Dear Viewers of HD-TU (RTD-T)

Whoever you may be..

I have spontaneously decided to shift my posts to Tumblr for a bit, on recommendation from Nick, to see how it works out.

So you can find my new(er) posts at: http://handsup-thumbsdown.tumblr.com/

Mag Her Rita!

J3 Frozen Magheritas!
We wanted to use our new blender.. they look impressive, but goodness! They were pretty disgusting.

Old Town

AE from my old SILA office was in town visiting and we went for a stroll around the (new) Old Town at the Burj Dubai site. This is from the Palace Hotel viewing point with the Al Bahar Souk to the right and the lake that goes out towards the Burj Dubai.

You like pie?

A chicken & vegetable pie I made.. hoping that Nick + Till would pop around for dinner!

Mono.. doh!

The construction of the Dubai Metro from the Saffa Park fly-over.

It has moved from the point where I'm standing to its current position in about a week.

This is what a girl's locker room looks like

This just reminded me of Murph.

Lunch bargains

All-you-can-eat vegetarian curries, rice and roti bread for 8 dirhams!

CAD

Some architect is having a laugh.

(that could have also been 'some architect is taking the piss' *boom-tish*)

Not my domain

A tile sample from Terrazzo that is pretty amazing with a built in stainless steel pattern for one of our projects at Yas. Makes me reconsider about going into interiors.

Cheeeken

Aditi and I made dinner last night at the villa.
Rupert thought he would be manly and cut one of the chickens.
It was a ghastly scene.

PS3 Time

I finally got around to meeting up with Pat + Georgie.

We had brunch at Spice Island!

Then we spent hours in their apartment playing Lego Indiana Jones.

NERDZ! :o\

Beep Beep on my Car

I took Sharlene to go pick up her brand new car!

Going Up

Burj Dubai from the Defence roundabout.

Speedracer

I had meetings in the morning at Yas Island and I'd decided that this time I wasn't going to be driving as fast as I did that time I was following Matt. I'm pretty surprised that my beasty Yaris does pretty decent at these speeds.

The orange flashy '120km' light is to tell you that you're over 120kms. I'm pleased that mine actually stops after 8 beeps and doesnt keep going like some other cars.

Bookworm

This is how many books I've read by time June had rolled around. When July is done, I'll be adding 2 more to that collection. I havent read this many books in the past 10 years put together! Theres a bookshop near work that sells used books and they buy them back at half price.

Disregard that they're all cheesy Virginia Andrews books.

No Photo Sunday

I did take photos.. but with my Lomo instead. I've decided to give it one last chance. Especially as I'd found a shop that stocks Fuji Superia.

This is an old photo from Roll #4.

Saturday 19th July

The "Origami" water feature at Dubai Festival City.

Friday 18th July

I have been eyeing this thing off for weeks.. ever since the dudes across the road were cooking off it and playing loud doof-doof music.

Freedom Grill - A barbeque thats connected to the the car!
"First, take away all the hassle of hauling the grill.
Second, design something that actually accessorizes our ride.
Third, think through every detail of what makes on-the-go grilling great - and then settle for nothing less. Put it all together, and Freedom Grill is what we got!"

Thursday 17th July

Location: Yas Island Site Office Cafeteria

Here you can buy a tinny of cola and a plate of however much hot food you want to pile on for only 10 dirhams.

Wednesday 16th July

They like doing these window decos on the backs of their car.. usually of the Sheikh or his in-line relations. But this one appears to be some Falconry champion. And you cant tell from the shitty phone picture, but the spare wheel cover is actually bejewelled on the outlines of the logo and image.

Bear and Milo

I cant post my photo from yesterday because I didnt offload it from my camera!
As a consolation, here is maybe the best photo I have stalked off Facebook:



For anyone that ever came to my Kaleen house when I lived in Canberra, you'd know of these two!

Bear was my sister's dog. He was a Pyrenean mountain dog. My sister saw the breed on TV (possible the pet section on Burke's Backyard) and decided to buy one. It got delivered to our house as a puppy - it was as big as s fully grown German shepherd and only got bigger! By the time I moved to Canberra, she couldnt take it back to Sydney with her so gave it away to the older couple that lived over the back fence. I used to go back often to say hello. He died some time after I'd left.

Milo might look familiar. He's actually the father of my Oscar. If you came to the house and you were non-Asian, he probably tried to bite you. He used to hang out with his brother Diesel (the husky) and Miew (the burman cat). Milo used to walk me to the bus stop and see that I was gone. Or run with me on the bike until he got tired and turned around to go home. When our grass outside was really long, he'd eat the field mice that ran into the house. One winter day during my final year, Milo disappeared. All that was left was his little raincoat sitting in the backyard. We never knew what happened to him and it left Diesel heartbroken and depressed and began eating everything in sight and turned from a fit dog who ran about 6kms a day with Geraldine to not being able to walk from the living room to the kitchen without lying down. Sad.

Birthday Cake

The rule around here is that if its your birthday, you buy sweets for the whole office. I was lucky enough that my birthday was during a time when pretty much everyone was away for Christmas holidays. So I was left with about 2 weeks worth of mini chocolate bars in my drawer. It was Mohan's birthday yesterday and he bought each room a cake. My worst combination ever - nuts (flaked almonds), fruit (strawberries and kiwis - WORST), jelly, and that really gross sugar air-like cream. The sponge was alright though.

I still ate it.

World Youth Day

The funniest thing I have seen all day.

I wish I was imaginative enough to come up with this stuff.

Gotta get up and go to work

At the intersection of Al Urouba Street and Al Wasl Road.

This is how we do

I didnt take any photos yesterday.. the old 'left my camera at home' chestnut.
So I scanned in something that I spent most of my afternoon on, which would give you an idea of what my job actually entails.



I dont exactly walk around in khakis, digging holes, playing with plants or surprising people after they've been whisked away on a weekend break.

Cats, Brunch and Cars

Thursday

This is one of the street kittens that lives in our yard that have been enticed to stay because Sharlene kept feeding them. They get close enough now that we can almost pet them.

Friday

I met up with BOC (and his sister) for Friday Brunch at JW Marriot. While Meghan and I were at the dessert area, we heard the Polynesian band guy welcome onto the stage 'Brendan from Canberra'.. we looked over to the bar to see that they'd grabbed Boc while he was sitting by himself at the table and they were teaching him the Haka. (I have the whole shamozzle on video)

Saturday

Couldnt decide which one represented my day better.

1. I FINALLY got my car washed after more than a month, paranoid that I might get pulled over by the cops for having a dirty car (its true). I almost forgot it was blue. This is also the 2nd time I have ever been in a automatic car wash. So many more to look forward to.

2. I made my own version of a Jaeger Schniddy.. complete with mushroom sauce and fresh cabbage salad. (Mash instead of rosti)

Comfort Food

Or 'Too Lazy to Cook' food.
This reminds me of lunch times at SILA.
For true authenticity, the noodles should be Maggi (the Maggi noodles here are really BAD) and the bread should be plain Buttercup steez with Meadowlea margarine.

Whatevers-left-in-the-fridge Risotto

Last night's dinner - chicken, chorizo, cabbage and peas risotto.

Getting Lost

Defence Roundabout 7:13pm.
Current temperature: 34°C
Humidity: 73%


I was on my way to DIFC and got stuck in traffic. And then I was in the wrong lane which made me go right around the round-about. (Which isnt really a roundabout.. just a crazy layout of roads and traffic lights). Dusit Tower in the background.

Shiny New Things

Mad Decent and Fool's Gold threads to rep.

Weekend Dump

Thursday


Keva Lounge with Zeina


Friday


At The Smiling BKK thai restaurant.
Note inflatable giraffe and tiger 'doing it' on the shelf.


Saturday


Erik taking it wide on a corner on the go karting track at Jebel Ali.

Motherland

I joined the gym. *Shock!* A Fitness First even *Horror!*



I went to check out one of the branches at Ibn Battuta Mall. (Yeah, I didnt know he was a real person either).


There are 6 different 'courts' that represent the 29 years he spent travelling through the Middle East and Asia. This is the China Court down one end.



It has a big boat in it.

Get your hair did

Kate's "i didnt wash my hair" 'do.