Viva Karachi!!!

I’m soooooo exhausted!! It’s been a long time. Did anyone notice I was gone?!! ;) I’ve been busy since my engagement in Jan. Wedding preparations, studying for my CFA exams, searching for a new apartment, moving into the new apartment, buying clothes, gold, gifts, working towards my new position in the company (Al hamdulillah I got it!), etc etc…. I’m exhausted! I just want to relax and do absolutely nothing for a few days. I need break, but I know I won’t get one until the wedding is over!!

I was in Karachi last week for 5 days and had a really good time. I had never been to Karachi before. Actually, this is the first time in over 15 years I’ve gone to Pakistan!! Yeah.. I know.. it’s been thaaaaaaaat long!! I’m glad I got a chance to go there. A lot of things needed to be done: get the wedding cards printed, give measurements for a sherwani for the wedding, buy shalwar-kurta for the nikkah and mehndi, see the venue for the walima, book the rooms for guests coming from outside Karachi, and do some shopping! I got some super stuff like antiques, shawls, silver decorations, leather goods etc… the real thing at amazing prices… the same would have cost an arm and a leg here in dubai! The food was great… there’s a huge Barbeque Tonight restaurant (like the one in dubai) and the food is like wow!! Chanced upon the Lacoste store in the Forum mall and they had a 50% off sale. Got some nice stuff. The Espresso café in DHA has the most amazing chocolate cake!! All in all it was a fun trip and a good change from the dubai!

The work isn’t over yet though! I still have a lot to do before it’s all done. BTW, if anyone’s interested and wants to come to my wedding then here it is:
August 2 – Nikkah – at home
August 3 – Menhdi ceremony – Carlton Hotel, D.H.A.
August 4 – Wedding ceremony – Golf Club, D.H.A.
August 5 – Walima ceremony – Creek Club, D.H.A.

Take care!

Ready for the big day!!!

Wow! It has been so long since my last post!! but seriously... I've been really busy!

On 10 Jan 2008 I got engaged to my sweetheart. It was a small family gathering in our house... exchanged rings. Finally!!!

So they have been visiting us and vice versa (she lives in Bahrain)

A week ago we set the date for the wedding: 3, 4 and 5 August 2008.

Aug 3 - Mehndi (henna)

Aug 4 - Shaadi (Wedding)

Aug 5 - Walima (reception from guy's side)

It will all be in Karachi, as we figure everyone has easy access to that city and Dubai would be a difficult option for many people to reach. We have already found the venues and have finalized it.

Shopping for the big day has already started!!

Now you know why I've been away for so long! :)

I'm Back!

First of all, Eid Mubarak everyone! Hope you all enjoyed the holidays. I've been away for some time coz I've been really busy with work and then Ramadan. I haven't posted anything since, but I've been visiting blogs now and then.

Some people from my office left and some went on vacation, so that kept us busy throughout the end of summer and Ramadan. Well, not really in Ramadan.. I enjoyed it coz I came home early this time, slept before iftar and then went out till late night sometimes. I had fun! Eid was pretty boring for me. I think the environment around you and whole atmosphere in general can affect your mood a lot. Eid in UAE is not really like Eid back home where literally the whole country is celebrating! Once upon a time you could *feel* the Eid spirit here, but now it's just dull almost like any other day. Shops hike up the prices of foodstuff and retail goods, only some streets are lit up by ages old colorful lights, hotels really don't have anything special to offer. So basically, it's pretty crappy here. Sad. Very sad indeed. Of course you can enjoy your time with friends and family, but I'm talking about something else, if you can understand this!

On the other hand, apart from the National Day, look at how valentines, christmas and new years is celebrated. It doesn't feel like you're in a muslim country. For those few days the whole country is lit up! Why is that? I mean, sure we can all celebrate these days as we live in a metropolitan and multicultural society, but this is still a muslim country. I do enjoy valentines, xmas and new years, but I also want to see the same fervour, excitement and feel the same enjoyment on Eid. I want to see it on the streets. Aping the west should not mean that you forget your roots.

Or maybe... there's just more money to be made on non-muslim holidays! That's it!

SALIK - it works for me!

I must admit that Salik definitely has cleared up the roads from Garhoud bridge upto Shaikh Zayed Road. I don't know about others if they have faced any traffic situation on this route, but until now all the times that I have driven up there I could count the number of cars on my fingers! I never thought I'd see the day when SZR would have smooth flowing traffic. Traffic? You can hardly call this traffic!! There's no traffic even on weekends! I remember when it used to be so bad that I'd think twice of taking that route! I don't go towards SZR all that often, but if now whenever I need to, I don't mind paying AED 4.00 for salik. I have peace of mind and don't have to worry about the hundreds of cars on all lanes, jammed bumper to bumper, moving at a snails pace trying to get to the office or home. This is where you save the most time!

However, I will point out the fact that the traffic situation has become worse in other areas, like jumeirah, greens, arabian ranches, emirates road, etc. More routes should have been made available to cope with this. Too bad for those people who leave these areas during rush hour!

On another note, Emirates road was supposed to be some sort of a superhighway on the outskirts of the city linking to other emirates and artery roads linking to different parts of the city. Well, it's all bullshit! It's one of the most clogged roads in the country. There are barriers everywhere, the roads are not wide enough and the scary 18-wheelers block the exits when they drive bumper to bumper! Yes, once I missed an exit coz I wasn't given way to squeeze in between those huge trailers and move out.

I just hope other emirates don't follow suit and start tolling their roads as well!

My 30th Birthday!

The big Three-Oh!!! Time doesn't fly... it's on warp speed 9! It's like yesterday I was 20 and today I'm 10 yrs older. Well... you deal with life as you go. You can't change the world and you can't turn back the clock, but you adjust yourself as you go along. Everyday is a new experience. I've learned that as you grow older, you realize that everything you've done before, when you were younger, has consequences, whether good or bad, but only now you see them and go "Oh shit yeaaaah... no wonder!!"

Everything you say or do affects others around you. You have responsibilities and obligations, more now than ever before and the list will grow as you age. But that doesn't mean you can't be a kid at heart! Hell, I still am!! Screw 'em who tell you to act your age. There's a time and place to show maturity, to "act your age", but if you do it all the time then you're just gonna die a boring old fart. Do the things you always wanted to do. Buy the things you always wanted to buy. What're you saving all that money for? The next generation? If you're destined to lose all that money and fall to your knees, then it's gonna happen anyway. So you might as well enjoy life everyday. You only live once... but live your life with dignity and honour so later people will remember you that way.

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

Loving You...

Each day seems like it will never end. The loneliness stings. Even though I have friends and family, but without you I am alone. I am so used to coming to you everyday that even a day apart from you is unimaginable. You are the drug and I am addicted.

A month without you is way too long for me to bear. Come back! I miss holding your hand. We always hold hands and only let go when it starts to get sweaty! I miss the way you blow your kisses to me. I miss caressing you lips, your skin, the curls in your hair. I know you miss me terribly too. How you tell me everyday. What I wouldn’t do to have you in my arms right now even if just for a moment!

It only took me a couple of days to realize that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And it’s about time too! I know I’m right. I can feel it. I feel it everyday. You feel it too.

It’s not long now. Everything will go our way. Doors will open and we will walk through with the utmost ease.

You are so wonderful to me. I love you!

"My love for you is a journey,

Starting at forever,

And ending at never."

Great Souvenir!!!

So I was in a bookshop and look what I found on a shelf of Dubai souvenirs... whisky containers... and they had pictures of camels and DUBAI engraved on the front. I didn't know that shops were selling these kind of souvenirs too!! Dubai is a modern and tolerant city but end of the day, it is an emirate of a muslim country. Is this right? Does the government know of this?!!