Tinder Loving

 

In case you don't know...  Tinder is a new ''dating'' app that seems to be taking the world by storm.

Yes. A dating app. Sounds dodgy... I know, BUT it is actually well worth a peek... and even more surprisingly Tinder is rather addictive

To those of you that haven't yet been ''Tindered''..... let me introduce you to the Tinder way...

Lets get straight to the point of it, Tinder is based purely on looks....  it literally lets you decide whether you fancy someone or not by just looking at a few of their piccies...

AND...more importantly, ALL likes are completely confidential, so no one will ever know if you have liked them UNLESS if you have both liked each other... which then makes you a MATCH

If you MATCH with someone, then CONGRATULATIONS.... you like the look of them and they like the look of you... and so Tinder now allows you both to message each other on the online app

The idea here is that you start chatting to your match...and hopefully begin to find out more about them as a person. Its then up to you if you arrange a meet.

...and that's it. That is Tinder.... it really is as simple as that.....

HOW TO SET UP TINDER.....

1. Download ''Tinder'' from your app store on your smart phone

 

2.Open up ''Tinder'' and sign in with your Facebook account details

(don't worry this DOES NOT show up on your Facebook... so thankfully all your family and friends will not be made aware that your having a perv on all the single people in your area!)

3.Click the options menu to find.....
a. Recommendations    
b. Matchmaker   
c .Profile    
d. Settings    
e. Invite Friends

  4. First things first... get your Profile set up...

 5. Now to establish your Settings options...

                   

6. Return to options menu.... you are set up and ready to start using Tinder!

         7. Click ''Recommendations''

This is where the fun begins.... You will now be shown a photo of a potential ''person of interest'' within your area, with this, you will also see their name and their age.


IF you think that you are interested in this person... then you can actually click on their photo.. which will then allow you to see their ''bit about me'', your shared interests on Facebook, if you have any shared friends on Facebook... and more importantly other photos that they may have added...

After you have had enough time to consider this persons pictures.... Return to the main page, by clicking DONE. Finally... it is time for the all important decision making moment... are they buff or are they rough?!

1. Buff... (I want you) = click the green heart
2. Rough... (Hell noooo) = click the red X


That person of interest has now been dealt with in whatever way you chose fit, and now your next potential's photo will appear.... This will continue on and on until you have had enough of looking for suitors at that particular time...


YOU HAVE A MATCH !
 

Just as you are searching through potential profiles.... people will also be searching through yours. So.... when you have liked someone, and they have also liked you.... then Tinder will notify you of your new match....

Now the question is simply... who will message who first?

O... and FYI.... you can have multiple matches... so go ahead.... have a peek... have a flirt... and get going on some dates... why the hell not?

....ps. If when you start chatting away... the potential in question appears to be a complete nutter... then simply all you have to do is BLOCK them

Also... lets remember this is an online app. You don't actually know the people. So if you do get to the point of meeting up... be sensible. Tell someone where your going and meet in a public place.

With all that said... go get yourselves Tindered

x o x o

Cheaters.

I am well aware that no matter where you live... there, unfortunately, will always be people who cheat on their partners... and Dubai is no different.

Lets face it... you would either have to be..... completely unsociable or ridiculously naïve to be living in Dubai and NOT notice how un- shamefully unfaithful people are here, and its not just the men... plenty of women are playing just as bad!

I am seriously starting to consider that the sun is quite possibly affecting people's brain waves.... Its like holiday vibes or something.... people just get a little loose don't they?

Anyway... after spending the past year and a half as a singleton in Dubai.... I have noticed/ realised and quite possibly stumbled upon some significant factors as to why so many people cheat here....

FYI people.. these are possible reasons but are certainly not excuses... ::

• Making Friends...  In efforts to make new friends, expats obviously have to, and also, want to go out a lot more..... quite simply because this increases their opportunities to meet like minded people in their new country! However, with the continuous meeting of new friends.... also comes the meeting of A LOT more... flirting temptations..

• Non stop party. Dubai offers an endless array of bars, pubs, nightclubs and even day time drinking..... and this isn't even just on weekends! EVERY day and night of the week, expats are tempted into unlimited offers available for them to party in venues that are packed out. The result? More partying... more mingling...and even more temptations thrown their way..

• Cashing in. Its fair to say that expats have said goodbye to non- drinking designated drivers and having to watch the pennies on nights out! It doesn't take a genius to understand why Dubai expats are drinking so much more... they pay next to nothing for taxis to and from venues, get free drinks and/or fantastic drinking offers when in the venues AND they have extra money to spend on even more drink from earning their tax free wages. To sum it up... its extremely easy for expats to get extremely wasted in Dubai, and lets be honest... we have all heard the  ''I was drunk'' excuse...

• Experiencing life. Most expats have a sense of independence...(hence the traveling and ultimately moving abroad). Wanting to experience as much as they can, some expats literally excuse themselves to do whatever they like and they genuinely take the approach of ''fuck it... I'm doing this... its a memory, a laugh, a story.. I only get one life'' etc etc. Basically they excuse their bad morals for life experiences. Which yes, I am sure plenty of people have made bad choices when wanting to branch out and experience new life opportunities (I being one of them), however I hardly agree that cheating is one of these moments...

• Loyalty.  With new found friends, some expats do not have the loyalty or even at times the courage.. to tell new friends that a partner has been caught cheating. And so... regrettably,  if people feel they can get away with it... sometimes that's the only excuse they need to go ahead and cheat..

So yeh... just a few points made there as to why I think so much cheating occurs in Dubai.

Ultimately though, I think if someone is a cheater.... then they will be cheater regardless of where they live or whatever opportunities they may or may not have.

Perhaps... its just some people may have found themselves cheating since moving to Dubai....  because they have always had it in them... but never had the opportunity... and now they literally have all the opportunity they need and just can't resist saying no anymore.

I don't know.... but I do think that all this nonsense of cheating and the amount it goes on Dubai is quite concerning .... HOWEVER,  just as I know that I could never cheat on someone, I have to believe that there are still good men about...

Put it this way.... in ANY relationship, people will always worry about someone not being faithful...  but that is the risk we all have to take when it comes to falling in love..... and I think its worth the risk - you never know, you may find that someone special

x o x o

20 rules every woman should live by..

1. Men are not the be all and end all of life... they can sometimes be a great addition but you are still who you are without them

 

2. Keep your inner child alive! No matter how old you actually are... age is just a number.... don't ever forget what it feels like to be young, mischievous and full of life !

 

3.  Relax... It is perfectly normal and OK to be 25.. 30...35 years old... and still not know what you want to do when you grow up.

4. Its your life and your hard earned cash.... so spend your money how you want to! Don't let others judge and tell you how you should be living your own life

 

5. Ladies...There is absolutely nothing wrong with being single. When did everyone start believing that you can only be ''complete'' when in a relationship? You do whatever is best for you.


6. Your parents have already  made their own choices in life... its now your turn to make your own! Sometimes your parents will disagree with what you want to do.... but make these choices anyway. Your parents love you and eventually they will come around.

 

7. People will ALWAYS talk.... don't let it get to you.

8. Cherish your friends... Appreciate them and treat them how you wish to be treated.

9. Don't beat yourself up if you had one two many shots on the weekend...(and danced like no ones watching... and sang like you were in your shower... while you flirted with every man that looked your way) !! You work hard... and you deserve the occasional messy night out with your girls. Enjoy it... and just laugh at the memories.

10. You are never too old to learn/ do something new....  !


11. Keep company with those who love you for you. You don't need people in your life who compare themselves to you, or rain or your parade.

 

12. Be- YOU- tiful. Never feel that you need to look or act like someone else to get others to like you, you have your own uniqueness and your own quirkiness for people to love you as you are! Embrace your own beauty.

 

13. You are going to make mistakes. Everybody does. Just remember, everything happens for a reason so learn from your mistakes, recover and come back better than ever.

 

14. Live your life for you. The only way you will ever truly be happy is by living how you choose to live, not how your parents, boyfriend or friends think you should live.

 

15. Its OK to forget the diet sometimes. Ordering the occasional take out... or having a cheeky bit of chocolate is not going to be the end of the world. Besides.... a bit of curves on a girl is always good

 

16. Girls... when it comes to men :: Flirt with him enough to show your interest. But tease him enough to make him chase you.

17. Always, always, ALWAYS remember that a confident girl is a beautiful girl... so be sure to Keep your head up, your standards high and always dress as if you are going to see your worst enemy!

 

18.  Wear fabulous underwear ...(even if you are the only person to see it) !! Feeling good about yourself exuberates confidence and happiness... and something as small as wearing beautiful, matching undies can really make all the difference

 

19.  Remember girls.... you can never be overdressed or overeducated

20.  Lastly, but definitely not least.... good manners do not cost a thing! A polite, charming lady is always well received..

  

 O and here is one extra for your girls....

 

x o x o

Sun, Sea & Cocktails

 

Holiday time must be spent wisely.... and so every year.... I spend half my holidays visiting home and the other half relaxing....

For the holidays I spend relaxing... I usually opt for

A. Somewhere hot...
B. Somewhere I can lie on a beach all day...
C. Somewhere I can do a bit of culture seeing
D. Somewhere I can spend my evenings trying the country's traditional foods, while sipping on some wine..

...ahh relaxing or what?!

I would love to say that I travel somewhere different every year..... BUT.... considering I am still trying to find my feet... sometimes the most practical/cheap destination wins. Therefore with my parents owning their own holiday home in Turkey... more often than not my holidays are spent there...

So to Turkey it was for my summer 2013 vacay'....and after spending  most of the year in a completely different country to all my family, it was safe to say that I was craving a little family time. In fact... I couldn't wait  ! What's more is that I then discovered that our close family friends were also booked to holiday with us.... and then even better... my best friend of over ten years also booked to join too.  Talk about a reunion.

Welcome to Turkey 2013....

After working 11 hour days, and having no time away from work in almost a year... I arrived in Turkey absolutely shattered and in desperate need of a holiday. In fact, I had no interest at all to party the nights away... all I wanted was to relax to the max .....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

     

Well...that lasted a couple of days...

Needless to say I was drawn in by the cocktails, crazy lights and dancing people... and so I pretty much spent the rest of my holiday still relaxing in the days but also.... either on the wine with my family at our place.... or partying the nights/mornings away at one of the many bars or clubs on offer in the town...

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What can I say?! I was on holiday !

 

 

O... I must mention the Turkish bath experience. Highly recommended to get a deepened tan. The aim of the game is ... exfoliation to the max ! So in other words, they basically strip you down... scrub you down.... foam you down and then shower you down. Make sure you go at the beginning of your hols so you have the rest of your time to tan your new freshly exfoliated skin!

 

You can also opt for a lovely relaxing hot oil massage after..... FYI you need to be extremely comfortable with being prodded and poked all over your body, don't worry they don't completely grope all of your lady bits but the Turkish men do get rather close.... otherwise relax and enjoy !

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also.... you must, must, must make a point of visiting the Turkish markets... they sell anything from fresh traditional Turkish foods to designer clothes (copies of course). I bought numerous clothes (clearly) and my favorite find was a gorgeous, traditional dream catcher...

 

The girls and I also went a bit mad for all their bracelets and anklets... a bit of boho, holiday loving,  arm candy...

 

 

That's my holiday in a nutshell...

 

I had uber amounts of fun.. and spent some much needed time just doing nothing but relaxing on a sun lounger, somewhere on a sandy beach...... Most importantly, I got to see my family and my best friend. To spend quality time with those I miss most was priceless and just what I needed.  

 

x o x o

 



The stranger who stole a phone... BUSTED

So last night I was enjoying a glass of red and some dinner with a friend, when he started telling me about this genius new blog that he had heard about....

Imagine this....

A. Someone steals your phone.
B. They start using your phone for themselves
C. They forget to turn off the camera upload option
D. You start receiving all their photos straight to your computer

What would you do?

Well this guy.... I have no idea who he is... but anyway... he decided to make a blog which shares all the photos that the ''phone stealer'' takes....

Quite Brilliant isn't it?!

O... and what makes this even better is the fact that the ''phone stealer'' is in fact living in Dubai.... which yes... I am not ashamed to admit.. this does excite me a little bit. Not going to lie... but I am  totes hoping to spot the ''phone stealer'' out and about one day talking selfies...

Anyway, without any further a due, let me introduce you to...

Click here to view the blog online.

Now.... I absolutely LOVE anyone who can make a positive out of a bad situation.... always look on the bright side of life and all that.... and so I have to admit that I am abso -freakin' loving the fact that this guy has managed to amuse thousands of people with this original blog full with random photos of the ''phone stealer''.....

The ''phone stealer'', Hafid, posing for another photo opportunity

 

O Hafid.... what a clueless nitwit you are!

 

All joking a side though.... this has got to be the finest vengeance going.... I mean think about it... not only has it been made public that... Hafid is a thief...  BUT also ALL of his embarrassing selfies are being aired across the world wide web.... awkward to say the least!  Unfortunately for you though Hafid.... bad things happen to bad people.. didn't your mother ever teach you that?!

 

So what now? I guess.. we will continue to be entertained by Hafid's life adventures until he is caught....

 

...Probably the right thing for me to do is to recommend that you all share this ''life of a stranger who stole my phone'' blog.. and help get the word out....and then we can all hope that Hafid is eventually caught and the phone is returned to its rightful owner..

 

Honestly though... I'm just going to say.... please share this story/blog with whoever you can..so we can all laugh at this complete tool of a man

 

x o x o

 

 

Brunching... Dubai style.

Brunches in Dubai are not at all similar to ''brunches'' back in England. A good ol' English brunch is simply a light snack in replace of a full breakfast or lunch... its not a big deal in any way, shape or form.

Dubai brunches however, are a totally different story all together. Let me explain....

The basics to a Dubai brunch:::

• They start at around 12PM
• Prices include ALL house beverages (vodka, wines, beers, other chosen spirits...and mixers)
• Unlimited food is available.. (usually an open buffet of some sort)
• Brunches finish at around 4PM
• The venue stays open more often than not for the rest for the evening... offering drinking deals and turning the music up for people to dance. Thus allowing everyone brunching, to now leave their tables and mingle..

(In case you haven't grasped the whole idea of what Dubai brunching really means then let me break it down for you... - We arrive. We eat. We are then left with approximately 3 and a half glorious hours to see how many drinks we can all fit in. We then party.... its all rather messy)

Not quite the English version of ''brunching'' is it?!

Well, over the past few weeks I have fell victim to a few brunches around Dubai. In fact, it seems that I have become rather partial to day time drinking over night time clubbing. Ok, fine... I do both but that's besides the point.....

The point being that I thought I would offer some insight into some good brunching spots around Dubai. There are many brunches on offer, far too many for me to mention on here... let alone for me to try as I would probably be a raging alcoholic by now as pretty much every  hotel in Dubai offers some sort of brunch. But lets just start with the most ''well known''....


1. Double Deckers. -www.rotana.com/almuroojrotana - (04 321 1111).

DD's is a British Brunch... and being one of the cheapest it gets extremely rowdy.

For approx. 180 AED (they keep changing prices), you can enjoy a British Carvery and all you can drink from 12pm - 4pm. Up to recently, this has pretty much been my usual brunching spot... purely because its the cheapest and so my thinking was - why pay more to have the same drinks? I now know better....

Double Deckers can be a good laugh... but a few years ago it was much better. Now the price keeps slowly creeping up and the tables keep getting smaller... they really pack you in like sardines. However... if you don't mind a crowded room and the occasional drink thrown your way... then DD's is spot on for your moneys worth. Everyone attending DD's knows they are not going for luxury or even amazing food.... they are there to get their drink on and that's exactly what everyone does.

Be warned ::: you have to keep a close eye on your waiter to get your drinks lined up in order to get your moneys worth... or else the slow service will see you without a drink for most of it!



The Venue at Double Deckers

 

A sample of the food... carvery

 

During brunch... getting busy

 

After brunch.. the partying commences!

 

2. Warehouse - 299 AED.1pm-4pm. Le Meridien, Dubai,  Garhoud (04 702 2455).

Not too dis-similar to DD's, Warehouse is definitely a brunch to go to if your looking to get your party on. The difference though, and probably the reason for the marginally higher price, is that Warehouse has a much more appealing venue. 

Warehouse is quickly becoming a top brunch of mine. Food on offer is an array of South - East Asian food and of course all house beverages are included in the price. The buffet has enough to choose from to satisfy most peoples tastes (I pretty much stuck to the crispy duck pancake rolls.. AMAZE) .. and they also offer an a la carte menu that isn't just South - East Asian foods.... (the lamb and mash is devine) !

Personally, I think that Warehouse has the brunching experience spot on. There's plenty of space, staff are friendly and towards the evening the music is loud and dancing is encouraged.

Bonuses also include super cheap drinks after brunch has finished (a glass of wine is just 29aed).

The venue at Warehouse. Downstairs.

The Venue... upstairs..this is where the dancing happens!

South East Asian Buffet

Bar

3. Yalumba - 495 AED. 12.30-3pm. Le Meridien Dubai (Airport Road). 04 217 0000.

Described as a ''Modern Ecletric Cuisine,'' the Yalumba brunch is definitely worth a visit. Yes, the price tag is near on to 500 AED and yes I do realize that by the time you taxi over towards the airport and also filter in drinks after the brunch... and lets be honest girls... a new outfit for the brunch... then yes... the price does creep up. I for one... was not going to try Yalumba purely because I couldn't warrant spending so much for just one days woth of partying. However, when my works end of party (all expenses paid) was held at Yalumba's brunch.... I gladly went along (obviously).... here's what I thought..

With its elegant and classy interiors, Yalumba is unquestionably a cut above most of Dubai's more rowdy brunches. The best thing about this brunch is undoubtedly the food. A large buffet is available offering selections of Asian nibbles, curries, meats and yes there is a cheese station too (if you are a cheese lover like me.. then you will adore the camembert melted cheese and sides of mushrooms (another love of mine). Desserts..... well they have this spot on too. Yes there is the usual suspects that you would expect to find at a dessert stand... but there was also endless haribo sweeties... assorted ice cream flavours and... candy floss!!  To top all of this, there was also an a la carte menu to choose from.. and from what my colleagues ordered... it all looked just fabulous!

Moving on... our drinks were constantly topped up and the atmosphere was buzzing. To my surprise, people were up dancing and mingling after the brunch too... which I was concerned wouldn't happen in such a deluxe environment... but hey I guess whatever class you are... drunk is drunk and fun is fun!

The Venue at Yalumba

 

Food Station

4. Saffron - 435 AED. 12.30 -4pm. Atlantis The Palm, Dubai. 04 426 2626.

Saffrons brunch is where the party is at. This brunch is known for its lively atmosphere and is aimed at a more extravagant audience.... but don't be fooled this brunching experience is anything but extravagant! Many ''brunchers'' choose this spot for large group bookings and celebrations...so be aware that Saffron's brunch gets messy and it gets loud...very loud! Adding to the rambunctious atmosphere is a performing magician and 70s music loving DJ.

The food is mixed between Chinese, Indian, Thai and some European dishes. There is huge variety.. some may say the food would be better quality if there was a less selection.. but I doubt that's really a massive worry considering the venue is Atlantis!

What I also love about this brunch is the after drinks. Being at Atlantis, there are so many venues to choose from and conveniently being on The Palm you are never too far away from all the bars on offer elsewhere.....(unlike a long taxi journey from above said brunches on Airport Road, Garhoud). Basically Saffron makes for a perfect day and evening of drinking, bar hopping and ridiculousness.


Venue at Saffron

Drinking.... !

Food Stations at Saffron

 Complete with Drinking Stations...dangerous !

 

So there you have it.... those are my top brunching recommendations in Dubai (so far). There are soo many others to choose from... and some that probably have much better food on offer, for example at The Westin. However, I have particularly chosen the above brunches.. because... well... I'm 25, I'm single and I enjoy silly shenanigans.... therefore I personally tend to lean towards the more vibrant and messy brunches. Family - friendly brunches are good... but yeh they are for families or for the less rowdy kind.....(not me basically!)

Have fun people....for any newbie ''brunchers'' just pace yourselves...!

x o x o

P.S. My weekends plans include a brunch for me and my girls as we are celebrating a friend returning to Dubai...... so maybe I will see some of you out and about!