The Husband's Birthday Celebration Streak

My dear husband celebrated his big 3-0 birthday last Friday. Since he’s been such a sweetie the past few weeks, I thought it’s only but fitting to celebrate his birthday the entire weekend (from 24th – 26th July). And so we did.

24th JulyIt was a TGIT, which is the end of business week here in the UAE. After the husband picked me up from work at half past five, we proceeded to Garhoud to have an early dinner at Oriental Kitchen. We stuffed ourselves crazy, so by the time we finished, we could barely walk back to the car.

sushi lover

elongated cutlery

We also went to Party Centre to buy some metallic balloons, party napkins, plastic utensils, plates and cocktail cups & stirrers for Ryan’s party the next day. I love going to this shop! It's filled with all the party goodies you’d need for any occasion. The first time we went there, we spent a good hour just going through various sections of party stuff for kids and adults alike. It was a haven for party lovers like me!

After snatching the items we need, we headed straight to Deira City Centre to do some grocery shopping for Ryan’s party the next day. We also planned on catching the movie “Dark Knight” but when we got to the cinemas section of the mall, we saw that it was jam-packed! Not our kind of movie experience so off we went. We decided to just chill at home instead of squeezing ourselves with all those people in the mall. Ryan settled himself in our bed and played with his PSP, while I worked in the kitchen and living room areas. When the clock struck midnight, bessie, K and I surprised Ryan with a chocolate cake mousse cake with a candle. We also gave him our gifts, too. He wasn’t expecting another gift as I had given this present a few days ago:

40 GB Playstation 3 Metal Gear Solid 4 pack

Little did he know that this cookbook below was just some sort of a decoy because something else was in store for him the following day:

for a Jamie Oliver fan

B & K got him a nice Adidas shirt with an Anime design on it. Of course, Ryan was surprised with this unexpected birthday eve celebration just as usual.

25th July
The next day, we packed some stuff we needed to bring to the hotel for Ryan’s birthday party. Just like my birthday, we stayed overnight at the iconic Dusit Thani Dubai with the very same neat package that my cousin had arranged.

Throwing a party in a hotel is always so convenient, especially when you’re booked in a suite. You have your own living room, kitchen and dining areas which you can utilize well, not to mention that clean up is also fuss free!

Before checking in at the hotel, we had lunch first at Uno Chicago Grill at Deira City Centre. I had Shrimp Scampi, a light but delicious pasta in angel’s hair, while Ryan had the Grilled Shrimp and Sirloin, grilled medium well, which is an absolute perfection.

I tipped the receptionist that Ryan's celebrating his birthday that day so right after we had our sumptuous lunch, a group of waiters came by our table cheering for the husband with the Uno Chicago Grill birthday chant, while another waitress carried with her a special chocolate dessert with candle. You guessed it right…Ryan was again caught by surprise!

The reason we actually made a pit stop at the Deira City Centre was to get Ryan’s new toy an accompaniment. and what do you think goes well with a PS3 and a party? What else but a Guitar Hero! That’s my 3rd gift for him.

gift number 3

The moment we dropped our stuff at the suite, the husband began to connect the PS3 to the 46-inch plasma TV and tried out his new loot. His inner kid was roaring so wildly!

Guests started to arrive at half past six in the evening. For dinner, we served Chinese food and Dominos pizzas (to go with the beer), all delivered straight to our suite’s doorstep at 6:00 pm (see, it’s totally hassle-free!). We also ordered Krispy Kreme glazed donuts for a sweet fix. We did stock up on a few bottles of liquor, some sodas and juices, too so everyone mixed their own cocktails as they wished.

Of course, a birthday ain’t complete without a birthday cake. Since Ryan loves chocolates (and I love coffee…hehe!), I ordered Tiramisu cake from Hediard. Seemed that the guests liked the cake because most of them asked for seconds.

Ryan’s party rocked big time! The hall was filled with boisterous laughter. Our source of live entertainment was Ryan’s new gaming console with games such as the funky Guitar Hero (which played rock music till dawn), Fight Night 3 and Ninja Gaiden. We were having so much fun that we didn’t realize we were being too loud already. A hotel security even came knocking on our door at around 2:00 am to shush us up because the room below us had already complained. The ruckus went on till about 4:00 am. The hubby and me collapsed in bed as soon as the last guest had left.

gamers on the loose

26th July
The birthday boy and I woke up at 9:30 am to have breakfast at The Californian. Hubby couldn’t get over his new toy so he excitedly wore the shirt that came with the Guitar Hero pack. At the restaurant up the 24th floor, we delighted ourselves with pork bacon, Thai crab fried rice, sausages and other delectable breakfast servings from their buffet table. Aahh, the joy of real food!

We didn’t leave the hotel without making a stop over at the Club Executive Lounge for some afternoon snacks. Their scones were a must-try -- simply divine!

We went home tired but happy from all the happenings that took place in the last couple of days. I just hope this birthday celebration streak proved memorable to hubby.

Happy birthday again, honeybear! I love you so much!

Arabian Desert Surprise

Last week, our department had its team building at the Godolphin Ballroom of the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel. It was a half day activity which started with a buffet lunch at the foyer of the ballroom, and followed by 4 stimulating activities. Needless to say, the food was terrific! Well enough to energize us for the rest of the day’s proceedings. All the activities we did were memorable. The challenges presented to us accented the key aspects of working together as a team, and what's more fun is that we got to discover the other side of our colleagues.
After 4 hours of pure enjoyment, our MD capped off the event by distributing a special envelope for each of us. Last year, Business Development won the “Department of the Year” award (and I'm proud to say that i was part of the committee who worked on the paper we submitted to the judges). All staff were awarded a voucher for 2 nights stay for 2 at Dubai’s most plush desert hotel, Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa. It's valid ‘til December so hubby and I can plan our stay in November just when the weather is a bit cooler. Wee, I’m excited already!

Make Up Essentials

I thought I'd write about the make up I use that are found in my kikay kit.  Consider this a mini-review, if you may.

1. Dior Skin CompactMy love affair with Dior began exactly a year ago. I noticed that my colleague was always looking glam in her make up so I unashamedly asked her what brand she’s using. That very same day, I trooped to the mall and tested Dior’s products on me. Let’s just say it made a very good impression on me so I purchased a few. And this powder was, for me, my best buy.

My major requirement for a compact powder is that it must have sunblock. As you all know, the sun here in Dubai is not so friendly to the skin so it was good that it has SPF 20. What I love most about this product is its lightness. It doesn’t feel heavy on my face and lets my skin breathe, which is what I also want in a powder. It leaves my skin looking soft and radiant with its natural matte finish. Long wearing, too, which makes it perfect for everyday use.



2. Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect
Ooh, this is my favorite gloss of all! It’s truly an ultimate weapon for seduction! Its deep, dazzling shine and sophisticated colors make up a perfect pout for any occasion. It's also water-like so it doesn’t have this heavy, sticky feeling to your lips as compared to Lancome Juicy Tubes. It has a brush tip applicator which makes it easy to apply with precision. I have it in Denim Rose, which instantly gives my face a fresh look without even trying!



3. Dior Crayon Eyeliner
I never leave home without an eye liner. just like Paris Hilton & Lucy Torres-Gomez, I have a wonky eye (or sometimes called ‘lazy eye’) – the right one if you haven't noticed (my maternal grandma thinks it’s my lucky charm!) In order to hide it, I create an illusion using the eyeliner. and there’s no other make up better to use than an eyeliner to draw a fine line along the base of my lashes to instantly give me that ‘doe-eyed’ look. Very easy to apply and soft to the touch, too. It also comes with a beveled foam blending tip and its own sharpener.


4. MAC Fluidline Eyeliner
Why do I need another eyeliner, you ask? This MAC invention is what I use as a top liner. It comes in a small jar that’s very handy. It’s long lasting so I don’t have to carry the pot with me wherever I go for touch ups. It’s a gel type so applying it is very easy, and smudge proof compared to liquid liners. I have it in black track. To apply, I use a brush to do the trick, and the perfect brush for this is the MAC 210 precise eye liner brush. The only con is that it’s difficult to take off so you have to use special make up remover for it.

5. Maybelline Great Lash Curved Brush Washable Mascara
Beauty experts say that the best mascara in make up history is Maybelline Great Lash. And I completely agree. With its affordable price of $35, it's wand truly does magic. It's a breakthrough eye product that thickens my lashes and conditions them at the same time. It also gives them the curliest curl ever without clumping or globbing. Maybelline brand is categorized as a drugstore make up but for me, this mascara is still the best even if it’s not so chica. The only downside is that it’s not available here in the UAE, so I had it purchased pa in the States.

Sun and Sand

As I was watching Gossip Girl’s S1E10 “Hi, Society” last night, a particular scene made me realize how “in” the Emirate of Dubai is right now.
Serena: (to Carter) I heard about your scrape in Dubai
Blair: You’ve been to Dubai? Did you stay at the Burj Al Arab?
Carter: No, I stayed at the Palm Island.
Serena: Dubai is so overrated!
And then Carter started yakking about his kinship with the Sheikhs and other big wigs in the city.

Wow, even the writers of Gossip Girl think Dubai is a must-see luxury destination! :)

Well, truth be told, Dubai is indeed a luxurious place to live in – meaning you really have to have the money to be able to keep up with the kind of lifestyle here. Inflation is high, basic commodities’ prices increase regularly, and rent doesn’t come cheap. The only consolation we have is that gas is pretty affordable here. AED 360 (USD 98) doesn’t make a dent in our monthly budget, and that’s gas good enough for a full month, including weekend trips to wherever in Dubai. For us lowly people, we could afford to drive a 3.0 MIVEC engine on a daily basis travelling 60 kilometers back and forth.

With petrol being inexpensive here, it’s not so surprising that a lot of people can afford to buy vehicles with big engines that gargle on petrol when accelerated. This is the only place on earth where I’ve seen all the luxury cars one can ever imagine – Maseratis, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Rolls Royce, Bentleys, and even stretch Hummers. Mercedes Benzes, Jaguars, Porches & BMWs are a common sight here. I pretty much have assumed that the unofficial national vehicle in the UAE is a Toyota Prado in white color. You can stand on the side of Sheikh Zayed Road for 5 minutes, and I can assure you that the ratio of spotting one cruising along is 1:1 (1 Prado per minute).

Dubai is known for being outlandish & flashy. In fact, it boasts of its love for superlatives in all sorts of direction. They are building the tallest building in the world (Burj Dubai), the world’s biggest mall, the world’s largest indoor ski slope, and the world’s largest airport (Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport) that’s estimated to be almost twice the size of Hong Kong - not the airport, but the island! Apart from those, they already have the world’s tallest hotel (Burj Al Arab), which is also known as the only 7 star hotel in the world, the most lavish 5-star hotels you could ever think of, glamorous shops and modern souks, 20% of the world’s cranes, clusters of economies, and all other material wealth you could picture. Dubai is obviously trying to become the world’s number one tourist destination of the insanely rich and absurdly wealthy.

But what I admire about Dubai are the people who truly work hard and roughen their hands to build Dubai from a hole in the ground to a skyscraper of an architectural wonder. these are the men who work in the construction sites, who carry rickshaws from the harbor in the Dubai creek to the souks, the watchmen, the street cleaners and those who serve in the hospitality business. These people make Dubai...they create Dubai. These are the very same beings who make things work, who provide the luxurious treatments, who carry the shoppers’ bags, who drive for the tourists, who fixes things when something’s broken, who carries the golf bags at a golf course on a hot, humid day. I could go on and on about these people who keep Dubai alive, steady, and upbeat - people who make Dubai known as a service-oriented city. My main point is that Dubai is nothing without these people who offer these pampering and luxuries to locals, expats and tourists alike.

For those who wish to see Dubai, I’d say it’s a wonderful experience coming down here and seeing all the lovely sights. Once you’ve stayed in a five star hotel here, your standards will automatically go up and you'll expect nothing less of what you've experienced. The sun and sand of Dubai will forever be etched in your memory…because there’s nothing like it anywhere else in the world.

30 Is This Year's Lucky Number

To the best husband in the whole universe...

Happy, happy birthday honey! 

I am so glad we're now of the same age :)  You'd finally stop teasing me that I'm old! (although I have to admit you do look very young, and could still pass for a college student. Remember that pub in Madinat Jumeirah? Those bouncers were really annoying! LOL!)

Kidding aside, I wish you more reasons to smile, loads of hearty laughter spells, lots more of pleasant surprises, the best of health, and a gaming console that could rock your world.

I love you very, very much!!

Xoxo,
Gracie (a.k.a baby mo)