Metro to the Mall

Friday 1st July 2016

These are the final days of Ramadan, the heat is insane, we have nothing in the pantry, grocery prices in our neighbourhood are extortionately expensive and Kingsley needs some entertaining before cabin fever of all day spent indoors sets in.

Solution is literally at our doorstep: a ride on the Dubai Metrô to the Mall of the Emirates for a shop at my favourite supermarket here, Carrefour. Not even an easily bored toddler can resist the colour and movement of Carrefour where in exactly half the aisles can be found games, cars and toys (excited Kingsley) and I can feed him an entire chicken thigh from the rotisserie as we pile groceries into our basket.

Kids of course are exempt from fasting during the Holy Month so I did not detect any objection from locals to me shoveling chook into his open mouth as we shopped. As tempting as it was to nibble discreetly on grapes from Fruit n Veg I did not, having learned my lesson during my first Ramadan back in 2008 when my obvious chomping attracted a very cranky lady who read me the riot act.

Our afternoon spent on the metro was a huge success: a very entertained Kingsley allowed to ride shotgun at the front of the air conditioned train, all relaxed from a full stomach and me the proud housewife for filling our pantry with staples that do not require a mortgage repayment.

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