The Ferrari World has four ‘Thrill’ rides with the rest for junior, kids and families.  Obviously, being the astig that we are, we only have eyes for the Thrills (except for Bambit). Unfortunately for us, the primo ride – Formula Rossa, was out of commission! Technical problems were probably being repaired on that same day. So the park issued another ticket to come back the next time, essentially free! But since Fritz and myself got discounted staff tickets beforehand, only Bambit got the extra one.

first thing you see, even before reaching the FW entrance

So we only got to ride G-Force and the Fiorano GT Challenge of the Thrill category.  The Scuderia Challenge had a long queue and since it was basically a car simulator, we just missed it. Kids really have a lot more rides to choose from and there is even more for the whole family!

the core where the G-Force zooms up

some race track rides for kiddos

After checking out a couple of  them, namely the Speed of Magic (kids) and Cinema Maranello (family), we simply did not have time to enjoy the rest.

A friend back from university days was staying at the Crown Plaza Hotel in the same Yas Island so we paid him a quick visit at the pool, and met his lovely wife too.  And since Ramadan was officially over, we just had to enjoy a round of draft by the bar which was the reason I almost missed my flight back.

my cohorts (l-r) Bernadette and James Fritz with yours truly

Thing was, I had to go back to Dubai via bus in time for the 9:30pm flight.  So it was just logical, considering bus timings, traffic from Abu Dhabi to Bur Dubai and other miscellaneous stuff (like finishing first the sinigang ribs cooked by Bernadette’s mom), that I was around 15 minutes late for checking-in and my airline counter completely closed out on me. From Swissair, counter and staff already changed to Sri Lankan Air, I was that late! I reasoned my case to the arab guy the Srilankan Air lady pointed to, who probably was in charge of handling pasaway passengers.  I knew it was a transit flight from Zurich and usually runs late, and besides I do have residency in Oman (fingers were so crossing that time).  Thankfully, thankfully he allowed me through…

So here I am, back in Muscat.

XS: Besides the Masdar Institute and the Ferrarri World, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque was also well worth the visit for me, even with the heat+obligatory abaya.  Seeing the Round Skyscraper was a nice surprise, as well as the Capital Gate building, knows as the leaning tower of Abu Dhabi (designed by RMJM Dubai).  The images below are all sourced online, as my pictures taken were not as clear, while those above are completely mine.

Capital Gate of Abu Dhabi

building section

XXS: When I do go back to AUH, it will have to be in a more leisurely pace with time to go inside these new structures, eat more pinoy food and include body pampering

The Masdar Institute is the anchor campus of the Masdar City. Taking off from the Institute’s brochure:
“Established on the principles of environmental preservation and development as outlined by the late UAE President Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Masdar Institute exemplifies an unparalleled commitment by the Emirate to take a leading role in the search for viable solutions that address today’s energy challenges.”

“Designed by Foster & Partners, which is also designing the infrastructure of Masdar City, the Masdar campus has clean technology at its core and innovation at every turn.”

At the heart of their aims and visions, they promote sustainable living at their own campus. Right from the main entrance, you notice something is different when aloe vera and pineapple plants are part of the landscaping.

pineapple and aloe vera plants

The campus does not allow cars and operates their own Personal Rapid Transit on magnetic tracks that take you from area to area on the ground level. The whole institute accommodates laboratories, classrooms, dormitories, offices and retail spaces above ground level.

PRT

what is PRT?

Solar panels are mounted at all rooftop dormitory buildings.

scaled model, see the solar panels

solar panels viewed up from the courtyards

Supposedly, wind tunnel harnesses the substantial desert winds and cools the open courtyards. There was no technical explanation of how this actually works but there was a mist sprayer on top and it’s usually over 40 degrees cel. in any given desert day. I just thought there would be more scoops scattered throughout.

wind tunnel, with mist sprayer at the inside top

Backlit glass walls used are reportedly the largest recycled glass and LED panels ever created.

better at night to appreciate the LED-lit glass

glass surface

The light fixtures installed were as intelligently-designed as possible, using the sun itself with reflecting and refracting glass.

sunlight reflecting fixtures

solar-powered

Sunshading devices were employed all over and the buildings were grouped much closer. Aside from increasing density, this provides more shades and shadows, a building technique inherent in old desert city-towns.

narrow

simple wooden partitions and sunshades

But no matter how technically-advanced or research-oriented this campus is, wastes physical segregation remain constant.

waste segregation, just like in any environement-conscious company out there

The great thing about this place, and others like it all over the globe, is that theories and ideas are actually put into place. If torrential rains occur there, I’m sure it will also be addressed systematically and properly. As it is, they provided shallow channels around landscaping elements in the event when rains do come. Usually, one day or two in a couple of years or so.

I understand that energy resource and production is primarily “big business” and anything academic and research-oriented will definitely lead to commerce. But when companies will take the right step in the sustainable direction, the production that follows will adhere to these tenets of sustainable living. Ideally, anyway.

Myself, I am not a list maker. Whether it’s a to do list or a grocery list, I find I’m too lazy and forgetful for it. Not like my best friend (let’s hide her by the name of Farah aka Habibti), who admits she has OCD and is a habitual list-maker.
But. Once I do make THE list, it stays there for good. Forget if the items were accomplished or not. Sometimes I conveniently blame it on being a Gemini.

So waking up on the 6^th day of my medicated, now doctor-imposed quarantine, I chanced upon the CNN Times list of so many tops that I actually spent 2 days checking each one out. Seriously. From there I looked up other lists of people who made the list. Latest websites, freshest blogs, coolest newssites, I think I stayed till dawn two nights in a row for that. So before I completely forget everything again, the following are what stuck and what struck me. Writing them down is really not the greatest achievement of all time but they are worth checking into (*whisper* also serves as another list should I again have time on my hands to waste enjoy it online):

1. cool hunting – simple, classy repository of all things designed to be cool
2. smarthistory – see how they talk smartly about art
3. proust – your life like you wrote it
4. instaper – for the simple pleasure of pure reading
5. 8 tracks – if you’re fond of mixing tunes to link or share on the FB wall of the object of your affection
6. dooce - an inspiration on how to be a professional blogger
7. the 50 best inventions of 2010 – a lot of green, actually buildable stuff we didn’t know about
8. open yale courses – take a whiff of the ivy league education
9. the everywhereist – an inspiration on how to be a travel/life blogger

10. al jazeera English – newssite fix with thoughtful and striking articles
10.1 gawkerverse – food, dwelling, wedding pictures to drool ogle at

I wanted to include a couple of economics/finance advice sites but I resolved to limit only to, oh, 10-10.1ish… Besides, they are mainly applicable in the US (though experts will probably refute the geographical boundaries, and political influence if I can add that in, of the western market) and my current economics are based on Middle East and Far East Asia. The other website mainstays are on my blog roll and these are from friends as well as strangers. The strangers I’m just stalking checking out for now and as soon as I get the nerve I’ll come up, say hi and leave a brilliantly witty message. Please feel free to do the same. 

Thankfully, when I was on my main vacation destination (Davao, my hometwown), I  met up with a couple of former colleagues.  Amidst food, conversations, drink and more drink, several recommendations from a Singaporean friend of my friend came up.  So the following morning, at a not so decent waking up time, I started searching Hotel Rendevous, Hangout Hotel and Fragrant Hotels. Thanks to tripadvisor reviews and checking out each candidate’s website credentials, I was able to study the chosen ones. So in the end and for just a little under US$300, we booked for 3 nights and 4 days at Hangout Hotel @ Mt. Emily(nearest station is Little India, or was it Dhoby Gaut?).

Day 01 – Checking in was no hassle at all, even though my brother and I came in the evening separately at different flights times. Reception was helpful but of course there were no bellhops. They were quite clear on that at their website. The whole place has the feel of a hip, compact but cleverly-designed (and marketed) lodgings for the budget smart traveller.

good friend Connie testing the divan/ottoman by the reception

Night 01. Pictures you see in their website are what you get. Our room with twin bed was economical to decent-sized (probably tiny to western standards) and window was overlooking pool of the next building and the skyline of the city. In lieu of a closet, there was a tall hanger rod with a cabinet with sliding panels in the lower part. That gadget is quite common in Asia, either for drying clothes or just hanging them. I’d put a picture in, but our faces are plastered all over…on the other hand, what the heck

ignore the faces, only imagine the hanger

Day 02. Breakfast buffet was surprisingly pleasant with two main dishes (eggs & sausages) to go with your bread/roll (self-toasted or not). Cereal is a staple along with butter and jams. Beverages include coffee (brewed, at least), orange juice and water. At that price, can’t complain. A couple of western families with small kids were there as well as big groups of Asian families. My first impression was that this was more for solo or couples travelers, glad it was not so.. Quickly scouting the place in daylight showed us the Veg-out level with free access to PCs and internet (though they also have wi-fi throughout), Wash-out for your laundry, Patio for smokers and the roofdeck. Then we headed out for a day reserved for Sentosa Park and the Universal Studios.

Day 03. After the usual breakfast, we decided to just roam the city on foot, by bus and by train. Thankful for my friendly guide there. But got so tired of walking we had to return to Hangout for respite. From the station, this is the stairs that go through a park (which is nice and refreshing) with the hotel at the top. I think there’s another flight of stairs behind the hotel if you want to go to the other station in the opposite direction.

we were lagging behind my brother

After naps, only then did we start the evening at Esplanade, walking along the promenade and catching an amazing water and light show near the Marina Bay Sands.

glad we caught this just in time

We ended the evening late stretching to really early morning at Clarke Quay. Even got to enjoy local flavor at Bah Kuh Teh and a random riverside seafood restaurant (not in the glitzy side of CQ).

Day 04. At the crack dawn, sadly, we had to check out. My brother had to go back to Davao and I have to face almost 15 hours more travel to reach the Middle East.

In the end, the stay was fairly alright. I’d recommend though that the hotel use air fresheners or those organic potpourri. Or just shampoo the carpet more as it gives off a musty, old smell. Plus, changing the shower curtain would be nice. It’s not for everyone for sure, (no room service, no TV in rooms, only basic amenities) but the experience was interesting. Overall, everything else was clean and efficient and really a bang for your buck/peso. And look, they have a shower-dipping pool at the roof deck too..

look out at the roof deck

XS: about the clever website at the beginning of this post, the airbnb also sounds really cool and we might have tried that if I knew about it earlier… Reserve for next time then!

Ville Rond from Ciel Rogue, somewhere in the Japanese coast

… site sensitivity would be something like this
…green roof would naturally be present
… views enjoyed would be as amazing
…it means beach is just a walk down the cliff
… I can call this sustainable avant garde
… I’d do some internal re-layout as having a museum is not THAT practical for me

from inside looking out

all found at Home DSGN via dwellinggawker.

My point: trim, clean up, focus.

I’ve started connecting the ones I use more often and which internally allow them. Facebook friends should be grouped, although almost all friends I have I really know personally, there seem to be new features now that edit your circle and appoint who receives what from you and you from them. How to do that, I have to fiddle some more. How can I also connect Flickr photos to Fb, import Friendster photos automatically to Fb, or to just let Fb stitch everything up nice and tidy in one page..

This Schmookler blog has to refined. I remember starting writing these weblogs in Friendster soon after my father died. I guess at that time, I really really just want to vent my thoughts and write my sadness to the anonymous. I shifted blogging in wordpress when I started instructing at UP Mindanao, must be the influence of the English, Literature co-teachers I shared faculty offices with. And continued with it even after I left academe and started chronicling my travels as an OFW in the Middle East. Not only was this about teaching, changings and travels, a lot of silly, random thoughts were there and musings on the places and people I’ve seen.
Time has passed and now what will this blog be and does it even have to be a one-theme blog? Like a foodie, techie or travel blog? That might not be sustainable for me. Even if I fancy this to be a sumptuous food review/cooking/recipe site, I do not cook extensively at all and eating out often about town will tear my wallet! Writing about travels might not be much, as I only move around about twice a year. Techie stuff, well I can only blog so much about laptops and mobile phones… But then again, these ARE stuff I do (besides work of course) and use and can continue to put my 200 baizas in, whether people actually read them or not. It would be cool to have blogs read of course but my reason is more of myself chronicling than you following. Which is entirely fine by me
And so I will carry on with my ramblings, and will try to be more regular and thoughtful on things I write. Oman is a beautiful country around me and in a month or two, the weather will turn fantastic. I should not get too bored.
So first off, will come up with a new description for this site. Will have to sleep on it for now though…

Night!

This sounded easier when I didn’t write them down. But since these are all done online and via laptop anyway, it means I will not physically sort my stuff. I will not clean my room (I’m on sick leave anyway) and I have to find ways not to cook my own food. Hmmmm..

So be it.

it's from Johnny Depp, my goodness!

Never a lip is curved with pain that can’t be kissed into smile again.
-Bret Harte- (or Yoda, seems likely too)

A proof that experience is of no use, is that the end of one love does not prevent us from beginning another.
-Paul Bourget- (it’s no surprise then that Ramona has 7 evil XXXXXXXs…)

Just for the record, she still loves you. She wouldn’t bother to torture you if she didn’t.
-Chuck Palahniuk (just so all the guys are crystal on that)

Kimi wa dare to kisu wo suru? Watashi? Soretomo ano ko?
kokoro yurasu kotoba yori
musekinin ni daite genkai…
hoshi wo meguru yo, junjuo
-Sheryl Nome/Ranka Lee-
(who are you going to kiss? Is it me, or is it that girl? Your words sway me and I can carefreely hug you no more… True love circles around the stars..) …translated more or less 

Struck by lightning! Struck by lightning!
-oriental tradition- (which one exactly they didn’t say, but there you go.. )

Besides this, imbibed MacP with all utilities that he needs to better operate his hardware+software. Saw lots of new, free productivity apps that I hope will makes his owner, well, productive Finally downloaded the Cloud too, which I’m planning to use as soon as I see a need for it.

And just to let MacP play a little, installed some more silly games and gizmos. TRXiPhone also got her fair share of updates for apps. Even upgraded her OS to 4.3.3. Which actually took more time (67 minutes!) than the whole of MacP, which made her owner miss lunch and very ravenous.

So here’s a quick look at MacP’s display with his new, startrekkish “screenstyle”. Which looks better I wonder?

I remember how mom & pa used to park themselves at the table after dinner and have maybe half a dozen games against each other. I think I used to wonder how they would last until so late into the night, with such a tedious game.

This post doesn’t have to mean anything really, but I’d like to think that I’m keeping their tradition alive : ). Who knows, I might be paired off with a real-deal partner who’ll kick my ass with scrabble. haha.