Blessings in Disguise

Problem
George W. Bush arrived in Dubai and he was warmly welcomed. This was the first ever visit of a sitting US president to UAE. Due to his arrival some roads were closed for security reasons and there were huge traffic jams. My colleagues were cursing him for causing much traffic.

Solution
But lately all the cursing turned to a blessing after a text message from office when we were returning home. Due to some road closure and expected congestion it was declared a public holiday in Dubai. That was a surprise holiday, after havoc for most of the people who were caught in the traffic for hours. Fortunately I was able to come home without getting caught to much traffic jams.

Result
We spent our holiday in our friends' place also known as "Maha Gedara". We all got together and gave a lunch for one of our friend's parents who visited Dubai. The lunch came out well although the chief cook was not present (He got married in January and enjoying holidays in SL). Most of us learned to cook after coming to Dubai. We were able to have this lunch coz of US president's visit, so I call it a blessing in disguise. :)

We were called "Al Baraha Gang" which is comprised of 15 members (all are boys except me) for now and rapidly growing with new members joining after the marriage. Three of my friends went back to SL to get married and they are due to come back with their new brides in February. We are in the process of organizing nice events for couples who are starting new lives in Dubai.

Nobody

I'm Nobody! Who are you?
Are you-Nobody-too?
Then there's a pair of us!
Dont tell! they'd banish us-you know!

How dreary-to be-Somebody!
How public-like a Frog-
To tell your name-the livelong June
To an admiring Bog!

By Emily Dickinson

New Year dawns in Dubai

It was New Year's Eve in Dubai. To my surprise I heard people screeching, howling and clattering metals outside at exactly 12 midnight. I had a peek through the window. People were on the road dancing and they stopped vehicles heading towards them. There was such a loud noise emanating from horns of vehicles and voices of people. Despite of this drama, there were magnificent fireworks displayed on the sky, which is the only thing to be happy about being here in Dubai. Then after a while people on higher buildings were throwing water at the innocent people walking on the road or driving, passing their flats.

I hope for peace and serenity throughout 2008 without noise pollution and unfortunate incidents.

Adios 2007

Well… surely time passes so fast and year ended like a flash. When you engage in work you don’t feel the time passing. But today seems a long boring day for me since I don’t have any work. So I wanted this day to end so soon. I waited impatiently for the 1st of January, not to celebrate the year but to stay home :) Coz we get a holiday tomorrow for the celebration of the Gregorian New Year.

Now let’s think back at the past year and get only the experience gained. But be careful not to cry or shed silent tears over past tragedies. The New Year is meant not to cry over split milk nor to repeat mistakes. Take them as a blessing in disguise and the spirit to avoid repetition. Just learn lessons from past and keep in mind to live a better year ahead. Let’s take bold strides with confidence in the coming year.

Wish all your dreams will come true in the year 2008. Most impotently peace in Sri Lanka, something we all Sri Lankans needed so badly.

It's Winter

It’s winter. The cold breeze comes and caresses our bodies and chills us to shiver in cold. This is not like the cool and sweet breeze we have in Sri Lanka before or after a rain. I like to sit and watch the rain, how the water is pouring and makes circles on the ground. It gives the perfect colour to the tree leaves leaving them so crystal clear. Even the air seems so fresh after the rain and birds sing happily. Everything has come to alive and so my mind too. But I miss them all here.

I heard that it will only rain once a year in Dubai. Even in high noon I shiver like a person having fever. Cold climate is new to me, since in Colombo the temperature doesn’t go below 22°C. Although I waited impatiently for the arrival of winter, now I think Sri Lankan climate is the best.

If you happen to be in Dubai during summer you’ll not like to stay but to go back to cosy climate we have in Sri Lanka. I came to Dubai at the end of July and felt like I was thrown into a hearth. I was being scorched by hot breeze even without sun. The water in the taps was also hot, sometimes too hot to touch from naked hands.To tell you the truth I don’t like both of these climates I came across in Dubai.

Visit to Global Village

I started my blog last year but after few posts I became lazy. I used to write a lot when I’m in a mood (happy or sad) I thought to start writing again as before. Hmmm let’s make a diary out of my blog with my new life in Dubai.

Last Friday we went to global village where the Dubai shopping festival is happening. The Global Village is a unique international destination for tourism, entertainment, leisure and culture. It brings together diverse customs and cultures covering a broad spectrum of activities including music, dances, arts and handicrafts, theatre, costumes and cuisine of different countries.

It was so far from Dubai, where we stay. We didn’t think it will be that far. We went from home around 3 and able to catch a taxi around 3.30. The emirates road we took to reach there is like a dessert, no houses to be seen.

Somehow we went inside the village which has different countries’ shopping complexes. First we went to Egypt and bought a papyrus art. Then we went to some other countries’ stalls. We bought shoes for winter, plant, bag, cap and weight lifting glows. At that time it was bit dark despite of the lights emanating from shopping complexes. The most exciting thing there was the merry-go-rounds. To join for such event we need to buy tokens which look like coins. We participated in one such game (they called it typhoone ride) which is so thrilling and at the same time bit dangerous. I screamed from the middle of the show to the last. It was so breathtaking event that I thought I’m going to fall off the seat. Mind you this is my first ever experience of such an event :)

Although we have more shops to visit, our feet were aching, it was dark and around 12 midnight we thought to go home after visiting Sri Lankan shopping complex. To our surprise and misfortune there were not that much of shops opened and no cultural things of Sri Lanka to show our Sri Lankan identity. We thought to open shops ourselves, which is something impossible. But we felt so sad to see the stalls. We had a ray of hope more shops will be opened during next month when the shopping festival is really going to blow up. With hands full of shopping items we took a taxi from there. There is a good taxi and bus services which is something really important in Dubai if you don’t have a vehicle of your own.