Strolling the Dubai Mall

Yesterday was even more monotonous. So, we in the house, decided to stroll the Mall of Dubai. We just  went there not to shop for anything really but just simply visited the place and took some pictures. I saw many Filipinos strolling as well. I thought they might be doing the same thing for the same purpose too.

Well, at least we had it on purpose first hand: we were checking on laptop prices as Pap got interested in buying his own unit so he can play games with it as long as he likes. He was addicted to playing the Snooker Game on our laptop and been wanting to soak himself out till exhaustion will call him for bedtime. Cool enough.

Anyway, I would not have come along since migraine has been ramming my head for almost two days now. I always tried to fight the head-bug by preoccupying my self. It's time for me to visit the mall also since everybody's been buzzing about the place a lot. It's time for me to find out. I never caught the first light well, probably eight out of ten persons will say they've been there. I'm testing if mine is worth the visit.

Ok. T'was nice! Huge! I like the aquarium a lot. I went to aim my arsenal of course so I took a lot of careless camera shots. Petty me. Amused or entertained. :o) Hehehe.

It is Dubai's demonstration of tremendously expensive architectural prowess. Adjacent to the still on-going construction of the Burj Dubai, it is one of the highlight in the vicinity.

Well, it was huge but empty for me! Why? I would not trade a time with my girls strolling inside Davao's Victoria Plaza or the Gaisano Mall adjacent to my provincial home. I can not trade the moment I wiped off the melting ice cream from my little JJ's fingers or chasing down JM while inside NCCC the Mall of Davao. Or, the 'no money' window shopping with my wife. :o)

(While there, you can avail of the mall's free transport going back to where you live like Bur Dubai, Trade Center, Jumeira Village, etc.)

LiveJournal Tags: Dubai Mall UAE,Christmas Morning,Pinoy in UAE

Pinoy Expat's Christmas Evening

 There never really was much event during these past few Christmas days except that me and the rest of the people in the house had a small Christmas party. Just a typical and very  simple Filipino party where hard -liquor is not part of the occasion. With the Black Label out of the closet, it would have but everybody's not apt for a drink tonight because the next day is still work for most of us. Well, at least just few cans of San Miguel Beer added a little bit of zest to the night I guess.

Everyone contributed something to the occasion. The foods were great. There were more than enough. We had some little exchange gift too and everyone's happy with what they received. This is a camaraderie of people whose respective families are back home doing their best to cope with the economy and trying to be happy despite our absence.

 Today, I spent some phone calls back home multiple times. And, again wished I was there to spent Christmas season with them. Nevertheless, thanks to the Internet and some little cell-phone credits, I was able to keep in touch with my wife and daughters very often to check what was going on right those moments. :o) Just hearing their laughter was enough to make me happy.

Technorati Tags: Pinoy Christmas Party in Dubai 2008

Christmas in My Heart

Like the dry winter that makes my fingers numb and clumsy, I succumbed to a three day hiatus of blogging; hopeful that my appetite for musing might come back. There have been many reasons at hand. Like these past three days, I decided to get acquainted with my new equipment. Trying to capture some scenes on my way to work every early in the morning. Good because in some ways, it mend my nostalgia for home. My daughters would want me to come home for Christmas whenever we chatted on the Internet via the Yahoo Messenger.

In a few hours is the Christmas eve. The last season, I was back home vacationing. I remember the days when I held them in my arms to warm against the cold night of the season. And now, this part of the world is even more colder - and I have nobody to hold. Time passes by like minutes and in a few hours is, the Christmas eve.

I always never care if me and my wife only have the ordinary meal to put on the table during the Christmas evening, so long as we are together. What could be more special than this? No fancy decorations - just one small Christmas tree on the corner of that almost empty rented house of ours. But, I remember that day my wife was in the rattle for the Christmas dinner. She wanted it all best. She did make all the efforts to make things turn out warm that evening. After all, that was our first Christmas together as a family in a newly rented house. There was just me, my wife and the two small baby girls. I was just observing her; I felt sad nor happy. She was enjoying it. Few months before, she'd been bogging me about us moving out to another house.

That evening, this date, she weeped. We had a plan. I left after a few months for Dubai. So here I am looking all the possibilities and ways to entertain my self while maintaining the comfort by calling them almost everyday now. Hopeful and prayerful about everything in our lives in the days to come.

Technorati Tags: Family,Christmas Season,Pinoy in UAE,Dubai

Christmas Gift Wrappings

This post is for Ms. Theta, my manita.

Okay! I am not that good at gift wrappings but I did anyway. Well, my father helped me so that it becomes more like an industrial package now. See the picture. :-) There's something soft inside I can not tell you - it's classified until ten PM this evening.

The bare skin shown off. The industrial adhesives taped around the box makes it looks scary. It looks like a bomb bare skin so we need a fancy Christmas wrapper to make it nice. And it's bulging too. Don't be fooled. The angle taken for this picture just makes it looks like it's big but it's not.

Funny thing is, there aren't any grocery stores selling Christmas gift wrappers so I opt to use the Birthday gift paper instead. If there's a list of anything 'hard to buy' in Dubai. A Christmas gift wrapper should qualify to the list. LOL! Not one grocery store is selling the stuff - Shuhada! Mosquel Kabir!

Well, I am not that good at gift wrappings but, Voila! Done in less than an hour. LOL! Company party is in two hours. What's inside? That is for Ms. Theta to find out. I hope she'll like what's inside more than what she can see here.

 

BuzzNet Tags: christmas,Dubai,Food,Games,Shopping,Christmas Rush,Gift Wrapping,Middle East Christmas,Occasion,Photo,Pinoy Christmas,Pinoy in UAE

Season of Bad Fate

In as much as I always want to write of happy thoughts and happy affairs. My mood and my spirit is now pulled down by the news of a shootout between the police and the hold-up gang armed with automatic weapons and grenades that took place in Manila just recently (December 7, 2008). A shootout crossfire so deadly it left sixteen people dead including ten of the robbery gang members, the news confirmed.

A father and his seven years old daughter on board a passing sports utility vehicle were hit in the crossfire and few moments later died. They were among the six civilians, collateral on that police operation. The Two other people manning a truck near the office of the transport firm also died from gunshot wounds. And, a men's fashion designer who was just on his way home from a Christmas party was also caught in the cross-fire.

What saddened mo most is the death of the father and the daughter. The father just went home for vacation to be present on his seven years old child's birthday. Who would have thought this dreadful event would left a weeping and wailing mother. A mother full of questions as why her spouse and child had to die. Why has she been left alone now? What would she be doing with her life now - that she's alone. Asked by this mother and wife as she hugged their pillows and kissed her daughter's school ID. What's is not more heart-breaking sight to see than this? And considering the time of the year this fate had occur.

What gives me more discomfort, is the speculations that again the p-o-l-i-c-e again had made some inaccurate mistakes. I have this frustrating doubts and fear that in such cases like this, accuracy of neutralizing situations is a quality questionable from the part of the forces. This is not the first time in the police force, when a civilian is undeniably part of that collateral damage. One civilian always has to die every time their is a shoot out like this one. Containing the situation accurately and swiftly should be a skill to be mastered by our forces to spare the lives of a civilian. One civilian's death is inexcusable. It is excusable because no one will answer to a collateral damage - especially not in the kind of justice system Philippines has.

On the contrary, the criminals, it is them that they would not care who their bullets will hit when they pull some triggers. Imagine an aimless shower of bullets from them - anybody could be hit of course. And they had to be neutralized - swiftly. Nonetheless, a question is asked. From whom did this bullets that ceased the lives of the innocent passers-by come from? Doing ballistic analysis, I wished this question will be answered honestly by the authorities.

LiveJournal Tags: Assault against violence,Christmas,collatera,crime,Family,justice,Opinions,Patriotism,Philippines,Politics,Rant,Safety,Terrorist,Violence

My Coming Christmas Musing

Oh well, Christmas is fast approaching. For an OFW, the season of emphasized loneliness. The season is like a day when the clouds are cleared to expose a sky of a clandestine blue. It's just you in the constellation of loneliness. This is what I feel and been expecting unless the season is feasted with my two small daughters and my wife; and among family members - back home.

It's sometimes sickening because there have been too many discussions about the coming season - it's the most talked about topic in this time of the month. With all these days' fears and tribulations of both economic and socio political. Worsened by recession resulting to rampant lay-offs. There'd be not much food in the table during the Christmas season.

And as far as I want to speak something out of the expected Christmas spirit, it weakens me. But, there is an urging willingness to discover the strength to be out of the blue; appreciate the warmth of others who has probably thought of this same thought; to be content and be  able to count the blessings received during our days.

 

Technorati Tags: Christmas,Faith,Family,Gift,Home,Occasion,Opinions,Party,Jesus Christ

Reason to Celebrate

And yet, one question was asked, "why bother celebrate Christmas? If it be for the sake of celebrating it; If it be for getting indulged; to get drunk and passed out. For what purpose? what would that say to your character?". I saw truth brought about by the question. One need not be obliged to be influenced by the occasion because the occasion is all about gesture of faith. You celebrate, because you glorify your Christ, because you believe in Him.

I hope we'll feel that food on our table on that very Christmas evening be not complete without the warm or thought of our family, friends and strangers alike. Whose hearts are to be touched by that same Lord whom we must celebrate this season with. That other than that, it would be pure vanity and hypocrisy. Then of course, if you were not a Christians or just playing to be one, what exactly are we celebrating over Christmas? We would be like a splinter of flame cast away from the very fire that burns our spirit on that season.

Somehow its true, Christmas has transformed. Christmas has become a commercial holiday while Jesus said, "Take everything you have and give it to the poor", the modern Christmas is not very Christian anymore. Regardless, one has to find a way to make it true and fruitful within us these day forward throughout out lives.

Technorati Tags: Christmas,Faith,Family,Gift,Home,Occasion,Opinions,Party,Jesus Christ