...of a Quinn date

I mean a Quinn planned date.  I am notorious for shooting down ideas.  In general.  But specifically when it comes to Quinn's date ideas.  I am not proud to admit this and it's convicting to actually type that out, because it's obviously not an admirable, or even likable trait.  It's ultimately sin on my part, since it comes from a control and comfort idol.  I want what I want and what I know and makes me feel safe. This has become glaringly apparent as our list of dates we've been on since moving here eight months ago is a long list of Festival Centre (read: Ikea) outings.

So my first step in getting rid of that unfortunate personality trait, was to really let Quinn plan our fifth anniversary date and just be agreeable and do everything he suggested.  Our anniversary was June 15th, but we ended up going out July 3rd, because my mom is here and could babysit the kids starting earlier in the evening (because she could feed  them and put them down much easier than Steve and Katie would have been able to).  So we were able to have a whole night out!  Pretty awesome.

So this is what a Quinn-date entailed:

Riding the Dubai Metro:

We parked the car at the northern most station (which was literally vacant at 5:30pm) and started our journey from there.

Wanted to ride in the very front so that we could have a god view, but quickly learned (through some uncomfortable stares from other passengers) that the very front car was "gold class", which was a higher ticket price and the next car was specifically for handicapped people and women.  We got Quinn out of there pretty quickly when we realized that.  By that point the trained had filled up a lot more as we got further into Dubai and we had to stand, squished in with a lot of... hard-work-smelling men... if you get my drift. 

But the view from the raised part of the track was pretty cool. It eventually went underground (where the view was obviously non-existent).  But it's all really nice and new and each station has a unique look and everything is very well taken care of.  I kind of wish we lived in Dubai so that we would have reason to take it more often. 

Quinn date, part one: Very awesome.

Dubai Creek stroll:

It was hot, but not too hot for a quickish walk along the creek that runs through "Old Dubai".  Everything is either actually old, or made to look old.  So it has a cool feel.  We were sightseeing and looking for a good place to eat.

My video game character concept artist husband finding faces everywhere. 

Along the Creek.

Quinn date, part two: A little sweaty, but very pretty.

Traditional Arabic food dinner:

Love us some hummos.

Quinn's sludge Turkish Coffee

My yummy lemon mint tea.

So I thought traditional Emirati fried fish sounded like a good choice.  Then they brought it to me.  Quinn had to cut the head off and hide in in our bread basket so that I could actually stand to look at my food in order to eat it.  It did taste pretty good.

Chicken Biryani.  Mmmm...

Quinn date, part three: Weird looking, but pretty yummy.

The Souks:

Creek at night.

Trying to find just the right Turkish hand painted bowl for my sister's birthday.  We talked this guy down on his price quite a bit.  Then we learned a little more about bartering as a Westerner when we were dragged into another guy's shop just down the road who wanted to sell us the same bowl for half the price.  You live and you learn.

This is that guy's shop.  He got us inside by attacking Quinn with this head scarf and making us come inside to take a picture.  Then, of course, I had a "real silk pashmina" hijab unwillingly wrapped around my head.  Can you say, "awkward"?

More unwilling head scarf attacking and picture taking insistence outside another shop.  We also learned a lot about how you have to be what we would consider as "mean" as a Westerner walking through an Arab souk.  Don't look at them, don't respond, don't smile - unless you really do want to see something in their shop.  Kind of hard for us to do.

Riding an old boat across the creek to the spice souk on the other side.

Spice shop. 

Ending the night in a spice shop, buying some pistachios and dates from a guy who told us his "tourist name" was Alex, but who's actual name was Mohammed (of course).  Then we trekked to the nearest Metro station and headed back to our car and back home!

Quinn date, part four: a little uncomfortable, but overall very fun.

So, there was our anniversary date!  Helped me realize that I should definitely trust Quinn more often to plan dates.  But next time, I've got to remember to wear more comfortable shoes.