It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...

....well, Christmas in the Gulf at least!

I've only ever spent the holiday season in the UAE. I've never had a white Christmas. The idea of going to the beach on Christmas day is definitely not a foreign one to me.

I love it when the weather starts cooling down, and there's a nice, almost chilly breeze in the evenings, almost requiring a little jacket or a pashmina...

I love it when you wake up in the morning, and it's a beautifully sunny day, and it's the absolutely perfect temperature for spending the day at the beach.

I love it when you can walk outside without breaking into a sweat (or without you hair frizzing up at the sight of humidity...)

The change of weather also usually means a more relaxed time for me. I tend to take a few days off in December to spend them with some family members that visit from overseas... And it's usually a less hectic time at the office anyway, so I don't mind going into work if I have to.

I love "winter" in the UAE :)

Random stuff

Been back from my vacation for around 3 weeks now, and it feels like I've never left! Good thing I have anoter small vacation coming up in 3 weeks...Yay!

A few random things that I just want to get off my chest:

- Damn it's hot! Is it just me, or has it gotten hotter and more humid MUCH earlier this year compared to previous years? I mean, I remember that in previous years, it was the months of August and September that were really bad.... Maybe we just forget!

- I am sick and tired of the fact that the exit that leads to the Greens, which is where I live, is the last free exit before Salik. This means that all the construction vehicles go through it to avoid paying 4Dhs, because the companies they work for are probably too cheap to pay the Salik tolls. This means that traffic at the entrance of the Greens usually moves at snail's pace, at any given time. Last time, I got stuck there for 30 minutes at 8:30PM! There's not supposed to be any traffic at 8:30PM!!!

- I've noticed that there are a couple of cars in my car park that have been there for a couple of years now, untouched. It's as if the owners just picked up and left. And the cars are still there, gathering dust. I know that if a car is left untouched for a few months on the main road, cops eventually will tow it away. But what happens to cars in car parks? Who's responsible for them?

- My Du saga is still ongoing. It's gotten worse actually. They cut my line while I was away on holiday. I've called them again twice since I've been back. The problem is unresolved as of yet.

- After living in Dubai for more than 3 years, I had forgotten how it feels when you get great customer service. Especially when it comes to banking. While in Montreal, I had to call my bank there for some information. Here I was thinking I had to get an appointment, go to the bank and spend time with some advisor....But no. All I had to do was speak to a very knowledgeable customer service representative on the phone, who then told me that any transaction I needed to make could be done immediately on the web! A far cry from banking in the UAE, where you have to go the bank to fill up a form to get access to online banking!

- Here's a great thing about living in the UAE: low cost of telecommunications! I got a Montreal number while I was there, and it was so expensive! I wasn't making many calls... only necessary ones to get in touch with friends... But I must have spent around $100 on phone cards in 10 days! Ridiculous! And the other ridiculous thing is that you pay for the calls that you make as well as the calls you receive!!!

- Does anyone know if August 6th is an official day off (the day HH Sheikh Zayed became president in 1966)? I wouldn't mind another long weekend :)

That's it for now. I've rambled enough as it is. Be back soon!

Raindrops keep falling on my head...

What's with the rain lately? It has rained more in the past couple of weeks than it has all of last year (and maybe even the last 2 years combined!).

I'm not complaining or anything, I like the rain, but this year, the weather has been abnormally wet compared to what we're used to...

I just hope the weather becomes more pleasant a couple of weeks from now. I am taking some time off (no travelling this time!), and plan to work very hard at regaining my tan....

Not very exciting, I know, but I'm looking forward to some relaxing, stay-at-home and watch movies-and-not-have-to-worry-about-work time.

I miss winter...

I miss winter clothes: the coats, the scarves, the turtlenecks, the boots, the gloves, the hats...
I miss snow, so quiet, so calming, so beautiful, so pure...
I miss Christmas lights adorning the city...
I miss sitting in a coffee shop with a nice, warm cup of coffee, watching the snow fall...
I miss the warmth of the heater, when the temperatures hit unimagineable lows...
I miss hearing rain hammering against my window...
I miss the shivers that run down my spine when lightining strikes and thunder roars...
I miss the crackling sounds of wood burning in a fireplace...
I miss waking up when it's still dark and quiet...
I miss the sound of fresh snow crunching under my boots...

I never thought I'd say it...but I really do miss winter!

It's gone again

Remember when I said winter was here?

Well, I guess it was just here for a short visit, because, we're back to hot, humid and sticky weather. Whyyyyy???

You know "winter" is coming soon in the UAE when...

....you walk out of the house in the evening and you're pleasantly surprised by how mild the weather is.

...you walk out of the house and your eyeglasses/sunglasses don't fog up because of the humidity.

...you decide that it's OK to keep your car at home and walk to the supermarket that's 3 blocks away.

...you see people sitting outside having dinner at Madinat Jumeirah.

...you decide to drive with your car windows open, instead of blasting the A/C.

Yay! Winter is here (well...it's on its way at least). Finally!