It’s that time of year again – your family flee to cooler climes for the summer, your mates all take their holidays at the same time and the scorching streets of Abu Dhabi start to look like a scene from 28 Days Later. So if you’re by yourself for the next month or two, don’t be daunted by the prospect of all that alone-time. We’ve put together a handy guide to surviving the summer by yourself, including where to eat, where to go and what to do. So what if you’ve only got yourself for company? This summer’s going to be a blast.
Eating
Sushi counters
Of course, as anyone who has ever dined alone will tell you the main problem is where to look. You can’t stare anxiously at your plate the whole time, obviously, or you’ll look like a member of Overeaters Anonymous. Looking around at your fellow diners might make them uncomfortable – as though you’re about to pull up a chair at their table. People say take a book, but in our opinion this is awkward (paperback in right hand, fork in left?) and smacks of self-consciousness. This is where the sushi counter comes into its own. There’s plenty to look at: Japanese chefs slicing and rolling and decorating like there’s no tomorrow? It’s practically theatre. You have your back to the more sociable diners, and, of course, anyone sitting next to you will be similarly unaccompanied. So slide on to a stool at Samurai for cheap maki rolls and bento boxes, Soba if you fancy some sashimi washed down with an authentic Japanese beverage or the ever-terrific Toki for a great atmosphere and some more unconventional sushi options.
Samurai, Mina Road (02 676 6612); Soba, Le Royal Méridien (02 695 0450); Toki, Hilton Abu Dhabi (02 681 4151)
Cafés
If you’re getting fed up of your living room and want somewhere else to while away a few solo hours over lunch, you need a café with very specific criteria. Firstly, of course, decent food. Secondly, staff have to leave you alone and not pressure you to buy a third latte just to justify your being there. And thirdly – and most crucially – there have to be other solo diners there. Otherwise you’ll just look like a loner. There are just three spots (in our humble opinion) that fulfil all these criteria. If you’ve got ‘stuff to do’ on your laptop (ie check Facebook while looking very busy and important) visit Zyara. And make sure you order the date cake with caramel sauce – you’ll be very glad there’s no one to spoonfight with over the last mouthful. Mugg and Bean is the place to go if you want an old-school cigarette-and-newspaper kind of vibe, although you should stick to the coffee, juice and cakes. They also have wi-fi, although it’s not as fast as Zyara’s. The staff at Shakespeare and Co will not only happily seat you near a plug socket, but they’ll also keep you supplied with complimentary biscuits and teeny cakes all afternoon, regardless of how many cups of coffee you order. If you’re lucky, you might even get a few freebie chocs with the bill. Now there’s a reason to visit.
Zyara, East Corniche Street (02 627 5007); Mugg & Bean (02 645 4232); Shakespeare and Co, Souk at Central Market (02 639 9626)
Pubs
The pub is probably one of the few remaining places where you can arrive alone and strike up a conversation with someone next to you without being accused of anything untoward. Chat about anything from the weather to whatever sport is showing on the TV screens, while you tuck into a pint and a burger. There are plenty of casual, easy-going pubs in the downtown area that are perfect for a quiet solo afternoon or evening watching the sport while you grab something to eat. Captain’s Arms does a mean fish ’n’ chips and has a friendly, chatty atmosphere. Heroes is all about the sports, so head down to this basement spot on Hamdan Street if you’re after a session of howling at the TV screen and discussing the crap ref with the other regulars. Chow down on the wraps and sandwiches there for a relatively healthy alternative to traditional bar snacks. And for a standard plateful of burger and chips while you watch the football, visit Le Méridien’s NRG.
Heroes, Crowne Plaza (02 621 0000); Captain’s Arms, Le Méridien (02 644 6666); NRG, Le Méridien (02 644 6666)
Improving your mind
Libraries
We suspect you won’t actually get round to this one. But doesn’t everyone tell themselves they’d be much better read and infinitely more informed if only they had a little bit more time to spare? That they’d spend hours catching up on ‘great novels’ and important philosophical essays? Well, if you do actually decide to spend your single time this summer in a constructive manner, one of the best and cheapest ways to do it is by taking a trip to the library. There are a few to choose from in Abu Dhabi, but the city’s biggest is the National Library, which has over 300,000 Arabic titles and more than 100,000 in other languages. The library stocks the classics alongside more modern publications too, so after a few weeks you’ll have no excuse for having nothing to say about Anna Karenina or The Brothers Karamazov. So take advantage of the fact that membership is free (a refundable Dhs400 deposit aside) and you can keep hold of your selections for 15 days at a time.
Open Sunday-Thursday 8am-10pm, Friday 5pm-8pm, Saturday 9am-1pm, 5pm-8pm. 33rd Street, between Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street and Airport Road (02 657 6034)
Art Galleries
Art has all the culture of books without any of the effort (on the spectator’s part at any rate) and if you’ve found our library suggestion offensive, but the little voice in your head (the one with the mild French accent) keeps telling you you need to get cultured, then art galleries are the way to go. Your first destination has to be Salwa Zeidan Gallery, owned and operated by the self-taught Lebanese artist herself. If you head out this week you’ll catch the awesome Art in Space, an exhibition of standalone sculptures that even Neanderthals would find thought-provoking. Next, head to Manarat Al Saadiyat, home to permanent exhibition The Saadiyat Story, featuring scale models of the stunning architecture set to form the heart of Abu Dhabi’s ambitious new cultural centre. And if you’re looking for something that’s a little bit out of the ordinary, try Paris Abu Dhabi, a penthouse apartment turned exhibition space that’s open by appointment only. Paris hides a choice selection of ancient and contemporary works, with modern masterpieces sitting alongside some of the oldest Qurans in the world. It does hold a couple of open shows a year, but you’ll have to get in touch to figure out the schedule.
Salwa Zeidan Gallery open Sun-Thu 9am-7pm; Fri-Sat by appointment (02 666 9656); Manarat Al Saadiyat open daily 10am-8pm (02 643 5781); Paris Abu Dhabi, visits by appointment only (02 635 9194).
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Need a little time out to clear your head? There are few better solo destinations in the capital than the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Whether you’re a Muslim or not, the gotta-feel-it-to-believe-it coldness of the white marble floors, intricate flower designs and humbling white domes are truly inspirational. If you take the chance to visit alone you’ll be able to make the most of the place, soaking up the architecture and the serenity. There will be no one trying to line you up in the centre of the walkway for the perfect photo or panicking because they can’t remember where they left their flip flops, so you can stay as long as you like in peace.
Sheikh Zayed Mosque (800 555)
Getting in shape
Wouldn’t it be nice to get rid of the gut before your loved ones return? The gym is the obvious answer, but if pounding the treadmill to the wailing of Justin Bieber, some American Idol winner or whatever phoney starlet MTV has on a loop that day sounds like a sure fire way to abject misery… well there are still plenty of options. Invest in a personal trainer, even if it’s just for a month or two to give your body an intense overhaul. You’re far more likely to follow their advice and stick to workout sessions when you’ve got nothing better to do (and no kids’ leftovers to pick at and undo all your good work when you get home). For more casual exercise, evening or very early morning are bearable if you want to take a gentle run or cycle along the Corniche – it’s hot, sure, but when there’s a breeze coming off the water it’s still more refreshing than a stifling gym.
Or if you’re getting sick of your own company and fancy getting involved in some team sports, sign up to join a football or basketball team with Duplays.com, which is running indoor leagues throughout the summer at Libra Sports Academy, Raha School. An hour’s session getting competitive with other sports fans to spur you on will mean you burn off some weight and enjoy some company at the same time.
Visit www.duplays.com to sign up for their summer leagues
Socialise
Volunteer
Who says you can’t do good for someone else and yourself in one fell swoop? If you’re in the market for a new set of friends, then try volunteering. There are plenty of places to sign up in the capital. Try Volunteer in Abu Dhabi, a group that has been set up to connect charities with volunteers. Register on their website, and you will be sent notice of events that best suit your skills and availability – all you have to do is pick the ones you want. Sign up, and you could soon be sporting a new gang of do-gooding pals – as well as a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
www.volunteerinabudhabi.com
Meet a meet-up group
If your own company is starting to send you a little bit loopy, then get yourself an instant set of mates by joining one of Abu Dhabi’s meet-up groups at meetup.com. All sorts of social activities and events are arranged through this forum, including everything from Abu Dhabi Book Club for the cultured, to AD Unattached for singletons, and the ultra-friendly Abu Dhabi Hikers, Walkers and Off-Road Meetup Group.
www.meetup.com
Connect online
‘Get off the internet!’ How many times have you heard those four, horrible words? Well, now that you’re flying solo, allow us to suggest a couple of forums that can waste your afternoon. For the latest local buzz, head to www.abudhabiwoman.com and find out what the capital’s fairer expats (and undercover husbands) are busying themselves with these days; www.alloexpat.com has a relatively active Abu Dhabi forum as well. If you’re looking to make a difference why not head to www.tripadvisor.com and get back at all the hotels that gave you a hard time, or if you have regular time on your hands why not get a penpal? www.interpals.com is one of the oldest penpal goldies online.
Do it just once…
If you’ve been holding back on the smelly foods (and by that we mean both things that stink and things that make you stink) now’s the time to have at them. Why not eat curry and beans for dinner, then leftover curry and beans with onions and boiled eggs in a sandwich for breakfast the next morning? Alternatively, spend your evenings in front of the television with junk food and let the dishes and wrappers pile for as long as you can. Find out how many cheeseburgers you can tuck away before making yourself ill, and while you’re at it pile up the wrappers for as many days as possible. Post a picture online for some manly lols from your mates.
Do it just once…
Watch any of these brain-rotting movie franchises
Okay, so your wife’s skipped out of town for a couple of months to escape the heat, and that means one thing and one thing only – it’s time to satisfy your inner nerd. The original three Star Wars movies should quench that thirst, and best of all you have a good few weeks to get talking like Yoda out of your system without fear of ridicule or divorce. Fancy yourself as more of a tough guy? Well, there’s always the Die Hard franchise – a stone cold classic. Plenty of explosions, violence and witty one-liners to keep you going right through till September. After all, Bruce Willis is the only man who can believably shoot down a helicopter with a car.
Do it just once…
Play video games all day and night and call it exercise.
Anyone who’s ever had a go on Wii Fit will know that it’s an activity best done firmly behind closed doors. There’s very little that’s more embarrassing than sweating away in your living room while a scarily round-looking cartoon version of yourself mirrors you on screen. Still, there’s no denying that it’s a lot of fun, and for those who want to play video games all day, or who want to bust their gut without leaving the house, this is a prime solution. Get on that balance board and flail your limbs like there’s no tomorrow. Or stop kidding yourself that computer games count as a workout altogether and settle down on the sofa for a marathon session of Tekken or L.A. Noire. We won’t tell.
Do it just once…
There are bound to be other strays in your circle – poor lonely so-and-sos whose family, friends and colleagues have abandoned them too. Why not invite them over for one reckless, raucous night of revelry? Then in the morning, as you gaze at the cigarette burns in the cushions and piles of crumpled up cans, you’ll realise what your life would be like if you didn’t have your family.
10 things to do before they come back
1) Spend time with the friends your partner doesn’t let you see. Make sure they understand that this is only a temporary thing, just in case they get any funny ideas.
2) Do nothing; do it on a couch, and do it for a few hours. Just absolutely nothing. It’s fantastic.
3) Walk around the house in your underwear, and scratch everything you’ve always been told not to. Sweet freedom!
4) Blast the music, and play horrible albums. Want to wake up to Britney Spears, but far too ashamed of your secret crush? Now’s the time.
5) Fill the fridge entirely with junk food, and then eat it all. Four cheesecakes? Check. Ten bottles of whipped cream? Check.
6) Clean the bathroom! No, no; we’re just kidding. As you were.
7) Talk to yourself. Walk around the house and have a full conversation with yourself, and try using different accents for added insanity.
8) Game for an entire day. Order in, get a new and immersive game, and finish it in a day. Ocarina of Time anyone? Or maybe one of last year’s classics, such as Mass Effect 2?
9) Spend the day grooming. Do the things that’ll scare partners away, like applying insane facial masks and sliced vegetables, and walking around with toe-separators on. Yes this also applies to men; you know you’re secretly dying for a pedicure.
10) Welcome your partner back in style. Clean the house, do the dishes, pick up that disgusting pile of socks and cook your partner a meal (please order in if you’re liable to set the kitchen on fire). You’ve been a terribly indulgent person, so it’s time to repent.
