Oh so sweet.

There’s one restaurant that every English speaking ex-pat who spends more than .2 seconds in central Abu Dhabi will notice: Butt Sweet House.

Butt Sweet has had me giggling since 2009. Recently Mike and I indulged in the pleasure of visiting it.

It’s primarily an Arabic sweet shop but we got potato samosa type things because really…I think Arabic sweets are kind of gross.

The samosa, however, was very good.

xo, jill

with a visit from Peter Pan’s shadow.

A very common thing to see here is whole families at the park enjoying a cookout or picnic. On the weekend most of the greenspaces are filled by large families enjoying coffee and cooking over coals. A few Saturdays ago we decided to do it too.

Photo by Molly
Photo by Molly

We joined up in the late afternoon for a nice and relaxing cookout. We didn’t get as elaborate as the locals (no giant coffee pots), but the food was delicious nonetheless. We had a mix of burgers, hotdogs, corn, salads, and tempeh kabobs.

Photo by Molly
Photo by Molly

Molly set up her hammock and gave it a test. She looked so cute I had to get a few photos.

Doesn’t it look like Peter Pan’s shadow is hanging out behind her?

The weather was a little bit chilly, but it was a wonderful way to spend a sunny afternoon. It’s not everywhere in the world that you can picnic in late January!

xo, jill

For the past several weeks the cutest little cat family has been hanging out around my apartment building. There are plenty of street cats in Abu Dhabi but seeing cat families together is pretty rare. You might see a mother with her kitten but usually it’s just that… a kitten. One. Typically cats have between 2-6 kittens per litter… so, well… you know. Not very many kittens make it.

So imagine my delight when Mike discovered these kittens right next door. At first he thought there were 7(!?) but I only counted 5.

Unfortunately, by the time I took these photos about a week later the litter was down to 4. It was pretty clear on this day that one of the kitties was fading. He was by far the smallest one, eyes covered in yellow goop, and his mother had already written him off. Passersby were probably amused at my lecture to the mom cat, “Take care of your baby!”

See? He was a pretty sad sight.

The next day the fourth kitten had disappeared and it was clear that my favorite kitten (the one with black spots) would be the next to go. I haven’t checked on her in a few days but I’m pretty sure what I’ll find. Her weight gain was not keeping pace with her healthier siblings and her eyes were beginning to puss over.

The two healthiest kittens.

Mama loves the healthy ones best.

The cute thing is that I’m not the only one in the neighborhood to fuss over the kitties. There are several men who take even more care with them than I do. Several times when I’ve brought out breakfast or dinner I’ll find that at least two other people have already served them a meal. One man even built them a little box house and then improved upon the model a few days later.

No offense to the Finnemans, but these cats are the cutest neighbors I’ve ever had.

xo, jill

PS. Remember these adorable cats in Jordan? And Azerbaijan?

“mystic desert charm”

Way back in October I was working on my Halloween costume and getting ready to attend a party when Molly called. Her mom was in town visiting and they had booked a room at a luxury hotel out in the desert. When they arrived they were informed that the Deluxe Room they booked was unavailable. The hotel would have to upgrade them to a 3 Bedroom Villa and would that be alright? Now Molly was on the phone asking if Mike and I would like to sleep in the third bedroom. Oh, and there was also a private pool.

Coincidentally, I was coming off of a bad week. I needed to get away, even for a night. Mike and I hopped in the car and two hours later arrived at Qasr al Sarab. After being received with tea and dates in the grand room, we were driven to the villa via golf cart. Molly and her mother were waiting to greet us.

So let’s talk about this villa. Three bedrooms (two kings and two singles), four bathrooms (complete with showers, spas, armoires, and vanities) kitchenette, living room, dining room, small study, outdoor dining space, outdoor loungers, pool, and perhaps the most exciting thing: grass!

Pool and dunes

By the time we arrived Molly and her mom were ready for bed. Mike and I took a quick swim before heading to bed ourselves.

The next morning we played in the dunes, swam, relaxed by the pool, and celebrated Molly’s mother’s belated birthday. Eventually the golf carts arrived to bring us back to the main building. Molly told her driver how much we enjoyed the upgrade. Molly’s driver told her just how much of an upgrade it was. The room cost 13,000AED per night (3,500 USD).

Patio off our room

I can’t say I’d ever pay that amount myself for a hotel room, but it was fun to pretend for a night.

Thanks Molly!

xo, jill

Heavy on the sand.

A camping trip was on the calendar for this past weekend. Unfortunately, illness and report card season knocked a few friends out of the festivities. Sarah, Skylar, Mike and I decided to still head out to the dunes and I’m glad we did. What’s not to enjoy about playing and sleeping in a gigantic sandbox?

I didn’t realize the ISO was up for these shots. I like the effect on the color though.

Photo by Sarah

Photo by Skylar

Unfortunately, other people like to play in the sandbox too.

Yep, that’s our tent getting showered with sand thanks to the hooligan on the quad.

The next morning a few camels ambled down the road nearby.

xo, jill