LONDON: Celebrating The Queen

England is going unarguably nuts for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. There are flags everywhere, special editions with the Queen’s picture on clothes, food, and just about anything else you can think of. 

 

Arriving at Oxford Circus you see big Union Jacks all up the street, at train stations and on shop windows. I wonder why every single store has a flag and whether it would matter if they did or didn't, but one thing is obvious, you will never forget that you are in England at this moment! 

The opening ceremony took place at the Epsom Derby, an annual horse racing event which included a parachute jump carrying a huge Union Jack. At 1pm the Queen arrived in her blue dress, to watch some of the races and award the winners. It was a fun experience analysing the horses and their riders and deciding afterwards who would win. 

You can start with £2 and go up to hundreds if you are feeling confident. We were facing the Queen’s stand, where people could sit down on the grass, bring their own food and dress up as they wanted. In the Queen’s stand everyone was more traditional and women were supposed to wear a very nice hat. There were also buses people could stand in to watch the race.

BRIGHTON: A Day On The English Coast At Brighton

The weekend was unbelievably warm in London which is why we decided to go to Brighton for a day and do some sunbathing. It is just 45 minutes from Clapham Junction (£21), so a very quick ride and a destination for day-trippers from London. The actual city is very small, but nice with it’s unique cafes and vintage stores. You will also see a lot of walls with graffiti. New Road and Sydney Street is great for shopping. Gelato Gusto in Gardener Street has very good Italian ice cream. 

If you want to see some museums, I can recommend the Brighton Toy and Model museum and Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. Other than that, the Brighton Palace is very beautiful with its garden in front. If you walk down Queen’s Road you will arrive at the beach. 

The beach is very rocky and not ideal to lie down on. No one is actually going into the sea either as it is very very cold. You will see a burned west pier, also called i360, in the middle of the sea. It burnt down in 2003 but looks like it happened only recently. It feels like you need to eat fish and chips here as there are plenty of chains along the beach. The hotels along the beach are not particularly special, from my point of view, as they are quite simple to the ones abroad. 

Walking along the Marine Parade is very enjoyable as everyone is passing up and down and enjoying the beautiful view of the sea. You will also pass the amusement park on the pier and see the big Brighton wheel. On a sunny day it is definitely worth visiting!

OXFORD: The perfect drama scenery

If you walk across all the fascinating colleges and old buildings, you realise, that this place is unique and offers a thrilling scenery for movies.
The architecture of each college is stunning and worth a picture.
The rivers running through it, Cherwell and the Thames, create lovely routes to walk through the city. Some student were rowing on the rivers, and the different boats passing down them reminded me, a little, of Venice. This city is full of greenery; I can highly recommend to walk through the Christ Church meadow and the Botanic Garden.

The Radcliffe Camera, The Museum of History of Science the Sheldonian Theatre and the Bridge of Sighs (connects parts of Hertfold College over New College Lane) are amazing, as well as the Ashmolean Museum which is in front of the most exclusive hotel in Oxford, ‘The Randolph’.
An interesting place to stay in Oxford is the Malmaison hotel, which is actually a converted prison! The rooms are the prisoners cells, on which the original prison doors are still in place.
You may have to think carefully if someone invites you to this hotel! However, this venue is definitely worth checking out, and you can access the grounds even if you are not staying there.

On our way to the Queen’s college, we passed the Covered Market on Queen’s Street, but unfortunately it was closed. In general the houses are very old and mainly built of brick. If you fancy a coffee other than Starbucks, Nero or Costa, I can suggest Mortons Cafe, which offers cheap and delicious coffee. For the night life, Oxford has a few venues to offer such as the O2 Academy where famous bands gig.
The Freud Bar is also a beautiful bar. On Walton Street are other really nice bars, and relatively cheap, when you compared with London. If you have a spare day or two, this city is worth checking out.

OXFORD: Egg Hunting in Oxford

For this year’s Easter weekend the weather forecast announced rainy and cloudy weather, which is why I chose to spend a couple of days in Oxford instead of somewhere on the English coast.

Oxford is in South East England with a population of around 165,000. I had heard so much about this small city which is famous for it’s University, the oldest university in England and also, because a lot of films and TV dramas were filmed there.

Harry Potter for example filmed scenes at the Divinity School, in the Bodleian Library, the Duke Humfrey’s Library and in the Christ Church College’s dining hall. Furthermore, Oxford is known to be the birthplace of Alice in Wonderland.

LONDON: Welcome to the Island

After my amazing holiday in the UAE, I started my new job and life in London, England. It might not be the best month to move into a new country, but luckily it was not as cold as I expected. The weather on the island was very mild compared with Munich, which is usually very cold and dry in the winter. Living in London is pretty easy, it does not take too much effort to get used to any rules or cultural differences. That’s what I thought, but let me list some of the things you need to consider if moving over:

• Signing up for a National Insurance Number: usually a quick process, particularly if your employer organises most of it for you.
• Phone contracts: Contracts are in general cheaper than pay as you go cards.
• Street directions: Luckily there is always a sign reminding you which direction to look at when crossing the road.

• English Pubs: They are everywhere!! Commonly work colleagues go for a drink (or 2 or 3 or more) after work to “socialse”. British people always pay for rounds when in a group, as that is the common culture. Thus, if you ever go for “a drink” with 3 or 4 British people, don’t be surprised if you have at least 4 drinks, especially as it is considered rude to turn down an offer of a drink! 

• Queuing for good restaurants: Whenever you see a well named restaurant you can be sure that there are a few people standing in front of it, just to wait to get a seat. However, I’m not talking about a few minutes, I am talking about 20-45 minutes.
• British politeness: It’s never wrong in this country to say thank you or excuse me too often. You will always hear British people say sorry to you, for example if they are in the way or bump into you, even if it wasn’t their fault...it is like a natural instinct for them to say it! A nice change from some other European countries. 
• Wrapped vegetables and fruits: If you are looking for some fresh vegetables and fruits, you either pay more at shops such as Waitrose, Whole Foods, Mark’s and Spencer’s, or you accept the ones which are packed in plastic bags or are in tins. 
• Opening hours of shops: Supermarkets and stores are open all day long even on sundays and bank holidays, which is great as it gives you more flexibility and makes people go shopping more often!
• Hunting for deals: Wherever you are in England, you always find deals, such as buy two get one free or buy 4 get it for £2.

• British vocabulary differs: There are some words British people use, which you should be aware of. The tube is the underground, crisps are chips, chips are like fries, trainers are sneakers, trousers are pants, rubbish is trash. There are many more, but make sure you know some as some British people dislike the use of “Americanisms” in their language.
• Foxes everywhere: In Germany it is very rare to see a fox, but here they seem to walk around like cats and also, at night, they can get very loud and even sound like cats.
• Don’t be shocked by girls wearing the shortest skirts you have ever seen in your life even in the winter! British people are used to wearing short clothes even if it is freezing cold outside, particularly on a night out.
• It is not unusual to look unusual: In London you have the freedom to wear whatever you want. You may get the odd strange look if you are wearing something particularly outrageous, but the majority of people in London accept it as just normal or even cool!
• Cupcakes: Brits love having a dessert after meal. I have already tasted some of the most delicious cupcakes from Hummingbird bakery. 

The more foreign people I meet here, the more often I hear that it takes about a year to get  used to the city and the culture. Maybe it is because there are so many different cultures living here in London? You can walk down any street in London and within 30 seconds hear languages from all over the world spoken by people who live in London. 

Not only this, London is so large and varied, you can spend one day in one part of the city and the next day in another, and feel like you are in a totally different world! Let’s see how long it will take me to feel at home in this country...

ABU DHABI: 40th anniversary of the UAE

One of the most amazing events I have ever seen in my life was the 40th anniversary of the UAE. The Sheikh announced a few days in advance that there will be a bank holiday that week. This shows already how life works in the UAE.
If Sheikhs decide something, it’s final and is done as soon as possible. Most of the cars were ridiculous; decorated head-to-toe in the colours of the flag (white, green, black and red), many with pictures of the forefathers of the UAE. People went crazy, there were 40’s everywhere, even on the huge buildings, they put lights on everything, hung up pictures of their president and “father” Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice President and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. At the actual evening there was a firework display planned at the Corniche, but no clear time was announced.

People were walking down the Corniche with silly spray and spray snow in their hands spraying it at each other. Everyone seemed so peaceful, excited and happy. No music was on the streets, but the atmosphere was still unbelievable. The streets were packed with cars, hooting and backfiring to make as much noise as possible.

Everyone in the country was very polite and helpful, and the crime rate in general is very low. The Sheikhs aim is it to have satisfied and happy citizens which is why they have raised their income in 2011, particularly those jobs in the public sector. All in all it was a very exciting holiday with lots of experiences. Definitely worth a visit, but if you are looking for a serious cultural dipping, I would choose another destination.

ABU DHABI: Gold to eat

The next day we wanted to see the skyline of the Corniche and go first for a coffee in one of the most expensive hotels in Abu Dhabi, The Emirates Palace. Luckily we made an appointment first, so they let us in, otherwise we would have only seen the hotel from the outside.


We had one of the most expensive cappuccinos, the Emirates Palace Cappuccino; rich espresso topped with frothy fresh milk and 24 carat gold flakes!

Everywhere you looked in the hotel there was gold. Afterwards, we crossed the street and went to the beach. Some of them are free, but then you risk local Indian workers standing and staring at you. It was very windy at the beach and very few people went for a swim.

ABU DHABI: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

It is one of the most stunning mosques I have ever seen in my life. The ones I have already seen in Istanbul are amazing, but this one is huge, the second biggest in the world, and so beautiful. Everything was white and gold.
You can hear and see the prayer. Women have to wear hijab, which covers the head and must cover the wrists and ankles. In the entrance women hand out the black shawls for women. Men just need to wear smart clothes and cover their legs.

The majority of the Arab locals wear their traditional dress. The men, usually, a white outfit with a headscarf, called a keffiyeh, and the women the black hijab. We wondered if different levels of society wore different dress, however we were told this was not the case, and the Sheikh’s will wear the same as a man who is not royal.

However, the men’s headscarves may vary depending on the situation. They can chose any keffiyeh they want, but generally men from the UAE will wear a white keffiyeh at a business meeting, wheras the Palestinians will wear a red keffiyeh in a similar situation.

The lady’s outfits look very similar but there are subtle differences; some have different jewelry sewn on, others with different coloured stitching along the edges and many are made by famous brands. Women still love fashion and commonly dress quite extravagantly underneath. They love heels and long hair, which are the only parts you can see when they are wearing their hijab, so they make sure those parts look particularly good. However, it shows they care for themselves and symbolizes that they care for their family.

ABU DHABI: Enjoying the silence in the desert

In Abu Dhabi we went on a Desert Safari. We were picked up by bus and drove for about 1.5 hours until we got to the open desert. We were first given an Arabic coffee. They were explaining to us that if someone gives you a half filled cup it means that you are welcome but if you are given a full cup you are not welcome. Next we rode on a horse and a camel. This was all very nice, but the highlight of the day was definitely the quad biking on the sand dunes. You could drive up them at high speed but this meant it was a faster drop on the other side!! The quad bikes, however, were just a warm up for what came next.

We experienced the same but in a 4x4. A driver drives 4 people in a Jeep up and down the sand dunes at high speeds to crazy House music and your whole body is thrown about the car. The safari ended with a very nice buffet dinner and traditional tea. We then all sat together in the night’s sky around a fire and inhaled parfum of aood wood, which is a very rare and expensive wood, which when burnt the smoke is used as a natural deodorant and perfume.

ABU DHABI: Driving to Father of Gazelle

Next stop the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, which, in Arabic, means Father of Gazelle. It is a 1.5 hour drive by car. Getting there you cross some impressive bridges including Mussafa, al-Maqtaa and the Sheikh-Zayed bridge. The latter being one of the most expensive arch bridges in the world. It is 842 meters long and it is forbidden to take pictures of it.

DUBAI: Hop-on, Hop-off

We wanted to make sure that we saw everything in Dubai, which is why we booked a big bus tour for a day. We could jump off at any predetermined stop, look around and hop on the next one to see the other sights. This is actually a very good concept, but unfortunately they do not go into much detail about everything you see.

Dubai Creek, in the old part of Dubai, was interesting because they were still using old wooden boats to cross the river and get to the other side. The Jumeirah Mosque was unfortunately closed when we got there.

The Gold Souk was not what we expected. First of all there was no clear sign telling us where it was and as soon as we got there we got bombarded by street salesmen trying to sell us fake bags and watches. The most amazing part was seeing the largest gold ring in the world; it was 63.856 kg of 21-carat gold.

Jumeirah Park and Public Beach were quite nice. We had to pay a little entrance fee, but it was worth it. The beach was very empty, but clean and we had a lovely view of the skyline and the Burj Al Arab.

At the end of the tour we passed the Emirates towers which are, at 350 and 305 meters, stunning office and hotel towers.

DUBAI: The giant Burj Khalifa

The next day we went to the top of the Burj Khalifa which, at 828 meters high, the tallest building in the world. As it is next to the Dubai mall we had a look in there first. It was similar to those in the states, with the usual designer brands, but also some more local designers, as well as an aquarium, a zoo and an ice rink. Every visitor to the Burj Khalifa can go to 124th floor, which in the lift, takes only around 20 seconds from the ground floor! The view was absolutely amazing. At the top there is a gift shop and a vending machine which offers real “Gold to go”. We were there for the sunset, but unfortunately it was too cloudy to see it, however when night fell the view was even more spectacular. 

DUBAI: A huge aquarium in a hotel

We had our first dinner at the Atlantis hotel, which is on the Palm Islands, with a beautiful aquarium in it, and is very luxurious. This part was just artificially built up with mountains of sand dumped into the sea, but when you are on it, it does not seem like that at all. We had a lebanese meal, and chose some of the different Mezzeh dishes. It was an expensive meal, but worth it.

DUBAI: Story of a taxi driver

Some of the taxi drivers were very chatty and talked about the beauty of the city and tried to promote it. One of the taxi drivers we met was telling us about his life. He was 29 and was soon to marry but did not even know his future wife! His parents had chosen her. When I asked him about why he does not look for a girl himself, he said that he had no time and he didn’t ever go out. He was very excited to meet her and to get to know her. For us, growing up in a European country, it seemed very weird that he first has to marry her before he can get to know her properly. A marriage is a commitment for life so for us it is more a matter of choosing the right partner.

DUBAI: Traffic & public transport

We found out very quickly that Dubai was built for the car, and you can’t really get around town by foot. There are a distinct lack of pedestrian crossings and pavements, many of which just ended for no reason at all! We were walking in circles and finally decided to get a taxi to get back to the hotel. Taxis are cheap compared with other countries, but having to use them every day can start be quite expensive.
You can also use the metro in Dubai, but we didn’t get a chance to use it and the taxis were more convenient anyway.

Probably nothing in comparison to before the economic crash, but there was still a lot of buildings under construction. You always saw the workers arriving and leaving in big white buses. We commonly saw window cleaners abseiling down the huge buildings; it must be an exciting job as long as you are not scared of heights! Some of the buildings looked dirty as a result of the desert sand. You can find areas of just sand where there hasn’t been any construction, and it reminds you that this whole city used to be just that! This makes it hard to believe how quickly this city was created.

As-salam alaykum Dubai!

I spent my last holiday this year in the United Arab Emirates. I was always interested in finding out how people live over there and how the current economic situation is affecting the country. There are so many documentaries about the impressive hotels, but seeing everything with your own eyes is always more valuable.

Arrival at Dubai airport. Toilets in different countries are always an interesting discovery. The first thing you see after closing the door is a shower head next to the toilet. First you ask yourself if this is actually to have a shower, but very soon you realise what it is for...!

We quickly realised that a lot of Indians live in Dubai, and so our first meal happened to be in an Indian restaurant, although we didn’t know it at the time. We had a spicy side dish with some oily bread, and a cup of very sweet tea. Some Indians came and asked us several times if we liked the dish, and observed us watching it. It seemed as if they wanted to convince us that Indian food is the best food in the world, or maybe they were just surprised that tourists were eating there, as we were not staying in a very touristy part of Dubai.

We headed into the city to admire all the tall skyscrapers, the beautiful skyline of the Business Bay and of course the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. The city is quite spectacular, however my admiration was quite short lived, as after seeing the tall buildings and tourist attractions there is not really any historical culture to experience due to the relative youth of the city, as well as the speed at which it was built.

Servus Munich!

The huge building in the middle is the BMW tower.

I spent six months of my life in Munich and I had a great time, found new friends, tasted the fresh, dry Bavarian air, was comforted by the safety and cleanliness of the city, with its laid-back citizens. Bavarians often use the words "passt scho" which means that's alright, and love sociability with friends and colleges. Having a beer in a cosy beer garden after work is very common as well as walking through the city in traditional dress "dirndl" or "Lederhosen" through the city.
The tap water in Munich is very good quality because it comes directly from the Alps. All in all the quality of life is very high, people love eating healthily and working out, and having a walk in one of the beautiful parks, such as the English Garden or the Nymphenburger Park.

Food & Drinks in Munich

During my time in Bavaria, I tried out several restaurants, bars and clubs, so here is a short summary of what I can recommend, if you are there one time:

One of my favourite streets is close to the U-Bahn station "Universität", named Türkenstraße. If you want to have a nice breakfast or brunch, I recommend Café Puck. You will get a typical Bavarian breakfast with white sausages, sweet mustard and a pretzel, but you can just get a simple breakfast, like an omelet or croissant. Not far from here is the best ice-cream at Bellabeni, but during summer the queue is incredible long. There is not a large range of flavours, but each sort tastes unbelievable good. Another very good ice cream store is at the U-Bahn station "Rotekreuzplatz", Scarletti with a huge variety of home-made ice cream.

The fountain at Stachus.

If you fancy a simple drink or a small dish, I recommend Café Zeitgeist, also on the Türkenstraße. In the same are is one of the best Italians with the most delicious pizza and wine, "Bei Mario", Adalbertstraße 15.
Another very nice Italian is "LaBaracca", at Maximiliansplatz. It is well known for its inner architecture and the way you have to order...through an iPad! "Seerose" is another very good place for Italian food, at Feilitzschstraße 32, close to the English garden. This restaurant has just a few dishes on the menu, but all of  them are very good and not too expensive. A reservation is needed for most of the restaurants I have mentioned.


One of the best Indian restaurants I tried was "Sangeet", at Briennerstraße 10. The menu is large with an indication of how hot each dish is. A very good Thai restaurant is "YUM" at Utzschneiderstraße 6. If you drop by Leopoldstraße, you will find a lot of other very nice restaurants. This street is always busy and beautiful as it is between the "Münchner Freiheit" and "Odeonsplatz".

After a long day at work, it is time for a drink. If you love good cocktails, I mean really good cocktails, made by passionate mixers, then you should definitely go to "Pusser's" or "Negroni". If you feel more like a relaxed evening and want to sit in a nice lounge, I can recommend the "Bayerischer Hof" which has one of the nicest bars in Munich. If you have enough money in your wallet, you could go for a very good dinner as well in this five star hotel.