Since the sun rises around 5 or so, I was awake at 6am trying to decide what to do with myself for the day. So, I determined to read a bit, go to the Starbucks in the nearby Lamsy Plaza, come back, work out and then get ready to make a visit to the Deira City Centre Mall.
Well, waking at 6am makes for a bit of a slow passing of time especially when most things do not open before 8 and malls at 10. So, after reading a little bit, I decided that rather than use the gym, I would walk to Lamsy Plaza first to find out what time it opened and then come back and get my stuff to study there. I left at 7:30am. It is just a short 12-minute walk. By the time I arrived, I was already very hot. The mall opens at 9am. Too late for me today and for walking outside I decided. So, I trekked it back home and was very happy for the air-conditioning. How crazy is that? It wasn’t even 8am and I thought I was going to melt away in the heat!
Instead, I did work at home and was quite productive, if I do say so myself. Then, I headed for the mall at 11am. Note to self, 11am is a low-taxi time…. It took me nearly 5 minutes to get a taxi while standing in the heat and finally got one as I started to sweat, though nothing sticky like in Japan.
Deira City Centre used to be the biggest mall in Dubai until they opened up the Mall of the Emirates (to be visited later). It is still quite large. I had a quick lunch in the food court and then began my shopping. Luckily, I didn’t buy much except a few things on sale at H&M, though I did spot a beautiful purple jacket at Mango that I may just have to go back for when I pick up my jeans which are being hemmed. 😀 Inside, there is also a Carrefour where I bought some more groceries and four hours later, I was finally ready to call it a day. Sadly, the taxi line was 45-minutes long and so I was exhausted by the time I got back.
Thinking I wouldn’t go out again, I stopped at the internet kiosk first and then headed home. It was then that I found out that Allan had gone to where I had just come from!!! He finally got his resident visa, so he wanted to get his driver’s license, check on his cable setup and try getting the Internet and landline hookup. So, because it was dinner time, he asked me to go back to have dinner. Thus, another taxi ride back to Deira City Centre. He got the driver’s license and organized contact with the cable setup, but sadly still no joy for the Internet and landline hookup (more paperwork needed). So, we had a food court dinner and walked around a bit more, though I was in pain from back and neck soreness. It’s been ages since I have done that much walking!
We finally got back and I was ready to drop. I think Day 5 will be a pool-side kind of day!
Until next time,
-T
