The Highs of Heights

Welcome you.. Welcome all (you know, if you're super-rich, a foreigner, have no sense of identity at all and think that the Matrix is a good place to be) to the land that has everything - It's very own Louvre Museum! - but has lost identity. Yes, my minions, you've thought correctly. Why, I'm talking about the newest place to be, the world of worlds and the city that wants to reach the heavens (literally!) - Dubai.

If you've been a follower of my blog (I honestly pity you!) or my life for that matter, you obviously know that I practically grew up in the Middle East - namely, the UAE. When we came in 1992 it was beautiful. Dubai had very few buildings, and the view from the centre of the city (Deira) to Sharjah was clearly visible. You could see buildings and Al-Mullah Plaza from the comfort of your own windows. That is how, empty yet gorgeous it was. Dubai - at the time, was known for it's famous Fishing trips, untouched beaches and corniches. It was known for it's inexpensive Gold souk, Irani souk and indian textile bazars. From electronics to perfumes, everything was affordable. People came from places like cold and dull England to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life to just unwind or have fun jet skiing or taking the infamous desert safari's and not to forget - smoke Sheesha! Eat those freshly made shawarma's and falafels on the road - and hailing a cab with just your arm, making at least 3 stop at once.

Take that, turn it 180 and that is what Dubai is becoming now. Sigh. Sure, you still have those great things but it's just not the same anymore. Dubai has doused itself in the stupendous creation of a fantasy. It's actually quite upsetting to be honest. The UAE was perfect the way it was - it moved with the times, the laws changed yet there was always the arabic side that stayed still - the history, the culture, and the people. It seems like now Dubai has been infested with foreigners and it's at the peak of losing it's charm. One more push, and down it goes.

Over the past couple of days or so I've been really interested as to what Dubai has become like. I see pictures, and they are terrifying to the point of goosebumps! I kid you not - there are establishments being made in the shape of the Globe, which will be build on the sea. The underwater hotel, the resort which will be in the shape of a cloud and will be raised above ground so as to show people the "view" of the city. The view in question, is completely beyond me! They are building these rotating towers, where each floor would be rotating the opposite side to the floor below and above, so as to let the residents have a different view throughout the day. The Burj Tower - The tallest building in the world, which is probably going to reach one of the heavens - is the most eerie place I have ever seen.

In my opinion, each country/city on this planet has it's own charm. There is something very individualistic about all the places. Paris is known for the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre (not anymore! Step in, Dubai!) and those great architectural buildings. It's known as the city of love because it's absolutely romantic - it has this very distinct feel about it, that when you just arrive you feel like falling all over the place in love with something or another - be it the coffee or the people or even the footpath! I'm not joking! It's actually that great. But my question remains, why take that distinct individuality away from it? Why put the Louvre anywhere else in the world! Just like that, why create huge aquariaums in which you'll place animals like sharks, dolphins, seals and penguins - When some of the animals aren't even made for the climate that Dubai brings. Next thing we know, they'll be off to each of the countries to pick up the animal that best represents it like the Koala's and Kangaroo's from Australia! Why stop there I say - why not bring the Dinosaurs back to life and create a real Jurasic Park?

It's completely ridiculuous! I even loved Dubai when I was leaving in 2005. I'm so happy that we chose to leave at the perfect time. It was when Dubai was developing still, and none of the "biggest and bestest in the world" craze was around that much. It was still all a vision, but not as insane as it has become now - I guess this is what happens when you have so much money and have no idea what to do with it. You just make a city become what every person secretly dreams of, but in such a way it gives them nightmares.

Seeing all the plans for the next couple of years, I was completely gobsmacked! From building islands within the city - some which replicate palm tree's and others that replicate the entire Globe, to buildings made purely of marble. This place has left absolutely nothing to imagine any more, and I say that with disappointment. The sketches shown for the future of Dubai now stand somewhere in between "The Truman show" and "The day after tomorrow".

Even if Dubai has a little bit of charm left, it will be bulldozered over with another "great" building. Soon, there will be no space to breathe.

Pictures taken when we first arrived in 1992/1993. In memory of the place I loved and remembered just this way.

A view of the city - from anywhere you wanted!

Chicago Beach at it's most natural

The Hairy Princess and the Pee.

As we all know, fairytales and other such stories have always been the fine example of perfection. I mean, you have the poor yet beautiful princess, who in someway is locked in a castle, tower, chamber or has had an evil spell cast upon her due to her never-ending beauty, and therefore she's in distress. However, don't you remember that no matter how mean, horrible or nasty anyone is to her (See "Evil stepmother, stepsister, stepcat" so forth) she never fights back or anything, because she's so perfect and ofcourse, anger is a quality of pure imperfection which is why she does not possess such qualities and resigns to a life of pure misery.

Oh wait! Not pure misery. You know why? Well, we forgot to mention the birds, the bee's (and I do not mean in that sense, but in the literal sense!), the rats and in some cases even the tree's that talk to her and are her best friends. She sings in tune with love birds, has a voice that could shake even the wickedest or cynical (See "Prince Charming" - Who of course never wants to marry because he thinks no one is good enough for his *giggle* looks.) of hearts! So she has friends, in the shape of tiny animals and at times, fairies and dwarves who would do anything for her; S'long as she continues singing to them and telling them stories of never-ending, pure and passionate love that she hopes to find in the shape of.. Guess who? Oh yes, Mr. Charming. Prince Charming, to those less fortunate.

And of course, there's the climax of the story when our damsel in distress is caught in her unfortunate dilemma - either to do with a needle, a curse, a fruit so luscious but filled with POISON *Thundering effects*! So all these dilemma's and just the one kiss or in Cindy's case - a shoe! that can solve it all. And then the witch, stepmother, sister, cat all become good or magically disappear due to the romantic first kiss of Mr. Charming and our lovely Princess. Oh! And they live happily ever after.. With the animals and tree's that is.

Now don't get me wrong, I love fairy tales that were written many decades ago that are still part of the "never-ending classics" collection - they are part of the childhood, and part of a dream world we create for ourselves at such young ages. But I mean, what about the less fortunate - the ones who can't laugh as annoyingly sweetly as Snow White, or have mice and birds make their hair every morning (not that I'd EVER choose to do that no matter what kind of apple I ate!) like Cinderella, or have the most perfect voice like Princess Aurora and perhaps travel on a magic carpet like Jasmine! Not to forget their beauty. Oh yes. Perfect figures, heights and faces. Can it get more depressing?

So now, my fellow minions, I propose my story. Fit for every reader. The Beauty, the Beast, The candle and the candle holders! Actually no, not the beauty - because well they all have their little perfect prancing stories already written. I present to you.. "The Hairy Princess and the Pee".

And it is exactly like the title says. Here is a summary, if you please!

This TairyFale is about a Hairy (I'm talking Barefoot combined with Tom Selleck.) Princess, who believes she is a Princess but is actually a normal girl. And of how she falls asleep one day on the floor and wakes up covered in Pee. And that my friend, is the turning point of the story. Don't let me ruin the rest!

.. Now the question we've all been waiting for. When am I publishing this TairyFale, and more importantly where am I signing books? The Muffet Avenue. That's where. Be there or be square (What does that even mean?!).

It's been an exhausting day for my brain. He (don't ask how my brain is a whole different gender to me) had to go through a lot of strenuous activities. Mainly, figuring out why exactly there was a Frostie on the bathroom floor, purring and sleeping whilst we continued to ignore the strangeness of that situation and used the bathroom as normal.

With that, here are two perfect quotes I thought fit for the recent atmosphere of my blog and life:

"There is, incidently, no way of talking about cats that enables one to come off as a sane person."

"Everything I know I learned from my cat: When you're hungry, eat. When you're tired, nap in a sunbeam. When you go to the vet, pee on your owner."

Courtesy of catquotes.com

We.. The People of The Cats.

As you all know, I have an obsession with cats. I'm insane about them. So insane, that I'm very allergic to them and yet I sit and play, kiss, sleep and stroke them all day long without caring about how swollen, and crazy I will look in a few minutes time when my sneezing fits and red eyes start. They are to me, what Shell fish are to the lady in Dr. Dolittle who has shell fish allergies and yet continues to eat them because they're so tasty. Not that I eat cats, or ever would.

So you see.. This is actually the purest form of love you'll ever find - anywhere in the world. Let's call it - Unrequited love - because face it, that is exactly what it is. I mean, we cat lovers are actually suckers, if you look closely. They bite, scratch and drive us mad to the point of mental instability, and yet we continue to run after them. They purr once a day, and we fall to our knees and forget everything else in the world.. And give them whatever they want - whether it's breaking open a new £1 pouch of food for the 8th time that day, that they may or may not like - we still do it, happily. To think about it, it's actually not so much unrequited, because at the end of the day you have this form of company, that you can't get from anywhere else really. I mean, they don't judge you (at least not that we know of. Cough. Who knows what they do, whilst talking to themselves.. Probably laugh at what suckers their owners are. Sigh), they don't question you and most of all they just have this great warmth about them. They sit with you when you cry and somehow that feels so comforting and so different. Maybe cause they have no clue what you're saying and they'll just accept your reasoning's. Tsk.

It's such a great feeling coming home to a cat, it really is. I know that a lot of you will be tempted to write and think that I will become a spinster cat lady. =P But I can't help it. Just knowing that there's someone in the form of fluff waiting for you (obviously cause they want something.. Tsk) but you know, we cat people like to believe that they are actually waiting for "us" rather than to snoop through the bags to see what you bought for them. (Also known as Denial).

During nights, when it's getting late, my cat Cookie tends to get quite upset until my mum makes her way to the room - where he can sleep next to her, on her pillow, with his body inside her blanket, which btw, is the cutest thing on this planet, ever. He continuously calls her from the time it's 10, until she actually gets inside the room. He'll wait till she's done all her chores and then eagerly goes to sleep with her. During that time he'll climb on top of her and sit there and purr, with his face stuck to hers, and his cold wet nose dripping with water. And then he'll lightly touch her face with his paw and get this really dreamy and lovey dovey look in his eyes, until she strokes him. That, right there, is something that makes me the happiest person before I go to sleep. He does that with me and my mum mostly, and that is probably one of the most sweetest, most loveliest moments in my life.

Frostie on the other hand is someone who if was human - would probably be an emotional person. He's absolutely lovely. And the most sweetest thing about him is the way he meaws when he's purring. It's like he's telling you that he loves the way you're scratching his belly, but he's also complaining at where you've been all these hours.. That kind of thing. He would also probably be one of those really mysterious kind of men, who would take ages to open up to people and be completely charming.

Sigh. What can I not say about the love I have for cats? It's never ending, it's pure and unconditional - even when they have fleas, ring worms or a frog in their mouth - I love them to bits and pieces and some more. They should be treated like the Kings and Queens that they are.

How.. Can you not think the world of them.. Look at that. I've already melted. =D