Things are done differently in different places and this is always the problem I have when I’m traveling. Fortunately, I haven’t been to a right-hand driving country yet, so I’ll spare my time from talking about that. I usually travel alone (because I enjoy it — no hassle) so I can’t concur with someone regarding these things.
The first habit that troubles me when traveling is eating at a fast food restaurant. I don’t know if I should leave my litters on the table or I should throw them in the garbage myself. One might say that if in doubt, throw them in the garbage. That can’t be done because if you do that, they’d apprehend you because they have their own way of trashing. I’m used here in the US where we throw our own trash after eating. What I usually do is eat slowly and observe others then I follow.
Since I’m the topic of food, when I go back home to our province where most households have helpers (a third-world nation can really progress through slavery of their kind), after eating I’m used to bring my plate to the sink and throw my leftovers. I’m often reprimanded because I must leave the pate on the table and wait for the helper to clean the mess. Basically, we have a waiter in our dining room. Very progressive.
When driving, I’m always troubled whether I should turn right after stopping on a red light. In New York City, we are used not to do this 98% of the time — the 2% have signs permitting you to do this. It’s a serious situation because if you stop on a red light and you have your right blinkers on with a car on your tail, you’d get some honkin’. I hate being honked.
Lastly, I have the currency to worry about. I usually use larger bills so that I don’t have to waste my time and the cashier’s time by trying to figure out what coin I have. I had this trouble recently at UAE. The coins didn’t have numerals, so I always used the bills and that means I had tons of coins in my pocket. I hate carrying coins because they make so much noise when I’m walking.
June 3rd, 2008
Yesterday I went to the festival with four colleagues. We arrived at the expo center a little after 1. There weren’t too many people. When we entered the expo, we were greeted by WU exhibitors. So fun begins. We did everything so that we each get a souvenir from WU. Then we roamed around the expo and found the MG booth. We again asked for souvenirs. The result is the photo below. These two companies are the competitors of the company we work for — that’s why it’s fun. Needless to say, we also acquired a few souvenirs from X (another competitor) later that day.
The entrance was fun, now to the show. Firstly, since it was a Filipino event, the Filipino time has to play a role. The show started an hour late, so that means we have to leave an hour late. Papa Sam (Milby) is the last performer which is at 9:30 (adjusted due to Filipino time). MYMP is to perform before him, that means we have to wait at least until 9:30 before leaving. We sat down to watch the show an hour before the bandfest which we were counting on.
The bandfest bored us to death. I almost fell asleep. Only one band got me excited and only for one song out of three that they performed. The band is called The Grudge and the song is incidentally called Hoy! Gising! Only two bands sang Filipino songs and they were the bands that didn’t advance to the finals. Judges of the contest didn’t know what they were doing. I think they weren’t so broadminded judging the talents. I confess, The Grudge didn’t know how to perform on stage, but the bands who advanced were the same and I couldn’t even make out their lyrics because their vocals are so bad. All bands weren’t original with their music that’s probably why I got bored. They will always remain in the local scene.
The festival showcased a couple of comic act. They were funny, but were rated-R. A few performances that led to MYMP were terrible because they simply are not my type.
MYMP — Make Your Mama Proud — should only perform in cafés because that is the only environment their genre can handle. I will not intentionally go to an MYMP gig again unless I’m in a restaurant having dinner and they’re playing. I’ll just listen to them on the radio because it’s better to listen than to watch them play. The performance has no life and is to be expected because again of the genre of their music. The voice of Juris is there, but I’m supposed to be watching a gig, not listening to my iPod.
In conclusion, the festival was dismal. The journey to and fro the center was fun though — tiresome for me because I was driving. We had a good chat in the car, but what happened with Papa Sam stays with Papa Sam.
May 18th, 2008
I went to New Jersey today to install a POS system for an agent. I spent the whole day there. I had lunch at a Chinese buffet restaurant and had a fortune cookie. The fortune said:
You form passionate relationships without compromising your independence.
That’s so shocking for me because it is so true. Maybe I should start believing in fortune cookies? And my lucky numbers are: 11, 17, 19, 33, 36, 38. The wife loves numbers as much as I do, so in her behalf, I’ll venture a meaning for these numbers… I give up :) The pattern is terrible. The distribution is bad that it can’t win a lottery.
May 15th, 2008
My visit to Abu Dhabi, one of the seven emirates and the largest and thus the capital of the United Arab Emirates, I’m left with mixed feelings. I did not experience everything the city can offer, thus my testimonial is short and simple. I hope that another traveler would find this entry helpful upon visiting Abu Dhabi.
Immigration & Customs
For the citizens of UAE’s privileged countries, a visit visa which is valid for 60 days from the day of arrival can be obtained at the point of entry; in my case, at Abu Dhabi International Airport. From the time you reach the booth to have your passport checked, you could have your visit visa within 3 minutes. Your visa information will be stamped on to a page in your passport.
Since I did not have any checked baggage, I was out of the customs area right after I left the immigration booth.
Transportation
Firstly, taxis in Abu Dhabi are all over.To and fro the airport, drivers don’t usually run the meters. If they do, so far I have seen two kinds of taxis: (1)Regular - Gold and white cab with a flagfall of 2 Dirhams, and (2)Al Ghazal - Non uniform decent looking cabs with a flagfall of 3 Dirhams. Al Ghazal cabs are radio operated.
Taxi drivers of very old taxis are usually out and about the arrival area waiting to pickup passengers and are brought to the parking area. In my experience, it’s safe, but you have to walk far. If there’s no taxi waiting outside and you’re in a hurry, then go with him. Otherwise, upon exit of the AUH’s Terminal 1, there’s a taxi queue. These drivers will not run their meters, instead they will give you a fixed price according to destination. My destination was Abu Dhabi city center and to be precise: Tourist Club Area where my hotel is located. The fare runs between 60-70 Dirhams which is fair enough. The travel time is about 30-45 minutes depending on traffic and driver’s knowledge of the destination. I had someone pick me up so I felt safer.
In Abu Dhabi, people take taxis even though the destination is 2 blocks away. I have three opinions why: (1) The streets are very dangerous because the drivers are reckless and traffic signals are inadequate. They are followed, but inadequate in a sense that they only place traffic lights in main roads and not even “Yield” or “Stop” sign boards are placed on small intersections. This is fatal because drivers don’t slow down in these intersections. They have pedestrian crossing, but that won’t help. (2) It’s very hot walking outside, and (3) It’s cheap.
A word of wisdom if I may: Always sit in the back seat, especially if you’re alone. I’m oddly surprised why passengers (men mostly) take the front seat. I will not elaborate why men should not take the front seat especially if they’re alone…at night.
Accomodation
I stayed in two different hotels during my trip. Both are located at the Tourist Club Area.
Le Meridien - Decent, quiet and nice. Close to everything including the Abu Dhabi Mall. It has a village behind which gives you access to the beach and many more bars and restaurants. Each room has wired internet access which you will have to pay. Wireless access is free, but the signal in the room is frail. You have to go to the lobby lounge to enjoy free internet. The staff are friendly and helpful. The service is good overall.
Vision Hotel Apartments - Not as quiet as Le Meridien because the building stands next to the highway, but the building is tall enough not to hear the honks and car engines. The room is cheaper than LM and bigger. It came with a kitchen, washing machine, microwave, refrigerator and kitchen utensils. The only drawback is that the receptionist assumed I wanted a smoking room, so it reeked with a smell of cigarettes - bearable for one night. Service is good, but not as good as LM. Still, I prefer this hotel over LM because of its apartment environment.
If you forget to bring a universal power adapter, you can always ask housekeeping to provide one. Any other necessities are always available.
Restaurants
I’m not the best person to critique a restaurant because of my very picky nature. I’m sure anyone into exotic food would enjoy Abu Dhabi. There are plenty of ‘western’ fastfood restaurants in the city, so I won’t spend time on them.
Bavaria Pastries (02)679-4459 - If ever I was to live in this city, I will make sure I live close to this cafe. It is located at Kalifha Bin Zayed Street (3rd Street) across the Hamdan Post Office, Ninar Cafe, and Transylvania Cafe. It is a two-storey cafe with a patio for anyone who enjoys their meal under the sun in front of the city street. Inside is an ideal atmosphere to spend late lunch or early dinner. A feeling of coziness is present because the tables are setup like a dining for a countryside vacation house. If you want discreet, more private and access to power outlets, the second floor is a haven. The tables are arranged in booths.
The atmosphere is not what I like about Bavaria. It is the food. I have not tasted everything on the menu, but I can only say about a couple. I’m a burger person, so let’s start with that.
“BAVARIA” FAMOUS BURGER - The best burger I have ever tasted. It’s not heavy, yet very tasty and can fill a hungry appetite. It probably is halal, but I did not sense that taste. Maybe because of the fried onions that took care of the odd halal taste. The bun is not soft, yet not too hard. I can finish two of this in one serving. A serving includes french fries.
GRILLED CHICKEN - It’s the sauce that’s making this meal very tasty. Since the people I came with are known in the restaurant, we were able to acquire massive amount of sauce on the side. Partnered with a delicious fried rice, this is another meal that I won’t get tired of.
Fuddruckers - Anytime I find a Fuddruckers station, I have to go in and get a bite. It’s one of those rare food chain that it took me more than three years to go in again. I’m very surprised that there is a Fuddruckers station in Abu Dhabi. It’s located at the second floor of the Marina Mall.
Trader Vic’s - I had a heads up that burger here is excellent. The restaurant is located inside the Beach Rotana Hotel’s main entrance next to Abu Dhabi mall. I did not get to eat their burger because when I came, the restaurant was closed and that was my last day in Abu Dhabi. There’s always a next time.
Shopping
Abu Dhabi Mall - Located at the Tourist Club Area, the mall has three floors. It has many stores to choose from.
Marina Shopping Mall - Located at the Marina Village, northwest of Corniche. It’s about 20-30 minutes walk from the Emirates Palace Hotel. The mall is decent with plenty of stores to choose from. The mall has two floors only.
Madeenath Zayed Shopping Mall - Located near the corner of New Airport Road and 13th Street. I visited the Gold Souk area and not the shopping mall. The shopping mall and the gold souk are separated into different buildings. The gold souk has two floors, where the first floor unanimously sells jewelry of different kinds. The second floor sells household accessories. The restroom (for male) is awfully smelly. I had to hold my breath until I was ten meters away from the entrance.
I will recommend a jewelry store. It’s called the Million Jewellers. If you take the right-side of the entrance, it’s about 4-5 stalls on your right. The salesmen are friendly and speaks Filipino quite well. Haggle properly and you’ll get a good deal.
April 5th, 2008
When I first came to America, I was expecting a culture shock, but I wasn’t culturally shocked. Being here now in an Arabian sand, for the first time I am experiencing a culture that is realistically backwards to what I’ve been used to. I can stand the heat, so it’s not the desert heat at all. It’s the restrictive nature of an Islamic culture that I found inadequate in my vacation.
I will list the things that I think are unadaptable for my lifestyle:
- Paranoia on public display and action.
- Halal
- Fridays - not a good day to go for lunch because you’ll starve. Restaurants and malls open after 1PM on Fridays after the prayer. Sabbath is strictly adhered to.
- Web censorship.
- Annoying TV programs.
- If you’ve been to the likes of Jamaica Avenue in Queens, New York, that’s how the people in the city center behave - without the gang activities.
Regardless of the shock, I still enjoyed my stroll with Mai and friends later this afternoon. We ate in a Filipino restaurant, although I only had a couple of spoonfuls because I already had lunch ahead of them. Needless to say, the Coca Cola Coke that I drank did not taste like one. It tasted like brown sugar was added in it. Very, very weird! Afterwards, we went to a gold souk to look at jewelry for her friends who are getting married - and we ended buying a pair of rings for us. Before I go any further, I’m not getting married…yet. Not in this place! I’ll be sporting a bling when I get back and this is for the first time because I have never worn a jewelry in my entire life.
Afterwards, we all went our separate ways. I went back alone to my hotel room and slept under the serenade of Damien Rice. Obviously, I did not sleep well because apart from a culture shock, I experienced jet lag for the first time. I am writing this entry at midnight. While we’re on the nocturnal subject, life here happens at night. I don’t see this many cars until early morning roaming the streets - not even in the City That Never Sleeps. I’m not brave enough to go outside and take a snapshot of the busy streets, but I soon will.
March 28th, 2008
