Planting Lettuce

Russell came up with a great idea to plant some lettuce in one of our pots out front. As he put it, I'm tired of throwing out manky lettuce. So, Lyra and I took one of our larger pots and divided it into 3rd - each third has a slightly different variety of lettuce growing. So far, we're having positive results. She enjoys watering each day and checking on the progress. Lettuce is nice in that it offers instant rewards when looking for sprouts. She was particularly interesting in seeing that the little seed pod stayed on the top of the plant for a day or two until the leaves popped it off. Lyra's very excited to eat the lettuce - which is part of what growing veg is all about. So, in 2-3 weeks, we should be eating salads from our little garden.

When we move back to the US, I'm hoping that Russell and I can transform the Eastern side of our house into a veg garden. We've got the massive rhubarb back there and enjoy harvesting that for pies or ice cream. We've had the prairie going on there, but I love the idea of getting some veg planted. It's not the most sunny side of the house, but I'm sure we can get a few things to grow. We may have to plant a few tomato plants on the other side of the house - which we've done once or twice with good success.

I read about the Obamas planting a vegetable garden at the White House. This is the first vegetable garden since Eleanor Roosevelt's Victory Garden. I don't know why, but I'm surprised by that. Surely the chefs would have appreciated access to some things fresh from the garden. The plans that I saw on line are quite extensive.

My grandparents would have given their eye teeth for this much space for a garden. I can just imagine now the days and days devoted to putting up vegetables for the winter.

Of course the Obamas didn't mention anything about canning. I wonder if they'll now start a new canning trend along with their gardening trend.

A Little Nachtmusik

Last night I decided to head into the center of Brussels. My hotel is out by the airport and all the times I've come here for meetings, I haven't been into town. I perused the "What's On" listings and found a concert of modern chamber music. It's probably not the thing I would normally choose, but I'm always up for a bit of something different.

I'm not a musician, so probably don't appreciate contemporary music for its technical qualities. I'm not able to appreciate how the composer switched from 6/8 time to 7/12 time and then to 3/4 time in the space of 5 measures. But I do think it's cool that modern composers find the most obscure instruments and try to "play"them in unusal ways that experiment with their sounds and qualities. And I can at least appreciate that for one evening.

The first piece, contemporary vocal solo. In German. 'nuf said.

Second was a duet for Alto Flute and Violin. I don't think I've ever heard an alto flute being played. The piece started out with a lot of plucking of violin strings, dragging the bow loosely across strings, and hitting the strings with the bow. The flautist was "spitting" into the flute. Actually it was more lie a dry "THOOT". She also blew straight into the hole - producing very little sounds and drew her breath inward on high pitched whistles. I was left wondering, what is the musical notation for "THOOT" and blow.

The next piece was for trombone and clarinet. It started out with a bunch of long held notes where the clarinet bell was held into the horn of the trombone and creating this interesting resonance. The trombonist had about 6 or 7 different mutes (is that what you call them? mutes). You know, those things that turn a trombone sound from BLAAT into a BWAAH. I never knew there were this many different styles of mute. Again, lots of long held notes using different mutes and experimenting with sounds.

There were a few more pieces with more interesting instruments. A pianist who played standing up so he could pluck the piano strings. A bass oboe and bass clarinet. More vocal solos - this time in French. As I said, I can appreciate something like this purely for the novelty factor. But the audience seemed to be filled with affiionados and in the lobby there was lots of swag and CDs for sale. Alas, my jet lag was overpowering and I felt myself dozing off. So, during the second interlude, I left.

As I left the venue, I spotted a street vendor selling Belgian Frite. My non-existent french got me through ordering "petit frite avec sauce tomate." "Ketchup?" he asked. "Yes, ketchup," I was a little deflated to respond. On the late night train back to my hotel, I checked my calendar for my first meeting of the following day. 6am - agggh - I'd totally forgotten about that conference call. But of course, I'm still jet lagged so 3:30 feels like a lie in to me.

I sure miss having access to things like this. In Milwaukee we're rich for choices on what to do each night. And of course we have Chicago close enough for anything we'd like to do. It's fun to be able to peruse the listings and think, "hmmm, what to do? what to do?"

Fundraiser for Charity

Last weekend, Russell and I went to a charity dinner with the neighbors. We went last year and enjoyed the opportunity to go out for a nice evening. Plus, it gives us an opportunity to get dressed to the nines.


Here are our neighbors, Juliette and Neil, looking mighty fine!
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And another fine looking couple here.
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I went to one of my favorite shops, Patrizia Pepe for my dress. The shop assistants told me, "Yes, Madam. It's a dress." After trying it on, I knew I'd need to wear it with trousers. When you're closer to 50 than to 20, it's not the time to be wearing super short mini-skirts. Yes, I lack adventure when it comes to fashion.
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I had a henna tattoo - as one does.

Crabby Cabby

I flew to Brussels this morning. I flew on Lufthansa. Was wondering if the plane would be nearly empty, but it seemed nearly 80% full.

Earlier this year, Emirates Airlines opened up a HUGE and spacious new Terminal 3. This has left Terminal 1 for the use of all the other airlines. So, even without economic collapse, there would have been a LOT less passengers in Terminal 1 than I am used to. Often times, its like a dodge-em cars as I try to manage my way through the Duty Free and toward my gate.

This morning the place seemed relatively deserted. As I made my way to breakfast, I was accosted by a friendly cafe owner who was nearly begging to make me a toasted cheese sandwich. I asked for it with ham (turkey ham) and tomato - plus a cup of latte. Nice not to have to push my way through a crowd to find a table.

We boarded at about 8am. The plane, not surprisingly, was full of Germans. I was seated near a group of about 20 women that seemed to be finishing a holiday in the sun. When the drinks trolley came by, I ordered a cup of coffee. They ordered beer. It was warm beer - I'm not a beer fan even when it's icy cold. So, warm Warsteiner at 8am totally didn't appeal. After beer, they moved to warm champagne. The woman across the aisle from me drank 2 splits. When the drinks trolley came again, she ordered a scotch and got a nice big generous pour along with another beer.

I was glancing across the aisle and thinking, "it's not hard to see where Milwaukee gets its drinking culture." And then, in front of my eyes I saw her nudge the bottle off her tray. In slow motion it fell onto the floor and sloshed beer all over my trousers and shoes. Not a drop on her. She apologised profusely. Luckily it was only beer and I was relatively unscathed.

When I arrived in Brussels, I made my way to the hotel van pick up area. I read the schedule and discovered that they don't start running until 5pm (and it was 3:30). I remember that I did this the last time I was in Brussels - in fact, I've done this the last TWO times I was in Brussels. I got a taxi and the cab driver was really miffed to find that I was going to a hotel only 5 km away. He probably spent all afternoon waiting for his fare. I could understand a bit - but c'est la vie. I was feeling sympathetic until he started getting all crabby about having to give me change for a 50 (in fairness to me the fare was 12 euro, so not like I was asking for a huge amount of change).

Now, I'm checked into my hotel. It's one of those modern euro-style hotels. Lots of cool ergonomic stuff and perks that are well thought out - but still pretty affordable. One of my favorite things is the "women's wing" - where all the rooms are reserved for traveling business women. I just like the fact that some strange man isn't following me down the hall to my room. Only problem so far is I can't seem to get the heat on, and believe me it's chilly in here!

But the best thing about my hotel room - BBC1 and BBC2. Yes, real live BBC television - the best! Just got through watching "A Move to the Country" - a property show where people are moving into the English countryside and are shown 3 properties and need to decide which they like best. I always wonder if anyone actually purchases one of these properties they are shown. Now, I'm watching BBC News - London. I just love hearing the music interludes - brings me back to the days of living in London. Next, "Best of Antiques Roadshow" - ahhh.

Jon is Missing

Jon, a bald eagle, was last seen Saturday at a bird show here in Dubai. He was here with his owners, Sandra Stuckenbruck and Zoltan Loerentei from Germany. (Zoltan - now that is the COOLEST name ever. Russell and I were just commenting that Sultan would be a cool name for a pet, but Zoltan is even better!)

He was performing with 24 other birds in a show called Birds of Prey when he was startled by an agressive Raven. The raven chased him off and he hasn't been seen since. With the hot summer approaching, he needs to be found fast - or else he may not survive the heat.

So, we're keeping our eyes out for a bald eagle named Jon.

Update: Evidently, after the story was published in the papers many people have called to report that they have seen him. So far, no one's called to say "I see him right now. Please come get him."

Update: Still no sign. The local newspaper says, "He is black with a distinctive white head and tail." Here I was looking for a black & white bird with a red head and distinctive ivory bill pecking against the trunk of a tree. OK, well maybe there are some who don't know what a bald eagle looks like.

Update: Almost a month after the eight-year-old bird, named Jon, flew away during a Birds of Prey show they staged, the German couple, Sandra Stuckenbruck and Zoltan Loerentei, who live in Dubai, have no clues as to where he might be.

Life's a Beach

Sometimes I forget that people come here for vacations for a reason. Russell and I have been known to ask one another, "Why do they come here?" It's hard at times to get beyond the day-to-day dusty, sandy environment. And in the summer it's so oppressively hot. And we're not really shopping or mall people. And I guess it's not uncommon for you to forget about the appeal of the place where you live.

The beaches here are beautiful and people arrive here by the thousands to spend a week or weekend here. Or 13 days in the case of the couple checking in to our hotel. And as you saw in my post from a couple of weeks ago, the mountains are stunning. And the desert also has it's own beauty.

This weekend, for the first time, we were tourists in the UAE. We went to an Emirate north of here called Ras al Khaimah and stayed at a resort on the Persian Gulf. The scenery was stunning. The skies were clear and blue. The sun was comfortably warm. It was lovely - and now I want to go back!








We dubbed this little fellow "The Captain". With his Thomas the Tank Engine speedos, captain's hat, and bling-bling gold chain around his neck it was hard not to be transported back to the 70's. Cue the sythesizer and Toni Tenille singing "Love Will Keep Us Together".

Dubai Hot Babies

Hello all you seekers of Dubai Hot Babies. Well, all 1 of you.

My analytics page told me that someone recently visited my blog by typing "Dubai Hot Babies" into a search engine (like google). Other recent hits have come from searches for "Dubai Open", "Bubble Yum", and "cockroach how many legs".

Hmmm - it's amazing the things people look for on the web. The Hot Babies - I'm thinkin' the guy meant Hot Babes and was going to be disappointed unless he changed his search criteria.

So, for all you google engine searchers who have landed here completely by mistake - "Hello!"

We've Been Robbed

Monday is supposed to be a holiday. It was on the calendar as a day off to celebrate the Prophet's (pbuh) birthday. Lyra actually has a four day weekend because it seems a bit silly to go to school on Sunday and then have Monday off and then go back to school on Tuesday.

My office wasn't quite so accommodating. If I wanted a four day weekend, I was going to have to take a vacation day for Sunday.

That is until the recent announcement this week that the Prophet's birthday will actually be celebrated on SATURDAY. No such thing as moving a holiday that falls on a weekend to the closest workday. Nope. If it falls on a Saturday, then you are SOL. No holiday for you.

So, I should have started my post by saying, "Monday was supposed to be a holiday." I was looking forward to a lazy Monday - even if it was kind of weird to have a day off right in the middle of the week.

I continue to be baffled about how holidays come and go around here.

On a Lighter Note

Here's Lyra performing "Funny Faces" for you.

Mom Kills Baby

I was watching Oprah last night. I was kind of enjoying the irony of being in Saudi - but watching Oprah. I rarely have time to catch Oprah, well especially since we don't own a TV.

The episode was one that was probably recently aired in the US. A mother came on to tell her story about accidentally leaving her baby in the car when she went in to work. It was August and 100 degrees. She didn't normally have the responsibility to drop the kids at day care and just forgot. As a principle, it was the first day back at school. She was busy and in the rush to get to school she forgot the baby was in the car. And she didn't realize until the end of the school day what had happened. By then it was too late, the baby had died. After a few minutes I had to turn off the show.

It's any parents worst nightmare. I'm sure we can all imagine doing it. I feel no sense of judgement about what happened It's very very sad. But why is she on Oprah telling everyone about this? Hopefully it is cathartic and helps her deal with what must be unimagineable thoughts of "what if". Maybe I can see that she wanted a chance to tell the world what happened so that she can somehow alleviate her guilt.

But why does Oprah have this on her show - other than for the thrill factor of watching someone else's grief? She tried to sell it as a public service. Pay attention! Don't be so busy! Slow down and appreciate your life. All good messages - yes! But I don't really get that this woman's situation was a call to heed this good advice. It struck me that these messages were just an excuse to have her on and get the ratings.

And now I can't get her out of my mind. I hate the side-show effect that daytime television goes for. I've never been able to watch it. Jerry Springer would literally make my hands sweat. And my stomach continues to flip thinking about the moment this poor mother realized what had happened. I can't stop thinking about her.

This is why I don't watch TV. It gets in my head and I can't shut it off.

Camping

We went camping this weekend. Dubai is pretty full of outdoorsey types. People really enjoy getting out into the desert. The camping season is quickly coming to an end and we hadn't yet been out this season. So, we took a one day trip up into the mountain areas of the east coast.



First we drove through some wadis (dry river beds) up into the mountains. At one point, we had some fancy maneouvering to get across some large boulders. All along the way, we had an eye out for a spot where we could get two tents set up without having to sleep on large rocks.



Basil always enjoys camping. He quickly settled into the only shade in our campsite and made himself at home sniffing the campsite for dried donkey dung that seemed to be everywhere.



After setting up camp, it was time for a quick rest in the shade before heading out for our "hike". The hike was really a short climb up to the nearest peak to see what we could see. Just like the bear.



I was remembering the first time that Lyra went camping. It was the summer after we came home with her. She was about 18 months old. I remember her little diapered bum toddling up and down the roads within the campsite. There was a swing set down at the end of the camp area and she spent many hours that trip being pushed on the swings by Grammy or Grumpy or Auntie Amy.



The view from the top was spectacular. It was a little hazy or else we'd be able to see 20km away to the Indian Ocean.




Valder-rah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.

You're NOT Welcome to Dubai

The UAE works very hard to be one of the most open Muslim countries in the world. They try to demonstrate that they're ready to participate in the broader cultures outside of Arabia. But sometimes, the traditions and religious laws here are still stronger than the modernization. In the news this week, we've had two cases highlighting this conflict.

First, the Dubai Tennis Championship is this week. The Ladies' tournament started yesterday. One of the qualifying players, Shahar Pe'er, is an Israeli woman who qualified to play. But she has been denied an entry visa by the UAE. For a little while, it looked like the Women's Tennis Association would cancel the tournament. But instead, they've elected to go on - but are examing whether to have the tournament next year. This violates the WTA rules for hosting a tournament that state all players should be allowed entry if they have qualified to play.

Second, the Emirates Literary Festival is coming in two weeks. I'm quite excited to go actually. It will be the first Literary Festival in the Middle East. One of the invited authors has now just been Un-invited. She has written a book set here in the Middle East. One of the characters in her book (a minor character) is gay. Actually, he's a gay sheikh. And so it was felt that debuting her book here would be too controversal. And so, she's been uninvited and her book has been banned. I wonder - actually - if there's more concern that the character is gay - because of course there are TONS of books in the bookstores here that have gay characters. Or is it because it is a gay sheikh. Unofficially, one of the brothers or cousins of Sheikh Kalifa (ruler of AbuDhabi) is gay. He is actually facing criminal prosecution in Switzerland for beating up a gay prostitute. So, maybe that's the sensitivity. One of the Festival organizers commented, "Banning books is not usually the way you'd launch a Literary Festival." Hmmm - now that's an understatement.

Usually, I think that Dubai would go ahead and have these people come. But with the recent economic situation Dubai is now having to look for support from Abu Dhabi - the neighboring emirate who has almost 80% of the UAE's oil revenue. Abu Dhabi is vastly more traditional than Dubai - and now they are using the financial dependence to try and exert more influence onto what was seen as their brash newfangled cousin to the north. And I think Dubai is forced to rein in their "progress" as they continue to look for financial support from Abu Dhabi.

Updated to add: Since I wrote this, the WTA has fined the Dubai tournament US $300,000. I believe they have also instructed the tournament to pay Ms. Peer US $48,000 which is her average earnings at tournaments over the last year. No word about whether next year's tournament is cancelled.

The Djinn in our Building

The djinn have invaded our buildings. Djinn are spirits that inhabit the world - according to Muslim belief. Djinn - pronounced jinn - are the origin of the English word for genie.

And how do I know they have invaded our building? I can hear them screaming. I walked into the building and at first I thought it was the alarm system. But the shifting of tone and the wail and howl made me realize that actually - it was the wind. The wind screamed through the elevators shafts at just the right velocity to create a constant wail and howling that traveled through all 30 floors of our building. It sounds just like the screaming of a spirit in the building.

Needless to say, we're having a huge wind storm. Winds are blowing in from Iran across the sea and into Dubai. The winds carry with them sand and grit from the deserts of Iran which has blown for 100's of km across the sea. The marine forecast is for 10ft. waves. The sea has cooled the gales and we're experience much colder temps today. Just yesterday we were showing signs that daytime temps were ready to get into the 30s C.

As I walked down to get my lunch, I felt a spray of water hitting my face. I glanced around to see what may be the cause. Window washers? Rain, even? No, it was the sprinklers from 30 yards away that were blowing across the lawn and courtyard onto the pavement where I was walking. I squinted as bits of grit and sand pelted my face and was glad for my sunglasses protecting my eyes. I made sure to keep my mouth closed because grains of sand were lodging onto the surface of my teeth.

Some say the winds will bring a shift in the weather. But will that be a shift to cooler weather for a few weeks or a shift to the warmer weather of summer? No one seems to know. I'd be happy for a few more weeks of cool.

Summer v. Winter

What's worse, a Dubai Summer or a Wisconsin Winter?

Normally, I'd prefer a blazing hot summer day over a brutal cold winter day any time. But when your talking about a whole season, I'd have to say that Wisconsin Winter is preferable to Dubai Summer. Especially when you start hearing about the wonderful warm up that Milwaukee has been having the last days. There's nothing to make the heart feel happy like a warm sunny winter day.

Here in Dubai, we never have cool summer days. We never have cool summer nights either. I think that's what makes it so unbearable. Once the heat arrives, it's here to stay. Occassionally, the temps will drop near 100 - that's our version of a cool off. This is when the cabin fever starts to set in. The dog can't walk on the broiling hot pavement, the kids all move to indoor play areas (ugh malls), and even the pool isn't inviting if you can't get into the shade.

But, having said that - our winters are pretty nice! There are about 6 weeks in the winter when it's downright cool (I won't say cold). When wearing socks and shoes sound nice. When having long sleeves is comfortable - even a light sweater or jacket wouldn't go amiss. It's too cool for shorts or bare legs. I've even worn tights with my dresses and skirts. Those days are pretty much at an end now. Daytime temps are getting into the upper 20s (low 80s) and it's nice to be in the shade. But we're still enjoying lovely cool evenings.

On average, each month warms up by 5C. So, now we're having 25's (upper 70s), by the beginning of March it will be 30's (mid-80s), by April 35s (mid-90s), by May 40s (low 100s) - and then it just starts to get silly until September when we're back down into the 40s. Having a break back home is essential to the sanity. Never mind a break from the heat, it's nice to see greenery and blue sky. And a nice good soaking rain is heaven!

But, when we're back in Milwaukee, I WILL miss being able to wear my flip flops all year round. I'll complain about the slosh and snow when we're back. And I'm sure a bitter cold wind on a -20 day will make me dream of the sun and heat. And who knows, maybe that artic blast will have me changing my tune. But a nice warm winter day will soon have me singing the praises of a Wisconsin Winter over a Dubai Summer.

What do you think? Long unrelenting blazing heat of summer or long bitter cold mixed with pleasant days of winter?

Do you remember when . . .

1. It used to be socially acceptable to decline giving someone a piece of gum "because it's Bubble Yum".

2. You were allowed to leave your school grounds during the lunch hour.

3. Girls and boys were separated for PE. I even had deportment classes, but I won't ask how many of you had that. I think my school was a little old-school in that regard.

4. You used to spend hours with your curling iron to get the feathering to meet perfectly in the back of your head.

5. Love's Baby Soft perfume was the only scent you'd wear.


6. Having your ears pierced was considered racy. And having 2 piercings was downright slutty.


7. You got your first clock radio and stayed up late on Sunday listening to American Top 40.

8. You had to do the Presidential Physical Fitness test each year. Do kids still do this?

9. Macramed pot hangers contributed to a stylish decor.

10. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups was a new candy.

25 Random Things About Me

Apologies to any FB people who have already read this.

1. I carry in my purse a copy of the poem I read at my mother's funeral.
2. I keep my handbag very well organized
3. I have copies of all my drivers license dating back to when I moved from MN to WI
4. I don't like lip moisturizers with mint oil or menthol. Right now my favorite is Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm.
5. I never balance my checkbook
6. I have 10 different currencies in my wallet right now.
7. I carry a camera wherever I go but rarely remember to "capture the moment".
8. I wish I was as groovy as my sunglasses would tell you I am.
9. I pay off the full balance of all my credit cards every month (a discipline I got from Russell).
10. I always carry an umbrella (and it has come in handy even in Dubai).
11. Even though I had Lasik surgery, I still wear glasses for night driving.
12. I love the breakfast burrito at the Mexican restaurant in Houston's airport.
13. My keychain has a bottle opener on it but I don't drink beer.
14. I have a lip liner that I've carried in my make up pouch that I haven't used since the 90s.
15. My blackberry has a nazar (evil eye) charm (just in case they work).
16. I carry Coach handbags and briefcases
17. I'm super anal about keeping my BB contact info up to date.
18. I lost my Mont Blanc pen about 6 months ago and I look suspiciously at my work collegues who have one wondering if they found it.
19. I like showing my passport for ID when I'm in the US - it always throws them off.
20. The first year I was married, I thought I would change my name. I lazily went about changing a few items of ID, but realized about a year in that I really would rather keep my maiden name. Last year, I finally finished changing my name on the last piece of identification BACK to Ragland.
21. The "just in case" tampons I carry around are old and in a barely usuable condition. Good thing there's not a "use by" date on them.
22. I have a Macy's credit card that I still can't get used to being used at Dayton's - which was for a while Marshall Field's.
23. After months of driving the same car nearly every day I still have to look at my key fob to know what button unlocks the doors.
24. At 16, I passed my US driving test on the first try. At 35, I had to take the UK test 4 times - picky buggers.
25. I modeled all these items on a theme - can you guess?

Where Have All the People Gone?

Dubai feels like a ghost town these days. It's like it's summer holidays all the time.

I first started noticing right after Christmas as I was making the school run to drop off Lyra. The traffic queues used to back up right to the entrance into Mirdif. But in the past week, I've been able to run Lyra all the way to school with barely a traffic slow down. I'm not traffic expert, but certainly it seems as if there are about 30% less cars on the road. Feels like even less, but I know that even a 10% reduction results in lots less congestion. The odd thing is that the school isn't really reporting a huge reduction in the number of students. And certainly the playground seems as busy as always.

Since people are here on work visas - if they get laid off, then they have to leave. The news has been reporting the shut down or slow down of projects and many companies have been announcing lay offs. So, unless these folks have new prospects, then most of them have had to leave the UAE (no work, no visa). Since nothing is ever made official here, the rumor mill has been running rife. Some have said that over 250 cars a week are abandoned at the Dubai Airport. Others have reported 45,000 work visa cancellations last month.

But on the other hand, a villa went up for rent around the corner from us and within a couple days, the "To Let" signs were down. I can only imagine the place was rented. And the new villas across the street all seem to be filling up.

Down in the Marina area, where over 100 high rise towers are all being constructed at one time, there seem to be a lot of empty buildings. I've heard it's a combination of no water service or electricity service (someone forgot to plan some essential items). Or also just that there is an oversupply in the market. Last summer, I heard a report that over 140,000 new dwellings (houses, townhouses, or apartments) were going to be completed in this year. Even with a booming economy, one wonders how 140,000 new homes are going to be filled. And now, the population is shrinking.

Certainly, the big worry here is the real estate market. Some areas have seen 40% drops in values (mostly apartments in the high rise areas). But even in the upper end of the market there are 10-20% drops. And suddenly so many people are willing to negotiate their price - whereas before they were asking for premium. This market was full of speculators. People who expected to buy a property before it was built - own it for about 6 months or until it's close to being lived in - and then sell it on for massive profits. This is what was feeding the huge boom in prices here. Now, they're sitting on properties they never meant to own, can't sell them on, and are unable to make the payments to the bank. Hmmmm- sound familiar.

What will be interesting is to see how much the population drops. Lots of folks are predicting a huge drop when schools are finished. They're saying that people will go home for the summer and not come back. Perhaps they're right. I wonder if the schools will then stop jacking up their fees so much.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying the relative free flow of traffic (and now I've jinxed myself for the drive home.)

Plasma Car Pro

Dim Sum for the Girls

Today, Lyra and I went for Dim Sum. An early celebration of the Chinese New Year (Gong Hai Fat Choi). We went with a family that just moved here from Florida. Grace joined Lyra's class after the Christmas break. Lyra came home on that first Tuesday back and said, "I have a new friend I want to invite to my birthday. Her name is Grace." We have to call her new-Grace to differentiate from neighbor-Grace next door.

I asked Lyra how she had become friends so quickly with Grace. She said, "Well, when she came to school she didn't know anyone. So, when I was in the toilet I saw her and I said, 'Do you want to be my friend?' and she said she would." That was one of my proudest moments as a parent - to hear her be so empathetic.

Several weeks ago, she asked me "Mama, do I have any gifts?" I asked her if she meant like "talents" and she said yes. "Of course you do, you have many gifts." And ever since then I've been trying to help her see what talents and gifts she has. I pointed out to her - you have a terrific gift of being able to see how other people feel. That's a terribly important gift.


Grace, her sister, Mae, and mother, Liza joined us at the China Club for Dim Sum. Their dad is also out of town for a couple weeks. So all us girls had fun stuffing ourselves on little steamed buns and dumplings. Lyra ate about a half-dozen dumplings. They're always her favorite.

Tomorrow is a school day. It's a make up day on a Saturday to help recover from the extra holidays we had earlier in the school year. I'm going to have my hair done and go to yoga while she's in school.

No Train Songs in Arabic

The other night, I was laying in bed and was hearing this long wail of a horn in the distance. In my half conscious state, I thought "it's a train". But the wailing continued and eventually I woke enough to realize it was someone leaning on the horn of their car at about 4am. Who knows why they felt this was necessary. At least it was off in the distance. And I was able to float in and out of a doze. Each time that I fell asleep, I kept thinking it was a train - only to wake enough to realize it was a car.

As I lay there pondering during one of my wakeful moments I had a realization: They have NO TRAINS here. Don't ask me why it took 18 months for me to realize. No WONDER the semi trucks are lined up along the freeways like freight trains. They ARE the freight trains.

Boy, it made me realize what a logistical nightmare has been created by their lack of freight trains. Try to imagine if each and every car on a freight train was instead a semi truck on the freeway. Every. Single. freight car. Think of how dangerous it would be to have the entire right lane (or right 2 lanes on extra wide freeways) dedicated to freight trucks. Think of how tricky it would be to figure out how to cut into a queue of slow-moving trucks to find your exit. Or to enter into a freeway to a slow moving lane and try to zip quickly into the lane for cars so you can speed up. Think of how much this would clog up all traffic.

You have now imagined traffic on the main freeways of Dubai. They've actually made laws that limit the hours truck can drive on the freeway (during the week it's only during nighttime hours). They've actually built a huge by-pass WAYYY out in the sand that trucks can use during the daytime hours. Why don't they build railroads? It makes so much sense.