My unusual birthday treat: a prologue

Yesterday was my natal day and instead of partying or celebrating it with usual food and drinks, we opted to visit the ongoing exhibition entitled 'The Dawn of History' at Al Jahili Fort. It is organized by Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage in collaboration with Danish-based Moesgård Museum. 

The exhibition is currently ongoing and will run through until May 2, 2011 at the ultra modern museum adjacent to Al Jahili Fort. For those wanting to discover the history of Abu Dhabi, this is the perfect place for you to visit.

I will share the rest of my photos tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

the book, brochure and the ticket

me

Word of the day: ba'ad bukra is the Arabic term for day after tomorrow. Salaam!

Flowers galore at Al Ain Paradise

Hello! Howdy? It's nice to be back in the world of blogging! Apologies for not returning your visits my blogger friends. Been busy these past few weeks. For a change, I had 6-day duties with 2 days off in between.

Moving on with my post for today, if you're a regular visitor of this photoblog, I'm sure that you have already seen the flower pyramid and heart arches of Al Ain Paradise, the place with the largest number of hanging flower baskets in the world. For today, let me share these photos taken a week ago when I revisited the flower park located at Zakher Area at Sweifi District. I have included 2 photos taken 3 weeks ago. We had some gray skies last week and certainly made these photos quite dull. :( Aside from that, most of these photos were taken after the sunset. 

You might want to visit Al Ain Paradise's website, please click here.
And here are some of the useful links and info:

Address: Building No. 1, Street No. 15

                Sweifi District, Zakher Area

                Al Ain, ABu Dhabi, UAE 

Tel No. : +971-3-7820788

Fax: +971-3-7820778

Visiting hours: 8am to 9pm

Sunday and Wednesday: for ladies only

Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday: general

Friday and Saturday: for families

No entrance Fee

my son, Joel

from left to right: me, Joel, JM and hubby

my son JM, looking for a bench 

Trisha Anne

Trisha Anne, Nazy and NJ

This is My World Tuesday and this is my birthday post. Thank you Lord for all the blessings!!

Word of the day: katheer or katir is the Arabic word for many or abundant. Salaam!

Supermoon!

I snapped this photo at around 08:46 PM of March 19, 2011. An hour after, there were thick layer of cumulus clouds that covered the sky. The moon was so big and glistening so brightly on the ground than a  normal full moon. As always, my ever reliable camera with 300mm zoom macro lens didn't disappoint me. I cropped this photo by 25% to show some details.

According to NASA, this super perigee moon was the biggest in almost 20 years. Click here for more info.

This post is linked to Skywatch Friday. Click the link and meet the sky watchers and sky lovers from other side of the world.

Word of the day: qamar is the Arabic word for moon. Salaam!

mini "Eiffel Tower" at Al Ain Paradise

Aside from the heart arches and flower pyramid, there's a replica of Eiffel Tower at Al Ain Paradise. If you are a resident of Al Ain and you're planning to visit the place with the largest number of hanging flower baskets in the world, I suggest that you better visit the place as soon as possible before those flowers dry up because of the blazing summer heat.

a colleague and friend, Nazy

By the way, there's no entrance fee. Reminder for the parents, tell your kids to be careful not to step on the flowers and keep off the grass.

Word of the day: har is the Arabic word for hot. Salaam!

"Flower pyramid"

Aside from the heart arches that I have featured in a blogpost called "pathway of love" and my blogger friend from Netherlands Filip Demuinck called "tunnel of love", this triangle-shaped flower feature is one of the newest additions at Al Ain Paradise. Visit the place before all these flowers get withered because of the summer heat.

It's good to be back in the world of blogging! Apologies for not visiting your blogs these past few days. I was quite busy and 'till this very moment, I am still trying to recollect myself because of all the hurdles of this paradigm that I called life. 

On another poignant note, I know that all of you are aware of what had happened in Japan. My prayers are with those of the victims of the earthquake and Tsunami.

Be good and be safe everyone! 

Hello Summer!!

Five days ago, I have mentioned that we had an unusual weather for the month of March since the mercury dropped to a nice 13 to 17 degree Celsius. Skies were lovely with cumulus and cirrus clouds. Day before yesterday, the mercury registered to a high 22-27 degree Celsius. No doubt that the typical sound of the engines of air conditioners can be heard within the neighborhood.

Hello summer! Yeah right. It's time to wear those loose shirts again, sleep with comfortable thin layer of beddings, beach get away during the weekends when I am not working in the hospital, play indoor sports and spend some lazy afternoon inside the mall. Summer means less photowalk and less photo opportunities. Staying outdoor at summer time will turn my skin into a "baked" bright red.  I'd rather stay indoor.

These photos were taken five days ago at Hazaa Mosque Community along Al Mutaredh District. These days, skies are gray and gloomy not because of impending rain showers, but because of sand and dust. Bye winter!!

Word of the day: fasl al saif is the Arabic term for summer. Salaam! Have a nice weekend!

Visit Skywatch Friday and meet the sky watchers and sky lovers in other side of the world.

"Pathway of Love"

This is one of the newest additions at Al Ain Paradise, a Guinness World Records holder for the largest display of hanging baskets which was awarded in March 2010.

.....and meet this person who loves her children so much. She is Nazy, a colleague of mine and the mother of NJ and Trisha Anne, my models for portrait photography. I will post some of their photos soon.

These photos were taken yesterday at around 06:30PM. By the way, if you'd like to see the beautiful flower baskets and the flower pyramid, go and visit Al Ain Paradise which is located at Zakher District.

Word of the day: hubb is the Arabic word for love but most of time Arabs add the word "al", meaning "the", so they would say Al-hubb. Salaam!

Miniature rocks and water feature

Coming in from the north court entrance of Bawadi Mall, there is a combination of miniature ornamental rocks and water feature that a visitor couldn't ignore. It is located beside the cozy restaurant that I have yet to discover...I mean the dishes that they are offering, the services and all. Anyway, these rocks and water feature together with the lamp posts, chandeliers and wooden finished beams delighted and pleased my ocular motility while looking at each of them.

The north court houses different stores selling wide array of merchandise such as gold, carpets, handy crafts, pottery and a whole lot more. I have been there a few months ago to check out the AED6-AED10 store called Daiso, a franchise of 100-yen shops in Japan.

Thanks to 2sweetnsaxy for hosting the Watery Wednesday meme.

Word of the day: sagheer is the Arabic word for miniature/small. Salaam!

"Let's play LEGO for a Cause"

"Let's play LEGO for a cause", says Al Ain Mall. For only AED 10/kid, you can help the children suffering with cancer through Tawam Hospital's Cancer Charity for children as half of the entrance fee will go to the said charity. If you are a resident of Al Ain or currently visiting the Garden City, please drop by at the second floor, food court area of Al Ain Mall and be a part of the LEGO Workshop.

These photos were snapped last Wednesday after I had the meeting with the Events and Recreations Manager of Al Ain Mall for the upcoming photo exhibit.

Malak with her mommy

Ms. Cheryl Tordesillas with Maya and Reem

The said workshop is currently ongoing from 10:00 AM up until the closing hours of the mall. It will run until April 2, 2011. Go and visit! Just in case you want to know the rules and regulations inside the play area, you can click the photo below to enlarge.

Word/s of the day: shukran jazilan is the Arabic term for thank you so much. Salaam!

"When a lamp post meet the sky"

The weather here in the Garden City continues to be the same as the previous days. This morning the mercury registered to a nice 17 degree Celsius. 

This photo was taken day before yesterday at Al Mutaredh District, a few meters away from the Hazzaa Mosque in the 3rd street. 

Good day everyone! Oh! I can see that my comforter is inviting me to hit the bed now. Am still on tonight.... my last night shift before my 3 days off. I will visit your blogs tomorrow.

Word of the day: shorooq al-shams is the Arabic term for sunrise. Salaam!

"When a palm tree met the sky"

Al Ain's weather is quite unusual for the month of March. Yesterday's temperature at 07:00 AM was 13 degree Celsius and today's temperature is 14 degree Celsius. In my nearly six years of living here in the Garden City, I have experienced that the month of March is the start of summer and the usual temperature in the morning is around 20 to 24 degree Celsius.

This photo was taken yesterday before I hit the sack. It wasn't prepared when I went out of the house and found myself shivering while snapping this photo. Looking at this photo makes me wonder how does it feel to touch the clouds.

Word of the day: bard or barid is the Arabic word for cold. Salaam!

Lego beauties

I have been to Al Kuwaitat a few days ago to discuss the upcoming photo exhibit with Mr. Mohammed, the Events and Recreations Manager of Al Ain Mall. After the meeting, I passed by the LEGO workshop booth located at the second floor, food court area of the said mall and took some photos. I met these pretty and charming girls. Meet Maya and Reem. Their smile were so contagious. 

And before my visitors and followers from the UAE throw me a lot of questions, I would like to emphasize that this photo was taken with permission from Maya's mother. The other girl wanted to be included in the picture but her mother was not around. I told her that I'll take a photo of her next time but she insisted and posed with Maya.

By the way, the LEGO Workshop at Al Ain Mall aims to help the Cancer Charity for children of Tawam Hospital as half of the entrance fee goes to the charity.

Am linking this post to the Weekend Portrait hosted by DindinMK.

Word of the day: jameela is the Arabic word for pretty or beautiful. Salaam and have a nice weekend!

Eerie

I saw this moon sometime in January 2011. My kids and I were chatting about our plan of having a vacation this year when JM opened the window and we looked up in the sky. I must admit that for a moment, it put on an eerie silence on our faces but at the same time we admired the beauty of this white and pale moon.

Posted for Skywatch Friday. Joins us and enjoy the beauty of skies from the other corners of the world.

Word of the day: qamar is the Arabic word for moon. Salaam!

"Pillow"

This is one of the typical scenarios that I always notice at Al Ain Town center especially during the weekends or at siesta time, but this man caught my attention because his head was resting on the dense stone. It must have been hard and uncomfortable and for some reason it reminded me of my childhood.

I snapped these photos sometime in February 2011 in a small park along the Central District before I headed to Al Ain Souq to buy some fruits and vegetables.

Word of the day: makhadda is the Arabic word for pillow. Salaam!

Pathway and a bridge

This is the longest pathway that I have ever seen at Al Sarooj District. I just liked all the lamp posts and quite fascinated with its constant distance from one lamp post to another.

A few meters away, there's this bridge with lovely and eye-catching design.  I just the liked the rugged hill as the backdrop.

These photos were taken sometime last month when I was looking for a perfect subject to contribute for the Oasis Living Magazine's City Snapshot . By the way, if you are a resident of Al Ain or currently visiting the garden city, you can get your free copy at Al Ain Mall, Bawadi Mall, Al Jimi Mall, Hilton Al Ain, Mercure Grand Hotel and other magazine drop off points. You might want to read the online 3D version, please click here and look for the picture icon that says "Read online". By the way, I have 2  photos published for this month's issue.

Posted for My Outdoor Wednesday hosted by Susan of A Southern Daydreamer.

Word of the day: jisr or jeser is the Arabic word for bridge . Salaam!