Half Life

Half-life is the period of time it takes for a substance undergoing decay to decrease by half, well it’s been 6 hours since I had the Methi Chicken and the odours are actually getting stronger rather than weaker.

Clearly the sweat and perspiration induced by riveting, edge of seat action from the Arsenal – Barcelona game clearly did not help matters, and spraying half a bottle of Lynx only offered a somewhat temporarily relief.

I was so intrigued into the strong smell of Methi that I undertook some research. Basically Methi has a compound known as 3-hydroxy-4,5-dimethylfuran-2(5H)-one (aka sotolon) which gives it a distinctive flavour.  The human body doesn't metabolise sotolon at all, so it passes through the body unchanged - this makes sweat, urine and the breath smell like ,,,,,yes you’ve guessed it Methi !

Talking about genetically modified foods, why can’t some clever boffin make Methi smell like some expensive cologne.

Disco Tea

Went out with some friends for a meal at a Pakistani restaurant close to the Burjuman shopping centre, afterwards we decided to head towards the world famous Disco Chai Corner (Disco Tea) and experience the finest masala tea that Dubai can offer.

We came across a very small shop located on a street corner, a complete change from the coffee/tea shops which you find in all the malls. No fancy furniture or décor in this joint, only the finest Chinese made plastic seats and stools in various different colours and sizes neatly arranged on the pavement.

This was café culture desi style, you could quite easily be in the backstreets of Karachi, Dhaka or Mumbai. The furnishings may be simple but the place definitely had a soul, the constant stream of customers including drive by’s confirmed the popularity of the tea house.

The disco tea was very nice, it was full of aromatic spices and herbs which made a pleasant change from the standard tea bags that I was accustomed to. I was told that the actual ingredients of the disco tea was a secret known only to the café owner and had been passed down from generation to generation.

Legend has it that if you knock back two cups of Disco tea you start to suffer from Saturday night fever, and will have a strong urge to strut your stuff on the dance floor. With this health warning in mind and my weakness to the sound of Disco I decided to be cautious and only have one cup.

When I returned back to my place I decided to google “disco tea”, and see if I could discover which herbs and spices they use to prepare this fine drink.

UHH OHH, SHOCK HORROR !!!

Disco tea dance is high energy disco dance performed by gays, listening to tracks from the 70’s & 80’s.

Looking back now it’s beginning to make sense, the place was full of marvellously Moustachioed Men who were smiling and nodding their heads a lot ! Right I think I’ll stick to my PG Tips.

dragons' taxi

Most of the taxi drivers that I’ve come across in Dubai are from Pakistan, with a large proportion coming from the North West frontier province. I always make an effort to engage with the driver, it helps to pass the journey and also is a factor in if they deserve a tip or not.

I feel like one of the dragons from dragons den, stroking my beard whilst listening to the drivers perspective on the weather, politics, or sports. Thinking if they deserve a tip, or is it the case that “I’m out” and they only get the exact fare.

Sandstorm

Experienced sandstorms today in Dubai, strong gusty winds just descended on the city from nowhere bringing carnage and mayhem. As I was walking back to my apartment the visibility at 1pm was below 100m.

The gale force winds made walking a challenge and the fine sand particles were blowing everywhere. My face was sandblasted, it really feels worn out and rugged now. The youthful looks are weathering away with the extreme and rugged climate of the desert.

My laundry also got hit, with my clothes all strewn across the floor covered in dust and dirt as the clothes drying racks took a tumble. Fortunately the ultra strong pegs managed to keep my boxer shorts from flying off. Can you imagine that? The Basant kite flying festival in Dubai but with chaddis !

The ultra fine sand and dust even managed to work its way into my wallet, now that’s a first…

Dark side of the Dubai dream

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12246979

material world

Dubai is a paradoxical place, the tallest building, the biggest shopping malls, definitely the blingiest capital of the world. Yet despite all the wealth, the flash cars, the glitz and the glamour you see real extremes in every day life.

In the last fortnight I’ve come across three cases of people coming up to me and asking for money, they all appear to be in a desperate situation. Their fraught faces and despondent eyes express a very distressing image, I offer them whatever help I can, and in the process appreciate how fortunate I am.

In a materialistic society where we are constantly striving for more, more & even more it’s worth remembering and helping those who not so privileged.

Beirut Bomb

Went for a shish tawook at a Lebanese restaurant in Dubai and it was a culinary delight, absolutely succulent and tasty.

One hour later I’m sitting in the metro train and suddenly stomach cramps start, I can sense a bomb ticking off in my gut. HELP  GET ME OUT OF HERE !!!

Three more stops to go, and I’m adopting the brace position ready for an emergency landing. The journey now goes into slow motion, every second feels like a minute, every minute like an hour. This is so painful, I’m in agony now, the Beirut Bomb is about to go off, getting back to my apartment is mission impossible.

I’m at my physical limits, but mentally the hero inside me manages to focus and gets me home just in time………….