We're having a baby

When you have some big news to deliver, sometimes a phone call will not do it justice. Especially when you live on the other side of the world.

Instead, why not mail a special package to your loved ones and ask them to skype while they open it? That way, you can capture their reactions to the surprise on video and celebrate with everyone at the same time.

Miranda and I did just that and this is what happened...




Yes, it's official. Our lovely home in Abu Dhabi will be gaining another. He or she is expected in late August and we could not be more excited.

I am humbled to become a father and just overjoyed that this special lady, who decided to take a huge leap and move with me to the UAE over two years ago, is about to become the mother of my child.

It's always fun to look back. I still remember the day she arrived at the airport and I knew then that my life would never be the same again. I even wrote about it.

Now a baby is on the horizon. And we could not be happier.

Love is definitely blossoming in the desert.

No March Madness in the UAE

Let's get one thing straight: when you move to the UAE, the opportunities to view North American sports live at your house, streaming it online or watching in a bar (Oh, how I remember those days) are few and far between.

During the NFL season, I become a sleep-deprived junkie. I can't afford to get serious about baseball until September. The NBA action is only thinkable after Christmas when they start to show the daytime triple-headers on Sunday. As for the NHL? Well, who really watches ice hockey anyway??

My sanity can be sacrificed in an attempt to follow my top teams back home. I am willing and able to do so. But one sport that seems to always fall by the wayside while living in the UAE is men's college hoops.

Sure my office does a March Madness pool. I was hired in late December two years ago so when I won the whole thing while still holding 'fucking new guy' status, my new colleagues were not too impressed. Plus, I was unaware of the tradition that the office winner was supposed to buy pizza for the staff one night.

Oh no, I took the money and laughed all the way to the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank.



But during my younger years, I remember so many tournaments when I combed over my brackets and would put my expertise and knowledge of the game on the line. Countless hours spent watching SportsCenter highlights during the winter came down to one faithful day in mid-March when I would select a winner. It was great fun and I was good at it.

This year, you might as well have put me in that group of aloof office women, who pick the winners based solely on school colors or how cute the team mascot was.

Just to prove the parity between the former seasoned sports fans (aka Expat men) and girls who watch 'for the commercials and to see what the cheerleaders are wearing' in this year's pool: After the Sweet 16, there are three women atop the office standings.

One of these women asked me -- before she picked her brackets -- if LeBron James was still playing. The second woman said she basically took the higher seed in every single match-up until the Final Four and then she just flipped a coin. The third woman happens to be my wife Miranda, who did not know she entered the pool until a copy of her selections magically appeared on our refrigerator a few hours before the tournament tipped off.

So the women are currently in the top three spots. I am sitting in 17th place. For shame.

But there is nothing to fear and only riches to gain if Wisconsin brings it home. I knew of Kentucky's ridiculous win streak before the tourney but I -- ehh, I mean Miranda -- had a hunch about those Badgers. Plus, it's her home state so are we talking about fate here?

If they can clip the Wildcats and drown Duke or Gonzaga in the final, then for the second time in three years, I ... ehh, WE will be the big winners. It will allow me to laugh again, start the slow, victorious walk back to ADCB and buy myself a nice slice of pizza.

For the real losers in any March Madness office pool are the participants who can not actually watch any of the games during the regular season and therefore, cannot make informative selections on their tournament brackets. Trust me. It's a proven formula.

Feeling lucky? I know Miranda is. Go Badgers.

Best restaurants in Abu Dhabi

While I have started to explore the idea of cooking at home -- yesterday I successfully experimented with a slow-cooked pot roast -- my wife and I still love to hit the town and dine in style with the best of them in Abu Dhabi.

Let's get down to brass tacks here: this city has many fabulous hotels, which feature many different restaurants. We have not eaten at all of them. Not even close.

That is why I do not consider myself an accredited restaurant critic. So don't hate.

I am just another empty mouth to feed as we are are in constant search for good, affordable grub. So the following list was compiled with absolutely zero allegiance to any of these fine establishments.

But each of them made the final cut because we like them and continue to visit them again and again. So take that for what it's worth and Bon Apetit!

(Drumroll, please...) Our Top 10 in no particular order:

Noodle Bowl

Located at A1 Madina Al Riyadiya, next Zayed Sports City. Phone# 02 447 2405

I would say it's one of the best Chinese food restaurants in town as we are addicted to the dim sum. It's sort of a hidden gem because it is located above a bowling alley. So random. They actually have a balcony that overlooks the bowling lanes. Classic for people watching. They do not sell booze.

Le Boujolias

Located at A1 Madina Al Riyadiya, next Zayed Sports City. Phone# 02 447 2405

An old-school French cuisine restaurant with a pulse. We come for the steak entrees and always find the time to dabble with an assortment of delicious starters like Escargots and frog legs cooked in buffalo sauce. The smoking room in the back is where all the action is. Cheap house wine served in crafts.

Lebanese Flower

Located at Defense Road, Al Dhafra. Phone# 02 641 4128

Outdoor dining area is always special and the food -- they have the best schwarma in town -- is very good but the service in notoriously bad. You have to put up with douche bag servers hitting on your wife right in front of you. The food comes out when it's ready and they take cash only. Kind of shady. No booze.

Indian Palace

Located at Mushrif Mall, 2nd Street and Airport Road. Phone# 02 447 2420

Been there with actual Indian people  -- mad street credit -- and they give this place high reviews. The menu goes on forever as the options are endless. The booths are pretty cool as you can shut the doors for privacy. It is inside a mall but you lose track of that as soon as you walk in. No strong drink.

FANR

Located at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island. Phone# 02 657 5888

One of my favorite afternoon chill spots. Also a must for visitors. Not only is it right next to the upcoming Guggenheim Museum on Saadiyat Island, but it also has a very cool outdoor patio. And with no hotels in eye sight, they also serve booze, which is a welcome surprise. Try the camel burger. Yes, you heard me right. Camel.

Sontaya

Located at St. Regis Island Resort, Saadiyat Island. Phone# 02 498 8888

Had to put one luxury restaurant on the list and I'm glad it is this one. This Southeast Asian spot has a very scenic layout and is right near the water at the St. Regis Island Resort. Every time we have been here, we fall victim to their different curry dishes. Very sexy place to take a lovely lady on a date. Full bar ready to go.

Cafe Arabia

Located at Villa No. 37, 15th street, opposite Mushrif Park. Phone# 02 643 9699

A definite go-to spot for breakfast, lunch, dinner or brunch. It is built inside a villa so they use all three floors as they have one of the best rooftop scenes in the city. The menu is very healthy and the service is usually awesome. No alcohol but climbing the staircase is like a serene walk through an art studio. Very relaxing.

Diablito

Located at Yas Marina, Yas Island. Phone# 02 565 1175

If there is one thing this city could really use, it is an up-tempo Tex-Mex restaurant and this spot comes close to the mark. Amazing sunsets views from the rooftop patio and it's located right in the heart of Yas Marina. The drinks flow, including their homemade sangria. They have huge burgers, fajitas and burritos on the menu but don't sleep on the pizza.

Leopolds Of London

Located at Nation Towers on the Corniche. Phone# 02 665 4776

This place has a top-notch coffee and tea game, if you're into that. The food is also amazing as we tend to visit during the hangover (ahem) brunch hours on the weekend. The sun room provides great views of the the Corniche as the deli and bakery will wet your tongue before you even take your seat. Unfortunately, no booze.

Frankie's

Located at the Fairmont Hotel, between the two bridges. Phone# 02 654 3333

Best Italian spot in town and contrary to what many think, it's not pretentious. Well, not too much. A stylish atmopsphere sets the tone and the live jazz piano music during the evening hours adds to the experience. We are in love with the Capesante Gratinate and the Involtini Di Melanzane. Vast selection of wine and beer.

Honorable Mentions:

El Sombrero

Located at Sheraton Hotel & Resort, Corniche Road. Phone# 02 677 3333

They do have this amazing all-you-can-drink and all-you-can eat special on Thursday nights (may have to double check the actual night) that definitely does not disappoint. The deal includes margaritas along with a loaded food menu. Private rooms that seat up to 10 are available if you call ahead.

Shakespeare and Co.

Located at Guardian Towers, off Murror Road and 31st. Phone# 02 491 7673

Their chic Victorian-style will warm your heart and their menu is very classy, and at the same time, it offers everything. We like to think of it as the closest thing to an American diner in Abu Dhabi, but with a more aristocratic feel. They serve all three meals around the clock and it's also a great meeting spot for coffee. Popular among Emiratis. No alcohol.

Le Boulanger

Located at Corniche Road, just before Marina Mall. Phone# 02 428 5371

Loaded menu with different nationalities featured but the best thing about this spot is their location. Overlooking the Corniche, it also provides a front-row seat for any water sports events. It's a huge venue but no on-site parking. Shisha burns all day long but unfortunately, not a drip of alcohol to be consumed. Their lentil soup served in a bread bowl is a must.

Traveling to Thailand on a budget?

My wonderful wife Miranda actually lived in Thailand for a short time right after she finished her undergraduate degree. She was on a tiny piece of turf called Kho Phi Phi, a land solely reserved for the sinister drunk and the crazy young.

That was some 10 years ago -- she coincidentally left a day before the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami devastated the region -- and during our frequent bucket-list travel conversations, she had always mentioned she would like to go back for a visit.

The anniversary of her birth had been coming up so I put two and two together and then booked a flight to Phuket. Happy Birthday, baby!

My favorite airline of all time, Etihad Airways, just launched daily non-stop flights to Phuket so before you could say 'free champagne' we were packing our bags.

The flight was only six hours from Abu Dhabi, so it was more than enough time to get drunk, take a nap and wake up with a hangover -- all before our plane touched down in another continent.

And for you folks who are reading this because you are contemplating a move to the UAE, know this: Thailand is just one of the many countless travel destinations literally at your fingertips while living here. I had already pulled out my credit card and clicked the 'submit' button before I gave it a second thought. And for good reason...

On Kho Phi Phi, we danced our faces off, partied until dawn and lived like rockstars. The first two nights, we stayed at the Maney Resort, a cheap shanty spot that cost only $13 a night and had a laundry list of bad reviews on TripAdvisor.

But we liked it.

Basically, you get what you pay for. People should know that before they get on TripAdvisor and complain about the number of steps before the registration desk or if the staff does not wear a wide smile on their faces 24 hours a day. C'mon dude, get a life.

Manley was a backpacker paradise, where warm Thai soup for breakfast was a welcome attempt at nutrition and the roosters crowing in the morning numbed your hungover soul.

But after many years of traveling and realizing that we are not in college anymore, Miranda booked us a stay at the five-star luxury Zeavola Resort & Spa for the next two days. It was a short boat ride away and was on the opposite side of the Kho Phi Phi social spectrum.

Less than 10 hours after waking up with a stiff neck on a glorified futon in a sweaty room at Manley, Miranda and I were comfortably laying on our stomachs, listening to Enya and enjoying a Thai couples massage while perched on top of a luxury tree fort overlooking the Zeavola resort.

After you turn 30, you pick up on a lot of things. One of them is how to travel. I know everyone has their own specific way of doing it and certain budgets allotted for it. But for us, we love to rough it and then add some some luxury in at the end. Because the sweet is never as sweet without a little sour thrown in there first.

Our trip to Thailand was one for the books. On the flight home, we already started to discuss when and where our next vacation excursion would take us.

Such is the behavior of a travel addict. Counting down the days until we get our next fix.

Fortunately, there is no rehab for our beautiful affliction. With enablers like Thailand, India, Europe, Africa and Etihad flirting with our daily emotions, it is really damn hard not to pull out that credit card and click the 'submit' button again.

Where would you like to go today?

Wheelchair success: Etihad Airlines to the rescue!

So it was less than 24 hours after I had completed the Dubai Marathon and as you can imagine, I was walking around the streets of Abu Dhabi like a wounded 90-year-old man in some sort of exhausted haze.

I wasn't in real pain. Just sore. Very, very sore. Even my ass hurt.

Everything seems to fall apart when you run 26.2 miles. First you get that uncomfortable sensation in your knees, then your ankles. Soon it feels like there are little rocks inside your shoes but no, that's just the painful blisters forming on the bottom of your feet.

Next up is the hamstrings, the quads, your lower back and then my forearms even started to burn. Don't forget the mental demons that haunt you from Mile 15 and beyond.

What the hell am I doing?

After all that, I finished the race and there was actually a light at the end of the tunnel. And that motivational ray of sunshine was a trip to glorious Thailand.

Have you ever been in an international airport and randomly ran into someone you knew? A friend from town, a previous lover or an old war buddy??

That happened to me within the first 10 minutes after we landed in Phuket. It was an old friend Jessica, who I had not really seen since college. She had been traveling with friends and she saw me from afar while she waited in the customs line.

When she recognized me, she actually pulled a confused double-take because I was being pushed around the airport in a wheelchair by a very nice Etihad Airways employee.

Yes, I am guilty. I took advantage of a service that is reserved for people in need. But you should have saw me: I was not in a good place. I needed some assistance and Etihad, as faithful as ever, had my back.

GOOD THINGS ABOUT RIDING A WHEELCHAIR IN THE AIRPORT:

- You don't have to walk
- The good people at Etihad do not ask questions
- You don't have to wait in customs or security check lines
- An Etihad employee was waiting at my destination with another wheelchair

BAD THING ABOUT RIDING A WHEELCHAIR IN THE AIRPORT:

- Everyone stares at you: "Alright, what's wrong with this bastard?"

I wanted to scream, "I just ran a marathon! My bones are old and tired..." Seriously, my very slow movements would have been a hindrance on the collective group of travelers at the airport that day. I was looking out for everyone else. I really believe that. Oh, the humanity!

Nah. Who am I kidding? It was kind of messed up. And if we had not been running a little late for our flight to Thailand, the request would not have been made. But I'm glad I did it.

And I think Jessica changed her opinion when I triumphantly emerged from the iron clutches of the almighty airport wheelchair for just enough time to snap a picture...

Other people from my flight, who were standing near the baggage claim, saw me stand up and a few harsh stares were thrown my way. It was not my finest hour.

But it was OK. My recovery -- physical and emotional -- was actually pretty fast. It only took another day or two before my legs started to work again and by then, I was just another tourist exploring the depths of Thailand. Just like you -- without a wheelchair.

Dubai Marathon kicked my ass

I ran my first marathon in 2010.

It was in San Diego as the course took runners through quaint public parks, around metropolitan stadiums and concert venues and then zigzagged through the downtown area, where it ended at a water park just outside of the city.

I documented all the shenanigans for the Virgin Islands Daily News

It was a 'Rock N Roll marathon', which meant there was a different musical act set up at each mile marker to keep runners entertained and energized. Live bands, DJs, performers and they even had a little girl playing the violin.

The Dubai Marathon had none of that.

Listen, I don't want to be one of those people that writes a bad review about an event on some blog just because he was grossly unsatisfied by the final product. Who really reads blogs anyway?

But in all seriousness, the course for the Dubai Marathon is essentially a point and back route, which means you basically run straight down a road for about 12 miles, turn around and then run back down that very same road. Yawn...

There was no music. There was no cheering.

Just a steady score of gawking day laborers, who loved to record all the action on their circa 1998 mobile phones as the sun came up on another day in Dubai.

Full disclosure: I was not a Top 10 finisher. Not even close. This race kicked my ass.

It took me more than five hours to complete the 42.2-kilometre (26.2 mile) run. But by the time I crossed the line, believe it or not: there was no water left for the runners. I even walked into the medical tent in search of some fluids. Still, no dice.

I'm sorry but it was just a pretty poorly-run event. The execution was not there.

Luckily, I had a great support staff with me. My wife Miranda was the best cheerleader in the city that day; my friend Anique was a solider and ran with me for the first half of the race; and my brother-in-law Kyle was the photographer.

Together, they provided a huge lift for me. More than they will ever know. On top of that, they took me to McDonald's after the race.

So after a full morning of running punishment on the asphalt of Dubai, it felt good to head back to Abu Dhabi. After all, I had bigger fish to fry. Less than 24 hours after crossing the marathon finish line, I found myself in the Abu Dhabi International Airport about to board a plane for Thailand.

Indeed, no rest for the weary...

Rainy weather in UAE = Armageddon

Brace yourself, but yesterday I wore a long-sleeved shirt.

In the desert. Because it was actually cold.

I awoke around 7.30am and there were clouds in the sky. Real clouds! They were dark. And they were angry. We had not felt the comfortable sensation of rain falling in this land for some time now. At least a few months based on my calculations. 

Rain soaked the country and there were photos in The National that showed hail had even fallen. Social media was awash with photos of some snow on the side of roads.

One woman was quoted as saying she was 'completely astonished' by the weather and that 'nothing like this has happened since 1993.'

Now I like to kid around with my 'way back when dates' from the 1990's, too:

"Whoa, I haven't heard this song since '95..."

--OR--

"I haven't dunked a basketball since Desert Storm..."

Maybe this woman was playing on that. What really happened in 1993 that incited her reference?

Anyway, reading about the driving issues during inclement weather can be funny and downright scary at the same time. Like when a drop of rain falls, everything breaks down...

According to this article in yesterday's edition, one person died and three were injured in seven road accidents blamed on rainy weather in Abu Dhabi. In Dubai, two more died as 556 road incidents were reported.

Now I don't know what the difference between 'road accidents' and 'road incidents' are but doesn't that seem like a big disparity of numbers between the two cities? Are Abu Dhabi drivers less likely to freak out behind the wheel during rainy weather?? Car insurance companies in Dubai must be licking their lips at those numbers.

As one colleague pointed out -- and this was taken directly from the article -- the Al Ain Municipality held a meeting of it emergency and crisis committee in response to the rainy weather. Complete hysteria! Emergency! Red alert, red alert!!

Oh, and last but not least, we had another case of conflicting headlines in yesterday's paper. On one page, there was mention of 'harsh weather conditions' next to photos of mild flooding from the deluge and citizens walking in the rain.

The very next page, the headline read "Farms in east UAE face water shortage".