Are you comfy? Cause it's a long one.

I miss Thoughtful conversation... the kind you would have face to face or over the phone... The conversations I have with people I meet here are mostly about where they are from and how long they have been here and if they like it or where we can get this or that. I'm not complaining. I'm observing. When I email or skype, the conversation usually covers the same ground... more like checking in (moms and dads, wanting to know how we are doing and if we've eaten...lol) You have to know what I'm getting at... those conversation that develope when you spend time with someone over a few hours or with a group (Group!) of people... where the topics change and evolve from one thing to another. Yeah, I miss that.

Sunday we did the HQ run around with letters and forms to get our vehicle paperwork done. After that, we did a big shop at Hyperpanda...it was nice and quiet, being as it was Sunday... We bought a rug at Ikea too...Blue. Like the deep blue sea. So I guess I found my starting point. We moved the coffee table out of the way so John can lay on the new rug. Then I made dinner and by the time I was done cleaning up it was bed time. Monday... what was Monday... I actually had to think about that.. we waited for the water man. They were supposed to be here before 2pm and they didn't get here til 4:30. But once they got us situated with water for our cooler/dispenser, we headed out.

We had no destination, we just wanted out of the house. We ended up at Madinat Jumiera. It's a 'new' souk. But the stuff there isn't cheap... you can get the same stuff at the old souk for loads less. However, the restaurants are five star all around. We ate dinner at Toscana, and Italian place on the canals outside... reminds me of Revena or Venice Italy... eating on the docks, it was a little hot, but not intolerable. My family would love this place. I also ran into a bead stall that actually has good stuff and good prices. Which is helpful, because if I am going to sell anything I make, I need to have supply. John talked me into trying to sell my stuff at Coffee morning at Mercato on Tuesday, so when we went home I set to work finishing up all my jewelry sets. I don't have any craft supplies, so I had to be creative with my labels. By the time I was done labeling pricing and getting it all organised, it was 4am! I was exhausted. But I woke in the morning and shared a cab with Swede (my new friend, from my excursion last Sat) since she lives nearby. I actually sold a set at coffee, and I have a buyer for another set once I take off a segment...it was too big. So that made me feel better. If I couldn't sell it, then there is no purpose in getting more supplies. After Coffee, which lasted till lunch time, I found two other ladies that were headed in my direction, Jumiera Center. So we had lunch together... facinating conversation! I don't even know the name of the place where we ate, but it was the best Fish and Chips I've ever had. Anyhow, the purpose of going to Jumeira Center was because I was looking for a scrapbook shop I read about on a blog. I found it and even though it's small, it's got the basics... but the prices are high. The area that it is located in caters to the 'rich', but I expected the prices to be high anyhow, because scrappinh is still considered a new hobby here and supplies are lean. I didn't buy anything, but I just wanted to know. I also went to McGrudy's, the equivelent of Borders Books. They have a book that is similar the the Entertainment book.. except they call it The Entertainer here. It has loads of coupons for activities and food... I hear it's worth having so I figured I check it out. When I finally found it, it was shrink wrapped, I couldn't see the coupons... so I didn't get it. I'll have to see who has one, then I can look through it to see if it is worth having.

After my book stop, I headed over to the next plaza... which is called, Jumeira Plaza, of all things! It was a little dated, but it had one shop that really made me happy, it was a second hand book shop. It reminded me of an old wooden cottage... old and full to the brim with books from everywhere. It was called House of Prose. I met the women at the desk and she told me what the 'rules' were. You can buy any book, and keep it, or you can bring it back in good condition and get half your money back. Not bad! Then after I picked up the only Jane I haven't read... we had a lengthy conversation about beads, nails, good shopping, professions, and people in general. We exchanged numbers and now I have a new friend. Let's call here Shop Lady. She is going away for the summer though.. most people who have been here for a while go home for the summers. Anyhow, we made plans to meet up when she gets back. Shop Lady gave me some really good insight into all things from bead supplies to where is good to go for manicures. All the good bargain places... my style exactly! (while I was in the book shop, a man came in with three juggling balls, he placed them in the large jar with the other juggling balls... then he said.... in an Aussie accent "I'm just returning the balls I barrowed for a juggling emergency." Now, I don't know about you, but I am curious to know how there could ever really be a 'juggling emergency')

Anyhow, upstairs form the bookshop was an art supply. Tiny shop, PACKED with paints and handmade papers and canvases along with odds and ends all useful, all good...and reasonable, considering the area. The rest of the plaza was kind of useless to me so I left and went across the street to Jumiera Village.. seriously, could they think of another name? Anyhow, the Village was high end... but someone told me about a paper shop hidden away at the back... so I found my way to it.. and I saw a child's birthday party... a tea party. I'm not kidding... little table and chairs all set with full china, and next to the tea party area was the adult tea party... all which is served by the french bakery... Pasaterie.. or something like that... anyhow, tea can't possibly occupy 6 year olds very long so they have a mini play room... where I found all the kids screaming and crying... and of course the shop I was going into would be right next door.

Now, this shop... was for gift wrapping. So basically you bring an item it and pick your box, papers and 'toppings' and the girls wrap the item for you... CRAZY! The prices were through the roof too! I was looking for a plain box to use for storage, $30 us.. for cardboard. I asked the girls working there if they would pay that and they all shook their heads... I agreed with them and then asked to see the cheepest box they had... I struck gold because they did have a perfect box, and 2 bucks is a better price. While I was waiting for my change, a lady came into to pick up her package... she paid $35.00 us to have a small box wrapped. It was at this point it really hit me how one could get caught up in this fantasy land. I had to go home at this point, before I actually said what I was thinking out loud.

We supposedly had plans to do somthing with Dave, but none of us knew what or when... so when I got home I cleaned up my mess from the night before... Beads everywhere! Then, I figured I would have a cup of tea downstairs and start reading my new Jane, and once I got settled into my book, John calls... Ok, Dinner out with Dave.. that's all I knew. I went up and waited for John and Dave to arrive. But when John walked in, instead of Dave he had Anthony. Anthony the Sri Lanken Life Gaurd. John said he'd treat him to dinner where ever it is that we ended up going to. I'm sure that had to appeal to Anthony, since he earns very little money with his work. And going out to dinner with us could set him back a weeks pay. We finally picked out dining spot, which is a stones throw from here. Nasieaussie... it was a New Zealand and Australian sports pub... where they had American sports playing on the TV...John was in heaven, MotoX, Ultimate Fighter and then UFC Unleashed. It was in a hotel behind our tower, which apparently has Spinney's and and Souk... which is good because then I can save my trek across the big road to the tiny Spinney's. I'm gonna check it out tomorrow.

Dave met up with us there since he was running late and by the time he got there we were pretty hungry. We all ordered the burger.. but it tasted like lamb... so it wasn't satisfying, to me anyhow. I hate when that happens. Anyhow, I was ansty to get home, I wanted to blog... but when we got here the boys took over the laptop... and I didn't get to write. So thanks to them you are stuck reading this very long blog... sorry.

Dave stayed the night because we planned on going to Wild Wadi. Wadi means water. It's Dubai's equivelant to Wet n Wild. We got there around 11:30a and stayed till 5pm. I lathered up on the sunblock and we did the scariest ride first. Similar to the Der Stuka... but not as steep, and it was longer... and more painful. But what really got me, is that when you're standing at the top, you are exactly in front of the Burj Al Arab, the hotel that looks like a sail... and I have to say, it is absolutely breath taking in person. I didn't have a camera, or I would've taken a photo. Next time... Anyhow, the slide was a pain in my backside... wouldn't go on it again. But John and Dave did. After, we went to the slides... now this is going to sound crazy, but, the slides here go from bottom to top then down. I could believe it, but then I got on a single tube and tried it. The jets are so full of force that your bum gets blasted and it hurts like you would not belive. John went first and I heard him ouching all the way up the first slide... then I felt it and OY! After the first couple of slides. After the second slide, we figured out how not to have pain... but, still, going up a slide... multiple slides...nuts! They all connected.. so you go up one, then another, then another.. till you get to the top, then you get the regular slides that go down...no jets on those.. but they do go very fast and the last one is one long black tunnel... pitch black. At the end you are lucky if you don't fall off. It connected into the lazy river which I find keeps the lines so short cause you can't rush back to the start of the slides. We did this one over a few times then we did a family slide, the kind with those huge round rafts.. three of us going UP a slide! Still hard to believe and I was actually there. After that, the guys tried their hand at bodyboarding.. niether one of them lasted more then 10 seconds, but it was funny to watch. While John was trying to body board some other crew members showed up, so we did all the slides together... They were a lot of fun, but we were getting humgry and my feet were on fire from walking around barefoot on the hot ground. So we left there and headed over to Lime Tree Cafe. It's pretty cool, modern, organic, lavashes and chutney by the jar... couscous and lots of drinks for the health nut... the carrot cake was the best I've ever tasted anywhere, so I think we'll go back there. They served a little tiny fruit with the cake, that I've never seen. So I asked what it was, but I've never even heard the name. I asked if Spinney's carried them... and the guy said yes. (the added bonus to going to Lime Tree was seeing Dave get the brush off after a lousy pick up line he gave this blonde girl, so funny... to me...not Dave) Since we were so close to Spinney's John suggested we go and pick up a few things.. which I did... I found those little fruits, physalis. They have a unique flavor, so different, I just had to have some. I shopped until the boys joined me. Tonight's menu: Pork Chops, Sauteed Mushrooms, Asparagus and Salad. It was all good!

So that's what we did. I have some thoughts I'd like to share, but I will wait till my next blog.... this one is long enough. And if I've managed to keep your attention this long, I feel like it's my obligation to give you a break.