We got invited to our first holiday party here in Dubai. It was a Luau. No stuffed Santas and Tra-La-Las for this crowd. We had hula skirts and leis.
The Marines at the Embassy know how to throw a Luau, that's for sure. We drank pina coladas and good beer. We listened to great rock and roll and admired their physiques in abbreviated costumes. The fit young men dressed like Tahitian flaming knife dancers. Real eye candy for the females.
We ran into a very fun bunch. They scooped us up at the gate and escorted us to the party, then dragged chairs up to their table and entertained us all night long.
It was a group of folks from the local USO. Turns out that there's a regional office here for the Middle East. Not only are the workers who run Afghanistan and Iraq from here, they also run a port operation for the Navy boats that dock here.
Several of the ladies were full time employees for the USO and a couple were volunteers. Only one was a US citizen, the rest were from the UK.
All of them were having a great time. We not only hung out during the party and laughed until we were breathless, but we got invited to brunch the next day.
That's right, it's not enough to party hardy with the Marines, these folks also planned to share a glamorous hotel brunch the next day.
We agreed to meet them at the Intercontinental Hotel at Festival City, a large mall that boasts both an IKEA and an Ace Hardware.
The Intercontinental was bedecked for Christmas. Their lobby had a giant candle and floral display. Check out the tiny girl dragging her pink luggage--isn't she cute?
This centerpiece was really stunning. I know it wasn't just me who thought so because there were two other folks snapping pictures when I took this one. And before you comment, I know, I should have put the light at my back, but this is the best of the shots I took.
They also had a ginormous Christmas tree at the end of the lobby. Minimal decorations, but just the scale of the tree was tremendous. Because Dubai is very international, it's not unusual to see Christmas decorations. Most of the public spaces have trees, swagged garland or lights.
I'm loving the decorations.
I've even got ours up for the year. I didn't manage any way to hang the stockings, but all the rest of my boxed cheer made its way out of the packing materials and out to be enjoyed. We did lose a few things in the multiple container moves, but nothing that we can't live without.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas--if your Christmas includes mid seventies weather, lots of blue sky and sunshine. We are wearing flip flops and shorts, and eating our meals outside. Cheers!
--Sandee Wagner
The Marines at the Embassy know how to throw a Luau, that's for sure. We drank pina coladas and good beer. We listened to great rock and roll and admired their physiques in abbreviated costumes. The fit young men dressed like Tahitian flaming knife dancers. Real eye candy for the females.We ran into a very fun bunch. They scooped us up at the gate and escorted us to the party, then dragged chairs up to their table and entertained us all night long.
It was a group of folks from the local USO. Turns out that there's a regional office here for the Middle East. Not only are the workers who run Afghanistan and Iraq from here, they also run a port operation for the Navy boats that dock here.
All of them were having a great time. We not only hung out during the party and laughed until we were breathless, but we got invited to brunch the next day.
That's right, it's not enough to party hardy with the Marines, these folks also planned to share a glamorous hotel brunch the next day.
We agreed to meet them at the Intercontinental Hotel at Festival City, a large mall that boasts both an IKEA and an Ace Hardware.The Intercontinental was bedecked for Christmas. Their lobby had a giant candle and floral display. Check out the tiny girl dragging her pink luggage--isn't she cute?
This centerpiece was really stunning. I know it wasn't just me who thought so because there were two other folks snapping pictures when I took this one. And before you comment, I know, I should have put the light at my back, but this is the best of the shots I took.
They also had a ginormous Christmas tree at the end of the lobby. Minimal decorations, but just the scale of the tree was tremendous. Because Dubai is very international, it's not unusual to see Christmas decorations. Most of the public spaces have trees, swagged garland or lights.
I'm loving the decorations.
I've even got ours up for the year. I didn't manage any way to hang the stockings, but all the rest of my boxed cheer made its way out of the packing materials and out to be enjoyed. We did lose a few things in the multiple container moves, but nothing that we can't live without.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas--if your Christmas includes mid seventies weather, lots of blue sky and sunshine. We are wearing flip flops and shorts, and eating our meals outside. Cheers!
--Sandee Wagner
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