A day after turning back the hands of time on her spectacular Superbowl Halftime performance, Thinkflash is bringing Madonna in concert in Abu Dhabi on June 3rd 2012. Tickets will go on sale by midday of February 27th.
Wondering though, can the Queen of Pop Music cope up with the UAE June weather and give an energetic show at Yas Arena?
Colony of Gentoo and King Penguins are the recent ‘expats’ creating a stir in Dubai. No doubt these snow penguins are really cute and lovely, but, having it in Ski Dubai received mixed reactions from the UAE online community. Many curious would want to have a sneak peek through the glass window at Mall of the Emirates. A lot are adored and can’t wait to have an up-close encounter with the penguins. Called “Peng-friend,” people are allowed to interact with the penguins, feel them and spend time directly with them in an environment that ‘replicates their natural Antarctic habitat’. This 15-minute session costs AED175 with 10 people max in a group; AED500 VIP option has a limit of 4 in a group and will get you free hot chocolate and souvenirs. Have these birds secure their working visa already? 🙂
Born and raised in captivity, the 20 snow penguins are part of a ‘world-class breeding program’ and have been brought to the UAE from SeaWorld in the United States. And there are many people and animal rights advocates who are crying foul over this ‘business move’. Penguins should be living in their natural habitat, they insist.
On the video above (by The National), the Marketing & Sales Director was saying something about “raising awareness about those creatures, and what the people can do to help, raising those creatures in a nice and safe environment…” that I don’t buy, quite ironic. At the end of the day, it’s all about the profit. At the end of the day, Ski Dubai is just expecting more income than in the past when they just have penguin statues to lure the crowd. Of course, it’s business.
Let’s see. If they really are employing scientific methods to nurture and care the birds, this couldn’t be that bad at all. After all, they’re with humans already since the day they were hatched.
Thanks to my meeting last night, I discovered Kino’s Cafe inside Kinokuniya Bookstore in Dubai Mall. It was a quiet, relaxing Japanese-themed cafe with a great top view of the Dubai Fountain and the Burj Khalifa.
I had Sencha Green Tea and it was awesome! I love the aroma. It’s highly different from all the green tea I’ve tried before. It has a balance of sweetness and herb. It tastes like broth nuts and roasted pumpkin seeds. I love it.
Kino’s Cafe is an ideal place for some casual to serious brain storming, meetings and quiet reading, unlike the typical crowded coffee shops in a mall. I guess it’s time to replace More Cafe, at least for a meeting venue.
The menu looks really enticing. I will surely have to try on my next visit.
 |
| Mongolian Beef |
It’s Thursday night, we finally tried P.F. Chang’s in Dubai Mall after so much buzz about it. It was full house – that suggested higher expectations. Unfortunately, it didn’t meet the expectations. Or maybe, we just haven’t tried their best and the other specialties.
 |
| Shrimp Dumplings |
We had Shrimp Dumplings and Salt & Pepper Calamari for starters. Mongolian Beef and P.F. Chang’s Fried Rice (shrimp) for main.
The fried dumplings were bigger than the traditional bite size parcels. It wasn’t deep-fried, just the bottom. Since we preferred ‘fried,’ we’re expecting something crunchy, but no. Wasn’t too bad though, not too good either. Just the herbs were more flavorful than the prawns. The Salt & Pepper Calamari was good. The strips were tender and flavored right. Love it.
 |
| Salt & Pepper Calamari |
The signature P.F. Chang’s Fried Rice was a big disappointment. It was sticky and full of big grated carrots. It lacks spice – doesn’t have that ‘garlicky’ flavor of a fried rice. The “guest favorite” Mongolian Beef was bland. Meat wasn’t as crisp as a “Mongolian” beef/barbecue normally is. It has no wow factor.
 |
| P.F. Chang’s Fried Rice |
There’s more hype than satisfaction – talk about setting high expectations. Wifey did not enjoy at all. She was suggesting to actually go to Ping Pong but I insisted to go beyond dim sums this time.
We’re always fans of Asian cuisine and we’ve been to a lot of Asian restaurants in Dubai that satisfies our cravings. Noodle Bowl in Al Diyafa Road, Noodle House in Burjuman, even Mini Chinese have better recipes. Overall, it was like dining in a fast-food. When you’re in a fine dining, you’d want more than this. It’s sooo pricey too. Service was good yes. I wouldn’t close my door though, I’m still curious about their seafood mains.
 |
| Photo from Bubbles and Boba Facebook Page |
Me and my wife has always been a fan of bubble teas – tried the best from the Far East: Philippines, Hong Kong and Singapore. We can trade coffee and frap for it, any time. Nothing in Dubai so far, offers one as brewed and flavorful as what we’ve tried before. (I haven’t tried Ping Pong’s yet.) So we’re happy to learn from Twitter about this great idea of giving birth to one, at Dubai Mall. Bubbles & Boba Tea is set to open on 6th February, Monday.
Bubble tea, also known as pearl tea, tapioca tea, boba, milk tea and nai cha, among others, contains brewed black or green tea, tapioca pearls (sago), milk and honey or sugar. Commercially, some are blended with fruit juice and other flavors as well – Taro being one of the most popular.
Here’s to “Mr. and Mrs. Bubbles“, the brainchild of Bubbles & Boba in Dubai. Like you, we’re also craving for ‘authentic’ bubble teas. Can’t wait to try.
Follow Bubbles and Boba on Twitter or Like them on Facebook to receive more bubbly updates.
Philippines pride, international singing sensation Charice will kick off her “Infinity” world tour in Dubai on March 2, 2012. She will be promoting her latest album, Infinity, which includes the hit single “Before It Explode” written by Filipino-American Bruno Mars.
The concert will be at Dubai Festival City, 7:00pm to 11:30pm. Tickets are priced AED195 for front pit and AED95 for a regular ticket. Visit platinumlist.ae to buy online or call 055 3691324 for more details.
After Dubai, Charice is set to tour on the following cities and countries:
March 5 – Singapore
March 7 – Jakarta, Indonesia
March 19 – Hong Kong
March 21 – South Korea
——-
Til now I wonder why Charice doesn’t get a fair share of radio airtime here in Dubai…
Another amazing timelapse video of Dubai by Philip Bloom is making its rounds on Facebook and Twitter. This one features the 2 iconic towers of Dubai, the 7-star Burj Al Arab and the world’s tallest Burj Khalifa.
WWE Superstars John Cena, CM Punk, Alberto del Rio and The Miz among others are smacking it down Live in Abu Dhabi this February 2012.
Three-day heavyweight actions begin Thursday, 9th February until Saturday, 11th February, 2012.
Premium (First two rows Ringside, not tiered) – AED 1200
Category 1 – AED 1000
Category 2 – AED 600
Category 3 – AED 300
source: Think Flash
Amazing landing by Emirates Airlines Boeing 777 at the windy Dusseldorf Airport.
The legendary band behind the hit Hotel California will appear in concert on April 12 at 7he Sevens Stadium in Dubai, their first-ever performance in the Middle East. Expected in the 2-hour concert are The Eagles classic hits such as Desperado, Life In The Fast Lane, Take It Easy, One Of These Nights, Heartache Tonight, Take It To The Limit, and of course, Hotel California.
Tickets are now on sale and you can buy online. Tickets are priced:
AED 350 (Regular – Standing)
AED 350 (Golden Circle – Standing)
AED 1,400 (VIP)
For more information, check the website.
Aside from the concert, The Eagles will also grace the ‘grand reopening’ of Hard Rock Cafe Dubai.
