Dubai Flea Market @ Safa Park

one man’s junk is another man’s treasure – that pretty much sums up ‘flea market’ for me. flea market is for people to sell unwanted items cluttering up their homes – and sell it to people looking for a good bargain of that special something that they can get for an extremely cheap price.

abaya for aed30, ceramic bowl for aed15, books for aed5-10 and pretty accessories for just aed1 – if you have a good eye for cheap things.

..and who has a good eye that I know of? my mother-in-law. she has been to the safa park flea market countless times whenever she comes visiting, and came back with beautiful frames, gorgeous antique treasure boxes, and cheap abayas and dresses.

and how many times have I been to the dubai flea market at safa park in my 5 years here? this was my FIRST time. word.

 

mr. khairul setting up camp right by all the actions at dubai flea market, safa park.

 

yeap, this was my first time ever at a dubai flea market, and I was thoroughly entertained! it was definitely NOT just about business. it was a festival! people of all walks setting up tents here and there, and some spread out their picnic mat, snacks ready and just lie down reading that aed5 book that they just bought.

they’re planning to stay till the flea market closes!

 

I caught this amusing moment : my eldest khaleef, always the reliable son helping bapak set up camp, while my youngest kazim looked on to see what he can help with. my second boy kahfi? relaxing on the picnic foldable chair, enjoying the view. hihi.

 

the boys hanging out in the tent while mak went bargain-hunting with their grandma and aunt.

 

kazim chillaxing on the picnic mat, munchin snacks

 

my mom-in-law fixed a delicious spicy fried noodle. simple gile tapi pedas so sangat menyelerakan~

 

my mom-in-law played out her bargaining cards and got a good deal on lots of tops and dresses. bravo!

 

I think the key is to always smile, asked nicely for a bargain, and be politely persistent! haha. it’s definitely worth it if it means spending as little as possible.

also, learn to read the expression and body language too – when the seller seemed hesitant about the price, you might end up paying less; however if the seller seemed firm and adamant on the original price, she/he would most likely to stick to it – so just move on, there are many other stalls! good luck!

 

happy bargain-hunters!

 

flea market. in the beautiful green safa park. among tall palm trees. crowded. bustling with buying and selling. but windy. a nice day to be rummaging through other people’s junks to find that one treasured item! haha.

 

mr. khairul’s aunt mak lang and his mom. and his sis tina on the picnic chair. tired but satisfied with today’s catch! berbondot-bondot plastik bag! kih kih. to me, our best catch of the day would be a big white bowl in the shape of a sampan that we got for just aed15, and an elegant, looks-new abaya for aed30. can’t wait for the next flea market!

 

not everyone was ready for this family photo but I kinda like it. us in shades of green, spontaneous laughter, genuine smiles, full tummies, clear boredom in one (hihi) and just a peek of me; but enough to see how incredibly grateful I am to be surrounded by my loved ones.

 

my eldest khaleef getting wacky with his aunt. alright, gate 4 y’all. come and join dubai flea market at safa park, on the first saturday of the month!

 

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dubai flea market will be held:

• on the first saturday of the month at al safa park
• on the second friday of the month at uptown mirdiff.
• on the second saturday of the month at ibn battuta.

the next dubai flea market in safa park is on the 5th of april, the usual time from 8am to 3pm. entrance is aed3 to be paid at the at gate 4.

other flea market around dubai :

• 11th april at uptown mirdiff at promenade courtyard, between starbucks and fitness first. from 2pm-7pm. no entrance fee
• 12th april at ibn battuta mall, tunisia parking rooftop with the big ‘geant’ signboard. runs from 1pm-5pm.

click this link to find out how you can participate in the flea market as a seller!

Potluck Picnic @ Mushrif Park With Biker Buddies

winter in dubai is the best time of the year to pack your barbeque equipment, food and drinks, take your rolled up mat and head on to the nearest park. it’s picnic time!

last few weeks we had a delicious barbeque potluck with mr. khairul’s biker buddies and family at mushrif park. did you see a bunch of tough guys wearing black vest munchin bbq chicken in the field? that’s us!

 

 

we’ve been to mushrif park only once before in our 6 years here in dubai, because the park is the furthest from our home. also, the last time we went, we had the barbeque at the sandy area, where there are a lot of thorns. the boys left with so many stuck to their slippers!

(click here to read about our ‘thorny’ tasty experience in mushrif park last year.)

 

 

did you know that mushrif park is also a large protected park with indigenous ‘GHAF’ trees?

the ghaf tree has long been embedded in UAE culture and tradition, and now feared to be endangered. efforts have been taken to preserve the trees – especially in mushrif park. sheikh zayed, the founder of UAE even passed a law forbidding the cutting of ghaf trees.

the ghaf tree; also known as the ‘umbrella tree’, or ‘the tree of the dunes’, is said to be one of the sources of nutrition and medication in the desert. – from my 1st posting about mushrif park.

 

however, this time, the guys pick the green part of mushrif park, and we had a lovely time sitting cross-legged on the mat spread across the soft green grass. that’s zira in red, mimi in black, zuraidah holding baby zayed and me in blue. no thorns here, and the kids had a great time running around throwing frisbee, kicking football and blowing bubbles across the green field.

 

the guys had the *honor* to cook our chicken. bbq style!

 

that’s bro helmey scooping up my fried bihun. such tasty delights that day! nanti aku cerita. from zuraidah’s nasi lemak to zira’s pulut panggang and wak’s curry – alhamdulillah!

 

yeyem, khaleef, adrin & dani

 

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deliciously tasty bbq chicken. well-seasoned, marinated nicely. juicy tender flesh especially devoured straight from the bbq pit. well done! sedap aku makan dengan nasik lemak zuraidah kih kih.

 

what I brought to the picnic table – fried bihun and chicken-mushroom puff. hope it’s good enough for everyone’s tummy! subuh-subuh aku goreng ok!

 

zuraidah’s nasi lemak. fragrant rice, tasty spicy sambal and crunchy ikan bilis – what’s not to like? a classic malaysian breakfast lah! walaupun ade insiden telur separuh masak tu, nasik lemak ko tetap sedap, zuraidah kih kih!

 

collaboration of two cewah! it’s chicken curry by wak, and roti jala by zira. roti jala is basically pancake made to to look like a net. delicious. ini dish yang aku tunggu-tunggu. lenkali masak pulut kuning ye zira. hihi.

 

love this! thanks bro helmey for bringing your kuah rojak and tossing and twisting it in the cut-up fresh fruits and cucumber. so tasty, so zingy. memang aku tambah banyak kali haha.

 

opps, I don’t know who brought the spaghetti, but when it comes to pasta, my boys are huge fans. thanks! ade something yang budak-budak suka makan!

 

zira’s kuih lapis. sedap, lembut, yummy, so soft! and not too sweet. just nice. terernya dia buat!

 

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making new friends : khaleef, kahfi & adrin

 

adrin was so shy and was practically glued to his dad. but thanks to my genius plan haha I brought along tons of bubble bottles and gave every kid one. baru la nak start kawan-kawan. hihi. bubble-blowing brought them together! oh, and of course – when there’s a playground nearby, the kids go nuts together!

 

 

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pack up! ok now can we plan a desert camping trip next?

Birthday & Farewell Picnic @ Safa Park With Perwakilan Dubai

weather was fantastic – not too hot, a little windy. the venue : safa park. great food, great company – hanging out with the perwakilan dubai gang!

‘perwakilan’ simply comprises of the consuls, directors, vice-consuls and officers of malaysian governmental agencies in dubai. and their wives. or husbands. and pets. if any. haha. adoi lama gile tak lepak dengan diorang. this gathering was held for a birthday : dilah’s daughter ain turns 7; and also a farewell for mazlan and fiza who will be moving on, serving the country in mumbai.

 

the men and ladies of perwakilan dubai

 

happy 7th birthday little ain!

 

the awesome picnic spread : steamed rice with sambal sotong & sambal kerang, KFC fried chicken, dominos pizza, fried meehon, pavlova, donuts, sebalang keropok ikan and many more tidbits! alhamdulillah! been awhile since I’ve had an outdoor picnic like this!

 

the kids swarming around the ‘my little pony’ cake for birthday girl ain. birthday girl’s mom dilah cutting the cake. comel kek dia.

 

my boys were more excited to see the paper plate. I’m pretty sure.

 

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game time! with ‘chegu’ dilah! haha. this was run-and-then-pick-up-as-many-candy-as-you-can race!

 

ready – set – go!

 

a classic – lari bawak pingpong dalam sudu. kahfi concentrate gile tu. tapi macam gaya-gaya nak main tipu pun ade.

 

‘chegu’ dilah distributing the presents – win or lose, everyone gets one! dilah bought all the presents; and I like the fact that they’re all books – coloring books for the younger ones, and activity books for the older ones – and not just simple toys that get broken or they get bored with after a few days. good job!

 

my boys enjoying their well-earned presents

 

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the guys getting goofy – and I think mazlan missed the memo semua kena pakai RED! haha. mungkin orang yg diraikan tak payah ikut color code kot.

 

the ladies had our moments too~ owh I looked too cute in that ridiculous party mask huh? huhu

 

proper group photos of us~

 

mr. khairul will be missing his biker buddy mazlan, fellow harley davidson-rider. good luck in mumbai, bro!

 

 

thanks for the awesome picnic, guys. the kids had fun running for candy, dads had fun munching delicious food, and mommies had fun gossiping. haha. winter has arrived in dubai – so time to plan more and more outdoor gatherings with FOOD!