tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78694836147132187132012-02-16T12:05:14.288+04:00Before you judge a camel, walk a mile in his shoes. Or lack of shoes, which would be barefoot. Odds are it will be sandy. Better yet, ride the camel.cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.comBlogger311100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-1539741848969501452010-06-26T16:40:00.006+04:002010-06-26T18:57:53.663+04:00

Still haven't been kiteboarding myself, and after watching some french kid get dragged down the length of the beach, eating sand, I'm okay with that. I also heard a story about some unfortunate soul who sailed clear over the beach a few years ago, on an unexpected updraft. He was too distracted waving at friends on the beach bellow to realize that the wind was about to slam him into the

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-25910653269034743672010-02-25T19:57:00.005+04:002010-02-25T20:16:17.394+04:00

http://bit.ly/adoptafishStraight from the land of the absurd to your pixil-screen, another winning Dubai news flash: The Dubai Mall Aquarium, (naturally MASSIVE and full...FULL of fish) has had a bad day.It cracked. Water gushed everywhere. Rumors screamed across Twitter calling it anything from a wee crack, to a full on aquarium Tsunami. And water DID gush everywhere, and as far as the

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-65649795032416440252009-09-15T10:59:00.002+04:002009-09-15T11:13:58.462+04:00

...until you get caught. A Frenchman and a Brit basejump the Burj. A nice little film from Current TV.

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-83660187336122677952009-08-01T00:29:00.014+04:002009-08-22T03:04:21.340+04:00

Non-working weekends–I'm a fan of these.Time to get out of the city and get WET. Before the sandstorms filled the sky with the beige haze, blowing in the July heat, the conditions were PERFECT for wake boarding in neighboring Emirate, Um Al Quwain. Well...it was a little windy, but even still. There's a modest little beach club on the Um Al Quwain Creek. It's not nearly as fancy as "beach club"

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-65512269839477962002009-05-30T16:10:00.016+04:002009-05-30T22:13:48.395+04:00

But before the mass gastronomic indulgence...something cute:Deger saved a bird. Little twat was bashing her head into parking garage walls trying to escape, despite obvious windows and ways out, EVERYWHERE. Bird-brain. Odds are the little wench didn't appreciate Deger's awesomeness. So let's all appreciate on the bird's pea-brained behalf. All together now: AWWWWWWWW.Now onto BRUNCH! We headed

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-26540978406590289172009-04-23T23:07:00.011+04:002009-05-16T15:32:04.825+04:00

Considering all the previous press about the glitz and glam of the oh-so-posh-a-rific-fan-brand-tabulous-Dubai lifestyle, a bit of the other perspective is healthy. The place isn't perfect and it's refreshing to hear someone say so, even if it's exaggerated.Give this a read. The article is long. Read it anyway. And please, keep a few things in mind. This ran in the opinions section of the

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-67166911738307676282009-03-22T21:43:00.015+04:002009-03-26T15:18:06.225+04:00

Sometimes camels take a crap.Maybe that's what happened at Lynx. I don't know. I don't like talking about advertising here. That's not what "The Camel's Toe" is supposed to be about. Why waste precious pixels on ad bullshit when other blogs do such a great job of it already? But this month, the '09 Lynx Award Show made Dubai stink last week, and for that offense I can't help myself. So forgive me

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-69430038381550038422009-02-04T23:07:00.029+04:002009-02-07T02:08:46.303+04:00

So while the good 'ol USA continues to get their information on Dubai and the Middle East from the "not at all biased or lame" US media...barfs in the corner...may the super-dooper myth-demolition-extravaganza continue.1. Dubai is all sand. sand sand sand sand. Sure there's sand. Yes...it can feel a wee-bit beige. But if the desert is really nothing but a bunch of dunes and camels, then explain

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-90600423471915076712009-02-03T23:42:00.011+04:002009-02-04T02:23:57.803+04:00

and bury some misunderstandings in the sand. Or grass. YES. Believe it or not, there IS the occasional burst of green in Dubai, and I have the photos to PROVE it, (considering contrary, popular uninformed opinion might argue otherwise). As I've fallen into a bit of a lull here, I'm probably the first one guilty of saying lame crap like, "There's no culture in Dubai." Granted, if your circle only

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-50196683606324108882008-12-02T02:02:00.012+04:002008-12-03T01:53:55.051+04:00

1. drunk. No. To be fair, tipsy.2. i have officially been in Dubai, exactly 1 yEAR.3. tipsy :)4. already said...more on that later.5. No tycoons. No camel race victories, however, have found camels. Wild ones. Rode one. Not wild. Triumph.6. i should put this on da blog.7. i like artichokes. haven't had one since i arrived. but that's not dubai's fault. i blame the artichoke, for being such a

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-22105656118511721932008-11-08T11:45:00.021+04:002008-12-03T01:50:59.783+04:00

With fall came the cloudsthe cool breezes, wild camels, and visiting friends from the far reaches of the planet. With fall also came the economic belly dance that leaves everyone a little bit confused–hopeful one day, as the economy's teasing hips sway towards you, then back away, gyrating until you have to find the horizon to steady yourself. Everyday I start work with the New York Times.

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-78478029558464143132008-11-01T18:52:00.008+04:002008-11-19T13:21:35.220+04:00

Epiphany #1Celebrity horse jockey, Frankie Dettori owns a fancy little Italian restaurant on "The Walk" at Jumeirah Beach Residence. Naturally, if something is fancy, my instinct is to just throw on some heels with whatever else I happen to be wearing, and it usually works out all right. Well, Frankie's is fancy, in that the raviolis are still ravioli's, but there aren't very many of them, they

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-35902899506344092662008-09-28T00:13:00.022+04:002008-11-01T00:17:10.699+04:00

Eid ended the month long Ramadan fast a day sooner than we expected! Woot! The moon did its lunar thing, and the guy who goes and looks at the moon did his thing, and bam, I get a text message from work last night at ten with the joyous news that Eid's begun. It's a great festivus of eating! No work! It's like a snow day, only longer, and no snow, with an Islamic backstory I understand better

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-30129436161806735662008-06-29T14:52:00.001+04:002008-07-04T12:18:10.553+04:00

A little narrative excerpt...And they rose up out of the sea. Some said it was the heat, that it could trick the eyes. Some said it was simply humidity hanging thick in the air. But I knew it was more than that. The Gulf itself would send her men crawling up the shore, stepping out of the waves to wrap their arms around the palms, to kiss the woman who floated across the expansive sand on the

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-23180034668446776502008-06-28T18:00:00.001+04:002008-07-04T12:33:41.297+04:00

What's more random than giant bugs, shesha, graffiti, wine bars, pissed camels, the great grocery caper, evil Betty Boop, and of course, jellyfish.Jumeirah Madinat Souk...aka cool market that actually does justice to Arab architecture.I like. This place is a maze. It took me a good 20 minutes of circling just to find a Starbucks I'd visited quite a few times before. And no, it's not my crap sense

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-2495131339542625842008-04-18T01:08:00.003+04:002008-04-26T23:06:34.131+04:00

but fun, for what they're worth. David Droga gave a kickass seminar that made my inner ad geek swoon. It's always nice when you hear the things you intuitively know, from the very guy who can say it best. Screw the typical ad. Make an actual IDEA for a change. Right. I can do that. I GET it again. I think we all need a little bit of David Droga juice to give us that jump start, to remind us why

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-73880748921931433532008-03-23T14:24:00.011+04:002008-03-24T02:12:11.359+04:00

Nothing sums up Malek's Bollywood Bon Voyage Party like Nandu's kick-ass shoes. Yes, the tips curl up, and yes, they are HOT. Maybe that's why he's such an awesome dancer. You can only aspire to have as much fun as Nandu.Milos looks worried. Can't blame him.Sakib with badass jazz-hands. Rishi is just a badass. And I'm the cream filling. Lucky me.Hesham likes Bollywood parties :) Bollywood parties

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-60459615288509353622008-02-24T23:56:00.010+04:002008-03-23T14:22:53.219+04:00

You see those little square buildings at the base of the Burj Tower? That's the new agency.Not too shabby, eh?These shots are from the early post-move-chaos. The agency's cleaning up nicely though. Everyone found their precious boxes of stuff, and things are looking more like a respectable agency than what you see here.It's an indoor, fake garden. Sadly, the windows don't open. But it's a good

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-14754740036168246782008-02-24T21:58:00.009+04:002008-02-24T23:49:27.513+04:00

Sometimes when the wind kicks up, the sand stays put and the kiteboarders come out to play. Awesome to watch. Probably even better to be out there.You can't really tell when the kites are swirling through the air above you, but they pump air into the frame tubes. So I guess if one hits you, it can't be the end of the world. It just might give you a friendly little tap, strong enough to nail you

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-67432360046449814542008-02-11T23:30:00.000+04:002008-02-12T23:11:03.121+04:00

Holy hummus I'm behind. I got all wrapped up in work chaos, and then BAM. there goes a whole month. Wow I have some ground to cover.So we had a serious windstorm a couple weeks ago. Actually it might have been a wimpy sandstorm, seeing as I have nothing to compare it to. But it was gross enough to count in my book. I didn't take pictures, cause I like my camera and there wasn't much to see. It

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-56107098957018038012008-01-14T01:45:00.000+04:002008-01-14T21:03:49.784+04:00

After the best spinach salad of my natural born life, the rain stopped enough for the traffic to get through the puddles and for me to finally make my way back to Jumierah Beach. After my first futile attempt to catch a cab in the construction mud and downpour, Moore Cafe was the perfect place to stuff my face and wait it out. I really should have known better than try to escape work on time,

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-60112362087497236022008-01-09T19:31:00.002+04:002008-01-14T01:44:50.234+04:00

So, right around Christmas I jumped down the rabbit hole into a pitch and am just now coming up for air. Granted, my brain feels a bit like hummus now. But a two hour walk on the beach, checking out Poseidon's rubbish at low tide, and curling up in my cozy little room with hot tea afterwards can do wonders for girl. So now I can get back to contemplating uber (with an umlaut) important things,

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-15719280934340508942007-12-29T21:04:00.000+04:002008-01-04T15:00:58.669+04:00

Take that, Milton. You and your Puritan pessimism should check out my BEACH! The three minute walk from my front gate to the sea is probably the best three minutes since I arrived a month ago. A massive sense of relief just about knocked me over, face first in the sand. Luckily I had a giant blended Mocha to keep me steady.Dubai is suddenly different. It's peaceful. There are PARKS, with TREES

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-73888134104453481372007-12-26T21:44:00.001+04:002007-12-27T00:21:14.108+04:00

From the 17th floor of the Twin Towers in Deira, Dubai looks pretty succulent. If you turn around, the office is another matter. Welcome to Purgatory. Thanks to the holidays a lot of folks are missing the chaos. This basically means less claustrophobia in the creative room, fewer people in the photos, and less smoke in the air. The new office will be smoke free. Merry Christmas to Cindy's lungs

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-90494380539370732432007-12-21T23:44:00.000+04:002007-12-22T01:09:02.952+04:00

I have a new understanding of vegetarianism. I tried to get lunch meat. No, I did get lunch meat. According to the label, this is Pastrami. The green shade around the edges had me a little bit concerned, but they spice everything here with things I can't pronounce much less recognize, so I didn't really care what color the pastrami spices were, until I touched it.Friends, that glare is not the

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-22018957256003198182007-12-21T00:44:00.001+04:002007-12-21T14:05:08.716+04:00

It was an evening for sunsets on the beach, and fabulous 360 degree views from a little club/restaurant at Jumeirah Beach Hotel called.....wait for it.....360. If you want to drink in Dubai you have to go to a hotel. It's the rules. If you want to use ichat, You have to go to another country. It's the rules. So 360 it was, and the view was fab. It almost felt like I was back in South Beach.

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-34795717577216770872007-12-13T23:50:00.000+04:002007-12-14T02:43:50.782+04:00

The last two weeks are mushy. They've melted in my head like two marshmallow peeps you'd find melted in your car, sometime in July. Milk goes bad here, rather quickly. Who cares? Well, I did this morning when my swiss granola was very slightly on the sour side. Barely noticeable. Poor little granola chunks of sweetness. They didn’t deserve that. But I found a place to live which totally makes up

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-7021946104550144332007-12-10T00:25:00.000+04:002007-12-10T00:44:56.972+04:00

Somehow I made the tabloid section of the Gulf News, within my first week in Dubai? Is that ironic? I can barely get in and out of the grocery store alive, I'm still dealing with jet lag, couldn't tell you how to get to the beach unless I jumped in Dubai Creek and swam there. But there I am, right in the Sunday paper, like I have a clue. As if. The dude next to me is Sakib. He's less grumpy than

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-37492102717111232492007-12-09T23:04:00.000+04:002007-12-10T00:18:54.363+04:00

finally broke the pattern. For the first few days, I went from hotel to work to hotel, with a little bit of mall mixed in. Which was fine, aside from the fact that I wasn't quite sure if I ever left the airport. The view from the office out across Dubai Creek is beautiful. But from 17 floors up, it doesn't look real. So Thursday night three of us set out across the Creek in an Abra (Traditional

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-62113444957470346032007-12-09T20:48:00.001+04:002007-12-14T21:06:17.543+04:00

unless it's 4 am, and you're still exhausted, but very much awake. Since we're already on a potty theme, this is my bathroom at Sofitel. So far the "bow-day" and I have made wary eye contact. (I don't spell in French. Deal with it.) Fortunately in the plush security of my hotel room there's plenty of toilet paper and towels to mop up, if the two of us happen to tussle.The second trip to the

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869483614713218713.post-68175511739589232332007-12-06T08:05:00.000+04:002007-12-09T20:48:01.285+04:00

is the first thing I see at the Dubai International Airport. After being awake, or partly awake for more hours than I have fingers to count on, I'm convinced I lost Sunday. I think I flushed Sunday down the loo, somewhere over the ice fields of Greenland at 38 thousand feet. Oops. So, bleary eyed, and somehow missing an entire day, I found myself in an airport that would shame most American

cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04141396409861955633noreply@blogger.com1