I saw the world's cleanest food market today. It was shockingly clean. There was not a fly to be seen in the place and there was absolutely not a drop of standing water near the fish market. There were no fruit or veggie carcases to be seen and the only smell emanating from the ENTIRE market was that of the Philipino mangoes. This magical market was to be found in a small-ish city (Al-Ain) in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (incidentally also the name of the capital city of the UAE), though I have no doubt that other semi-outdoor souks in other Emirates (such as Dubai) are just as clean. As a result, my uncle and I hoarded mangoes, packed them into the Jeep and drove home.

We ended up at the Royal Mirage for dinner, in a traditional Moroccan restaurant (of course with all the comforts of a hotel =D ). It was....delicious. The mint tea was the best I'd ever had, a sumptuous, refreshing blend of mint, tea, and sugar. I'm sure I will be butchering my own mint plant (I have grand plans of growing a few herbs in my apartment this year) on a regular basis in an attempt to recreate the minty goodness of tonight.

I have also become infatuated with this yellow, smiling mascot for the Summer Surprise Festival in Dubai. He has an ugly name: "Modhesh" but that fact is quickly blotted out by the fact that his smiling face is a veritable ray of sunshine. I think it was my aunt who figured out that Modhesh is a jack-in-the-box "jack" without the box. That would explain the accordion body and generally "springy" demeanour. I have posted a picture of myself with Modhesh, whom I have dubbed "SummerFest Dude" above. Do not judge for yourself, I have already judged for you; SummerFest Dude is absolutely extraordinarily pimp.