2nd match of the night

Tennis Time

Nadal, Tsonga, Anderson

Mubadala World Tennis Championship

Got to the compound at 1:30. Bought a tennis ball to have Nadal sign which was too begin at 2:30. He came out. At 30 minutes he stopped and the event people announced nothing. Very unprofessional.

My seats are awesome. First match is Tsonga vs Ferrer.

Happy NYE Day Off

Woke up this morning before the sun. Talk about a beautiful sunrise of orange and hot pink!
We got internet, finally! Spent an hour this morning sorting the bill out though.

Decided today I am off and to spend my time as I would like.

I bought tickets to a tennis championship! Nadal will be playing! How cool.

Will post more later once I go.

No plans for tonight as I have to work tomorrow but unsure how long the matches will be today.

Happy New Years Eve To All

The Good Dinosaur

We went to Cine Royal at Dalma Mall to see The Good Dinosaur by Pixar.
The theatre was full, of tiny loud children.
It was the last showing of the night at 6:40.
M and I always go see the latest Pixar movie but Brave, was not good so hopes were not too high.

Tickets: 35 dhs each
Seats: You reserve before going in.
Concession: see attached photo.
      They had full bags of chips haha!
       Coke products, popcorn and nachos.

We only bought 2 Cokes.

Movie Review: Soooo Cute!!!
Great picture quality, adorable characters & good story.

365 days of discount in Abu Dhabi

Last night we bought the 2016 Abu Dhabi Entertainer book.

Every use I will post the benefits and stipulations, if any, each coupon contains.

Burger Time

After roaming this labriynth of a mall I stumbled into this Burger Bureau.

I have ordered the Al Miriachi. Guac, tortilla chips & cheese.

We will see... so the verdict is:

Never again. Not good. No taste. Also they were out of tortilla strips but did not tell me that until I asked. Cost 50 AED for a mint lemonade, burger and fries.

Christmas in the air...

Gizmo can't decide which toy should go under the tree

Merry Christmas! First Christmas abroad and away from home. You have to make the most of it..even if the tree is fake.

M & I exchanged gifts after watching Christmas movies like Prep & Landing, How The Grinch Stole Christmas & Charlie Brown. We turned on "Four Christmases" to start the gifting.

"Mistletoe!!!!!"

Let the games begin

Happy Happy Happy

Merry Christmas from the Sparkmans. Abu Dhabi 2015

Merry Merry Christmas from Abu Dhabi

I awoke in the middle of the night, again! Turned on Last Man Standing and sat up in bed watching. Mac did for about 2 hours but drifted off around 6:00.

We got up and I decided to cook bacon and grits. Well deciding to use Christmas plates and not thinking of what would happen next I put the bacon into the microwave. I heard the ding before I smelt the smoke. Opening the microwave a cloud of smoke billowed out and I saw the black mess. It had all melted in the microwave. No bacon for Christmas breakfast. 

Decided to make turkey and cheese wraps and eat some blueberries. I normally don't like blueberries but after everyone telling me how good they are for me I decided why not.

Turned on How The Grinch Stole Christmas to see Mo's twin, Max. Such a cute movie!

Then we watched Charlie Brown Christmas Special.

We decided to open out presents to each other. During this we turned on our favorite Christmas comedy, Four Christmases.

Mac got:

New Nike tennis shoes

Desk Bran teaser calendar

Shower head

GPS

Socking full of his favorite goodies

I got:

Ipad mini

Zeus & Gizmo's paw prints on canvas done by Mac

Book

South Carolina cutting board

Mini Steamer

Headphones

It was a great Christmas. We had some snacks and sat around deciding we would try to go see a movie and have dinner as we needed a few things from ACE hardware.

We got picked up at 6 and headed to Dalma Mall. It was all lit up and sparkly for the season.

We went to El Chico Mexican for dinner. They served Chips and salsa. I got a taco plate and Mac got a burrito and chicken special . He liked his. I ordered wrong.

We then went to see about a movie. We wanted to see Little Dinosaur but only one showing and it was at 6:45 which had passed. We went down to Carrefour and bought 2 shower curtain rods.

After looking and not finding a duvet cover in Pottery Barn we headed home.

We busted out my mini bottle of Champagne from home and cheersed to Christmas in our new apartment.

Turned on an episode of Homeland and fell asleep....

Merry Merry Christmas 2015 from Abu Dhabi UAE.

Day 3- Public Holiday & Hubby's Arrival

Today I awoke way too early for having the day off, but I decided there was lots to be done. Got up and started cleaning as Mac was set to arrive at 1:30.

I had plenty to do from cleaning the house, unpacking and trying to do a few small Christmas gift shopping.

I have never scrubbed floors, furniture and cleaned like I did. It is so funny to me how people here when they move out the apartments aren't remotely cleaned for the next tenant.

I set up the Christmas tree which we had acquired in Kuwait and hung lights around one of the windows. I put out our decorations but waited to do the tree with Mac.

Gizmo is still exhausted he sleeps and follows me around waiting on me to sit to obscond onto my lap.

Weather was cool so I decided to wear a scarf to feel holidayish in the desert.

Called my new taxi driver as my driver stopped driving without telling me, go figure. He came at 12:00 to pick me up. We headed to Carrefour so I could buy Mac's Christmas gift, a tv. This Carrefour was really nice and very large. They are in their 20th year so many items were on sale. Carrefour is a European large box retailor like WalMart but not discount just carries a lot of items from food to home to electronics and appliances overpriced for the middle east.

Got us Subway for lunch because I was about to pass out and knew even if he had lunch a snack would be needed soon after.

After Carrefour I came back put up the TV and we headed to the airport.

I went inside and was looking at the gate when I saw a familiar face. A fried from Kuwait was waving me over. She had flown on the same flight as Mac and they were seated next to each other. She was coming to Dubai for Christmas so she wasn't stuck in Kuwait before she flew to Australia for 3 weeks. what are the odds?

Mac had been hassled in customs so he took another 30 minutes after Vicki. Come to find out he was upgraded to business class on Etihad. How lovely!!!  Carrying 4 bags he was finally out. He told the story of a rude customs agent who wasn't happy with apparently working on the holiday and was taking it out on Mac. He had to not only show his passport but everything he had on him with his name or photo. this has never happened over here and I believe is not allowed. He finally shook off the bad mood and we arrived at the apartment. He loved what I had done and Gizmo freaked out when he saw him.

We watched a Disney Christmas movie called Prep & Landing. It is about the elves who get the house ready for Santa. So cute! 

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night..

Day 2- Chills overcomes me

Woke up too early and freezing nont the less.

Had to get my laptop & email password reset. Was on the phone for an hour & half with our service desk.

Driver arrived & took me to Deerfields Mall. Upon going up the escalator there is a huge Christmas tree with lit deer & poinsettias. It was unusual yet very pretty!

After catching up on 400+ emails I went into my store.

I had taken two advil, but still felt like I had a fever.

Work was long and so tiring. Had to hail a cab after I bought a few groceries. Got home and passed out for a few hours.

Gizmo has landed but they say he will not be here for 4 hours. He has to sit at airport and go through customs. Expected to be here at 2am.

Gizmo has arrived. It is 3am Abu Dhabi time. Poor little guy started his journey at noon that day. He arrived via Snoopy Pets a service out of Dubai who cleared him in customs then delivered him here to Abu Dhabi. He was in a massive crate marked live animal with toys, food and water. He jumped out of the van and did laps then began kissing me. It was such a happy moment. If I had had it on video it would have been hilarious how fast he was running. I paid the Snoopy Pets driver and we came inside.

I had his bed and toys ready for him on arrival as well as some water. They say pets will easily get dehydrated from long flights (flight was 1 hour & 1/2) and with his history I didn't want to take that chance.

I slept about 30 minutes when he barked and after that just stayed up.

Move to Abu Dhabi

Date:
December 20 2015

Saying goodbye, Mac and I got into the car with bags in tow. As he was jumping in his pants split right up the zipper! We both burst into laughter. We had to improvise by wrapping his shirt around his waist and wearing his jacket for when we went into the airport.
Tonight I arrived at the airport with my 2 suitcases and large carry-on. Not sure how they were over weight I didn't even buy any shoes!
Waiting to go to security we saw a woman fall smack down to the floor. Mac ran over to help her thinking to himself this poor woman is going to get a face full of my underwear! We spoke to her until her husband arrived. She had just tripped trying to peek to see the Poinsettia tree. She was on her way to Texas for Christmas.
Said my goodbyes and headed to the new security eing of the airport. Not a fan. Longer walk & more stairs. I saw a customer bad left a bin full of their items... Aren't they suppose to be watching this type of thing?
Decided I needed a juice so I went over to the kiosk. The Minute Maid was marked 13.45 while the apple was 3.45. I had to ask bc these days you never know. He joked saying he squeezed it fresh for me right before. Only paid $3.45.
Plane was tiny & my throat started to feel sore & my voice went away...go figure. I was on a 1 seater row and played Spot It with myself.
Ran through IAD as my plane was boarding so did not buy anything. There were 5 zones & all were already full. Tried to logon United site to buy premeire access but noticed I was in zone 2 & we were moving. U got to the ticket scanner & he said ur zone 5 but its OK go on. Thank the Lord bc it was a sold out flight every single seat. I was row 2 of Economy Comfort where there is no seat in front of me so at least I had that but on the aisle. Weirdly neither man asked to pass by.
Flight was long and I drank juice trying to sleep. Horrible film selection. Tried to watch a Meryl Streep but could not get through it.

I realized I gave my driver the wrong day while waiting in the over hour long passport line. Finally got through that and went to baggage claim. I noticed there were not enough bags for people and over heard an attendant saying these were all so I followed a few guys to baggage services.
Come to find out TSA had really searched in depth all bags so they were 2 hours behind us.
Met a nice guy from Toronto here to see family for Christmas. Made me sad. First time away from home in 31 years. Not a fan.
Our bags arrived and I made my way out to find a driver.
Negotiated a rate which I would pay my normal driver and headed on.
He said he's been here 32 years yet when we got to my area he drove 20 minutes past it. I had to show him how to go.
We arrived at midnight and I began to unload my suitcases straightening the house.
Saw an email Gizmo lands 10:30pm tomorrow night :)
Ate all the pecan twirls Jeanne had given Di who shared with me. I have never been so grateful.
Awoke to being freezing at 4am and now covered in 5 blankets.
Being picked up at 9:30 for work.

Naxos, Greece Visit Lianos Vilage

This blue can not even compare the the blues of the Aegean..beautiful I can not put it into words. Could be the clear skies, the white washed homes or the white sand but Greece is like no other place in the world. 

Lianos Village is located by the sea outside of Naxos Town. (you can book on booking.com or their website   http://www.lianosvillage.com/more.htm  ) Beautiful villas with colorful doors. We had an ocean view which was amazing. The lanai has grapes hanging over which in September they make their own wine & liquor. 

Athens Greece..history I missed you Day 1

Flying from KWI to Abu Dhabi then onto Athens arriving bright and early Friday morning! The airport was quick, the flight was not.

Never in my life have I heard 3 women talk so much and for so long. On a flight at 1am why..why would you talk? It is common courtesy to all passengers on board that you pipe down put on your sleep mask and dream of landing.

We were so ecstatic to land that I pretty much bolted through customs.

Getting a taxi into Athens took about 30 minutes.

Our hotel was Phaedra Hotel located below the Acropolis in an amazing location. We were in front of Hadrian's Gate, amazing little restaurants and fun shopping.

Hop on Hop off is about 50 feet up the road :)

We were in desperate need of breakfast so we began to wonder. We found an adorable yogurt shop called Fresko (you can find them on Tripadvisor) . M got honey and nuts while I chose strawberry toppings.














ACROPOLIS BOUND...hike.hike.hike

We made the walk up the Acropolis bright and early in hopes of missing the large groups.

Note: It is a steep long hike up, wear the right shoes. I did see many ladies in high heels. Props to them and their feet. I wore sandals.

We got our tickets and made our way into this ancient monument. The views were amazing of Athens to the sea.

Parthenon: 
Is currently under renovation as expected but it was still amazing. To think this was where everyone climbed to talk and worship. 

Caves:
We saw the caves of Zeus, Pan & Apollo. 

Erechteoin:

This temple was very interesting as the 6 women face the Parthenon yet you can go behind and see other carvings in the marble. 

The guards were hanging the Greek flag and singing. It was a neat show.

We walked to the Agora & all around the area.

We decided to have lunch at Gyristroula. Amazing Greek salad, pork sausages, & pita bread. A fun break from being in the Middle East.  They even offer free wifi !

Walking along the streets by the train tracks many small vendors are selling local goods. You can find silly souvenirs or homemade jewelry.

I got a bracelet made with my surname on it in Greek. Love it! 5 Euros.

After a quick break we decided to see all of Athens we should try the Hop on Hop Off bus. They were ending early that day because of the protests for the Euro Zone. We drove all around town seeing all of Athens. Really beautiful city.

Hello Europe, July here we come...

As Ramadan approaches we have decided as this is our 3rd Ramadan in the Middle East we would like to travel to Europe. I am only allotted one week off where as Hubby gets 2 weeks plus EID. Very jealous!!!

After much debate on flights, where to go when, and my short time we chose Athens & Croatia for sheer price and availability and of course because they both look AWESOME!!!

July is suppose to be the hottest and full of tourists. I think it sure beats not being able to eat or drink in 120 degree weather and working so I am in!

Croatia I am most looking forward to the Dalmation Coast and some islands off the mainland. Athens I am looking forward to the history and possibly seeing one or two Greek Isles.

The best part about it all is we live so close to all of these places now so we have to take advantage of this!

May Day! Lunch at SaladBoutique

While waiting to pick up the pup from the vet we decided to try Saladboutique. They have locations in Kuwait and Qatar. They are also found on social media. The menu was brought to us on IPADs. Scanning through the selections was easy just getting the waiter back was not. I chose the Spicy Chicken Salad and hubby chose the Grilled Chicken salad. My meal is posted above.

The Grilled Chicken Salad: Comes with grilled chicken, avocado, tomatoe, cucumber, lettuce & toasted bread.

We also ordered a large Evian water, Lemon with Mint Juice & A Coca Cola. Our bill was 13KD.

The atmosphere isn't bad because there a bright pink umbrellas and they turned on the fans for us. We were the only patrons on a Saturday at 12:30 in the afternoon. 
The neighboring restaurant, Big Smoke Burgers, only had one couple there as well.

Happy Saturday.

Top 5 Things I have done so far: 

1.) Rent Jet Skis

2.) Visit Souk Mubarakia

3.) Visit Rimal Sandcastles

4.)  Buy Fabric at the fabric souq

5.) Climb Mutla Ridge

Jet Ski Rental:

During EID hubs, a friend and I rented jet skis at Halloween Beach. You have to park then walk down the sand to find the jetskis. There is a hut to do the rentals. There are 3 types of jetskis to choose from.

1.) Slow for 20 KD

2.) Power for 30 KD

3.) SUPER CHARGED 2014 50 KD

This is good for 1 hour. It is totally worth it if you have a water proof camera or feel you can take the chance of putting your cell or camera in the lock box on the jetski. 

Ladies you can totally wear what you want. I wore a bikini top and shorts. The life jacket covers you anyway so it is not a problem. 


Souq Mubarkia:
This is a traditional Kuwaiti souq in Kuwait City. Very busy at night and deserted during the day Have a look if you want to see different shops from local knick nacks to fabric. Some cool little Kuwaiti restaurants serving rice, lamb and bread.

Rimal Sandcastles:
This is a sight to see!! HUGE..I mean massive sandcastles depicting 1001 Arabian Nights. This was apparetly put on for an event in 2013 and was just abadoned. Take your friends or kids. They will love it!

Fabric Souq:
In Kuwait City. Look for the 4 tall tan brick buildings that look alike. Commercial Area 9 is what the buildings say. Prepare to walk and negotiate. Every kind of fabric you can imagine from apolstry to attire. There are also tailors in the buildings near by. Also prepare to negotiate. Some till try to gouge you. 

APRIL 2015

This month has been full of sandstorms and work. The weather has been horrible. I was stuck in Kuwait because my passport was being renewed for my job. I reached my 1 year mark. Who knew? Kuwait has been survivable (if that is a word).  Food prices still shock us but you have to eat. 

This month wasn't very exciting on the events meter. Had dinner with friends. Went to the Opera. I worked way too much. 

The Opera-

They sang in a mix of Italian & English

The set was worse than an elementary school production.

It had Bollywood dancing at the end.

The music was great. Maybe because we knew a member for the orchestra and we were partial.

TV Show Review:

The Last Man On Earth: Stars Will Forte and is set in Tuscon Arizona. He is the the last man on Earth. He goes around putting up billboards after searching the US for survivors. I won't give anything away but he meets someone :) It's a silly comedy to occupy 20 minutes of your time. 

Restaurant Review:

Smashburger: I got the classic smash which comes with cheese, onion, lettuch, tomato, ketchup on an egg bun. It is a thin patty. I added some extras on my burger which cost extra. I also ordered the smash fries which are cooked with rosemary. It is a nice touch. As this was delivery the fries were mooshy. I have also visited their Mishref branch and had the same experience so I was just hoping it would be better in person but they were still limp and some under cooked.

MamaLitas: We ordered numerous dishes for takeaway. We got the Barbacoa which is a smoked braised beef of 4 small tacos with rice and beans. The rice and beans did not arrive so they thought a substitute would be 2 more small tacos They were wrong. The barbacoa is my favorite dish but sometimes they do not offer the type I order as they have run out.  We also ordered shredded chicken tacos. The shells were not crunchy. Another order was the breakfast burrito with turkey and ham (not pork). My husband liked that.