Life in Abu Dhabi

It was my second day at Abu Dhabi where I woke up without any planned activities for today. Yesterday, the driver drove my mum and me down to Dubai for a full day shopping. It took us 1 and a half hours to reach Dubai and we didn't want to waste it away so we went to 2 shopping malls yesterday. Yes, the mother and daughter can really shop till we drop!

I woke up at 11.30 am this morning (still morning) and in M'sia, it's already 3.30pm. I think I've really got my body clock all messed up. I wanted to skip breakfast but was so tempted with the Pâté so I had to have some because it's difficult to find it back home. It was so boring staying at home with nothing to do and no laptop to use since my dad's laptop is spoilt and he had to take away the other laptop that my mum is using. Ish....

THE VILLA

Then later after lunch, mum asked me whether I wanted to follow the cook to the fish market in Abu Dhabi. It takes about half an hour and so I agreed. The cook, whom is a Malaysian drove my mum and me and the domestic helper to the fish market and a supermarket to stock up on the groceries. The chef is cooking for the rest of the Malaysians working there under the company and my dad has my mum to cook for him!

The Meena Fish Market

The Meena Fish Market is situated near the Dhow Port where you can see blue seas filled with yatchs and ships cruising by. The fish market is the only fish market in Abu Dhabi and I heard from the chef that it's crowded on Fridays and the fishes are also more expensive on that day. They were lobsters, shrimps, squids and a wide variety of fishes available. All the workers have uniforms. Those who mend the stalls are wearing blue and those who clean the fishes wear red overalls. The cleaning of fishes are charged. If you know how to bargain, you might get them to clean your fish at DHS5 instead of 10. I liked the market because it's well managed and clean.

After that, we went to a nearby supermarket. Although it's nothing compared to hypermarkets like Carrefour in Dubai, the prices here are cheaper. I was so fascinated by the Fresh Orange Juice machine at the entrance that I can't help but to use my 5 Dirhams to test the machine. It was really a hot day and a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice would be perfect. It really uses fresh oranges and it's pure orange juice without added water or sugar.

The Fresh Orange Juice Machine

After that, the chef drove us to a small corner of a building to get some pork. The small shop in yellow and green stripes is a franchise of a big supermarket chain called Spinneys where the items sold there are sought after by the westerners. That small shop is the only place to get pork from ham, bacon, sausages, ribs, minced meat and pate.

I can't help but to grab 5 boxes of Pate which 3 boxes are duck liver pates and the other 2 are smooth cured pork liver pate with mushrooms. Yes, I'm kiasu... I'm afraid that I can't get it anywhere else so I had to stockpile them and of course some are to be given away (I don't intend to gobble them up all by myself).

I came home at about 4.30pm and there another domestic helper is already standing at the door waiting for us to help the chef to carry all the groceries to the kitchen. While mum is busy cleaning the fishes and shrimps, I was helping myself to a can of Heineken and some Lays Salt & Vinegar potato chips while reading my newly bought novel from MPH before I fly to Dubai. Ah.. the good life but so boring.... The big bag of chips probably will last me two days before I go seraching for some other junkfood to eat.

I have nothing to do but to take pictures and take videos of myself doing nothing. I don't know how I can stay here for another week like this! Abu Dhabi is so boring. Should have asked my distributor's son whom drives a Porshe to come and pick me up instead so we can test the car together (just the car ok?!!). Nah, I wouldn't do that. Can't ask the customer for favors - that's the rule. Boring.

It's 9.30pm now, Dad's drinking beer and eating my leftover bag of Lays while reading John Grisham, mum's sleeping and I probably should go to sleep too. Good night.