A Trip in the Desert . . . Actually Two

A couple of weeks ago, we had an off-site meeting for the management team in the Middle East. We went to a resort in a city called Al Ain. Al Ain is at the foot of the "mountians" in Dubai. For all you from the Rockies or Alps area - they are really just high hills, but to use they are mountains. The resort is at the top of the mountain. Here is a day time photo. I tried to get some night time shots, but the were too blurry. If you look into the distance, you can see the city of Al Ain below. The evening temps were around 25 C (80 F) and dinner was served on the terrace overlooking the city below - it was beautiful.

Here's a shot heading up the winding road to the resort. For some reason, the city of Al Ain has found it necessary to irrigate and water the lower levels of the foothills leading into the mountains. Actually, the whole city is green - it's a bit off-putting after being in brown scenery for so many weeks.

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This past weekend, we were itching to get our car out into the desert. So, we took a trip to a popular nearby oasis called Hatta Pools. They say the route is passable in 2-wheel drive, but I would never want to take a normal car on these roads. Certainly the ground clearance is more than a regular car would handle - and the roads are pretty steep in many areas. Boy! did we have some fun - mostly me because I got to drive. Russell had yet to get his UAE drivers licenses, so he wasn't legal with the new car. But he got it today! Nothing like a having to let your wife have all the driving fun to get you motivated for the new license!

Here are a few shots of the scenery.

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You'll have to click to enlarge this picture, but it is a mosque tower sticking up in the middle of this beautiful oasis.

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Here's a picture of what the "roads" looked like that we were driving on. Actually, at this time we were driving along a wadi (arroyo or dry river bed) which is pretty flat. There are also some areas where the road runs up and down some hills and that is really fun!

On the way to Hatta, we passed a sand dune area called Big Red. They were renting quad bikes to run up and down this huge sand dune. This is also where you can go for sand boarding.

Our new car

Well, we've decided that as long as we live in a desert climate, we might as well enjoy it. Many people have told us of the fun to be had off-roading in the desert. There are clubs that go out each weekend and books that will tell you the GPS coordinates for making your turns. It seems that with the heat of summer abating, the desert is the place to be.

So, we decided to go for it and got ourselves a nice off-roading vehicle. The Toyota FJ Cruiser. We just picked it up yesterday. Boy! Do I feel like I'm towering over the road! Technically, it is classified as a small SUV - but it feels big to me.

We got our off-road books last week and have been plotting our first adventure. After the run-in with the sand in our neighborhood, we're smart enough to know we should be going with a group. Our General Manager in the Middle East is a big enthusiast, so I'm expecting an outing with him soon.

Our shipment from the US arrived, and now we have our camping equipment. I'm looking forward to cool nights under the stars!

Lyra Sayings

A few comments from Lyra.

"What a pain in the butt," she said at dinner the other night. "What's a pain in the butt?" I asked. "My fish died. And it hurts me to think about it." (this was 6 months ago) "Yes, I know you miss Man."

"What a RUSH," after taking a big gulp of milk. (I think she thinks it means something like - that was fast.)

"I don't respect that" - which I think she actually means to say "I didn't expect that".

"I prefer blue. Mama, you prefer red." She has discovered that her favorite color is blue and now everything blue is lov-er-ly.

"Mama, you have to drink your water in the car. It's Ramadan and even if we don't believe it we don't eat or drink outside because it's not respectful." Thank you for the reminder Lyra, I guess our explanations have made sense to her.

Big SOB and CRYING, "I can't hold it together. I'm too tired."

I'm Stuck. . . Again!

Well, Russell just wouldn't let me get away without posting an entry about this weekend's adventures with the car. I managed to get the car stuck twice this weekend. First time, I was able to get it out with the help of 5 friendly passers by. The second time, after Russell and several passers by tried digging through the sand, we finally called a tow truck. Well, hey - now I know who to call if I need a towing.

The first incident was caused by driving over a curb that I didn't see in the parking area. I managed to wedge my car on top of the curb and the front wheels weren't actually touching the gravel. With a few heave-ho's - and a lot of debates in what I think must have been Hindi - the guys were able to get the car dislodged. Lyra was keeping up an on-going dialog of commentary during the whole incident. "Mama, why are those guys pushing the car?" "Mama, we're never going to get off this rock." "Mama, Baba is going to be angry" "Mama, can I help?" "Mama, why do I have to stand out of the way." "Mama, why are you telling them, 'Thank you'"

In less than 24 hours, I had managed to get the car stuck again. This time, I was trying to take a 'short cut' by driving through some sand from one road over to another. Everything was fine until I hit a soft patch and managed to get the car bogged down in the sand. I hung my head, walked back to the house, and confessed to Russell. He headed over to the car with all kinds of tools (carpets, ladder (?), cardboard). His initial assessment was - no problem. I went back to the house because Lyra was still sleeping and waited for his return. After 20 minutes, I knew that it wasn't as easy as it looked. He came back, covered in sweat & sand from head to toe (yuk) and dove in the pool. The tow truck came within 20 minutes and pulled the car out. The guy definitely knew what he was doing.

Well, we both now have a new appreciation for driving in the sand. It is COMPLETELY different from driving in snow. In the snow, if you dig far enough down, there is eventually a solid surface for your car to grab. In the sand, the car just keeps digging itself further and further down. Also, the sand is more like soft powdered snow than heavy bulky snow. So, there is no resistance to the tires. Imagine the most powdery and light snowfall that you can, imagine it is 10 feet deep, now imagine trying to drive your car across it. That's what driving in soft sand can be like.

It's a good thing we learned this lesson so close to home. We are about 2-3 days away from picking up our new car - a Toyota FJ Cruiser - and we're reading up on all the off-roading adventures that we can take with the car. It is definitely something you should NEVER do by yourself. You should always travel with another car - and preferably two. We have a lot of practicing and learning to do. Luckily their are off-road clubs here who are willing to take on newcomers like us and teach us the ropes.

Is this the Hammam?

Turkey is famous for its steam baths and spas, called Hammam's. But what you see here is not a picture taken at a spa in Istanbul, but at the airport. These travelers are on their way to Jeddah. As part of Ramadan, there is a practice called Umrah. Pilgrims cleanse themselves and then travel to visit the Kaaba which is a holy place in Mecca. I think that tradition states they are supposed to travel naked (I'm not sure, if someone knows please help me) - but today they travel wrapped in these towels that you see. I guess the question, "What does a Scotsman wear under his kilt?" could easily be asked about these fellows. I've been warned that when I travel to Saudi next week that my plane will be full of people making the Umrah. Could be an interesting flight, hope my seat mates towel doesn't "accidentally" get caught in the seat belt or something. Sorry for the blurriness of the picture, but I was trying to be discrete - probably a bit rude to start taking snapshots like they were characters in a diorama.

After hearing so much about the feasts, called Iftar, that are held in the evenings to break the fasts of Ramandan, we decided to visit one ourselves. We heard that the crowds were huge, but probably for the first time in our lives, we were a late seating (at 8:30). After thinking about it, I realized why. Fasters are allowed to break their fast at sunset, which occurs around 6:30. So, of course, the banquets are going to be a lot more busy at that time than 2 hours later. Anyway, the food was great. Here are Russell and Lyra outside the tents that had been set up for the banqueting hall.

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Russell got to smoke a sisha. Lyra and I both had henna designs done.

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Here's a picture from Russell. In this neighborhood, all the streets are named after major cities in the region. We were on the corner of Baghdad and Beirut.

Istanbul (not Constantinople)

Pronounced ee-STAHN-bul - not ISS-stahn-bul.

What a lovely city. Great street life; people out strolling, small cafes for coffee, little restaurants still run by the same family that established the place in 1860s - just great! Had a very good week there for some project planning in our office with a small side trip to a city on the Aegean called Izmir. Have determined that Russell, Lyra and I need to go back. So, hopefully planning a trip to Istanbul and Turkey's northern coast of the Aegean.

Quite a few gypsy's living in Istanbul. They are called Romans - meaning from Romania (Tranzylvania to be exact) not from Rome. Most of them make a living by combing through the rubbish to find treasures that they can sell. Also seems that a lot of them run fruit & veg stands. Still rely on horses for transportation. These folks are in rush hour traffic - just like the rest of us.

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We have a factory in a city on the Aegean called Izmir. We traveled there for a day trip (flew in and out for the day). The area is so strikingly similar to Tuscany. Olive groves, vineyards, small cafes with great wine, mountains in the distance. I can imagine that the harvest time is lovely. Here is the view from our conference room in the factory office.

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Tried to capture an image of the Golden Mosque in the sunset, but the moving car made it a bit blurry. Still, I think you can see what a beautiful mosque it is. The first mosques in the city were originally Christian churches. When the population began to be more predominantly Muslim, they converted churches to mosques. This mosque style is unique to the Ottoman Empire.

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Half of Istanbul is in Asia and the other is in Europe - a true melting pot of cultures have existed in this area for centuries. Here is one of the bridges that connects the two continents. Be prepared for hours of traffic as you wait to cross. Traffic is a real problem for the city. The bridges are naturally bottlenecks.

You Would Have Thought This Unnecessary Guidance

When at the airport in Dubai, I caught sight of this display. Looks like a nice historical display of life in the Arab region before modern conveniences. Tent, carpets, some musical instruments, goats (if you look closely, you can see the goat). What is that little white sign on the side? What does that say?

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Oh, ok. Well, thanks for the information. Actually, I've never seen so many people sleeping at the airport as in Dubai. Must be because the airport is in operation 24 hours/day. There are people arriving from all over the world and Dubai is their transit city. So, they are probably spending many hours on lay over in the airport. So, they stretch out and make themselves comfortable to rest for the (probably) long flight ahead. I can imagine that the pillows & cushions were just too much for some poor traveler to resist.

Ramadan Kareem

"Ramadan is Generous"

Starting tomorrow, Sept 13, we enter the month of Ramadan. This is the month that muslims celebrate the revealing of the Koran. It falls in the 9th Islamic month. The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, so each year the 9th Islamic month moves slightly forward in our calendar. So next year, Ramadan will be slightly earlier in the year.

Here is a picture of the Kaba in Mecca. You can see the 1,000s of people gathered for prayers during the Hajj (the holy trip to Mecca) during Ramadan.





Muslims observe Ramadan by fasting during the daylight hours of the month. It is a time of showing respect and appreciation for the revealing of the Koran. The month is characterized by a spirit of giving and gathering with family. In Dubai, non-Muslims are not expected to fast, but we are asked to respect the fasting period by keeping all eating and drinking out of public (including in our cars). Many of the smaller restaurants are closed during the days. But the larger restaurants and chains will be open, they will have temporary curtains sheilding the eating and drinking from sight. At the end of the day, around 8pm, Muslims will break the fast with dates and water. This is followed by a huge feast called Iftar. Most of the big hotels and restaurants will host huge Iftar feasts each night where there is eating and a great party spirit.

Ramadan is also a time for giving generously. There are many charities that benefit from the generousity of the people during Ramadan. People are asked to think of the poor



In addition, to fasting, Muslims are asked to follow the teachings of the Koran even more closely. Non-Muslims are asked to be more conservative in their dress - mostly this means wearing shits with sleeves for women.


In Dubai, even though it is the law to observe Ramadan, in practice there is no penalty for not following their requests. If you eat/drink in public and wear skimpy tops, no one will stop you. But it is viewed as a sign of disrespect.

The end of Ramadan is a holiday called Eid al Fitr. Most companies will observe a few days off during Eid. This week is marked by everyone getting together in celebration, wearing their finest closthes, and feasting together.

Given all this feasting, I would bet that you could gain weight during Ramadan - even though you're fasting during the day.





More information:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan
http://www.isboston.org/v3.1/viewitem.asp?DocID=876&MenuID=71&ParentID=7
http://www.grapeshisha.com/Ramadan-fasting-and-feasting-newsletter.html

Sand Drifts

Yesterday, it was very BLOWY and windy. We took a quick road trip up to an Emirate where you can buy duty free alcohol without a drinking license. With Ramadan approaching, we wanted to get there before the place was closed for a month.

The wind was whipping across the desert, carrying little sand blasts with it. There were times that the roads were nearly covered with drifts of sand (just like a windy snow storm at home). Russell was having fun rolling over the sand drifts with the car and giving us a bouncy ride.

I tried to take pictures, but it was too hazy to see anything.

When we go home, there were little piles of sand in the corners of the patio, at the front of the house, and along the bottom of the swimming pool.

I've been told that these winds are a sign that the weather is changing. And we are noticing a definite drop week over week in the temps. This week, highs are in the upper 30s (around 100) with lows in the upper 20s (around 80). Believe it or not, it actually feels a bit nippy in the pool.

More School Pics

Yesterday, I ran out of time to upload some more of our photos from the first day of school. Here are a few more shots of the school & Lyra.
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This first one is of Lyra in the Art Room. I think the little girl next to her is named Vikata - there are all sorts of new names that we're going to need to get used to. When you look at the list of names in her school, they range from Markus and Fay to Sultan and Raheem.
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Here is Lyra (& Russell) in the Practical Life Room. One of the great things about Montessori is that the lessons and material are the same no matter where in the world you are. Lyra immediately went to the different lessons on the shelf and started using the materials. The teachers were impressed with how much she knew.
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Here is circle time. The teachers lead the kids in singing songs in Arabic, French, and English. Lyra was saying to me, "I don't know what they are saying." It won't be long until she does. Russell was saying that he was getting teary watching the kids singing in different languages -- until they started with the Barney song (I Love You). His eyes dried right up with that song. No matter where you go, you cannot escape Barney.
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Lyra is sitting next to a little girl who I think will become a good friend. The girl to the left is Ada. She's from Georgia. Her family lives in Mirdif, too. After circle time, the kids went upstairs for snacks. Ada and Lyra grabbed hands and went up, like they had been doing this for weeks.
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Snack time. Lyra ate as if we hadn't fed her for weeks.

Her

If You Complain, They Will Answer

Our new home has a garbage dumpster/tip on the opposite side of the street. When we moved in, there was rubbish everywhere. The tip was completely full and overflowing. People were leaving their food waste on the street (imagine Basil's happy discovery of chicken bones!) There was tree cuttings, old household items, it was a mess. According to what I've read, the tips should be collected every day (and in this climate that is not luxury, but a public health necessity). Anyway on Saturday and Sunday, the piles and piles of rubbish grew. After taking some of our empty moving boxes out to the trash, someone came by took all the packing paper out of the boxes (believe me this is no small amount of paper), left the paper to be blown about by the wind and then took the boxes. For me, that was the last straw.

So, yesterday I wrote an email to Dubai Municipality complaining of the situation. I was certain my note was disappearing into the black hole of beauracracy. Imagine my surprise - no SHOCK - when at 7:30 this morning the doorbell rang. It was a representative from Dubai Municipality responding to my email . . . in PERSON!!

Of course, wouldn't you know that at 6am the rubbish collectors had come by to collect everything. I'm not sure, but maybe that had been prompted by my note. I had to say to him, you should have seen it yesterday! It was a mess! He nodded - I'm sure he believed me, but also he's thinking, "Here's another high maintenance American."

First Day of School

It is a good thing that we're finally getting into some routines with everything. It has been a very topsy-turvy set of weeks for everyone. Lyra has been holding up well, but it has been a strain for her. She has even said to me, "I wish I was on the right schedule" - bless her heart. Today school started and Lyra was just so excited to go. This week is a short week (starting today, Tuesday, through to Thursday) with just 2 hours of class each day. Parents are invited today and tomorrow. On Thursday, they have asked us to drop her off to be in school by herself. Next week, the school starts observing Ramadan hours, so there is a shortened day from 9am to 1pm until mid-October. Then after mid-October, the school day goes from 8:30am to 1:30 (so not much of a change from the Ramadan to normal hours).

There are about 8-9 teachers in the school for about 75 students (plus an administrator, a Montessori implementor, a school nurse, and a principle). The population of students is about 80% Arab. The rest of the students are Indian, Asian (there is at least one other Chinese student), and Caucasian. The teachers are all from different countries and speak English, Arabic, French, Chinese, and Hindi. Instruction is mainly in English, but they also provide instruction in Arabic and French.

Here is Lyra in front of her new school, Gulf Montessori. I guess it was just a bit too sunny for her to keep her eyes open. She's wearing her new uniform (that's going to be a welcome switch.)

The school used to be a large family villa. There is a play ground (under sun shading), a pool, a grassy area, and what looks to be an animal pen in the back. I didn't ask, but I'm wondering if they will keep small animals (roosters or rabbits) in there.

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Here's a picture of snack time. From this photo it looks as if all of the mothers wear Arab dress, but actually there is about 50/50 split. And even some of the fathers were there in their Arab dress. I will admit that at first I was intimidated by seeing people wearing the traditional Arab dress. Really, given the way we see Arabs portrayed, it would be amazing if I wasn't. But since it is so common here, you do get used to it. And you start to realize - it's just clothing. These mothers and fathers are like any gathering of parents on the first day of school. And I've learned that my discomfort is all about me and not about them.

Our Address

In Dubai, they do not have a system of street addresses. Everyone's mail gets delivered to a post office box - or more frequently to their office. You can pay for someone to go by your post office box to pick up your mail and deliver it. (You can pay someone to do anything here.) Most of the streets actually have a name, but no on uses them. And I have found that if I do try to use them, it just confuses everyone. If you say 23b Street, they will ask, "Villa 23?" So, I just don't bother.

So, how do you tell someone where you live? If you need a service person to come repair or a delivery or a taxi pick up - how do you tell them where to come. All "addresses" are given as directions from a commonly known landmark. In our case, our address is:

From the Spinney's roundaoubt, turn right
Go to the T-junction, turn left
Take the 2nd left
We are the brown villas on the left, number 4

So, now you can come to see us. We'll leave the lights on for you.

Comments are moderated

I've turned on comments moderation. That means that comments are reviewed by me before they are made public. So, if you don't see your comment right away - that is why. I had a weird response to one of my posts and it made me a bit cautious.