Monday 30 April 2007

Louise & Mark's Wedding - Dubai, 20th April 2007



Louise & Mark's wedding was celebrated on Friday 20th April. A simple but very sweet church ceremony with an emotional groom and a beaming bride! This was followed by a lovely dinner at the Dubai Racing Club.....Lou, that sushi was very very yummy!!!

Sunday 29 April 2007

Friends





Sometimes you pick your friends, sometimes they pick you

What would my life be without my friends? I ask myself that question sometimes and I always have the same answer….a pretty lonely place.

As the quote above says, sometimes you have the luxury to select your friends, other times you are blessed with friends picking you, and that is the great thing about friends – it’s all about choice.

My closest circle of friends, aren’t childhood friends, but friends that I made in the last ten years. We have been through very happy times together and been through some tough times too. Sometimes we don’t speak to each other because we are so busy with our own individual lives but at the end of the day we know that we are there for each other and that is what makes my friends so special!

Rosanne, Rachel, Helga (Helga, had to put you in a separate photo, since you didn't join us that evening!), Daniela……and to all my other friends this is dedicated to you and may our friendship last forever.

Saturday 28 April 2007

FAVOURITE PICTURE SERIES (3)


Am not one to be happy to pose for pictures, but this is one of the few I like.... February 2006, St. Ouen Bay, Jersey, Channel Islands

Friday 27 April 2007




FAVOURITE PICTURES SERIES (2) Colourful Market in Provence - June 2003




Copyright Maria Vella-Galea 2003



FAVOURITE PICTURE SERIES (1) Children playing in Arles - June 2003

Copyright Maria Vella-Galea 2003

Photography

One of my Dad’s greatest hobbies was photography. Ever since I can remember, Dad always had a camera handy and was snapping away – family events, visits to London or simply during a Sunday family outing.

During my first trip to the UK in 1981, I remember my frustration and impatience whilst waiting for Dad to take pictures on our way to each and every historical place. This meant us stopping every five minutes to take a picture of this and a picture of that. One must also keep in mind that in those days digital cameras did not exist so Dad had to fiddle with the exposure meter, ensure that the aperture was correct etc etc.

Being just 9 years old, for me this was a waste of time but now, nearly 25 years and many photographs later, I can see the beauty and artistic features of the photos he used to take. They were not just snapshots but beautiful photos that take me down memory lane.

As the year’s passed, Dad got me hooked into photography. Life has been made easier with digital photography, enabling us budding photographers to experiment more.

I am sharing some of my favourite pictures on this blog – they may not be meaningful to you out there but to me they are special.

In a way, this love of photography is my way of feeling closer to my Dad, who unfortunately passed away ten years ago.

Thursday 26 April 2007

all about MVG :)

This blog is all about me, Maria Vella-Galea.

Learn more about me, my travels and my adventurous nature and what makes me happy in life :)

The first entries have been posted today, however I will try to place them in chronological order where possible.

This blog is not intended to be a novel or work of art but a place where I can share some of my life's experiences.

I hope you will enjoy reading about them and enjoy seeing the pictures - some taken locally and others taken in the places I have visted till now.

Please do send me your comments.......I look forward to hearing from you out there!

Maria :)

al-salaam alaykum......my latest adventure....Dubai



In 1894, Sheikh Maktoum bin Hasher al-Maktoum ruler of a fledgling Dubai, lured foreign traders to the city by offering a safe, tax-free port. Over a 100 years later, his entrepreneurial descents are doing the same with tourists and companies willing to invest in this country which has become flashy, fun, surreal but all in all a uniquely Arabian Experience.

My visit to Dubai this month was an unexpected pleasure - the main reason being the wedding of my dear friend Louise, who has been living there for the past nine years. During my visit I had the pleasure of not only seeing my dear friend start her life of wedded bliss but also making new friends and experiencing new adventures.

Dune Buggy racing in the desert (and taking loads of sand back home with you), flying over the desert in a hot air balloon at dawn, visiting old villages in Hatta, finding out what Dubai looked like in the 1940s, haggling over the price of spices in the Spice Souq and having a blow dry at the Burj Al Arab - the world's only 7 star hotel, and wandering in the huge shopping malls just made the visit to Dubai even more exciting!