A Culinary Voyage Through the Streets of Old Dubai with Frying Pan Adventures

Frying Pan Adventures foodie explorers 

Varshik, Donna,Kate, Bob & Arva

Many times on my explorations of old Dubai I pass by multitudes of hole-in-the-wall restaurants lining the streets.  Each cafeteria, as these small street-restaurants are called, advertise their offerings with grainy pictures of peculiar looking plates of food and strange – or maybe exotic - aromas settling over the sidewalk.

I always wonder if some really delicious foodie finds are lurking inside. I must confess that I have been tempted but never found the required courage to drop in for a bite.

But that all changed when I met Arva Ahmed. I ran into Arva online through her blog I Live in A Frying Pan. I was instantly taken by her fresh wit, funny take on life and sheer joy of exploring. I was certainly intrigued by the hidden food gems she featured. When I read she was developing ethnic food walking tours in Dubai, I jumped at the chance to try one.  I was not disappointed.

Best of the Boomer Blogs #307

Boomers are looking for answers to pressing questions. Why do men love their guns? What is the greatest loss for American expats? Is Debbie Reynolds really unsinkable? What is a helicopter mom? What are the four new symptoms of a stroke? What do you risk if you buy annuities? How can you help others through crowd funding?  Read on.

Surviving Our Move from Dubai to Abu Dhabi . . . First Impressions

Abu Dhabi Corniche skyline
photo courtesy of www.panoramio.com 

When Roger and I announce our intention to move from Dubai to Abu Dhabi many of our friends expressed grave concerns.

“It’s so much slower than Dubai.”

“Do they have any really good restaurants?”

“It is much more traditional than Dubai, it may be hard to make friends.”

“Oh, so sorry to hear you have to move there. Everyone says it isn't as much fun as Dubai.”

Oh dear  . . . . listen up my Dubai friends, this joint is jumping – literally!

What are your fears? How do you handle them? This week’s Best of the Boomer Blogs brings you advice on handling many things we fear.  

SoBabyBoomer says, "In order to rediscover our natural confidence and live a fearless life, we must examine the challenge: we must 'recognize fear.'"

What about the fear of romance and sex in our later years? Karen D. Austin thinks too many people believe that romance, love, and sex are extinguished by midlife. She offers an overview of films that explore how people 50 plus still have relationships that include such goodies--and how mature lovers still have to manage the accompanying complexities.

What is one of the great losses of expat living in Dubai? American Football!

First touchdown of the inaugural Desert Bowl Game

is scored by the Abu Dhabi Wildcats.

“Who let the dogs out!” Or, should that be camels?

Guess what my lovely husband Roger finds in Dubai? American football! What a great surprise for poor football-starved Roger.

One of the great losses of expat life in Dubai is watching a good American football game. 

The Best of the Boomer Blogs

It must be getting close to the Ides of March, the day Caesar was assassinated, because this time around the entries for Best of Boomer Blogs seem to be slouching toward more serious subjects. Laura Lee, the Midlife Crisis Queen, was pleased to see a difficult topic confronted on "60 Minutes" Sunday:  Suicide – a topic that inspired her to write her new book Find Your Reason to Be Here: The Search for Meaning in Midlife. 

Our consumer journalist Rita R. Robinson writes about Six ways to be a better shopper.  Katie Foster at Arabian Tales has a great book for female boomers who have attained that "seasoned age." Mental Pause is a journey through a truly treacherous menopausal experience, written by global nomad and freelance author Anne O'Connell, it is a "must read" for every woman experiencing or about to experience this dreaded rite of passage.

 Meanwhile, Lisa Garon Froman of Tao Flashes writes about  A Woman's Way to Navigating the Midlife Journey with Integrity, Harmony and Grace. Finally, Sara Cornell of Life After Married takes a look at what to do when you know something you wish you didn't know . . . do you share it with someone or just try to forget it?

And this week’s host, Tom at Sightings Over Sixty, says if it's getting toward the Ides of March, then spring is around the corner. There will be no more snow, I guarantee it! There you have it! READ ON!

Mental Pause . . . . A Tempestuous Journey through Menopause

Do you think your menopausal searing hot flashes, tumultuous mood swings and nasty irritable behavior are bad? Nothing compares to the hell that Abbie experiences as she wades through a truly treacherous menopausal journey.

Global nomad, expat and freelance writer Anne O’ Connell has written a “must read” novel for every woman experiencing or about to experience this dreaded “rite of passage.”  

Mental Pause launches today, March 8th, International Women’s Day. All proceeds from today’s sales will benefit her favorite charity Room to Read that supports literacy programs in developing countries by building libraries, publishing local language children’s books and providing scholarships for girls.

You can purchase your copy at Amazon . . . or Anne is offering a signed PDF copy on her website.