ET of Arabia! Off to Dubai…or was it IKEA?

Everything checked.  Road Permit, Resident Card, Driving Licence, Car Registration, Car Insurance…and we are off to Dubai.

The time was 7.30am on the 6^th of June.  Ingrid, ET and I packed off to Dubai.  It was our first road trip. 450 odd kilometers of driving one way.  A piece of cake it is. But in the desert it can make one feel like Lawrence of Arabia.  I am sure inside the bump it was more like ‘ET of Arabia’.  Primary  reason for  going to Dubai. Firstly, to get all the stuff that ET might need.  Where else but IKEA. 

We are at the Omani border.  A smiling officer asks, ‘Where are you going?’

Hmm…the road we were on leads only to Dubai. Hence I do not see the point in the question.  However, I reply excited and happily.  After all the officer is full of smiles, for no apparent reason!

‘We are going to Dubai’

He checks our passports, and resident cards and then gives us a little note.  A note to handover the next check point.  It states the number of people in the car. I am always impressed at how modern this country and their methods are. 

Next check point, we are still in Oman territory.  They want our passports and the little chit. 

‘Hello!  How are you?’ he asks while taking the passports, resident card and chit.

We are fine, and how are you?’ I ask.  Trying to be genuinely courteous.  He does not bother to answer my question, but says,

‘You from Zanzibar?’

And laughs away like a mad hyena!! and muttering some words in Swaheli!!!  

‘Mambasi, dumba fempa goonda!’

Whatever that mean.  It was supposed to be a joke.  That I look Zanzibarian.  Compliment or not, I will not know. I say thank you, and we are off into no mans land. 10 kilometre on, and we are now at the UAE border post.  This is not as easy as the Omani side.  We have to park our car and go to the Hatta Border Post.  Talk about being discriminated by your own kind.  These are Asian who give the Asians more trouble than the others.  I am asked to go to a different counter.  Berthed there is a WW2 battleship…sorry I mean seated there is a lady.  She is the kind, you do not want to mess with verbally or physically. Which ever way, she will chew you like gum and spit you out like a grape seed.

‘Kohomadha?’  she asks.

‘Sorry, I beg your pardon!’ I say.

‘Kohomadha? Sri Lanka?’ she says again, with a smile.  That was actually nice to see.

 I am still flummoxed.   Is she asking for some document, that I have no clue of and wants me to go back to Sri Lanka to get it.  Apparently, No!  Phew.  She as speaking to me in Sinhalese.  Now, I am not particularly good at Sinhalese.  Still, I am sure I can speak better than an arab.  So, I say,

‘Ah!  Hondai!’ and smile. 

What she was asking me was, how I was, and all I needed to say was fine.  Well, it all went well, and 20 Riyals poorer. They charge 20 Riyals as visa fee.  Just because I carry a SL passport. And Ingrid, carrying a dutch passport does not have to pay anything.  So unbloodyfair. 

All papers checked we are on our way now.  But wait!  The geographer of this region is crazy.  After we get into Dubai, we come into a small pocket of land that belongs to Oman. So again check point and all that.  How on earth am I going to explain all this to ET.  ET must be wondering which century it is born into.  After some serious roaming in the desert, we find IKAE!!!


How refreshing It was to see that Blue and Yellow sign!   Into the basement park we go.  First stop, the food shop.  Yes, it is Köttbullar, Potatomos, gradfil och lingon. To most people having meat with berry can sound disgusting.  But it is like one of those things..like how we Asians eat banana with rice and milk!  That must sound disgusting to most Europeans.  It actually looks like cat puke!  Still very tasty it is.  The good thing is that ET will have the very multicultural taste buds.  Chocolate with Tomato ketchup or  Curry with apples etc…going to be very interesting.We spend the day at IKEA.  


And I am sure ET was going like, ‘I want that!  I want that’  or  ‘oh, that was what I have been looking for, I love that colour..please get it’ Typical behaviour of an ET!


 As a result, we have bought a good load of things that will be needed.   These are only the items that we could dump our boot with.  Another lot, such as bed, cot, mattress, changing table etc are all on the way. It is to be shipped to Oman.  We are expecting them around the 20th of June. That is if all goes on plan.  Overall, it it was day of pleasing ET. And it was nice.  

Now to find our way to Peter’s apartment. That is where we 3 will crash for the night.  Peter had given me direction.  I do not think anyone can do better than that at giving directions.  It was just perfect. Still, the roads and movement of traffic is very disorienting.  It is like driving for a village with 2 lanes of traffic to 6 or 8 lanes super-higway.The place that Peter lives is called The Jumairah Lake Towers! A lovely apartment that adds to the Dubai skyline. We managed to find it! How?  I have no idea.  Pure luck and ET’s telepathic guidance.  A lovely view of a part of the city of Dubai can be seen in the picture. 

The next day (7th June), we aimlessly loiter around parts of Dubai.  ET's first ride on the Metro.  From Dubai Marina to The Creek.  And then the amazing Burj Khalifa Tower. The tallest building in the world. A staggering 830 Metres tall.  What on earth was that made for???   Is it the same effect or phenomena that we see so often in the region? It is said that people who want big cars, are insecure about the size of some of their organs!  As such, a car is an extension of their imaginary size.  Is the Burj Khalifa a result of the same thing?  Did the man who conceive the idea, have a deeply seated insecurity of certain parts of himself.  Having said that, the structure remains pleasing to the eyes.   A marvelous piece of engineering.  

BAck at home, we decide to have Iranian Food.  Peter, Ingrid, ET and I head down stairs to the Iranian cafe. Nice food.  We head back to the apartment.  We sit up, and wait for the clock to strike 12.  Why?  it is my birthday. So there you go.  A shot of Rum with Coke.  Nothing like ending a day with my favourite drink.

8th, we go for breakfast. It is at the Lime Tree Resurant in Dubai.  We are meeting an old friend of mine. Ernesto.  A man from Portugal with a wife from Spain. A happy get together after nearly 3 years.  Ernesto's wife, Martha is beautiful. And the kids are absolutely adorable.  My thoughts, soon ET will be around this planet and it will just be fulfilling to have it around.   

Late morning, we leave forMuscat.  It is like going back to the village.  The trip was a bit of a ride!  The good thing is we are back home.  I am late on this blog.  Today is our day with the doctor. Will update that tomorrow!!!  Until then, ET we await your arrival!