AD Events: MON Festival

via Daily Prompt: Timely

Abu Dhabi, UAE.  Mother of the Nation Festivals

The great weather before it turns to nasty hot so it is timely to finally have this festival just finished a couple of weeks ago and how I wish we have visited twice as we didn’t see it all in just one late afternoon to late night.  Some are tourists from another GCC Country.  Some are locals and expats like us and their visitors.

So many events going on from January to April but I only managed to come to a few and enjoy them.  It seems life is becoming busy for me since I have accepted that I will be here for quite some time to support my wonderful hubby and son.

Here are some photos.  I hope you will enjoy viewing them too but the thrill and excitement were to be there in person.  Anyway… see U again next year!

Please click this LINK to view my post last year RE: Abu Dhabi & MON Festivals 2016 LINK.  Thanks! 

Beautifully decorated lanterns, vinneve foto

Mini car route with Nation Towers @backdrop, vinneve foto

Zorb, vinneve foto

Souq/Markets, vinneve

Zorb over the water, vinneve foto

Lots of activities for the children for all ages and some of them are free.  Of course, you just have to go on the queue and be patient!  We went to see a documentary about water in UAE and it was a mini Museum and beautifully presented to people.  My son loves doing his own kite and there are some markets (souq), music/concerts, and lots of restaurants around the Corniche where they built this event.  Last year we went to see a magic show & acrobatics and a Comedy stint but we were late on a schedule this year so we missed it and walking back to the next zone was too far away!  Still, we enjoyed and my son was happy that’s more important than the one we have missed.

Cheers!

My Desire and the Road Taken… however Against the Odds & it’s Shadow etc.

This is in response/s to the Daily Post/Prompts & Weekly Photo Challenges:  Desire, The Road Taken,  Arid, Against the Odds, Superpower, and Shadow.  The last but NOT the least… WOTD Desire from a Word Challenge group.

Please allow me this opportunity to express myself and my thoughts thru these challenges and yes it is literally a challenge about LIFE... our life, besides CHANGE is the only constant in life. Please click the highlighted in red above & below to go to another window for my previous post.

Last year I had to choose 3 options where to live for the sake of my happiness and my son’s future.  You may say I am fortunate but yes perhaps having some options are better than none, however, confusing and complicated it may be in the long run.

MY DESIRE, THE ROAD TAKEN, AGAINST THE ODDS and SUPERPOWER

The road we took is different to what my heart desires beautiful as it may seem like the ever famous and colourful beauty of both Switzerland and New Zealand. Poles apart. One my son’s half identity plus the other half and our “home” that we left behind for the meantime, so the family can be whole in UAE.  You see, how can I decide so easily if being happy is not also complete without the other half and against all odds? And so…the latter mentioned, the road taken and the decision is made because… FAMILY THAT STICKS TOGETHER STAY TOGETHER! 😉

IF I have a superpower… I will definitely be flying and live each week or month in each place so I will not feel homesick, feel deprived of my own opportunity or feel guilty about one way or another.  But alas!  I am only human.  In reality, it is impossible as it is not normal and I want some normality in my son’s life as possible.

Switzerland

Near Zurich, vinneve

New Zealand

somewhere in Hawkes Bay NZ, vinneve photo

UAE, Abu Dhabi

Between the bridges, AD UAE, vinneve

You are probably surprised that there are some similarities with these 3 Countries but yes different lifestyles (Switzerland – Sophisticated; NZ – laidback; UAE – luxurious) and definitely different cultures and values… but one thing is again common it’s FAMILY. 

For people who have never been to the Middle East… who would have thought that an ARID land can turn out to be a mysterious beauty and more?  I appreciated what is life offered us here and are grateful for the new experiences.  It’s definitely different but nevertheless, it’s an adventure of a lifetime!

My Family, vinneve

Daily Prompt: Trees Abundant @Al Ain Oasis

via Daily Prompt: Tree

We had a family weekend trip recently to Al Ain just an hour and 45 mins. away from Abu Dhabi City and visited a friend to complete it along with a quick visit to Al Ain Museum (will post about this next time) and see this link Al Ain Oasis where trees are abundant and you will wonder if you are in the desert at all.

Al Ain Oasis, vinneve photo

It is estimated that 98% of fruit trees here in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are date palms. The Country is also one of the World’s Top 10 producers of dates.  It is part of their culture and traditions (gift giving etc.) and you can find this tree everywhere so it is not just a desert sand you see, for those people who think desert Countries are just full of sands.

Unfortunately, the water dried up (perhaps because it’s summer) and going to these plantations make it so hot walking along the pathways with walls throughout the walkways.  So it doesn’t look like an Oasis at all that day.  We didn’t finish the walk and call it a day!  Went to a cooler place which is the mall. 🙂

Now I leave you with an Inspirational quote from pinterest.com

pinterest.com

 

Jump & You will see…

via Daily Prompt: Jump

This is in response to The Daily Post: Jump 

“To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions”  by Benjamin Franklin.

More than a year ago we were living in the beautiful Land of the Long White Cloud but almost live in somewhere else before the other opportunity unfolds as quickly as the snow melts in a hot sun.  Some people are shocked to understand why we have chosen to come to the Land of the Desert & Opportunities instead of The land of the Giants .  

As per the quote above and my older post LINK here… you gotta be quick when opportunity knocks on your door.  Not everybody can have this chance in life!  Let’s say it is the best chances we’ve got over the two “lands”, besides this is only temporary.  We will go back as soon as we finish here.  Try to be patient and be positive that’s the name of the game.

So why not JUMP in?  Besides….

Cheers!  thanks for reading.  🙂

My Daily Post Challenges in Switzerland

I am currently away on holiday with the family and visiting relatives from one Country to another, and I thought it’s better for me to do some unique way of joining the Daily Post Challenge.  I have some good themes that I specifically chosen and will connect to our holidays.  I hope you will approve and enjoy some photos and makes you dream and start to wanderlusting beautiful places on Earth.  It is never too late.

July 30th Admire – Please click the link about the place for more info.

Zurich on top of the hill of LINDENHOF where it all began…

Paintings from the outside walls of Fraumunster Church

July 28TH Unstoppable – These are the photos from our journeys via Regional (more stops) and fast train (express) and then finally to final destination in Zurich, Switzerland.

July 26th Shared Journeys – with families or VIP are the best!

July 25th Sanctuary – for me a place that makes you feel at home.

Locarno, Switzerland

July 24th Clock

St. Peter Church

July 22nd Cherry on Top

@Zurich

There isn’t any cherry on top literally BUT it made our holidays more especial by celebrating a birthday even it means eating a cake three times within a month as we celebrated it with relatives in 3 different places.   

July 21st Carefree  

Birds have freedoms too!

July 19TH The Things We Leave Behind – are the places that marks some happy moments into our holidays.

July 19th FEAST – your eyes with some burst of colours everywhere

July 14th STORM

After the STORM in Locarno

We spent some family times in Locarno and though the storms came you can still see the beauty of the place.

July 13th Journey  

Our late afternoon train journey from Locarno to Zurich

We are continuing our journeys and exploring the beautiful Country of Switzerland.

Thanks for your time!

Daily Prompt: Stroll

This is in response to The Daily Post/Prompt: Stroll

Glad to stroll and fortunate to be near Umm Al Emarat Park formerly called Mushrif Central Park.  They have some events for everybody to attend to like Food Festival, Science Festival, and other family events, and on regular days just lazy around the park, read, play, go and visit the mini zoo or have a cup of coffee/tea with friends.  Better do it now before it gets any hotter though people here will surely visit at night (nocturnal) when the heat becomes unbearable at day time and the lighting will surely delight even the young at heart… besides as what J.K. Rowling says, ” Nothing like a nighttime stroll to give you ideas”. 

 

Park near downtown, vinneve photo

 

All photos are mine.  Please do not copy them without crediting me.

Thank You for your time. 🙂

 

 

Daily Prompt: Abandoned

This is in response to The Daily Post/Prompt: ABANDONED.

“Humans are not the only animals trying to survive each day”  by Antony Douglas Williams (sourced: pinterest.com)

Abandoned cat **

pinterest.com

 

Pukeko, A Duck, and some sparrow birds

How about these birds?  will they feel abandoned now that I left them?  I am wondering if the new tenant of the house will care enough to feed them.  Nobody owns them, they are free as a bird as how they are and it’s the way they should be. FREE but never abandoned.

Updated note,July 2016 ** I call her puss puss (yeah, usual)… unfortunately for some reason I haven’t seen her for a long time now.  I was sad as the last time I saw her was when I fed her and she was hungry as she is pregnant at that time.  Not sure what had happened to her but I really wish that somebody helped her or adopted her for the better.  Poor cat. 😦

 

Daily Post Challenge: Contrast

This is in response to The Daily Post – Contrast.

” Contrast is what makes photography interesting.”  By Conrad Hall

A few collection of photos from my previous travels.  No filter just using a simple camera.

 

Paris, France

 

Sydney, Australia

 

King’s Park, Perth Australia

 

Marina Bay, Dubai UAE

 

Qatar, somewhere in the City Center

 

Kumue Farm Show, Auckland NZ

 

Yas Viceroy, Abu Dhabi

 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

 

Mt. Santis, Switzerland

All photos are mine.  A great travel experience while taking these simple photos, I hope you LIKE them.  Thanks till next time!  Cheers 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Window of Opportunity

This is in response for the Daily Prompt: WINDOW

“If a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the shade.”  by Tom Peters

 

Overview of Dunedin, NZ (from one of my domestic travel around my home Country)

 

That is why we are here in the land of the desert. PERIOD.

 

 

 

 

Unforgettable Misstep in Paris

This is in response (though I am very late to post this, sorry!) to the Daily  Prompt: Misstep

Gare de Lyon Train Station, Paris

It was a very memorable and unfortunate day of September 2013 that I will never forget as for the first time in years I thought my 5yrs old son will be in a terrible state when he took a wrong step on the pavement in front of Gare de Lyon.  It was like a slow motion seeing it on the movie when it happened just  hours before we depart.  I cannot believe it, I thought it’s nothing until I saw his blood gushing on his lower part of the left lip.  Unfortunately, his misstep caused us an instant panic and inconveniences.  He got a very deep cut under his lower lip and it even the doctors get worried that they need a specialist to see him before they can decide what to do and finally after cleaning him up and taking care of his cut we are just lucky to be on time for our 4 O’ clock train ride to Zürich, as you can see from the picture above when I took it was quarter to 1pm so we went to have lunch.  It was an hour before the accident!  Now I wonder why my photo seems gloomy.  Perhaps a sign of what was to come.  A misstep that makes me understand about “humanitarian aid” or sort of.

First, as some of you may know that French is not fond of talking in English, PERIOD.  I do not know the language and just using my brain to understand some words here and there as we go. It is not too bad, just pay attention and look for some landmarks so you won’t get lost as the signage are mostly written in French and of course the good old fashion of hand signals and logical thinking.  Few people are of great help and some just as if they’re blind, can’t be bothered to help or get involved which I understand.  It’s a long story to tell so I won’t bore you with the details.  My hubby told me I have a memory of an elephant which I take as a compliment haha!  🙂

Needless to say, we learned a lot from this experiences.  Fortunately after more than 2 years finally his scar is “almost” gone.  Perhaps someday we will go back again…. will see.

“Use missteps as stepping stones to deeper understanding and greater achievement.”                       by Susan Taylor