Sojourn in Lebanon

“Beirut?” he enquired… looking at me questioningly. I nodded, affirming that I was indeed at the right gate at the airport. I passed through the gates and stepped into a land where I was the only brown-skinned person to be seen. And this trend did not change till I returned to Dubai 3 days later. It was a bit weird, cos I know a lot of Indians go to Beirut for work, but during my time there, not only was I the only Indian around, I was also stared at like I was the only Indian to ever set foot in the country! Other than the disconcerting feeling that I’m probably walking around with toilet-paper stuck to my shoes… the trip was excellent!

It was an internal team meeting, so technically I was traveling for work. But it really was more like a vacation! I finally got to meet the rest of the members of our team who are scattered around different parts of the GCC. Surprisingly, they are a lot of fun! And even our meetings were held under such lovely surroundings that I could barely believe that I was “working”.

How can you take anything too seriously when you’re sitting under a pavilion by the beach sipping coffee and have to compete against the sound of the waves smashing onto the rocks beneath you to be heard?

It got a bit too cold after a while, so after lunch, we decided to shift the meeting to more sunny surroundings.

Lebanon is a beautiful country! The mountains, the beaches… it’s all really lovely! But what blew me away was the food! UAE has a lot of lebanese people and a lot of lebanese restaurants as well. I’ve eaten the cuisine too many times for it to even be considered firangi food. Or so I thought!

Lebanon used to be a french colony, so the main languages spoken there are Arabic and French. Both of which I don’t speak! So at restaurants, we left it to the arabic-speaking part of the team to order for everyone, and they ordered enough food to feed an army!

The first night, I foolishly filled myself up on hummous and freshly baked arabic bread, fatoush, tabouleh, freshly caught and fried calamari rings( I actually saw the woman fishing for it!), stuffed vine leaves, grilled halloumi … the usual arabic spread. I was feeling full and sleepy when the waiter whisked off my plate and cutlery and returned with fresh ones! I looked around, a bit confused… when a couple of other waiters came in carrying platters full of tiny fried sardines. After that they came carrying a massive dish of sea bass. Then we just shifted to another table… for dessert!

It was on this trip that I tried a Lebanese specialty that I’d heard of, but never encountered in Dubai-  raw meat.

It was… strange. My boss, who is Lebanese, said it melts in the mouth, like chocolate. It does not! It crumbles. I had one bite, and discarded the rest. I did happily try the cooked stuff though… octupus, squid in black inky sauce and the likes. I just wanted to try the local cuisine. You what what they say… when in Rome… eat Roman food! ;P

While we’re on the subject of food (and with me, you’re never far away from it! ;P)… if ever you go to Lebanon, do not miss out on this one restaurant- Casino Mhanna.

It’s not really a casino, just a restaurant. Not sure why they call it casino.They have two, one downtown and one out in Byblos. You must go to the one in Byblos! The views are just magical, and the food divine!

Usually, after business trips, I ache to just get home and relax. This was the first time I was on a trip from work where I actually felt bad about leaving! I’d go back in an instant!  I need to anyway… since I didn’t get to explore Beirut as much as I’d have liked to!  Hell!  I’d just go back for another bowl of their fresh green almonds! :P

If you’re going and need a guide, you know whom to ask! :D

Unbreakable.

Life’s been pretty crazy lately.

The job is getting increasingly stressful, which is unfortunately affecting my health in a bad way. I’ve been to 2 countries in a week and driven over 200 kms in a day to attend various meetings and be all corporate honcho over stuff I need to care for but don’t really. I’m also traveling to Lebanon on Monday. So while my travel stats on TripIt keeps increasing, my health seems to be decreasing at inversely proportional levels.

All this running around (in heels, to boot!) has taken a toll on my unfortunately hypersensitive system and my shoulders have almost given up on me from all the stress. I spent most of Thursday and all of Friday in bed trying to sleep through the debilitating pain that originated somewhere between my right shoulder and neck and coursed all the way through from my temple to my toe.

I’m a lot better now, after having been to my chiropractor  (what the hell have you put your body through?! Don’t tell me Oman and Qatar did this to you! YOU did this to you! )… and I’ve also learned that ignoring my daily yoga routine will have painful side-effects. Except, it’s a bit difficult to live  healthy when you have to wake up at 5am to catch an early flight and return home at 10pm, exhausted from all the heat and the people you meet (not all of them pleasant).

I know though, while these may be valid excuses, my body’s not about to listen to reason and be all “okay! I’m not gonna seize up on you and leave you curled up in bed for the weekend”.  On the other hand, I can’t exactly take 6 months off to recuperate either. I’m gonna have  to find some halfway place in-between and call a truce on this pain-war my body’s waging on me.

My chiropractor is a crazy, lovely old iranian-american lady with wild hair that’s a different shade every time I go there. She calls me ‘sweetheart’ and says I remind her of her own daughter back in the states.  She twists and turns my body this way and that and sets it straight and says  ”It’s a good body! It’s strong, it’s survived all this. You’ve put it through a lot. Now that you know… you gotta stop and let it heal and become whole again”.

I never thought of my body that way. As being resilient, a survivor. I’ve been through this chronic pain for so long now that I’ve always thought it a weakness (though I haate to admit it and will gouge your eyes out if you call me fragile!).  I know I owe it to myself to be more careful, in all ways. I know now that ignoring the pain will not make it go away.

 

I think I’ll start by finishing that ice-cream in the fridge. (What! The doc asked me to ice the pain).  :P

 

A Birthday Note

“Love will get you through times of no money better  than money will get you through in times of no love.”

That is what I’d like to drill into your thick head, but because I know you won’t listen to me, I’m writing it out here, hoping that reading this will somehow change your mind (over time  at least!).

Apparently this is your last birthday as a single person, cos you’re worried that you won’t look hot anymore and so no one will want to be with you.  Which is ridiculous, cos you’re awesome! You’re intelligent, fun to be around, and a pretty good flirt! :P   I’ve seen the way you talk to women with their husbands standing right next to them and they lap it up like a thirsty kitten with a saucer of milk! So let me tell you my friend, you have nothing to worry about. Plus, you know… there’s always botox! :P

But even so, if you want to get married anyway cos you’re tired of all the flirting and the women seem to be getting dumber by the tequila shot, here’s what you gotta do (and yes! you gotta do this!)

1. Find a girl who’ll sign a pre-nup happily.

2. Want to marry her even without a pre-nup in place.

I don’t need to spell this out to you do I? Oh wait… it’s you! Of course it’s needs spelling out!

Points one and two mean… you gotta find a girl who likes you for who you are and not how much you’re worth. But you gotta trust her enough to be able to marry her without doubting her intentions.

Both of these are essential! Trust, is essential!  It’s time to bring down those firewalls! Like they say… ”Boundaries don’t keep other people out. They fence you in.”

Okay… so this sounds more like an advice column than a birthday note… so I’ll stop now! :)

I wish you love, luck and happiness! :)  Just remember that you deserve all of it, cos you’re a nice guy, in spite of  trying really hard not to be! :P

Happy Birthday!

You know…

…when life’s so good that words seem unnecessary?

That! 

:)

The White Rabbit and I

Okay, I had a whole post written out about how busy I was and how I didn’t have time for anything anymore… but it got deleted somehow and now I’m left with a blank screen that I don’t have the time to fill up again!

*sigh*

So anyway…. I’ve no time… so I’ve stopped blogging, among other things (like doing the laundry and cleaning the house, which, I’m sure you would agree, trumps blogging! :P).

I’ve no time to sit down and eat a proper meal, so I eat a lot of sandwiches and wraps in my car, while driving from one meeting to the other (that reminds me… I need to clean my car as well!).

Anyway… for anyone who is in a similar situation and for those days when making breakfast seems like a Herculean task… here’s a ridiculously simple way to continue eating healthy – Make A Smoothie!

sugar and spice and everything nice!

Throw some fruits into the blender… add some sugar… pause for a second to look at how pretty the sugar and fruit look together…  take a picture on your useless cellphone camera cos you don’t have time to get your real camera… add some ice and milk… let the blender do the rest while you put on your shoes.

breakfast for the Fast and the Furious! ;)

It tastes lovely and it’s collllld, so you have to drink it slowly, which is great, cos it gives you some time to think and take a little breather before you get out and face the world and pretend to be a grown up and hope no one notices (there are others who feel that way right? Don’t tell me it’s just me!).

Do we have time for a sigh? I think we do!

*siiiiiigh*

Okay… that’s all we have time for today folks (if there are any “folks” left who still read this blog!)…

Adios!

 

 

What Now?

It all happened so quickly that I almost don’t remember it happening. I went to India on Thursday, got back on Sunday, and started the new job on Monday. I barely slept all week (I was that busy) and somehow, though I’m overjoyed with the job and excited about it, I’m listless and… I dunno the word to explain it without sounding… well… never mind.

I felt the same way after  I moved houses. It was a project that was completed, a goal achieved. This job is also something like that, something I intended to get (and now have to keep and grow of course) but now that I’ve finally gotten it, I feel strangely adrift, without purpose.

I tried retail therapy and my new wallet’s near empty (but it’s new :P), but that only offered a temporary distraction.

I somehow try to covince myself that everything is meant to be and that there is a reason things are the way they are, but this feeling  is just so frustrating that I’m impatient to get away from it.

Only, there’s nowhere to go, you know?

 

 

Comfort Zone

I’ve been at my current job for almost 6 years now, and I’d gotten into this rut where nothing was really happening career-wise, but I realized that I’m comfortable with the job. I have very good friends at work, the timings are pretty flexible, my clients trust me and I know what I’m doing.

But, nothing is really challenging anymore. Very few projects excite me. Plus, my company pays peanuts, much lower than the industry std, which really, is the main beef I have about my job. But I was comfortable, living from day to day with no major change, but happy anyway, at least in the past one year (I had my ups and downs before that).

I knew I needed to get out of this rut I’d gotten myself into. So my new year’s resolution was to get another job.

And… I have! :)

I gave in my papers on the 1st of Feb, and have been on the most chilled out notice period ever! The honeymoon period of the job is NOW for me, at the end! :D

I spend my days chatting with colleagues more often than responding to mails, knowing that this is time is limited. (It’s cool, cos I’ve informed my clients that I’m leaving and so we’re not working on any new projects, so the workload has reduced). Breakfasts and lunches together with my colleagues mean so much more to me now. In fact, I actually enjoyed those better than the formal farewell that was thrown for me by my bosses (though of course, I appreciate the sentiment behind it and was glad they did give me one!)

If everything goes well and I get my passport back from my new company (they’re processing my visa and it’s taking so lonnnng!) I leave for a short trip to India on Wednesday before I join the new place.

The new job involves a LOT more travel than my current job, and I know that it’s going to be much more high-pressure environment and not exactly as friendly a place as my current job. But I’m excited about it, and not really nervous yet (maybe that’ll kick in later?) and am raring to go!  I hope the new job is as good for my career as the last one and hope that it all goes well.

Wish me luck! I know I’m going to need it!

What Money Can Buy

I found this picture doing the rounds on Facebook the other day with the caption “Only in Dubai” on it. I was amused by it  and shared it on my wall.

Hello Kitty!

While a few “liked” it, it was the people who lived outside the UAE that found the photo shocking and commented most on it.

I guess life in Dubai is very different from life elsewhere, and while not all of us may be as rich as the sheikhs who spend thousands of dollars on an architect to simply build a cage for a tiger (or even keep a tiger as a pet!), because of the lifestyle of the rich that we see around us, our threshold for the  fantastic has risen to such an extent that very little will shock us anymore.

Yes, you will find pet shops here selling snakes. (I’ve a picture of a python around my neck somewhere on FB). According to the law, potential owners of exotic and dangerous animals such as lions and tigers need to obtain a permit, and the Ministry will monitor how well the animals are taken care of.  But a lot of it is illegal (but that is a topic for a different post altogether).

This is the one place in the world you should be wary of  asking ” what can money buy?” cos they will show you exactly what, and it will drive you crazy! :D

In 2008, while the property prices were still sky-rocketing, there was fierce competition amongst the various real-estate companies to secure the most buyers. So this one company, offered a jaguar (at this point I feel the need to clarify that they offered the car, not the animal :P ) to everyone who bought an apartment from that company!

Recently there was a twitpic that had gone viral, of somebody’s clubbing bill at the Cavalli club. Whoever it was spent close to 400k AED for one night of clubbing. Not to be outdone by Dubai, someone in the capital, Abu Dhabi, spent a 110k more than the guy at Cavalli club just the weekend after. *grin*

Yes, this is what this place is like.

You will find people spending more on their car’s license plate than they would have on the car. And while the rest of us try to hide our speeding fines, we read articles in the paper about people who walk into the Traffic dept with a 42k fine for speeding (the report stated that he didn’t have to pay that much cos they gave him a discount… for bringing cash!).

There is a lot more to the country than this, of course. But you can’t deny that this kinda blatant bling-iness exists here.

woe is me!

Source

 

If you visit me, while I might take you out to a bubbly brunch (they are amaaaazing btw!  And I don’t think that’s restricted to UAE. It shouldn’t be!) and show you the only 7 star hotel in the world (self-proclaimed :P) or the tallest building and the biggest mall, or zip you off to check out the vending machine where you can buy gold, don’t be fooled into thinking that this is how we live all the time!

Well, maybe this guy does. But not all of us! :P

 

Sometimes, Love is Enough

I was walking down the street with him and talking about how I’d lived in Delhi so long, but I’d still not taken the time out to go to Agra and see the Taj Mahal.

“Let’s go now!” he said.

I stopped walking and looked at him. Yes, the crazy eyes told me that he was bloody serious! And I guess the madness was infectious cos I grinned back and said ” Okay! Let’s go!” I ran back home and packed a toothbrush and a change of clothes into my gym bag and rushed out. He was waiting outside for me with a backpack.

We had to take the bus (it was 11am and we were too late for the morning train). But that was okay. We stopped to eat at questionable dhabas. But it was okay. I had to pee in terrible loos on the way there. But it was okay! We stayed at a hotel that wasn’t exactly going to win awards on TimeOut, but that was okay too!

The Taj Mahal is one of the most marketed things about India and I’d seen a million pictures and tacky little marble replicas of it before I saw it in real life, as I’m sure you have as well. But when you do see it, it still manages to take your breath away.

When you see it looming in front of you, peaceful and calm, everything around you goes quiet. You begin to have an inkling of how much love this man had for his wife. I still find it amazing that a man capable of so much love was also capable of so much cruelty that he cut off the hands of the workers who built the monument. I guess they didn’t have the concept of copyrights at the time huh!

It was a cloudy, gray sorta day, the kind that I love, and we walked around holding hands, taking in everything- the intricate work on the walls, the Yamuna glistening behind the Taj… everything was beautiful.. everything was perfect.

For me, that trip is one of the best trips ever. Sure, we didn’t stay at fancy hotels or get spa treatments. But we were full of joy and good spirit, and the sense of adventure trumped any slight discomfort that comes with making plans on the fly.

And of course, we had Love! And when you’re that young, that’s pretty much all you need!

Though I love Love

I don’t see what the big deal about Valentine’s Day is… for single people that is.

I know people who say ” Oh! I’m alone for Valentine’s Day! What can be more depressing!” But then, you’re alone all the other days as well right?

A lot of friends wished me today, and while I appreciate the sentiment behind it, I still feel that Valentine’s Day is meant to be celebrated with the one you are in love with. If you’re in a committed relationship, go crazy with the pink confetti and the heart-shaped chocolates. But if you’re single, it’s just another day isn’t it?

No one wishes me on Mother’s Day… cos I’m not a mother! Same logic applies here right?

Or am I being a Grinch about it?