It's not unusual
Not a usual Saturday for me (I was going to call it Friday - still getting used to the new weekend!) I spent the day kind of alone, not quite knowing what to do. Usually I avoid the "rush hour" and stay in the less congested parts of town, or head into the busy districts using the less popular routes. I don't mind, as long as I have a heavy dose of good music to listen to, which is usually on repeat for at least a couple of months, until memories bring back certain other tunes, and straightaway the other dude from 5 years ago is on repeat for another 5 months.
After treating the nails with a long-overdue second coat and snacking on a quick afternoon "breakfast", I ventured out to the land called "Sharjah" for some quick shopping. Usually I plan my route en course, or don't plan at all. I stick to what I know. As I age, time runs out to discover new routes. Today took me by surprise, though, as the shortcut that I thought I was taking to get to Al Mulla Plaza took me to the middle of nowhere due to a diversion only the regulars would know of. For the first time, my sense of direction failed me, and this was exciting. It was a whole new Dubai. Shops on the corner, three lanes, all kinds of cars, and the sun setting in the distance. This road was leading to nowhere. If I were not in a rush, I would have cherished the scenery far more. At the next set of traffic lights and obviously totally lost, I switched off the music and asked the two well-dressed dudes in white in the "Station" where Sharjah was. "Turn right". "Right?" I reconfirmed, wondering where right would take me, but surprised at their sense of direction in this directionless area, noting they weren't locals.
I took a right turn and came accross a most magnificent area aka Mamzar...the view has changed spectacularly since I last went. All kinds of buildings, amazing roads, and the wonderful Corniche in the distance. It's like you're on another planet. Then, suddenly, you hit the highway to Sharjah where all forms of disorder break loose! Negotiate your turns, indicate, hope someone's looking, and get your car in lane, hoping noone hits you!
Landing in Sharjah, I timed how long my visit was, and attemped to return to Dubai as soon as I could. Getting back towards Dubai and deciding to take a shortcut towards Ghusais was great. I discovered "the other way" to New Dubai via Business Bay. I wonder if I could stop off somewhere on this road one day and take photographs. It's simply a spectacular view of Dubai. Totally amazing. Everything. The sunset, the buildings, the men at work, what is being built for you and me.
Getting back into the traffic - out of choice - I notice all kinds of cars on the weekend. Youngsters in their Nissans, dudes in their sports cars and others in their saloons. It's the weekend - holiday for some, and work for others. We are all heading in different directions for different purposes. We drive at different speeds, thinking different things, listening to different music. We may think differently, but I'm happy with my destination, happy to be home.
17 comments:
I relate to this post so much. Each Christmas I head to the UAE, almost everything has changed.
I know the view from Mamzar, it is beautiful. Sharjah has this new (well sort of new) extended corniche. You must drive there, it's quite and along winding road with the silent corniche on your right. It's calm and serene. My friends and I used to have BBQ sessions by the water. The view from there to DXB skyline is just amazing.
I just wish SHJ borrowed some logic from DXB with respect road/highway planning.
Next weekend if you get the chance, take a drive towards Sharjah American University area - it's soooooooooooooooooo beautiful there.
oh this will be a long-ish comment! yay! is it me being more observant or there are LOADS of changes here in this blog?!
1-you have a cute picture on hehehe.. i like it.. but it's not on your profile but just on the template.. that's pretty smart.. i doubt i'd be able to do something as nifty as that :)
2-an e-mail address? groovy!
3-you got a good sense of direction (while driving?) wow.. i never knew that about you (or imagined it).. bravo again!
4-these diversions started on 19 May 2007 I believe.. it was chaos.. wa333...and they are expected to last for a few months.. there's a long Gulf News article about it somewhere! try to avoid sharjah from the main mulla plaza route for a while.
5- i like the way you had to ask for directions TO Sharjah :) it's kinda hard to miss it.. like you said it's where all hell breaks loose.. and it also happens to be the direction of the slowest moving traffic everyday! as you know in the UAE the definition of rush hour traffic is the traffic going from shj-dxb in the morning and dxb-shj in the evening.. but after around 2005.. this definition was scrapped and 24hr rush-hour applied.
6-welcome to my adopted hood of Mamzar :) I absolutely love that place.. i go there whenever i'm in UAE for swimming and fishing.. it's so quiet and the whole neighborhood is in a kinda cul-de-sac on a large scale because you cannot use it to jump to shj.. so going there is a pleasure away from the daily commuters. it's also where my old school used to be.. ah.. those were the days.. i even remember we used to have to do the last 2 km to school on a gravel road.. and when it rained we stayed at home coz that road needed a 4x4 and there weren't many of those around dubai when i was a kid :)
damn.. i'm getting teary.. thnx for the beautiful post.
I live in sharjah.... the fucking traffic and bad road planning pretty much drowns all the good points of living here.. but the rents are cheaper.. so it's cool! haha...
Greetings -
Mamzar is easily the best Dubai beach and beach park and worth 900% of the 5 AED entrance fee. I found it the first time I walked from Karama - to the Creek, down the Creek, round the Heritage Site, under the Creek (the foot tunnel), past the fish market, round the port, onwards and ever onwards, noticing Mamzar and promising myself to go there next weekend, which I did, and taught Ani to swim, still onwards, round the Corniche and finally into Sharjah, staring in amazement at the monumentally silly Venetian canal and the waterjet fountain, finding somewhere to eat, grabbing a taxi back to Karama, noticing the whole had taken 6 hours, and wishing it hadn't been July. How was your day?
I find it quite unusal to go to Sharjah intentionally and on a weekend.
I go only if I absolutely cannot avoid it.
It gives me the 'Saudi-heebeejeebees' and I dare not even look at women or think about beer.
come on.. sharjah isn't thaaaaaat bad that u can't look at women!!! well ok just a glance.. no more than 1 second and then quickly look away.. they have cameras on buildings monitoring us guys and can track you down even if you run away to the coldest quarter of siberia!!!
*rosh =) Sharjah's very special to you, isn't it. I can tell, from one of the posts you've written about it and from so many of your comments here & there! You do a wonderful job of promoting it, by the way.
Which area of Sharjah Corniche are you recommending? Is it the area directly around Qanat Al Qasba? Or another spot? I will definitely go visit it! Where is Shj American University...is it on the way to the fish market? Near Emarat?
"Sooooooooooo" means I definitely have to go :)
*Buj, well, well, well. Your last comment to me about this blog being "negative" got me thinking. I decided to put "pen to paper" and came up with this post. As such, it was, in many ways, inspired by your comment, and I'm happy you are pleased with the post! The day was a fantastic experience and I'm glad to have covered it here. I would have liked to spend more time in Mamzar, you know, going around the roundabouts a bit longer, but you know what it's like spending more time in a hugely guy-populated area when a girl's alone ;) I've been to Mamzar Park and not only is the beach like paradise, but the front "garden" if I may call it that, is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen! Like a palatial garden! It's a wonderful place to be, and you can even rent huts there, apparently.
1) Blogger's template is quite easy to use. I wish I could have a different layout like yours! How did you create it? Cool!
2) Email address is there coz so many of my fave blogs now have 'restricted access' so I thought it would make it easier to read 'em, now my email address is published :)
3) Definitely. I'm a badwiya without a camel :)
4)I wasn't aware of the diversion. Sometimes it's better not to scan GN otherwise there'd be less surprises like this one ;)
5)I've also started to notice how the "rush hour" times are starting to apply less! Generally, I try and make it to Garhoud Bridge before 1pm or between 3&4. Then I leave Shj via Ghusais, and now there's the business bay bridge! It took me 30 mins from Shj city centre to Defence Roundabout on a Friday evening, would you believe it!
6) Mamzar is indeed beautiful. If you see an arial view of it, it's almost like the end of the world. It's so beautiful. There was also a place where I got lost, just before Rasheed Road, if that's what it's called. A huge junction. That was an interesting area. Very "old" Dubai! Worth a photography expedition!
*clayfuture, I don't agree it's bad road planning. Were you here in the 80s, when it took just 15 mins to get from Deira to Shj? Roads may get improved, but to say it's bad planning is unfair, in my opinion. There's no reason for them not to improve, though. And there are loads more interchanges now than before and I'm sure that eases the situation. As for the main roads in Sharjah, well...they can get pretty blocked and as for a solution, I leave that one to the experts!
*paraglider "I walked from Karama - to the Creek, down the Creek, round the Heritage Site, under the Creek (the foot tunnel), past the fish market, round the port, onwards and ever onwards" - my, you are adventurous! Out of curiosity, what led you to brave the July heat and walk all that way - was it purely out of adventure?
Well, my day had not been as bad as yours, bless ya! Mine was a group trip with other more well-informed people who had been to the Mamzar beach before. I too, promised myself I would return at least once a month. Alas, that was a few years ago. The closest I've been since was last weekend. (!!)
*nick, totally agree with your first two sentences - how very PC of you to phrase your opinion in that way! I used to think the same way but sometimes I need a change from Dubai. I really don't mind where - and as long as I can avoid traffic, I'll go. Plus, I love a long drive with nice scenery. The Ajman Corniche (? beach) is simply beautiful.
As for the -hmmm - rules - I wouldn't worry about the women bit - they'd be looking at you, and being chased by them ;)
*clayfuture lol - does the al mulla plaza exit lead to siberia via mamzar?
You write your posts in a way that hmm... gives a different frequency every time i read it..
*Buj, I'll take that as a compliment. There are certain parts of my life I sometimes choose not to reveal. At other times, I do =)
Now, back to Buj. I was @ the car service and read a week-old newspaper. It quoted 3 bloggers, including you & Omani Jewel, about opinions on the recent cyclone. About 99.9% sure it was published on the 14th June: http://www.xpress4me.com/home/ Tried to look it up on the website for a link and couldn't find anything in its archives...
lol, yeah SHJ is special, it's a part of me. There is much history in SHJ compared to most other Emirates - and I think you can feel that energy/vibe of history when you are in SHJ. It is very Arab/Middle Easter. One has to take the time to understand/appreciate it a little more.
To get to the new long winding Corniche road - coming from DXB towards the QAQ rotary swing left -you shall come to an immediate rotary (yes again). Swing a left at the rotary (if you turn right you shall go over the QAQ bridge, so do not turn right) - and you shall come to this newly constructed Corniche road. It is very quite there, not many buildings, though plenty are under construction. I often just drive or stroll around, gives me that peace of mind/heart.
If you have not checked out American University campus in SHJ -I highly recommend it. The AUS campus is a majestic piece of Arab Architecture - it's very beautiful.
From DXB follow signs to SHJ Airport via Emirates road. Once off the Emirates road towards SHJ Airport, less than 10 mins drive the AUS campus is on your right.
Or better from DXB (do this on a Friday or Saturday evening) - heading to SHJ drive thru Al Wahda street - drive on stright from the old flying saucer rotary onward to the Quran rotary. From the Quran rotary, take a right and follow the highway to SHJ Airport.
Please note, once you take a right from the Quran rotary, it's a straight highway. Less than 10Kms and AUS campus is on your right.
You can drive into & around the campus, there will be security at the gates - sometimes they may not let you in the campus, but if you request they probably shall. You can also drive around the outside and check out the buildings and the gardens. It's just so beautiful - must check out, take a friend with you.
*rosh, thanks a lot for the comprehensive directions! I'll definitely make it to the Corniche some time soon, as for the University, if I can muster up the energy to go that little added distance, I certainly shall - it sounds like a true hidden gem. I was wondering what you meant by rotary - is it American for roundabout? LOL
You are so lucky you're in NY, it's sooo beautiful! I could walk a million miles there just all around the city - every corner you turn tells a different story!
Do visit the AUS campus - it is worth it, guaranteed. So few people know about the campus, it's architecture.
Yup rotary means roundabout :)
re NYC beautiful: yes it is - guess beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. For me, no place is more beautiful than "home" sweet home :)
hi there.. will be brief.. apologies.. do check out:
http://bujassem.blogspot.com/2007/06/gonu-oman-uae-and-iran.html
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/06/11/10131652.html
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/06/09/10131203.html
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/06/10/10131415.html
I do not believe I've been on Gulf News for Gonu recently.
Will reply fully later when in a more positive mind-set.
*Buj, xpress4me is not the same as GN - I think it's a separate paper printed by them.
I definitely saw it in there. Since there are so many subsections within that tabloid, they may not have printed the 3 bloggers' opinions online. You may wish to check it out with the editors if you're interested, but I definitely saw your nick in there, on the 14th June, alongside Jawahir Jewels :)
hmm i wasn't aware it's a sep site.. actually for some reason i thought it's GN.. hmm i didn't even see the url..
first time i hear of these http://www.xpress4me.com/home guys... but sorry i can't help!
anyway why read the tabloid when u got the real thing?
Hi I*MAGINATE...
Thanks for the long reply.. and sorry it took me ages to get back to you... not in the best of moods.
So here goes:
0) Am so glad to read this positive post. Who says I'm such a bad influence after all?
Just beware of Mamzar beach.. I love the place during the few mornings I frequent it every year.. but as a woman you might get some unwanted attention, especially since it's so secluded.
1) For blogger templates, I used these two sites:
http://blogger-templates.blogspot.com/
http://www.bloggertemplates.org/
www.pannasmontata-templates.net/
I cannot remember which one I used, but I had probs getting it to run on the Mac, but with WinXP you should be all-set.
3) & 4) Noted.
5) Wow.. 30 min eh?
Btw, I'm collecting for a chopper between me and my friends. I'm just fed up with driving, and motorcycles are suicide in UAE.
6) Glad you like Mamzar.. it's beautiful indeed, the whole neighborhood is like a huge Cul-de-Sac. Plus I probably mentioned b4 that that was were I was schooled, so I'm well acquainted with the area, plus share a "kindred spirit" with everything there.
Top of the day to you.
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