Happy New Year!! Oh wait . . . CANCELLED!

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has ordered the cancellation of all forms of celebrations marking the New Year in Dubai emirate, as an act of solidarity with the Palestinian people.

http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Government/10271287.html

Hotels are NOT going to be happy about this. They're already complaining that the financial crisis has brought a 25% reduction in their occupancy rates. Mind you - this means that occupancy has gone from 90% fill rate to 70% fill rate. Hotels in the US would give their eye teeth for 70% fill rate.

I only heard by accident as I was walking into the office. I'm sure there will be lots of people who show up tonight at the hotels all dolled up for the evening out only to find that their evening has been cancelled. I can't WAIT to read the letters section of our local paper. This is bound to stir up the debate.

Russell and I had nothing planned - so little impact on us. We'll quietly raise a glass in toast at the stroke of midnight. That is, if we're still awake.

Update:
Turns out that the "cancellations" applied to outdoor events. Hotels and other indoor venues were allowed to continue their parties, but we asked to hold a more subdued event. I don't know exactly what subdued means. I think that all live music was cancelled - but maybe DJs were allowed. We ended up going over to the neighbors and had a great time. Lyra stayed up until midnight and was thrilled to see in the new year.

Christmas in Dubai

I think that this was the first year EVER in my entire life that I didn't go anywhere for Christmas. Usually, I travel to my parents' or my grandmother's or last year we went on a trip. But this year, we stayed home. And boy, was it relaxing and nice. I slept a ton - trying to work off the jet lag and end-of-year exhaustion. Had lots of energy - as evidenced by the morning I got up, walked Basil for a long walkie, washed my car, mopped down the garage door (I think I've mentioned how dusty things get here), fiddled with the washing machine (which is not fixed, but at least we know how to use it so that the clothes aren't soaking wet when they come out), and futzed with the hosepipe (which due to the mystery shut-off valve we cannot find is still not fixed). And then it was 1pm.

What with the vacation to Africa and my unexpected trip to the US for my grandmother's funeral, we forgot to pick up an Advent calendar. Without that, Lyra was pretty unaware of the impending arrival of Father Christmas when I got back from the US on the 23rd. As I put her to bed, she asked me, "When will Santa come?"

"Tomorrow night," I said.


"Are you joking?" she asked.


"Nope, I'm serious. He's coming tomorrow night."


"But I haven't told him what I want, yet." (see previous post about missing Santa).


"Well, we can write him a letter."



So, on Christmas Eve, to hype it up a bit we had a very nice dinner. Surf & Turf for the adults. Russell made steak en croute (ribeye covered with pate in a puff pastry shell) and broiled lobster tails. Yummy! Lyra had a veggie cutlet with Gruyere cheese. Neither surf nor turf are on her list of favorites. After dinner, we all got into our jammies to watch the Grinch that Stole Christmas. I forgot that I now have Charlie Brown Christmas on DVD - it will be on next year's movie list. Then we read Twas the Night Before Christmas (a year-round favorite for Lyra).

Christmas morning - Lyra slept until 9. At her age, I could never have slept that long. She discovered her Plasma Car hidden by Santa behind the Christmas tree. "I didn't tell him what I wanted. How did he know I wanted a Plasma Car?" "Well, Santa knows. He knows if you've been bad or good and he knows what you want for Chirstmas." She worried a bit that maybe it was someone else's Plasma Car. Soon, she was demonstrating her expertise by driving the car around the living room and weaving in and out of the furniture.

After our morning gift openings, we got ready for Christmas lunch with the next door neighbors. We had reservations at a local hotel for their buffet. When we arrived, we were seated in the Tepanyaki area of the Bennihana's. Turned out to be a perfect location for us. For most of the time, it was just us in the back area. Nice and quiet. All of the hotel restaurants were participating in the buffet. So, we had Japanese, Thai, Lebanese, traditional English, Arabic, cold seafood buffet, Italian (and a smattering of Mexican). There was a special kids buffet with fish and chicken fingers, fries, cookies, etc. And everywhere were dessert tables with chocolate fountains, Christmas puddings, Um Ali, Ice Cream buffet (like Cold Stone Creamy). WOW - a real feast. At first I thought it was amusing to see so many locals at the buffet. But then I thought - well hey, we go to their Iftar buffets - so, I'm sure they enjoy experiencing our holiday traditions, too.

The next day, we went to the new mall that opened. Aptly named The Dubai Mall. They have an ice skating rink and an aquarium. I still can't get used to going to the malls for entertainment. But that's what you do here - especially in the summer. Lyra has wanted to try ice skating for ages and I even tried to take her during Ramadan - only to find that the rink we went to was closed. We paid for 2 hours, but I knew after putting on those horrible skates there would be no way I'd make it that long. But, we did skate for over an hour - and she improved tremendously during that time. In the first 15 minutes, she was ready to quit. But she kept with it and was doing pretty well by the end. Now she wants lessons, but I'm not sure if we can fit that into her busy schedule without giving up either theatre or ballet.

On Saturday, a trip out into the desert to build a campfire. There are sand dunes about 2 miles from our place that are fun for a bit of dune bashing. And then we set up a fire - one match is all it takes for the wood that has been drying in our garage. Basil becomes obsessed with trying to dig the tennis ball out of the sand and will dig a cavern the entire time we're there. We were once again accompanied by the neighbors. The kids had a blast! Next time, we'll bring the fixin's for s'mores.

A Year Without Santa Claus

What's up with Dubai this year? No Santas anywhere. Last year, there were Santa's a-plenty. But this year, the pickin's are few.

While I was in the US, Russell took Lyra to two separate malls to find Santa. The first was the mall where we went last year. Last year, they had a fantastic Christmas set up following the theme of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. You even entered Santa's grotto by opening up the wardrobe doors and going in past a set of hanging coats. Very magical! But this year - no sign of Santa there.

They did find a Santa at a nearby mall, but you had to pay entrance fee to the cheezy indoor amusement area in order to gain access to Santa. Now, that's taking Christmas commercialization a bit too far.

So, today I called a couple of the malls focusing on those in the "expat" areas - no luck. No Santa. Hmmmm. How grinch-ey is that?!? I guess she'll have to write Santa a letter. Russell says that's not even necessary - "Santa knows". Yes, he does know. So, perhaps we'll explain it that way. Lyra doesn't seem too concerned about it.

At least she saw Santa last week at school. He came by to say hello to the children on the last day before winter break. Lyra told me, "Mr. Dolesch (her principal) came by our classroom dressed like Santa Claus. I knew he wasn't the real Santa." I asked her, "How did you know?" "Well, the only real Santa is the one that comes to your house. The others aren't the real Santa." OK - well I'm glad we got that sticky question out of the way.

And I know it's a bit late, but if you don't know about the NORAD website - this is great fun for tracking Santa's arrival tonight.

Lenoir June Ragland

I'm back in the US for a short visit. My grandmother died and the funeral was yesterday.


She lived a long full life. She was 95 and there were several times over the past 5 years when we thought she wasn't going to make it. I'm looking forward to the times with family over the next couple of days to remember her. She was a strong woman and it was a lot of fun to be her granddaughter.

When I was about 8 (I was the oldest grandchild), my grandparents started taking all us grandchildren to a family church camp for a week. The first year there were 5 of us: me, Amy, Ron, and my cousins Tom and Mike. A couple years later, my younger cousins Brad and Sam also came. We stayed at a lake in Missouri. The bullfrogs were voluminous! The boys did tons of fishing and frog hunting. We all got lots of chiggers, poison ivy, and mosquito bites and spent as much time as possible swimming. Every year until I was 16 or 17, my grandparents took us. Afer a couple of the first years, they built a lodge and we were able to stay in air conditioned rooms. So, it was 7 grandkids for a week at summer camp with my grandparents. These are some great memories.


My grandma was always a baker. Each holiday visit we'd arrive to find tubs and tubs of our favorite cookies filling the house. Then for the meal, there'd be at least a couple of varieties of pie. Ron's favorite was pumpkin, so there were always at least a couple pumpkin pies and then maybe a pecan pie to go with it. For a few years, she was making cinnamon rolls for everyone. Her rolls were always rolled out so that the layers of bread between gooey cinnamon sugar were nice and thin. She'd buy some special sweetened flour from the donut shop to make her bread and rolls. I don't know what was in that flour, but it made the bread extra sweet and soft.


One of my favorite memories of Lyra with my grandma was of preparing pie crusts for Christmas pies. She worked with grandma to help get the crusts into the tins and crimp the edges. For us adults, it was great to see them working together. But I asked her, and its not something she remembers. It's funny how the memories for kids and adults are significant in different ways. Grandma always had lots of patience with her and enjoyed when Lyra would climb into her lap for a ride in the wheel chair from the car into the restaurant.

Grandma loved to have the house full, there was no such thing as too many people in the house. At family gatherings you'd find people in the living room, dining room, kitchen, breezeway, basement and spilling out into the back yard where there was a trampoline to entertain us kids. She had 4 spare beds in the old house that were often full with visiting family or friends. For her, life was meant to be shared with as many people as possible.

Let's Throw a Shoe at Him

Kudos to the Iraqi journalist who threw a shoe at President Bush. I can't tell you how much his recent words and the tone of his visit made me wince - as if I'd just taken a swig of pure lemon juice. Does the man have no sense of the reality that has been created under his leadership?!?!
Mr. Bush - couldn't you just go quietly instead of stirring up again all the anti-American sentiment in this region. Gee!

Well, now the people in the Arab world have a hero. Someone who expressed their feelings exactly. If Arab courtesies allowed them to say "F*ck you" then that's what throwing a shoe would be accompanied by. Who knew that such a simple act would awaken a huge sentiment within the communities here. Support is springing up everywhere. At a recent march, protestors took off their shoes and marched with them on the end of poles. The network for this journalist has been showing his picture in the upper right corner as a support for his actions. Everywhere people are calling in to congratulate his action.

Now I hear this journalist is in custody. But of course thousands are protesting for his right to freedom of expression. Which I agree with. Anyway, he should be let go and hopefully he soon will be - otherwise a different type of sentiment may develop. A Lybian group has just awarded him with a medal of courage. His actions have come to symbolize what so many have wanted to say to Mr. Bush and his failed policies for so long.

Hopefully, with the exit of Bush and arrival of Obama the folks of this region will be willing to give us (the US) another chance to show that we're not as tone-deaf to the sentiments of the world as our actions the last 8 years have shown.

Back from our Trip

So, just arrived yesterday from our trip to Kenya and Zanzibar. Wow, definitely a place to go back to.

We spent the first night in Nairobi. Right away, as we left the airport, a few in our group saw some giraffes that were in a nearby field. A taste of what was to come. Our hotel was near a neighborhood where we walked to find a local supermarket. We stocked up on water and a few other nibbles for our upcoming trip to the parks. It was much cheaper to buy the water when in Nairobi than to purchase it in the parks where it's priced at tourist prices.

Our fisrt trip was to Mt. Kenya. Given the elevation, the place was quite cool. Actually, Nairobi was also pleasantly temperate for being so close to the equator. We arrived in time for lunch and then a forest nature walk through the rain. Fur us Dubai-ites, the rain was a pleasant change. The hotel we stayed at was on the rim of a hill that overlooked a watering hole. We were able to go up to the observation level to watch animals strolling in for a drink. A large herd of cape buffalo made themselves at home for much of the afternoon and evening. A couple of warthogs also nosed around a bit. And otherwise, it was mostly deer, antelope, birds, and monkeys. In the evening, some of our group saw a gennet (small cat) and mongoose. But I was having a massage so missed that. We were able to register at the front desk for a wake up call if any exciting animals (like leopards) approached the hole. But, we had an undisdurbed night of sleep cuddled up with the hot water bottles that were placed in our beds for added warmth - nice!

From Mt. Kenya, we drove to Samburu National Park. We spent two days here safari-ing through the park. The park we stayed in is right next to a second park, Buffalo Springs. The two of them are around 75,000 acres. We had 2 safari drives each day. One in the evening, from 4 to 6:30 and the second in the morning from 6:30 to 9. It's hard to identify the biggest thrills. Every moment driving through the parks was fun. We were able drive up to a large family of elephants. They seemed very comfortable with us being there. Almost on cue when Russell said, "I wish they would trumpet" one of them did. And a young bull gave a fake-charge to our car. It was great to just stand and watch them. Also, we spotted a lioness right by the side of the road on our last day leaving the park. She was probably 2 feet from us on the side of the road.

After Samburu, we travelled to Sweetwaters Tented Camp. This park is actually a private conservancy. The park is smaller and they have introduced rhinos. We were able to see huge herds of zebras, cape buffalo, and giraffes. The park also has a special chimpanzee park for rescue chimps that are found in homes and markets and other areas. This is another park where the camp overlooks a watering hole. It was a bit surreal to walk up to the check-in desk and see giraffes walking about behind the building. Russell and I decided to join the night safari while there. We saw many of the same animals as during the daytime, but also were able to see a hyena, jackals, and cheetah. It was cool to drive the park during the stillness of night and try to spot the glowing eyes of animals out in the night.

From Sweetwaters, we travelled to Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Tanzania. Our first stay was at a resort on the north end of the island. Russell was able to make a scuba dive - and I tagged along for snorkeling. Saw TONS of cool fish, sea snakes, eels, coral - and got a horrible sun burn on my back. WOW - finally I'm recovering. The sand on the north end of the island was so beautiful and white. It was nearly the consistency of talcum powder. Lyra spent many many hours digging nests and having fun in the sand. She loves sand! From there, we went down to Zanzibar Town and stayed at a hotel in the historic district. We were able to wander the streets and shop at a few places.

Then a quick trip back to Nairobi for one night before heading back home to Dubai.

And now, I'm sick. Bug, flu, something I ate? Who knows. But I'm glad to be home. Everone else made it fine, so not sure why me. Hoping to feel better tomorrow so that I can enjoy my sister's last day of her visit.

School's Off

We received a letter from Lyra's school last week. The Ministry of Education has declared that the week of December 7 is a holiday and all schools are required to be closed. The reason for this is a Muslim holiday coming up, Eid al Adha. The school had already planned 2 days into the calendar for the Eid holiday, but in the last week, the Ministry has decided that the full week should be off. They did this at the beginning of the school year too, during Eid al Fitr.

So, now the school has had 2 unexpected week-long breaks in the calendar. At Lyra's age, this isn't any big deal. But for the high schoolers who are prepping for exams this is now interfering with the exam schedule. So, to make up for the days, the school now has 3 Saturdays scheduled as make up days. My first thought was "Wooo-hooo!" I'm already excited about having some days to goof off with Russell.

I was imagining how this would go down in the US. The schools write you a note that in two weeks, the school will be closed for a week. My dad was once on the school board and I can tell you that his phone would have been ringing non-stop for a week with complaints from parents. Here, you just have to go with the flow. No use getting up tight about it. If you called to complain, you'd have very little sympathy.

The call would go something like this:

Julie: I'm calling regarding the recent changes to the school calendar.
MoE: Yes, madam.
Julie: This is a huge inconvenience to our family.
Moe: Yes, madam.
Julie: Why would you have waited until the last minute to make this announcement?
MoE: No, madam.
Julie: No. WHY would you wait until the LAST minute to make this announcement?
MoE: No, madam.
Julie: How am I supposed to arrange for last minute child care?
MoE: Yes, madam.
Julie: No. HOW am I supposed to arrange for LAST MINUTE childe care?
MoE: Yes, madam.
Julie: AGGGGHHH - never mind.
MoE: Yes, madam.

I'd end up even more frustrated than when I started. Not that little old me is going to influence the Ministry anyway. And besides, I'm psyched about the days with Russell.

Turn off your TV

Happy people watch less television: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/health/research/20happy.html?em

The study doesn't say if watching television makes you more unhappy or if being unhappy makes you watch television. But I say, give it a go - turn off your TV - see if you aren't more happy. I think you'll find that there's so many other things to do. Life is certainly more interesting without TV.

When we moved here, we didn't get ourselves signed up for television. We thought we'd try it out for a while and see how it goes. Now, nearly 18 months later, we have no desire to get it. We have set up a flat screen so that we can watch DVDs. And we do watch a few shows on-line. And of course, there's Russell's addiction to YouTube (which is kind of like watching TV). And we like it that way. Life seems so much more relaxing.

By coincidence, we live next door to probably the only other family in Dubai without television. Juliette was telling me that other school mums always say to her, "Oh, I wish we didn't have TV." Hmmm - that's not so difficult. If you don't want it, unplug it.

Try it for a month, you'll be amazed. You'll have games nights, you'll read, you'll make a nice dinner, you'll spend more time with the kids at bed time, you'll have a glass of wine with your spouse - it's liberating.

Turkey Day

I'm thinking about Thanksgiving. My sister and aunt are coming again - YEAH. They'll arrive late on Thursday - actually, they'll probably arrive into our house in the early hours of Friday morning. It will be a small gathering. Probably just the five of us.

Thanksgiving dinner is always traditional for me. With Christmas dinner, I'm willing to experiment with the menu a little. But not with Thanksgiving. I've got to have some dressing (sage & onion), must have cranberry relish, mashed potatoes, gravy and of course the turkey. Last year, we had so many left overs, we were eating it for days afterward. So, I'm thinking about how to cut down a little. But I don't want to leave out anything critical from the menu.

The local Organics store had fresh turkeys last year. Maybe Russ can take a trip down there this week while I'm in Saudi. One year, when we were in London, we paid GBP 40 for a turkey. That's about US$60. Whew - we weren't expecting that when we picked it up from the butcher. The same butcher that Russell saw a customer pay US$100 for a crown roast. That year we told everyone we had a "40 pound turkey" - heh, heh. I'm sure the fresh organic turkey will be a bit pricey, but none of the shops have a 29 cent/pound special on the Butterballs. My mom used to stock up on the turkeys during those specials. She'd buy two extra and have the butcher saw them in half. A couple of times a year, she'd pull out half for our dinner. So, if you have a deep freeze, get a couple extra turkeys!

We can pretty much get anything we need for the traditional dinner. Even cranberry jelly - but I think we have a can of that left over. Actually, I prefer a relish made from fresh. Last year, Amy packed a bag in her luggage. Canned pumpkin is also available here - it's popular for a lot of Indian curries and soups.

Sounds like some shopping is in order tomorrow to see what we can pick up.

Iskender

It is Turkish for Alexander.

It also is a great dish made of spiced lamb grilled and served with a big dollop of yogurt on a freshly baked pita (or pide as they spell it in Turkish). In Istanbul, it was garnished with a generous portion of still bubbling melted butter poured over the top. On the side: baba ganoush, tabbouleh, hummous, and moutabel (a great mixture of roasted eggplant and tahini) scooped onto oven fresh pita. Yum!

Russell's plotting how he can open an Iskender shop in Bay View. Menu options would be Small, Medium, or Large. Well, since it's Bay View - he'd probably need to offer some sort of meatless Iskender, too. But the Istanbullers will be rolling in their graves at the thought of their home dish being tainted with meatless spiced-lamb.

I say he parks a cart on the corner of KK and Lincoln from 11:30pm to 2:30am. He'll make a killing.

Expressway Sightings

I no longer find these sightings odd or startling:

1. A man riding his bicycle against traffic up the freeway.

2. A group of men perched on the edge of the expressway waiting for an opportunity to dash across 12 lanes of high speed traffic. Often they are pushing their bicycles.

3. Impatient drivers working their way past a traffic back up by trying to straddle the paint lines and drive in between the lanes of cars.

4. Cars flying up behind me, flashing their lights from more than 200 yards away, coming up on my rear so closely that I can no longer see their headlights or number plate.

5. Impatient cars taking off from the lanes of traffic to head through the sand trying to find some possible cut off into the neighborhood.

6. The same car 5 minutes later driving along the highway in the sand trying to pass up the traffic queue.

7. The same car 5 minues later forcing his way into the front of the queue to get back into traffic before his exit.

8. Buses parked in the right hand lane (no, not on the shoulder) to let off or pick up their passengers - this is the right hand lane of the FREEWAY!!

9. Cars backing up to try and get over to an exit that they missed.

10. Men sweeping the freeway with a broom. Another man watching the sweeper. And another man watching the watcher.

Edited to add:

11. Drivers driving with a toddler or baby in their lap.

12. Kids with their heads poking out the sun roof as the car roars past at 140kph.

Fairies Come Out at Night

Yesterday's conversation with Lyra.

Lyra: Mama, you know Raven (a friend back home) had sparkles on her. And she showed me her sparkles and said it was from her fairy. But I don't think it was a fairy. I think it was just sparkles.

Me: Hmmm. . . you don't think it was her fairy?

L: No, it was just regular sparkles. Because fairies aren't real. Only the Sandman, the Toothfairy, and Santa are real. Just those special fairies are real. Other fairies aren't real.

M: Why don't you think fairies are real?

L: Well, because there aren't any unicorns. . . or . . . or . . . other things that aren't real, so there can't be any fairies.

M: [can't really argue with that logic] Maybe you're right.

L: [backing off a little] Well, if there are fairies, then they only will come out at night. Because they're shy and they don't want you to see them.

M: Yeah, maybe they only come at night.

Splish Splash

This morning, as I neared the time that my alarm would go off, I was having vivid dreams that I was sleeping in my bed in Milwaukee. My dreams included a rainstorm accompanied by thunder and lightning. Back home, my bed is in the attic and the sound of rain falling onto the roof can be clearly heard overhead. The gentle sound of water running down the gutters and the swish of car tires driving down a wet street are sounds I don't hear any more. In my dream, I heard the gentle roll of thunder and the lashings of rain against the window.

It was so vivid that I was jolted to reality when my alarm went off and I awoke shocked to find that I was back here in Dubai. But the feeling of being in my bedroom in Milwaukee stayed with me all morning as I got ready for work. I was pining for home and the sounds of a cold rainy autumn morning. In my imagination, I enjoyed leaping over rivulets streaming down the street and curbsides filled with soggy unraked leaves. I imagined the twinge of wetness as my shoes landed in a puddle while running to my car. But alas, I am living in dry arid Dubai.

Imagine my pleased surprise (and total disorientation) when I went out to the car - and it was raining. I dodged the rain on my way to the car and laughed at myself as I struggled to unlock the gate and get into the car without drenching my clothes and hair. I had a brief flash of curiosity about what might be hanging on the clothes line in back. But, too late to do anything about it then.

It wasn't a dream after all - or was it?

Rememberance Day

Tuesday was Remembrance Day. I looked at my watch at 9:50am, but forgot to look again until after 12:00. So, I missed it.

At home, Veterans' Day has lost some of its significance. There are still many gatherings of Veterans. But mostly it is Veterans remembering one another. Fellow soldiers taking a moment to honor their buddies lost in battle. A few people pick up a poppy to wear on their lapel from the local American Legion or VFW post. I can't say that I've ever been to any Veterans' Day event. It's sad really. Somewhere along the line, although we respect our soldiers in America, I think we've forgotten to honor them.

In the UK, Remembrance Day is a big deal. All public officials and television personalities proudly display their poppies in their lapels. Kind of like the recent US Flag lapel symbolism, it would seem unpatriotic to not have a poppy on your lapel.

The national events are televised live on all the channels. The Queen hosts visitors from all the Commonwealth countries. Wreaths of poppies are laid at the Cenotaph - a memorial to all servicemen and women who have died in the war. And at the 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month, there is an observation of 2 minutes of silence. Even in the office, they would interrupt the day to have everyone observe the silence. You would never believe the complete stillness that decends upon London - and across the country - during those two minutes. It's pretty impressive that they've been honoring their soldiers in this way for 90 years.

I was always drawn to watch the television broadcasts of Remembrance Day. Appropriately, November 11th always seemed to be a drizzly, dreary day. I was humbled by the enormity of the honor that the UK continues to bestow upon their soldiers. It is quite a contrast to what I grew up with.

Things and Such

During my break in blogging - much has happened.

First of all - what a relief that the election is over. And how totally awesome that Obama won. So, Russell and I can stop talking about a pending move to Canada or Mexico in order to escape the madness. And now we're missing all the excitement at home. I'm catching a bit of the hype on-line, but that doesn't really give a real sense of how people are feeling. We caught our plane home to Dubai on election day at 9pm. The results from early states were just starting to come in, but the suspense hadn't started to build. By the time we were landing in Dubai, the TV announcements of his victory had long-ago been made and his victory speech in Chicago was over. We had a brief announcement from the flight attendant as we neared for landing.

Everyone in the office is excited as well. Many of them watched Obama's speech in Chicago and were really moved by what he said. For most outside of the US, although they have heard of Obama, they have never really listened to one of his speeches. So, it was a real introduction for them to the person that the US elected.

Although people are hopeful that there will be a change in tone with regard to US and Middle East relations - they are mostly realistic. There's a long way to go until there are real changes in policies. But certainly a negotiation or meeting where the US recognizes that it's not as black and white as has been portrayed for the last 7 years would be a good starting point. So, my news obsessions have abated, but I'm still following closely. Thanks to on-line versions of The New York Times, Washington Post and MSNBC - I keep up.

Enough about politics.

While we were in Florida, we attended our neice's wedding. Lyra was the flower girl. She totally grooved on being a part of the wedding party. If Jaclyn and Brian thought this day was about them - they forgot the cute-factor of a very sociable flower girl to divert attention. She was just perfect. Since she was flower girl at my brother's wedding 3 years ago, she was pretty sure that she knew what she was doing. So, very few nerves on her part. It also helped that the Matron of Honor was a former babysitter who lived a couple blocks down the street from us in Milwaukee. So, a bit of a reunion for Lyra and Nicole (or "Micole" as she says).

As the preparations were occurring, the petals that she was to sprinkle on the aisle came out. "Where's the basket?" Lyra asked. The wedding assistant went off to find something and came back with a basket shaped something like a church collection plate or bread basket. "That's not what I was picturing," Lyra said. "I'm thinking it needs to have a handle - kind of like an Easter basket but not the same colors as an Easter basket." Of course she was right. And luckily Jaclyn had a cute little basket for her to carry.

From there, we went to visit some friends in Weston (about 40 minutes away). We had met Chip and Karen when we were in India earlier this year. We totally hit it off with them and they said, "If you're ever in Florida. . ." We told them, "Actually, we'll be there this November for a wedding." So, we hooked up. They live on the eastern edge of the Everglades. We went out for an airboat ride - which was totally interesting. Saw 4 fairly sizeable aligators, some turtles, and lots of sawgrass. But for Lyra, the highlight of our stay with them was feeding the ducks that are in their back yard. She continuously would ask for pieces of bread so that she could go out to call them in from the lake and toss bread to them. Surely, at least one loaf of bread was fed to those birds in the day that we were there.

So, now we're home. I was brutally reminded of the fact yesterday when a construction crane fell into the road just a block or so down from my office. It blocked traffic for nearly 12 hours. Luckily, no one was hurt. I'm sure we'll never know or hear why the crane fell. Traffic was horrible for tons of folks. Many in our office reported more than 4 hour commutes in the morning. Luckily, I avoided this - well since I commute in at 6am I rarely run into nasty traffic.

It's the Little Things

I was just home in Milwaukee for a couple of days. It was nice to be home and nice to get in a little bit of autumn weather. It's the little things that make a place feel like home!

Driving home from work, I instinctively avoided the potholes and road patches on Bay Street. I was impressed that my body remembered they were there when my brain didn't.

It was great to see the huge piles of leaves as big as two cars forming outside on the curb. There hasn't been much rain in Milwaukee, so all the leaves are still crunchy and blowing about. I love walking down the sidewalk and hearing a satisfying crunch as leaves disintegrate under my shoes. I'm inordinately disappointed when a leaf turns out to be wimpy or soggy. What a waste of stomping energy!

I remembered to bring some jackets and scarves to keep myself warm outside. However, I forgot how cold it gets inside. How did I forget this? I should have brought some slippers and a robe or house coat.

I missed the Halloween excitement. Milwaukee had Trick or Treating last Saturday. Milwaukee has always been a bit odd that way - scheduling Trick or Treat on a Saturday or Sunday. I always love seeing the costumes. Hopefully, Lyra will get in a little Trick or Treating here in Florida tonight. We're supposed to go to the rehearsal dinner for my niece's wedding, but hoping to sneak in a little trip down one street before we go over there. I'll soon be posting pictures of our little cocoon.

Lyra's already plotting her costume for next year. She had considered caterpillar to complete the triumvirate of cocoon, butterfly, caterpillar. But now she's reconsidering. I've told her she has plenty of time to make up her mind.

Honey - Please Shut Up

An interesting story in the news here.

A woman has been charged with the attempted murder of her husband. She tied his arms and legs to the bedposts, wrapped his head in Saran wrap, and proceeded to hit him over the head with a dumbbell.

He thought she was initiating some fun kinky sex.

She said, "I just wanted him to shut up."

Well, I guess that's one way to go about it.

Home

I've come home to the US for a business trip - and then a family wedding on the back end.

Right now, I'm dealing with the early morning wake ups if jet lag. Don't know why - even though I wake up at 3am, I'm still more awake here than I am when I have jet lag back in Dubai.

I've been reading a book, Shantaram, that has been keeping me occupied in the early hours. Luckily it's over 900 pages - so even though I have hours to kill, I'm just barely half way through the book. Another huge tome about India. Evidently, I can only read books set in India if they reach the 1,000 page mark. But again, totally enjoyable. And now I really really want to go to Bombay.

Before I left Dubai, we worked on Lyra's Halloween costume. She decided she wants to be a cocoon this year. The challenge was how to make a costume without it looking like a turd. Russell found an image of what I think is a monarch butterfly cocoon. Anyway, she used the image as inspiration. We had found a paper lantern to act as the "body" of the costume and then she painted the decorations. She's very proud of her results. I'm sure we'll get a few "And what are you?" questions.

Smelly Place - Part 2

Russell was telling me that maybe I should edit my previous posting to explain that the smelliness isn't that common. That mostly Dubai doesn't smell. That usually you cannot detect the aroma of sewage. Perhaps I'm chasing away any interested visitors by overstating the smelliness. And, coming from Bay View where we are within "whiffing distance" of the Milwaukee water treatment plant, I can vouch that Milwaukee has it's occasional smelliness too. I agreed that maybe I should tone it down a bit.

But what headline should greet me this morning? Pools of sewage forming around buildings in nearby labor camps. Essentially, a "labor camp" is an area where there are hundreds of apartment buildings (2 or 3 stories) clustered together housing 6-10 men to a room. The men sleep and eat dinner at the camps and then are picked up in buses to be transported back and forth to their work sites. The tanker trucks that are supposed to come take away the sewage in the collection tanks have not been arriving with enough regularity. Hence the overflow into sewage ponds collecting in the labor areas. The laborers have been calling the city for weeks without any response. Luckily for them, the press have picked up on their situation and maybe now they can get someone to pay attention.

What did they think - a few cholera outbreaks here and there wouldn't do any harm?

This Country Smells

One of the "3rd World" aspects about Dubai is that occasionally it smells like sh*t. Literally.

When we first moved into the house - some of the bathrooms had a rank odor emanating from the toilets. We put it down to having air in the pipes. So, we flushed and ran some water down the pipes to clear out the smell. And that helps - usually. But sometimes - for some reason - the odors are able to come up into the house. It's especially noticeable if you leave the bathroom door closed for a while and then go in and "whew" - it's a bit ripe in there.

There are times, when walking down the street that you "catch a whiff". It can be in the poshest shopping mall. It can be getting out of the car in our driveway. I wrinkled my nose walking into Lyra's school the other day. I don't know why, but sometimes Dubai smells like poo.

All over the city, sewage is stored in huge tanks that are scattered around neighborhoods. In our neighborhood, the closest one is about 2 miles down the road. If the wind is right - oooh baby. I cannot imagine living in the villas that are right next to that lot. I've taken a walk down that way - and you can smell it coming. Tanker trucks drive by daily to take the sewage to the treatment plant that is about 10 miles from our place.

Every day, 10,000 tankers head to the same sewage plant. And as the city has grown and as the neighborhoods have been built and the population has sored, the number of tankers queuing up outside the sewage plant has grown. Every day, there are hundreds of trucks stretched in both directions waiting to deliver their load of raw sewage. Truckers can be in line for 18 hours awaiting their turn.

So, what have these truckers started doing? They're dumping their sewage into the storm drains. Yep. Tons and tons of raw sewage is being dumped into the storm drains to the point that they've had to close the beaches here. Imagine the horror of tourists as they find out that their "vacation in paradise" has become a paddle in the local toilet. A scene from Caddyshack comes to mind.

The municipality has started to crack down hard on the drivers and their companies. 50,000 Dhs fines have been levied. And they've started to weld shut the manhole covers. And they're keeping a close eye to catch all violators. So, does this stop them? Of course not. Now there are reports that truckers are opening their drain valves as they drive along the roads - leaving sewage strewn across streets. Or they're heading out into the desert and dumping in the sand.

I'm sure this dumping has been going on for months or years. It's just that recently they had to close beaches and of course now the public knows what is going on. It's a big problem - and I have no idea when there's another sewage treatment plant planned. In the meantime, the queues just keep getting bigger and bigger - and crafty truck drivers are going to try and find a way to avoid them.

I Vote to Move the Election Forward

I'm obsessed. I can't seem to stay focused on anything but the election. First thing I do in the morning is check the US headlines. Then, when I get home, I log in to view the clips and videos from the day.

Every new poll, every new editorial, every new "outrage" at who did what to whom - these are my newfound obsession.

In the middle of an email I think, "I should go check the news".
In the middle of a meeting I check my Blackberry to see if there are any new headlines.
I wake up early to go check on the status of the debates.
I go to bed late after watching too many news clips.

I'm missing NPR on my nightly drive home.
I'm missing Frontline analysis.

Thank god (or as they say here "Thanks god" - don't ask me why it's just is how they say it) for the internet - for the online versions of newspapers and TV.

But - I don't miss the non-stop ads, TV pundits, and telephone canvassing. I don't miss the fear mongering played up by the local news programs. Believe me, I've seen the ads. I've seen the pundits. I just don't have to be bombarded with them.

Can we hold the election tomorrow please?

Hey, Sarah Palin

Who would Jesus incite to violence? Huh?

A little reminder in case you'd forgotten. Christian means "Christ-follower".

The apostle Paul in writing to Titus said (Titus 1:16) "They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good."

I heard the best quote from Sarah Vowell - "She's (Sarah Palin) like a beauty pageant contestant, but without the desire for World Peace."

Economic Crisis

Well, things here don't seem to have hit the same levels of panic as in the rest of the world. Although there have been huge drops in the Dubai Financial stock exchange, I think most of the folks here don't have their wealth tied into stocks the same as in the US.

Nervousness here is more tied into the real estate market. Values here have been going up by 20% to 50% per year for several years now. Recent reportings have about 140,000 new properties coming onto the market in the next 18 monts. I'll repeat one hundred and forty THOUSAND new properties. That alone would make folks think there might be a softening in prices (or perhaps bursting of a bubble). The credit crunch has also hit here, too. So, getting loans to buy the new properties has started to be a concern. But really that's only a concern for the small-time buyers. Big buyers here are so flush with cash that there's very little need for loans. Still though, the government here injected US$18 billion to help free up the credit market.

A second concern would be a bottoming out on the price of oil if there was a depression. For sure the economies here are driven by oil prices. The boom of the past several years has been fueled by the high prices the rest of the world is paying for energy. I've seen estimates of something like US$3B surplus cash per day is generated in this region when oil is at US$90/barrel. So, if prices drop, then the surplus starts to dry up - and that would certainly slow things down.

But the reserves of cash here are pretty vast. And people/governments are looking for ways to invest that cash and make returns. For oil rich nations, Dubai is an attractive investment destination. It's a muslim country that actually welcomes them (as opposed to the "welcome" they get in the US as evidenced in the recent mob-scenes at McCain rallys).

Certainly a financial crash around the world will have its impact here. There'd be no way to avoid it. How much certainly remains to be seen. But it does seem that this region is better positioned to recover.

Rolls Royce's are Ugly

I could have lived my whole life in Milwaukee and never seen a real live Rolls Royce. Even in London, I think I only saw one or two. And in Dubai, home of extravagance galore, they aren't that common. And there's a reason for that - they're butt ugly.

I saw one on my commute home the other day. I glanced in my rear view mirror. Even though it was night and I could only see the silhouette I said to myself, "What's that?!!?" My suspicion was that it was a Rolls. I was able to confirm it when it lumbered past me. Man - those things are heavy! Are they using 1/4" steel for the body? Holy cow, you can hear the ping-ping-ping of the gas pump as it cruises pass. A Sherman Tank looks sprightly and zippy compared to these behemoths.

Who would buy these ugly things? Unless you live in fear of being shot at, there's no reason. Get a Bentley if you need ostentation.

Everyone's Back

And the traffic is horrible.

Summer traffic was light while a large set of the population left to escape the heat (us included). Plus, the traffic for school runs stopped in mid-June. Then, when we all came back from summer, Ramadan started and businesses reduced their hours. And with Eid, tons of folks went on vacation.

All of the above has led to several months of smooth sailing for me as I commute to and from work. I've appreciated this most especially in the evening. In heavy traffic, it can take me 40 minutes just to get from my parking structure to the first intersection. I did finally bite the bullet and start using the toll-bridge. This road is usually free flowing and I've found I can reduce my commute by at least 20 if not 30 minutes. For 4Dhs (just over US$1) it's worth it.

So now, my biggest back up is as I approach the last intersection - a left turn at the light into Mirdif. Now that traffic has resumed, I'm backed up for nearly 1 mile waiting my turn. Of course there are lots of folks who feel that waiting doesn't apply to them. They will stay in the "go straight" lane and then cut in to turn just before the intersection. Always slows every else down.

I'm struggling to get used to it. Still a bit surprised to see the traffic mass outside my parking structure as I leave for home. I'm hoping, since this is the first week, that things will still settle a bit. I can appreciate the folks who long for the "old Dubai" before traffic became such a horrible mess.

Nepal's New Kumari

Nepal's Maoists have selected a new living goddess (Kumari). She is a 6-year old girl who, according to tradition, the goddess Durga inhabits her body until puberty. In order to be selected, she had to meet several criteria - some of which inlcude:

• A neck like a conch shell
• A body like a banyan tree
• Eyelashes like a cow
• Thighs like a deer
• Chest like a lion
• Voice soft and clear as a duck's

The most recent Kumari was dishonored by visiting the US. This visit was deemed to have "tainted her purity". Luckily, she was able to undergo a cleansing ceremony to restore her goddess state. But now that she's 11, Durga has vacated her body. To symobolize her return to mere human status, she was married in a ritual to a piece of fruit.

Is Tomorrow A Holiday?

Well, we'll have to wait until the "Moon Sighting Committee" in Saudi Arabia looks at the shape of the crescent moon. Don't ask me how they can tell the difference, but if it is a new crescent versus the last day of the waning crescent - then Ramadan is over and tomorrow is a holiday.

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According to this website http://moonsighting.com/ they are already saying that today it is a New Moon (see left). I've been told that I should check the Gulf News website this evening to be sure. So, certainly by this evening we'll know if tomorrow is a holiday. But signs are showing positively that starting tomorrow, we'll have 2 days off for Eid al Fitr (or "The Festival to Break the Fast"). I've already decided that if we have Tuesday and Wednesday off, then I'll take off on Thursday to make it a 5-day weekend.

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We know from last year, that if tomorrow is Eid al Fitr we will have no doubt by the praying that is broadcast from the mosques. For over an hour, the muezzin will send out their prayers of thanksgiving and jubilation. They will start at sunrise - which is somewhere around 5am these days. And then the days of feasting, family gatherings, giving presents and giving thanks will begin for Muslim families who will celebrate the blessings they have been given and give thanks that they had the strength to fast for the month of Ramadan.

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Happy Eid

What the F**K

Last night, a work collegue was killed as he walked from our office to his hotel. He was struck by falling debris from a construction site. A crane boom swung out over the public sidewalk and dropped a load of wooden beams from a height of nearly 50 stories. He was killed instantly.

It's hard to get over the shock. He took the same route that I take nearly every day to go and get my lunch. He was visiting here from one of our regional offices for some meetings. I just saw him - he swung through the corridor to say goodnight to a few people before heading out. Just 1 minute -no- 10 seconds slower or faster and he would have been fine. All those philosophical thoughts keep swimming through my head: When it's time - it's time; You never know; A reminder about what's really important.

His poor wife, his poor family. Can you imagine the total shock and horror she was feeling as she flew here from Bahrain last night. A worst nightmare come true.

Mostly I'm angry, now that I've had a few hours to process the news. Sometimes Dubai is such a 3rd World Country. Especially when it comes to valuing human life and dignity. Believe me - there is none. Because Shuaib's death is just one of hundreds (maybe thousands) that happens on construction sites every year here. Can you imagine having 2 pedestrians (there was also someone else - a stranger - walking next to him) killed by falling debris from a construction site and not having that be significant news? But here - there's nothing. Can you imagine a crane swinging its boom carrying a heavy load across a public sidewalk in the US? I can tell you that I have walked under cranes myself as they've swung over my path - and shuddered doing it. Can you imagine that if someone were killed on a construction site after displaying that much disregard for safety - that within a couple of hours they'd be back at work? Heaven forbid something stop the building of their precious towers.

See - to implement safety standards here - they'd have to care. They'd have to care that people are killed, maimed, and injured by the thousands on the construction sites in this city. They'd have to care that someone's family will be devastated by this loss. They'd have to care about the value of a person life and that it's worth protecting. They'd have to care - and they don't.

His wife will benefit from the fact that this tragedy happened while he was on company business. Because now Johnson Controls legal department will get involved and hopefully get a good settlement from the construction company for her. Without good representation - the construction company would probably be able to pay her off with blood money for Dhs 200,000 (just over $50,000). Still, even with good representation, she won't get much - certainly not enough to raise her kids without their father.

Shuaib Baig - he was a good man.

Mamacita said...
I'm sorry you had to witness it.

Just wanted to clarify that I did not witness his death. I've just related the incident as we have come to understand the facts of what happened. If I had witnessed this - I'm sure there is no way I'd have the sanity to sit here typing right now.

Edited to add:
Please continue to keep Shuaib's family in your thoughts and/or prayers. His family is horribly distraught and suffering at this time.

My Fingers Are Numb

And my toes are aching like they have the beginning of frost bite.

The A/C is working in my new office. Just 2 days ago it wasn't. Typical Dubai - A/C gone MAD.

I moved into the office a little over a week ago and lived for over a week without A/C. My office is on the sunny side of the building in the mornings. So, each day the heat would gradually build up to a low roast. It was uncomfortable. I felt like a Baptist church-goer as a I sat in my office fanning myself with paper fans. I was glad to hear others complain it was hot, too - otherwise I might have thought I was going through THE CHANGE.

Now, I'm afraid to mention anything. It's better this way. I have a wrap - although it clashes horribly with the shirt I'm wearing today. Maybe I'll wait a day or two and then see if there's some adjustment that can be made that doesn't send me back to square one.

If I really need some relief, I can step outside where temps are in the mid-90s these days. I was thrilled to walk a block down the street to pick up my lunch this afternoon.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Last night, I took my team out for Iftar - the dinner to celebrate the breaking of the fast during Ramadan. We went to a local hotel where they served an impressive buffet. Our table was jammed into the dining area along with a mass of people - many of them also companies and teams out to celebrate together. The buffet included over 50 dishes to choose from (nearly 20 on the dessert table alone).

It used to be that Iftar was a quiet family dinner. Families would meet to break the fast at sunset. Traditionally, people will break the fast with dates and juice. This would be followed by a family dinner.

But all over the Muslim world, Iftar is becoming a grand affair. Here in Dubai, we have over 30 sumptuous buffets to choose from - most hosted in the finest hotels in the city. The hotels are decorated with the decor of traditional Arabia - bedouin tents, sitting areas with low cushions and pillows, sisha smoking areas, and oud players. Some even go so far as to build tents in the hotel grounds. In Saudi Arabia, our team had a company Iftar (similar to having the Company "Winter Holiday" Party back home). A few days after the company Iftar, our Saudi team hosted a Customer Iftar - with over 700 customers and spouses attending the feast.

Traditional Iftar fare includes:

Dates - and other fruits
Juices - and for some reason Vimto (which is locally popular in the UAE, but I'm not sure about other countries)
Laban - which is kind of like runny yogurt. Many will put dates or fruit or rose water syrup into their laban
Roasted Lamb - I think the traditional preparation has them wrapping up the lamb and then burying it into the sand with coals - similar to the preparation of a pig at a Hawaiian luau.
Rice - typically spiced with cinnamon and cardomom.
Arabic Desserts - loaded with honey, phyllo pastry, butter and nuts. Some will substitute rose water syrup for the honey. But they are just one biteful after another of sweet, buttery, nutty, gooey loveliness.

Today's Iftar also has:
Schwarma (aka Gyro)
Indian Curry
Hummus, Tabouleh, and Moutabel
Numerous Salad
Mixed Grilled Meats (including Lamb, Chicken and Kofta - which is kind of like lamb sausage)
Additional Desserts - chocolate cakes, flans and tortes.

Barack Obama is Not a Muslim

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Have any of you out there received the emails that are flying around stating that Obama is a Muslim? What a weird place America is in these days - when you can actually "accuse" someone of being a certain religion. And that so many Americans will see that as equivalent to being a terrorist or fanatist - but most certainly strange. Do you know that there is actually MORE religious tolerance here in Dubai than there is back home? Yes, there is more religious tolerance than in the US - where we are supposedly founded upon the ideas of religious freedoms.

I read that one of the emails quotes Obama as stating that the Muslim call to prayer (which he heard at least 5 times daily when living in Indonesia) is one of the most beautiful things he's ever heard - and of course insinuating that this makes him a Muslim. And I can vouch for you that it is. It is beautiful. And westerners here will tell you that they love the call. It is a sound which premeates the environment here and is so soothing. But just because someone likes it doesn't mean they're secretly Muslim (not that there's anything wrong with that).

I'm glad we've had our chance to live here so that I can understand how normal it is to be Muslim. How skewed my perceptions were back home. How we're indoctinated to think Muslim's are weird, semi-civilized people teetering on the brink of radicalism. How sad, how sad, how sad. I'm so glad to be living in a part of the world where I've been able to see things differently. From a distance, it's so disappointing to see these lies which capitalize on our fears and rely upon our ignorance. Really, how sad.

So, please, you 20 or so people out there who actually read this. Please tell at least 20 people that you know that Obama is not a Muslim. Never mind how you're going to vote. This is a call for the sanity of reason and tolerance in our voting public. Please tell people to vote how they want - but don't make a decision based on these crazy lies intended to spread an irrational fear and continue the ignorance that we have toward Muslims.

Boy It's Humid

The ambiance today: beige haze with a touch of yellow glow. Haze hung so thick in the air, it was difficult to distinguish the outlines of the buildings. To add to our pleasure, 80% humidity. At least the temps are below 40 (for now). This morning, the humidity had completely fogged up my car. So, as I drove out of the neighborhood, streaks of water ran across the windows and collected dust as they went along. So, now I have a dust streaked car.

One of my favorite things about traveling to Europe last week was some blue sky. Hard to believe how much the blue sky will lift your spirits. We rarely have blue sky here. Always a bit hazy. Someone mentioned to me that the further north you are, the more brilliant the blue in the sky. So, perhaps what we have here is a combination of living so far south plus the haze that makes the sky seem a pale beigey blue.

I will say that the temps are showing great signs of tapering off. We had some friends over for dinner on Friday and we ate dinner outside on the patio. It was a beautiful night to hop into the pool for a quick dip to cool off. It was still warm (temps in the 90s), but the breeze was helping to keep us all cooled off. Even though the daytime temps are still peaking over 100, it is cool enough in the evening to feel comfortable outside. It feels good to have the peak of summer behind us and looking forward to our lovely warm winter. It will be hard to get used to snow boots again.

Friends v. Family

Lyra's school is starting a curriculum call Friends and Family. It's already starting some thoughts rolling in her mind.

Lyra: Mama, is Uncle Gil in our family?
Me: Yes, he is in our family.
L: Oh, I thought he was a friend.
M: No, he is Baba's brother. So, he is in our family.
L: Like Uncle Paul?
M: Yes, like Uncle Paul and Uncle Steve. They are all Baba's brothers. Baba had another brother, but he died before you met him. He would have been your Uncle Tad or Uncle Ted.
L: How did he die?
M: Well, he was very sick.
L: [who has a cold and we recently discussed fevers and their role in killing germs in the body] So, did he have the germs and did the fever not get them? Did the germs keep coming and coming and he couldn't get better so his body died and his bones became dust?
M: [OK, Russell's been having a few conversations with her I can see] Yes, but he didn't have a cold like you do. He was sick for a very long time and the germs were coming into his body for a long long time.
L: Uncle Ted, I think I hear'd of Uncle Ted. How long was he sick?
M: Well, a very long time. Many years.
L: And Uncle Greg?
M: Well, Uncle Greg is married to Mimi and Mimi is Baba's sister. When you get married to someone, then you become a part of their family.
L: But Raven and Clara and Eleanor are friends, right?
M: Yes, they are friends. But some of our friends are just as important to us as family.
L: So, if you get married and go to live at someone's house, then you are family.
M: [hmm, is it too early to explain the inconsistencies for same-sex couples?] - Yes. We're very lucky we have such a great family.

I'm sure there are more questions to come.

Ramadan Hours

During Ramadan, many business will run reduced hours. Or - in the case of retail will switch their hours to run later into the night.

Our local mall has done this. Many shops open around 2 or 3pm and are open until 2am during Ramadan. This is to accommodate the fact that those who are fasting will spend more hours sleeping during the day (when they cannot eat) and will be up during the night. The malls and restaurants are buzzing with people until early morning. Really, these people can't have jobs. Otherwise, how can they be awake at 2am and then up again at 4am for breakfast and then off to work at 9.

I keep forgetting about Ramadan hours. I have tried on 3 separate occassions to drop off my dry cleaning. Each time the place is closed. What is particularly frustrating is that remembering to drop of my dry cleaning is a minor victory for me. I can drive around with dry cleaning in the car for days, weeks, even months. So, to remember for 3 different times in a 2 week period - I'm feeling pretty good about the ol' brain cells. Finally, I gave up and went to a different dry cleaners who seems to be running more normal business hours.

Now, I'll need to hope for the small victory of remembering to PICK UP the dry cleaning. Actually, I gave the ticket to Russell hoping that HE will remember to pick it up. (Tomorrow, please, Russell - it will be ready tomorrow).

Maestro

Only in England could they have a reality program that is a competition to select the best amateur orchestra conductor.

The program is run along similar lines to American Idol. Contestants seem to be B-List celebrities. They each pick their own piece of classical music. For a week, they practice with the studio orchestra and then on the TV program, they perform for the television audience. Then judges decide who should be eliminated.

By coincidence I've tuned in to the final program. The two contestants are both conducting Beethoven's 5th Symphony as the finale performance.

Would this program have any chance of attracting even 1 viewer in the US? Not unless they were conducting in the nude.

The BBC - gotta love it!

Photo Update

I've been remiss in loading some photos lately. Here are a few from our summer!

First Day of School
Her new teacher, Ms Nasser, is from Belgium but speaks with an Americanized accent. She says that she went to international schools growing up.

Ballet Class
Lyra now tells me that she doesn't like ballet. I don't know why - I think because she can't be in the same class as her friend Inaya. Anyway, she's registered for at least one more semester. Not surprisingly, she's the only one in a black leotard.

The Collective (GraceandJackandRose)

Every day Lyra asks if she can call for the neighbors, GraceandJackandRose.

Lyra loves Thomas
We had a grand time with our friends Anne and Andrew while staying in Wimbledon. Lyra loves staying with the boys, but was especially smitten with Thomas - he IS the cheeky one.

Can you tell we're sisters?

First lost tooth.

Sippy Cup Contraceptive

The other day at dinner Lyra stated, "I'm going to always use a sippy cup because I don't want to have a baby in my tummy and move out."

Russell and I looked at each other. I believe I muttered something about it being good that she doesn't have a baby until she's ready. Then Russell told her that she would WANT to move out when she was older - but that we'd be old enough by then to move in with her so she could take care of us.

This all stems from seeing Mamma Mia the other day. At the end of the movie, the daughter is sailing off with her boyfriend and Lyra starts crying. "Is she leaving her Mamma? Why? That's so sad." She's definitely in a mode where she loves us and being with us - and the thought of actually WANTING to one day leave is incomprehensible. I think the sippy cup represents staying a child not so much a means of contraception. Although if it was, I'm sure I could make a mint telling parents to keep their kids on the sippy through to their 20's (30's even).

The Uterus Club

During my entire career - I've always suspected that men felt there was a secret Uterus Club that all women belonged to.

As a young manager, I was often brought in to help "coach" the younger women in our office. Even if they were managed by someone else - even if I had barely met the person, I'd get a call from my boss, "Julie, please meet with Mary and talk to her about her clothes." Or, "Julie, Joan has been having problems getting along with John, please meet with her to find out what is happening."

On the one hand, it was a bit flattering to think that I had the capabilities to resolve. But on the other, it was awkward to meet with someone I barely knew, call her into my office, and then start counseling her on the choice of clothing - or asking her personal questions about a problem she might be having with a co-worker. I always agreed with the comments I was being asked to deliver, but wondered why the fully capable (and more senior) men in my office couldn't have these conversations.

I'd say to my girlfriends when relating the stories - Do they think there's some sort of Uterus Club where all women are able to gather together and tell each other these things? Since we share the sisterhood of the uterus am I somehow more qualified to talk to them. After several years and getting very comfortable with my boss I once told him - I'm going to have a hysterectomy so that you'll stop calling me to have these awkward conversations with the women in our office. That actually helped.

In the current Presidential election - there has been a lot of discussion about the "woman vote" and whether Hillary supporters would be able to shift to Obama. I was speaking to a friend of mine who was having a hard time letting go of the dream of a woman at the top of a ticket and shifting her vote. I told her - Girl, you got to start voting with your cojones and not your uterus.

Now, John McCain has sealed it for me - you guys really do think there's a Uterus Club, don't you?

Ramadan Mubarek

The Holy Month of Ramadan starts tomorrow (Sept 1). There is a special committee in Saudi Arabia that watches for the crescent of the old moon. When this is sighted, then Ramadan follows on the next day. So, the crescent moon has been sighted. The new moon will be tonight and tomorrow will be the first day of Ramadan.

Muslims view Ramadan as a special time of religious celebration. It is a time for families, giving thanks, and appreciating the life and opportunities you have been given. Traditionally this is a huge time for families. Each evening, as they break their fast, the families gather for large meals, gatherings and celebrations until the early hours of the morning. The day gets turned around for many (who don't have to work) - people will stay up until 2, 3 or 4 - then go to sleep. Even the children are up.

The fasting is observed from the time of sunrise to sunset. I've been asking a few friends in the office - what do you do if you live in Sweden or somewhere that there's either no sunset or just an hour or two? I've had some interesting responses. Some will tell me that the Muslims in these areas need to observe the fast no matter how many hours (which would kill you if you didn't get to drink water for 29 days). Others will say that they need to move to a different city for the month of Ramadan and then observe the fast in that city - hmmm, doesn't sound too practical. Others will say that they should observe the timings of Mekkah. Actually, there's probably no single answer. I'm sure that different families will do different things if they are living in an area that far north.

This will be our second Ramadan. Last year, it was interesting to speak to Lyra about respecting someone else's beliefs (by not eating or drinking in public) even if you don't believe it yourself. I was reminding her that Ramadan would be starting and seeing what she remembered. She was telling me that - but it's ok for children to eat and drink (and she's right). She was told this by a little friend at the pool. So, she was trying to understand why Russell and I wouldn't fast. "Well, we don't have the same beliefs," I told her. "Why not?" "We just don't." --Hmm, not too profound, I know. I'm sure it will come up again - so, I'll be thinking about what to say the next time.

Dreams Come True - Almost

I have a recurring nightmare. Actually, it's a recurring nightmare theme. The theme is that I'm traveling somewhere and I'm lost, or fogotten where I'm going, or am trying to get there but can't. The mode of travel will change. I've had a version of this dream where I was walking through the underground tunnels of the London Tube. Another version was driving through a city and trying to get to a particular building. Another was traveling on a space ship and trying to find my way through the spaceport to my departure gate. Frequently, the theme has to do with air travel. I can't find my gate, can't find the airport, have forgotten something and need to run home and then can't find where I'm supposed to go.

On paper (or computer screen) I'm sure this dream sounds innocuous - but believe me, I've spent many a restless night fighting my way through this dream. I often wake up exhausted and feeling like another night's rest would do me good.

I had this dream a couple of nights ago. I dreamt that I'd forgotten I needed to go to the airport and then when I remembered I realized I needed to go home to get my luggage and was worried that I wouldn't be able to get my luggage before my flight left. I guess my upcoming trip triggered this - but it's not always travel that triggers the dream.

Yesterday, I had a flight to Jeddah. Russell and Lyra dropped me off at the airport after work - around 7pm. After check-in, I went through passport control and security to make my way to the gate. As I was nearing the departure area I realized with a jolt - OH NO, I forgot my computer at home! You've all had that mind-race when you need to quickly determine what to do. I called Russell, they had just arrived back home and he quickly got back into the car to drive back to the airport (bless him). Luckily we live only 15-20 minutes away.

In the meantime, I tried to figure out how I could go "backwards" through security and passport. At first, I tried to go through the arrivals area - as if I had just landed. But the immigration wouldn't let me through. Everyone kept asking me, "Where are you coming from?" as I tried to explain - "I live here - I'm trying to leave, but I forgot something in the car. I need to go and get it." Finally, a kind soul from Emirates Airlines (not even my airline - I was flying Saudi Airlines) escorted me back to the departure area. The police took my passport and a security woman escorted me out to the passenger drop off area where Russell had just arrived. I got the computer and then made my way back through security and to the gate - arrived with plenty of time! Whew.

On the plane, I was seated in the upstairs area of the 747 - which was packed. Today, I told everyone in the office I must have been seated in the "children's section". There were two Saudi families traveling back from their summer hols. Each family had 4-5 kids. So, I was surrounded by nearly 10 kids and one nanny. Where were the parents? In first class of course. Actually, they were pretty well behaved - just full of energy. Lots of shouting back and forth to one another, getting up to go to each other's seat, calling the cabin crew, trading one beverage for another, showing each other how to play video games, etc.

Interestingly, none of the kids spoke Arabic - they all spoke English. They understood Arabic when the flight crew spoke to them, but always responded in English. I was relating this observation to someone in the office and he agreed that this often happens when the kids are raised by nannies who don't speak Arabic. Many of the wealthy families have kids who rarely use Arabic. Even the parents will switch to English when speaking with their kids.

Car Horns

I've determined that the world is divided into two kinds of people. Those that find car horns loud, obnoxious, and irritating - the Keep Irritating Sounds Silent folks (KISSers). And those that find it a useful car feature to be used with frequency and regularity - the Car Horn User Group (CHUGs)

CHUGs pull up to a house and honk the horn to get the person they're picking up to come outside. If the horn honking fails to produce the desired result, they will honk longer and louder. If that fails, they will lay on the horn continuously. Obviously, getting out of the car to ring the doorbell is not an option. Never mind that it's 4am and they're pulled up to the villa outside my bedroom window.

When a CHUG pulls up to wait for you to leave a parking spot if they find that you're taking too much time buckling in the child, putting your packages in the trunk, and turning on the engine - they'll give a little blast on the horn. As a KISSer, I'm totally tempted when they do that to go back there and tell them that there is NO WAY I'm giving them my spot - they can just move their rude little CHUG a*s along.

CHUGs also find it totally acceptable to pull up 2 feet behind you when trying to pass you on the motorway and beep their horn - followed by flashing of lights. Never mind that there's no where for you to go; the cars ahead are going slowly, the lane to your right is full of slow-moving trucks, and traffic is jammed. What do they think they're going to do, blast through slow and go traffic?

When stopped at a red light, as soon as the light turns green, a CHUG who is 10th in the queue finds the need to blast his horn. How does this help? It does take a few seconds to get a queue moving - we can't all step on our gas peddles and move simultaneously away from the light. Again, the inner KISSer in me wants to get out of my car and go tell him that a little patience will make us all happier people.

CHUGs will also give you a little honk as they're coming up on your blindside - as if to say "Hey, I'm here." Never mind that I've now jumped out of my skin and I'm trying to make sure I don't veer dangerously off the shoulder. Egads!

The latest CHUG incident was last night on my way out of the office. I work in a 30 story building. As I left, there was a CHUG parked outside honking his horn. I can only assume that he was trying to get the attention of someone inside this 30 story building to come outside for their ride. Hello buddy - it's a THIRTY STORY building - they can't hear you. Nevertheless, he proceeded to honk his horn while I crossed from the building to the parking structure, took the lift to my parking level, and then walked to my car. All the while, his CHUG instincts increasing to ever longer blasts on the horn.

I try to tell myself, these CHUGs come from a place where the sound of the horn has no corresponding relationship to irritation or obnoxious behaviour. They don't have any idea that I find this behaviour so unbelievably rude that I struggle to keep my inner serial killer under control. I tell myself, they don't mean it, don't get upset, just relax, calm down. But my KISSer instincts are strong - it's hard not to get riled.

Most cities are either CHUG or KISSer cities. In the US, I think we mostly have KISSer cities - although maybe in New York City there's a little bit of CHUGiness. In London, it was definitely KISSer. In India - it's CHUG all the way. And I have no way of knowing what the true Dubai is, but I would guess that Dubai-ites are CHUGs. The thing about Dubai NOW the immigrants come from a mix of CHUG and KISSer cities. It's one of the unique things about Dubai - this mixture of East and West, Developed World and Developing World, modesty and immorality, CHUGs and KISSers.

As a KISSer, if you move to a CHUG city (like Mumbai), you have no choice but to recognize you're a minority. Every single driver in a CHUG city exhibits these behaviors and you soon realize it is just a normal part of the street code. But here, there is such a balance between KISSers and CHUGs that the CHUGs stand out - more than 50% of the cars demonstrate KISSer etiquette leaving you with the hope that maybe possibly the CHUGs will soon learn (oh please, will they learn).

I can only imagine that the CHUGs are totally oblivious to this difference - that only the KISSers get irritated at this difference. I mean really, my KISSer quiet driving habits certainly cannot be an irritation to the CHUGs. But, you never know.

Pampered Ladies

The big bru-ha-ha here is that the petrol stations are going self-serve. There is a great hullabaloo that has erupted on one of the local chat rooms about having to get out of your car to fill it up with petrol.

So far, only one petrol group has started. They have chosen a few stations to pilot with - and I'm assuming will roll it out from there. The method they have chosen is bound to create longer lines at the stations. They have everyone going in to pre-pay for gas. You must specify how much you want - you cannot just say "fill it". If you over-pay and your tank is full before you've used your full credit - you have to go in and get a refund. Now that's silly! If they're really going to do this, they need to get pay-at-the-pump machines. Otherwise, who's going to want to be treking back and forth into the shops to queue for payment and then again for a refund. Especially in this heat.

But what is really amusing to me are the women who are up in arms about having to get out of their car to fill their tanks. I feel like I'm transported back to the 1950's. Lord help us if a woman might put a ladder in her tights (as they would say here) by getting out of the car to put stinky smelly petrol in the car. An actual quote (which summarizes the whole debate) from the local chatroom:

"Its not that I can't use a petrol pump...I just hate being told that they are providing me with "european service" which:
1) Results in my makeup running
2) May cost me time
3) May result in petrol on my clothes
4) Makes me hot (in a bad way)
5) Results in me leaving my kids (or passengers or work collegues) in the car (with the aircon off) whilst I pay the bill.

etc etc etc

How is that going to improve my day?"

All Together Now

Russell & Lyra arrived back in Dubai late on Thursday night. They're still struggling with the jet lag (getting up in the middle of the night, then falling back to sleep until mid-morning). School's not on for another 3 weeks, so plenty of time to work on getting to the right schedule.

The heat has been brutal the last couple of days. Yesterday, we saw highs over 115. The humidity has been pretty low and evenings are cooling off pretty well. Low humidity also means the pool temps are pretty comfortable. Still, it makes the day's pretty long. Lyra and Russ will be well and truly stir crazy by the time school starts on September 7th. Luckily the kids next door are thrilled to see Lyra and so the kids are playing together all day long.

Ramadan has been announced to start on Sept 1. In preparation, we made a booze-run to the emirate that sells liquor without a liquor license. They will be closed all of Ramadan, so thought we should stock up. We now have fixin's for margaritas - so, we'll need to have a mexican dinner one of these nights.

It's good to have a buzz in the house again. The non-stop chatter from Lyra is music to my ears (for now). The kids running in and out - and even leaving the front door open - is fun to hear.

Ode to a Missing Tooth

Before you peeked your pearly head into the world,
did you see the tiny baby in her crib?
What scenes of feeding and snuggling were observed?
Were little toes and fingers counted on her arrival?
Who wrapped and carried a precious bundle to the gate?
On a damp and chilly day, a bed was made to keep the foundling warm.
Did she cry amid the sounds and sighings of her infant peers?
Cold breezes foiled by heavy swaddling from which tiny faces peeked.
Awaiting sunny days to be pleasantly observed at open windows.
What sights you've witnessed that we will never know.

The tears and pain of your emergence are unrecorded.
Were fingers run across the gum to sense your new arrival?
Yes, little bibs were placed to catch the falling drool.
What joy you found in first bites of eel-fish soup and congee.
"Niu-niu" and "Ai Ni" the first words you helped her say.
Then we heard her gracious "Dat doo" mimicking our Thanks.
Cheerios and Gold Fish became a new and common treat.
And teething rings were grasped and gnawed in relief
as new arrivals join you in a happy smile.
What sights you've witnessed and shared in joy with us.

A visit to the dentist was greeted with elation.
X-rays record your unseen roots beneath the gum.
New brush and floss received with grateful fun.
She's cared for you with well known night routines
and waited with expectation the tiny wiggle that announced
a childhood era's arrival and a soon departed friend.
And so you go with fairies to a mysterious land and
leave her to the watchful eye of us who share your devotion.
We bid goodbye to you who kept a quiet record.
Your leaving announced unlike your mute arrival.

Men's 4x100 Relay

The only bit of live Olympic coverage I've seen so far were the last 2 legs of the men's 4x100 swimming relay. I came out of yoga class and in the office they were watching the race. I saw the US men fall ever more slightly behind the French with each stroke and turn. Until the last half lap when Jason Lezak poured it on!! Wow, I have never seen such a comeback. At one point, he was behind by over 0.60 seconds.

I did a little high-five with the office administrator. Woo hoo, how exciting. I remember when we watched the olympics when we lived in London. Being away from home, it's fun to root for the US. Feels a little more patriotic. I'm not ready to sing Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" just yet, but it's fun to root for the home team. In Dubai, there are so many people from so many countries, it's fun to have a little rivalry with the neighbors.

Yea - I know I'm on the late show with this one. I'm sure this has been played and re-played back home. But in case you missed it: http://eroom.johnsoncontrols.com/eRoom/building_efficiency/ME_IT_Department/0_491ef

Hot, humid and uncomfortable days ahead in the UAE

Heh, heh. After telling Russell for the last few days how comfortable the weather has been here - especially in the evenings. This is the headline in the Gulf News today. When the local paper is reporting that it will be hot - then you better listen. I will confirm that today's walk down to a shop for lunch was steamy.

It's just as well. This way Russell and Lyra will have some days/weeks of hot weather and then can appreciate the cool down when September comes. ;-)