Category: Dubai

Echos Of My Neighbourhood

KHDA – The sublime working environment – Echoes Of My Neighbourhood.

jacquelineobyikocha7 Comments

On Thursdays, I share pictures about ‘Echos of my Neighbourhood.

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple and you can find out more about it through this link.

On Monday I had cause to visit the office of The KHDA – Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai and I will use the adjective ‘sublime’ to describe my experience.

In all my working years and having ventured around a bit, in recent times I will adjudge this place as one of the best office environments that I’ve been in. The open plan office is cheerful and welcoming. Polite, friendly and efficient staff attend to you as briskly as possible. Everyone sits in an open area in one corner or the other. No closed cubicle offices that assign importance to anyone.

Birds flitted about and tweeted all over the place, visitors could play a tune on the grand piano and admire the resident Parrot. Free coffee, juice, fruits, tea and different flavours of ice-cream were on offer at the in-house cafe which is manned by smart baristas’ who quickly attended to your request.

Needless to say, I went away feeling calm, happy and refreshed and I plan to have a reason for a repeat visit sometime soon 🙂

Kirstwrites takes us to Liverpool and her photos remind me of an awesome, previous visit to the charming city. We’ll join Roo for a walkabout and have a chat with the neighbours. Our last pit-stop is at Lady Lee’s as she introduces us to the healthy Hindustan Organic Garden.

Please do take a peek and share some of your echoes with us if you please.

Jacqueline

P.S. Our monthly Meet and Greet/Blog Party comes up this weekend Sat 27th/Sun 28th August. Hope to see you there.

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Echos Of My Neighbourhood

Visit to RAK – Ras Al Khaimah – Echoes of my neighbourhood.

jacquelineobyikocha17 Comments

On Thursdays, I share pictures about ‘Echos of my Neighbourhood.

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple and you can find out more about it through this link.

 

During the course of last week, I ventured further than my immediate neighbourhood – Dubai to another Emirate, Ras Al Khaimah (which means the top of the tent in Arabic) for a couple of days with my family.

RAK is one of the seven emirates that comprises the UAE and on a steady, leisure drive, it took us two and a half hours to get there, though I hear some can drive there at the break-neck speed of an hour. RAK is pretty and quaint with the rugged Hagar mountains, desert, healthy hot springs, the Arabian Gulf and oasis that surrounds it. Their lifestyle is also not as fast paced or as diverse as Dubai.

Below are just some of the photos I took. Will possibly share more another day.

Lady Lee takes us to India for her son’s wedding. Beautiful, vibrant, and auspicious ceremony; do take a peek 🙂

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Dubai · Echos Of My Neighbourhood

Circus at Mercato Mall – Echoes of my neighbourhood

jacquelineobyikocha20 Comments

On Thursdays, I share pictures about ‘Echos of my Neighbourhood.

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple and you can find out more about it through this link.

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It’s Dubai Summer Surprise (DSS) time and there are little pockets of delightful free shows going on at different locations of the town.

It’s been an entertaining respite to enjoy stumbling on the freebies here and there without parting with my cash.  😉

Watching the twist and contortions of some of these artists was painfully satisfying. I wonder how they do it?

The photos above were taken at Mercato Mall. A pretty mall with lovely ambience and eye-popping beckoning displays that can put a nice dent on your card. I oh and ah over them as I admire the items and move on. I can be a cheapskate a lot of times and that’s just fine with me 😉

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

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Echos Of My Neighbourhood

My week’s walkabout – Echoes of my neighbourhood 30.

jacquelineobyikocha20 Comments

On Thursday’s, I share pictures about ‘Echos of my Neighbourhood.

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple and you can find out more about it through this link.

After a busy last week, I took things to the slow lane this week though I still took lots of photos of ‘this and that’ in the course of the week.

Kirst shows us the singing, ringing tree and I must say it’s spectacular. I’ve never seen anything like that before and would love to hear it. Lady Lee loads of ripples of thankfulness and smiles are delightful 🙂 Take a peek, please.

So, when are you inviting us over to your neighbourhood?

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

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I hear the reverberations of the magic that’s hidden within.

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Dubai · Echos Of My Neighbourhood · Travel

Ski Dubai and Two Birthdays – Echoes of my neighbourhood 29

jacquelineobyikocha16 Comments

On Thursday’s, I share pictures about ‘Echos of my Neighbourhood.

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple and you can find out more about it through this link.

It was a busy last week for my household with two birthdays in the house. A good reason to celebrate, indulge and get a bit spoilt. We went to the Ski Dubai, though I’m still trying to figure out why we paid to go and get cold in a – 4 degrees indoor resort – I guess the blistering heat in this place makes it novelty 😉

A visit to the Cinema to find Dory and The Cheesecake Factory for the birthday celebrations was the icing on the cake so to speak.

Gosh, all the buttery, delicious popcorns and generous slices of decadent cake indulgence this Summer has convinced me to join the children in Karate/Dojo classes.

I hope I don’t kill the Dojo master this time around 😉

Thankfully we can’t eat food online otherwise, I would have taken a bite out of Lady Lee’s delightful pie while watching the full moon, and the glorious Sunset on St. Johns River with the waving palms where Pamela took me was just enough to make me sigh in pleasure.

I must say that Brigid’s Irish village’s Tidy Town practice with the blooming bikes is such a delightful aesthetic and horticultural idea. From Ireland, we traipsed through a little Monsoon drizzle where we sang in the rain and filled our eye’s with beautiful blooms.

Kat took us on a journey to the National D.Day Memorial at Bedford and with respect to the solemn photos of those who sacrificed their lives in pursuit of the freedom that today’s generation enjoys, we must never let certain history repeat.

So, when do we get to visit your neighbourhood? Do invite us over.

Jacqueline

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

 

Jacqueline writes from her heart on passion, pain, suffering, loss and LIFE. I have been incredibly moved by her poetry and I know I will return to “Out of the Silent Breath” again and again.

Out of the silent breath

If you enjoy my works and would like to do so, you can fuel my creativity with a slice of cake or coffee😉

Echos Of My Neighbourhood

Underwater Zoo – Echoes of My Neighbourhood 28.

jacquelineobyikocha23 Comments

On Thursday’s, I share pictures about ‘Echos of my Neighbourhood.

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple and you can find out more about it through this link.

 

Part of my effort to balance Summer break with cheap fun stuff to do, academic exercises, cooking and so on is also to seek out occasional fun stuff that equally imparts some knowledge on the children, though they might cost a bit of money to achieve.

Our quest took us to the Underwater zoo located at The Dubai Mall. A worthwhile experience.

Pamela took us on a nature walk and we got some weekly smiles at Lady Lee’s corner. Louise’s was just at the right place to catch and take snapshots of Stalwart Chinook helicopters from the RAF airbase around her. I love such happenstances 🙂

So, when do we get to visit you? Now, don’t be shy and invite us over😉

Jacqueline

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Stars, Five Stars, Logo, Icon, Symbol, Five, Rating

Jacqueline writes from her heart on passion, pain, suffering, loss and LIFE. I have been incredibly moved by her poetry and I know I will return to “Out of the Silent Breath” again and again.

Out of the silent breath

If you enjoy my works and would like to do so, you can fuel my creativity with a slice of cake or coffee😉

Echos Of My Neighbourhood

City Walk – Echoes of my neighbourhood 27

jacquelineobyikocha18 Comments

On Thursday’s, I share pictures about ‘Echos of my Neighbourhood.

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple and you can find out more about it through this link.

The sweltering heat and blinding Sun keeps one from venturing out much during the day right now, but the great thing is that Dubai’s lifestyle is a bit different in that the city really comes alive at nights till the wee hours of the morning when the weather is just a tad cooler.

There’s living to be done and being cooped up indoors inside air-conditioned facilities doesn’t cut it always. I took a walk around City walk with the children, took them to Hub Zero to play a bit and having an ice-cream to cool off certainly helps 😉

City walk houses lots of haute couture boutiques, a promenade, cinema, restaurants, indoor theme games and lots more. A lovely place with quiet spots where you can sit, enjoy the ambience and watch passersby.

Seeing the Berlin wall expose through Lady Lee’s eyes is an education. How much do you know about this divisive structure of the past and how the citizens lived through such perilous times? This is worth a visit. Pamela took us to downtown Jacksonville, Florida with its budding art scene. This is just my kind of place to wander happily 🙂

So, when do we get to visit you? Now, don’t be shy and invite us over😉

Jacqueline

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Stars, Five Stars, Logo, Icon, Symbol, Five, Rating

“Beautiful Poetry of Life and Love.” Amanda

Out of the silent breath

Echos Of My Neighbourhood

Photo Workshop and bits of my week – Echoes Of My Neighbourhood 26

jacquelineobyikocha12 Comments

On Thursday’s, I share pictures about ‘Echos of my Neighbourhood.

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple and you can find out more about it through this link.

This week has truly been a bit rough on my emotions, but work and attending a three-day digital photography workshop helped to take my mind a bit off things.

I am working at honing my photography skills and see where this road leads. It was a lot of fun that by the time I got home each day, I was numb enough not to think too much about all the ugly incidents going on all over the place.

I met some delightful people and interacted with one of the attendees, a beautiful Turkish lady. My heart felt so sad for her when her eyes brimmed over with tears as she talked about the bombing at ATATURK. She was scheduled to travel home to Turkey this week and her thoughts were filled with trepidation which was quite understandable.

As we sat in our armchairs and zoomed through our timeless portals, Stella took us to Aalborg zoo in Denmark to see some Wildlife, then Lady Lee gave us a treat to Welsh music and sailing down the picturesque Lake Vyrnwy in Wales after which Pamela took us through a 45-minute jaunt through St. Augustine’s beautiful sunrise and tall swaying palms and our travel through the e-portal was capped with eye candies of beautiful vintage cars displayed at a street fair in Brooklyn.

So, when do we get to visit you? Now, don’t be shy and invite us over 😉

Jacqueline

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Stars, Five Stars, Logo, Icon, Symbol, Five, Rating

“Beautiful Poetry of Life and Love.” Amanda

Out of the silent breath

Echos Of My Neighbourhood

Night scenes of a sleepless city – Echoes of my neighbourhood 25

jacquelineobyikocha33 Comments

On Thursday’s, I share pictures about ‘Echos of my Neighbourhood.

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple and you can find out more about it through this link.

This week, I bring you some bits of night life in my neighbourhood.

I don’t exaggerate when I tell you that this city is sleepless and as the weather heats up more and more, night business grows longer into the night and runs quite efficiently. The entire place glows with light therefore belies the true sense of the lateness.

I went to a Ramadan night market exhibition and up till 1 am, people were trooping in and out of the venue.

For a Middle Eastern city, it’s quite safe and people are comfortable to mill around that late.

On our e-travel on Echoes, Lady Lee brought us a smile and took us to Wales on caravan cabins and a tree house, the greenery at Giggles and Tales were quite lush, then those doors of faith from Making Peace with Life did give us some pause before we took off to Charles Waugh’s  beautiful, story book neighbourhood .

This is total fun and you shouldn’t be left out. Do share some bits and pieces of your World with us, please. Thank  you😉

P.S: You can join our online party this weekend. It’s always a good time:-)

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

 

Wonderful, evocative poetry by a talented writer. Left me hungry for more. Jacqueline can write! Linda Bethea

Out of the silent breath

If you enjoy my works and would like to do so, you can fuel my creativity with a slice of cake or coffee😉

Echos Of My Neighbourhood · Travel

Creek side and pit stop at Al Ghurair Mall…Echoes of my neighbourhood # 24

jacquelineobyikocha23 Comments

On Thursday’s, I share pictures about ‘Echos of my Neighbourhood.

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple and you can find out more about it through this link.

Last weekend I wanted to try out some fish recipes and decided to visit the fish market in Old Dubai instead of purchasing from the regular grocery supermarket where I shop.

It was a good excuse to drag dear Himself – who loves his good food and my squad along. I used the opportunity to while away some time at the Creekside, admiring the dinghy Dhows (local boats) and did a spot of shopping at Al Ghurair Mall.

Shopping malls and shopping centres dot this landscape like the spots on a Leopards skin and each has its own unique features as well as temptations vying to fleece the funds out of your pocket that your resolve has to be Rhinoceros thick-skinned to admire the temptations and pass on without whipping out your credit card otherwise you’ll be up to your eyeballs in debt.

The creek is situated in the heart of Dubai, flowing between Bur Dubai and Deira and this is where trade with the outside world began for the emirate more than a century ago.

A giant port has grown in the Emirates, but the importance of the Creek has not diminished, since it remains vital for regional traders, and is a vibrant reminder of Dubai’s development into a commercial hub.

These days, some of these Dhows are used by tour operators for boat cruises and it’s also a great way of seeing the city.

It was interesting to watch the men who journey for days and at times weeks offload their goods. They virtually live on these boats. A good number were found lounging lazily on their swaying boats, playing, eating and just passing the time.

We sat in our armchairs and quickly travelled through our e-apertures to visit Penrhyn castle with Lady Lee, we experienced some great Sunrise at Pamela’s Canepa, stopping over at Brigid’s Rosses was such a wonderful delight. Louise took us to SGreenwood’s Sherwood forest to meet the ghosts of Robin Hood and those handsome Knights and I got hooked.

We chilled out with Stella at the vivid rainbow panorama as we looked at random sights at Chez Sarah C of this n that.

This is total fun and you shouldn’t be left out. Do share some bits and pieces of your World with us, please. Thank  you 😉

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Stars, Five Stars, Logo, Icon, Symbol, Five, Rating

“Beautiful Poetry of Life and Love.” Amanda

Out of the silent breath