Love & Life in...

Sunday, 5 October 2014

October is here and stuff is about to get crazy. Life has ramped up a notch lately both in work and out of work and while I am loving every minute of this jam packed life we are living, I feel a little bit out of breath with it all.

There are so many things to do and see in Dubai and after a few months of settling in, I feel like it is time to start enjoying this city and country for that matter. We have been frequenting new bars, different restaurants and indulging [maybe] a little too much.

We have been making new friends and time is now shared which is brilliant; one of the most important things on my list for moving to Dubai was to settle in, meet people and make friends. When you move to a new country, finding your feet and finding people who share your likes, dislikes, interests and people you "click" with is very important. Having just a couple of people who you can call upon, share moments with and talk to when those tough days arise, is vital. And having just a few people to call friends will keep you sane when those tough moments set in.

Work is ramping up a notch too. In just a few days, The Ripe Food & Craft Market launches in it's brand new home in Zabeel Park and months of hard work for the whole Ripe team, will come to fruition. To be part of this is ridiculously exciting and rather stressful for me in equal measure. To be part of the team who is responsible for the UAE's favourite farmers market carries with it a little bit of pressure and I am certainly feeling that.

But I know all the hard work and the awfully early start next Friday, as we run around in Zabeel Park in the dark in the early hours of the morning, doing our first real live market set-up, will be worth it.

Needless to say my body is feeling the pain and my brain is constantly buzzing. October please be good to me.

Saturday, 4 October 2014

Kayaking in Ras Al Khaimah

Starting my Friday standing at a petrol station in Tecom at 7.30am was not exactly what I had in mind after a very busy week at work. But taking every opportunity to explore this city and country is very important so when the alarm went off at an unearthly hour, we were up and out the door.

The activity for the day....kayaking! Yeh I know I am not really a watersports kinda of girl, but a little road trip across the country and the thought of learning a new skill was enough to let me leave all my cares behind. We started early because we were heading to the other side of the country, Ras Al Khaimah to be precise to a place called Barasti Sailing Club in Al Jeer, right on the border with Oman.

It's a fantastic place down there which is going to get even better in the coming weeks as they add more facilities. We were invited down by our friends sister, who is a very clever lady, a marine biologist to be precise, to have a little kayaking lesson and meet some of the creatures that call this place their home.

I am not going to lie, driving through what seemed to be the middle of nowhere, in convoy with three other cars, not exactly knowing where we going, we were a little dubious about our final destination.

Set just on the Oman border, with the mountains on one side and the sea on the other, this place is peaceful, low key and stark contrast to the hustle and bustle and high-rise city we left behind. And it was perfect. To be out of the city for the first time in 3 months was just what we needed and despite the long drive, it was worth it.

Bobbing around in a kayak has never been my idea of a fun morning and I am not the typical sporty type so I was rather hesitant about jumping into a solo kayak and had visions of me capsizing within a few moments. But I took to it like a duck to water and got the hang of it after a few minutes. And dare I say it, I enjoyed it! We stayed within the confines of the marina and didnt head out into the sea, mainly because out of the group 12 of us, several were not confident with their abilities. But it was a great morning and I definitely think my body received a much needed workout.

I will reluctantly admit that I was wrong about kayaking. Being outside and taking full advantage of the opportunities this place gives us was great. These are the moments when being an expat pays of; spending your Friday morning out in the sunshine, doing new activities with new friends makes up for the sacrifices. Oh and speaking of new friends, we made one. Meet clyde, the bearded dragon.

Thursday, 2 October 2014

Review: Smiling BKK, Al Wasl Plaza, Al Safa, Dubai

If you're looking for tasty Thai food in Dubai, that wont break your bank balance, Smilling BKK in Al Wasl Plaza, Al Safa is the place to go. Don't ask about the name because I really don't know but I was taken here by my lovely friends and by the time my plate was clear I didn't want to leave.

It is a humble setting, with a very casual vibe and randomly decorated, with odd graphics on the wall and tons of little colourful lampshades handing from the ceiling, giving you a whole host of things to look at other than the menu. It is dark and eclectic and it feels almost like your in someones living room, which I love.

But you should really get back to the menu. Which is huge and a little overwhelming for a first timer, I will admit, but once you get down into the depths of it, you will be fine. And everything that arrived at our table was amazing and packed full of delicious flavour, so I am certain whatever you order, your taste-buds will be happy.

We scanned the menu for several minutes. And then a few minutes more, before shooting our toy gun into the air (given to us by the waitress on arrival) and in a second, a waitress appeared. This is how you let the staff know you're ready to order and I think it is a pretty genius idea. Saves those awkward moments with staff hovering around and you feeling rushed to make a decision. And there is nothing I hate more than being rushed when it comes to food choices.

Anyway, we ordered the Big Smiling Sample Set to share, with its crispy bags of gold (dumpling type things) veggie spring rolls, fishcakes and prawn crackers, the Tom Yumm soup, the Kaeng Panang which was a delicious peanut curry, another thai curry, jasmine rice and another rice variety crammed with delicious flavour that I cant remember what it was now.

And everything was phenomenal. They ask you how spicy you want your dishes when you order, 10%, 30%, 80%, you pick, which is another thing I like; because I love a little kick of heat and flavour, but don't want my head blown off. The soup was delicious, with a generous helping of spice and shrimp and the peanut chicken curry was nutty and creamy, with perfectly cooked, delicately spicy chicken.

The quality of food and service in the place would warrant a high price tag, but that's not the case. This is delicious, well made food, at reasonable prices in the heart of Dubai. Which kinda proves my point that you don't have to spend a ton of cash to eat well or live well in Dubai, you just have to pick your places wisely. If your in Dubai and craving Thai food, Smiling BKK is definitely the place to go!