We're sitting in the biggest mall in the world, which is right next to the highest building in the world, where for the last New Year celebrations, the largest LED-illuminated facade was part of the fireworks show. Dubai likes to think big - in fact, to think the biggest in the world.
We're having our breakfast at Markette Restaurant & Creperie this morning, which is located in the heart of the Dubai Mall. From where we sit, we have
an excellent view on the Dubai Aquarium, a huge - no really, huge - tank filled with thousands of fishes, from tiny ones to large sharks. Every once in a while, Rihanna Gaga points at it and exclaims 'fishes!' or 'wow!' She loves it. She's always been fond of fishes. Her favourite song is a about a fish and fish was one of the first few words she could recognise and repeat.
Markette is a cozy affair, replicating - or, one should really say, simulating - a French bistro inside this enormous mall. The shops are still closed, but the mall is already quite busy, people walk by and I have no idea where they could be coming from or going to. Maybe they're window shopping as a preparation for the real thing?
The music that's being played is, quite surprisingly, some melancholic indie rock with songs about despair and lot love. Not really Rihanna Gaga's taste, but it has a nice melody and rythm besides the melancholy and she seems to be enjoying it, rocking to the beat and waving her arm every once in a while, nodding seriously.
She grabs the menu and start pointing to dishes on it. She often does this in restaurants, copying the movements and gestures of people discussing what to have without knowing what it all means - or so I guess. I ignore her suggestions (which include spaghetti bolognèse, a large frozen cappuccino and several crepes) and opt for the Markette breakfast, which includes a sausage, beans in tomato sauce, a slice of bread, a cheese omelette, mushroms, salad, tea, orange juice, yoghurt, fried potatoes and bacon. No, not real bacon - pork is not available in this Muslim country. Well, that's not really true: it is available, in seperate sections of supermarkets in which only non-Muslims are allowed. But it would never be served in a place like this. At UAD 62, it's quite good value for money, especially considering the location.
It's a breakfast that's more English than French, but I guess it's excellent fuel for people preparing themselves for a long day shopping. And it's quite tasty. Rihanna Gaga picks out the cherry tomatoes and the mushrooms - two of her favourite foodstuffs and sips on the orange juice. She also copies me when I tike slices of cucumber and carrot and dip these in the thick yoghurt.
Still not really able to talk, she sometimes has difficulties making it known what she wants. She'll stretch out her hand and make a whining noise, while spreading and closing her fingers, after which the only thing we can do is guess and hold up things to her. Do you want this? This? This? She'll shake her head and nowadays also say 'no' and grow increasingly frustrated if we keep misunderstanding her. This will often end in her crying. We go through this again at a certain moment during today's breakfast and it turns out she wants some sugar bags. The moment I finally understand her and hand her one, she starts smiling again and runs off with it, shaking it like a musical instrument, much to the amusement of some of the other patrons.
When breakfast is finished, we walk to the Dubai Aquarium. It's time to have a closer look at all those fishes!
We're having our breakfast at Markette Restaurant & Creperie this morning, which is located in the heart of the Dubai Mall. From where we sit, we have
an excellent view on the Dubai Aquarium, a huge - no really, huge - tank filled with thousands of fishes, from tiny ones to large sharks. Every once in a while, Rihanna Gaga points at it and exclaims 'fishes!' or 'wow!' She loves it. She's always been fond of fishes. Her favourite song is a about a fish and fish was one of the first few words she could recognise and repeat.Markette is a cozy affair, replicating - or, one should really say, simulating - a French bistro inside this enormous mall. The shops are still closed, but the mall is already quite busy, people walk by and I have no idea where they could be coming from or going to. Maybe they're window shopping as a preparation for the real thing?
The music that's being played is, quite surprisingly, some melancholic indie rock with songs about despair and lot love. Not really Rihanna Gaga's taste, but it has a nice melody and rythm besides the melancholy and she seems to be enjoying it, rocking to the beat and waving her arm every once in a while, nodding seriously.
She grabs the menu and start pointing to dishes on it. She often does this in restaurants, copying the movements and gestures of people discussing what to have without knowing what it all means - or so I guess. I ignore her suggestions (which include spaghetti bolognèse, a large frozen cappuccino and several crepes) and opt for the Markette breakfast, which includes a sausage, beans in tomato sauce, a slice of bread, a cheese omelette, mushroms, salad, tea, orange juice, yoghurt, fried potatoes and bacon. No, not real bacon - pork is not available in this Muslim country. Well, that's not really true: it is available, in seperate sections of supermarkets in which only non-Muslims are allowed. But it would never be served in a place like this. At UAD 62, it's quite good value for money, especially considering the location.
It's a breakfast that's more English than French, but I guess it's excellent fuel for people preparing themselves for a long day shopping. And it's quite tasty. Rihanna Gaga picks out the cherry tomatoes and the mushrooms - two of her favourite foodstuffs and sips on the orange juice. She also copies me when I tike slices of cucumber and carrot and dip these in the thick yoghurt.
Still not really able to talk, she sometimes has difficulties making it known what she wants. She'll stretch out her hand and make a whining noise, while spreading and closing her fingers, after which the only thing we can do is guess and hold up things to her. Do you want this? This? This? She'll shake her head and nowadays also say 'no' and grow increasingly frustrated if we keep misunderstanding her. This will often end in her crying. We go through this again at a certain moment during today's breakfast and it turns out she wants some sugar bags. The moment I finally understand her and hand her one, she starts smiling again and runs off with it, shaking it like a musical instrument, much to the amusement of some of the other patrons.
When breakfast is finished, we walk to the Dubai Aquarium. It's time to have a closer look at all those fishes!
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