witsandnuts

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  • Tag: Books

    • Where you might see men rubbing noses to greet each other

      Posted at 8:15 pm by witsandnuts, on May 25, 2011

      Gulf men greet each other by rubbing noses; a snapshot from Ask Ali, A Guide to Abu Dhabi
      (I was channel surfing when I saw the nose-to-nose scene by Filipinos from a talent show over The Filipino Channel. As part of the culture, you might see Gulf men greeting each other by rubbing noses.)

      I was, of course, beaming when I was sent to a (getting popular) structured cultural awareness workshop. I’m now a little over three years living (and working) in Abu Dhabi and you might ask  isn’t it too late? When an expatriate or any non-national goes to another country, it’s a given that one must orient himself in many possible ways before landing in a foreign land. Especially when one crosses borders to augment and/or explore the workforce. It’s specially tricky in the UAE because it’s not simply dealing with the UAE Nationals; it actually means dealing with different Arabs and Muslims + the other nationalities. Configure the equation that not all Arabs are Muslims, not all Muslims are Arabs, and all the other nationalities could either be Muslims or not. Hence, when I was picked to attend the “proper” cultural awareness workshop, there was so much wooooow painted in my heart and face. I just really find it interesting to learn about new culture, everyday there’s always a new discovery.

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      Posted in Books, UAE | 11 Comments | Tagged Abu Dhabi, Ali AlSaloom, Books, UAE
    • Pay attention at your left

      Posted at 6:00 pm by witsandnuts, on May 7, 2011

      Errornomics

      I’ve started reading Errornomics, one of the previous birthday presents I got. It talks about why we make mistakes and what we can do to avoid them. It’s an enjoyable read and although I’m still 200+ pages to the end, I’ve already exclaimed “Aha!” plenty of times. Since I’m still miles away to making a book review, I just want to share the specific learning points that I’ve “tested” or realized.

      As we look for things, we don’t always see.

      This morning, we were in Lulu Hypermarket to do the weekly groceries. We intentionally went in during the peak hour to test one theory. Apparently, handedness is the best predictor of a person’s directional preference. Hence, most people who are right handed, like me, tend to look at the right when searching for the shortest lines for people at stores, banks, and the like. At the supermarket today, as we were about to pay, I checked the queues at the left first. Really short!

      Continue reading →

      Posted in Books, Life | 0 Comments | Tagged Books, Errornomics, Life, Philippine tricycle
    • To meet an old flame

      Posted at 8:49 pm by witsandnuts, on August 29, 2008

      Persuasion may probably depict the story of any grown up.  I think that at some point in our lives, we’ve been persuaded long enough. Socially, spiritually, and significantly and usually – emotionally.

      Persuasion mainly revolved about the intertwined lives in relation to Anne Elliot.  It is interesting to note that in one chapter, she was described as “She was just Anne”.  Yes, she is.  A sensible woman, have been persuaded to break an engagement, and holds an old flame in her heart.

      Anne Elliot was persuaded by an elder family friend, Lady Russel to break off her engagement with Frederick Wenthworth because he is deemed not acceptable per family’s standards.  After 8 years, they met again.  And the rest followed.  The story may seem simple.  But Jane Austen really has her way of telling it in a classic and engaging way.

      Continue reading →

      Posted in Books, Jane Austen Book Club | 0 Comments | Tagged Books, Life, the jane austen book club
    • About witsandnuts

      Snapchat-5703935704258315256 Marhaba! That's "hello" in Arabic. I am an expatriate based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). I started writing about my adventures and misadventures few months before arriving here at winter of 2008. I have 2 cats and a dog who live harmoniously together. I am also surrounded by kindhearted, crazy, funny and indescribable humans! I was a dormant blogger for almost 3 years because of countless reasonable justifications like watching football, postgraduate studies, sleeping, traveling, caring for the world, and more! :) I am just so happy that I am back! It is never too late to catch up with the people and things we really care about. Feel free to look around.
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    • Recent Posts

      • 2017 Reflections and being back to basics in 2018
      • Obtaining a license for your dog in the UAE
      • 2017 Spring break in the US
      • Citywalk, Dubai
      • Not in This Lifetime Tour: Guns N’ Roses in Dubai
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  • Recent Posts

    • 2017 Reflections and being back to basics in 2018
    • Obtaining a license for your dog in the UAE
    • 2017 Spring break in the US
    • Citywalk, Dubai
    • Not in This Lifetime Tour: Guns N’ Roses in Dubai
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