I came to Dubai at the end of November 2013 …
… and so far I’ve done a lot! And I know that some of my still-undones, like souvenir shopping, will be done soon. There are actually way more than 10, but for this week’s TOP TEN TUESDAY here are some of the fun things that I reallllly want to cross off my list — let’s see how many I can do in the next 8 1/2 weeks!
1. FLYING HIGH My first time fly boarding I made it to about 20 feet in the air; when my friend and I visited the Burj Khalifa’s observation deck we were 124 stories up.
I’m always looking for a new way to get high (haha!), so I just might go sky diving, or do a seaplane tour, or coast over the sand dunes in a hot air balloon.
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2. FINDING NEMO I love anything to do with water, and pretty exotic fish are right up my alley. You can see the huge Dubai Mall aquarium from the outside for free, but I would pay the 70 or 80 dirhams to go inside for a better look …
Hey, how cool would it be to put on the mask and flippers and go diving in it??
3. VROOM VROOM I’m not even a big fan of cars, or most roller coasters! But I hear the Ferrari World theme park in Abu Dhabi is a must-see. A must-do. Whatever.
This would have to be during the last few days of my stay, when our gigs are done and I don’t mind running the risk of losing my voice from screaming.
4. LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION Since November I’ve had this idea to do a bird-themed photoshoot or video shoot in front of a cliff at the resort entrance, and/or a fish/mermaid-themed one on some rocks at the water’s edge (though the chances of security ruining this are fairly good).
That cliff … and those rocks …
The pics above are from my intro and outro shoot for 60 Days in Paradise, and I’d love to revisit the locations with a good photog for some concept shots. Fingers crossed …
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5. WINTER IN THE SUMMER Obviously I left winter behind me on purpose this year … however, not many malls have skating rinks in them (the Dubai Mall does), and a ski hill inside of a mall (Mall of the Emirates) is pretty unique …
Plus, when the temps get to 40 degrees I’ll probably be begging to do something wintry!
6. BEACH BBQ, BEACH PICNIC or DESERT SAFARI Although I’ve been to a desert barbecue before (Abu Dhabi, 2008), I’d love to go out into the wilderness again for some good food with cool people. The desert safari is a package deal, very popular with tourists, which usually includes a meal, henna for the ladies, belly dancing, a camel ride, and dune bashing. Or there’s the option to just hang out with some friends around a bonfire.
Me and my Mama! This was my first beach BBQ
Either one works for me!
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7. TAILOR MADE Oooh I’m excited for this!
After next payday, I’m meeting up with Iqbal from City Land Tailors — this shop came highly recommended in a blog I found — to see about having alterations done on a shirt I already own, plus having one or two dresses (and maybe another blouse) made from scratch based on designs that I’m going to bring in and tweak. Will they look as good and fit as well as they do in my dreams? The suspense!!!
8. MERRILY MERRILY MERRILY MERRILY … I’ve spent lots of time in/near water on this trip (hey, I’m a Pisces after all) but I’ve only set foot on a boat once in all these months, and that’s unacceptable! So I’m keen to go yachting, or do one of the dinner cruises on a dhow (pictured) on the Dubai creek.
Or it might be fun to charter a water taxi into the city, instead of going by cab or metro or car like most people do. =)
9. A LATE-NIGHT SWIM This sounds easier to accomplish than it is! If I’m found in one of the pools past 7 or whenever they close, I’ll get chased away and maybe reprimanded by management (which is not something you want when your employer owns your work visa). If I go into the sea instead, it’ll be hard to get good pictures and I’ll be somewhat terrified, since I found jellyfish washing up on the beach recently. If I do neither, I’ll be forever unsatisfied.
… but where are its tentacles?
So stay tuned.
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10. OFF STAGE Hey, remember the time I saw someone perform in Dubai other than one of my coworkers? Nope, me either. So it would be nice to!
This is also harder than it sounds. Weekends here are Friday-Saturday, and I get one night off per week, which was first a Sunday and then a Monday and is now Tuesday. So far I’ve missed out on performances by Cirque du Soleil, Jennifer Lopez and Carlos Santana, and I’ll miss Lionel Richie on April 17th, as well as Justin Timberlake in Abu Dhabi on May 23rd. But there’s gotta be some fun show I can catch, other than our own!
Let’s be honest, I’ve already had an incredible experience full of incredible experiences out here … from fly boarding and bargain hunting and meeting famous athletes to singing on a beach and hanging out with peacocks and making new friends from all over the world … so it won’t ruin my mood if any of these 10 things don’t get accomplished before I leave. Besides, there’s always another trip 
For up-to-the-minute pic and vid updates, follow me on Instagram! @chattrisse =)
Our shows continue to go well, especially on Friday nights when we get to perform outside on the beach. Here’s a clip from two Fridays ago – hopefully I’ll be able to share more with you soon!
I now have an Instagram account, and I post new pics and/or videos every day, so you can peek in on the highs and lows of my #Dubailife =) Just follow @chattrisse
Coming up next, I have my sights set on the Caribbean! There is an incredible opportunity to spend July and August on the beautiful island of Tobago, and now that my video and bio are in, I need your help to get me there. I’d be so grateful if you could take the time to “Like” the 60 Days in Paradise Facebook page and leave a comment about why Chattrisse Dolabaille should be the first-ever Island Connoisseur, and/or do the same thing on Twitter by mentioning @60daysparadise and @chattrisse and using the hashtag #60days … the Top Ten finalists will be announced on April 21st, and if I’m one of them I’ll need all the votes I can get to land the gig!
Some of the experiences I’ve enjoyed here so far are camel riding, fly boarding (now that was a thrill), some shopping, lots of tanning, and even more peacock-watching. Last week I posted ten more things that are on my to-do list … so far I’ve completed #9, booked #4 and #6, picked a tentative date for #2 and #5, and I hope to get #7 done this month as well … stay tuned!
And last but not least, I set a personal goal to write 50 new songs during this Dubai sojourn of mine; as of yesterday, I’m up to 37, planning to blow that goal out of the water. Will I end up with 55? 60? Time will tell …
