Gingerized

Anyone who knows me knows that when I first came to Dubai, it was a tough adjustment period. And during that time, I found two things that kept me sane: 1) my new friend, Mahsa Page and 2) our new bestest friend, Miss Ginger.

For me, there are a few key elements that I look for in a best friend and a few of the top criteria are as follows:

1) Trustworthy and Reliable - this means that when they say they're going to be somewhere, they either show up or let you know they're not going to show up (and have a good reason). I can count on them to be there for me in times of fun, laughter and tears and in general, they're "there" for me. AND they can keep a dirty secret or twenty. :)
2) Fun - the best kind of friend makes you feel like dancing on the tables with happiness after you showed up feeling down in the dumps.
3) Easy to talk to and a great listener - non-judgmental, doesn't interrupt you, actively listens to everything you have to say, lets you cry on (or in) them and never complains of too many tears.
4) Makes you feel happier by just being around them - this one should perhaps be higher up on my list because it really is a very important one. You don't want to have a close friend that brings you down or makes you feel worse than being alone, right?

Well.....dear friends, let me introduce you to one of the best friends of my life, Miss Ginger. She's perfectly pink, chilly with a little "edge" to her but makes you feel so warm and happy inside, and at $13 dollars a pop, she's a godsend.

You can only get Gingerized at the Address Hotel (Downtown), however, and there's only one bar-tender there that does it right. For that Mahsa and I were semi-grateful. It kept her nice and exclusive for us and something that we can now share with our other close friends and still have the feeling that she's somewhat "secret".

I "would" give you the recipe, since Mahsa and I now have the keys to the Universe after spending multiple hours testing and tasting and re-testing and re-tasting and re-tasting (hey, we wanted to get it perfect for you guys), but you're just gonna have to make an appointment to have "one-on-one" time with me for this one. It's only to be shared in person. :)

So, here's to Ginger....the most perfect best friend a girl could ever ask for (and I don't even like to drink!).

Tea for One

I promised a showing of my favorite things in Dubai and the number one thing topping my list here is the Moroccan tea. I have a love for this stuff like it was made from Heroin itself. I cannot get enough of it and not a day goes by that I don't have some. Often alone. Sitting in pure, blissful silence.

Chris doesn't share my love for tea...and that's fine. This is one of those "me" things that I don't even WANT to share with anyone necessarily. It's been my comforting friend through this entire journey and make no mistake....I won't be coming home without it!