The age old story of a billionaire carving his name into his private island in large enough letters to be seen from outer space (or Google Earth). The island is open to the public, so perhaps this is reason to hire a boat to visit the serene piece of sand and sea. But, it’s really…
Tag: Random Musings
The Colonel would be proud!
When Colonel Sanders started Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1952, something tells me he never imagined his chicken would one day be so popular on the other end of the world! Unfortunately, his popularity with young ones in the UAE doesn’t bode well for the obesity and heart disease epidemics. Click picture to be redirected to…
Living in sin
Reason #73 that we know we’re in a Muslim country: living in sin can get you jailed and even deported. Check out this piece which covers the issue. As with most laws, if you don’t make a big fuss, you’re likely not to get in trouble. But, that’s why we like to play it safe!
This Flight was Smokin’!
Anyone who has been in an airplane undoubtedly has witnessed the airline “refreshing” the air during either the boarding or unboarding process. Most times, it isn’t that noticeable other than a slight hissing sound. However, coming back from Oman recently, the air was so hot that the air pumped in almost looked like the plane was being gassed….
Creative English
When in China, we were overwhelmed with “Chinglish” – a rare language based somewhat like English…if Google Translate was the supreme ruler. We’ve found a similar language here (Engabic perhaps?), whether from our landlord’s notices or a recent restaurant experience at Abu Dhabi Airport. The restaurant is Hippopotamus, originally French but found on every continent….
Watch that finger!!
For having a relatively small population, the UAE seems to have a disproportionately high number of bad drivers. And with all of those bad drivers, road rage is bound to affect even the most patient tempers. But you better think twice about flipping off someone when that road rage sets in. Apparently giving the finger…
Code of the Road
Being off the UAE roads for a little bit gave us a bit of perspective on how “fun” the driving is here. So you can hit the ground running – or in this case driving – when you come visit, here are a few key rules of the road… – Flashing the headlights – a…
Taking America for granted
Those who know me know that I’m a fan of video games. And as Megan can attest, some of the games I play tend to be not for the young or faint of heart – games with over-the-top violence, language and, quite frankly, no redeeming moral or social value whatsoever. But let’s be honest –…
Government Slant
Because of their incredible growth, diverse population and friendly, pro-West attitudes, it’s easy to forget that the UAE is not a democracy. The government – more specifically, the ruling Al Nahyan family – has final say in all matters, and is a highly respected authority. This is evidenced from time to time, like in “Gulf…