtabak – this jumeirah-road version is not oily! haha. this one has that capati feel but crispier. the filling has that distinct curry-onion-egg taste that I recognize, but the wrap is a lot different.

 

a good dish, but not great. then again, I’m not even a fan of our malaysian murtabak so who am I to judge, eh?

 

* * *

 

after the light supper we took a ride to dubai creek and took some pictures by the sleeping dows and arab abras. the late night sky looks amazing. and purple!

 

my mr khairul by the dubai old souq station for water-taxi

 

me~

 

..and we caught a midnight movie at ibn battuta mall right before heading home. it was a simple outing of light supper, jalan-jalan on his bike and movie – such normal outings for a lot of other couples out there with nanny, maid and opah to take care of the cucu – but to us, such precious once-in-awhile moments to treasure.

Pictures With Stranded Ship in Ajman Shores

it’s not a port for ships to dock. it’s not the marina. it’s just a public beach. and yet one day the folks at ajman were surprised with a sudden arrival of a huge cargo ship on its seashore.

 

just a big old ship right smack by the side of the beach for all to see up close. my boys were much more interested with the sea and the sand rather than the big ship!

 

sea blue~

 

what do you do when you hear that there’s a huge ship stranded at a beach near you? bring your kids to take a closer look! and take some pictures while you’re at it!

a cargo beach was washed ashore at ajman beach (ajman is one of uae’s 7 emirates, other than abu dhabi, dubai bla bla) after a bad weather at sea. it’s got no business stranded there, and was in such a bad condition to be at sea again, that the only way was to break it down to scrap.

‘The Sea Blue was sailing from Al Hamriya in Dubai to visit a number of African countries when it ran into bad weather on Tuesday morning.

According to the ship's owner, who preferred not to be named, the engines cut out and despite the efforts of the crew to restart them, the vessel was washed on to the shore near to Ajman Corniche.’

click here to read more.

 

these rusty walls have seen it all. if it could speak, it would tell you tall tales of its underwater adventures, and its aqua escapades – slicing the water as it moves. what mysterious creatures have swam beside it? what curious crustaceans have rub its tentacles against the sides?

 

here it lies, for ajman folks to enjoy, the sight of a huge cargo ship that once was. after this it will be broken apart piece by piece…

My Favorite Shawarma in Dubai

like kebab? in dubai, it’s shawarma!

shawarma is pretty big in dubai. just like our local malaysian ramlee burger stall, it can be found in most places around dubai especially in karama, deira or bur dubai area. people love it because it’s cheap, doesn’t take too long to prepare, it’s easy to be eaten on the go and it’s delicious too!

basically shawarma is thinly sliced grilled chicken or beef rolled or wrapped into a flatbread or pita bread, along with cut-up veggies and sauce. i think our malaysian version would be the ‘kebab’ we get from pasar malam.

i love our malaysian kebab (though i prefer it on a hotdog bread rather than pita bread) however, malaysian kebab is no match for the exotic simplicity of the shawarma. while our kebab uses just mayo, shawarma has a special sauce which is a blend of yoghurt, garlic sauce and lemon. yum.

 

nampak simple je kan, tapi sedap sangat! – the shawarma from ‘picnic home’ in bur dubai

 

shawarma differs from country to country, and even different stalls would serve shawarma with slight variations on the bread they use (some use pita bread, tortilla bread, or flatbread) sauce, veggie (some go without tomatoes, some put onion, and some add pickle) and the marinade for the meat.

my favorite shawarma in dubai has to be the one in bur dubai, in a small humble restaurant called ‘picnic home’. what makes it most delicious is mainly the sauce, and the crispy chicken bits that’s perfectly marinated.

i’ve eaten shawarma that has chicken bits that are too salty. not nice. and i’ve eaten shawarma with homemade flatbread that is crispy! that was probably one of the best shawarma i’ve eaten too!

 

wrapped…

 

..unwrapped!

 

* * *

 

 

like i said, different stalls offer different taste, ingredients and presentation in their shawarma. this posting is about MY personal favorite of shawarma – the shawarma at ‘picnic home’ (lawak kan nama dia hihi). it’s situated in bur dubai, next to a shop called ‘royal dirham’ which i think sells souvenirs. it’s also opposite the burjuman metro station.

it should be easy to spot, but difficult to get to. parking is almost impossible! either you park so far away that you had to walk a long way OR what did we do?

DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK : hihi – but we simply stopped the car by the roadside right next to the stall, mr. khairul dashed out to order the shawarma by the window, rushed back in after few alarming honks from cars behind, made a U-turn and arrived back at the stall, repeating the process but this time to get our order and pay.

phew! it’s SO worth it!

 

mr. khairul making his order through the window counter

 

from the signage it says that its sells ‘lebanese food’ which is pretty much grill stuff all the way, including this very delicious, simple shawarma.

in our ‘early’ years of living in dubai, we used to get this shawarma regularly because we live nearby – our home was just few blocks behind burjuman mall. since moving to dubai marina, i haven’t had this shawarma since forever. rindu!

when i finally got to eat it, i was savoring a delightful dish that is so simple yet satisfying! the soft tortilla flatbread, the crispy juicy chicken, the tasty yoghurt garlic sauce and the fresh lettuce – yum!

know any other good place to get delicious shawarma in dubai? sorang msian kakak ni told me that the one in ibn battuta mall (next to geant) also has delicious shawarma which her kids love so much. i’m gonna try that one soon!

Buy Gold at Vending Machine? Only in Dubai!

vending machines dispense different stuff. vending machines for can drinks, snacks, tissue packets, top-up cards for hp, and even condoms - but this new one that we saw at dubai mall really takes the cake. we were very surprised! terkejut!

a vending machine - to buy gold. yeap. the GOLD ATM. the first gold vending machine in the world. only in dubai!




we were just walking in dubai mall after berbuka, and suddenly saw this huge gold-colored box in between the escalator. at first glance, we immediately saw the words, 'GOLD TO GO'.

does this atm really offer gold? just like that? at a shopping mall? is it a trustworthy source to purchase gold?

there's a small display window where you can see and choose the gold coins and pendant you want to buy. crazy! there's one with panda on it, one with a kangaroo, one with flower, and there's even with quranic ayat i think. awesome stuff. in just a vending machine.

a monitor shows the details of each coins or pendant. pricing of the gold is updated in real time. unbeliveable. ternganga tengok.

...and where was this ATM? right in between two escalators, in the middle of a busy dubai mall. just placed there like any other ATM for money. like my friend commented in this picture i put up on my facebook; in malaysia there are metal bars in between the teller and the buyer, but in this arab country, gold can be simply sold like packets of tissue - through a vending machine!

only in dubai!

click here for more info on this world's first gold vending machine.

Baju Raya? Jom Phulwani, Dubai!

dubai is a haven for kain. you want the latest, the affordables, the loveliest – dubai is the place to be, especially the area called ‘naif’. in fact before i got married, abah brought me and my sisters to dubai to buy cloths to make baju for my engagement and wedding.

one interesting shop in the midst of it all is phulwani, arguably THE most popular textile shop among malaysians.

how popular? you can see ‘selamat datang’ pasted on its entrance door. there are even pictures of malay wedding couples, as well as malaysian artistes on its walls. if you look closely under the glass on the table, you will see hundreds of business cards of malaysian government officers, airline crew or just another malaysian dropping by.

the friendly and helpful staff can speak bahasa malaysia very well, and are knowledgeable in malaysia kain pricing. masuk kedai tu, memang rasa macam kat kedai kain malaysia!

 

me like a kid in a candy store

 

phulwani is relatively big, but has narrow spaces. you’ll find yourself walking into L spaces when you’re in the shop.

upon entering, you’ll see a line of cloths for men’s suits and shirts first, before being greeted by a wondrous colorful selection of kain of all types and origin. i bought one korean silk myself. hihi.

there’s a whole section of a plain cloths selection to make men’s baju melayu, and another section just for laces. when i said i wanted to make kebaya, the staff was quick to suggest lace as a favorite choice to make kebaya, but i don’t want THAT kind of kebaya. lace-lace ni tak payah lah.

i’m going for simple but bright this year!

  

 

since phulwani is such a hit with malaysians, it’s not surprising to bump into my fellow countrymen here. while we were there, we met mr. khairul’s fellow biker dude sham who’s ordering a few baju melayu here; we also ran into bro hassanal, wife hazleen and their two boys – also browsing cloths for baju raya. two other malay couples were also looking for materials when we were about to leave.

really, most of their customers are malaysians!

 

me and hazleen going gaga over the many choices of kain

 

so what colors are you guys planning for baju raya theme this year?

my family? maybe dark brown. could be red. perhaps cream. or even dark green. haha. the thing is, these are the colors of the stripes, or leaf or flowers or the background of my baju kurung and kebaya this year. since it’s so easy to pick up a baju melayu, the boys will just follow MY colors, whatever it might be in the end.

…the perks of being the ONLY girl in the family…

 

 

so who picks the baju raya in YOUR family? selalunya the wife kan hihi. my mak used to just sew the baju raya for her 5 girls when we were younger. too bad i’m not as talented!

also, we’ve got a chinese tailor back in ipoh – and boy, we’ve been sending kain to her since forever. the chinese lady once said, (when she had to re-measured us after giving birth) that she has sewn our baju kurung when we were small, then teen, then married and now even as mothers. gile lama kitorang tempah baju kat ahso tu!

well, i bought a few kain at phulwani that day, with the help of mr. khairul. i love MOST of the kain design there, so i let mr. khairul pick and choose some kain that he likes to see on me. lagi bagus bila suami suka kain yang kita pilih kan?

we can of course just buy the kain, but i chose to let their in-house tailor make my baju kurung. he came to take my measurement. i could come back next few weeks to pick it up, and alter it there and then should there be any correction to the cutting.

this is my first time making baju kurang and kebaya with an old indian man! and he’s foreign! let’s see how well he does…

 

 

i guess i don’t need to give you the exact location of phulwani since it’s so popular already – but here’s a few pointers just in case. it’s situated in the area opposite the naif police station, surrounded by a few abaya shops. we parked in the dark building right in front – congested, low-ceiling, a claustrophonic-nightmare – but hey, this is the only choice we’ve got!

if you’re travelling without kiddos, you’re better off taking a cab. no parking hassle! also, come in the evening as it’s getting hotter in dubai right now so you’ll be shopping more comfortable after dark!

have fun!

Hot Summer : Air-Cond in Dubai Bus Stops

it’s summer again in dubai, which means hot, scorching hot, blazing hot and can-fry-eggs-on-the-tar-road hot. i remember a dubai friend of mine adzlin described dubai summer in her blog as, (i’m paraphrasing) heating up an oven, opening the door, and peering your head inside the oven. yes, THAT hot.

well, NOW it’s not THAT hot yet – but it’s going to be! presently, i would assume it’s just as hot as a regular noon in malaysia.

 

a bus stop in dubai

 

thankfully, dubai is considerate of its people who takes the bus day in day out, and the bus stops here are equipped with air-conditioned all season long. best kan?

i think i’ve written about this before, but i just want to share it again since 1) i found an interesting picture of how the bus stops look like in the ‘olden’ days of dubai, and 2) it’s that time again when i’m really grateful for the invention of air-cond!

 

the back part of the bus stops 

 

 

now back to the bus stops –

open the door and the whiff of chilly air will welcome you into a soothing, cooling exterior. it’s really great – especially during summer! the inside is designed simple but sleek, with metal chairs, clear glass panels, and bus route and other information on the board behind the seats.

aku dah try dah, memang seronok tau tunggu bas sambil menikmati air-cond. kalau masa sekolah dulu ade bus-stop macam ni kan best. gile berjam-jam tunggu bas rapat setia tu!

 

* * *

 

…but dubai hasn’t always been this awesome when it comes to bus stops! the picture below shows how the old dubai bus stops look like. it’s just by accident that i came by this picture. the old dubai bus stop is rather a small enclosure, isn’t it? which doesn’t help when there’s a large crowd waiting for the bus on a hot day.

i wonder whether these bus stops are still around… i’ve never seen one myself!

 

 

…and even dubai has this classic stand-alone metal post with the ‘bus’ symbol. you know, in school, when the teacher asks us to draw a bus stop – this is what we will draw right?

 

 

well, as of today, it still reads 40 celcius or so here in dubai, so *ENJOY* it while you can before it goes up to 49 and 50 celcius! and hey, i’m grateful that the days are still accompanied by cool winds, so the heat is not so bad.

well, look on the bright side (pun not intended!) – dubai summer sale is starting 22nd june till 31st july! get your shades out, your umbrella untied and *enjoy* the sun, people! or err, just head on straight to the malls and shop! hihi…

(all images : google)

Dubai Ambulance is Harley Davidson

this is the first time that i saw ‘ambulance’ in a form of a motorcycle – and not just any motorcycle, but a huge superbike. which brand? only the best for these life-savers in dubai – they roll around in harley davidsons!

 

 

i’m guessing these bikes are used instead of the van-like ambulance, for minor injuries, or for accidents that doesn’t involved taking any persons to a hospital. tak boleh imagine la pulak tengah cedera tu, mangsa kemalangan tu boleh pulak larat bonceng belakang motor tu!

there are a couple of compartments attached on each side of the bike, as well as at the back, for storing medical supplies.

the emergency number 999 is clearly seen on every side of the bike. NINE NINE NINE, folks. keep that in mind. you never know when danger strikes. malang tak berbau.

 

 

working with the ambulans team has never been this cool! imagine riding around town in these awesome shining harleys, and getting paid for it? not only that, you get to save lives, and help people. that’s double bonus if you ask me.

the ambulans crew in dubai sure ride in style!

*credit picture : mr rizal harley. thanks bro.

Dubai’s ‘Free Public Transport Day’!

it’s the 5th anniversary of RTA (dubai road and transport authority), and they celebrate it by making 1st november a ‘free public transport day’!

metro (their lrt system), busses and water transport (the abra) – all were free for all on this day. guess how many people ditched their car to take advantage of this once-a-year offer?

dubai prince, sheikh majid, anak pemimpin dubai officiated the day by riding on all the available public transport. cool, eh?

the aim of the free transport day is (from gulfnews)

• to involve various public and private sectors and different segments of communities
• boost the use of public transport in the emirate
• reduced fuel costs and vehicle maintenance
• reduced traffic fatalities
• less carbon emissions

this is the first time dubai held a ‘free public transport day’, and will make it an annual ‘celebration’.

best kan?

 

* * *

some interesting bit about the public transports in dubai :

 

 

the bus stops are air-conditioned.

yeap. as you can see from the picture above (taken from my sis in law tina’s facebook) there are doors, and during the scorching summer heat, you can wait for the bus in the cold comfort of the cool bus stop.

i repeat – bus stop. ade air-con.

i’ve waited inside once, not for the bus though, but for mr. khairul. and a lady complained that since she’s the only one inside, sometimes the bus just pass by and did not stop. hmm. what’s the point of the tinted doors – to protect from heat, but bus drivers can’t see (or choose not to see that one passenger) the passengers waiting at the bus stop?

so how? hihi.

 

* * *

 

 

that’s mr. khairul’s little bro asrar during his cuti-cuti dubai late last year. yes, mr. khairul’s whole family came all the way and took the opportunity to ride on the ‘water transport’, or the abra, to cross dubai creek.

the fare? just 1 dirham! (less than RM1!)

abra is a traditional boat made of wood, and the original, classic way of transportation for dubaians. now people are still using it, including tourists like my bro in law la. hihi.

where passengers sit all around it, facing outward – 10 on each side. and yes, like you see in the picture – there are no railings or raised sides to hold on to. ade la canopy nak teduh dari panas but it’s really open-air like that! scary kan? but this is what the dubai people use, daily!

the scarier part is, it’s mentioned that small collisions between abras are common, as they jostle for space while at the creek! brrr! langgar-langgar tu biase je!

dubai creek separates the old dubai (deira), and the new dubai (bur dubai). i think there are 4 roads/bridge including a couple of tunnels you can use to cross the creek by car.

 

* * *

 

while abra is the traditional mode of transportation, metro is the modern one. newly launched, and a few new lines opened, more and more people are opting for metro to commute.

i had the pleasure of using this brand new train service late last year when my in laws came. i’m proud to say that malaysia had been using this service for many many years ahead of dubai, eventhough ours are not as posh and our train stations are not as lavishly designed. ye la diorang punya train station siap ade chandellier tu!

 

me on dubai metro with sis in law tina & bro in law asrar

 

read my ‘adventure’ on dubai metro here.

 

* * *

 

hmm. ‘free public transport’ day. imagine if malaysia has such a ‘day’…

Drive-Through ATM in Dubai

you are about to withdraw a huge amount of money. you have your toddler with you. it might be dangerous to withdraw that much money when you have to carry, hold hands or even baby-wear your kid. furthermore, your parked car is quite a distance from the atm.

or perhaps, it’s already late at night, you’re in your pyjamas, or baju kelawar, and you’re just too lazy to change into something more appropriate just to withdraw some money.

and just maybe, it’s the rush hour and finding a parking spot near the bank is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

the solution?

drive-through atm!

these pictures were taken by my sister in law tina during my in-laws’ visit here late last year. at that time, even i was surprised as it was the first time i came across the drive-through atm.

drive, withdraw money, then just speed off – all in the comfort of your car.

nice!

kat malaysia ade tak? *wink*

Unwanted Clothes : What To Do

saw this at a petrol station in dubai.

 

 

it says there i can contribute

• clothing
• abaya
• kandora
• bed clothes (blankets)
• hand bags
• paired shoes
• towels

*abaya and kandoora are both traditional arabic dresses – abaya for female, and kandoora for male. and ‘paired’ shoes – maybe there are those who threw away only the left side of their shoes? camne orang nak pakai ye? hihi.

i think i have a few old baju kurung that i am willing to part with. they’re old, but still in decent condition. it’ll definitely clear up a huge space in my wardrobe (and make space for new ones, hahaha!). however, i wonder whether they’re willing to wear a traditional dress from another country – to where ever they’re distributing the clothes to.

also, maybe i can bundle up a few of mr. khairul’s old t-shirts too. the boys’ clothes? boleh simpan lagi – kazim can still wear! haha.

 

..but they do not need

• soiled clothes
• pillow
• duvets (comforter cover)
• books
• hard toys
• rug
• carpet

hmm, no ‘hard’ toys – so soft toys as in teddy bears and such are okay? then i’m out of those. my boys’ toys are all tough, hard masculine-toys! haha. if you see any cute-sy stuffed animal lying around the house – it’s mine!