Undefined Declarations - Page 12 of 16 - Lifestyle, Culture, Society and The Rebellious Saudi Diva...

Lynx Networking at The Dek!

At first, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to attend the Lynx networking night titled: The Creative Club Party; which was basically a prequel to the main Lynx Awards Ceremony taking place tonight. After enquiring by e-mail if it was possible to attend the networking event only, and not be registered as a delegate or attend the day seminars, I was informed that: “the event is very popular and so is only open to registered delegates.” So, I immediately dismissed the idea of going to the event, until a lady at the Media Mondays’ event commented that it shouldn’t be a problem for you to get in, since the event is held at a hotel venue.

I still wasn’t too keen on getting dressed up and showing up at the door, and risk not being allowed into the event. But then a friend suggested to go and give it a try and then let me know if he faced any problems in getting in. And so he did, and he was allowed in. That’s when I dressed up in a casual business style in a cream tweed-like jacket and a black A-cut shaped skirt that was above the knee. Luckily, my hair was done the previous day for the Media Mondays event, and so after a quick fix and wearing a head band, I was ready to go. (Well, that’s the brief version, of course there was make-up application, ironing my skirt, and wearing jewelry and perfume).

As my friend and I arrived at the funky and graffiti decorated “The Dek on 8” at Media One hotel in the heart of Dubai Media City, we immediately started putting our networking skills into the test. Still acting on the high impulse and drive from the previous night’s Media Mondays event, we went up to random individuals and started to introduce ourselves and have a casual discussion with them. The only problem being that this event wasn’t actually designed for doing that! As we approached people to start a conversation with them, we were confronted by looks of surprise and sometimes arrogance as to what we were exactly doing 🙂 Having interned at a multi-national advertising agency in Dubai over a year ago, I wasn’t the slightest bit surprised of the responses we got.

Yes, I was highly familiar with the ad agency types…I can’t generalize though. I was very delighted to meet some genuine and good friends from my internship days at JWT Dubai. It was a wonderful opportunity to catch up and discuss general topics. I was even impressed that some of them could remember me after such a long time of me leaving the agency. I always thought that people who worked at ad agencies had super powers to be able to work for extra long hours, and still manage to wake up early the next day and be at the office on time! I think I could learn a lot from them on work ethics and loving what you do and having undying passion for it.

To make the picture more clear to you readers, last night when I was approaching random people at “The Dek on 8”, I felt as if I was the star of an episode of the popular MTV British reality TV show: Plain Jane. For any of you who are not familiar with the show, the series basically takes a different plain Jane girl each week and with the help of British fashion expert Louise Roe, transforms her into a more confident and stylish lady before going out on a romantic date with her secret crush. (I know, very teenage thing to watch – I do enjoy it though!). So in the same way as plain Jane would have to overcome her shyness and approach strange guys at the beach or any other public place and start a casual conversation with them, I found myself going up to random people and introducing myself and chatting them up. Except that the show wasn’t directed or produced by a TV network! It was my own life and I was the sole actor, director and producer 🙂

I can proudly say that although the event wasn’t exactly created for exchanging business cards or meeting new people, me and my friend still managed to meet a good number of people throughout the night. We had a good time and laughed our way out of awkward moments. But the most important thing is that we didn’t let anything or anyone discourage us or get in the way of our own networking agenda.

Let’s put it this way: we helped get The Creative Club Party started 😉

Media Mondays: The Sequel :)

If you haven’t yet heard of or attended the UAE’s biggest media networking event: Media Mondays, then you truly are missing out on something valuable. The networking event is held quarterly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and brings together working professionals from all areas of the media industry.

The event offers an open networking platform where individuals can approach one another in a casual, laid-back atmosphere and introduce themselves while discussing business or general topics. It’s a great opportunity to promote your business, your services, or your skills. It’s also a good way to make new business contacts and get referrals for whatever job/business lead you are looking for.

I personally have made some good friends at the previous Media Mondays that I have attended. If you missed out on my earlier post, you can read all about it here. This time, the venue chosen for the event was the spectacular Kempinski Hotel at the beautiful Palm Jumeirah. The weather was perfect for an outdoor gathering, and the crowd was a lot much bigger than last time. The buzzing atmosphere, cool breeze, and chilled vibe made for an amazing night under the stars of the clear Dubai sky.

Although I managed to meet a good number of remarkably interesting and exceptional individuals, I would have liked to meet and speak to even more people at the event. That’s why I have two points to consider for my next Media Mondays event:

I plan to attend the event from the time it starts; to make the most out of the networking opportunities it has to offer.
I will try to spend less time at each networking session; to be able to meet a larger number of people. (although this might not be easy, especially when some one is talking about an interesting topic or giving you insight that you need).

For anyone who has missed this year’s first Media Mondays event, don’t worry there will be many more to come. Just keep your eye on the event’s page and make sure you show up with a smile and a stack of business cards 🙂

http://www.mediamondays.com/#home

A Cool Publishing Event at a Magazine Shop! I must be getting closer to something!

Who knew that a cafe/magazine shop aptly called “The Magazine Shop” existed in DIFC? The newly opened shop serves as a cozy outdoor space to sit and read magazines; nestled in between the art galleries of DIFC. You can find a great variety of International and local magazine titles on the shelves. All you have to do is order your coffee or tea, take your pick from the many cool magazines and unwind at a cute wooden stool chair.

I was honored to meet two prominent and outstanding individuals from the publishing industry in Dubai at the event. Conor Purcell – the Founder and Editor of the niche targeted “We Are Here” magazine was hosting the event. He explained to us the idea and concept behind the magazine, as well as the process and challenges associated with publishing an independent magazine in Dubai. Conor’s main objective was to create a travel guide magazine that was different from the commercial travel magazines available in the market. His view is basically to try not to become a cliche. But instead to present something different to a niche target of readers. He also shared with us some valuable information on independent publishing procedures in Dubai, and gave us honest tips and useful advise from his own personal experience during the creation of “We Are Here”.

Another leading Dubai persona who I had the pleasure to meet at the event was Narain Jashanmal – General Manager at the Jashanmal Group. Having grown up in Al Khobar in Saudi, trips to the Jashanmal Bahrain store were a vivid part of my childhood and teen days. I also remember a Dadhabai store in Al Khobar, which was part of the Jashanmal Group if I’m not mistaken. Yes, those were the days when all I had to worry about was what cool stationery item I was going to buy next. And I would genuinely get upset if I had seen something in a catalog or an International magazine that wasn’t available in the Saudi market! While nowadays, I am surrounded by almost anything that I could ever wish for; except that I don’t have the peace of mind to shop for it since I spend most of my time working towards my goal and career path. Ah, the irony of life.

Honestly speaking, this event has proved to be the most relevant, useful and worthwhile event that I had been to since I started to attend events and network in September of last year. I think while I have truly enjoyed going to fashion or art events, I knew that those weren’t exactly what I needed to do or where I needed to network. While mingling with the young Dubai fashion crowd, or the older and more mature artistic circle was quite interesting and enjoyable, I believe that meeting inspiring individuals from the publishing and journalism industry is what will get me closer to understanding the market and help build my knowledge about it.

Do I regret not attending Rihanna’s new collection launch in-store event at high-street store River Island? Absolutely not.

As I was chatting with a friend who I unexpectedly met outside “The Magazine Shop”, I found out from another lady that there was a “Dior” event taking place in a nearby shop at DIFC. This time though, I was glad that I wasn’t part of the fashion pack 🙂

And the Jazz Vibes Go On…

It was quite an eventful day when one Tuesday I won a pair of tickets to attend a work shop by the author of the best-selling book: “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus”. Since my father was also arriving in the evening on a short visit, and I was planning to take him for dinner to the newly opened Jazz @ Pizza Express in the area where I live.

In Dubai, most people tend to dress up anywhere they go. They are also highly capable of wearing the perfect attire for the event or occasion that they are attending. As I grew up and lived most of my life in Saudi, I always made an effort to dress in a stylish way even when it meant not taking off my Abayah the entire day while I was at work! But living in the fashion hub that is Dubai, is making me realize more each day that my personal style and fashion sense are below mediocre standards. And John Gray’s work shop was no exception to the case in point! I had gone to the mall to have lunch in the food court before going to the venue to collect my tickets, and I was dressed casually in a navy blue sweater with a hint of metallic threads and a pair of black skinny denim jeans. With a star patterned scarf wrapped around my neck in a knot style. Only to discover that my look for the day was more suitable for a rock concert than a relationship expert event 🙂 Most of the ladies were dressed in stylish loose tops and pants, or formal dresses or skirts. I made a note to myself to dress better for the occasion the next time around 🙂

What was titled as a work shop was more of a talk basically. John Gray was the speaker and the audience were there to listen. The talk went on till well after 9, which was longer than the time specified on the ad. Nevertheless, John shared with us some interesting scientific facts about both genders. They would help us in understanding the sometimes vague behavior of men or women. Let me share with you some notes that I took during the talk:

Men never do anything that they don’t have to do. That’s why, if you need your man to do something for you, don’t ask him what he would like to do, tell him exactly what you want him to do. You need to word it in a clear request form, such as saying: “Would you do this for me?”.
The reason men go to their caves (isolated space/room) is that scientifically when a man relaxes his muscles while staying awake, he rebuilds his testosterone levels. The more stressed he is, the more he needs to go to his cave.
Working women tend to have high testosterone levels, which lead to stress. That’s why they need more of the oxytocin hormone to suppress the high testosterone in their bodies.
Suggested words to tell your man to make him feel good from time to time are:

You’re right. And say it with a smile.
That makes sense.

A good romance and communication style are super oxytocin producers. A powerful phrase that a man should keep repeating to his woman is: “You do so much for so many people, let me give you a hug.”

Honestly speaking, although I found the relationship tips and scientific facts that John explained quite useful, I must admit that I found more insights and revelations about men and their ways of thinking in the book: Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment. By Steve Harvey. You can find a link to the book here.

Moving on to my meet and greet dinner with my dad…I was excited to find out that the famous Pizza Express chain have opened up a new jazz-themed branch in my residential area: Jumeirah Lakes Towers. Not on the side where I live though, but still close enough for a chilled dinner with friends or family.

I found out from the waiter that they had a soft opening only three and a half weeks ago. But this was their official launch. They had multiple artists perform on their cozy yet lively stage. The pianist (Nathan) on that night was from South Africa. He enchanted the crowd with his cover of Carlos Santana’s “Maria, Maria”….I actually have videos of the performance, but I need to figure out how to post videos to this blog before I can share them with you 🙂

A lady singer from the Philippines did a great performance of the all-time favorite love song “How do I live”. We enjoyed other classics such as “Quando” and “Sway”. The atmosphere was buzzing with life, the staff were very friendly, the food was superior with fresh and excellent ingredients, and the pizza was light and yummy with gourmet toppings.

I was informed by one of the staff at the lovely pizza joint that they will be playing live jazz music every night of the week. As it’s part of the concept of this particular branch. Jazz@PizzaExpress is located in JLT, Dubai. Perfectly situated at the promenade level by the lake, and below the Movenpick Hotel in Cluster A. And as the friendly staff will tell you: “you will hear the music as you walk by, so you can’t miss us!”. 🙂

My Hong Kong Trip – Day 6: The Famous Peak, Kowloon Park, and my Low-key NYE!

While I was still in Dubai and was telling my friends that I would be visiting Hong Kong, they all recommended that I check out the Peak. So naturally, The Peak was on my list of top attractions and I made sure that I would see it before heading back home. Thinking that it would be a smart decision, I decided to visit the Peak on a Monday morning to avoid the crowds as the trip web site reviews suggested. What I didn’t take into consideration though, was the fact that the Monday that I chose for my “Peak” visit, happened to be the last day of the year. Yes, it was the 31st of December 2012. And just like me, almost every tourist in Hong Kong had decided to check out the Peak on that very special day 🙂

I arrived to the Peak Tram Station at around 10:30 in the morning. To my surprise, the queue for the ticket window extended all the way to the street. So you had to walk for some time to figure out where the line ends so you could join it. As we all waited and slowly advanced in line, some of us were getting coffee from the nearby café or waiting in a shaded area until their family members or friends got closer to the ticket counter. It was a sunny yet windy day. Luckily, I was wearing a winter hat that day and was able to get some shade from the cap attached to my hat.

When I finally reached the beginning of the tram line, it was already 1 o’clock! There was some sort of fight to get on the train, and there was no one organizing the order by which people boarded the cable car. This led to a lot of chaos and rude looks and comments from other tourists.

To be honest, I was greatly disappointed by what I saw when I made my way up to the sky terrace. Which is the highest level that you can reach to see the Victoria Peak. Let me make it more clear; I personally didn’t think that the view was worth the two and a half hour wait to take the train! What you would see basically was the Hong Kong city sky line that includes the sky scrapers and modern high-rise buildings. In addition to the green natural surroundings of the area. To me, it wasn’t a view to die for. Maybe I had seen more beautiful natural and artificial views in my life. Having lived in Leysin, Switzerland at an extremely high altitude where I could literally see the clouds beneath me from my dorm room terrace, I wasn’t the slightest bit amused by the Victoria Peak view.

Nevertheless, having waited all that time to get up here, I had to snap as many pictures as I could. And of course ask random people to take my picture as well! But the drama doesn’t end here. I was surprised to find another queue greeting me at the station to take the tram back to the ground level. Thankfully, it was only a twenty minute wait this time.

I was delighted to exit the Peak madness and go back to Kowloon for my next attraction for that day: Kowloon Park.

Kowloon Park is more like a community park where the locals and residents of the area go to relax, have their lunch or practice tai chi. The park is considered a hidden gem as its location requires you to make a slight turn from Nathan Road. So if you didn’t know about it, you wouldn’t guess that there would be a park in the area. I think what makes this park listed as one of the top attractions in the city is its wide range of things to do and see. You wouldn’t see a flamingo pond in your local park, would you? And I don’t mean one or two birds swimming in a pond. This one had a flock of birds flapping their wings and posing for pictures 😉

There’s a beautiful bird sanctuary with colorful and pretty birds, a statue garden, a small maze and an observation deck.

Crossing to the other end of the park takes you to the Harbour City area. Where a large shopping mall with the same name would be a good place to spend a few hours. More so if you happen to visit during the holiday season, when all the sales are on. Since shopping wasn’t a concern for me at this particular trip, I opted for a soup dinner. Finding non-authentic Chinese food in Kowloon is like finding water in the desert! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw a salad and sandwich place. But my greed and curiosity made me decide to look around the mall for something better. Before returning to that shop an hour or so later only to find out that they are closing early because it was the 31st of December. So all I could have was what was left of the soup of the day. It was a soup with shredded chicken. And let me tell you this: I have never had soup with such a huge appetite in my life! It had been a few days since my stomach ache and I had to go on a strict diet of bananas and yogurt. So for me to actually find a place that serves healthy western-type food and to be able to taste some real food after my days of starvation, was a real revelation.

It was almost time for the year to end. I was a few hours away from the new year. I was in Hong Kong; the city of lights. And my hotel was within walking distance from Victoria Harbour. So you would think that I wouldn’t think twice about going to the harbour to see the fire works that night? Well you are absolutely wrong! I can’t recall how many times I have changed my mind back and forth about going alone to the harbour to see the New Year fire works! Mainly because my local friend had warned me about the extraordinary crowds and the long hours it would take me to get back to my hotel if I decided to go to the harbour. As much as I didn’t like the idea of being stuck in the NYE crowd and the abnormally busy streets of Kowloon, I knew that I didn’t fly all the way from Dubai to Hong Kong during the holiday season to spend my New Year’s Eve at the hotel. So I gathered all the courage in the world (or Hong Kong for that matter would be enough since it’s such a busy city) and headed out of the hotel – after asking the reception staff if it would be a great risk for me to go out to the streets on NYE – and made my way to the legendary Victoria Harbour. The streets were closed off so that people could walk in them and take pictures. No cars were allowed to go through the streets for the night. We had to take different routes to get to the harbour. When I finally got there, I found out that the area where the fire works would be taking place was closed with barriers, and police officers were standing on the spot. It was around 10:30 pm and the area was already packed with the New Year celebratory crowd so they weren’t letting in any more people. Looking at the time and thinking if I really wanted to hang around for a couple of hours and possibly get stuck in the crowd when it was time to go back to my hotel, I decided to make a wise decision and call it a night and walk back safely to my hotel. On my way to the harbour, I did get to witness an Indian community group parade, local teenagers in New Year costumes and accessories, a young band performance, and almost everyone having their picture taken in the middle of the closed down light-filled streets.

While I didn’t get to celebrate or ring in the new year in Hong Kong style, or attend the hotel’s NYE dinner party which I found out about the next day, or watch the world-famous fire works at Victoria Harbour (or even on TV!), I am grateful for the many privileges that I have in my life. One of them being the opportunity to visit a far-eastern country for the first time, and experience the thrills associated with exploring a new destination and culture.

Although I am almost two months late, but I would still like to wish all of you: A very happy and adventurous new year!

Waiting Time Sign Board at the Peak Tram Queue

Post A Letter to your Loved Ones at The Peak

View from Harbour City Mall's Terrace — View from Harbour City Mall’s Terrace

My Hong Kong Trip – Day 5: The not so lady-like Ladies’ Market!

Baby chop sticks at the famous Ladies' Market — Baby chop sticks at the famous Ladies’ Market

While discussing my Hong Kong holiday package with the very professional, friendly and helpful Emirates Holidays agent, I was advised not to go to one particular area of Hong Kong: Mongkok. When I asked her about the reason that she didn’t think it would be a good idea for me to go there, she explained that Mongkok was the equivalent to the Red Light District area in Amsterdam, and that I should avoid it since I’m travelling alone.

I took my lovely agent’s note into consideration and was strolling down the different streets of Hong Kong when I got there, without paying much attention to where I was really! No, I’m joking. I was relatively aware of the names of the areas and streets that I walked in. I was basically my own tour guide!

On most evenings (and sometimes mornings or afternoons!), you could see me sitting in front of one of the computers at the lobby doing my research on the top tourist attractions and things to do in the bustling city of Hong Kong. My search on the best street markets in Hong Kong resulted in a good number of options. Some of them were in the Kowloon side, and others in the Hong Kong Island side. I ended up with a list of three markets that I would like to visit. And since I had already been to the not so easy to find “Jardine’s Crescent Market” (see here if you still haven’t read that post), I was down to two markets: Jade Market and the Ladies’ Market.

I asked my local friend – who lives an hour away from the city in the harbor-side town of Sai Kung – which street market we should check out, and she suggested that we go to the Ladies’ Market upon telling her that I wasn’t interested in buying any jade ring or other jade jewelry. So off we went to Tung Choi street in Mongkok which is home to the famous Ladies’ Market. On our way to Mongkok, I explained to my friend the words of advise that my Emirates Holidays agent had given me about the area…and we had a small chat about it but we didn’t have anything to worry about especially since we were visiting the area in the afternoon time and are going to a particular place there.

Little did I know that what I would experience at the Ladies’ Market that afternoon would have nothing to do with the agent’s warnings, who was herself surprised when I told her my unbelievable story. We had just started our journey through the busy market and were having a look at some colorful beaded bracelets at one of the stalls. Since we were in a street market, I decided to practice my not so great bargaining skills with the sales lady…I was asking her to lower the price as I wanted to get a couple of bracelets. But deep inside, I just wanted to have an idea of the price range in the market before I continued my stroll down the market stalls. Mainly because I wasn’t that fond of the bracelets that she was selling and I wanted to have a look at other stalls before I made up my mind on anything. To my surprise, she did lower the price by a good amount…but I still didn’t like the bracelets that much and didn’t want to rush into buying from the first place that I had a look at. When I was about to leave, the middle-aged woman held on to my hand so strongly and wouldn’t let go! I explained to her that I will just have a look and come back, but she still wouldn’t let me go! After a few attempts to convince her that I will be back and her not letting go of my hand, I pulled myself away only to receive the strongest pinch on my arm that I have ever experienced in my entire life! That pinch caused me strong pain on the spot and a bruise that left a dark mark on my skin. The pain and bruise associated with that lady’s aggressive pinch lasted until a while after I was back in Dubai! Yes, it was that strong!

After our purely abusive encounter at the accessories stall, we continued our walk through the market, and I came across another stall selling similar beaded bracelets. The patterns and colors were nicer and the lady gave me an even lower price…and she didn’t need to use her aggressive powers in convincing me to make a purchase! I was glad that I didn’t buy anything from the previous lady and that I waited till I found something that I actually liked.

Walking down the notoriously busy streets of Mongkok on a Sunday evening meant that we would be witnessing all sorts of street activities…from political protests to Chinese dance performances and juggling acts. And even an old Chinese guy who was writing a message to the passers by in white chalk, asking for financial help in sympathy for his sick daughter.

I wasn’t surprised to read on Wikipedia that “According to the Guinness World Records, Mongkok has the highest population density in the world.”

Honestly, after my personal bad-mannered experience at the Ladies’ Market, I suggest that they change its name to the Brutal Market and have a sign that reads: Beware of Pinching Lady at the First Beaded Bracelets Stall 🙂

Old Chinese Man Asking for Financial Help

All Jazzed Up!

As part of the Dubai Jazz Festival, a number of Internationally-acclaimed jazz musicians were playing at the OSN Jazz Garden stage. On the fourth night of the Jazz Garden, the stage hosted soul-trumpeter and music composer “Lin Rountree” and vocalist “Barrence Whitfield”.

Both accomplished performers kept the fun-loving crowd entertained as they swayed along to funky jazz tunes. And by the end of the night, the vibe was so right that most of the audience got up from their seats and started dancing and singing along with the artists.

As my blogger friend Pinay Flying High has stated, the Dubai Jazz Festival was so well-organized and I couldn’t agree more. I have enjoyed one of the main gig nights of the festival that hosted One Republic, Guy Manoukian, and Gary Honor so much that I went back for another jazz garden night.

Honestly, another reason that made me go back to the venue was the unbelievably cute and yummy dessert selections offered by The Ivy! The upscale restaurant, bar and jazz lounge served the perfect sweets to compliment the fabulous weather and lively atmosphere at the Jazz Festival. You could choose from the ever-popular red velvet cup cake with a creamy vanilla ice-cream, the warm and rich sticky toffee pudding, the classic yet delighting cappuccino crème brûlée, or a mint chocolate flavored ice-cream sandwich. Whatever you decide to indulge in from the charming mini gourmet treats, rest assured that you will enjoy your pick till the last bite 🙂

Red Velvet Cup Cake with Vanilla Ice cream

mini dessert delights from The Ivy Dubai

My Valentine’s Night Out With One Republic!

When I heard that American pop rock band OneRepublic are playing in Dubai as part of the Dubai Jazz Festival main gigs, I was so excited as I am a big fan of their music and more specifically the deep and meaningful lyrics they use in most of their songs.

The concert also happened to be on Valentine’s day, which gives us all a great excuse to go out and attend a show and sing along to some famous hits by a world-famous band.

Having passed on a chance to get free VIP tickets courtesy of Emirates Airlines after I had already purchased my own regular tickets about two hours before I got a call from a friend offering me the VIP tickets only meant that I would get to enjoy the real experience of the Dubai Jazz Fest. Or at least that’s what I kept saying to myself and my companion joining me at the standing area as a form of consolation. But as you might expect, it wasn’t a very effective reason.

However, we did have a great time at the venue! We missed the first act: Gary Honor. But when we arrived, we were enchanted by the ultra hip beats of the highly talented Guy Manoukian. I was actually watching a TV interview with him earlier today. And was impressed to know that the successful pianist and composer is from my generation and had already made it big in the music scene. In addition to his global success.Guy explained that the unique sounds he makes are a blend between oriental music from the region (Persian, Middle-Eastern, North-African) and modern house rhythms. Mostly I liked his inspirational words that said how being successful and realizing your dream has nothing to do with your nationality or ethnic background or culture. But all to do with your talent and efforts in following your dream and never giving up.

I was being carried away with the miniature dessert delights from The Ivy and enjoying my deliciously warm sticky toffee pudding, when OneRepublic had got on stage. Luckily, I managed to get back to our secured spot at the grass on time just as the show had started.

I was glad that they performed their famous hit singles such as “Stop and Stare”, “Apologize” and “Good Life”. While at the same time being disappointed that they didn’t sing the wonderfully composed and written “Say”. Which I think would have been a great song for a Valentine’s day concert more so since it is a very sentimental and emotional song.

Another down side was the fact that the show ended at around 11:43 while we all expected it to last until 12 as it was mentioned in the program booklet.

Nevertheless, we had a remarkable night at the festival park. The weather was amazing (as OneRepublic have declared that too), the snacks at the venue were exceptional, the event was well-organized, and the performance was brilliant.

As the night came to an end, most of us were still walking around wrapped in our soft and warm red blankets as we made our way to take the big bus tour shuttle bus back to the mall. Indeed, it was an enjoyable night characterized with a wonderful ambiance, great music and most importantly: love was in the air!

If you missed OneRepublic’s show last night, don’t worry. As they announced that they are having a world tour in April and are 100 % coming back to Dubai! (those were their words, I am just quoting them).

For now, enjoy listening to one of my favorite tracks by the sensational band:

It was a Snowy Night at Yas Island!

After reading online that the Kanye West concert will be arctic-themed and that twenty snow machines were set up at the venue to dispense snow at the show, I decided to take a winter jacket with me to the show and re-live my London winter days…plus, my jacket could use some air after being stowed in my closet for ages.

To confirm my decision to bring along heavy clothes, on the day of the show, I hear a DJ on the radio advising listeners to take a jumper or a jacket to the concert as it will be a cold night with all the “snow” that will be around.

So me and my friend headed off to the concert well-prepared in our heaviest winter jackets and scarves. Add to that my friend wearing a winter cap and me regretting not getting one to protect my head and hair when the snow falls down!

Luckily, we arrived just as Kanye was about to go on stage. We enjoyed being in the not so packed hip-hop and rapper wanna-be crowd. It was a fun night for people watching. As there were a lot of rapper and gangster dressed teens and tweens…That didn’t stop us from being ones ourselves as we practiced our best hip-hop gestures and dance moves.

I must admit that I didn’t know many of the songs that Kanye sang that night. I heard his track “Clique” on the radio on the same day and that gave me an extra hit to dance and sing along to. I was looking forward to hearing his hit single “Love Lock Down” – a favorite track of mine for him- and I was disappointed that he didn’t sing it. I guess that is the type of hip-hop that I can get attached to. Not the heavy rap and hip-hop style found in his more recent numbers.

Each song at the show had a different theme projected on the big screens, with nature and landscape visuals. When the arctic theme was on, the snow machines started blowing fake snow at a certain area of the venue. Contrary to our expectations of a European-like winter snow and cold breeze, we were amused to find out that the mini snow balls were made out of plastic! and accordingly there was not a slightest winter draft associated with the mild snow fall!

Despite our minor climate surprise, we had a good time chilling to Kanye’s rhythms until we suddenly experienced an end to what was our uber cool night at the extremely comfortable Du Arena bean bags. Not only has the show come to an abrupt end after only an hour and a half of Kanye’s magical voice, we were also asked to get off of our comfy bean bags by the venue staff as they came to collect them from the spot!

When we complained to them that the show has ended so fast, they consolidated us by saying that we could lounge on them at the next show 🙂

I suppose we could have enjoyed listening to more of Kanye’s urban hits. As well as some extra time chilling on the bean bags, gazing at the stars, and making the most out of Dubai’s cool winter breeze.

My favorite Kanye track:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcjkkBtXgIc

Till the next big show, stay cool and keep watching this space…

Like to share or hear personal stories? Join in on the next Samar Night!

As I went into the indoor café where the “Samar Night” event has been moved to, I wasn’t sure of what to expect. All I knew from the event’s facebook page was that it is a story-telling event, where a specific number of individuals have been selected to tell a personal story that belongs to them or to someone they know.

The event is hosted by the cozy and homely “Arjaan By Rotana” hotel apartments property located in Dubai Media City. A small group of us gathered in the Arabic themed café “Arabesque” and were sitting in a circle around the speaker or story-teller.

I asked one of the organizers about the objective of this get-together. He explained to me that it was a type of performance art that didn’t exist in Dubai. So they wanted to be the first to bring it. It is an alternative to stand-up comedy and poetry shows, which are now widely spread all across the city.

The group is basically a community group. I learned that this was their fourth meeting, and that they plan to run it on a regular basis; on the last Saturday of each month.

There’s only one simple rule for this social gathering: all the stories told must be true life stories. Either belonging to you or to someone you know, like a friend or a family member.

Some of the story-tellers on the night were professional actors or people who like to act in plays as a hobby. But you don’t need to be a performer or actor to join in the fun. If you feel like you have an interesting or inspirational story that you would like to share with others, then just make sure that you rehearse before coming to the event to tell your story. As notes are not allowed….and so are boring stories 🙂

After listening to six wonderful and heart-warming stories and having a falafel sandwich in the break time, I was feeling positive, amused and I had a sense of an amiable community spirit.

If you can’t remember a particular exciting or inspiring personal story, don’t worry. You can still join the group as a listener, and collect a discovery duck to take with you to your next trip or adventure.

All you need to do is post a photo of yourself with the duck at your chosen destination or adventure on the event’s facebook page, and be prepared to tell the story behind the photo at the next “Samar Night” episode.

If you would like to meet new interesting people, practice speaking in front of a small crowd, or simply want to get a sense of a friendly and welcoming community spirit, then I would suggest you drop by one of the “Samar Nights” with a fascinating and attention-grabbing story in mind. And don’t forget to skip the notes 🙂