THE SUSHI ADVENTURE CALLED YO!

Yesterday, me and my wife traveled to Dubai for the 1st Anniversary of our organization called TaBuk. The event lasted almost four hours and we prepare to heed back to Abu Dhabi. Since it is early yet and it's scalding hot to travel back so we decided to take an hour or two to stop at Dubai Mall.

My wife and I came across this sushi restaurant called YO Sushi. My wife being not a fan of Japanese food, I was amazed that she convinced me that we will try for adventures sake and I gamely agree. It's my birthday and I thought I owe him a meal. Maybe she is so intrigue with the design and the set up of the restaurant. The ambiance is nice even if the set up is like a common carenderia but with a classy touch. What makes it so fun is you can choose your food in a bowl from the conveyor belt called "kaiten" that is revolving around the whole area of the resto in a circuit. If you like something wait til it is near to you and pick it up from the conveyor. In order to indicate freshness, a label is applied to the lid of the dish to indicate when the dish must be consumed. What more interesting is the food and various dishes is prepared right in front of you by a chef. We even have the privileged to talk to the two of the chefs because glad to know they are the same region of mine, Surigao in Mindanao while the other one is from Cebu.

The Chef and The Kaiten

Various sushi dishes and other Japanese cooked food in the kaiten but I only grabbed those whom I am familiar with as so not to upset my stomach, we still had a long way back to Abu Dhabi. I took the salmon sushi and California maki roll, sauces are available right in front of you and its up to you how and what to mix for your preference. I like mine with this Japanese soy sauce and a little wasabe to add the kick. Short orders are also serve, you can write it in an order slip and hand it over to a chef in front of you. My wife ordered a shrimp roll teriyaki.

Paying what you consume is also systematic. It is in color coding scheme. Every color of the bowl has a corresponding price in which the dishes is served in the conveyor. Crew will going to give you the bill after counting the bowls (carenderia concept again ayt?) I found out that this restaurant is originated from the UK and have a franchises all over the world including this one in Dubai.

YO Sushi concept

The empty bowl

My wife not a fan of sushi find the food a little bit odd but eatable as she described but I find it one of the best sushi experience. Definitely I will come back and be more adventurous next time by trying some unfamiliar dishes they serve.

VISITA IGLESIA:Catholic Churches in UAE part 3

...the last part of the journey.

We departed Sharjah and proceeded to another Emirate State to visit another church which is in Ras Al Kaimah, The St. Anthony de Padua Catholic Church.

St. Anthony de Padua Church in RAK

The Church situated at the back side of a general merchandise store. The church is slightly smaller than other churches we visited but enough to cater the spiritual needs of every Catholic residing around the emirates of Ras Al Kaimah. 

We commemorated the 9th and 10th station of the cross and made some individual prayers and after that we checked out the vicinity for photo opportunity of the church.

The group decided to take lunch first before we embark to a long journey going to our next destination. We settled in a parking lot in one of the mall there and ate our lunch. The spirit of sharing was noted during the feast as foods and beverages were being shared and passed on to everybody like one big happy family, not to mentioned we ate inside the coaster.

After we ate we embarked in a long journey towards Fujairah were the Church of Mother Perpetual Help is located. Along the way we had the opportunity to see God's marvelous creations of mountains which decorated the scenic view of the way. It was a 3 hour travel going to Fujairah but you will never get bored as scenic beauty unfolds during the travel.

The mountains surrounding the road to Fujairah

We arrived at Our Mother of Perpetual Help Church past 4 in the afternoon. The group then commemorated the 11th and 12th station and proceeded with a short prayer.

The church is slightly bigger than the one in RAK and also a bit spacious, we saw a lot of parishioners inside the church from different countries. Blessed that they can exercise their faith in this Arab Country.

The ground of the church

The entrance of the church

Visita Iglesia: Catholic Churches in UAE

Me and my wife had the opportunity to join the Visita Iglesia on Good Friday organized by the elders of the Couple for Christ here in Abu Dhabi. Without hesitation we joined the said event to make it as our way of doing sacrifice in this lenten season and of course the opportunity to see all the churches of the seven emirates of UAE. Catholics in this country is very lucky and grateful that the ruler of this middle east sheikdom allowed Christians to exercise their faith as well as giving space to build churches for prayers.

The said trip also followed the way of the cross that our Christ suffers up to crucifixion as we remembered and prayed. Two stations of the cross in every church we visited.

We kick off the said event around 6am in the morning starting with the first and second stations in our very own St. Joseph Cathedral here in Abu Dhabi. 

The facade of the Cathedral upon entering on its compound

According to their site this Parish has over 100,000 expatriate Catholics from all over the world.

With the growing economy within the region, the Church has also witnessed a steady increase in the number of faithful. Masses are celebrated in a number of different languages and the Church is generally seen packed to full capacity at most services.

Inside the St. Joseph Cathedral during a mass celebration

 After commemorating the first and second station of the cross we hurriedly boarded to our assigned buses that would bring us to our next church to be visited. There were seven buses with approximately 30 faithfuls in each bus. 

We boarded bus number 5, with us is our co-participants of the CFC-Christian Life Program, our couple DGL, our CFC Elders and some CFC members. 

Our convoy of buses getting ready at the break of dawn for the Visita Iglesia

  

Our next stop: St. Francis of Assisi church

The St. Francis of Assisi Church is located just off of Sheik Zayed road beside the village of Jebel Ali, in the emirates of Dubai. It is near the Ibn Batuta Mall and The Gardens in Jebel Ali interchange.

The St. Francis of Assisi church was inaugurated in November 2001 as part of the Vicarate of Arabia, presently pastored by Bishop Paul Hinder. It is a parish comprised of many nationalities from around the world. We are diverse communities united in one body of Christ

The entrance to the church of St. Francis of Assisi, Jebel Ali Dubai

To GOD be the glory....

The Grotto inside the church compound.

Inside the St. Francis of Assisi Church

Inside the compound of the church.

We stayed at St. Francis church approximately 30 minutes. We prayed and did the third and fourth station of the cross. After that we were given 10 minutes to take pictures and check out the church vicinity before we leaved to our next church destination.

 ... to be continued  --->>>   jump to PART 2 

GRATEFUL OF 2010

I never write any year end reviews or any rewind about what happen after the year is finished. But since today I am greatly bored and 2010 events always flashes on my mind, I ought to try to write something about how was it in 2010 for me.

For a starter we start the 2010 with a bang, an all out party with our flat mates complete with games, singing, and a lot of dancing with the help of tons of booze. So it's a great and way too loud to start the 2010. It was indeed a great year for us.

I don't have any complains about 2010, there's a bit down moment for us but we survive. God's guidance was with us and will always will. So instead of counting our downs I will enumerate how God made our 2010 great according to His plan.

We are grateful to God of His blessings we received in 2010:

• -         we sent 2 large balikbayan boxes back home (it was a bit delayed in arrival but nevertheless it still on time for us to be there)
• -         we were both given a vacation together (me and my wife)
• -         safe flight on our vacation
• -         seeing some good friends back home
• -         seeing our families
• -         and of course seeing our daughter SAM after 2 years of not seeing her
• -         and the flashes of her eye how happy she was during her birthday
• -         wife's new job (of course a bit higher pay)
• -         new flat
• -         and good health for us and the whole family
• -         And a lot of simple thing that makes us comfortable even we are very far from home.

In general God give us a great year not only for me but for the whole family. We are so thankful for His blessings. I will also pray that this 2011 He will continue to guide and protect us and bless us. My prayer also to the less fortunate ones that this year they may find solitude and blessings, that they should always put in mind that God is always with them.

May this 2011 will also be a good year for us under God's plan!

Opposite Attracts (PROUD TO BE PINOY)

(a re-post from my other blog...)

It only take seconds to identify the vast differences between this two countries I inhabited. It may be two exact opposite but i'm so proud i am part of this place.

I've been in Abu Dhabi for almost 2 years, I admit that I am in great awe the first month living in this concrete jungle but was able to survive and catch up and became an expat living in the richest city in the world . With left and right infrastructure and almost every corner new skyscrapers are built you can't help but notice that this country was never shaken by the previous economic crisis. Working here climbing the corporate ladder for the Filipinos is never hard compared to other foreign expats...as we may say we have the edge. We have all the advantage in the world from education to work attitude.

(The ABU DHABI Skyline at night)

Despite the grand surrounding and tall skyscrapers surrounding the city I cant help thinking back home. I really agree that there is no place like home, even if poverty is widely observe, politics and corruption which sicken the country but still Philippines is a great home to live in. It is where your roots is even if you make it big abroad but part of you lingers to come home.

Now me and my wife are getting ready for the our first homecoming since we decided to come here in Abu Dhabi. We are hoping for a great time spending our family but most specially to our precious daughter Sam. As many expats would anticipate, that this will be the time to relax after many months of hardwork....despite the chaos and problems in the country we still manage to smile because we are home....and there is no place like home...home is where the heart is. See you soon guys!