6th Sept 2009

So I’ve been in Dubai for three days now and really starting to get used to my surroundings and the lifestyle.
My trip into the village with Mo on Thursday morning was really lovely; the souk was quiet because of Ramadan but was nice to wander around with no worries – and not many people looking at you. Mo wanted to show me the Shangri-La hotel next door – it was beautiful! We pulled up outside in what should be a golf buggy, next to stunning Bentleys. You really get the feeling of luxury with marble all around you, large chandeliers and strong air conditioning (the latter being the most important in this heat!) The next thing I know, Mo and I are being seated for lunch! Lunch during Ramadan is non-existent (a little note about Ramadan – it is the tradition of fasting all day and resisting temptations for religion. At the end of each day – dusk/7-7.30pm – a prayer is read out over loud speakers across the town – this is when feasting and celebrations begin; families and friends party to the early hours, some attend special gatherings called itfars. Then, when 3am comes, the feasting stops and once again the fasting begins. It is extremely offensive for anyone, including tourists, to eat or drink in public during the fast.) Back to Lunch – I have never eaten like that in my life! Most hotels in the Emirates during Ramadan will accommodate tourists and ex-pats for refuge from the heat, eating/drinking facilities and the use of bathrooms – public toilets don’t exist! We sat in front of large glass walls overlooking the beach lined with green veil curtains. It was buffet service – but the most amazing buffet I have ever seen! So many different dishes for each particular course, presented beautifully in counters filled with ice and plants and stunning bright flowers. As a chef, I looked at it and struggled to understand how so much preparation could be involved for lunch service. The selection of appetizers and starters included a range of salads (not leafy, but finely diced fruit and vegetables), dips and sauces of all varieties, sushi and sashimi, cured and cooked meats and fish. Then there were the hot counters, many dishes served in sauces, like curries and stews but alongside freshly prepared salmon steaks, a whole fillet of beef sliced into portions and served with béarnaise sauce and a choice of noodle and rice dishes. Apart from these 20 odd dishes there was a whole station for food to be cooked on kebab skewers to order, a carvery station, where I sampled a ballontine of lamb – so juicy and succulent – as well as a large area dedicated to pizza preparation – from the dough itself through to the stone oven on show and finally on the plate to the customer. It was extremely impressive and awe-inspiring!
All the chefs were so happy to talk to and smile for photographs and genuinely looked content in their work. I spoke to the woman on the pastry area to share my enthusiasm and wonder at what I was experiencing for lunch. She fully understood what I was feeling as she also wants to travel the world for the same reasons. Her section was the most fascinating; not only were there an arrangement of cakes, slices and delices but a waffle and pancake station, prepared to order with a vast choice of ice creams to accompany and then all different types of sweets for those with a really sweet tooth – marshmallows, sour rings, smarties, gummy sweets, everything! The centre of attention were three tall fountains of chocolate! One white, one milk and one dark. Taking skewers of strawberries, pineapple, marshmallows, dates, kiwi, I could see was going to get a little messy, so unfortunately I stayed clear.
My whole meal was extravagant, presented in such a way that I have only seen at competitions. I wished that everyone at college was there to experience it with me because it was truly spectacular!
One thing I ate which I thoroughly enjoyed was a fennel bulb stuffed with a chicken and pepper mousseline then paneed and served with sweet chilli sauce – you must try! Now, seeing as work is a priority for me, I approached the head chef and informed him of my plans and the nature behind it. Since our meeting I have spoken to the training department at the hotel and have sent them my credentials and hoping to be in their kitchens in the near future.
Work for tourists in the UAE without any form of permit is hard to come by. To get a permit in the first place is enough of a struggle as an employer must sponsor the employee and fill in lots of paperwork for the authorities. For me, only looking to be here for a couple of months, it is almost impossible as it is seen as too much hassle for such a short time. Yet, I am still hopeful!

Later that afternoon I arrived in Dubai by taxi. I was quite nervous as I checked into the youth hostel as this is where the adventure was about to begin – me, on my own in a city I don’t know! I headed up to my room – 305 – to meet Elizabeth. She is in Dubai teaching English to increase her funds for university in Egypt to study medicine and Archeology. Originally she is from Australia but has lived in Canada as well as doing a lot of travelling. The room consists of 2 bunk beds and 1 single bed with 4 small wardrobes and a fridge. The bathroom is en-suite with a nice enough shower. Basic and simple yet comfortable. I chose a bottom bunk and settled in, leaving most of my belongings in my case. The fridge confused me a little, so I asked Elizabeth about a kitchen to prepare meals – there is no kitchen! I’m a chef – I need a kitchen!!! So the choice for meals is either to buy food from the supermarket that can be eaten cold straight from the fridge or go out for dinner and get takeaways. Considering my funds, I went for the food shop option. I spent just under £20.00 on practical food and drink. My first meal that evening consisted of 2 rolls and a tin of cold tomato soup! Actually quite enjoyable and homely!
My first couple of days I spent wandering the area I am based in. it is a little outside new Dubai (the rich side). If you want to look on a map it is the right hand side of the airport in the Al Quasais 1 area off Al Nahda road. There is not much to do here apart from a couple of small shopping malls and hypermarkets. There are plenty of buses but on Saturday my attempts of understanding where I needed to be and which bus took a little more than 2 hours, in which I never actually journeyed on a bus – major fail! At present, they are building their first railway, the metro, for use like a monorail, above ground. Some parts of it are due to open on the 9th of the 9th 2009! But we shall see, there is still a lot of work to be done!
On Saturday night a 3rd girl (2nd being an Iraqi women who seems a little strange and hostile) joined our room. Her name was Inka and she was from Germany. She was on route to Sydney. After a brief convocation had decided to do some sightseeing the following day together. So Sunday morning, as we went to reception on our way out, we made friends with a guy who had literally just arrived at the hostel. His name was Eicke and also from Germany on route to Melbourne! He left his bags at the hostel and joined us on our day trip. To suddenly have made two friends who were like minded and my age was a lovely feeling.
Our day trip started off at the old souks which are markets in alleys selling their wares as they would before Dubai grew to what it is now. In the gold souk area, every window was filled with millions and millions of pounds worth of gold jewelry, let alone inside the shop! We wandered through the textile souks, feeling different cloths and being amazed by the bright colours and intricate designs and patterns. My favourite souk area was the spice souks; each shop with large hessian bags full of spices outside their doors, all inviting us to come in and see their products. I have worked closely with spices for the last 7 months so they have become very close to my heart; to see them in such an environment felt so true and passionate. Some of the prices were ridiculous compared to western prices – for example at home I’d be looking at paying a minimum of £1.50 per vanilla pod whereas here, on average it is about 10 dirham’s for 7/8 pods. 10 dirham’s is equivalent to £2.00! I just want to buy the lot!
We crossed the river, known as Dubai creek and had a quick salad in one of the hotels before visiting the Bastakiya – an area of old buildings from the 1960’s before new Dubai took over. Each one had been restored but you could really associate life with the surroundings. In the 1960’s this little village would have been surrounded with desert land and now, just under 50 years on, tall buildings and skyscrapers for commercial and hotel use take over with busy roads and more infrastructure popping up all the time.
We then had our own private boat journey down the creek to Creek side Park where we relaxed in the shade of the palms for a while. After this, Inka left us to meet with some other friends who she was spending the night with. Eicke and I jumped into a taxi and headed to my dream hotel – the Burj Al Arab! The world’s only 7 star hotel! We had to make a reservation to eat before we were allowed to enter. We chose the cheapest option of 125 dirham’s per person for a cocktail and small dish in the Junsui restaurant. We both agreed that £25.00 was worth a visit inside the hotel. As Eicke was not wearing a collared shirt, we had to be checked by security to make sure this acception was ok!
It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I have dreamed of coming to the Burj Al Arab for many years now – it made me giggle every time I realized I was finally there! We were allowed to explore a little, so went up to the 23rd in the glass elevator over the sea to the Al Muntaha restaurant. It has the most impressive views of Dubai and an utterly gorgeous dining room. I was in my element! I did enquire about work and was given the Human Resources department number, who I have now left a message with. Imagine working there, it would be the most incredible thing in the world – even if it was only for a couple of days. The Junsui restaurant was just as special as everywhere else. I chose to have a selection of dim sum – so delicate and tasteful and delicious – served in bamboo steamers. My cocktail was called Moontea: a mix of jasmine tea, kiwi juice, lime and pineapple juice – so so so so so very refreshing after a day in the sun. As we relaxed with our cocktails the sun set beg=hind us, giving us good opportunities for photos. The lobby of the hotel was unreal, so fantastic, with mesmerizing water and light features that danced away. Your normal fairytale staircase that meets in the middle had been replaced with escalators with aquarium walls, full of reefs and an assortment of fish. And the view when you looked up was astounding! Truly fantastic and I will never forget it!
After this we got back in a taxi to head back to hostel. It had been a truly fantastic day. Eicke and I had arranged to meet for breakfast, which because of Ramadan, was served between 1.30 and 3am!
I’m really starting to get into this travelling malarkey!
Till next time,
Ashleigh xx