Wondering Where I've been?

www.onethingaftertheother.blogspot.com

Reverse Culture Shock

It does exist. Two weeks ago I returned to the US for an undisclosed amount of time and I have discovered that the reverse culture shock that people told me about does exist. It's not the smae when you visit... but when you start living life like a normal person, you can really see the differences.

While my friends in the Sandpit are experiencing ramadan, I am experiencing high humidity and nationwide back to school campaigns. I'm actually sad to be missing it, it's a puzzle to figure out where to eat and how to get on with doing the daily chores with the handicap of not eating or drinking in public. And it's a triumph to find a new way around the challenge. While living in Dubai isn't everyone's cup of tea, I did, and still do like it. For all it's unique qualities and even some of the frustrating ones, Dubai showed me a world I would never see anywhere else.

So, I'm sad to say I won't be blogging from Dubai for an undisclosed amount of time. But it doesn't mean the adventure is over. I don't really know what it means, let's just hope it's not always that way.

Finally...

Went for my first ski lesson this past month. Sorry, just one picture, since my camera has kicked the bucket! I did pretty good for a girl who does't have a clue about skiing and can't take the cold for very long. It was a nice break from the heat though. Nothing like doning some snow gear in 100 degree weather and walking through one set of doors into freezing temps! It's still kinda surreal to be in a winter wonderland with spectators wearing shorts and t-sirt staring in from the various windows. John and I had a great time learning the basics of skiing... well.. mostly it was the basics of stopping and getting back up! Anyhow it was a great experience, one I hope to repeat in the near future.

We are in the throws of the summer here in Dubai, and the heat is relentless. The summer exodus has lessen traffic signifigantly and the malls are littered with children at odd hours. Prices on groceries have surged upwards to make up for the loss I'm sure, but otherwise things are going at the normal pace of light speed in our lives as usual. John is just completing his 3rd paper for his Master's course and is getting ready for a special trip to pick on an airplane. I've been working on getting thinner and tanner and it's going fairly well. I'm in the midst of two more sets of paintings... inspiration comes and goes as it pleases in Dubai.

Things in life are never as settled as they may seem. From one day to the next I can conclude that we have no idea where we will end up... and all we do know is where we've been. The past isn't something you shove in a drawer and forget. It's something you should pull out and look at, and think about how to make the future better, how to make others happier, and how to become the person God wants you to be. Ultimately, what we do with the wisdom we learn is imperative to who we become.

You can write down your plans, but God can make the wind snatch that paper from your hands! That's a paraphrase of Proverbs 16:9. That can be applied to almost any situation, personal, business, economical and world wide... I just wonder how long it will take for all of us to wake up to it.

For My Flooded Friends in Florida

The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow
There'll be sun!
Just thinkin' about
Tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs,
And the sorrow
'Til there's none!
When I'm stuck with a day
That's gray,
And lonely,
I just stick out my chin
And grin,
And say,
Oh
The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
So ya gotta hang on
Tïll tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow!
Tomorrow!
I love ya
Tomorrow!
You're always
A day
A way!

Clean Windows!

Every few days, the building manager will post sheets in all the lifts, which inform residents of different types of maintenance issues being carried out. For instance; we are going to replace T-joints in the apartments on Wednesday, or the fire extinguishers will need to be checked on Tuesday, and how about the one that says, the LIFTS will NOT be working on Thursday from 9am to 12pm...

You would think that clean windows are not that big of a deal. In fact, nine times out of ten I wouldn't care if they were clean or not... on the outside that is. BUT, since moving here, to a 45th floor apartment with windows that don't open, clean windows are a fantasy.

A few months ago, we had a notice that said: Please keep curtain drawn as the cleaners will be proceeding with exterior building cleaning. So the whole building rejoiced. WHY? I'll tell you why. The last cleaning was done one (1) year ago. and those who live on the lower floors have been waiting that very long year to be able to see out of their windows. Though our windows are not nearly as bad as those below us, I can understand the frustration.

Yesturday, I returned from picking up my afternoon charge and proceeded to the office to do some computer work. It wasn't until John came home that he pointed out our living room windows were spotless. I didn't believe it. I had to go see, and I was impressed. I ran to get my camera and this is the result of a year long wait for clean windows!

What a View!

So today I went to see my friend's new apartment down in 'The Lake Towers' and I took a few photos of the view. It's a great apartment and it's a bargain price compared to last year's rates. I wish I'd taken a picture of the building itself... it's got a mohawk! Really.

Anyhow, this is the interchange at the end of the Marina.



This is the area still under construction behind her building.. I'm not even sure what the name is, but it's massive!

Progressive Painting

So, I've undertaken a very large project... To complete 8 canvases in less then 3 weeks. Just in the nick of time to pack a few of them to bring state side. I have 15 days left, and I just finished the first one... it's now drying in the corner. So, let's see how I do!

FYI

Knats in Dubai are slow.

Ultimate Frisbee looks fun, from the sidelines.

Kites don't fly on NON-WINDY days.

Naps in a car park can give you a headache.

Furniture polish removes crayon from wood.

Hummous, with some Lowry's season salt sprinkled on it, is goooood!

The water bottle machines at Safa Park don't work.

Hydrogen Peroxide at the Dubai mall is 10 Dirhams.

Saturdays with out John are sad.

English to Chinese to English

I watched Shawshank Redemption tonight, one of my favs. Although, it's an American film, this particular copy was translated into Chinese... which I didn't know... and so, I had to put the subtitles on. Seriously... Subtitles change movies.

I've actually been in the habit of using the subtitles even thoguh I don't need them on most things. It's most interesting to see if there are things I miss because I'm so deaf!

Water drops...

Tonight we went to Nando's in the Residences. It's just across the water from the Dubai mall. As we were walking, we could feel droplets falling, but yet, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the Dubai Fountain wasn't going.

But it started me thinking about the fountain, and every time I do, it reminds me of the one at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Music like 'Time to Say Goodbye' and 'Clare De Lune' get stuck in my head for days.

The fountain has become quite and attraction now. Loads of people go down to the Boardwalk at the Dubai Mall to watch the water 'dance'. I am not unlike them. I could sit for hours and watch it light up the Burj Dubai from top to bottom and I wouldn't mind getting drenched one bit. It's just one more reason I love Dubai, it makes a simple outing into an event.

Reminder Days

There are random days where the reality of where I am hits me. Today I was in a part of Dubai I had never been to. It was 'labor camp central'... which surrounds a cemetary... near sewage dumping grounds... yeah. Totally, NOT COOL. Although it was the middle of the day and most all the laborers were off working, you can still feel the intensity of their situation. Balconies over flowing with washing... now covered in sand, tiny windows, unkempt looking buildings, desserted areas with little around but sand lots and a tire landfill. I'm unsure how these men live in those conditions, I'm unsure how they endure with the prolonged separation from their families... It's a sad, sad reality... and that reality is how this city has become... well, become. Right now, as I sit at my desk and look out the window I see 22 high rises... not to mention all the ground works and the metro and the roads... all built on the backs of these men with-in the last few years. Most of the ones I can see from this view is less then 10 years old. Actually, those 22 high rises have been going up with in the last 2 years... maybe less.

So today Dubai isn't all bling, despite the jewels, gold and all the oppulence I see. Today, Dubai, is a land that can only produces more land... but no fruit. I hope that while I'm here, I can do all the cultivating the God has commissioned me to do. So, even on the clear days, when the shadows of Duabi aren't seen, I can still serve the purpose I was created for.

Mark 16:15

Early Mornings

So I've been getting up pretty early since I've been babysitting, but this morning when I walked out I saw this...



I've been keeping record of the demolition of the Oasis Hotel... Pretty smashing!

JANUARY


MARCH


May


And this is the crowning glory.
My new IKEA shelf for $13... woo hooo!

The Princess and the Pea.. or lack there of.

So, my back hurts and we finally went out and bought 2 new matresses from IKEA a couple of months ago. But here's the snag... I didn't get rid of the 2 we had, so now I've got too many! The first solution was to prop the old ones up against the wall in the hallway... and there they stayed until two weeks ago when we had company. So the guys wouldn't have to share a bed, the hall mattresses ended up in the living room for a make shift bedroom. But after the guests had gone, I was reluctant to put them back in the hall, it was nice having them out of the way.

So, last week, my friend Steph comes over and she suggested to put one mattress under each of my new IKEA ones, which would make the beds higher and get them out of my way. So we did that. And it was a good thing. But, (you know there is always a but) when the little boy came to stay with us, I was affraid he would topple out of the bed and crack his head.... so I took the extra from that bed and put it under ours.

This is the result:


So now I have to use the little step stool or the night stand to get in... Of course the hardest part is trying to remember that I'm that high up when the alarms goes off a 6am. So far I haven't killed myself...

At the very least, the bed is very comfy... Mattress #3 is very firm, #2 is medium firm, and #3 is just right... Just call me Goldie Locks!

3 feet by 4 feet

This is it. I finally finished this piece after four full months. It now hangs in the dining room, next to our not so pretty water cooler. The irony. Really, I'm glad it's done and I'm ansty to begin the next one.

I mentioned in my last post that John was in Shanghai... But now that I've had a day to recover from the caos, I find that he brought Shanghai home with him! His bag was loaded with all kinds of shirts and what-nots. Next time, if there is a next time any time soon, I will send him with a list! So instead of getting all my stuff from Walmart on my next trip home... I'll just get it straight from China!

Eh em, of course. I'm joking. I take this 'carbon footprint' thing very seriously. Just today, I had had the bag boy put my purchases back into my cart instead of plastic bags, I had some re-use bags that would do the trick in the truck. So, just call me an environmentalist!


Save the Petroleum!

Adventures in Babysitting

9pm: Boy is dropped off.
9:15 Boy explores apartment with Friend Three, disapproves lack of children's DVDs.
9:20 Boy eats 1 bite of snack while drawing day's events.
9:25 Friend One, takes me into office to pray and discuss the 'plan'.
9:26 Friend Two, gives boy bath.
9:28 Friend Three, plays with iPhone.
9:31 Boy is dried and nightly hygiene ritual ends.
9:32 Boy checks clock.
9:33 Boy is settled into bed with two books.
9:38 Friend one finished first story.
9:42 I start 2nd story.
9:43 Boy is out like a light.
9:47 Friend One says prayer.
9:48 Boy rolls over declaring 'good night'.
9:50 Friend Two and Three depart.
9:50 Friend One and I collapse on couch.
11:00 Make salad, share with friend.
12:25 Friend One departs.
12:30 Log onto Facebook, browse for far to long.
3:00 Crawl into bed.
3:01 Think I hear boy waking.
3:02 Realize it's all in my head.
3:03 Remain unsure boy will sleep through night.
3:17 Fall asleep.
4:13 Wake up. Put a note on the door so John won't come marching in loudly.
4:17 Listen to outside noises.
6:14 Realize I have fallen asleep, when I hear John walk in.
6:15 Go to office to find John being quiet.
6:16 Return to bed, to go back to sleep.
6:17 John walks in with treasures from his trip to Shanghai.
8:00 John leaves for HQ.
8:05 Boy wakes.
8:06 Boy draws, and does not eat banana.
8:15 Boy abandons drawing, eats Rice Krispies.
8:32 Boy tries to find worthy DVD.
8:42 Boy gives in, learns to play war with a deck of cards.
9:45 Call John, request ETA.
9:52 Take milk from John to make pancakes.
10:35 Finish pancakes, wash dishes.
10:53 Dress Boy, dress me.
11:07 Watch John fall asleep on couch.
11:09 Put shoes on.
11:10 Leave with Boy
11:17 Get on Al Kail Road, take long way to Marina
11:31 Arrive Marina Mall, FIND STARBUCKS
11:42 Get back in car, proceed to Friend's house.
11:47 Text friend in parking lot.
11:51 Boy annouces need to use a toilet.
11:57 Sign in to lobby.
12:01 Ring door bell.
12:02 Send Boy to Toilet, enjoy entire afternoon with friend and playdate.
8:25 Leave Friend's house.
8:31 Put in music.
8:33 Have 'discussion' over which song to play.
8:34 Sing together.
8:37 Hear boy snoring.
8:57 Wake boy.
9:04 Arrive apartment.
9:08 Boy begins nightly hygienic ritual.
9:27 Boy is snuggled in bed, with book.
9:33 Boy is asleep.
9:34 Greet John, read thank you card.
9:36 Find and hook up laptop.
9:37 Waste loads of time on Facebook.
10:33 Boy's dad calls to check in.
11:16 Think about going to bed.
12:56 Start editing blog.
1:34 get hungry, consider snacking, think abotu going to bed.
3:10 Finish editing template, start new post...
3:50 Finish post.

A change will do you good....

If I sit at the computer too long, as I have done tonight, I end up inventing things to do... like change the blog template so that it is black and not white... (Now, a few days later... I've discovered that the black layout just wasn't doing it for me, so let's celebrate the change!) I'm so tired, yet I sit here trying to think off all the things I 'need' to do. I just found a very convenient and local photo shop to develope my photos... so I just had to organise some to take in. And even now, as I spew absolute nonsence and my head is starting to spin with sleepiness... I continue to type away... Alright then. No more excuses. I just want some feed back, is the black backgroud better or worse... or maybe I should ask if there enough people out there who actually read my blog to care if it is better or worse?

Eh, whatever.

Good Night!

A Hop, A Skip, And A Jaunt

Flying about the world takes a lot of energy. It's not just the jet lag or the long haul flights... it's everything in between sandwiched by airport terminals, security lines, and outrageously price sundry items when you get stuck in said terminals after an early morning arrival to the airport to get on a plane only to be delayed for half a day... Ah... the joys.

After my in-laws got to relish the experience of flying here, I got sick as a dog and spent 3 or so days in fast pace recovery so as not to miss out on all the doings of visiting and such. When I say sick as a dog, I really mean it. I was lying on the floor of my bathroom, (my clean floor thank you very much), and John comes in to discover that I was melting. Really. MELTING. A quick trip to the clinic revealed that I can effectively pass out twice, summon the entire staff and quarter off a pseudo hospital room all to myself, just for having my blood pressure taken. Yes, it was a great start to their visit, and it must have delightful for my in-laws to watch me sleep for the first 3 days. Thankfully, John was able to avoid whatever I had and take his folks around town and entertain them while I recovered.

For two weeks we went thither and yonder and explored various aspects of desert life. The guys went four wheeling, John successfully lost his dad, and successfully recovered him but not before us girls hiked out to Dragon Mart to buy up little treasures. There was also a bout with bird, namely of the falcon variety... I didn't attend that particular outing, but you can blame Paco, the amazing defensive Jade Parrot for that. We cruised down the creek with friends and enjoyed a nice Arabian meal; the guys found a race track and attempted to look like pros... we watched some building demolition, ate steak made on a stone, had a pasta/pizza party, went to two aquariums, had a photo op at Atlantis, took a stroll down Marina Walk, brunched at the MORE Cafe, had a picnic in Safa Park, and went to church. I'd say we had a successful visit.

Venice. Was. Lovely.

Truly, the vacation that made up for all the vacations we never took. I have over 500 photos to prove that fact. We stayed on the mainland and bused into the main station to grab the water taxi (vapparetti) on a daily basis. The ticketing agent was astounded that we bought a 7 day unlimited bus/vapparetto pass. He was stunned further when he discovered that we actually intended to stay in Venice for a week. But he was more than happy to sell those tickets! Getting around Venice was fairly simple once we understood the routes, and thankfully I know the language enough to get by.

At this point you may have some questions, like... 'Did we go to San Marco's Square?', 'Did we so to Rialto?’ etc... Yes, we did the usual tourist stops, but we were not really interested in the popular spots. We made it our business to 'get lost'. It was the best thing we could've done. Our fearless venture through the labyrinth like paths led us to amazing sights, sounds and smells! By the second full day, we couldn't get lost anymore and I'm fairly sure we climbed every single bridge at least twice. We toured Murano, beyond the glass blowers. We had a picnic in Burano that ended in a nice chat with a retired gondolier, who by all accounts was fascinated by the fact that he spent ten out of sixty years of life fishing. We bought some lace, and John ate the best canolli he'd ever encountered. Then we took a train to Verona... Fair Verona, in Shakespeare’s words... 'There is no world without Verona Walls'. And once you spend a day walking that city, you realize how true that must have felt when he wrote it. We LOVED Verona. Between the food, sights, sounds, and some pretty awesome photo ops, we had such a memorable time that we hiked back to Venice to talk over the day with a nice bowl of pasta!

The next day we rented bikes on the island of Lido, where you can get such a great perspective of Venice and the open sea. It was such perfect weather for a ride too. We shopped at the local Billa grocery, and had a picnic of Prosciutto, tomato, basil and cheese sandwiches... Then we took the vaparetto back to Venice to walk from the Gardens to San Marco's and saw the sun depart while I sipped a cappuccino and John tested a Bellini and a popular local drink, both of which he was NOT fond of. The next day we headed to Bologna, for some interesting, yet not so impressive sightseeing. We had an unexpected trip up the tallest tower's rickety stairs to see Bologna from its best point of view. It was a tough trek, and though I was pretty sure I'd kill John when I got to the top, it was worth it. After, he made it up to me by buying me a sfogliatele, which is hard to describe, but totally made the trip to Bologna worthwhile. Sadly, there was more graffiti then actual art in the city and being the university town that it is, there were more young 'grunge' types collected there then I'd like to see in any part of the world, including Seattle. We walked heavily and even though the food is reputed for being some of the best in Italy, we opted to go back to Venice and have another effectively satisfying dinner of Pasta with Veal Marsala and Pasta Vongolle. DE LIGHT FUL.

On the whole, I'd recommend Venice for more then what the tour books say. The food is not known for being as good, though, we ate like kings every day. The gelato, though slightly 'tourist-ized' still went down nice and smooth. And shopping, well, let's just say I didn't find one thing that had "made in China" stamped on it. It was and will remain a very special trip to us both. That is, until we do something else that can justly impress us.

The journey home was short lived. We arrived home at midnight with enough time for me to switch bags, re-pack, talk to my parents long enough to make them believe I was settled in, and head back to the airport for my 'surprise' flight back to the US. Please, understand I had been up since Italy, didn't get any sleep on the return flight to Dubai, barely caught two hours worth of winks between flights and I was placed just in front of the lounge on the A380, making it impossible to sleep for the entire 12 hours flight. BAH! JET LAG to the 10th power. However, I arrived safe, but mildly delirious, to spend a day and a half with my cousins in NY, who all kept my visit from my parents a secret rather impressively. I'm sure that my loopiness, induced by being awake for two days, 3 adorable puppies, a bout on the Wii and a tad bit too much sugar made me interesting entertainment for my Northern Family! It was a much needed visit and I was very happy to see them all, short but sweet.

I successfully made it to Orlando, quite impressed with Jet Blue's newest aircraft, though slightly less enthused by the haggard looking flight attendants... Kelly my beloved friend was there to pick me up and hastily brought me to a Publix, yes, where shopping is TRUELY a pleasure, for my traditional Boar's Head Roast Beef Sub, with Salt, Mayo, Lettuce and Tomato. I should write a sonnet to that sub.

While eating said sub, we were planning the parental surprise... and not until we were 30 minutes out, did we actually come up with a plan. Kelly, was able to induce an invite for herself and her little boy, based on the pretence that her car was making a 'funny noise' and she was very close to my parent's house.... when she went in, she called us, I was waiting just outside with Chris her husband, to say that when he arrived there to help her with her car, that he should just come on in. So after a few minutes, Chris led the way into through the garage door, and 2.6 seconds later I followed him in, producing the desired results of shock and disbelief! It was priceless!

And with that I began the two week jaunt with surprising the rest of my family and spending some quality time with the special people in my life. But I can honestly say, as much as I miss my family and friends, it was quite miserable to be away from John so long. The poor guy had too many flights and school to attend to, and he just couldn't make the trip as much as he would've liked to. I relish being home again with him. So there you go, a jam packed month full of stuff that we did. Despite the flight delays, high priced airport food, and sad in-flight movies, tonight, or should I say this morning (thanks Mr. Jetlag) I am glad to be 'home'.

Dhow Cruise


Dad and Joey(?) the Falcon


Racing is in his blood


The E's at Altantis


Murano


San Marco's Square


A shot with Juliet in Verona


Handcrafted Lunch on Lido


John and the tallest tower in Bolonga

February Has Come and Gone...

I am sitting here on March 12th with John next to me and we are having a hard time remembering February. Sad I know... but true.

Let me take a look at my 'diary' (that's what they call the calendar here...Who thinks of this stuff?)

For the first week I have not marked anything of significance, which doesn't mean we didn't do anything.. it just means I didn't plan anything.

Come February 6th... that was the interesting part. I was temporarily assigned a job in helping with a conference at the Atlantis Hotel. It was a week of preparation, hosting, packing, creating, eating and chauffeuring. I made some great new friends from Australia and I even made a few great contacts here in Dubai as well. Working at the Atlantis gave me some insight to the difference between hotels here and in the US. It a great hotel, but after spending the week there, I've had enough. My new acquaintances have invited me to do more conferences with them in India and Australia and of course to work with them again next year in Dubai. It was a fascinating experience, but it was also very tiring! I was glad to have my days back at the end of it all.

Aside from celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary with a group trip to Global Village, and dinner cruise with friends, and John spending a lot of time working on his first MBA assignment, there was not much going on in February. We did plan our trip to Venice though... and I must say... I am looking forward to it!

A couple pics from February:

The Harpist in the bubble... She was entertainment one night at the conference.


The last night of the conference we had ladies perform the traditional 'hair dances'. Yes, it is strange.

Buh-Bye January, Hullo February!

Well a month has come and gone and so have our *extra* special visitors. Mom and Dad arrives in Dubai safe and sound and we had a glorious time with them. but first let's go back to the begining of January... if I can remember, that is.

So I started to see a nutritionalist and she's got me on a very tight food budget. So far it has been worth it, in January I lost 4.1 Kilos. Hopefully that is just the begining. The hardest part is eating everything alotted, some days are harder then others, but I have to keep going. After one of my nutrition appointments, I went to the beach for the first time, which was so nice and serene. Not at all what I expected. But regardless of the clear water and the beautiful weather, the sand was not the same. It left a 'dust' so it's not the kind of sand I can get used to. Despite that, the beach was a treasure trove of fantastic shells, all kinds of 'exotic' types I only wished I could have found back home. But this day, just happened to be the day after I John and I cleaned out the truck, so the extra bags we have on hand were nicely folded in a cupboard back home. So, I filled my pockets and then the 'belly' part of my shirt and I wanted to keep going but I just couldn't carry anymore at that point. So I turned, and went back to the truck where I had the interesting task of driving with full pockets and a packed shirt. I washed all the shells, and sorted through the 'junk' and came away with some really great finds.



John and I ventured out to Murshurif Park, which has a fantastic bike path, swimming pool, camel and horse riding, fair rides, and ampetheater, along with some cultural exhibits and picnic grounds. We spent a nice afternoon walking the park and exploring some new roads. We also took some photos of the city scape from the East side, which really gives some great perspective as to how big the city really is.



My creative side was explored with the completion of my first scrapbook page in Dubai, and also with the starting of several new paintings... which are waiting for my attention patiently.



John got a sunburn in Johannasburg, South Africa. He thought he wasn't tired, but he fell asleep by the pool, resulting in a one sided burn. I was so shocked to see him red on one side white on the other. Needless to say, he won't be doing that again any time soon.



Time moved very fast and before I knew it I was tracking my parents' flight from NY to Dubai and in no time at all we had them here with us. Thankfullly, they came in at night, and they were able to get some rest before we started them in on two weeks full of strange activities. We went all over the city showing them all the sites, and though they knew what to expect, they didn't really imagine the magnatude of construction that is going on here. I suppose I've gotten used to it, but they were able to express their first impressions of each and every site they saw. My dad found a spot in the corner of the living room, by the window, where he could watch the contruction going on in the immediate area. He observed each building and the progress they made each day with facination... and each morning he would make his predictions on what they would do for the rest of the day.



It was so good to have them here. We went out everyday, showing them a new place a new mall, church, friends, expeditions to the tailors and searching for the prefect pashminas for them to bring back home. But some of the best moments came as our friends were able to get to know my parents, which provided them a little insight to who I am. My friends also came away with some great memories provided by my father and forever we will call Nigel, Agelus... and Shiekh Maktoum is now known as Shiekh 'Monsoon'. Those of you who know my dad and how he will mispeak names and such, know how much laughter these little mistakes can bring! We also had a party one Friday night, where we gave all our friends a literal 'taste' of Mom's home cooking. It was sooo good to be together!



One day we went to the beach and I had John and Mom make some fun poses using the city as a prop. Great fun! We took them to one of our favorite Lebanese Restaurants and they had a chance to partake in the Swarma Special, a delightfully, delicious, and filling experience everyone must have when they come to the middle east. We went to both the Atlantis and Dubai Mall Aquariums, where we were able to compare fish sizes and overall ambiance. We posed in front of Ski Dubai, had steaks cooked on stones, bashed a few dunes, visited a kilometer long dragon, went global at Global Village, passed 2 hours at the Chinese State Circus and of course we indulged in a bit of gelato!

Dubai Mall Aquarium


Atlantis Aquarium








Mom had my camera, and that resulted in a mass amount of photos capturing all the randomness of contruction, giant billboards, enormous interchanges, metro stations, and local color. Palaces, road blocks, flag throwers, carnival rides, movies, souqs, Abu Dhabi, 'Roladex' watches, Satwa material shops, a birthday party, the palm, Ice Rinks... all things they were able to enjoy and capture in their Dubai experience.



















It was a wonderful time and it was all too short. But it was wonderful having them here to see what we see, first hand. They know where we are, who we know and what we do. I admit it may have been an overwhelming amount of activity, but now that is is all past, it feel like we didn't do enough. I look forward to when they will come again, one day down the road.

Now into February I go. In just three short weeks we will get to share Duabi with John's folks. I can't wait to see what we'll do!

I'll blog again at the end of February, so check back then!

Welcome 2009

So on this, the first day of 2009, I find myself sitting in the office of our 45th floor apartment with the Gulf in my line of sight, John napping in the bedroom, and a full year of dates to fill on my calendar. One year ago, I had a hint of what might be in 2008, oh how little did I know. So as I reflect back over the last 365 days, which included a new career, moving, selling, moving, moving, and moving, along with a job change, international move and of course starting a new life in a new country. And, who can forget the presidential election, economic crisis, the advent of the 'carbon footprint' and other world issues that splashed the headlines daily across the world? Then, I think about God's grace through it all and how He has kept us going, here in Dubai, and back home. His plan, His time. It still amazes me that He keeps the sea from overtaking the land, brings blue to the sky, and warmth to my face by the sun that shines according to His command. How great is our God!

This past holiday season has been jam packed with 'holiday like' events that would put even the most humbugish types into the Christmas Spirit, yet for me it was a very different holiday then I'd ever known. Aside from the Christmas Play, the REAL tree (yes, they have real Christmas trees in Dubai) the obligatory 'white elepahant' Christmas parties and of course the traditional Seafood Christmas Eve, hosted by yours truly... This year's holiday season was neatly packed up in a corner of every house, shopping center and mall. It wasn't the usual swirling of constant Christmas music, or holiday shopping sprees, or even all the holiday sweets and goodies we tend to consume in mass quantities. It was, a straight line, connecting each event, with a string of unfamiliar faces and places, insinuating that we have just experienced some new traditions set forth by the nature of being in such a place as this.

Ok, so I will stop trying to philosophical and just give it to you straight up.

When we got back from the states on December 3rd, we learned that the economic crisis had finally hit Dubai. A few people we know lost their jobs and one of the leading development companies laid off 500 employees and real estate rates dropped over night. (Boo!) John also started his 'reserve' schedule, which meant nothing we would plan could be set in stone, since the possibility of getting called out was always lurking about. (Boo)2. He also had his 6 month line check, which was quite important in determining if he gets to keep his job. Oh, and he got his schedule for his MBA program, which starts in January and he attend the MBA Orientation. We celebrating National Day of the UAE, by spending the Day in Safa Park with our care life group and introduced those of foreign extraction to the American tradition of Smores! Then there was a matter of finding a tree, which John insisted on waiting until after his line check to do. Then the planning of the ‘on again off again’ Christmas Eve dinner, which would be the first I'd ever host.Also, the producers of the play at church were still looking for 'scene changers' so I volunteered. Then the white elephant party and two other gift exchanges that were planned nearer to the last minute then I'd like. We also went to the Snow Park at Ski Dubai with our Canadian friend, which did make it feel a bit more like winter. John was home for Chirstms Eve and Christmas Day, and he was only called out three times the whole month! I was also delighted to finally get the results from my pre-vacation medical exams to find out that I can be easily cured of the PCOS with a small dose of a common non-harmful medication. Throw in one night of baking cookies, one day of receiving the boxes we'd shipped from Florida, one day of organizing the stuff from the boxes shipped from Florida and of course the completion of my third painting... and you can say we had a full and productive month! Whew!

So, needless to say, I’m ready for 2009.

Here are some moments we captured on film…

"Carols in Dubai" Cast and Crew


Our REAL tree all the way from Scandinavia!


The completed painting


At the Snow Park in Ski Dubai at the Mall of the Emirates


Making Christmas Cookies


The Dubai Mall Christmas tree, which can't fit in the lens!


The Christmas Eve Crew


The Priceless, Thai and Philipino Choir singing Christmas Carols at the Dusit at Christmas Day Brunch


Post Christmas Shopping at Dubai Mall with John