It is UAE national day and it is a big deal. There is national pride here, but not the American version. There is none of the ‘we are the best’ comparitism. There are no trucks, there are no fireworks, shirts remain on. There are flags. There is a respectful pride here. It is different from…
Month: November 2023
Kandora
I have woken up optimistic about my weight. This might be hard to believe, but eating enough food for one person is indicative of a healthy weight. The usual Thursday night routine is Arabic at our local for dinner. A mixed grill for two, just for me. Last night, as usual, slow cooked buffalo and…
Trust the Belt
I have woken up fat. Technically, I woke up fat Tuesday. The realisation came when I needed to let my belt out a notch. To be honest, the belt felt a little tight Monday evening on the way home from work. I ignored the warning signs and ate enough for two Monday evening. This is…
Visitors
Davy and Di are here for the weekend. Passing through after a month or so travelling through Europe. We planned to take them around Sharjah and Dubai yesterday, but it rained. It rains here two or three times a year. When it rains it floods. Yesterday was no exception. Roads were closed with flooding. We…
Sabotage
The commitment to reduce weekend drinking is being hampered by my decision to start drinking through the week. This attempt at moderation is also being sabotaged by the philosophical problem of what time is ‘too early’ to start drinking. Obviously, 5.00 am is inappropriate, but what about 7.00 am? On a positive note, my effort…
Sharjah Sunrises
We are early risers so we have seen plenty of sunrises. Morning is my favourite time of day. That chilled moment before the sun breaks the horizon. The light without the sun breaks the darkness, pushing at the blackness, and moving it across the sky. The weather has changed in Sharjah, it is cool, but…
Social Scene
Shell keeps a tight friend circle. I can count the number of people she keeps in contact with on one hand that is missing a few fingers. Wenche is one of these friends. Shell met Wenche in Malaysia. Wenche was working in the Humanities department for the high school where Shell taught primary. I also…
Identity Crisis
Shell has massaged all the blogs into one, but this place seems to be having an identity crisis. It was simple when we were riding, each day was different and there was something to write about, scenic pictures. Adventure. Then there was the wine blog. Every post was the name of the wine and some…
Saturday, 4 November
2021 Azienda Guilio Straccali Chianti (Chianti, Italy) We decided Saturday morning not to drink today. We stayed strong until just after lunch. I used to be a bit snobbish with Chianti in the fiasco. We have had a few here in Dubai and they have all been great. Chianti always takes me back to Italy,…