Cameelious Hump

The Camel's hump is an ugly lump
Which well you may see at the Zoo;
But uglier yet is the hump we get
From having too little to do.

Kiddies and grown-ups too-oo-oo,
If we haven't enough to do-oo-oo,
We get the hump-
Cameelious hump-
The hump that is black and blue!

We climb out of bed with a frouzly head,
And a snarly-yarly voice.
We shiver and scowl and we grunt and we growl
At our bath and our boots and our toys;

And there ought to be a corner for me
(And I know' there is one for you)
When we get the hump-
Cameelious hump-
The hump that is black and blue!

The cure for this ill is not to sit still,
Or frowst with a book by the fire;
But to take a large hoe and a shovel also,
And dig till you gently perspire;
And then you will find that the sun and the wind,
And the Djinn of the Garden too,
Have lifted the hump-
The horrible hump-
The hump that is black and blue!

I get it as well as you-oo-oo-
If I haven't enough to do-oo-oo!
We all get hump-
Cameelious hump-
Kiddies and grown-ups too!

"The Camels Hump" by Rudyard Kipling

Lovely Day

 

When I wake up in the morning, love
And the sunlight hurts my eyes
And something without warning, love
Bears heavy on my mind

Then I look at you
And the world's alright with me
Just one look at you
And I know it's gonna be
A lovely day
Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day

When the day that lies ahead of me
Seems impossible to face
When someone else instead of me
Always seems to know the way
Then I look at you

And the world's alright with me
Just one look at you
And I know it's gonna be
A lovely day
When the day that lies ahead of me
Seems impossible to face
When someone else instead of me
Always seems to know the way

Then I look at you
And the world's alright with me
Just one look at you
And I know it's gonna be
A lovely day

'Lovely Day' by Bill Withers
Photo taken from the InterContinental Hotel towards the new Etihad Towers

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

 

As seen from my back yard.

How much is that camel in the window?

 

Just 59 Dirhams = US $16. Will that be cash or card?

Palm Beach

Another glorious sunset tonight, this time shot from Etihad Towers, located on the Corniche near the Emirates Palace Hotel.

Desert Falcons

 

If you fancy a good read on everything UAE then head for the National Newspaper. They've put together a great guide of practical, social and historical information. Here's what they wrote about the bird in the photo - the falcon.

"The image of the falcon is stamped indelibly on the UAE's identity. The bird has become a potent symbol of the nation. Falconry is so close to the heart of Emirati culture that one would be hard-pressed to pass a few hours, let alone a day, without seeing an image of the bird of prey. The UAE's national symbol can be found everywhere: the coat of arms for the army and police forces, ministry logos, on every page of Emirati passports, on each paper dirham, often twice, sometimes three times; on driving licences, official stationery, gracing the tail of Etihad Airways' planes, on hundreds of postage stamps, and on many, many company logos".

On Golden Sands

 

Reflection of sun
Blazes on the silky sand
The horizon glows

“On Golden Sand” by Dorothy (Alves) Holmes  2007
Photo taken in Al Ain by me 2012

Arabian Lights

 

A traditional handmade brass lamp made in err...China.

Symmetromania

 

The marble tiles inside the Grand Mosque combine traditional Islamic designs of symmetry and repetition with colour and shade.

Windows 8

 

....which according to Microsoft, should be out sometime Autumn 2012.

 If Bill Gates is watching, give me a call to discuss intellectual property rights and royalties on the above image.

Photo taken at the new mosque at the Al Nahyan Camp Area.

The Long And Tall Of It

"Life moves
in the desert
and life
casts a shadow"
by RainbowSlider


Photo taken somewhere between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

Mural of the Month!

 

Goes to the Hilton Abu Dhabi for this wonderful mosque fresco, situated in the main lobby of the hotel. My photo doesn't do justice to the size of it, which fills an entire wall from floor to ceiling.

Closed for the Summer

 

It's that time of year when three-quarters of Abu Dhabi expats depart the city in search of cooler weather - me included. Hope to see you in September.

Bodacious Tatas

 

Abu Dhabi has just made it into the Guinness World Records for having the biggest speedhumps on the planet.

In The Round

 

A fisheye of the Corniche walkway which stretches for miles, from the breakwater near Marina Mall to the Mina Zayed Port.

A Bottle And Friend

 

Here's a bottle and an honest friend!
What wad ye wish for mair, man?
Wha kens, before his life may end,
What his share may be o' care, man?

Robert Burns (1759-1796)

Still Life

 

Another fav of mine was this still life painting of a traditional Arabic coffee pot.

Food for thought

 

This painting was simply entitled 'My Dinner Plate'

Neo-impressionist Aged 9¾

 

One of the kiddies paintings on show from the Art Weekend was this fab Georges Seurat inspired effort. Could be a future star in the making here. What do you think?

"When beauty shines" by Jen Simon

 

Of all the art on show at the Jamjar exhibition & Art Weekend at the Souk @ Central Market, this painting by Jen Simon was one of my favs. Checkout her website and Facebook site