Happy birthday to me anyway.
My dragon boat race is in 3 days and this jittery feeling is suddenly feeling all too familiar. The reason why i'm nervous is over the prospect of physical suffering that i had already experienced during training. This is a big event, no, its a huge mega-super-monolithic event. Its on every spread of newspaper, advertisements on every channel. (Adrenaline Sports Live 2008 Abu Dhabi)
Capitala, our multi-million dollar corporate sponsor for the dragon boat team. In which we were given a cap and an extra-large-only t-shirt to do publicity shots.
Not just a mere friendly race after all. In the build-up leading to that day, the seriousness of it is suddenly immense. The ongoing rumour of us possibly ranking amongst the top 5, Team Singapore Dragons, is undoubtedly doing more harm than good. Even the more reason why Murphy's Law would state that we'd fuck up.
Oh, i have a hookah. Not hooker. A hookah. We all have a misconception about the device we use to shisha with. Some call it the shisha tube, the bong, the shisha pot, every other junkie name known to existence. But it is in fact, called a hookah. The concept of inhaling smoke from a hookah is better known to us as shisha, or rather the tobacco used is also known by the same name.
Today, i bought a hookah for 119 AED from our favourite hypermarket carrefour. With a box of al-fakher apple tobacco, 100 plastic mouthpieces, quick-burning charcoal and a cleaning device all at the same time. After briefly educating myself on the fundamentals of a hookah and how to prepare shisha on the net last night, I'm ready for one trial run later.
I'm going to dubai tomorrow again for some retail therapy. At least thegirlfriend's mother needs some i think. Maybe the girlfriend too. Ah, how can it not be? Dubai is really just an hour away from where I am, aptly speaking, the distance would cost you 200 AED by taxi. Having experienced that, sharing a cab with an american and australian architect who talks buildings buildings and then more.
It is a very very nice place I have to admit. A very very nice perfect place minus the emiratis and their arabian counterparts. The whole place, seen from certain sociological and architectural angles is stunningly complexed and fascinating. Capable of making Abu Dhabi, despite being the capital look inferior, Singapore, like a marshland, and dear Malaysia, a quagmire. Dubai might just be the inspiration for the term 'megastructures'.
The Atlantis Hotel, a fascination on the Palm Jumeirah.
Even Dubai has the largest garoupa in its underwater world, The Lost City of Atlantis. Better known for being the fried thai sauce fish.
The land is cramped with high-rised buildings, and every high-rise building has their very own distinct design from the ground floor to the pinnacle. No, i'm not exaggerating when i say every building. The biggest, the tallest, the largest, the fastest, the people who develops the city are thrown into a pool of pressure having to fulfill these obligations. And the outcome, though I may not know more than an architect, or an engineer, but to the lay-man's eyes, is a marvel.
The land is cramped with high-rised buildings, and every high-rise building has their very own distinct design from the ground floor to the pinnacle. No, i'm not exaggerating when i say every building. The biggest, the tallest, the largest, the fastest, the people who develops the city are thrown into a pool of pressure having to fulfill these obligations. And the outcome, though I may not know more than an architect, or an engineer, but to the lay-man's eyes, is a marvel.
The Palm Jumeirah, The Palm Jebel Ali, Atlantis Hotel, Aquaventure, The Burj-Al-Arab, Mall of Emirates, Ibn Battutta Mall(The biggest mall in the world, think 4 Mid Valley Megamalls), The World Island, what the hell, The Bloody World Islands. A man-made island made into the shape of all the continents of mother earth. Mainly prime estates, Malaysia is a bungalow and Singapore is the owner's dog's kennel.
Ha *exhales*, I need to catch my breath.
Bloody arab kids on a school trip to the ice rink. Thegirlfriend couldn't be more right when she said that this generation of arabs are better off learning about discipline first, real education should only be implied to the next generation.
Me, thegirlfriend and thegirlfriend's sister manda and baby the handsome princess in distress.
Kids around our neighbourhood at Al Raha Gardens trick-or-treating during halloween. Not recieving any candy before i made them scream "trick-or-treat" with their scariest faces.
*Edit* The shisha went well. Now going to burn more charcoal on the stove and prepare for round 2.
Jinn
*Edit* The shisha went well. Now going to burn more charcoal on the stove and prepare for round 2.
Jinn
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