Tom

For Lyra. A story for me and you.

This is a butterfly his name is Tom. Tom has no family he is sad because he has no family and friends. Then Tom saw a butterfly. He made a friend with the butterfly. Tom is happy now :-). The butterfly is a girl. The name is Arora.

Screaming Like a Little Girl

Yesterday at dinner, Lyra related a story from the playground

L: Yesterday, I almost did the splits when I was playing on the gymnasium.
Me: What happened
L: Well, I was stepping across to the spiral thing and when I stepped my foot started to go down the spiral. I was standing there almost in the splits. I screamed and Dromo and Faisal laughed at me
Me: Why did they laugh? Were they being mean ?
L: No, they thought it was funny because I screamed I sounded like a little girl.
Russ: How apropos.

While out in the desert Saturday night a creepy crawly creature approached our bonfire. It was a Camel Spider. Jack, the neighbor boy, discovered it. Poor Jack, he was quite distraught afterward. Quite a bit of a shock to the system. At first we all thought it might be a scorpion, but upon closer inspection it was determined to be a Camel Spider. We rounded it up into a cup to bring home. Lyra now has it in her "Creature Keeper" which is a small terrarium she got with a goldfish one time. We're keeping it until Aunt Amy and Mary come.

Yesterday, I did a little research on Camel Spiders so we'd know what to feed it. Seems like most bugs or other creepy crawlies will do. Russell's been trying to catch some flies - but I think it needs a bit more sustenance. Maybe a cricket or two.

Here's a picture of a camel spider that most looks like the one we found.

Actually, a camel spider is NOT a spider. It is actually a member of the arachnid family, but is a completely separate species. It is called a Solifugae - which means it tries to get away from the sun. Although completely creepy, it is quite innocuous for humans. It has no venom and is mostly docile.

But that doesn't stop me from wanting to scream like a little girl when I see it. Ugggh, yuck.

For a few more facts on camel spiders, here's a good link: http://jimmeads.blogspot.com/2008/11/arachophobia-camel-spiders-sarah-called.html

Car Naps

How does she stand having her head back like that?

Last week, Lyra had to bring a national food from home to the school for the other kids to taste. By coincidence, Russell had some golabki (Polish cabbage roles) that she could bring. She had to prepare a little sign that was submitted with her food. It asked things like "What country is it from?" or "When do you eat it?" - I think meaning is it a special holiday food. Lyra's answer was "3 o'clock". Which cracked me up.

Also, we've lost our ability for secret spelling. Today I was asking Russ if we would carve the P-U-M-P-K-I-N-S tonight and she turned to me, "Pumpkins?" uh oh - on to a new era. I wonder if she knows Pig Latin.

I met a Sheikh

So, today we had a bunch of business meetings and I was invited to present to the Board of Directors for our JV in Saudi Arabia. Our JV partner there is a Sheikh. Whenever I go to our offices in Jeddah, I always use his office. But he's never been in the office at the same time as me. So, in all these years we've never met.

What's a Sheikh like? Pretty nice and down to earth actually. I'm not sure what he's Sheikh of though. Not exactly sure how that works in Saudi. Does he have a little Sheikhdom in Saudi Arabia or is it just a title? He's from a pretty influential family and he has a lot of interactions with the royal family there, but I'm pretty sure that Sheikh's are not rulers in Saudi Arabia the way they are here in the Emirates.

Hmm, something to google.

It's Snowing!

More old videos of Lyra. We'll be excited to come back to snow. Not so excited about the cold though.

She Reads

Here and there throughout the summer, Russell and I would remember to bring out Lyra's reading lists. We'd review a few lists to see if she remembered her words. For the most part she did, but no huge gains in progress. But as soon as school started - something must have clicked. The first time she had Library Day, she came home with a chapter book called Rainbow Fairies. I found her sitting on the steps or curled up on the couch reading it. How fun to see her enjoying books and looking so grown up all of a sudden.

They're Baaaaaack

About March or April, this town started to empty. People were getting laid off and leaving the country. Where there used to be long stretches of traffic for miles - now it was free flowing and easy. The rumors were running rampant! 1,000 cars a day were abandoned at the airport, holes for new building foundations were being filled in, cranes were being dismantled, the only projects left would be high visibility government projects like the Metro and Burj Dubai.

Everyone was sure that come the end of the school year, thousands more would leave and never come back. Slowly but surely the city seemed more and more empty. I returned in July and it seemed like I was one of just a few people here. Parking was easy, restaurant reservations were available, HUGE sales were on enticing folks to buy. But no one was here. And we all wondered if folks would return.

It's normal for the city to empty in the summer. Kids go home with one of the parents, lots of people here take 4 or 5 week vacations back in their homelands, and the only folks left are those who have to be. But this year, it seemed different - it REALLY was empty. And no one was sure if people would come back.

Ramadan started in the middle of August - and a lot of schools decided to delay the first day of school until after the end of Ramadan. Our school returned for about 3 weeks and then we had a 1 - week break. All during Ramadan, everyone would wonder how many people were really coming back.

And so, for 3 weeks now, we've been back. Ramadan is over. Swine flu delays are over. The hot weather is finishing. And . . . they're back. Traffic hasn't recovered to pre-meltdown days. But certainly we're back to the traffic levels of March/April. It took me an hour to get into work today - and earlier this summer it was taking 20 minutes. Oh well - it was nice to have the place to ourselves for a little while.

She's so cute

Thinking Required

This is a picture of the driveway that goes past the entrance to my building. It is a one-way drive for dropping off passengers and then loops back to join the main road. Right now, there's road construction going on at the end of the drive and so you can't rejoin the main road. So, they've closed the driveway. But look where they've put the pylons - not up toward the drive entrance (where you see that woman walking), but here at the door. It's been like this for weeks.

I guess they think that this allows drivers to pull in for passenger drop off. But once the passenger is out, the driver has to reverse back up the drive and reverse into traffic on the main road to get out. I see things like this and shake my head. Yesterday there was a little traffic jam as a car and 2 taxis had pulled in for drop off. The rear-most taxi couldn't see that the road was blocked and kept honking and wondering why the front car wasn't moving along. Meanwhile a van pulls up behind the rear taxi - but is still in traffic and the traffic starts to build up behind him. As I walked in the door, everyone was busily honking their horns (of course that is the miraculous cure for all traffic jams) and no one was getting out to explain that everyone needed to reverse about 30 yards to let the first car out.

I wandered in wondering if this traffic snarl might finally convince building security to put the blockade down closer to the main road. But as you can see - nothing has changed.

Birthday Bash

So, your daughter's turning 1? You and your wife decide to celebrate this important occasion with friends and family. But maybe you're not sure how to go about it.

1. Plan the event on a school night at 8pm.
2. Be sure everyone knows to bring their kids - especially the ones that have school in the morning.
3. When everyone arrives, arrange for some friendly chit chat for an hour. No, make that two.
4. At 10pm, bring out the cake and candle.
5. While everyone is singing Happy Birthday, start bringing in the dinner. Make sure that you've put on a huge spread.
6. At 10:45, say good-bye to your guests and their nearly catatonic children.

One of the guys on my team followed this plan to the letter. Although the timing was unusual, it was a nice evening. I didn't read the invitations very well and failed to notice that the start time had moved from 7pm to 8pm. So, I rushed over after all my meetings hoping that my arrival at 7:45 wasn't too late. Needless to say, I was the first to arrive.

It was me and his father-in-law, who is an extremely friendly man, alone in a big party room for about 20 minutes. I enjoyed talking to him, even though I felt embarassed about arriving so early. I'm really bad at chitter chatter - but he kept up his end of the conversation nicely. Within 5 minutes I had an invitation to stay with him and his wife at their home in Bombay. He's thrilled to offer us a personalize insider tour. If I ever get there, I'm definitely going to look him up. I can tell he's one of those sorts that knows every nook and cranny of a place.

Numerous times during the evening I was asked where Lyra and Russell were. I explained that she was in bed and really it was past her bedtime. Earlier in the week, I had thought they could come and then maybe organize a quick get away. But looking back I can see that there is no way a get away would have been possible unless someone in the family started throwing up or otherwise indicating serious illness. People here are SO hospitable that they really can't understand that you wouldn't want to visit for hours and hours. They really were almost hurt that I didn't bring Lyra and Russell for a visit - but it would have been a nightmare scenario this morning at 6am alarm clock.

I Can't Hear You

Lately, I can't hear the morning call to prayer and I wonder why. It's particularly odd since the timing right now is about 10 minutes before my alarm goes off. And usually, I'm in a semi-alert state by then anyway. This morning - I could hear a faint sound if I strained my ears. What's up with that?

I wonder if I've just become "immune" to it. You know, like living with a cuckcoo clock - after a while you just don't hear the sound any more. But I would have thought that if I was actively straining to hear the call that I would be able to. And this morning I could barely hear them.

Maybe it's the A/C fan that is on in the room. It's still hot enough here for the A/C to be running 24 hours a day - and even at 5:20am it's running. It is pretty loud - enough to mask most sounds. But when we first moved in (almost exactly 2 years ago) I could hear the call as plain as day each morning. And we had the A/C running non-stop then, too.

The only other thing I can think of is that the mosque-guys have turned down the volume. I'd be surprised by that - really. The whole purpose of the call is to wake up the neighborhood. Turning down the volume seems counter productive to that objective.

So, it's a mystery.

What to Wear?

Amygirl asked "do you find yourself buying and wearing different styles than you would have in the past?" (thanks for the question).

Actually, I think my clothing changes are due more to climate differences than because of accommodations for the culture here.

These days, flip flops are standard daily attire. I throw them on when heading out for yoga, slip them on to walk the dog, or wear them at the grocery store. There's hardly a day that goes by that I don't wear flip flops. And at work, I never wear socks or nylons anymore. The thought of encasing my feet and legs in warm fabric is seems suffocating. Back in the US, I was pretty conservative about my work dress and there's rarely a day that I didn't weare socks or tights - especially with heels. So, I guess my footwear has changed pretty dramatically.

I do try and keep my shoulders and thighs covered if I'm out. I try not to wear sleeveless tops or shorts. But I think my shift away from shorts has more to do with being in my mid-40s than with being here. I don't like the spider veins on my legs - and I was already getting a bit uncomfortable in shorts that didn't cover most of my thighs. And with the sleeveless tops - I'm probably about 50-60% of the time. Just yesterday I was out with a tank top on. But I was at our Mirdif mall where a lot of westerners go - so I don't feel awkward. But if I were down in the older part of town near the souks, I'd definitely have my shoulders covered.

A few weeks ago, I was going through my closet trying to clear out a few things. I usually have a rule that if I haven't worn it in a year then it should go out. But it was harder to apply this rule with so many of my cold weather clothes. There are suits and trousers here that I've never worn. And I think that I'll wear them again when we're back in cooler climate. But sometimes I wonder if they'll look dated by then. So, I did toss quite a few things - but still kept a lot. It's hard when the outside temps are near 110C to really look at lined wool trousers and feel like you'll ever want to put them on (ugh).

So that's it really. I don't need to cover my head or wear an abaya in Dubai. I have that for visits to Saudi - where it's only necessary for me to wear the abaya. We have a friend who just recently moved to Yemen - and she wears both a head cover and an abaya - but she still looks like a "brazen westerner" since she allows some of her hair to be seen and she doesn't cover her entire face (which most Yemeni women are fully covered except the eyes).

Home for 3 Hours

I just got in from my business trip to Brussels and now we're packed and heading out the door for a short break to Thailand. About 10 years ago, Russell and I had a trip to Thailand nearly booked. We were on our way to make the reservations and then something came up at work - I can't even remember now what it was. But so, Thailand has been in the back of our minds for a while.

Ramadan should be finished on Sunday. And we'll have a 2-day break. Lyra is off all week. And with our time here coming to an end, we feel like we have to take every opportunity to head out and do something. Amazingly, Thailand is a 6 hour flight away (closer than Brussels!) and only 3 hours time difference. So, with some recent price incentives to get tourists back there it felt like the right thing to do.

We're only there for 4 days, so we've decided to spend all our time on Phuket - an island on the southern end of Thailand. Russell will go scuba diving. Lyra is really excited to try and snorkle. So, hopefully she and I can tag along with the scuba boat and see some exciting fish and coral. Other than a few boat trips, I'll be hitting the sun beds and lounging by the pool/beach. I can't wait.

If you're looking for me, I'll be here.

Sorry, I'm Swamped

I can feel you all looking at me - whoever's left browsing this blog. You come and check for something and there's nothing updated.

I'm sorry. My work life has been crazy and I'm just feeling totally uncreative when I get home.

But, I think of you often. And I wonder what I should be telling you. And the longer I let my writer's break go, the more I felt that my first post should be fantastic - and the more intimidated I felt.

So, here's my first post after a long break. It says nothing, but at least maybe now I'll get myself back into the blogging grove again.

During my break, in my desperate attempt to find something stellar to say, I've realized how difficult it is to see things in Dubai with a fresh set of eyes. So much is familiar to me - I forget to notice it anymore. And then I'm not reminded to blog it. Do you have any questions? Anything to help me get started?

Lyra started school about 3 weeks ago. After her first day at school she told me, "I think I'm too little for first grade." When I queried a bit she commented that there aren't any toys in the classroom. Ahhh, yes - well those playing days are behind you. My friend Karen was telling me how amazing first grade was for her daughter; that the transformation is incredible.

Already, in 3 short weeks, Lyra has gone from struggling her way to reading word lists - to now checking out chapter books in the library. Somewhere along the line, she's learned to read. Russell and I have been working a bit with her, but certainly it hasn't been a huge focus. Now and again, we'd quiz her on a word here or there - or pull out her assignments from K5 and see if she remembered her words. And it seemed like she was maintaining over the summer, but no huge gains. And then school started and it's like BANG, she can read.

The other morning, she was sitting on the steps waiting for Russell and I. She had her book from the library and was reading it. Seemed like such a grown up thing for her to be doing. I'm glad. Reading is such a joy for me. So, I'm glad to see her on the way to immersing herself in books.

Next week is a vacation (already) for the end of Ramadan. We'll be going to Thailand. Can't wait to sample the great curries.

Working From Home

So, today I'm working from home. Why? Because we have no power in our building. We had a call from the electric company on Monday that they would be shutting power in our building from 7am to 2pm. Isn't there a way to do these works during the night? or on the weekend? Sooner or later, when living here, you learn not to ask these questions.

So, it's not just our business - I work in a 30-story office tower. So, everyone is home today from all these businesses. And I just wonder how that would go down in the US if the electric company just started announcing power outages during business hours.

It's the same with the telephone company, too. We recently experienced several issues with the telephone lines running to one of our offices. We worked for MONTHS (yes, months) to get the telephone company to help us understand what the problem was. It was unbelievable. And then, when we finally decided that we needed to run a new line - they would only schedule the works during the day. There working hours are 8 to 3 (yep, 3pm). Nevermind that this was our Customer Service hub and that all our customers would be unable to contact us for a day.

And speaking of services. I'm on my third try to get the repairmen to come here and fix the A/C in Lyra's room. Saturday - no show. Frustrating thing is when you call them they say, "Oh yeah, we couldn't come." No hint of an idea that maybe they could have called you. Sunday I came home early from work - again, no show. So today when working from home I will hopefully have success. I called yesterday and asked them to come. They told me, call us tomorrow and see if we can come. Aggghhh, can't you just schedule me in for tomorrow? I'm calling you now - I don't want to call tomorrow.

If you remember last year's stresses with the refrigerator repair - I think this year I'm more prepared. I know not to fight it. You only end up getting yourself all tied up into knots and it doesn't change anything. Believe me, I've tried. I've called the supervisor. I've called the manager. I've called the Director. Nothing changes.

One HOT Mama

So, after our dust storms, I was getting used to the reduced heat in the city. The dust was doing its job to keep us all a bit cooler (like closer to 105 than 115). But today, walking at lunch time, it's back to hot and sweltering. In fact, hot would be the wrong term. Hot is a summer day in Milwaukee. This is roasting or sizzling. Definitely hot would be an understatement.

Although my walk was only 200m, I was peeling off my blazer when I got back to the office - aaaah the chill of air conditioning. Why was I wearing my blazer? Because I have on a sleeveless shirt and I'm a bit sensitive to showing my arms here. I'm always torn between being culturally sensitive or being comfortable. Actually, the blazer helps a bit - keeps some of the sun off and in a way helps keep me cool - but once I heat up, then it's really roasting.

One more month of sizzling heat. Then come September we'll start seeing things get back to just plain ol' hot.

It's Dusty

No need to adjust your screens. This photo - although the quality is poor - is trying to show you how dusty it is. We've had dust storms since last Wednesday. Ugh.

I can hear down the corridors and halls everyone coughing in the office. I haven't bothered to cover my mouth outside - only because I'm barely outside. Best just to stay in and wait till it clears. Only good thing is that the temps have dropped quite a bit. Most days, temps are barely up to 100. And I saw that we may actually get overnight lows in to the 80s tonight.

I was glancing down at the constructions sites to see if any of the workmen are wearing face masks. Many of them have rigged up a bandana around their face, but most are working without one. This certainly has to be taking years off their life.

Oh, by the way, that long white building that you see closest to you is a new hall being added to our convention center. Supposedly there is a royal wedding booked for October in that building. I'll believe it when I see it.

Getting the Car Washed

People here are fanatical about a clean car. Most in the office will have their cars washed every day. A car wash guy or the house maid will clean the car in the morning before they leave for work. If you don't have a car wash guy, then all of the shopping centers have guys that patrol the parking lots and will wash your car while you shop. Given the dustiness of this place - definitely a regular car wash is needed. We get ours done weekly - and sometimes by the end of the week my car can look like an abandoned vehicle at the DMV.

Just after we moved in a man came by the house and offered to wash our cars. We knew he needed the money and it was a way to help him with a little cash. At first he was coming by on Friday morning - very early before the heat of the day. He'd was our two cars and the neighbors'. He was a real sweet guy. For two years he always came. Very reliable and charged a reasonable price.

One Thursday evening in June, he was washing the cars and he disappeared. He left behind his bicycle (a precious possession) and all the car wash gear was left out. None of us saw what happened. Juliette, our neighbor, stored his bicycle in their garage and we waited for his return. Unfortunately, he's never come back. We speculate that maybe the police stopped and he was detained for not having the right visa. I'm pretty sure we'll never know. We never did know his name. He'll forever be Car Wash Guy to us.

So, the entire time that we were back in the states, the cars remained unwashed. Believe me, they accumulated a lot of dust in those 4 weeks. So, last weekend, I brought out the hose and readied myself to wash the cars. Really - you would not believe what a fuss I raised with the house men nearby. It was more than they could bear - and also an opportunity for a little extra cash. So while I was washing, the house man from across the road came over to offer to wash the car. I told him he could come once a week. But I don't think he understood.

On Wednesday, Linda told me that he had been coming by each day to wash the car - but I had forgotten to tell her that I'd made this arrangement. She had been sending him away, but finally she relented and let him was the car yesterday. This morning, the doorbell rang at 6am. When I mumbled through the intercom, "Madam - wash car" was the response. When I got downstairs, I tried to communicate that he only needed to come 1 time per week - but he wasn't really understanding. So, he called his brother to come over who spoke much better English. I tried to negotiate the same rate that we had with our previous Car Wash Guy - but no deal. He wanted 200 Dhs.

Well, I've come into the office since and consulted with the guys on my team. They tell me that 200 Dhs is too much - unless he's doing it every day. But rather than re-negotiate myself, I'm going to wait until Russell gets back and have him do it. They'll listen to him better then me. One of my team members is from Pakistan and I told him I may call him and have him speak to them in Urdu. I'm sure to get a better deal this way.

In the meantime, our cars are clean. At least for now.

Summer Ghost Town

It's normal for Dubai to feel empty in the summer. There's nothing to do here. The days are too hot and sunny. The kids go mad with boredom. You can only visit a mall so many times before you're stir crazy. So, most families will pack up and head home for a few weeks (or months).

This year, with the economic downturn, the streets are empty. Traffic jams that used to cause me 30 to 40 minutes of queing are now free-flowing without any back up. Hmmm. Partly this is because it's summer. But also, I think a lot of people are just gone. Everyone here is waiting to see what happens after Ramadan (which ends around Sept 20 this year). Will people be back?

I think it will be years until we see the peak levels that occurred sometime around Sept/Oct last year. But even to see things back to pre-summer levels would be encouraging.

Part of the reason so many people have gone is because if you lose your job here - then you lose your visa. They've extended the rules to give people about 6 months to find another job, but if you remain unemployed after that, then you have to leave. Also, if you find that you can't pay your bills while your unemployed - you go to jail. Yep - go to jail. So, people get scared if they think that they're going to miss a car payment or bounce a rent check and they just scram.

Seems a bit counterproductive to put someone in jail for bouncing a check. Doesn't really seem to help them stay on their feet for a while until they can sort something out. But that's the way it is. And I'm pretty sure once those folks leave they better stay away because they're on some sort of police list or something. I know I wouldn't chance it.

Anyway - now I've sold you on the idea of coming here. Don't worry - you're a tourist. Actually, because of the slow summer - there are great bargains everywhere. I was just reviewing this website (http://www.timeoutdubai.com/hotels/features/9569-best-summer-hotel-deals-in-dubai) for hotel deals in the city. If you've ever wanted a super luxurious holiday - now's the time to come to Dubai. We've actually taken advantage of one of these deals and we're going to the Palm Atlantis at the end of August for a last splash (literally) before school starts. About $225/night gets us a hotel room AND free entrance to their water park. Meals are not included - and I'm sure they'll try to make up for the freebies with high prices on the dinners. I'm sure we'll find a way to have some snacks/drinks in the room to help defer those costs.

Which Way Do I Go?

Only in Dubai.

I'm Back

Oh what a trip it was. As usual, a blast to be back home to see friends and family. Makes it difficult to come back here. Russell & Lyra will be back in mid-August and then school starts on August 30.



Our trip to the US started with a visit to good friends Pam & Jerry in Michigan. Their daughter, Ellia, and Lyra have been mates since they were tiny babies in China. One day, we ditched the girls and summer camp, rented scooters and headed off to tour the beautiful area around their home city, St. Joseph, MI. Russell and I both enjoyed seeing Lake Michigan on the other side. Lot of great family things to do over there if you're looking for a quick getaway.




The beaches were beautiful and the water temps great for splashing. Of course the girls got in and had a blast jumping into the waves and playing in the sand.




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Lyra enjoyed holding this lizard on her lap and Ellia bravely stood nearby.

Random Photos

Isn't this cool? I can't remember what it it's called. A leaf something. We saw it at the aqaurium in the Dubai Mall a couple of monts ago. I was totally fascinated watching it float around.

Updated: A leaf seahorse. Thanks, Mimi :-)




Here's Lyra with Mrs. Nasser, her KG2 (which is 5-year old KG) teacher. We liked Mrs. Nasser.




I like the timing of these two shots (see the one below). The three of them must be looking at the same thing.






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Here's the Burj Dubai. Now that the window are on, it looks beautiful in the sunshine. Supposedly there will be an opening on September 9. But they're still putting on windows - so that "opening" won't really mean the building is done.

Note: That "small" building to the right is a 50-story hotel called The Address.

Food Chains

If there's one way that America is spreading it's culture, it's through food chains. Of course everyone expects McDonald's, Burger King, and Starbucks. No doubt - they're here. But I was surprised to see how common Baskin & Robins (called B&R here), KFC and Dunkin Donuts is outside of the US. If anything, these restaurants are MORE prevalent than back home. You cannot go anywhere in Dubai without having a B&R nearby.

TGI Fridays is also everywhere. And Chili's, Pizza Hut, Applebees. I've never been to any of them here. Nothing against them, just feel a bit like I should be focusing on local food rather than stuff I can get at home.

The ones that really surprise me however are the chains that barely exist back home. Fudruckers, Gloria Jeans Coffee, and Tony Roma's for example. They must be focusing more on their international expansion. And Caribou Coffee - it's huge here and back home I just think of it as a Minnesota chain.

And where are the Taco Bells (one just opened) - they have definitely missed out on an expansion opportunity. Too busy selling the Beef-a-quita-rito to the masses in America, I guess.

Last week I was in Qatar. Across the road from my hotel was an Arby's, TCBY and Dairy Queen. That's the first I've seen any of those.

It's not all American chains - there are lots of local places, too. But Americans feel right at home here when it comes to junk food.

Cultural Differences

Moving here - there were obvious cultural differences that we expected to encounter. We had some minimal cultural education - and read a lot about arab and muslim cultures. No matter how much education there was, there are some surprising differences that I just wasn't expecting. Like:

1. How to "nod" your head. In India, they have a little head "bobble". Kind of side to side. At first, I interpreted this to mean "whatever" or "if you insist" - instead it means "Yes." I still find this a little confusing in a conversation and have to remind myself that it means "yes."


2. What to do with toilet paper. In many of the older buildings with traditional plumbing - you are expected to throw your used toilet paper in a bin and not into the toilet. There are no signs instructing you to do this - it is just expected that you will. If you forget - you run the risk of serious plumbing clog. New buildings and plumbing are now built to handle toilet paper - but if in doubt, best to not flush.

3. Using a toothpick without covering your mouth is considered extremely rude and disgusting. You might as well be cleaning the toe jam from between your toes as far as people here are concerned.

4. Honking your car horn is a subtle message that means, "Hey, just to let you know I'm here." Even though I know it's not meant to be rude I still cannot stop myself from responding with ire. "YES - can you not wait 10 seconds for me to get out of my taxi?!?"

5. When we moved to England, I discovered that Baked Beans was a common pizza topping. For that matter, so was sweet corn. Hmmm - just had never really considered ordering a baked bean pizza. Here, pizza toppings are limited to non-pork options (for obvious reason). So, really difficult to order Pepperoni or Sausage - and if you do it's some sort of beef pepperoni or sausage which just doesn't have the same flavor.

6. You would think that answering the telephone and saying good-bye would be the same around the world. I mean, you can pick up your phone and call anyone in the world, so why don't we have the same telephone curtesies. In the UK, at the end of a telephone conversation, I never figured out what I was doing wrong, but it always felt like I'd say good-bye and then they'd say good-bye, and then rather than hang up - they'd hang on the line. Finally, I learned to say "Cheers, bye" at the end of the call - and that seemed to work, they'd hang up. Here, when people answer the telephone they always say, "Tell me, Julie". If they can see me on caller ID, that's how they answer the telephone - not even Hello. Or if after they say hello and I identify myself, then they will say "Tell me, Julie".

7. Tassels on men's dress shoes is 100% American. I cannot think of one single culture where the men have tassels on their dress shoes. If you see a man anywhere in the world with tassels on his dress shoes, you don't even have to ask - he's an American.



5.

Lyra's First Piano Recital

Lyra's piano teacher, Miss Elena, is from the Ukraine. She is one of the most soft spoken people. But I noticed at the recital that all of her students had been taught how to come in and bow before taking their seat (I missed that in Lyra's entry) and then to bow again when leaving.

She has infinite patience with Lyra. Every lesson, she reviews the positioning of the fingers, keeping her knuckles soft, positiong her hands as if they were holding a tennis ball. Every lesson.

For the recital, this was the first time Lyra had played a grand piano. Up until now, she has been practicing on our Yamaha Clavinova (and the Clavinova they have in her practice cubicle at the music school).

Miss Elena came up to me afterward and said, "I jahst lahve Lyra. She is so beautiful wiss her white dress and zee blahck piano."

Going to Get Beer

You can drink alcohol in the UAE, but you need a drinking license. In Dubai, if you have a resident permit, you need a license to purchase or consume alcohol. Visitors and vacationers can drink alcohol, but only on hotel properties. Technically, if you're staying with friends at their home, you're not allowed to drink on their property unless you have a license.

There are liquor stores in Dubai, but they charge about 30% duty on everything. So, usually we purchase our alcohol when we go through duty free or we go to Umm al Quwain, a nearby emirate. In UAQ, there's a store called the Baracuda where you can get booze without a liquor license and without paying duty. So, every few months or so, we head over there. It's about an hour drive.

It is hilarious to see people coming out of the shop with their shopping trolleys FULL - as they can barely steer the thing to their car. BIG smiles are on everyone's face. This time, we didn't need too much. Picked up some wine for the neighbors and also stocked up for Ramadan (which comes around August 22 this year). And since Russell & Lyra will just be getting back from the US the weekend before that, this way we don't have to rush over there - as they close for the entire month of Ramadan.

On the way, there is a stretch of road with free-range camels. Almost every time we see some on the road. So, I had my camera out and ready for some photos.

Praying

In Islam, followers are required to pray 5 times a day. The praying times are based upon the sun rising and setting. First prayer is before sunrise and the last prayer is after sunset - and the rest are spaced pretty evenly throughout the day.

As a result, prayer is a common part of life here. In the US, where we're used to religion and praying being mostly a private thing - we can get uncomfortable with people expressing their religion in public. Especially praying - for the most part we view that as a very private moment.

Most commonly, people here will pray at mosques or prayer rooms. Almost all public buildings and offices will offer a prayer room. But if they don't, it's not unusual to see someone in the corner of a room praying, or in their office, or in the case of my photo below - on the roadside.

Hello, President Obama

Welcome to my neck of the woods.



There's lots of buzz around having Obama here in the Arab world. People are excited that he's here and are looking forward to hearing what he has to say. Today, Obama is in Saudi and tomorrow he travels to Egypt.

There's a bit of controversy around the choice of Egypt for his "speech to the Muslim world". Many Egyptians are upset that it seems to validate Mubarek's dictatorship. Ah well, you can't please everyone.

I would have like to see Obama come here to Dubai - if only to compare the security to last year's totalitarian lock-down during Bush's visit.

Booking a Taxi

On the back of every taxi in Dubai it says: Call Center 800 90 90 90.

You might think that if you'd like to book a taxi you should call this number. Nope. Don't ask me what they do - maybe they take complaints about the fact that the number on taxis is not the number used for booking taxis.

No, it is a totally different number that you call to book taxis. And the only way I know to find out that number for booking taxis is to call the above number, pretend to try and book a taxi, and then have them give you the other number you need to call. I deliberately say "pretend to try and book a taxi". Because if you call them and try to explain that you know they're not the booking number, but would like to get the booking number - you'll just confuse them and maybe they'll transfer you to another department which also can't book a taxi for you. So, better to just play dumb.

This is SO Dubai.

Obviously, I've now got the booking number stored in my Blackberry.

Igor (eee-gor)

Lyra rented this movie yesterday. It's another one of those animation films with famous actors doing the voice-over. I'd never heard of it. When I got home last night - she was about 30 minutes from the end of the movie. I sat with her to watch the last bit - but mostly I was concentrating on eating my soup while sitting on the stairs and not spilling it on my work clothes.

When she was getting ready for bed, I asked her what the movie was about. Here's her synopsis:

Well a monster makes another monster. She's really really big and she doesn't know how to say anything. She talks like she's a baby. And another monster tells all the monsters that they need to be evil and that it should be dark all the time. But he was wrong. And so the big monster is trying to destroy everything, but the other monster - the one who made her - tells her that she doesn't need to be evil. And so, she was destroying every thing and then she stopped. It wasn't magic or anything, she just stopped. I don't really know how that happened.

I'm always fascinated by the details that she picks up on. Sometimes she will ask me, "Remember that movie where the dog was wearing the red collar?" - or something equally obscure. If I ask for more details, she'll sometimes be able to give a better clue. But often it will be something like, "You know, the one where the red collar was shiny and the dog was wearing it." If I'm still stumped, she pulls out the pre-teen angst - "You JUST DON'T GET IT!"

The other day - I overheard a similar dialogue with Russell and he responded with, "Don't get sassy with me - I'm trying to understand what you're saying." Tears ensued.

Lyra's especially emotional when she's going through a growth spurt. She ate three bowls of last night's soup and then a large breakfast this morning. Let this be a warning to us. Eggshell alert.

They're Moving the Road

They're moving the street outside my office 6 feet to the left. It's hard to may be see it in the picture. It's a one-way frontage road along one of the main arteries of Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road. On the right of the red & white barriers is where the current street runs. On the left is where the new road will go.

Why? All is a mystery.

Surrounded by Poverty

An ironic thing about living in Dubai (and anywhere in the Middle East) is the amount of poverty that surronds you. Especially in Dubai - where the mad pursuit of luxury is the key them around here - it was a surprise to me to see the levels of poverty all around me.

The majority of the immigrant population here are laborers. Laborers are here by the millions - and queues continually forming for more to come. They work in the massive construction sites, are factory workers, are housemaids or nannies, take care of the gardens, work the fast food restaurants, deliver your dinner. Pretty much the same list of jobs you'd take as a high school or university summer job. Labor immigrants come primarily from the Sub-Continent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh) or the South Pacific (Phillipines or Indonesia).

In both of these areas, the standard of living is like nothing we live with in the US. It is quite normal for a family of 10 or more (parents, grandparents, and children) to live in small one-room homes. During the night, sleep rolls are spread out as bedding for everyone. People sleep with arms and legs twined about each other through the night. Come morning, the beds are rolled up and the room becomes kitchen/sitting room for the rest of the day. And this is the working class not the poor. Usually people aren't starving (unless some natural disaster has occurred). But meals are simple (rice, fish or veg) and do not vary much from day to day.

For those laborers that come to Dubai, they come for the opportunity to send money back home to help take care of the grandparents and children. There is no minimum wage in Dubai, but there are laws about what an employer must provide for someone coming here to work for them. According to the law, employers must provide housing, transportation, clean water, food, and medical care - in addition to their salary. Their salary is anywhere from $200 - $500/month - depending upon job.

For many laborers, they are provided with a communal room/apartment. The room usually has 3 to 5 bunkbeds (depending upon size). Often there is a little cooker/kitchen area, a shower and bath room on each floor, and sometimes a TV or social room. Of course there is story after story of how this is not the case, it is true that people can be treated inhumanely. But these employers are breaking the law and as with everything there are horror stories. And when you consider what many of these people came from - we might find it overcrowded and lacking privacy whereas they may find it to be comfortable.

If the laborer is working in a household, they often will have their own small room with private bathroom located in the house (or just outside the front or back door). When you see these little small rooms for the first time, you wonder how could anyone live in these rooms. Our maid's quarters would qualify as a bedroom in the US. You can comfortably fit a single bed in there, but a double bed would fill the room. There is a private bath with shower off to the side. Up until now, it has been our basement/gararge storage area. And although it's perhaps more spacious, I wonder if it's a bit lonely.

And when you're surronded by this - and you hear what are the circumstances of people back home, it feels like you can do just a little bit to help them by "hiring" chores done. From the beginning, we've had someone coming over to clean the house. At first it was a couple days a week - and then we went to daily. We pay her about $220/month for a few hours cleaning each day. She nearly doubles her salary - and then we find out that she has to give this to her employer to re-imburse him. Although I wonder if he keeps only part of it - otherwise why would she do this? And when she works for us on Friday (her off day) - she gets to keep the money. We also have a man who comes by on Thursdays to wash the cars (and boy do they get dusty in one week). He washes both of ours and the neighbor's next door, too. We each pay him about $40/month. Really, he's a poor car washer, but we can't stand to fire him because we know he needs the money - and it's a way for us to help. And we have pool service come by twice per week, but I don't know what he's paid since we pay a fee to the pool company (but probably he earns $200 -$300/month).

Recently our housekeeper approached us about an alternative situation. She had a neighboring friend who was losing her place to live (the family were headed back to Lebanon). And her friend really wants to stay - since she has to support her son back home. And would we be willing to take on this woman as our maid to live in our maid's quarters? And with all the families moving out - she really worried about finding a new place. And even though we like Myla, she is unpredictable and can go for several days or weeks without showing up if something is going on at her own house. So, we said yes. And now we're getting a live in maid.

It feels odd. But I do feel I have a different perspective on live-in help than I might have had when we first moved here. It feels a bit like we have the means to help - and she needs to work - so we should.

Carry Me Back to Old Virginny

A Ride on a Pirates' Ship

Last Thursday, Lyra and I went out to eat while Russell had Guys' Night Out. We sat outside at the marina and watche a parade of pedestrians on the sidewalk. It was a pleasant evening to be out. As it got darker, we noticed the lights of an amusement area that was set up on the other side of the marina.

Lyra wondered how far away it was. Is it 20 meters? No. 20 Blocks? No, somewhere in between there - maybe 2 blocks. I could tell it was her way of hinting that maybe we could head over there after dinner. I told her we could and asked her what ride she'd like to go on if we went.

"The Boat," she answered without hesitation. I could tell this was a ride I could probably stomach - so agreed that we could go on after dinner. "If it makes your stomach upset, I could go by myself," she volunteered. As we continued to watch in the distance Lyra queried, "I wonder if I could scream as loud as they can." I assured her she could - but to please not try it now.

When we wandered over to the amusements, we checked with the ride monitor if he'd allow Lyra on. He nodded and we went to go get our tokens. I'm sure you've seen these rides at the carnival before. They look like a boat with about 5 or 6 rows of seats on each end facing toward the center. When the ride gets going it rocks back and forth - like a big swing. If you're lucky to be positioned on the far outer seats, you end up looking straight down during the upswing of your end. Our boat was a pirates' ship complete with crows nest.

Lyra and I were the only ones to get tokens, so we had full choice of where to sit. We positioned ourselves toward the middle. I was feeling a bit nervous that the full-on downward tilt from the end seats would be overly scary. But she seemed in a wild mood and was ready for the thrill. As the boat started swinging - I got nervous all of a sudden that Lyra would be flying out of the ride - so I grabbed her around the shoulders. And then she started screaming - and she was just as loud as the others.

Gradually, we picked up height and Lyra yelled, "I feel like I'm going to pee my pants. Every time I look down, it feels like I need to pee. Do you feel like you need to pee?" The next few swings were hilarious as she screamed each time, "Oh no, I'm going to pee my pants." Then she told me, "Just don't look. Close your eyes. It's much better that way." But of course, she couldn't keep her eyes closed and continued screaming and having a ball.

As we got off, we both were laughing and looking for another thrill ride. She wanted to go on the swings which are on a chain and then spin around in a circle, but I was too nervous that she'd slip out. We checked on a few other rides, but the other monitors wouldn't let her on. So, in the end, she went on a kiddie roller coaster. She looked at it and wistfully said, "I just wish it was going a bit faster." Yes! Another coaster rider in the family.

Things I Like

OK, so not to be a total crumudeon. Here are things I like. Let's see if I surprise Russell with any of these.

1. Curling up in bed with Lyra when she can't fall asleep.
2. Peanut Butter
3. Russell waking up early to visit with me before I leave for work.
4. Drivers who give a friendly wave when I've just let them merge in front of me.
5. Discovering a book that just makes me want to read and read and read until I'm done.
6. A really great salad (cottage cheese, blue cheese sprinkles, a little ham, some pickled beets, chick peas, and a sprinkle of chow mein noodles).
7. My little red sports car.
8. Finding a parking space right by the door.
9. Kids with good manners.
10. The ring of the bell during yoga meditation.
11. Basil's cute little pink tongue sticking out while he sleeps.
12. Sticky, gooey cinnamon rolls.
13. Changing into lounging clothes after a day at work.
14. The trumpet (or trombone) flourish to signify All Things Considered is on.
15. Laying on the couch at Dad & Susie's with nothing to do.
16. Brandy Manhattan at DiMarini's on a dark winter Friday evening.
17. Scoring a baseball game.
18. Having a housekeeper.
19. Thunderstorms with lots of big giant cracks of thunder.
20. Watching Lyra and Russell when they don't know I'm there.

Things I Don't Like

Want to pull my chain? I admit I'm probably arming all of you with dangerous information.

I Don't Like:
1. Dishes put away so that the big item is teetering on top of the smaller one(s).
2. Same dish falling out of the cupboard onto my head or foot.
3. Getting downstairs and realizing that I left something in my bedroom (up on the 3rd floor).
4. People who won't hold the lift when they can hear you walking toward the open door.
5. The same people who hit the "close door" button as you are getting off so that the doors slam onto you as you exit.
6. Drivers who "dash around" in rush hour traffic just to get ahead of one car.
7. Someone who's willing to do a half-assed job and let down the members of their team.
8. People who stir up hate and fear.
9. Mint/Menthol lip balm.
10. Cars that don't allow you to adjust the shoulder belt height (cutting across my neck).
11. When someone believes that others are beneath them or less deserving than them.
12. Cough drops.
13. Waking up before my alarm and not getting back to sleep.
14. Even worse, falling back to sleep and oversleeping my alarm.
15. Filling my car with gas.
16. Putting folded laundry away.
17. Answering the phone.
18. Clutter.
19. Saying good-bye to visitors.
20. Watching medical dramas.

Flamingos

The UAE sits in the migratory path of flamingos as they are traveling from Iran & Iraq toward East Africa. Prior to the massive expansion seen in Dubai, there used to be a bird sanctuary (Ras al Khor) that sat on the outskirts of town. Now, the sanctuary is still there, but it's no longer on the outskirts of town. It's in the middle of town.

On a clear day (which today is NOT) I can see from my office over to the sactuary that is on the horizon. Today, the horizon is a beigey haze of dust (have I ever mentioned how dusty this place gets?) As Dubai has expanded, the limits of the sanctuary have been redrawn (smaller of course). Now they're planning some housing development called Flamingos. And wouldn't you know it will border right onto the water. But still - a fairly generous plot of mud and salt flats have been set aside for them.

We regularly travel past the bird sanctuary. There are a few byways where you can pull off to stop and then go out to these "hides" that have been built out into the mud flats. We've always said, "next time we'll need to stop and see." And finally - a few weeks ago - we did! It was lovely. We were able to get quite close to the birds as they were standing there eating. Every once in a while a small group would head off and with their long spindly legs it looked very much like they were marching in unison. A few would take off or soar by our hide and then land nearby. The feathers on their underwings have really stunning colors.

The hides that were built use a traditional Arabic building style called wind tunnels. In the days before A/C, these were built to help cool the houses and buildings. They look like super fat chimneys sticking up above the rooftop levels. As winds go by, they have cross-walls that catch the breeze and direct it down into the building. We were amazed to find how effective they were at keeping the bird observation buildings a super comfortable temperature on a hot day. We're anxious to go back now that the super sweltering days of summer have set in to see what it's like on a 40 degree day.

Turkey

Our first day in Turkey. I forgot the charger to my camera so was only able to get a few shots from the first day.

We were surprised to see this sticker on the wall of the first place we stopped for lunch.


Sultanahmet Mosque


Tradition states that if you put your thumb into the hole of this column - if it comes out wet then you will be healed.
Old stones and columns used to build the underground cistern that stored water for the city. The rumor is that this stone was a piece of rubbish that was used. It is the face of Medusa and it was installed on its side to indicate that the new Christians in the city did not believe in her anymore.
On the ferry to Prince's Island where we took a phaeton ride and stopped for yummy fish.

Easter

For Easter, we had a couple of friend over for egg dying and easter hunt the next morning. The girls had fun coloring eggs, the moms had fun hiding them, and the dads jumped in the pool (sorry any neighbors who may have been woken at midnight).

Russell grilled racks of lamb - his new speciality! Yum. Coming to a cook out near you - that will be an oft-repeated dish.

Liz showed the girls how to color on their eggs with crayons and leave decorations on the eggs after they were dipped in dye.

Plenty of eggs for each of the girls to dye. Lyra was a bit worried that the Easter Bunny would hide her eggs and then the other girls would find them. So, we had to make sure that she put her name on the 3 or 4 that she'd like to make sure she kept.
Peter always enjoys being part of the action. Here he is curled up near the step up into the dining room area.
Jim & Liza
Kyle & Liz
And us! Unfortunately, no pictures of the egg hunt. At 6am, I was woefully unprepared for pictures. Needless to say the girls were running everywhere in search of their goodies.

Later, when everyone went home, I know that some didn't take their fair share of the eggs. We made two batches of egg salad plus several mornings and lunches with boiled eggs. I'm sure we had at least 2 dozen eggs from the morning.

Swimming

Not surprisingly, since we've moved here we swim a lot more often. As a result, Lyra's pretty comfortable in the water. I've always felt that swimming lessons were one of those must-do things every parent should enroll their kids into. And I still feel that way - but so far, we haven't had Lyra in any lessons (other than about 3 lessons we went to when she was 1-year old, but the pool water was only 75 degrees and that was just too cold for both of us). Since moving here, we have a pool in back and a pool at the health club, plus practically everywhere you go here there is a pool. So far, Lyra has been learning by just horsing around in the water - with a few tips and pointers thrown in here and there.

Last year, Lyra made the leap from needing a swimming vest to being comfortable swimming around without one. She still didn't venture too far away from the side of the pool, but was willing to swim about 5-10 yards toward us. And for the most part, she still needed to be in water that wasn't over her head.

This year, it looks like Lyra will learn to be a lot more comfortable swimming down into the deeper areas of the pool. She's been able to tread water a little bit and is feeling more and more comfortable with diving for pool toys down into the deep. Sooner or later, I still want her to get some swimming lessons, but for now - I'm just glad that she's getting a lot of opportunities to swim and get comfortable in the water.

Over the winter, we've had a bit of a break in swimming. Our pool out back doesn't have a heater - and I was surprised how many months of the year it's really out of commission. Part of it is that it doesn't really get a full day of sunshine until mid-April and that's about when it's warm enough for me. Russ got into it sometime in late March I think. Then in about late September or mid-October it's again too cold. So a good portion of the year where we really don't use it. We've thought about getting a heater - would cost about $1,400 or something like that. But never did it - and now there's only one more winter left in our stay here.

The pool at the health club is temp controlled - so we can use that a bit more. But after about November and until the end of January it's too chilly for swimming - at least for me it is. So, we do have a couple months of the year where we don't swim that much.








Sorry for the recent pause in blogging. I've had a few issues getting pictures to post onto my entries. And rather than figure it out, I've been a bit lazy.

Cats and Dogs

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

View from my chair

Here's what I look at every day from the chair at my desk.

This is one of the stations for the Dubai Metro. A couple months ago, the Dubai Metro put all their station names up for sale. So, companies, individuals, or anyone who wanted could put in a bid to have the naming rights for different stations. I haven't heard who won - so couldn't tell you what the name of this station will be. But just like everything around here - they probably will never go by their official name.

Our street is 23b Street. No one, not even taxi drivers seem to know the name of our street. Well, maybe some of the taxi drivers, but not all of them. So, how do we tell people where we live? We start from a commonly known landmark and then give directions. Our street is "from the Spinney's roundabout take the road to the t-junction, turn left and our street is the second left".

So, this station will probably be known as "the station opposite the Fairmont hotel".

These Are NOT Some of Her Favorite Things

Last night at bedtime, Lyra came up to my room while I was changing into some PJs to lounge around. When she came in my room, I was already changed and she said to me:

Lyra: Wow, that was quick. Have you already brushed your teeth?
Me: No, I'll do that later. (Thinking of the glass of wine I was going to have after her bedtime.)
L: I always like to do the hardest things first.
M: What are the hardest things?
L: Well, not really hard, but the things I don't like. Like brushing my teeth and brushing my hair. I don't really like to do that, so I do that first.
M: What about putting on your pajamas?
L: That's easy. But I don't like putting my pajama top over my head. That makes me feel weird.
M: Well, if you don't want to wear a pajama top, that's ok, too. (Knowing that there's no way Lyra would go for that - she likes to have her PJs on.)
L: No, I can put them on quickly or sometimes they can unbutton.

As we were in my room, I was getting my clothes out for work the next day and sorting through my sports bag to get fresh clothes for yoga. When we were done getting everything ready for the morning, I said to Lyra:

M: I'm glad that's sorted! That's one of my least favorite things to do.
L: Why?
M: I just don't like to have to put away all my clothes that I wore today and then figure out what I'm going to wear tomorrow. I'm glad to have that done and ready for the morning.
L: I like choosing clothes. But I don't like putting clothes away, do you?
M: No, not really. But I like having my room tidy, so I try to put them away.
L: I don't like folding. That's why I like to wear dresses. Because it's only one thing and then when you take it off, you only have to fold one thing.
M: (hmm, interesting insight - I didn't know this) Well what if you have to wear bloomers or shorts with your dress? Then you need to fold two things.
L: Well, I guess that's the thing about nature.
M: (not exactly sure, but thinking she means - well, that's how it is sometimes). You're very good at folding. I'm surprised you don't like it - usually we like things that we're very good at.
L: Yeah, but I don't like it. But Baba does. He likes folding.
M: (nearly laughing) Hmmm, I don't think so. He does it because we have a lot of laundry, but I don't think he really likes it.
L: I think he does. And so does Myla (the woman that come to clean the house).
M: Well, Myla probably doesn't like it either. Not many people do.

Lyra LOVES this

It's Raining Mud!

We've been having quite a bit of rain lately. Well, quite a bit by Dubai standards. According to the weather service, the storm patterns off the Indian Ocean are coming in further north than they normally do - and so we're getting more rain. And it's quite nice, actually. It's been keeping the weather a bit cooler and vastly more pleasant this spring than last (can you really call it "spring" when your temps are in the 90s and near 100?) On the east coast of Dubai, it's much more common to have rain - and there are actually some cities there that are quite green and lush. But the Hajar mountains run down from north to south and usually all the rain falls before the storms can get over here to us on the west.

I heard the rain around 3am this morning as I was in bed. Usually, when it rains here, the rain lasts for about 15 - 20 minutes. Long enough for the rain to pick up all the sand and dust in the air and rain mud all over everything outside. It's not the cleansing soaking rain that we're used to in the mid-west. But today, it rained for several hours - a slow steady rain. And by the time I was up this morning there was enough wetness to actually start to feel like things were getting cleaned off a bit.

Yesterday, there was a small sand storm, so everything (EVERYTHING) was coated in a fine dusting of fine powder. So, at first, the rain was just creating little mud puddles on everything. When I got into my car and switched on the windshield wipers the sand was whipped up and smeared all over the windsheild. However, as I drove in, the rain got heavier and did a nice job of washing off the front and top of the car - the sides are still in need of some serious washing down.

When I look out over the gulf, there look to be some huge storm clouds out there. I'm not exactly sure which direction they're moving, but if it's coming this way, we're going to have a doozy of a thunderstorm today. I missed the last one when I was traveling - so it would be great to see huge booming thunder & lightning.

Is Yoga a Cold Prevention Remedy?

For the past couple years, I've barely had a cold. I've been feeling clever thinking that my yoga routine has been keeping the colds at bay. Many yoga practitioners swear by the benefits of yoga for preventing simple diseases (like colds) - and even in helping to alleviate more complex things like asthma. When I'm not traveling, I try to go to yoga 4 times a week.

But then last week, I started getting a cold. Since I've been travelling, I haven't been going to yoga as regularly as I normally do, so I'm left wondering if my drop off in yoga left me more vulnerable or if it was just my imagination that yoga was keeping the colds at bay. Certainly, since I've returned home and re-started my yoga routine, I seem to be doing better again (that is until yesterday when I felt the full-on return of aches). That could also be because I went to the water park on Friday in brisk windy 70 degrees. Who's to know.

There are two poses that are supposed to be particularly good at helping your immunity.

The shoulder stand (no, this is not a picture of me) is called the "queen of poses". As you do this pose, you are tucking your chin into your chest and massaging your thyroid gland. This is supposed to help release a lot of toxins from your thyroid - which can only be good, right? When I first started doing this pose, I'd actually get a bit claustrophobic because having my chin tucked in so far made it more difficult to breathe. So, you do have to figure out how to breathe a bit differently, which forces air into new parts of your lungs - also helping to clear areas of your lungs that don't normally get much air.

If you're good at this pose, you should hold it for 1-3 minutes. Usually, I end up holding it for about 1 minute in my classes (or some variation of the pose).
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One word of warning, this pose requires some warm up - so don't just try it - first do some full-body stretches beforehand..
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The headstand is another great pose for helping your immunity. Yoga theory holds that there's great benefit in being upside down (inverted). It helps to direct blood into different parts of your body and forces different breathing (as in the shoulder stand). The headstand is particularly great for helping to deliver blood to your head - specifically to your pituitary gland. This gland helps regulate several hormones in your body and can be a great source of benefit for many different symptoms. But specifically for colds, it helps to clear your chest of congestion and directs a different pressure onto your diaphram to breathing into different areas of your lungs.

This pose doesn't require much warm up - but you may want to do it against a wall if you're worried about falling over.


So, the next time you feel a cold coming on, give these two poses a try for a couple of days and see if they help.