A string of pearls and Ali Baba's treasures...

As most people know, I love to go grocery shopping and what a better place for a lass like me to be than Dubai where supermarkets are on steroids. For most Aussies, the concept of a hypermarket is a foreign one, but here it is how it's done. They're like a massive Woolies, with Big W and Dick Smith Powerhouse combined. I remember when I was in France in the 90's they also had hypermarkets on the outskirts of Paris and the sales assistants used to get around on roller blades. But of course they did, how French is that. I bet they all still go with their patterned jumpers to the pattinoire (ice-skating rink)on a Friday night for 'the disco'. Come on, and the world takes their lead on fashion and trends?

So, on my weekly trip to Carrefour, I was into my first hour of grocery shopping going up every aisle and looking at every single product and wondering why they really need KRAFT cheese from Australia, America and the UK and how much of it actually gets bought in its short perishable life? There's no need to cut back variety on these huge shelves- this place is a marketers dream. It also takes me so long in Carrefour because they like to change where things are every week so you end up scouring the aisles till BINGO- its the Middle East's answer to Supermarket Sweep. At the entrance of Carrefour there is a free standing off-location section where they usually have all their catalogue products and where all the awesome bulk packs, bundle deals and gift with purchases are. I usually spend my first 15 minutes marvelling and wondering who in the world is going to buy a bulk pack of 12 airfresheners- but then I remember, there are houses here with 12 bathrooms, and I'll avoid the toilet joke that could be placed here- you were all thinking it, that's why we're friends. Just yesterday, I saw a gift with purchase to end all gift with purchases. A carton of cigarettes and a string of pearls. I hate to say it, I nearly thought about it (until I knocked some sense into me) - There you go, here I am mocking you Mr Windfield, yet you nearly got me.

The other day, my new found lady of leisure friend took me on another trinket adventure. This one truly blew my socks off. It was in a warehouse in the industrial area of Al Quoz, and it really was like stumbling across Sir Ali Baba's cave. Incredible- it kept going- a room within a room within a room... amazing. So many babushka dolls, imitation aladdin's lamps, pots, antiques, camels of all types; brass, stuffed, wooden, soft plush, teracotta, plastic, santa claus ones, ones with dish-dashes on, ones with boggly heads ... you name it. They had all types of paraphenalia imported from Turkey, Japan, Africa, China, Thailand- but I mean like giant ornate door frames and a whole range of brass statues that would keep the dolphin, out front of our house at home, in good company. An awesome adventure.