This is my first post for 2015.  I spent the year end and the beginning of the year doing inventory of items we want to keep and sell.  It was difficult, liberating and nostalgic. Difficult, because each furniture has a story to tell. Each of these black and white photo frames has my personal shots of specific destinations that mean something to us. They are usually conversation starters with guests and each time I look at them, they make me smile.  

The above dining furniture, we are taking with us.  The photo frames, we plan to sell soon as well as my paintings.  The below furniture will go as well as the rest of our appliances.  So what will you be expecting from Travel Gourmande this year?

How's your week going? I'm sure a lot of you will be cooking up a storm in the next 2 days. Here are inspiring kitchens from IKEA. A trip there always brings me a dose of happiness. I like both of these designs, especially when all of the appliances are built-in. Take your pick.

I am glad I finished all of my gift shopping in one day.  Since I have been on house arrest  {A term I refer to since we live in the middle of the desert and is not accessible via public transport and a taxi fare is more than a full tank worth of gas.} last week, I spent a lot of time researching possible gifts online and concocted the best action plan in buying them all in one trip. :) As soon as the car was ready from the garage, off I went.  I must say, shopping the entire day with a baby should be an olympic sport.  I will attempt to make my first pot roast on Christmas Day. Wish me luck. What will you be preparing?

Happy holidays and happy cookin' everyone.

Love and light, 

Arni

I'm supposed to prepare my interior design portfolio to bid for a project in the hopes that I can work on it on a freelance basis, even if I'm overseas. Yet, here I am, procrastinating while my daughter is sleeping and writing a blog post instead.

Ups and downs, mostly challenges have been preoccupying us the past few weeks. Yesterday, our small car, the one that we have been using has met an accident. Thankfully, my husband was not hurt. The damage to the car is more than its value.  Funny how he's blamed for something he didn't do. Thankfully, the guy who reversed without looking at his mirror, admitted it was his fault and volunteered to take the blame. 

With all of these events, it's pretty clear, our time here has come to an end. My heart calls me to move. Much to the thrill of my husband who was dreading to come back here from our vacation in the Philippines last September. It has now become a unanimous decision, since I was the culprit for delaying our plans to leave. Let's face it, Dubai has become my home and I love it here. Honestly, I still do.

My logical mind dictates that my ambition will thrive here far better than anywhere else. Yet, my logical mind cannot see the future. My instinct tells me it's time to move, firmly backed up by circumstances. That small voice against reason is starting to become louder every day. 

What are you up to the first three weeks of December?  20 days more and it's Christmas! As I write this message in my favorite blogging corner at home, I think of each of you.  

My goal for next year is simple.  Gratefulness.  To appreciate every second.  I kept saying this to myself all these years, but it didn't all sink in.  Somehow a trace of discontent always manages to squeeze itself in, even in small doses.  Eliminating thoughts of complaints whenever they surface and dwelling in the good. Celebrating the good all the time, even during bad times. 

I finally got myself a plain recycled notebook for a gratitude journal where I will religiously write down what I'm thankful for each day. 

What are you grateful for this year?

We have a few days left to make 2014 awesome.

What do you have planned to make this happen?

Love & light,

Arni

Wow, it's December! The chilly breeze outdoors beckon al fresco dinners, barbecue parties and relaxing evenings with a hookah pipe.  Speaking of which, the last bit of November was spent doing exactly that.

A Post- Thanksgiving dinner last weekend to thank everyone for everything. I love the fact that it started turning emotional when each one started sharing what they're thankful for this year.  Sadly, it would also be our last Thanksgiving together in the UAE.

Remember last year when we started planning setting up something in the Philippines? That plan was indefinitely put on hold when I found a job and got pregnant.  After the recent trip home, we are going to kick start this project. Mind you, it's going to be a 1-2 year plan  setting it up, I will document  preparations here on the blog.  I will call this series "Island Home Blue Print"

A month's absence and I'm back!  Late nights and deadlines are now temporarily put on hold as my job title changes. Today, I am now officially a stay at home Mum. 

I've been enjoying afternoon walks with my 3 and a half month old daughter on weekends. Here are some of our discoveries around the neighborhood. 

The scent of le frangipanier  lingers in the air. Colorful blooms thrive in the strong desert heat. A quiet beauty that may go unnoticed, but a short pause from time to time to admire the beauty around us is uplifting.  My daughter seems to notice it too. Whatever temperament she may be in indoors, she always goes calmly silent during these walks.

I wish you all a reflective Sunday!

Love & light,

Arni

Ramadan is over. Now we can freely drink and eat anytime in public. The hardest was not being able to drink coffee during those exhausted mornings at work after late nights in the office and 3AM feedings.  

My last moments in the design firm will be spent here in the new office in Business Bay with a gorgeous view of the city from the 25th floor.  I can imagine walking along Bay Avenue in the evening staring at the majestic Burj Khalifa on the way to the parking lot. It gets better during winter, where diners will seize the tables outside making this part of the city alive. It's funny to think that when I first moved to Dubai many years ago, this area was empty. There was nothing here, but sand. 

I spent my absence celebrating my birthday with my entire family who all flew from the Philippines for a stop over in Dubai. They were on their way to Germany for my sister's wedding which I sadly won't be able to attend  (due to motherhood and work - yes,  maternity leave is over).

Three days of touring Dubai led to these photos. Here are glimpses of some of the places they saw and some self treats offline that you might have seen on Instagram. 

Dubai Mall Aquarium

Have a great weekend!

Love & light,

Arni

Today was an unforgettable day.  It must have seemed a disaster but overall I'm just happy to have survived it with grace.  It all started with a crashed server with no internet connection in the office in the middle of a deadline due today. All the files I needed were not accessible  The connection arrived an hour before 5 pm so while everyone started packing their bags to leave, I was just beginning my work day.

At past 8pm, I managed to submit my deadlines and finally told my superior who is currently overseas that I'm leaving the office.  To my surprise, I was stranded in the office alone. Locked inside the building just like in the movies. Empty dark hall, no one around, dead silence.  The magnetic latch was stuck. The switch to release it wasn't working. I have worked a lot of late nights alone in the office for years but it never happened to me.   I guess there's a first time for everything.

I was relieved that my colleague picked up my call.  Several missed calls and finally our building manager picked up.  I had to wait and started feeling hungry. There was no food (except for some most probably spoiled leftovers in the staff lounge's fridge).  I'm glad there's Facebook. I had some communication to the outside world.  In this regard, I'm thankful for technology.

To my amazement, I didn't feel scared nor angry.  I was laughing inside at the situation.  I guess, when I tried to reconcile myself with the worst possible scenario that I had to sleep on the carpet and perhaps wake up without showering and going straight to work tomorrow, it felt liberating.

Finally, our building engineer arrived and fixed the problem. I'm grateful, he drove about 30-40km away to open the door.  I managed to leave the building safe and sound and I'm now happy typing away here with you while I'm savoring my home delivered Indian meal.

Happy Wednesday!