ROGO’S: The World’s Largest Rollercoaster Restaurant

IMG_0645Have you ever ordered your food on an individual hand-held tablet and then had it delivered via a zipping roller coaster? If not, then it is time to go to ROGO’S in the new Yas Mall home of the world’s largest rollercoaster restaurant.

Decorated in a bold techie decor with a pattern of vibrant colors, bold stripes and the sleek twisted stainless steel mechanisms of the roller coaster railings, ROGO’S is where food meets amusement. If it weren’t for the lack of concert style lighting and throbbing club music I would think it is required to buckle up for the ride, but you don’t, because the only thing that is making loops, spirals and spins at approximately 2-8 km/h is your food coming down a tornado track! Continue reading “ROGO’S: The World’s Largest Rollercoaster Restaurant”

Candylicious: Mommy in a Candy Store

IMG_0621My first love has always been candy. I love CANDY! Maybe it’s in my genes. Maybe I OD’d on Disney as a child or watched too much Willy Wonka but I have to tell you it is definitely my absolute, jelly in the knees, worst weakness so when Yas Mall called and asked me to tour their new Candylicious location I said, BINGO — I am your girl! Continue reading “Candylicious: Mommy in a Candy Store”

That’s a Pisser

images-3“That’s a real pisser!” Mini said to me.

Whoa…what do you mean that’s a real pisser? I am no Lily Librarian. I have seen and heard a fair amount in my life but I didn’t expect my ten year-old to use the word pisser straight in my face. Continue reading “That’s a Pisser”

International Women’s Day Interview

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Interview with Ms. Gina Dillon

We start our series of Interviews for International Women’s Day with the founder of the blog The Abu Dhabi PTA

Name: Gina Dillon

Nationality: USA

Occupation: Writer, social innovator, and change maker.

Tell us a bit about yourself…
I am married to an incredibly smart and witty guy who is my perfect life partner. I have two boys who were born 20 years apart. I have two dogs and I have a soft spot for animals. I am a very curious person and I am always looking for new interests, new people and a new way to see the world. Continue reading “International Women’s Day Interview”

50 Countries

Something wonderful happened last week.

A large group of children and parents gathered for a bite to eat. Well, it was a little more than just food it was something much larger and interesting. It is what we call International Day and it is always a spectacular display. Over 50 nationalities side-by-side sharing cultures and traditions the expat way. Continue reading “50 Countries”

Sushi Central

897fa7762a9e6565860099d6280c0ab7_400x400You may think all we do in Abu Dhabi is eat, eat, eat. But you’re wrong. We also talk about eating a lot too. And I guess like any vibrant large city in the world, we like to talk about new restaurants on the scene.

Enter Sushi Central. No, is not exactly new but has recently opened a new branch near the Mina and expanded delivery to Saadiyat and Yas Island — which is a big deal because the expat burbs are where some of the serious sushi eaters live. And we love high-end delivery! Continue reading “Sushi Central”

Mikado Cafe

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For me, eating at a Japanese restaurant is like devouring an art canvas. I approach it with hesitation because who really wants to muck up something so beautiful? I feel like saying, ‘Let’s just shellac this and make it a centerpiece and then go eat something less attractive.’

Mikado Cafe is a cute little place tucked away in the Al Hana Center, Al Khalidiya near the Corniche. And it’s a nice change from hotel restaurants (not that there’s anything wrong with a fancy hotel meal) but Mikado’s is neighborhood dining at its best in the trendy Al Hana Center restaurant district.  Continue reading “Mikado Cafe”

The Glamorous Life

entertainerLiving in possibly the world’s glitziest city takes cash. Cold. Hard. Cash. There might be an oil field a few kilometers from my villa but I am not on the payroll. So therefore, we expats have to find ways to make the biggest splash with the least amount of cash — because this awesome lifestyle doesn’t come cheap! Those gold flaked cappuccinos… well, they don’t grow on trees.

The expat secret to living the luxury lifestyle can be found in one little book or now that we are in 2015, should I say, one little mobile app. And everyone knows it. It’s called The Entertainer.  Continue reading “The Glamorous Life”

Dubai Only City to Receive Perfect Score in Honesty Test

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7DaysUAE

As reported in 7DaysUAE:

Dubai has earned a perfect score in an honesty experiment. Filmmakers from the UK carried out the test 45 times on the streets of the city – and on each occasion a kind-hearted resident returned it to the owner.

Daniel Jarvis, 26, from the hidden camera prank series ‘Trollstation’ and cameraman ‘Digi’ Dan, 25, visited various areas, such as Downtown Dubai and Bur Dubai, in recent days for the ‘Would You Steal In Dubai? Social Experiment’, which has been posted on YouTube and had more than 70,000 views by last night.

Jarvis told 7DAYS that they were surprised and heartened that no one even looked inside the wallet, which contained a few euros and some dirhams.

He said: “We’ve done this in London and other parts of the UK, but we’ve never had an experiment where no one’s taken the wallet.

“First we did the test on Sheikh Zayed Road, near Trade Centre and Emirates Towers, but everyone kept returning it. Then we thought, ‘maybe it’s because people in this area are rich’.

“So we went to Bur Dubai, which looked like a poorer area… but people kept returning it there too.”

The wallet is returned once again
The wallet is returned once again
The pair tried out the same test in London and said someone ran off with the wallet on attempt number 12.

Jarvis, who plays the suited, wallet dropper in the video, said having the property returned was “such a nice feeling”.

“I feel the media always twist stories about Arab countries,” he said. “There was once a headline about something like a man getting 15 years in jail for stealing a teddy bear. We’re showing the world it’s not like that at all.”

Trollstation’s channel has 230,000 subscribers and the duo’s next stop is likely to be Europe then America and Africa.

“It’s impossible to beat Dubai’s score now, of course, but we’ll see if someone matches it,” Jarvis said.

Please visit the original article 7Days 

My Abu Dhabi Thoughts 2014

— The big smile of a laborer — because I know it comes from the heart

— The smell of shisha at a cafe — even though I don’t smoke

— The thrill of the city lights as they shine against the dark desert sky

— The willingness of a friend or a stranger to do almost anything — for nothing in return

— The way a friend from another country pauses to come up with the best word so I will understand them accurately

— The twinkle in an eye from a soul that has lived through tragedy

— The cheery conversation of two British kiddos during the morning school run

— The smell of foods I have never heard of — from countries I’ve never visited

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— How I secretly am drawn to the chaos of miscommunication

— That I have almost grown to appreciate the smell of oud

— That I could now compete on a game show and correctly guess a sentence understanding only two words

— When disaster strikes we all pull together empathizing with people and countries we have never met or visited

— I am addicted to the surprises that the UAE constantly offers

— Realizing I now understand global politics, history, relations and also realizing that many people don’t

— My empathy for others has grown enormously

— What I want is for everyone I love to feel/see what I am experiencing

— I have grown used to driving in the chaos of the UAE roads

— I feel a little lost without a National dress

— Mam/Sir doesn’t bother me anymore

— It saddens me to know that many people around the world are misinformed about life in the Middle East

— The slang words I don’t understand but am always willing to try

— I love rubbing elbows with people in the supermarket

— The smell of rain is like heaven

— I love unexpected friendships that pop up out of nowhere

— And most of all, I love seeing the world in my child’s eyes

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— My heart is full for the one we lost on a sad December day

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Thank you to the unknown artists whose photography and art I have used in this post.