Greetings!!!

weekend snapshot # 33

A glorious Sunday to everybody! How was your Christmas celebrations? Ours extended until the 26th because it is my son's first birthday. Yes, I had him via caesarian the day after Christmas hihi. So i share with you today the pics from our celebration.

My Andreas extremely adores Barney so it was the theme of the party.
The design was especially made for him by House of Cakes Dubai.

We also had face painting and balloon modelers.

Of course, a character appearance of Barney to the delight of around 75 guests!

We were to blow the candle but my little boy was more interested with laughing and
squealing in delight with Barney. I guess it was the perfect birthday gift for him haha.

Thank you for the continued visits everyone! I am excited to see all your WS entries. Have a peaceful and prosperous 2009!! Cheeers!!!!

greetings!

weekend snapshot # 32

This December is extra special for our family because Hubby is celebrating his 34th birthday and it is going to be our first family Christmas. Because recession is heavily affecting everybody, this post is my birthday and Christmas gift to him.

Hubby's birthday cake from Andre and Mom. December 14 falls on weekdays
so we had a quiet celebration - just the two of us and our 11-month-old son.

I list 34 random facts in honor of my darling husband, Ceasar.

1. He is very hard working.
2. He never says "I told you so."
3. He is the ultimate chess player.
4. He is very good at boxing.
5. He loves to cook.
6. He is a devoted father,
7. a great son,
8. and a loyal brother.
9. He is faithful.
1o. He can be very silly.
11. He has great, wild ideas.
12. He is romantic.
13. He will give his soul to a stranger.
14. He takes us on fantastic holidays.
15. Weekend means adventure to him.
16. He is a very good manager
17. He always makes me feel loved.
18. He stands up for his family.
19. He has a very good memory.
20. He has great taste in movies.
21. He enjoys playing the guitar.
22. He never forgets our anniversaries.
23. He is a good uncle
24. and a loyal friend.
25. He is fair and has a great sense of humor.
26. He is a very good provider.
27. He spoils me a lot.
28. He has a good vocabulary.
29. He is a pro at table tennis.
30. and he taught how to play it.
31. He is very, very generous.
32. He is willing to sacrifice for others.
33. He follows certain rules,
34. and challenge some of them.

Happy Birthday, Darling and a Merry Christmas to you. Thank you for keeping the family afloat. I love you now more than ever!

Maktoum's old house

During the Eid Holidays, we strolled down the Heritage Village in Shindagha. We chanced upon Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum's old house and being the curious family cats we are, hubby, Andre and I entered after paying AED2.

The old huge house has been turned into a museum. Inside the rooms were framed pictures of the old Dubai. There were also stamps and old coin collections. It was interesting but i was a little disappointed too. I was expecting to get a glimpse of the Royal Family's bedroom, their wardrobe, the exquisite curtains, everything about their past. Hubby chuckled. You were expecting shoe displays like those of Imelda? Exactly.

Anyway, i took lots of pictures but these are i guess the most interesting.

Dubai used to be sustained by the pearl diving community.
This is one of the pictures of their early divers.
They clip their nose and wear cotton clothing to protect their skin from jellyfish stings.

Most people wil think this is the current Crown Prince Hamdan.
But this is actually the father of Hamdan in his teen years
- Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

This is the miniature version of the heritage house.

I just soo wish they displayed earlier pictures of Princess Haya too.

bedside book review

I finished Heaven & Earth the other week but only got the chance to blog about it. Hubby and my brother Jay has watched the movie and both highly recommended it. I did not have the chance to see it on screen so i opted for the book.

It is an autobiography of Vietnamese girl named Le Ly Hayslip. It paints a haunting picture of the war that divided her country. Her strength and courage help her survive the Americans, the Viet Congs, and the South Vietnamese soldiers.

The book opens up your mind on almost everything about humanity. It made me feel so lucky to have choices. To have freely chosen the husband I wanted. To have the choice to give myself firstly to him after all those years of taking care of myself. Le Ly on the other hand was taken against her will. The irony was, it wasn't the foreign soldiers who took over the village. She was violated by her own people. The Viet Congs whom her family trusted, defied the rules for, and fought beside.

There was so much to learn from Le Ly's tale. It will make you sad, cry, and will make you advocate not to attack another country for war.

weekend snapshot # 31

Happy Sunday people! It's beginning to look as lot like Christmas here in the desert. I share with you today all the Christmas trees we saw while going about our holiday shopping.

I simply adored this Christmas tree made out of fluffy stuffed bears at Toys R' Us.

This giant tree is bedecked with Swarovski cyrstals and
is a main attraction at Dubai Festival City.

My son and I were early one Saturday morning at Carrefour.

My little boy goofing around our holiday tree at home.

This is going to be his first Christmas.

Thank you so much for your time and comments. I will be bloghopping in awhile. Take care and have a fabulous week ahead!

that warm fluffy thing

You Are a Turtleneck Sweater

You are sophisticated, streetwise, and even a little cynical. You are quite cultured, and you don't fall for gimmicks or trends easily. You are naturally chic. You have a urban, cosmopolitan style. And you know that the secret to looking good is not trying too hard!

What Kind of Sweater Are You?

weekend snapshot # 30

Happy Sunday people! We spent the first day of the Eid holidays visiting the luxury hotel Atlantis The Palm. The hotel and resort had its grand opening last month attended by Hollywood stars like Charlize Theron and Oprah Winfrey with a performance by Kylie Minogue.

Atlantis The Palm is situated at the tip most of the man-made palm island visible from space. The budget is rumored to be $1.5 billion. It has 1,539 rooms. The signature suite costs $25,000 a night.

The mega resort also includes a water park, a priceless sculpture made of handblown glasses, and an aquarium boasting of 65,000 sea creatures including sharks, eel, and rays. That is my little boy extremely entertained by the fishes.

Some of the most famous culinary names are also found in the dining experience offered by Atlantis. We chose this because our family is a big fan of anything Japanice hihi.

One last shot of the pink maze looming the Dubai city skyline.

Thank you everyone for your time. I look forward to all your WS entries. Have a glorious week ahead! Cheers!!!

that (glorious) mess

One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly."

~ Andy Rooney (1919-), American writer, producer, humorist.

spritual number

Your Spiritual Number is Eight

You bring inspiration and success into people's lives. You understand how the world works, and you have a knack for money. Right now, your life is all about goals and progress. This is nothing new though - you're always moving forward. You have a lot of perspective in life. You are able to remove your emotions and see the big picture. You usually bet right in life. You have are intuitive and win often.

What's Your Spiritual Number?

how to be recessionista chic

Hubby shared this e-mail a few weeks ago. With big companies cutting back on employments, perhaps we can all take these steps into consideration.

As forwarded by a financial consultant, in Dubai.

Recession is coming... make your own judgment, don't panic! Do what is wise. The recession looks very eminent. It is really time to take pro active steps to avoid a painful time in the next two years which is how long the recession is expected to last. Suggestions: 1. Don't take any loans; buy homes, properties with loans, or even cash. Keep as much cash as possible. 2. Pay off as much of personal loans, private loans, as debt collection will be hastened. 3. Sell any stocks you can even at lower prices. 4. Take money off from Trust Funds. 5. Don't believe in huge sales forecast from customers, be extremely prudent, lowest inventories, reduce liabilities. 6. Don't invest in new capital. 7. If you are selling homes/ properties/ cars, do it now, when you can get good prices, they are going to fall. 8. Don't invest in new business proposals. 9. Cancel holiday plans using credit cards. 10. Don't change jobs, as companies will retrench based on 'last in first out'. Stay cool, wait, and if you took all of the above actions and more, you probably will be better off then many. This is not a rumor. Bear Stearns is the first of many banking and financial institutions that will start falling in the not too future. If Bear Stearns can fall, so can JP Morgan, Citibank, HSBC, and the whole world. US economy falls, the rest will crumble. India and all those self economies will be the most protected, but not gullible. Europe may be a little stronger, but not China, another giant place! Malaysia will see significant impact. Be alert and pass this to your friends!!!

my new favorite carol

I first heard this Christmas song on yahoo music. i searched the net for free downloads and played it over while feeding lunch to Andreas. And my little boy giggled to the music!! Watch and listen why the song made him so happy.



I Want a Hipopotamus for Christmas
by Gayla Peevey

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
Don't want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you?
He won't have to use our dirty chimney flue
Just bring him through the front door,
that's the easy thing to do

I can see me now on Christmas morning,
creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise
when I open up my eyes
to see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses
I only like hippopotamuses
And hippopotamuses like me too

Mom says the hippo would eat me up, but then
Teacher says a hippo is a vegeterian

There's lots of room for him in our two-car garage
I'd feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage

I can see me now on Christmas morning,
creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise
when I open up my eyes
to see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles or rhinoceroseses
I only like hippopotamuseses
And hippopotamuses like me too!

weekend snapshot # 29

A glorious Sunday to everybody! I share with you my snapshot of the tallest man-made structure in the world. I took this pic after visiting the huge shopping complex just beside the supertall skyscraper.

The Burj Dubai

The budget for Burj Dubai is US$4.1 billion. It will house residences designed by the famed Giorgio Armani. The height is currently 707 meters and the projected height is still being kept a secret. Based on this height, the total number of habitable floors will be around 162.

Thank you so much for the visit! I am excited to see all your WS entries as well. Have a fabulous week ahead!

coffee break # 14

Happy Thursday people! Andreas is watching a brilliant baby video while munching a piece of large peeled-apple. I grab the chance to join my other favorite meme. This week's Coffee Break asks

What are the simple things in life that make you smile?

I share with you my list.
1. my darling Ceasar
2. my big, big Andreas
3. Hubby and Andreas playing
4. a bottle of beer
5. a bubble bath
6. Christmas carols
7. a rainy day
8. Norah Jones' music
9. breakfast in bed
10. flowers in bloom

humor time!

Holiday Guidelines

For Doggies

1. Be especially patient with your humans during this time.
They may appear to be more stressed-out than usual and they
will appreciate long comforting dog leans.

2. They may come home with large bags of things they call gifts.
Do not assume that all the gifts are yours.

3. Be tolerant if your humans put decorations on you.
They seem to get some special kind of pleasure out of seeing
how you look with fake antlers.

4. They may bring a large tree into the house and set it up in a prominent
place and cover it with lights and decorations.
Bizarre as this may seem to you, it is an important ritual for your humans,
so there are some things you need to know:

- don't pee on the tree
- don't drink water in the container that holds the tree
- mind your tail when you are near the tree
- if there are packages under the tree, even ones that smell interesting or
that have your name on them, don't rip them open
- don't chew on the cord that runs from the funny-looking hole in the wall
to the tree

5. Your humans may occasionally invite lots of strangers to come visit
during this season. These parties can be lots of fun, but they also call for
some discretion on your part:

- not all strangers appreciate kisses and leans
- don't eat off the buffet table
- beg for goodies subtly
- be pleasant, even if unknowing strangers sit on your sofa
- don't drink out of glasses that are left within your reach

6. Likewise, your humans may take you visiting.
Here your manners will also be important:

- observe all the rules in #4 for trees that may be in other people's
houses. (4a is particularly important)
- respect the territory of other animals that may live in the house
- tolerate children
- turn on your charm big time

7. A big man with a white beard and a very loud laugh may emerge from
your fireplace in the middle of the night.
DON'T BITE HIM!!

Mary Mom & Christmas

It comes every year and will go on forever. And along with Christmas belong the keepsakes and the customs. Those humble, everyday things a mother clings to, and ponders, like Mary in the secret spaces of her heart."

~ Marjorie Holmes, American writer.

weekend snapshot # 28

Happy Sunday visitors! Today i am going to share my snapshots on what's inside the Dubai Aquarium and Discovery Center. These species were deliberately separated from the huge aquarium (which i posted on WS # 26) to protect them from the tiger sharks. Enjoy and do let me know which one would you have as a pet, given the chance.

Pig-nosed Turtle

Star Fish

Lion Fish

Giant Spider Crab

Seal

Penguins

Thank you so much for the visit. Take care everyone and have a fabulous week ahead. I will be blog hopping in awhile. Cheers!

greetings!

what evry child needs

A Little Boy Needs Daddy

by Oliver Matla

A little boy needs Daddy

For many, many things:
Like holding him high off the ground
Where the sunlight sings!

Like being the deep music
That tells him all is right
When he awakens frantic with
The terrors of the night.

Like being the great mountain
That rises in his heart
And shows him how he might get home
When all else falls apart.

Like giving him the love
That is his sea and air,
So diving deep or soaring high
He'll always find him there.

@#$% of the day

jean tonic

I'm a skirt and dresses girl. But when you have a ten month old cruising around parks and shopping malls, it's hard to bend over without giving an eyeful of your knickers. One morning, we headed for some jean shopping. Alas, all that is available now are skinny jeans. I always opt for boot cut or straight wide legs. Plus, hubby is not a fan of the Peter Pan look (skinny jeans and billowy blouse) so it was not an option. And boy, I was 12 years old the last time i wore stretch skinny. After giving birth and hundreds of ice cream gallons, i am not so keen to look myself in the mirror wearing them.

But it's time i embrace my new figure. My hips has absolutely grown bigger and thank goodness because i sorely lack them before haha. I am still 5 kg away from my ideal weight but I am in no rush to try Southbeach diet. So long as my stretch marks completely disappear, I am happy with my butt and boobies just the way they are hihi.

So i chose this black stretch from Mango. This would be my first new jeans in four years haha. Thank you darling!

Of course, like any girl, one purchase is not enough so i grab this white hip hugging jeans from H&M. I really must have it because the length on me is perfect.

weekend snapshot # 27

The cold winter wind begins to blow here in the desert. We were at Creek Park last Saturday enjoying the what's left of the autumn sun when suddenly, strong winds and a huge billow of dust blew across the entire city. Tree branches cracked, picnic goers rushed home, and desert sands were flying all over. The light sandstorm signaled winter has arrived. I share with you my snapshot of the park.

A blessed Sunday to my visitors! I am truly excited to see all your WS entries. Have a fabulous week ahead and thank you for your time. Cheers!