When it rains here :)

I've lived and been to many parts of the world where ppl consider rain a gray and gloomy day that initiates complaints and grumpiness .... But not here.

Rain in this part of the world is prayed & hoped for and celebrated in a way like nowhere else..

Since rain is so rare kids would skip school and go out to play in the rain.. guys would find silly and obvious excuses to leave work or uni in order to enjoy the weather by taking their sand buggies to the desert.. girls would take long drives in their cars with Mohd Abdu music playing "Unshoodat Al Ma6ar" out laud with a cup of hot karak tea in their hands ... These are the rituals of "rainy days".

So although it took me over 2 hours to reach work today as I couldn't skip it I sat in my car with the music playing all those songs that makes me feel a teenager all over again and considered it as my own little rainy day trip just like the old days ..

Working in the DIFC is a treat for the eye

I normally come to work 1-2 hours before my work starts in order to avoid traffic, go to the gym and get my hair done or in some cases just have some quite me time alone in the nearly empty building..

Lately many of the designers boutiques, chic cafes and restaurants & world class art galleries in DIFC's Gate village has opened like Nina Ricci, Vivian Westwood, Tsumori Chisato, Anya Handmarch, Dries Van Noten, Issey Miyake, Jil Sanders, Marni, Zuma, Opera, Cuadro & Empty Quarter Art gallery and soon Prada, miu miu "& Laduree and many others..

To add on top of that the outdoor sculptures and and art pieces that makes you feel like you're in an outdoor museum..

So coming to work in itself has become like a short visit to a museum or a chic shopping district in one of the art and fashion capitals of the world .. I'm so blessed and I should never take that for granted.. ever..

Mother's Day...

I've always felt that Mother's Day has become another meaningless & overly commercialized holiday where kids pressure their fathers to get "something nice & expensive" for mummy and then mothers subtly mentioning it to other mothers so that the other mother would either try to compete by bragging about how much effort her kids put into making her feel so special or she'll withdraw and feel unloved and worthless because her family (who might be the most loving family) didn't do the same to her..

But hang on.. Now I have my own kids and they too will be pressured by their teachers and endless mother's day promotions displayed everywhere that makes them feel like a bunch of ungrateful and unloving children if they didn't get "something" for mummy ..

So I decided this..

I'll create a family's day tradition that doesn't involve material gifts nor flowers..

I want it to be a day where we spend it entirely together and where we could all sleep in one bed, stay up late, go out or any other memorable experience where we enjoy it as a family... Because the more and more I think about it I realize that these experiences and memories are what will last and mean the most to all of us..