Candylicious!

The weekend necessitated another trip to Dubai Mall (well, two trips really if you count Thursday night as the weekend - which I guess I do, since once school finishes for the week, the weekend begins). But, I digress. Part of the purpose for this trip was to visit Candylicious - the newly opened 'largest candy store in the world'.
Just in case I haven't emphasised it enough yet, Dubai is obsessed with having the biggest, the brightest, the best of whatever they can. They dream of a day when the Guiness Book of World Records is filled nothing but with Dubai!

It's website tells me that Candylicious is 10,000 square feet. When you are in there if doesn't seem all that big. It's big for a lolly store I guess. My favourite thing about it though is that all the workers have been brainwashed with the store's motto: Eat Happy! I must have heard a least 5 different workers say 'Eat Happy!' in the short time we were in there for. Maybe they get commision everytime they say it.
In the end the only purchase I made was some Milk Duds (which made me think of Tanyth), making the trip well worth the effort .....until I found them in our local supermarket a few days later....oh well!

"Save the Earth. It's the only planet with chocolate"

Al Qasba

We may have found the prettiest part of Sharjah! We went to Al Qasba for Jodie's birthday last week...yep, another birthday...they just keep coming...I think people are just making them up as an excuse to go out.

Al Qasba would be Sharjah's equivilent to Melbourne's Southbank.....sort of. It is a an area with lots of restaurants along the sides of the lagoon.

We went to a Thai restaurant called Lemongrass, which was really good - we found out that they home deliver to our building, so I sense a Thai night coming sometime in the very near future.

The Eye of the Emirates is at Al Qasba - haven't been on it yet, one day soon!

No area would be complete without fountains!

These fountains do a light and music show every half hour, but in between the kids take over.

It's not just a few kids running through either. Every child in sight is standing under a fountain fully clothed - they all just stand there shrieking as they get drenched.

So, of course, if the kids are going to get drenched, you can't expect them just to dry off in this 40 degree heat...no, instead the Emiratis have.... Fast Drying Machines!

You pay your 3 dirhams (about $1), stand inside and it blows hot air at you

- like a hand dryer for your body.

After dinner we hopped in a Dhow for a little cruise out and around the lagoon

-the weather was perfect-

Al Qasba is yet another thing I have added to my list of places to take visitors, so get in fast and you may be the lucky one I take there - I'll even shout you a go in the Fast Drying Machine!

Happy Birthday!

Seems that October is the time for birthdays. There was a birthday at school for one of the kids (he is Emirati, which means that it is not a small affair). His mum bought in a gigantic Spiderman cake for all the kids, along with drinks and goodie bags for everyone too (and we're talking quality goodie bags full of lollies and toys). We sang Happy Birthday in English, then in Arabic (Eid milaad saeed) and then in Russian (S dniom razhdjenia).

We went to Atlantis for Rob's birthday over the weekend and since he is from Italy we learnt to sing Happy Birthday in Italian (Tanti auguri a te).

We went out to lunch for Anca's birthday to a French restaurant called 'Madeline' at the Intercontinental Hotel in Dubai - very nice! The waiters came out with cake and sang Happy Birthday in French (Joyeux anniversaire).

It was a bit of a girls day out

Larissa had a Creme Brulee that was about the size of her head,

and I had the most amazing Mousse au Chocolat au Lait ever!

But the most important birthday of all was...

Helen's!

Now I just need to learn how to sing Happy Birthday like a kiwi!

Atlantis at The Palm

This weekend we went to Atlantis!

Atlantis is a hotel out on the crescent of The Palm (which is a series of manmade islands in the middle of the Gulf off the coast of Dubai). When Atlantis opened in September last year they spent $16M on fireworks that went off all across The Palm - the biggest fireworks show ever - that is the Dubai way!

I didn't take this photo myself

- the helicopter was low on fuel so I had to settle for a photo off the internet.

We drove past the Burj Al Arab on our way to The Palm - that will be next week's trip

I'm not sure what these buildings are - they look like the Chrysler Building in New York, but of course in true Dubai style there are two of them - bigger and better is their motto!

This is one of the many residences on the fronds of The Palm

I want to live there!

The tunnel leads underwater from the end of The Palm to the outside crescent

I took many many many photos of Atlantis - so pretty!

Typical Dubai - old world meets new world -

camels, monorails, sand... and the Burj Al Arab in the background

I know, I know, this photo looks like the other one.

But this is from the beach side, completely different.

Inside the Lobby

-it's made of fancy glass and kind of ugly, but I had to take a photo of it-

They have an aquarium in there too

Nasimi Beach

- we spent the evening on the beach in front of the Atlantis, lying in beanbags under the stars -

I seriously couldn't stop taking photos of the Atlantis

I realised after as I was looking through them that I managed to take almost the same photo several times over the course of the night.

I love Atlantis!

I was tempted to spend the 1000+ dirhams to stay a night there...maybe next time!

Athens!

At the end of Ramadan muslims celebrate Eid Al Fitr, which gave us three days off school. Including the weekend, this gave me time venture to Athens with two other teachers, Libby and Larissa. It was amazing! We did so so so so much walking, my feet still have not forgiven me, but we got to see some spectacular things!

I think I took about 300 photos while I was there (mostly of ruins), so here is a small selection.

The first thing that struck me about Athens was the weather. It was incredible to be outside and not sweltering in 45 degree heat. We had mild weather the whole time, about 24 to 26 degrees. Libby and Larissa (who are from North Queensland and Perth) thought it was too cold at times, but this Melbourne girl loved it! It only rained on us once. We were out at Akropoli and it rained steadily for about 15 minutes (long enough for us all to buy umbrellas that we will now never use in Sharjah). Otherwise the weather was perfect!

Random building near our hotel that I liked

View of the Parthenon from the roof of our hotel

We arrived at our hotel at about 3pm and decided to head to The Acropolis straight away. Our hotel was right by a Metro station which was fantastic. When we weren't walking, we were on the Metro - I think I have the stations memorised by now.

The Acropolis - it's quite a trek to the top

The Acropolis is a flat-topped rock and due to it's position high above the rest of the city, it was prime real estate anciently for temples or monuments to the Greek Gods. Now there are numerous ruins all around the site, the most famous of which is the Parthenon at the top.

Theatre of Dionysus

View of Athens from halfway up the hill

Still a long way up to go!

Some of the ruins they are not so sure about - I love the question mark

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

They still have concerts and performances here

Almost at the top

The Erechtheum

-this is at the top of the Acropolis, by the Parthenon-

Sanctuary of Zeus Polieus

View from the top

- a church?-

(note the question mark; if it's good enough for the Greeks)

Not sure which one this is and I can't find it on wikipedia,

but I was trying to be arty with the sun behind it

Larissa, self-photographing at the Parthenon

Me, self-photographing at the Parthenon

(as much as I hate photos, I figured I needed some proof that I was there)

It looks better when I'm not in the photo

This is a view of the Temple of Olympian Zeus from the Acropolis

There are 15 of the 104 columns remaining. I know you shouldn't have favourite columns, but mine is the one that blew down in a storm over 100 years ago, I think it looks cool.

Hadrian's Arch in front of the Temple of Olympian Zeus

We had quite an adventure on trolley-buses trying to find this a couple of days later

Theatre of Dionysus again

This was my attempt at being arty again

Temple of Hephaestus (I really like saying Hephaestus)

Again, we struggled to find this a few days later

-it's not as easy to see when you are down on the road-

The road leading around to the Ancient Agora

A chocolate cafe that we should have gone into

-I am having Max Brenner withdrawals-

We thought everyone back at school would appreciate this T-shirt

(June, July and August is when we have our big summer break and everyone goes travelling)

I almost bought one of these bags for Bridie

I thought it was a good combination of your love for cats and ugly bags

We finally found our way into the Ancient Agora, which is another popular site for ruins

The greeks like their columns!

More ruins!

One night we found ourselves at Syntagma Square which is where Parliament House is.

Outside Parliament is the Tomb of the Unknown Solider...

Which is guarded by two strapping young men in pompom shoes, called Evzones (the guards, not the shoes)

Every hour there is the changing of the guard which consists of three new guards marching into the square and changing places with the old guards after a fancy little dance (the third guard is an escort I guess - he shouts the orders)

We loved their dance so much that we couldn't resist coming back and seeing it in the daylight!

Once a week there is an extra special changing of the guard which requires a military band and 120 guards. They block off the surrounding streets for the guards to march through.

Quite a few people turn out to see it

Quite a few pigeons too

(Stacey, I was thinking of you)

Here is the daytime outfit

I especially love the knee tassels

The police on their way to organise the growing crowd

Proof I was there

I have video footage of the Evzones - get excited Bridie!

This is the National Archelogical Museum, just in case people haven't seen enough ruins

An impressive looking bronze sculpture of Zeus, about to throw an imaginary thunderbolt

The Panatheatic Stadium

Built entirely of white marble, the first modern olympics were held here in 1896

Athens Library

Not a great photo, but this is a view of the Acropolis from our hotel roof at night. It was an amazing view of the city from there.

All in all, an amazing trip!