Viva La Vida

Coldplay finished their world tour with a stop in Abu Dhabi last night - and we were fortunate enough to have tickets to the show. This was their Middle East debut and I think that people here would probably pay to see them again after the show they put on! Last night also happened to be the first time I've seen RAIN in Abu Dhabi...and it wasn't just any rain, but a complete downpour!

Still dry - riding to the show in the slowest taxi in Abu Dhabi

Finally made it through the gates

Quite a variety of people came out for the show - still dry...

Mike standing at the Emirates Palace-style entrance to the show.

What's with the coupons here?! 1st wait in line to buy coupons, then wait in another line to use the coupons for beer. Hmmm....

We've got our beer! It's starting to get a bit more humid.

Slight downpour!

I look like I just got out of the shower!! 

Concert-goers holding up their cell phones to commemorate Earth Hour. All the other lights were turned off. (still raining!)

Viva! 

We got a ride home with some random Emiratis who were cruising in their BMW!!! Hahahaha....seemed like a fine idea at the time.

A Bit o' Blarney

You know that saying, "when in Rome"...well it doesn't ALWAYS apply.  For instance, I don't think there is a single Emirati who celebrates St. Patrick's Day, but holidays like this give expats an opportunity for socializing, having a few refreshments, and just having a little evening of feeling like "home".  March 17th found Pete and Christine enjoying a few brews at PJ O'Reilly's pub. 

'Twas a festive occasion

We were dressed appropriately! 

Left to right: Katie (CA), Pete, Christine, Damian (Aus), Julie (Aus), Jenny (UK), and Mike (CO)

We were getting impatient because the service was a bit slow. 

Housekeeping!!

Judging by these lovely towel swans, I would say the housekeeping staff at the Hilton Hotel Apartments might have a little extra time on their hands...

I caught a barracuda!

We went fishing with 2 of Pete's buddies over the weekend. We were all prepped for a nice warm day on the water. What we got was a cold foggy morning. It was okay though, because everyone was successful and it warmed up enough on our way back that we were able to catch a few rays.

The first F-350 we've seen in the UAE! 

I needed a little assistance handling the pole. 

Pete caught the first fish. 

It was SOOO foggy and COLD! We were not prepared for this weather at all (as seen by our choice of attire). Brrrrr

Christine reeling in her first fish ever!! 

We knew we were in good hands with Capt. Mohammed! 

Yeah!!! Christine caught a barracuda! 

Grande! 

Gastronomic tour of the UAE

The past few weeks have provided numerous opportunities to try new things...especially food! I started documenting the different places that we've been so no one would be surprised when we are rolled off the plane for our first visit home ;-)

Anyone who knows me can tell how happy I was when I found chips and salsa and margaritas! (Chi-Chi's Restaurant, Abu Dhabi)

I took this pic at the supermarket in Dubai. These prawns are HUGE!

Pete ordered "GIANT PRAWNS" off the menu at the Aquarium Restaurant in Dubai.

Pretzels and beer (and lots of meat) at the Brauhaus with Jenny, Rupert, Matt and Mary.

The fanciest burgers you've ever seen! (With champagne at the Emirates Palace Hotel)

We went here for Thursday night happy hour!

When we got our tickets for the Taste of Dubai, they had a tasty looking picture of shrimp on the front. We found what was in the pic, and boy were they good!

Completely stuffed after sampling food from the top chefs in Dubai.

Our fellow Taste of Dubai-ers. Pam, Angie, and ?

If you get too full, you can take a break and lounge at the sheesha bar.

After a full afternoon of sampling, we went for a real meal (haha!) at Asado, an Argentine restaurant. They had some goats cooking over a fire in the kitchen. The nice waiter let us in to take a pic.

My tenderloin and salad, with Pete and Norman's goat (cabrito) in the background.

Naturally, we couldn't leave without dessert! Six flavors of sorbet including: Maté, Malbec, Sweet potato, and Mascarpone

Back to reality: 2 dollar dinner at Al Rousha. 1 meat and 1 chicken shawarma. Best $2 in town!

Pete digs in.

Thursday Night Date and Car Shopping

Thursday night is the beginning of the weekend in Abu Dhabi. (Note: Do NOT go to the malls on a Thursday night.)  After a long work week for Pete, it was a great night to head out together for a lovely evening. We took a taxi down to the Oryx Hotel to go to the rooftop restaurant, The Horizon.  Afterwards, we stopped by the nearby dealership to go car shopping. Since neither of us owns a car yet, we figured it was about that time. Unfortunately, they closed before we could make our final decision. :-)

Pete and Christine at the Horizon Restaurant

View from the roof, all the green lights are mosques...

It was a tough decision...Ferrari 

...or Rolls Royce? Ehhhh, tough to decide!