No City Gal

I get lost in malls. I have no idea why I can't beat this re-occurring scenario but I become disoriented and slowly but surely lose my way, strolling around trying to understand how the hell I got in there and how to retrace my steps. I blame it on the mall of course: Everything seems the same with ads, lights blinking everywhere, canned music, echoing noises and the throngs of humans who - annoyingly so - look like they know exactly where they are.

It happened to me the last time I was in Cairo. It took me thirty minutes to extract myself from the maze of store levels and elevators to find the right exit that I was expected to be at an hour ago.
Today could have been a repeat. Our uber-cool boss told us that he wanted to treat us to a day in Dubai (on a workday) and told the two of us to get lost, have fun and explore. So together with my colleague I headed to Dubai, a fascinating modern city filled to the brim with luxury and heaps of more luxury topped off with even more deluxe folks. I swear the people that live here must eat gilded cornflakes for breakfast or something.

Whilst puttering around Ikea my colleague had the intelligence to keep tabs on my whereabouts with a cellphone so she would not lose me to a couch in one of showcase living rooms. She was the experienced field guide and from then on I held onto her for dear life: We were about to enter the infamous Dubai Mall.

Imagine a monstrous construction containing over 1200 stores, an enormous aquarium, cinemas and lord knows what else lurking in there.
I got lost. But not for very long for my kick-ass colleague took me to the aquarium where I almost kidnapped the cutest two baby eagle rays that kept playfully dipping their little heads out of the water and staring straight up into my eyes and I fell in love with them and I then saw my first Pineapple fish but no glow and I now also suffer from acute all-five-of-'em sensory overload after spending a day in a mall-scape that seems to go on forever and ever. Wow.

Seeing all the crazy buildings of Dubai made me marvel at the ingenious way that humans change a landscape irrevocably and become a breathing and living part of it.

It sure is nice to be back home again.
And not getting lost on my way to the little ladies' room.

Aquarium Dubai Mall

En Route

Alectis ciliaris

A juvenile African Pompano is such a tiny freak with its impossibly long dorsal filaments. I swear it almost looks like it was touched by the holy appendage of the Flying Spaghetti Monster or something. I don't know why but it makes me wonder about possible entanglement underwater for these little guys. Imagine swimming along pleasantly and getting your dorsal fin stuck in something? I have a cartoon-esque visual of it stored in my mind and it makes me giggle.

I have never come across a juvvie although colleagues of mine in Mexico have emerged from the water telling me all about having one of these wonderful weird encounters (And no, of course I am not envious...) 

Whilst in Musandam my student and I had got a pleasant surprise when we hit the water. First a Pygmy Devil Ray zoomed past us and then...A school of mature African Pompano fish came cruising by, leisurely on their way to the nearby cleaning stations to get a little spa treatment, I presume. Gosh, they are such cool fish! I have absolutely no particular reasoning (besides their awkward juvenile appearance) why I think they are so awesome. You be the judge and watch the video of one swimming...

Pygmy Devil Ray

Mom and Pops Pompano

Pompano Junior

Blue Bites

I love blue food. Completely. I know that most of us are fond of blueberries but this attraction is mostly based on the taste and not on the specific hue that this berry exudes. To me they are irresistible BECAUSE they are blue. A deep, vibrant delicious blue...
Heck, you could take a bowl of my least favorite vegetable, Brussels Sprouts, dose them with a generous dollop of blue food coloring and I would be in there like a dirty shirt. I probably need therapy or something. To curb (or satiate?) my enthusiasm for All Foods That Are Blue my friends tend to be highly accommodating: One of my dear pals in Mexico kindly sprinted across busy roads to retrieve blue candy floss from the street vendor who was not within my reach; and others patiently separate the blue M&M's to make me cease jumping up and down with manic eagerness.
I don't know why I have this infinite craving for blue edibles. I tried to stop pondering the reason behind it but it is hard because there is not that much real natural blue food out there. Sure, blueberries are one of them but cobalt-colored Skittles hardly count. Right?

So I looked it up. According to a website about color & foods I am - in an evolutionary sense - destined to kick the bucket (...). Most cyaneous-colored delectables out there would make you keel over on the spot, thus conditioning humankind over thousands of years to AVOID blue food. Apparently even the sight of cerulean snacks suppress appetite.
Sigh.
It seems as if my best bet is to purchase some azure-colored sunglasses to keep my rose-colored view on my favorite food color from getting the Blues.

Bluesy Goodness

Diving Expedition

In the evening the traditional dhow headed out under the full moon in Omani waters for two days of diving and two nights of sleeping under the Middle Eastern sky. A wonderful crew of divers made it an excellent weekend and the unspoiled marine environment was a feast for the eyes.

In the next month we will be heading out for the last seasonal dhow diving trips to Oman. I am very much looking forward to it - Sailing and diving in remote seas makes my heart glow with contentment...

I love my job.

Dhow & Divers

Omani Sunrise

En Route

Musandam, Oman

The Reality of Television

I have never watched TV much, perhaps because I grew up without one during my formative years. When we lived in Gabon we used to wheel the TV and VCR (when video cassettes still ruled the world!) out of their hiding spot to watch old movies. Living in Holland as a teenager I did get glued to the screen, perhaps my highest peak of true TV addiction featuring MTV and Allie McBeal (I know, I know...)

But in the last twelve years I have not owned a single TV.
The main factors responsible for the absence of television in my life are probably the more isolated places I've lived and my parents - who aren't TV junkies.
I view this as a blessing in many ways and I am grateful. However, during certain social exchanges I of course can't say much when it comes to the latest happenings regarding TV programs. I normally make up for it by uttering appropriate noises during a rehash between acquaintances about the latest episode of e.g. Desperate Housewives whilst listening to the opinions flying back and forth about these famous strangers' latest behaviors and looks.

I believe that reality shows are a different beast all together. I understand their lure and the aspect of voyeurism but in general I do not have much care for the day-to-day lives of the rich and famous.
To be really honest with you, I find the reality, care and love of life and that of others around me much more significant and interesting.
Yet don't think that I am dissing TV altogether, heavens no.
I am a fervent fan of films, documentaries and several TV series but I want to be the one that chooses instead of letting TV channels decide what I can watch and when. Besides, DVDs and online viewing have less advertisement interruptions, and I get to hit the pause button whenever I want!

You might wonder why did I write this post about television?
Well, my new home in Khorfakkan is this beautiful, quiet and clean apartment with all the amenities, provided by the awesome company I work for. And guess what? A high tech flatscreen TV adorns the wall in my bedroom. With all the channels in the world!
The things is, I don't even know how to turn it on...

 

Khorfakkan the Town

Khor Fakkan can be translated into "Creek of Two Jaws" and is nestled right between Oman and Musandam in the United Arab Emirates.
I arrived in Khorfakkan in the beginning of April. It is a quiet, sleepy town and a favored weekend destination for the ones that wish to escape the hustle and bustle of large cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

No bars or clubs are to be found here and during working days it is peaceful, with hardly any traffic and the meticulously groomed public spaces deserted during scorching hot midday hours. In the weekend the Corniche fills up with those who venture out in the evenings for a stroll when temperatures drop and work ceases. The beach attracts pick-nicks, water activities and families.

I have the feeling that I will enjoy living and working here very much.

Diving here is incomparable to other seaside ports in the Emirates. The abundance of marine life, the visibility and temperature here are drastically different, and much more favorable. One of my first days of diving I was pleasantly surprised by certain aquatic encounters and a Black-tip shark's fin breaking the surface brought a smile to my face. My first Zebra Moray Eel gazed coyly at me from beneath a crevice, and a meter further a Tiger Snake Moray shied away as soon as he spotted my bubbles...

Khorfakkan Beach

Zebra Moray Eel

Stark Desert Mountains

Nightingale Sisters

Many a dark winter night these voices have filled my living room. I can close my eyes and get transported back to those precious evenings: Lounging around with a half smile on my face, a glass of wine in my hand and their soaring vocals soaking right into my soul. Candles lit, incense burning and Crackhead the cat sleeping in front of the fire. I miss moments such as these, where the night tends to mingle with the musical notes and envelops you in a sonic landscape that is both foreign yet so familiar.

When I moved to Canada I shared an apartment with two men for a while. Allan was Nepalese and Saeed came all the way from Pakistan. Saeed's presence introduced me to Bollywood films & soundtracks and classical Indian music, a gift I will forever be grateful for.
Whether he was translating a few of Asha's lyrics or giving me an update on the story line of a Bollywood flick that we were watching, he remained patient and kind, even teaching me how to sing along with some of Lata's more famous songs (I am tone deaf, by the way).

Lata Mandeshkar and Asha Bhosle are the nightingales of India and are revered worldwide. It seems silly to describe the magnitude of their talent and beauty. Please experience it for yourself and make up your own mind. Hopefully their voices will enrich the appreciation you have for music even more.
Asha Bhosle 
Lata Mangeshkar

The Legendary Sisters