Celebrating the close of 2011 in Al Hadheera, Bab Al Shams desert hotel style!

2011 is coming to a close…a year which started with an old flame, but with a new love. 2011 was certainly a milestone year of CHANGE. I wished for change on our LDR anniversary and I did get all of them.

First off, for those of you who are still oblivious to the news, Dodong and I got married! It was an intimate and very happy celebration with close family and friends after 9 long years of being together as boyfriend and girlfriend. And after three years of being in a long distance relationship, we finally put this chapter of our lives to a close. Inday I. Nagintay is now Inday Nag-arrive because I definitely arrived in Dubai. This is the second major change in my life this 2011: a new life in the desert with Dodong, a new chapter of my life with learnings, adjustments here and there, plus loads of adventures and misadventures (a luxurious Six Senses Zighy Bay honeymoon here, here and here, an epic fail Britney Spears concert with new Dubai friends, my first Christmas away from family and our first Christmas as husband and wife, among many others).But ultimately, with the changes, I am loving every waking moment with Dodong beside me.

So last night, because we had a sweet The Entertainer voucher discount (discounts always count in an expensive place like Dubai!, we travelled deep into the desert for an Arabian feast at Al Hadheera restaurant at Bab Al Shams resort hotel…

It was a cold and windy Winter night made warm by logs burning and nifty gas lamps, neatly positioned beside every dinner table.

The buffet tables were filled with warm food, grilled meats and vegetables and sweet treats, where we stuffed our already fat bellies until we could take no more. I was in heaven with my favorite sweet succulent grilled shrimps and my favorite Emirati sweets, Lgeimat! Yum!

Al Hadheera also put a spectacular show of Arabian dances: belly dancing, leaping lads and ladies in sparkly elaborate costumes, and a whirling guy (who honestly looked a little…well, a lot gay). Oh, I also loved their live version (using real people and animals: horses, camels, sheep, donkeys / mules) of a short Arabic story of war and peace. Para lang akong nanonood ng COD Christmas show! Hehehe!

To cap off the night, they even had an explosive fireworks display! Pun intended. An advanced New Year's celebration for both of us (I guess, this is already just in case we fail to catch some fireworks later this evening. Hehehe!). And just to move around the added weight in our bellies, we went around the Al Hadheera facilities to check out other activities they've prepared for guests.

I did enjoy myself immensely that night and made me a bit sentimental of my roller coaster ride called 2011. There were a lot of days when I felt down in the dumps, but there were also days that put in on Cloud 9 like when the blog was accepted into the BlogHer pool of blogs. But despite that, I still am extremely grateful for 2011, my year of change. It rocked my world. Literally.

And as we all usher in 2012, I do hold onto all these learnings from the past and will put them into good use for a beautiful 2012. If 2011 was about change, then my 2012 is about becoming and being BEAUTIFUL.

A Happy 2012 everyone! Hugs from the Dubai desert!

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay