Date Night! Anar, Madinat Jumeirah

Last week on October 22nd, Ian and I went on a date night to Anar restaurant in the Madinat Jumeirah.  The restaurant, serving traditional Persian food, is set on one of the canals next to the traditionally built souk, lined with palm trees lit up at night by fairy lights, with the Burj Al Arab framed at the end of the canal.

With a myriad of restaurants to chose from, we used The Entertainer as a guide and settled upon the Anar.  Luckily, we booked our table in advance and were given by far the best table, right on the waters edge, away from those using the canal path as a walkway and without being on top of other diners.

On arrival the staff were polite and friendly.  Their knowledge about the food was also very good.  To start we chose to share the Kofte Anar.  Luckily for us, this was a good choice as it served with a large salad, cheese and lots of bread, and after being asked if we had eaten Persian food, to which we relied no, we were told to eat it sandwich like with lots of sauce.  

The lamb was beautifully spiced, and the pomegranate provided an explosion of sourness that offset the flavours of the lamb very well.  We didn't use too much sauce; which was a pomegranate sauce and was a little too much for me when used too heavily as it is rather bitter.  Luckily, as it was to the side of the dish, this was entirely to your taste.

The staff convinced me to have a Anartini cocktail, which I admit, did not take too much convincing, and at 49aeds was not expensive.  It was however very strong.  We are not talking paint stripper type strong, but it did take a few mouthfuls before you stopped pulling a face as though you are sucking on a lemon, when drinking it.

  

This, plus the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, 200aeds, meant that I had stopped taking mental notes of our main course and Ian became funnier.  For his main course, Ian had the Soltani (a huge lamb kofte) which he just could not finnish, with a selection of three different powdered chutneys which were too bitter for his taste.  I had a Khoresht Anar which is a sweet and sour lamb stew served with rice and jewels of pomegranate seeds.  As with Ian, the size of the serving beat me and I had to leave some of the food.

 

I would love to talk more about how good this food was (Ian and I both agreed that we would come back), but sadly the cocktail and glass of wine meant that everything is a little too hazy apart from my repeating that I would definitely be eating there again.

The Madinat Jumeirah is very chilled in the evening with holiday makers strolling about trying to figure out where to eat, and made us feel as though we were on holiday.  when we arrived, Anar was busy, but by the time we left at 10pm, every table was taken;  The same can be said for all of the other restaurants along the waterfront.

There were lots of people with families in tow.  You are even able to take a boat trip along the canals which only last about 15 minutes.  This is on my list of things to do with my neices and nephews (the baby ones at least).  It is quite sweet seeing the kids wave to you as they go past on the miniature dhows.

Total Bill:

1 Kofte Anar         58aed          £  9

1 Soltani               185aed         £29

1 Grilled Veg         30aed         £  5

1 Anartini              49aed         £  7

1 Sauvignon Bl.   200aed        £32

1 S.Pelligrino L      30aed        £  5

Total inc tax        607aed        £95                 

It should be noted that I have not included my main course which was 1 Khoresht Anar and cost 120aed or £19.  This was removed from the bill we used a voucher which gave us the cheaper main course for free (BOGOF).  We can also use our Emirates Platinum Discount Card here, but on this occasion, using the voucher was better for us.

Yes, we would be going back.  Madinat Jumeirah is a must visit for any tourist and will be perfect for us to take our families.  You can start off having a shop in the souk, and finish off with a drink in one of the many restaurants and yes we would definitely recommend the Anar.  

Human rights

I have just been reading that the European Union have produced a report on Human Rights abuse within the UAE which has angered officials here.

Quite frankly, one of the reasons we chose to move here is because we wanted to live amongst people who were law abiding.  We were sick of people who thought that they were entitled to anything they wanted without working for it, and those that work hard are repaid by being ignored.  Out here, you know what you are getting...  If you do the crime, be prepared to do the time.

Speaking as a non national, we knew that when we moved, fighting in the streets, bars or anywhere else is not tolerated and nor should it be.  Lewd behaviour is not tolerated.  Swearing and gesticulating obscenities is not tolerated.  Big public displays of affection i.e.  sex on a beach or being 'passionate' anywhere in public are not tolerated, but lets be honest, do you want to see people having snogging opposite you in McDonald's whilst you are trying to eat your Big Mac, let alone having sex (not necessarily in MaccyD's but anywhere)?!  No. Do you want to see a friend or partner, being repeatedly punched or kicked in the head because he looked at someone the wrong way?  No. Do you want to stand by a bar and have someone come up to you and put their hand down your top or pants?  No.

Now I know these kinds of behaviour are not tolerated in the EU (and specifically the UK) either.  There were a couple in Windsor who were arrested for having sex on the grass outside of Windsor Castle just last year, but the difference here though, is you will not get a slap on the back of the hand and a telling off by someone who you will never see again, or a small fine if you are really unlucky as you would in the UK. Here, you do not pass go.  Here, you go straight to jail.

The law is THE law.  Yes it is strict, but it evokes people to live harmoniously side by side.  A lot of what you read at home is utter b******s.  I can recall reading about the 'sex on the beach couple'.  All the reports in the papers stated how they were sentenced after having sex in public.  One newspaper (it was either the Telegraph or the Times) were the only ones to include in their report that the couple in question had actually been asked to stop twice before, but continued to ignore the requests.  In my book, they lived by the sword and died by the sword.

Now, I am not going to say that everyone in prison here is guilty.  Far from it, but I certainly could not say the same about those in prison anywhere in the EU.  Yes the judicial process in the EU may be steeped in history and procedure, but even here there is a process and the laws, which may be basic, are black and white and enforced whenever the public is at risk.

Referring back to my previous blog, again, I do agree that the laws here are open to a degree of abuse, but are you really telling me that things are any different in the UK or anywhere else in EU?  No.  Laws on tax in the EU are regularly flouted with loopholes being made to suit the rich.  We all know that every law, somewhere in the world, has been abused.

Yes, I am sure there are some things that could change.  The court process here could open up a bit more if people from abroad are to have full confidence in the system;  You never read about the sentencing in the papers, only the details of the case.  However change is coming about.  For example. the UAE government have endorsed a requirement by the Government of the  Philippines that a mandatory salary be paid for the maids that work over here, together with spot checks to ensure no maltreatment.

Ultimately though, here in the UAE and as with Sharia Law, the rights of the person wronged are much higher on the agenda, and if the person wronged is a minor or deceased, the family’s wishes are taken account when sentencing.

Quite frankly, in this regard, for the EU to comment on the Human Rights of the UAE, when their own are questioned on a daily basis, I think proves a lack of foresight and intelligence.  

At home, we allow rapists and paedophiles to leave prison within 5 years and move back to the same neighbourhood as the children they attacked.  We allow murders to be rehabilitated back into society 15 years after they killed, without a thought for the life that they have taken forever.  

On Sky news yesterday they said that people who commit robbery in the UK, have on average a rap sheet of 12 other convictions before they serve time.  The people that they rob from however, are living in their own 'prison', waking up at every sound outside throughout the night, living on edge without even taking into account the emotional loss at heirlooms being stolen, or the children’s favourite toys that they may or may not be able to replace - This I can speak from personal experience.

For non nationals in the UAE, we have jumped through so many hoops to live in a country where the standard of living can only be dreamt of at home, I wouldn't know why you would want to flout the local laws.

You know before you move here that, you must defer to the locals, but then, should that not be the case at home?  Here, the worry first and foremost is that the locals are appeased and then everyone else falls in behind them, and yes this can mean that their argument has more weight in a court, but again, is the EU trying to say that this doesn't happen at home?  For example, has anyone ever successfully taken the monarchy to court?  No.  Does this mean people end up unfairly in prison anywhere in the world?  Undoubtedly (think Prince Harry's model in the USA).

All that is being asked is that you treat the country with the respect and authority it deserves seeing as how you are a guest here which means living by their rules, traditions and standards.  This is a rule that all foreigners living/visiting in any country which is not their own should live by...  Certainly, the UAE will treat you the same way you treat it.  As far as I am concerned, this is exactly what all members of the EU should be asking from the people that migrate into them - Even if they are from other member states.  They won't though as otherwise they will face criticism for failing to take into account the human rights of the migrants - They will just ignore the human rights of the nationals instead.

Until the member states of the EU have put the emphasis back to the victim/local people and the local law, the EU will always have a questionable human rights policy themselves, however good intentioned.  People in glass houses should not throw stones...

Hell hath no fury...

In the UAE and as per strict islamic rule, sex outside of marriage is illegal with prison sentences being given to those who flout this law;  Think the English 'Exec' who has been in the papers for improper behaviour with an Irish man, or the infamous 'Sex on the Beach Couple' who were both sentenced despite having married to reduce their sentence following arrest for 'doing-the-act' after being asked to stop.

Even though, the law dictates that hotels should only accept people who are married to stay in them, for those of us with a more liberal western view that travel with partners prior to marriage, the cohabitation law is openly ignored, meaning unmarried couples are accepted.

Whilst it was not the case with Ian and I (we had to get our marriage certificate attested prior to my obtaining a residence permit as he was 'vouching' for me), it is not unuseal for westerners to bring out their prospective other halves to live in the UAE with them.  They just obtain work o their own for example prior to moving, so their visa is theirs.

For ex-pats, on talking to people who deal with the law in relation to immigration, getting married is necessary from a longer term prospective.  Without having an attested marriage certificate, it is impossible to procure a bank account if travelling on a family/dependents visa.  Primarily though, should a women fall pregnant, there is the threat, no matter how slim (I have found no known cases that this has been excercised), that she could face jail on having the baby as the baby was conceived through sex outside of marriage.

This law does however mean that wives who have been wronged have a rock solid form of revenge.  It would be incorrect to say the papers are full of stories, but I have read in the papers, on an almost weekly basis, that wives report their husbands and mistresses to the police who are then imprisoned.  A Woman wronged and all that.... 
 
The only unfair part of this is the fact that the 'wronged' woman, more often than not, recinds the court action against her husband, but it continues against the mistress.  The question is, would this be a big enough shock to the man so that it is not repeated, or would he think that he could get away with it again...?  

Unfortuantely, the papers here only report on cases which are ongoing, giving details of the case, but never the outcome.  For example, there was a woman who, whilst pregnant with their second child, caught her husband 'in-fligrante' with another woman.  She pressed charges, but later in the dock, dropped the ones in realtion to her husband so he was let off.  The woman continued the charges against the mistress, but the article did not, and the papers will not, say what happened to her.

Is this fair?  I mean, yes it would hurt immensly to be put in this position, but surely you would have to be a certain type of person to put a woman behind bars for any period of time, despite how tempting?  Would I or any one else ever want to be that person??

Either way, I pray no one I know is ever put in the position to have to find out.

Fog, fog, fog...

 

Whilst Facebook is reporting snow in the South East of England, here too in Dubai the season are changing with Summer being offically over when a thick fog starts to sweep across Dubai each morning from mid October, burning itself out by 9am.

It was rather a shock to Ian and I as we had not heard anything about fog here.  "What do you think it is?" Ian asked whilst opening the blinds in our bedroom to a wall of white on the first morning of the fog.  We literally could not see the skyscrapers next to us, the fog having an odd off white verging on yellow quality to it, billowing around the side of the building.  

 

The fog as it clears

In all honesty, and with more than a tad stupidity on my part, my response was "Sand Storm".  We had heard about these being fierce, but when I woke up a little more and realised that it was more remiscent of smoke than sand, but still being none the wiser, conversation changed to the ongoing tensions in Iran and, referring to the threat of attack on all American bases in the area, the drama queen in me asking "Surely we would have heard/felt any airstrikes on the naval base?!?!"  The look of shock at such a stupid comment from Ian was priceless untill he started to laugh at me...

The effect of the fog is dramatic, you can feel the drop in temperature daily.  When we first arrived in Dubai, the temperatures were around 48 degrees decreasing so very slightly to 45 degrees at the begining of October.  However, the temperature has dropped down to a comfortable (yes, you are hearing me right) 35 degrees during the day, 33 degrees at night.

Visabilty can be very poor (about 100 meters on the SZR) at the begining of the season and car crashes are inevitable.  Pile ups are a daily occurence; the worst being a 32 car pile on the Dubai By-pass with 16 people injured.  This and ongoing crashes had caused reports that Dubai Police are urging drivers to use their fog lights; and not their full beams or hazards which are often seen on the roads in fog.

The fog also caused Dubai International Airport to close for the morning resulting in huge delays and even causing some planes to reroute their planned destination.

I would definately bear this in mind if travelling here at this time of year.

Arsenal Soccer School Dubai Impress in Opening Night oof JFL League

Last night was the opening night of the JFL League here at Dubai Mens College in Academic City.  This highly competative league is held so the local teams across to Dubai can compete against each other.

Ian was really impressed with how his teams played, "It was 8v8.  90% of our team were 12 years years old, whilst the opposing teams were all under 14's.  We were such a young side;  The boys playing against us were as tall as me!  Initally, the boys were really nervous, but we had a game plan that they stuck to and we played really well, really impressive."

Two games were played, the first for the league against FC Wacht Self, which was 2-1 to Wacht Self.  

The second game was a friendly against The Blues.  Arsenal were meant to have played against Arabian Gulf Rangers, but they did not show up because of Eid.  Arsenal won with a clear 4-0...

"The best thing about last night," Ian said this morning, "was that even the other Head Coaches came up to congratulate me on how well the boys played.  We really impressed people last night.  We played such good football in both games.  We may have won one game out of two, but ALL the boys should be really impressed with their performance;  Their parent's were, I was and most importantly, so were the other teams!"

Eid Moubarak! - May you enjoy a blessed festival!

Today is Eid al-Adha (pronounced Eid Al-uda).  The second most important holiday in the Muslim calender which means a 4 day weekend as it is a national holiday.

Eid al Adha (or the Greater Eid as it is also know) is the Festival Of Sacrifice, and remembers prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son when God ordered him to.

For Muslims throughout the world, Eid al-Adha is quite a ritualistic experience, lasting days and fasting during daylight hours.  Thousands of animals all over the world, are 'sacrificed' by the wealthy.

Now I know to the majority of you, this will have conjured up images of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, however, you would be so wrong.  The 'Sacrifice' part in this ritual is that the animal offered has to be the best a wealthy person is able to afford.  

The meat, which is obviously Halal and premium quality, is distributed so that the owner of the animal receives one third, whilst giving a third for their extended family and neighbours, and a final third to the poor. 

Eid finishes with big family banquets to mark the occasion.  The theory behind this is a perfect illustration of the Muslim culture with Family, Community and Charity being at the heart of it.

 

The Uptown Bar

Ian and I, having heard that bars would be closed on Thursday, and no alcohol would be served in restaurants, decided to go out and get a cheeky couple before the imposed 24 hour ban, and agreed on going to Uptown Bar, on the 24th Floor of the Jumeriah Beach Hotel.

We should have known our night would not go according to plan.  Ordinarily, taxi's can be found within a couple of minutes of leaving our building, but not tonight.  No, we waited well over half an hour, even giving up and walking to the Marina for a non alcoholic drink (the restaurants and cafes there do not have license to serve alcohol), with a view to waiting slightly later for a cab.  As it was a long weekend, the roads were solid, and a journey which would normally take between five and ten minutes took over 40.

The Burj Al Arab

On arrival to the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, we were greeted with fantastic reception staff who unfortunately relayed the bad news;  The bar is closed as it is a dry day.  We had the wrong days.  It aparently started at 6pm (it was now 6.05pm) and lasts until 6pm Thursday...  Five minutes late... 

Feeling gutted and rather foolish at not having figured this out sooner, we had a bit of a nose around the hotel; I showed Ian where 360 (another bar, obviously currently closed) was.  We took some fantastic picture of the Burj Al Arab, and sat down to a pepsi and mint tea.  Mint Tea when I was expecting wine...?!?!  We were both so despondent, we hardly talked and the pair of us sat on facebook most of the evening until we (queued again) for our taxi home, where we ate bad pizzas bought from Carrefore.  Oh the evils of no alcohol!

Oddly, and irritatingly for us - well me anyway, whilst the rest of the Muslim world is on holiday, the JFL League starts tonight - the night when across the world, people will be sitting down to huge dinners with their families, extended families and friends.  This is the league in which the Arsenal Soccer School Dubai compete against other schools from Dubai and unsurprisingly, as Eid is traditionally a time when people travel to see family and take holidays, two teams have pulled out as they are unable to field enough players.  Unfortunately, Arsenal Soccer School Dubai are not one of them. 


This sadly means that Ian is working tonight.  We were both invited to dinner a new friends house with the girls and she is cooking for us, so I will be going on my own.  There will however be vino...  Roll on tonight!!

Tacky of Classy... Can you replicate the Taj Mahal?

As you have probably heard, the Taj Arabia is due to be finished in 2014.  This Taj Mahal replica has not gone down well in India, as they cite that it is desiccating a 'Spiritual Centre' representing '5,000 years of excellence'.

Personally, I believe that the Indians are also concerned with the effect that this will have on their tourism industry, being as how this is their number one tourist attraction.  Realistically though this will prove to be unsubstantiated when you consider Vegas has replicas of the Pyramids and the Eiffel Tower, yet people still travel from other sides of the worlds to view the real ones.

 

The Taj Arabia is another of Dubai's frankly rather odd ideas to bring tourists into the region.  They plan to make this the number one destination of choice for those wishing to marry in the sun, providing a one stop shop of wedding boutiques, chapels, spiritual centres etc, together with a 5 star hotel to cater for the wedding parties. 

I just find this a little weird.  Will people really want to marry in a replica of what is undoubtedly one of the most romantic places in  the world, but which at it's heart is still a mausoleum and more importantly, a replica???  Will Vera Wang and other designers flock to open wedding boutiques here???

The answer in short is yes.   It should be noted that everything out here is big and brash.  The furniture shops contain so many items that in my book are a little on the tacky side, the sort of thing you would expect to see in a Russian oligarch house;  Lots of chrystal, gold and chrome intermingled with shiny back/white surfaces.

Maybe it is the English sentimentality in me that I think less is more, or maybe it is the fact that out here, everything is new (even the 'old' buildings are replicas of the original buildings apart from in Bur Dubai which is the only place in which original architecture can be seen). I like a mix of old and new.  Contemporary and antique is more my style, but I don't envisage the Taj Arabia to have the serenity that you expect from the Taj Mahal, as everywhere in Dubai so far has been hussling and bustling, noisy and new.

I would not go so far as to say that I am offended by it, but am I the only person to find this tacky?  The pictures that this is currently conjuring up in my head are rather on the vulgar side, similar to the wedding pictures where, in America, everyone in a wedding party wore Louis Vuitton monogrammed outfits (and I mean everyone... including the bride), whilst being ferried to and from the venues in a Rolls Royce which was covered, inside and out, in the same cream on brown Louis Vuitton monogram logo.  Or this Phantom above.  Classy huh?! 

I would be very surprised if the big fashion houses do not open wedding boutiques here.  Shopping is the major tourist attraction, with Festivals of Shopping being a winter staple during January and February.  Even on Eid, the malls open for 24 hours.  

Dubai itself, compartmentalises areas in the city.  The newspapers and news channels are found in Media City, big car dealerships in Motor City, investment banks in DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre) and so on.  Now Dubai will have an area dedicated to all things 'weddingy', although I would not have a clue what this will be called.  Wedding City perhaps?!

That said, I totally plan on visiting the Taj Arabia as soon as it has been completed.  I will be going not to replace a visit to the real thing, far from it in fact, but seeing as Dubai is about opulence, a replica of the Taj Mahal is Dubai at it's best... and it's flashiest.

Arsenal Soccer School Dubai sweep the board

Ian arranged several friendly away games for his teams last Sunday against Soccer Tots Accademy at Dubai Sports City, as the JFL League was starting and he wanted the kids to gain more experience.

Several teams were put in for various age brackets with Arsenal Soccer School Dubai sweeping the board, winning all of their games.

Age Brackets                 ST            v           ASSD
  8                                       0                              11                                    
10                                       2                                5
12                                       2                                7      
14                                       2                                4

Ian was very impressed with the level of play, saying how the it was obvious that the children really wanted to win.

He commented that there were several boys who really impressed him, with a couple of boys that, had they been slightly older, he would definately put before an Arsenal Scout.  Whilst they may be too young at present, he will be wantching them in the future.

Body issues

Being part of the land of the Bold and The Beautiful has put a certain amount of pressure on me to start to look after myself more, and so far, this has meant almost daily torturous visits to the gym.

I should start by saying that here, I really am not the only one who feels this.  When I discussed this with Claire, another British expat she said "I used to be a size 12 at home.  I came here and saw that everyone was tall blond and had bumps in all the right places.  It made me feel uncomfortable in myself, so I hit the gym...  Hard"  Claire now has a stomach you could wash your clothes on.

The thing is, I have also found out that the comparisons are all one way.  I never seem to notice the short girls with a bit of flesh who are throughout Dubai, even though I am more than conscious about my own dimpled bum.  That said, when I actually look for them, 'normal' women are everywhere, it is just in our psyche to tear ourselves apart and ignore the signs screaming at us that this is a real life version of photoshop - You see what you want to see. 

Gratifyingly, I found out that I would not be the only one carted off to the mental asylum, "Do you know, I don't either."  said Claire when I mentioned this to her.  She actually discussed this at work also, and they all agreed, unlike at home, if you feel crap, you watch Jeremy Kyle to make yourself feel better,  here as it is all one way, so introverted, you fight it. 

 

The mani-pedi here is de rigueur, which luckily for me with my discount works out at about £15 - or £5 for the manicure.  Women are always hairless, apart from on their heads which are coiffed in different styles every time they leave their homes, even if at the end of the night they resemble poodles leaving the parlour.

I knew that with all the sun and the fact that I now have a drawer dedicated to my bikinis, which I wear a couple of times a week, I would be more body conscious.  I knew before we started to look for somewhere to live that a gym was an important part of the deal.  Surely, if it were on my own premises I would go more, ergo be more at home with my dumpy legs???  

The gym, looking down to the running machines, bikes and rowing machines

The overwhelming desire to bring on change kicked in on my second visit to the beach.  The  shape of my legs must change, the roll around my middle, which is not visible when I stand but causes a white line along my waste as it does not get to see the sun, needs to go as do those bingo wings which are starting to form at an alarming rate.

Fashion is very important here, and as you acclimatise, fashions in the UK can be worn here;  Layering in winter months is key and yes, I am gutted that I have left my leather biker jackets behind as apparently I will be needing them.  Jeans can most definitely be worn and are currently my outfit of choice, although when I first arrived I thought the people who wore them in such extreme temperatures were to be a sandwich short of a picnic.

Sadly, having moved countries, setting up home is a priority, and therefore shopping for clothes, has not really been at the top of my agenda (excusing the Burberry sunglasses I brought), but to my horror, when I saw the S/S13 hemlines rising to just below your naval, I could see that this trend will be big in Dubai.  Huge even and I knew that something had to be done. Now.

So I have hit the gym.  The first session was an evening session, after Ian returned from work.  He killed me.  He was doing what I am sure every great athlete and trainers do;  Pushing your limits till you hurt.  Needless to say, I threw a tantrum and continued the session in a foul mood, whilst he stood there sniggering at me.

Looking up to the weights

Since then, he has not come with me.  He is very positive and always makes sure to ask what I am doing, for how long, what weight etc... and whilst I would never admit this to him out loud, having him there for the first time was a god send, as it has forced me to work harder, longer and push myself every time I attend, and to be honest, a view like this makes it easier..

From my treadmill, but taken with my BB so it's not a good pic, but you get the idea

The good news is I am seeing the benefits from it.  Whilst my arms and belly remain the same, my legs are undoubtedly looking better and I even wore a skirt 2 inches above my knee to our date night last week.  Don't get me wrong, there is still a long way to go til I start to look like Kim Kardashian, but one small step, one giant leap and all that...

 

 

Date Night! Amwaj Rotana - Rosso

Last Tuesday was date night.  We wanted a nice setting which is licensed and serves good food.  I liked the idea of linking in Ladies Night somewhere, so Ian and I headed off to the Amwaj Rotana Hotel in JBR, and took the lift up to their bar, Rosso.

Rosso is a very decadent bar, with the large bar in the centre of the room all lit up to show the bottles of liqueur, yet in Ian's words "moody lighting" throughout the seated section, the darkness making everyone without exception and including us, dripping with sweat, look more attractive.

We have previously been to the bar itself on a Friday night.  It was rammed to the rafters with standing room only.  At the time of arrival, it was happy hour (daily 6pm to 9pm), so it was buy one get one free.  The best news about this happy hour, is that it had even included various cocktails;  Or at least versions of them, although I would personally stay clear of the Vanilla Cosmopolitan.  The vanilla was far too strong and overpowers the drink, leaving an acrid aftertaste in your mouth.  That said, I should have known better - why mess with perfection in a martini glass?!?!  

On this Tuesday ladies night though at 8.30pm, (every Saturday to Wednesday, 9pm till closing, 2 free drinks for women), the bar on arrival was rather empty as well as being very chilly with the aircon up rather high.  To the left of the bar as you walk in, is a wall of glass which leads out to a lovely grassed roof terrace, with holds more tables and chairs that were  rapidly filling. 

The beauty about this area is not just the pretty white fairy lights that wind up the palm trees lending the area a lovely romantic feel, but also the fact that the tables are spaced so that you can not hear the table next to you, let alone get food envy from the food that is delivered to them as it can not be seen.

People of all ages come here of an evening to eat and drink.  Children could be seen playing quietly with their toys on the grass fighting tiredness, whilst the adults talked and ate (and drank - lots).  Birthday dinners with groups of people laughing and joking whilst the singer and the guitar player play on in the background not being too obtrusive.

The service here was a little on the slow side again.  I am however noticing that this is a recurring theme in most places, so I am beginning to wonder if my London sensibilities need to be toned down to cater for this, i.e  am I just too b***** inpatient?! 

The drinks took a while to arrive and the food even longer, meaning we devoured the (complementary) homemade bread, cheese, and tapanard long before the starters came.  

Ian had the duck breast to start which was artistically plated.  The flavour was divine, and the also very tender.  To follow he had the Lasagna, which he thought whilst very nice, was not as flavoursome as he would have liked.

Ian's duck breast starter

I had ordered a salad with artichokes and various other things, but instead I was brought a Insalata rucola.  I did complain to the waiter, who asked if I wanted to return it, but having heard about the penalties the staff may face from other expats, I declined.  This proved very advantageous to us as he ensured that we were well watered with a couple of free drinks for us both.  

My main course was the Penne Integrali, which was lovely.  It was the first time since being in Dubai that my pasta has not been overcooked which made for a very pleasant change.  For some reason, Al dente is not a phrase which the majority of chefs out here seem to understand.

At the end of the night, our bill came to 463aeds, which is about £84, with the salad changed to the one that I had eaten as opposed to ordered.  However, this did included a bottle of wine and sparkling mineral water, both of which come at a premium in Dubai.  It did not though include our free drinks, or the 15% discount that we obtained whilst using the Emirates Platinum Card.  This took the bill down to 394aed or £70.  My mission is now, to determine exactly where accepts these cards and the discounts available for them!

On leaving the bar, at about 10.00pm which is rather early by Dubai standards, we did notice that it had got considerably busier.  All the tables were taken outside as were the majority of tables inside, with a handful of people standing up at the bar.  

 

My prediction would be that as winter progresses, this bar will increase in popularity so I must remember to book in advance. 

Now onto more pressing matters... Eid this week.  This means a long weekend which Ian gets off.  What to do?!?!

Beach time baby

We are very lucky, living where we do, to have the best beach (and best beach bar) in Dubai directly opposite us, or as Ian says "A nine iron away", whatever that means! The beach itself can, just about, be seen from our apartment and the traffic jams leading to the Barasti Beach Bar every Thursday and Friday evening can definitely be seen as they are the longest I know of for any bar out here.

As it is now our local, or "The Pelican" as Ian refers to it (The Peli being our local pub back home - Get it?!), and seeing as we are sans liqueur license, I tend to get dragged down there at least three times a week so Ian can have a swifty, which is never that swift and only once has it not included eating.  

Before Ian appreciated what a good watering hole it was, and prior to the pool opening, we had visited the beach a couple of times a week.  It opens at 11am and remains open until the bar closes.  Now we tend to visit only in the evenings as Ian says he doesn't like the sand(?!).

The beach itself isn't the biggest, but it has views across the Palm to The Atlantis hotel, and to the left a small harbour.  The water is clear and bath temperature warm.  All along the front of the beach are dark coloured wicker type sun loungers, with cream cushions and umbrellas.  Set just back from those are double sun beds which match.  Even during the week, if you want to get a bed of any description, you have to arrive before 12.30pm.  At the weekend, it is a different story.  You have to get there at opening if you want to secure a bed of any description, otherwise the sand toward the back of the beach is the only option.

The Atlantis is being obscured by the big yacht

It is a great place to people watch.  The bold and the beautiful pack into this beach to show themselves off.  Yes, bodies are fantastically sculpted (note to self, hit the gym harder), but even the best can look damn right stupid.  For instance, there was a beautiful man, with stunning eyes and a body even Alexander Skarsgard would be proud of.  But the tit was wearing speedos, and not just any speedos.  Oh no, he was wearing electric blue Superman speedos with the superman sign emblazoned over his 'you-know-whats'.

Granted, this specimen was bronzed and was able to totally rock the colour, but what ultimately let him down was the size of all things down there...  Superman he was not!  Seriously people, if you are going to parade around the beach, even as banter, this is not a good look.

 

There are five bars in total in the Barasti.  A couple of the bars only open in the evenings during the winter.  This is a bar which comes into it's own in the winter, and from now on, we told to expect it to get busier and busier as the temperature cools.  

During the winter, the beaches and outdoor spaces come alive and the Barasti in no exception.  It hosts weekly beach parties;  the biggest being HedKandi once a month.  Apparently during the summer months, it is just too hot so people do not leave the cool of the air conditioning to be outside.  Now though, it is 35 degrees during the day and 33 degrees at 11pm.  There is still 40% humidity, but this is so much better than it was a month ago - 90%!!!  Lets just say, people out here do not have the best hair so my immitation of Monica from Friends visiting the Carribbean is not too embarrasing...

Of the five bars, one is on the decked area underneath the roof you see above.  It has a lovely covered seating area of lounge beds which isn't shown in the picture below. You will have to forgive my photo's as the heat renders me useless to drinking (and clearly taking photos).  Drinks here however, are not the cheapest - all of Dubai charge London prices.  During the day, there are no promotions and for 4 Bulmers and 4 bottles of Sol we paid just over 400aeds.  This equates to £80.  That said, after being brought, they were carried over in their ice buckets, with attached bottle openers and wedges of lime.  

They do have a 'Happy Hour' here, as with most of the Marina.  This means that you have BOGOF - Buy One Get One Free, on bottles of Sol and some other beers from 6pm to I think 8 or 9pm.  They also have various promotions throughout the year.  Their ladies night starts again this October, so it will be a free couple of glasses of bubbly for me every Tuesday!

One of the bars on the beach itself

Above the downstairs bar, and as you walk in, you are greated with a large swimming pool which is apparently used during the winter, and around which are more dark brown rattan sofas, with two out door bars and one indoor bar.  

They cater for all tastes here and show lots of sport, including all the Premier League Football games (normally on the big screen outside and one inside the main bar), cricket and rugby on the other smaller screens.  Again, whilst seating is plentiful, it is not unusual for it to be standing room only around the pool by the big screen for football.

The main screen where all the big premier league matches are shown

Food here is at a premium due to the location.  All food is home made and a Beef Burger here costs 80aeds, about £15 (Ian's favourite).  The portions are very generous.  It is also worth noting that they have a pork license, something which even many hotels lack.  Therefore, if you have a craving for Ribs, at the moment, this is the only restaurant we have found as yet that is able to give you pork ribs, so I would recommend you eat here as beef ribs just don't make the cut.  

Personally, in this heat, I often opt for the tapas menu.  There are various options, but I like the mini burgers and curly fries.  Each option on the menu is 35aeds (£6) and the two mini burgers have filled me up before I have even begun the fries, but yes, I did finish them.  These are also perfect for children.

Due to the number of people that they serve, service is a little slow but ordinarily it's OK.  Yesterday, for the first time, the service wasn't so good;  One of the meals was dropped and they forgot to serve the sauce we had requested - ironically delivered when we were on our last bite.

I ordered a seafood pizza which was very tasty or as Ian would say "Not too fishy".  The calamari was perfectly cooked and not at all chewy, and the crab meat delicious and plentiful.  I struggled to finish the pizza which was the size of a large dinner plate and cost 78aeds.  

The ambiance here from early evening/Late afternoon is always buzzing.  There are people of all ages, from babies, to grandparents in the upstairs bars with the downstairs mainly reserved for those on a nightout.  The only irritation has been that if you are sat eating on certain areas of the veranda, you have the music from the bars upstairs, playing different genres to the music playing from downstairs.

We stayed the afternoon and into the evening, going downstairs.  Ian wanted to go onto the sand and dance even though there were no old ladies to throw around as you would expect from him.  Luckily both he and Gerry, a friend of ours from Woking, had to leave for work at 7am, so myself and Nuria managed to convince them to leave early enough, and having not drunk enough, for it to impact on their day today.

The view of our apartment (centre) from the beach at night - the bar is somewhere on here...

It is worth noting, although more for a aid-memoire for me, that I do believe that we were  able to use our Emirates Platinum Discount card here and got 15% off the bill, although Ian said that I was dreaming as this hasn't happened and I must have had heat stroke/been under the influence when this was meant to have occurred(?!).  

Luckily, this just means that we have to go back there in order for me to prove myself right!