Al Ain Paradise Park

One of my teachers told me about Al Ain Paradise Park and I visited it today.  It is less than ten minutes from home.  It is absolutely spectacular!  My pictures are good, but I've included professional ones, including two video clips.

http://en.nkfu.com/al-ain-paradise/

Here are some of my photos.

Park Entrance -Whimsical Image of Metal Guy with Flower Baskets on His Handlebars and Behind Him

Section of Fence Surrounding the Park

Another View of the Fence

Guinness World Record Certificate

Arch Made of Hanging Baskets

The pictures in the link below are phenomenal!  

http://sathimanoj.hubpages.com/hub/Al-Ain-Paradise-park-The-Guinness-record-holder-for-Largest-Hanging-Garden

This next link below is for a ten minute video.  If time permits, this is a good one, too.  The music played on it is the typical sounding high energy Arab music.  Reminds me a lot of Latin music, with an added twist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7OUm2iuo1k

Before going to the park, I went shopping and picked up some new fruit I've been wanting to try.

Side note - The really hard to get down fruit that I mentioned in an earlier post and wasn't sure what it was, I saw them again today and it was guava.  Eating it was not a pleasant experience.

Interestingly, both of the fruits I purchased today were listed as strawberries, but I looked them up and have provided their actual names.

The above fruit is the mangosteen.   

This is what the mangosteen looks like when opened up and ready to eat.  (See directly above.  Sorry.  Having trouble adding captions).  It has a rubbery texture, kind of like calamari, but sweet.  It looks a lot like a clove of garlic.  There is a seed to eat around in the middle.  The following is a link with more info - http://www.mangosteenfruitinfo.com/.

This fruit is rambutan - above.  This variety is from Thailand.  

This is what it looks like when opened and ready to eat.  It, too, is rubbery but sweet.  Different flavor, and sweet.  There's a seed in the middle of this one, too.  More info on this fruit can be found here - http://www.wikihow.com/Eat-a-Rambutan

That's it for today folks.  I'm a tired momma. 

Your blogging buddy

New Do

Left work today and raced to the spa.  I was scheduled for a pedicure and waxing - eyebrows - but I decided to add a manicure and a haircut.

There was a young lady there with a really sassy cut, and I wanted that one.  What I got was a more conservative  version of that, but I'm happy with it.  What do you think?

It's OK.  I can handle the brutal honesty.

On second thought, lie to me.

If you're wondering if I took the picture myself in my bathroom, you're right.  A limitation of living alone is having to resort to this.  I could knock on my ghetto fabulous neighbor's door, but I'm not up for ghetto tonight.

Side note - Thank God, my internet download speed is working and working fabulously.  I tried it before leaving for school today, and the downloads were zipping through, lightning fast.  No need for a serviceman on Saturday.

I didn't get home until 8:00 again tonight.  I'm looking forward to lots of rest and relaxation this weekend.

Although I do have to make up a few Arabic classes I've missed, and that happens on Saturday.  If the guy wasn't such a good teacher, I'd probably drop it.  It's hard doing any mental exercise after work.  My brain is usually fried and needing to rest after 3:00pm.

Side note 2 - A Maserati passed me on the road when I was in Abu Dhabi earlier this week.

Side note 3 - The toilet paper here is different.  I think it's two-ply, but the paper is very loosely rolled, so you go through rolls really fast.  Most of it feels like sandpaper, but I found one brand that's wonderfully soft and the rolls are standard size.  Yes, I have a closet full of it.  When I see it, I buy it.

In my last year of college, my youngest brother (Terry, a year older than me, now deceased), shared an apartment.  That was about the time that generic brands became readily available.  When we shopped, he was adamant about buying name brand toilet paper.  He taught me that generic brands just don't cut it for every thing.  Toilet paper is one of those sacred things.  Spend the extra nickel or dime or whatever it is and enjoy the comfort that only quality toilet paper can bring.

OK.  Now that this conversation/monologue/chat, has gone to the toilet - literally - it's probably a sign that I've run out of things to say.  Not so, but it's a good place to stop nonetheless.

My weekend begins now.

Happy Thursday to you!

Still Staring

Ok.  By now I should be used to seeing guys rub noses and walking hand-in-hand, but I still find myself staring.  These are not things you see everyday.

Like my fascination with the camels, I'm equally moved by the affection that guys show toward each other.    Knowing how they view homosexuality as another forbidden fruit, it's interesting that these "friendly" gestures are not perceived as anything but that, friendly.

Side note - It doesn't appear that birthdays are recognized.  I was watching some 2nd graders today and and asked several of them when there birthday was, and no one could answer the question.

Side note 2 - There are no guidelines as to what age a child is when he/she starts school.  One of my first grade teachers pointed out one of her students that's a tiny thing.  We're guessing she's about four.  We have boys in fifth grade that need to shave.  Full mustaches.  Some of the women, too, but that's for another day.  There is a girl in fourth grade that is probably at least thirteen.  She's my height and has to wear an abaya instead of the uniform the other girls wear because she's outgrown them.

Side note 3 - When does a side note become the main point?

Anyway.

I left home at 6:00 this morning and arrived back here at 7:45 tonight.  Long day, but very productive, thank God.  I will never complain (OK, almost never) because I took advantage of the time I had before work started and I had a blast.  So, now it's time to get busy about the reason that I'm here.  I'm good with that.

Side note 4 - I more than tripled my internet download speed - that took the patience of Job to get done by the way - but I'm still having slow movement and sputtering problems.  I know the problem is not my computer and I don't think it's Tyrone (my wireless router), so I've got a serviceman coming over on Saturday to get to the bottom of this mystery, once and for all.

Side note 5 - Just tried to watch a movie trailer.  The download is still sputtering. Spitting.  Starting and stopping.  Aggravating.  Of course, it could be worse.  It could be that this great resource wasn't available at all.  Only snail mail or and the occasional phone call was the only communication vehicle available not that long ago.  It's a little funky, but it could be a whole lot worse.  Another reason why the timing of my being here is perfect.

I've stalled long enough.  I have to go to bed.  I'm downloading Glee while I sleep, so it'll be my treat to myself tomorrow night.  Yep.  I'm a Gleek.  An old one, but one nonetheless.

Good night to me and good morning to you.

Have a terrific day!