The Wandering Monkey

The Sights... Hollywood!

2011-09-06T08:58:00.001+04:00

Hollywood Blvd and the Chinese Theater - many celebrities have imprinted hands and feet in cement outside of this theater. As I walked around and saw the famous names laid forever in dried mud, I wondered what it must be like as a current actor to be asked to lay your name beside the greats... I would never feel worthy enough.

Shirley Temple is one of favorite actresses. She was so young and spent many an hour inside bars with her mom and manager, while they discussed her work and pay she would just sit patiently and wait. My great-grandfather was a bartender inside a frequented bar and one day decided to create a special drink just for her, maybe you've heard of the Shirley Temple? When I was young, that too was my drink! So awesome!

Although difficult to see, in the upper left hand side is a sign at Hollywood and Vine. I knew this intersection was famous but could not recall what for, according to Wikipedia it gained fame in the 1920s for being the center of radio and movie-related businesses. Although there is not much there now, you can see that the sidewalk is adorned with Stars as part of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The Hollywood sign - this is about as close as we could get. It sits amoung a beautiful area in the mountains and looks over the city, as seen in the picture below.

This is the Griffith Observatory. It's a great FREE way to learn a bit about space. The dome to the left contains a high powered telescope that scientists use to observe the sky, day and night. Of couse, it is also the location for many a movie scene. Can you think of your favorite?

For those of you that are fans of Kat Von D, here's a shot of her tatoo parlor, LA Ink. Only minutes from my cousin's apartment, it's not in the best part of town.

This picture did not turn out great, but the top sign is a higway marker for the famous Route 66. In my previous blog post I included a picture of the "End of the Road" in Santa Monica.

Although these are only a few of the sites to see in LA, we managed to cram it into a day and a half. Not too bad! I look forward to returning and being able to spend more time exploring to see the beauty and infamy that's almost at every corner!

Food!!!

2011-09-06T08:28:00.003+04:00

Food - it wouldn't be vacation if I didn't talk about it!

There are so many famous places to eat in LA, but we had only so much time. One necessary stop was In-N-Out Burger. These will never move to Colorado because it would be too far to transport their never-frozen meat, so one must consume it when one can. We managed to squeeze into this one during the noon-hour and after fighting our way to a table, wolfed down fresh cut fries and yummy burgers!

As we walked toward Hollywood Blvd., we came across this gem. You may have seen Ron Howard hanging out here in the film American Graffiti (not exactly this location, but you get the point). We had already stuffed ourselves full of In-N-Out so stopping was out of the question, but still a great landmark!

Donut shops were a common site whilst driving around LA. I snapped a picture of this sign while we were stopped at a light, later I found out that it's actually part advertisement for a Neon Sign Museum - it's a shame we didn't have time to look around.

As I mentioned in the previous blog entry we ate at the North End Cafe and Pinkberrys, both mentioned on TV.

We were lucky in that our breakfast was provided by the hotel every morning. This made it easy for 4 of us girls to grab a quick bite and then get ready for the day. On Tuesday we visited Santa Monica and had dinner along the promenade at a great Italian place. The waitress, although nice, was a little overly excited about being in Hollywood and finding out about goings-on around town. She was giddy when my sister explained she had just tried out for The Voice... at least she's enthusiatic.

Wednesday night we treated my cousin to a mexican dinner at a great place on Sunset Blvd. The margaritas were huge and it put us in the mood for swimming!

Along our journey towards Hollywood Blvd., my cousin took us into Yammy's Pizza. Come to find out her roommate is empolyed there and is trying to make it a landmark in LA. They recently installed wood panelling on the front of the counter - sign your name and praise the pizza!!!

Adventures in LA - Days 1 and 2

2011-08-31T21:38:00.010+04:00

My sister decided to try out for a reality show called "The Voice" where the producers are looking for talented singers. My sister chose a try-out location of Los Angeles, California. Our adventures began on August 29th. We flew to LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) in the afternoon. Our cousin, Jenny, was nice enough to pick us up. I have to admit that LAX is a bit intimidating probably because it's in the middle of the city, whereas Denver's airport is in the middle of nowhere. Immediately I caused us to take a wrong turn because A. I didn't read the directions correctly and B. I was under pressure. Jenny managed to turn the car around and we headed in what we thought to be the correct direction, but the signs weren't matching up to what we knew to be the way, so AGAIN we had to turn around. My mistake in the beginning was actually the right way! Awesome... Finally headed in the right direction we managed to merge onto the highway amoungst other cars headed home for the day. The driving reminded me of living in the UAE and dodging crazy drivers. Jenny fit in perfectly - even though she's only been here for 4 months. Without flaw we found our hotel and checked in.

After getting settled in it was time for dinner. I convinced everyone to check out a place at Manhanttan Beach called the North End Caffe. It was only a 20 minute drive down the highway and we saw an amazing sunset when we arrived (hence the top picture!). The North End Caffe was visited by Guy Fieri of "Diners, DriveIns, and Dives" on the Food Network and he made it sound fantastic. We were a bit disappointed except for the kalua pork egg rolls, so it's great for a quick snack after the beach, but not so much for great food. Oh well, at least we know!

Day 2 in LA brought us to "The Voice" auditions. My sister's check in time was 2 pm, so we hung out at the hotel and allowed her to practice and prepare. Everything was very organized and she was in and out in 2 hours. Although they did not accept her for the show she said she had an amazing experience and met with some very interesting people.

With some of the afternoon and rest of the evening remaining our cousin suggested Santa Monica pier. We drove north and walked along the pier with tourists and beach-goers alike, it was beautiful and amazing!

Santa Monica is also the end of the infamous Highway 66, which 'back in day' was THE highway to travel. It's a classic road that people struggle to help us remember (did you see the movie "Cars?")

We ended the day walking along the promenade and window shopping. We stopped to eat at a little Italian place and then made our way to Pinkberry. I wanted to stop there due to the fact I saw it on a show called "Ugly Americans" just last week. It's just your typical frozen yogurt shoppe but apparently I'm a sucker. It was a great end to a beautiful day! On to more adventures!!!

Under the Chocolate Weather

2011-02-06T11:57:00.004+04:00

My mom started feeling ill last night and went to bed very early. I could hear her coughing during the night and knew that she was going to miss out on the awesome chocolate festival in Glendale today! My grandpa's wife had the great idea to visit the Chocolate Affaire of Glendale this weekend. There was a preview on the news last night, so we knew it was for us. My mom did make it out of bed long enough to wish us well and then we were off.

Before filling our stomachs with sugary goodness we needed to make an important stop at Der Weinersnitzel. This fast-food institution, celebrating their 50th birthday, is a favorite of my aunt's. A round of chili-cheese dogs for everyone!

Now, on to chocolate...

It was your basic people's fair with craft booths and bands playing in the street. There were not as many chocolate vendors as I had thought there would be. At least four booths came into my eyeline, but there could have been others. Each booth had huge lines and we were reluctant to stand in one. Eventually we found a short one that had such things as coconut haystacks, turtles, and bon bons, so we stood in line. But our eyes were looking for something more, i.e. chocolate dipped strawberries and bananas! We gave in to our cravings and stood in line for these most sought after treats. We even splurged on some chocolate dipped marshmallows.

After fighting crowds and standing in line we decided to get out of there and head home for dinner. Chocolate in hand we were back on the road again. As we pulled into the driveway we could see some plastic grocery bags laying by the front door. There were 3 bags filled full with more oranges and tangerines from the neighbor. So, tomorrow we have to look forward to more fresh squeezed juice - awesome!

The chocolate was a great treat after dinner and everyone was able to partake, even mom! Yummy!!!!

We sat around a bit after dinner and let grandpa talk stories, but soon we realized that it was bedtime. Renting a car from Advantage Rent-a-Car turned out to be not the best choice. Our reservation is for 4 days, so if we are not back precisely 96 hours after our check-out then we will be charged $18.99 per hour. This is causing us to be at the airport 3 hours before our flight takes off - what a pain! I do admit that we are adding to this ourselves by making an all important stop at In-N-Out Burger by the airport. By my calculations we need an extra half-hour to make it work. In order to make a 2 pm flight we are leaving my grandpa's house at 9:30 am!!! Silly us :)

Desert Phoenix

2011-02-05T11:21:00.005+04:00

Well, here I go, it's been awhile since I've written! Hailing today from Phoenix, Arizona. It's supposed to be dry desert country, just like the UAE, but when we arrived on Wednesday morning it was 34 degrees Fahrenheit. Unbelievable! Arizonians were experiencing a cold snap, and quite a big one. My aunt, my mom, and I were coming from a frigid -17 degrees Fahrenheit, so we were glad for warmer weather that didn't necessitate mittens and fluffy coats. Our mission was to arrive safe and sound at Grandpa Evans' house in Glendale, just north of Phoenix.

Upon our arrival breakfast was waiting, even though it was noon. We ate heartily! Who can deny home cooked goodness? It included fresh squeezed orange/tangerine juice, the citrus being acquired from a neighbor. Afterwards, we sat around the kitchen table and let grandpa talk stories to us all day. Stories about buying his first horse for $60 (including "a 300 year old saddle") and being so proud, then having his uncle comment on how big the horse's feet were, and having his heart sink. Others about trying to slide across a type of zip line but falling and having the pulley land right on his head and splitting it open. Grandpa had us in tears because we were laughing so hard! Boy, can he tell a story! Around 7:30 pm, my aunt, mom, and I wandered off to bed as we had been up since 4:30 am (or earlier!). Out for the night.

On Thursday all the old folks decided to go gambling at the local Native American casinos. I, on the other hand, stayed at home to work on homework. It was a quiet day, and no one won any money, so it wasn't a lucky one :( Dinner at the Big Apple was delicious though - all you can eat beef ribs for just $12. Again, food I couldn't say no to!

IKEA was Friday's stop. My aunt had never been, but her daughter had been boasting about it for months, so she was excited to see what the fuss was all about. She spent most of the time exclaiming, "wow! The prices are so low! Look at this, it's only $30!" It was great fun! My whole intention was to buy another computer desk, similar to the one we bought in the UAE, but they didn't have the table top I wanted. I was disappointed, but IKEA will soon be gracing Colorado with it's presence so it's not out of my reach just yet!

Happy after a day of shopping, we arrived back at my grandpa's to find a home cooked Mexican meal! Oh yum! Beef enchiladas, home-made tortillas, tamales, rice, and fresh cooked beans. I shall be 800 pounds when I leave this state!!!!

While We Were Away

2010-09-18T03:39:00.002+04:00

So I know we've been back for more than 6 months now, but I am discovering things that we missed out on....

For instance, sometime during our life in the UAE there was a peanut butter (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99341551) scare here in the US! My sister was telling me how she couldn't get her favorite peanut butter and cheese crackers. It sounds like the shelves were cleared out of PB - how sad and weird :(

Today as I was listening to the radio I realized the punkpop band blink-182 (http://www.blink182.com) are being talked about as a band again. I'm pretty sure that when I left here they were on an indefinite hiatus! According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blink-182) they re-united in February 2009. Since they took their hiatus in 2005 I guess that wasn't an indefinite one!

Another one that I noticed right away upon our return is regarding Obama. We left the US for the UAE in August 2008, and it was nearing the presidential election. It seemed that everyone was very excited about Obama and what he could do for the country (of course at that point anyone was better than GW Bush!). He was elected while we were away and has been a busy little bee. Now though it seems that whatever he is doing is pissing everyone off! I have seen so many bumper stickers de-faming his name and wanting him to leave office! Wow, what a change from only a year and half of being gone... I'm sorry to see that someone that was elected to office a hero is now hated :(
(I will not put my personal views of Obama in this post, I just wanted to state the feel I get from the rest of society!) (Check out this popularity chart http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/data/popularity.php).

Now maybe these are only 3 things that I've noticed we missed and I'm sure there are more, but it does leave a bit of a hole in you. I certainly did live in a different world for a while and as these missing pieces start to fill up I get a weird feeling, but never do I have any regrets!

Few and Far Between

2010-08-28T04:07:00.002+04:00

Well, now that we've been in the States for 6 months I can say that our adventures are few and far between :(

We may be selling the house and moving, but nowhere exciting just a few miles away... oh, well I guess it's still an adventure in it's own. All the boxes that were shipped from the UAE have been unpacked so now we get to pack them all up again - those boxes were sturdy (about the sturdiest things I've seen from that country anyway) so some of them will be re-used! It's a tough market, but here goes nothing...

Las Vegas BABY!!!

2010-07-02T02:36:00.014+04:00

It's time for a summer vacation - to Las Vegas!!!! I was so excited that I could tag along. We had to drive 12 hours through a few different states before reaching our destination... Utah was the first.

We drove through Arizona but just a small corner of it so we were really only in this state for about an hour, maybe we'll be back someday to see the Grand Canyon!!!

Finally!!! We made it to Nevada, this meant that we were getting very close, at least we were in the right state!

It was a long and HOT drive, but we finally made it to Vegas. We spent the first night at a buffet - as everyone should do once arriving in Vegas hungry, and then we went swimming to cool ourselves.

The next day we drove the short way to the Hoover Dam. It's one of the most famous dams in the world and was built during America's Depression in the 1930's (which gave people much needed jobs at the time). It creates hyro-electricity for millions of people in the SouthWest United States.

On our way back to Las Vegas we stopped and ate at the yummy In-N-Out Burger. I don't know how they've managed it but they only sell hamburgers and cheeseburgers with fries and they continue to survive! It was super yummy though :)

That night we decided to visit Fremont Street. The casinos are lit to the tilt and it can be over-stimulating at times, but people watching can be the best.

The next day we headed WAY down the strip to the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. This pawn shop is most famous from the TV show "Pawn Stars" and since we are all fans we thought it would be fun! We had to wait outside in a line (only for 10 minutes), but I can't believe we waited in line at a pawn shop!!

Once we made it inside the shop there were so many ridiculous things for sale it was unbelievable! Here is one example of an outrageous watch - $49,999!!!! and you can't even try it on to make sure it fits!

That evening we ate at another buffet (what did I tell you? When in Vegas, eat at buffets!) at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino. Afterwards, we walked through their beautiful indoor botanical garden. It contains a few of the world's only sculpted olive trees (once they are sculpted they no longer produce fruit) and various types of flowers. It was amazing to walk through!

Along the Las Vegas Strip at night the casinos are lit up, as we exited the Bellagio we could see the Paris and the Planet Hollywood. The Paris contains a 1/3 sized replica of the Eiffel Tower. You can ride to the top for a mere $20 or you can dine in the restaurant (which I'm sure costs a pretty penny!).

Inside the Plant Hollywood there is a huge mall (it reminded me of the Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai -with painted ceilings and very Arabic looking faux architecture) filled with brand name stores. It also contains the V Theater where we saw a kid show called "Poppovich's Comedy Pet Show" and a Beatles concert. I really enjoyed the pet show even though there were no monkeys :(

Since we were already standing outside the Bellagio Hotel we felt that we should watch a fountain show. It was beautiful, as all water shows are, but I have to say that being in Dubai has tainted my view of any fountain!

We had such a great time in Las Vegas. Even though temperatures were reaching heights of 110 degrees Fahrenheit I reminded myself that I could be in 120 degree temps in the UAE and smiled at my fortune! What a great place!!!

Kansas - Happy Easter!

2010-04-14T09:25:00.010+04:00

Pepe was thrilled to be heading out onto the road again. He had been stuck in a windowless basement since our return so this was his chance for some fresh air and freedom!

Kansas is a very windy state, therefore they have taken advantage and wind turbines are a common site. This is a great way to create clean energy for all!

It wouldn't be Kansas without the farms! I snapped this pic while riding in the car, so it's not as clear as I would like. This farmhouse was along a small road on the way to a town called Hamilton.

This pic was snapped along the mainstreet in Hamilton. I love the vintage Coke sign!

This time of year the farmers are burning the fields to renew the soil. As we drove we could see some burnt brush up against the road and along the horizon we could see the smoke from other fires.

We played some pool and drank some beers in a bar in a small out-of-the-way town (in fact i can't remember it's name!). I took a picture of the sign in the bar - notice that he can charge you by the 24 pk and the prices are pretty cheap!

This is an outside shot of the bar. The building stamp on the far left corner says 1912 (that's old for the US, especially for the West) - very cool!

By the end of our trip Pepe was glad to have been out, but he was exhausted! Time for a nap!!!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-02T08:23:00.003+04:00

Today we are off to the great state of Kansas! Pepe is along for the ride... keep a look out for pictures and more information about the trip :)

Also, happy day of our Risen Lord and Savior!

St. Patricks Day

2010-03-20T09:40:00.003+04:00

On my last post in February I had pictures of ThickBlackGlasses brewing some tasty beer. After weeks of letting it sit and "cook" we were finally able to bottle it and taste it. For a red ale I think it's very yummy - and I don't like reds.

Anyway, on St Patty's Day was the test! He competed with 3 other brewers at a friend's house for the best beer and he won!!!! I am partial but I think his was the best :)

Here's a picture of him with the winning beer, the money and the "trophy" Lephrechan...

Getting Used to the Weather

2010-03-20T09:35:00.002+04:00

We've been home for over a month now and we're still getting used to the weather. I have to admit that I kind of miss not having to brush off my car or worry about slippery roads. I would say for 75% of the time since we've been home the weather has been nice, but there are those days! Today is especially snowy, several inches have fallen throughout the day and I've been lucky enough to not have to go out in it.

Spring is fast approaching and already I am looking forward to the warmer weather!

Easter will be here soon and we're heading "next door" to Kansas. I love road trips and I'll be sure to post pics as soon as possible :)

Home

2010-02-18T07:39:00.005+04:00

Well, we've been home for two and a half weeks and it's starting to feel like home again!
We spent the first two weeks going back and forth with the shipping company (stationed in Abu Dhabi) about the surprise charges. They sent us the cost of everything and we were thrown for a loop. There were several charges that we did not expect so we had to work against the time difference to get everything settled. For two weeks our boxes sat in a warehouse somewhere but finally we came to an agreement and we received our boxes on Friday! It has been great to unpack and get settled in :)

The weeks have already been packed with activities. I started my new job the Monday after we returned. It made for a tiring week, trying to get re-adjusted to the time difference and creating a new schedule. So far I am really enjoying the new job though and with all the budget cuts within the schools I am glad to have nailed down a job before the new school year.

Some family and friends got together to watch the NFL Super Bowl the weekend after our return. We have never watched the game in a public place before, but this year we decided to meet at a bar. It turned out to be a lot of fun especially with severals groups of people routing for different teams!

Below is a picture of my neice. We put a beer cozy over her milk cup - good times!

The day before the Super Bowl we celebrated ThickBlackGlasses's Birthday at Dave and Busters. Several friends and family members showed up to play some pool and shuffle board...

We have had lots of time to spend with my two neices, Artia and Vayle, and we hope to spend some more time with ThickBlackGlasses's neices and nephews in the coming weeks.

One of the most fun things we have been able to do upon our return is to make our own beer. ThickBlackGlasses and his friend went to a speciality store and bought a beer kit to make us some homemade hooch! We have about 7 days until it is finished and we will be sure to send out an update and it's taste!

Although we have left Abu Dhabi we plan to have many more adventures. Keep an eye out for Pepe as he sneaks away with us!

"Home" Lyrics by Chris Daughtry

2010-01-24T14:36:00.002+04:00

As our departure date is drawing nearer I thought that most of these lyrics fit how I was feeling about leaving. I don't regret a thing, but things are getting a bit old. I will miss some things about the UAE, but I am so happy to be returning home so very soon!

(These lyrics have been edited, I chose what I felt was true...)

"Home"

I'm staring out into the night,
Trying to hide the pain.
I'm going to the place where love
And feeling good don't ever cost a thing.
And the pain you feel's a different kind of pain.

Well I'm going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me.
I'm not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong...
But these places and these faces are getting old,
So I'm going home.
Well I'm going home.

Be careful what you wish for,
'Cause you just might get it all.
You just might get it all,
And then some you don't want.
Be careful what you wish for,
'Cause you just might get it all.
You just might get it all, yeah.

A Night Out

2010-01-17T16:47:00.003+04:00

Last Thursday we spent the night in Abu Dhabi. We hooked up with a friend at Trader Vic's.

The first weird thing of the night was seeing a bar fight. Not so unusual? Well, that's the first bar fight I have seen in the UAE. I wondered what happens to people that are turned into the police starting a bar fight in the UAE, but we didn't get that chance. The bar staff was quick to react once the fighters knocked over glasses on a nearby table. They managed to push the fighters and their friends out the front door. The group was outside and as bar patrons looked on the fight moved back into the doorway. Eventually the whole thing was broke up and we moved on. How curious?!?

Later on in the night we were driving home. A line of cars were going through a green light when the light began to flash (an indication that the light will quickly turn yellow). The taxi in front of me thought it was a good time to stop, but half-way along the crosswalk (and Abu Dhabi gives tickets to cars over the line). I was far enough back from the taxi, so I knew he had enough room to move back. He put on his reverse lights and kept reversing, even while I was honking my horn (as a warning that he was too close) and then backed right into me! He sat in his car and did not even realize for a good 5 seconds that he had hit me, but then pulled forward a bit. I got out of the car to check for damage and he just quietly sat inside his car and watched me. Of course he was not going too fast so there was no damage, but there was no reaction from him, I couldn't believe it! I got back into the car and the driver finally leaned out of his car a little with his hands raised! What an idiot! He may be new to the country and maybe that was his second day driving, so hopefully he figures out how far back he can go next time! Grrrrrr....

Celebration in Dubai!

2010-01-06T00:10:00.015+04:00

Here I am writing about the Burj Dubai (alternately called the Burj Khalifa) again!
Yesterday was the Grand Opening of the building and ThickBlackGlasses and I were lucky enough to fight the crowds to attend the ceremony.

Most everyone headed to Dubai Mall - mostly because the parking was ideal and the location perfect. Here we caught a great photo of the masses trying to use the escalator to the lower ground leading to the outside of the mall. We decided to go the long way and find a less busy escalator (after the escalator collapse at Coors Field in Denver Colorado we decided not to take our chances).

Everyone was at the ready! We found a spot along the outside of the mall, but far back from the water fountain and the festivities. We could see a sea of people in front of us, but we had a great view of the amazing fireworks show that was about to happen.

Check out a video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRxxv6AZ_xg

Here's a shot of the Burj after the fireworks - the lighting is incredible up and down this building!

After the festivities we found out that where we were standing was ideal. The sheiks and other VIPs were exiting right by us. The picture above is the vehicle transporting Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the UAE.

Tonight we bought tickets to ride to the top! At only 100 Dhs (about $27 US) it was priced about right for a tourist attraction.

First, you ride along a travalator and see a screen filled with images of the UAE over time.

Then you ride an elevator from the Ground floor to the 124th floor. The ride takes about 60 seconds and then you arrive at the top of the world.

Here is a view of Sheik Zayed Road that goes right through the middle of the city. I have only ever seen this in pictures and could not believe I was seeing it in "real life" !!!!

I have written before (December 9th, to be exact) about how amazing this building is and what it represents to the UAE and to the world. It may be a long time before another building even attempts to beat the height of the Burj Dubai and if you ever get a chance I highly recommend a visit.

Burj Dubai

2009-12-09T20:32:00.003+04:00

Everyday I see this beautiful building reflected in my rearview mirror. Usually the sun has just risen and it's golden rays are bouncing off the gleaming windows. This building is the Burj Dubai (or Dubai Tower) and it rises almost half a mile above the city It now stands as the tallest building in the world and certainly most impressive to stand beside and look up at (maybe soon observation platforms will open!).

Today as I was driving home this structure loomed up from the other buildings definitely making a statement. The sky was a little hazy after the morning rain, but it made the skyline look so much more impressive. I have to give praise to such a human-made ediface. Remember when God struck down the Babylonians for creating such a tower? And here we are today, continuing that uncompleted feat of our forefathers, what an amazing time to live in!

Turkey Day

2009-12-01T02:21:00.010+04:00

Well this Turkey Day was rather hard on us. Since the government declared a 10-day holiday for Eid and National Day our co-workers fled the country and we were left to create our own fun - which we did! As you can see we had a whole table full of yummy traditions to tackle!!!

I took the opportunity this year to make my own pumpkin pie from scratch. We had bought two pumpkins to carve for Halloween but we didn't get around to it and I thought it would be a waste to not do something with them. I did some internet research and found that it's fairly simple to bake the pumpkin and go from there. Most sites recommended not using the "Jack-o-Latern" because it's too stringy but I had no choice and here's what happened:

I cut the pumpkin in two and cut out the seeds, then I placed it on a flat pan with about 1/4 inch of water and cooked it on 350 for a little over an hour...
Once it was cooked and mushy I scooped out the shells and pureed the pumpkin as best I could without a blender (the internet was right, it was a bit stringy but seemed like it would work)...

I made a pie crust, but I always have a hard time rolling it out and placing it in the pan, but as you can see below I managed to make it work!

Here's the pie crust and the filling ready to be placed in the oven.

Cooking away!!!! Yummy!

The final cooked product - not too bad!

The Wandering Monkey, Pepe, seemed to love it. He couldn't keep his paws off of it!

A New Highway

2009-11-10T22:18:00.007+04:00

Well, we've been laying low for the last month. I guess a lot is due to the fact that we're really homesick right now and so we haven't really been exploring Dubai as much as we should. Sassafrass' Sister is coming in December, so we'll get a chance to see more and do some exploring to boot.

On the up side though, I did get a chance to drive over the new expressway linking Abu Dhabi island, Yas Island, and Saadiyat Island on Monday night. I drove in for a meeting on Monday and then my uncle suggested I try the new expressway over the water and "island hop" as he called it. It was dark so I didn't get to see the water, but it is a huge highway that cut right around all of the busy traffic in the city and took me straight to the highway to Dubai!

After you leave the island of Abu Dhabi you drive over 1.4 km of Sheikh Khalifa Bridge (http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091014/NATIONAL/910149971/1021) to Saadiyat Island. This is where they are building all sorts of amazing museums - a branch of the Louve and a Guggenheim masterpeice (just like we have in Denver). To read more about it just click the link: http://www.saadiyat.ae/en/ It should be amazing when it's all completed!!!

There is another small bridge that takes you to Yas Island. Yas Island is where they just ran the Formula One Grand Prix. An incredible event for those that love F1 racing. After looking at the website I found that many other things are to be built on the island over the next year or so - including a Warner Bros. Theme Park! Check out the link to see some pictures and find out what else it will have to offer: http://yasisland.ae/Default_en_gb.html The picture at the top of my blog is from the Yas Island website and portrays the Yas Hotel, which was lit up when I drove past so I was able to see it.

When I returned home that evening I told ThickBlackGlasses that we must go to Abu Dhabi soon and take that drive in the daytime. If we do you can be sure that pictures will follow :)

An American MONKEY in London

2009-09-25T02:32:00.002+04:00

Finally after a year of living in the UAE with my friends (Sassafrass and The Man with Thick, Black Glasses) I have been able to stow away with them as they wander the globe to the fantastic city of London.

Our first glimpses of the United Kingdom go whizzing by as we ride the train from Gatwick Airport.

I take a nap on Sassafrass to recover from the red-eye flight we took to get here.

We spent a lot of time riding the tube to get around. I'm glad I had help to "mind the gap" because it was quite a big one for a little monkey.

First things first: Go to a pub, drink a pint, eat some fish & chips.

Welcome to London!

"Allo, can I speak to Dr. Who?....Oh, he's not in. Well, can I get a ride to the Ministry of Magic then?"

One of the best things about travelling is meeting new people and making new friends. I met this charming bloke on the tour through Madame Tussaud's.

This was a dream come true for me. I can't believe I got to meet the star of my favorite movie.

Protecting the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London is serious business.

All I wanted to do was feel his fuzzy hat, but his machine gun made me think that was a bad idea.

We took a double-decker open-top bus tour around the city, saw a lot of interesting buildings and enjoyed the commentary of the guide. But most of it just went in one ear and out the other!

Here was an interesting find along the bus tour. What do you suppose they serve in a place like this? I would stay away from the chocolate desserts if I were you.

We decided to go to the original Hard Rock Cafe for lunch instead.

They had plenty of awesome rock memorabilia, but nothing from The Monkees. Can you believe that?

I still love the Hard Rock! Long live rock 'n roll!

We got to Buckingham Palace too late to take the tour, so we had to settle for peering through the front gates. More of the guards with the fuzzy hats were taunting me from the other side. We didn't let this setback slow us down though and continued our sightseeing with...

The Queen Victoria Memorial

Westminster Abbey

The Saint George and the dragon column and the Westminster School (to the left)

I needed a rest after all that sightseeing. Big Ben ain't all that big!

We continued on to a river cruise of the Thames.

Okay, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben (which is actually the name of the bell inside) are pretty impressive and should be seen in person to truly capture their magnificence.

Other sights along the river included the HMS Belfast, Cleopatra's needle (an ancient obelisk imported from Egypt), Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, and Tate Modern.

The perfect way to end a long day of sightseeing: a pint of Guinness and a traditional English steak pie in a pub topped off with a ride on the London Eye.

So, this is what it would be like if monkeys could fly?

The next day, we took a tour out to visit Stonehenge. A visit to England would not be complete without seeing this amazing site.

Can you imagine what the monkeys who built this were like? What ancient monkey purpose did it serve?

The long escalator to the underground trains which end our trip to London. It was amazing, enlightening, tiring and way too quick. I hope we have the chance to come back again some day to see and experience everything we missed this time. Cheers!

New Adventures in New Places

2009-08-31T15:48:00.005+04:00

Well it's the start of a new school year and we find ourselves no longer in Abu Dhabi, but in Dubai. I have been reassigned to two schools in an rural community in the emirate of Abu Dhabi and so my company found the best and closest accomodations in Dubai.

So far we have been wandering the neighborhood and other areas around us to find our bearings. There is so much more to do in Dubai and we are looking forward to the new adventure.

We went with some friends to a restaurant called YO! Sushi. It's one of the few places I have remembered to take pictures of so far and it's by far one of the coolest restaurants I've ever been to. The food is placed in little bowls and set to rotate around the establishment on a little conveyer belt. As the food comes by you can have your choice. I felt that it was very futuristic.

As the year progresses and the pictures are compiled we will be sure to keep you updated on our new place!!!

Worldwide Job Insecurity

2009-06-14T14:01:00.002+04:00

I find myself again wondering if I will have a job next year. It seems that I have spent the last 3 and a half years of my life wondering what's going to happen to my job and where will I be for the next school year.

My last job had constant struggles with their contract. Would it be renewed? Maybe not... That's why I left - who can deal with that type of insecurity? And in "good economic times" too.

Anyway, the media keeps it hush hush that the UAE is having a hard time during this so-called worldwide "crisis" of the economy, but they are hurting too. Levi and I thought that at least my job would be here next year and so we decided to stay, now we are not so sure. Budgets are being cut by the government for these school improvement projects, so that means people have to go. The only saving grace is that possibly we will still obtain new schools and I will be able to stay. They have been dangling new high schools in front of our faces for a few months now, but we will not know anything until after July 5th. By then I will be camping in the Colorado mountains with friends and family.

I am trying not to worry too much because I do feel that we will be awarded a new high school, but there is still the nagging doubt in the back of mind. How will I survive the next three weeks at a school that I know I will NOT be at next year? And, then, how do I survive the remaining three weeks in limbo? I guess I've done it before and I will do it again...

Random Monkey Acts

2009-06-06T23:13:00.007+04:00

Yesterday we went on a brunch cruise along the Abu Dhabi corniche. I didn't get sea sick and I had a lot of fun!

They served us champagne the whole time we were cruising and I drank a little too much - I had to come home and take a nap. Good thing Sassafrass was driving!

I decided to try some shrimp from the buffet. It tasted good, but I had a hard time peeling back the feelers and eyes, maybe next time I will ask them to do that for me - ewww!

Sassafrass bought a new ring the day before and she wore it on the cruise. This is my favorite one - I wanted to steal it for myself!

This morning we went for breakfast at Mugg & Bean. Coffee was great for my hangover, but I couldn't decide on the sugar - white? brown? or Sweet N Low?

Dubai for Pepe

2009-06-05T17:33:00.014+04:00

Pepe's recent adventures in Dubai. He's one crazy monkey!

Checking out the hotel rooms - these beds are nice. What should I write home about?

Hanging out by the pool, even though the sun had set it was still relaxing.

Now it's time to hit the sauna - why are we in here when it's 105 degrees outside with 75% humidity? I just don't know.

At the Dubai Museum learning about the history of the United Arab Emirates. Where's the monkeys?

Their doorways are so small for Sassafrass, but I'm good!

Dubai creek - filled with Abras (water taxis).

Riding the Big Bus to see the city sites, it's cool in here, but hot outside!

Wafi Mall - everyone will think I've gone to Egypt!

Brunch at Planet Hollywood. I saw Lawrence of Arabia's dishdasha! Sweet! [Oh, and there he is behind me!]

Single and Dancing

2009-05-16T15:46:00.003+04:00

Okay the title is a little misleading... yes, I am currently without my husband AND on Thursday night I saw some great flamenco dancing!

I realized today that being without my husband has been a little weird and a little nice too. I have never lived on my own, so the two and a half weeks without him was quite the experience. Even though my mom is here I still feel the difference of being temporarily single.

I looked at my bed today. I don't make my bed in the morning (I know - shame for shame) but it's funny because half the bed is still made. I have tugged a little bit on the top blanket but for the most part it is laid out and smooth! Also, I did some laundry and I placed it on the bed to be put away, but I never did get back to it and there it lies still! If Levi had been here I would have put the laundry away, but it's in nobody's way and it's so convenient for me. Oh dear! What have I started?!

For two weeks I also did not have to worry about: what's for dinner? what's for lunch? what do you want to do today? It was all about me: I'm hungry now and I don't feel like cooking much so I will have popcorn for dinner or just a small sandwich. I think I will just lounge on the couch today or I will have lunch with a friend impromptu.

Even though I have enjoyed my time alone and do not want to give up what I do have with Levi. I am starting to miss him terribly and I still have 7 weeks until we see each other again... I hope I can survive!

On a lighter note, my mother and I went to see the "Paco Pena Flamenco Dance Company" at Abu Dhabi Culture and Heritage. I was very entranced by the dancing - it's so amazing! There were 2 male dancers and 1 female along with 3 guitarists, 1 percussionist, 1 female singer and 1 male singer. There were so many ways to rearrange this amount of people that it made it fun. Even though the male dancers were performing most of the time it was still fun for all of us. The female dancer did accompany one guitarist on castenets, but not while she was dancing (what a beautiful sound though).

In the end we all felt how amazing the whole performance was and we were glad that we could participate in such a great, FREE event!!!

Teachings of the Quran

2009-05-03T15:05:00.005+04:00

Today I was talking with a co-worker. The discussion started because she wants to put Red Crescent (yep, just like Red Cross) collection banks in each classroom so the boys will learn to give what they can to the poor and others in need. She started to tell me about what the Quran says about giving to the poor and then the conversation went on from there. I learned quite a bit and I thought that I would share a few things:

1. The Quran states that after you have paid your bills you should give 2.5% of the leftover amount to the poor.

2. It contains detailed information on how a fetus grows from conception to birth.

3. It gives detailed instructions on how inheritance money should be split among a person's relatives/survivors/community in the case of their death (no will needed!)

4. It states that a man must give his wife an allowance even if she has plenty of her own money to spend.

5. It states that a man can take many wives only in dire circumstances (i.e. the other wife can no longer have children (or never could); the other wife does not desire other children and the husband does; the first wife agrees to another marriage).

6.The Quran also states that anal sex is a no-no because of the health risks.

7. It says that married women are allowed to go and visit her parents without her husband's permission.

8. It also says that married women should have their independence to run businesses or seek other endeavors without their husbands looking over their shoulder all the time.

9. Lastly, (of the things we talked about and that I remember) people should not eat any type of meat from pigs because they are dirty, foul animals.

Remember the Quran was written over 2000 years ago. I was amazed at the detail that it entails and the strict guidance that it gives. As in any religion there are those people that use the words to their own interpretation and give everyone else a bad name (uh like the Taliban). I respect those Muslims that follow the Quran with all their heart, but I still am fully convinced that the Bible is the book to help guide my life.

Men and Women

2009-05-01T14:57:00.002+04:00

Today I did something that I usually never hesitate to do at home - I passed on an elevator because only 2 men where getting in with me. Both men entered and one waved me on but I just shook my head and waited for the door to close. At home it seems that this would never be a problem, although we women should be cautious there too, but today I was very conscious of it.

Visas

2009-04-26T19:09:00.002+04:00

Well I think after 8 months of waiting that I may finally have my residency visa!!! When I first arrived they asked for quite a bit of paperwork and I have to admit that I was a little slow in turning them in, but 5 months later the paperwork has been processed. We are in the last few days of the process, the final papers are being filed and within a few days I will go in for a blood test. Once these things are complete then I will be an official "temporary" resident of the United Arab Emirates.

The visa will last for 3 years and allows me to work during that time for my current employer. I believe the visa can be continually renewed until a person is of retirement age. Once you retire you are kicked out back to your home country - even if you were born here! (Okay let me explain that one: a co-worker's parents came from India, he was born here, but is not a UAE national, so when he retires he will be kicked out and must return to India, a place that he has never lived!)

After 8 months of running for the border I will no longer be obliged to go out of my way to update my visa. This will really help me to move onto other worries that are bothering me....

The Toilet - Everyone needs it

2009-04-14T14:36:00.003+04:00

When we were young my sisters and I always knew where the bathrooms were in every store or restaurant that we visited. I guess as a kid it was like an adventure to see the bathroom and know where it was at; now that I’m older this has not really gone away.

In Abu Dhabi everywhere I go I know where the bathroom is or I find out very quickly. Here I have found that there are many types of bathrooms and I have learned to not be surprised by what is behind that female bathroom sign.

Most women here use the sprayer instead of toilet paper, so I know that the majority of bathroom floors will be covered in water, but I always hope that I can find one without it. Many mall bathrooms have a cleaner that walks around and mops the stalls, keeps the towels and soap filled, and wipes down the counters, so in general the bathrooms are clean. The great things about the restrooms (no matter where I have been) are the stalls – they are fully enclosed! This means that the walls are tiled and solid, the doors close all the way (no cracks for people to look through) and they are almost floor to ceiling; there is so much privacy I wonder why we can’t have these at home!

While visiting Oman I have seen different types of bathrooms. My first experience was during my first visa run – the one where I became very ill and almost passed out due to lack of water. The Omani visa check-point was packed with people and when I visited the restroom I also found it packed with people and the floor covered with water; the toilet had no seat and there was no toilet paper. This put me right out of my comfort zone, but I survived! My other experience was more recent, while wandering at a new visa check-point we stopped at a gas station; I knew that the toilet would be a hole in the floor and it was, but I also survived that.

Even at work the bathroom is a constant issue. Without going into too many details I have found that the teachers are very messy and the toilets back up frequently. A few weeks ago they had to hire a plumber to come out and unplug the drains due to the back up and I thought we were without a bathroom (at least for a few days). While nursing a full bladder one day I wandered into an unused part of the school building and found a hidden restroom! It was meant to be and even though they have cleared up the other bathroom I still insist on venturing to my “off-the-radar” bathroom on a daily basis.

I know that this is an unusual topic, but it is something that stays on my mind while venturing in and around Abu Dhabi. I hope you found it interesting.

The Palace Hotel

2009-02-19T18:06:00.008+04:00

We went over to the Palace Hotel to see a art show (all the artists are from the UAE), anyway, as we were leaving we took some great shots of the water fountains out front!!! Too beautiful :)

Green Apple Beer?

2009-02-15T01:09:00.009+04:00

I sent Pepe to get some beer forgetting that he is not nearly old enough to legally purchase alcohol. He proved to be a resourceful monkey and returned with this strange concoction of barley and hops. It vaguely resembles the sudsy brew that I expect from the folks at Anheuser/Busch albeit the non-alcoholic (what's the point then) version, but the green apple depicted on the side of the can is what really piqued my interest.

I was still a little hesitant about this, so Pepe was brave enough to take the first sip of this curious libation. His face brightened and his eyes became wide as if he had just suckled the nectar from the life-giving teat of the earth-mother herself. I had to pry his arms from the can to be able to sample this supposed wonder-drink.

There is definitely a difference between monkey taste buds and my own. It actually is not half bad if you don't mind watered-down barley pop with a strong artificial apple flavoring bite. The after-taste almost reminds me that I'm drinking beer until I remember that the only reason anyone drinks Budweiser piss-water is for the benefit of the alcohol. Apple flavoring is a poor substitute for alcohol, but what else can you do to make an alcoholic beverage appealing to a non-alcoholic society such as this? What's up, Pete, where's the Cherry Coors Light?

In summary: Bad monkey! Very bad monkey!

2009-02-13T12:51:00.013+04:00

Okay only a few weeks late but here are some pics from our Visa Run in January. Monkey had a good time :)

On our way.

We saw some camels on the way.

Everything went fast at the border! No problems this time :)

Afterwards we made a stop in Dubai to see the new mall.

We saw the three-story aquarium inside the mall.

And we ate at the only Taco Bell in the UAE!

We headed home - late at night - after a lot of food and fun :)

The Corniche

2009-01-19T02:09:00.007+04:00

We finally made it down to the Corniche. It's the road and walkway along the ocean front in Abu Dhabi. It must be an Arabic word for waterfront or something because I have heard of other "Corniche"s in other countries. Anyway, it was amazing. They have built up this huge sidewalk area for bikes, walkers, runners, mo-peds, etc! It is so beautiful. Then, of course, you are walking right next to the water which is amazing too! We parked across the street and had to walk in this underground tunnel that was beautifully tiled. Once we emerged there were three huge water fountains flanked by stairs that led to the walkway. I couldn't believe all the water! Incredible! Walking along we saw so many people there. It was near sunset, but there were a lot of expats and nationals milling around the area. Everyone was just out enjoying the sunset and the cool breeze coming off the ocean. We both regret that it has taken us this long to make it out there, but now we regret that we live so far away from it. Now we have said that everytime we go into town we will try to walk out along the water. One of our missions over the next two weeks is to visit the beach at the end of the Corniche, which we have heard is a good swimming beach. Can't wait!

Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-12T20:47:00.004+04:00

Well the end of the holidays is WAY past and here we are in 2009! I am not one for making (or keeping) new year's resolutions, so I did not make one.

The school semester break starts on January 16th, so most everyone I work with is gearing up to go home. It's kind of like college - at semester break everyone abandons the campus. I don't know how many people will be around our villas for break, but we may be on our own! It will be a great time for us to do some more exploring around Abu Dhabi and Dubai. There are so many things that they have to offer and we have been promising ourselves to go see more, so this will be our time!

Well, I hope that you all are off to a good start to the new year... cheers and good luck :)

2008-12-20T00:38:00.006+04:00

We are really looking forward to Christmas here. It's been a chilly 60 degrees Farenheit at night and around 75 or so during the day! It rained one drop on me Tuesday while I was driving home, but that's the most exciting weather we've had since our return from the US. I wanted to post some pictures of our Christmas tree to show our holiday spirit and help remind everyone that Chistmas is all about family and friends - uh, peace, love, harmony!!!

Etiquette a la Cell Phones

2008-11-28T23:27:00.003+04:00

We take the use of cell phones for granted. Here, in Abu Dhabi, cell phone use is wide-spread and no one has bothered to create etiquette guidelines for public use.

People at home are reminded to turn off their cell phones at the start of a movie and usually everyone does. Here, there is no such thing as turning off your phone - much less during a movie. Everyone around you will text and call their friends during the show, they will even lean over and share things with their friends while the movie is playing. It's very distracting with a cell phone light blaring in your face from the row in front of you.

When I am working with my teachers they always have their cell phones. During my training sessions their phones will go off and they do not hesitate to answer them. They bring their purses into class with them and they will answer their phone in the middle of a their own lessons too. I went in to a classroom to observe a teacher with the principal and we sat in the back of the room. The principal received a call while the teacher was teaching a lesson and she answered her phone and began to talk. The students around us turned to see who was talking and she did not stop.

Also, we figure that when we are walking through an art gallery that no one will be talking on their phone, or they will leave the area as to not disturb other patrons. Back in August we went to see a Picasso show. It was so quiet throughout the entire place until we reached the last room. A guy was standing in the corner talking on his cell phone. I have to admit it was a little distracting but we were listening to the headphone tour so it wasn't too bad. Another patron, a British man, decided that it was way too distracting for an art show and began to scream at the man on his phone. It escalated fast and security showed up to try and calm the Brit down. We decided it was time to leave that room!

So, we have an appreciation for our courtesy with cell phones. Next time someone is using their cell phone in an inappropriate place just be glad that it doesn't happen ALL THE TIME!

the world is a vampire

2008-11-10T06:14:00.003+04:00

I have become nocturnal, but at least I am not craving blood yet. It's about 7:00 am UAE time and I am finally feeling tired enough to go to bed. Ever since Sassafrass' mom left I have been gradually staying up later and later and it has become a routine to surf the internet and watch TV until the wee hours of the morning before going to bed. I feel guilty for wasting away the time I have here, but I can't seem to get back onto a normal schedule. I am looking for a graphic design job, but I have not found many openings in Abu Dhabi. I am considering looking for a position in Dubai, but I am not excited about having to commute an hour each way...again.

Even my own mind is against me. Last night I wasn't tired but went to bed earlier than usual, so I could wake up and get some stuff done to make myself feel more useful. I set my alarm but still slept until I woke up in the early afternoon. Sass said that she heard my alarm go off and then immediately get shut off. I don't have any memory of waking up to turn it off, so I must have done it while I was asleep!

I'm not looking for pity for having the privelege of being able to do nothing and stay up all night. I'm sure you are all saying, "Poor you! You have to stay home and do nothing all day and night!" I am just writing out my thoughts which will hopefully provide motivation to get off my ass and DO something. But be careful of what you wish for, because you might get it.

Ah good ol' homesickness

2008-11-09T12:28:00.003+04:00

Now that the holidays are drawing near I am feeling a little more homesick. Even just looking at the pictures from everyone's Halloween parties makes me want to see you all! I will be home in January though, so it's just a matter of a few weeks, right?

Anyway, we have settled into a regular routine of life, so it seems that our updates and happenings are becoming further and further in between. I have heard that stores here will carry turkeys closer to the holidays, so maybe you can hear about my turkey cooking adventures (as I have never cooked my own turkey before!). Places where a lot of expats go are starting to put up some holiday decorations, so we may have to spend time in those places to really feel like we are part of the season too. We are also looking forward to buying a fake tree for the house because it's just not Christmas without one. As usual we will be sure to send a lot of pictures... here we go again!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

2008-11-01T02:41:00.012+04:00

It has been hard to really get into the spirit of Halloween and the fall season when the weather is still like summer (although it is getting more bearable) but we still had a really good time this weekend celebrating in spooky style.

Last night we went to a Murder Mystery Dinner at The Club with a large group of Sass' co-workers. Actors were co-mingled amongst the rest of the people there and played out parts of the plot during the night. Then we were supposed to figure out "whodunit?" at the end. We had two characters at our table, Ingrid Bates (mother of Norman Bates) and Winston C. Cup (a newspaper reporter for "The Daily Probe"); pictured below.

Sassafrass was able to deduce who the killer was at the end and I won a gift certificate for a bottle of wine for my costume. It was the first time we have ever gone to anything like that and it was a lot of fun.

Tonight we went to Kin and Barb's place for a Halloween party. She had been planning this party for a few weeks and made a lot of food, but unfortunately the educational "powers that be" in the UAE decided that everyone at the schools has to come to work this Saturday to make up for the extra day that was allowed off at the beginning of Eid al Fitr. So, a lot of people did not show up as it was a "work night." It was still a lot of fun for us though. We spent most of the night chatting with an Australian co-worker and her British husband about the holiday traditions in America and their own countries. We were also able to introduce her 12-year-old son to pumpkin-carving for the first time. I love being able to share stories and experiences cross-culturally. After it all, we ended up having a really good time this Halloween! I have to go now, it's time for siesta... :)

Boredom

2008-10-28T21:28:00.005+04:00

It is so hard not having very many friends out here and hardly any family! We are so bored! At home we were always spending time with Vee and Artia or my parents, but now no one is really around that much. I take naps in the afternoon just to avoid the boredom and Levi stays up until all hours of the night just playing on the internet. I hope that things will get better in that aspect - maybe work will be more busy and I can bring stuff home to do (I never thought I would say that!).

We have been here for three months and we are just now getting into a normal routine - it's weird. Once our other things arrive I can really start to decorate our place with pictures and other items from home and then the place may feel a bit more cozy. All a part of the process I guess.

I hope you all are not bored at home, especially looking toward the holidays which are fast approaching. Send us your Halloween pictures because that is the best part to the start of the holidays!!!!

A Tour Guide?

2008-10-25T01:28:00.004+04:00

Imagine only being in a place for three months and already showing the new people around. I am so not qualified to do that, but I did it anyway! Last week a new CSS arrived in my building - she will be working with the English teachers. She mentioned yesterday that she has not had the chance to do the tourist thing, so I told her that I would at least show her around a little bit. Tonight we took her around the city to point out some good shopping and site seeing then we took her to a restaurant called the Lebanese Flower. It was weird showing someone else around but I think we covered the big places that everyone likes to visit besides she has lived in at least three other countries and seems pretty independent so she will be fine!
On a completely different note - we are finally getting ALL of our stuff shipped over to us!!! I am so excited! It has been a struggle and the first company we tried to get to ship our stuff literally wanted to put it on a ship and it wouldn't arrive for 6 weeks. Now we are hooked up with a real company - UPS - so we can ship our stuff by plane and have it within the next 15 days or so. It will be so great to finally have our things. We have learned that having items from home with help with homesickness, so I think those pictures and other fun things will arrive just in time :) Ah, soon to be settled in.

MEIFF

2008-10-22T17:07:00.005+04:00

TBG and I attended the Middle East International Film Festival this last weekend. We have never been to one before and it was a lot of fun - we regret not attending more films! They were really cheap, Dhs 10 each (like $3) and they were still at the movie theater so we could bring in popcorn.

We saw two series of shorts. One contained a bunch of short films from all over the world and about all topics. The second one was a series of animated short films, one by Bill Plimpton called "Hot Dog" (for those of you who know him). This was the most exciting thing for me, so much more interesting then watching regular actors and film, animation seems to be so much more creative.

We also saw a feature length film made in Denmark based on a book titled "Terribly Happy." Of course we had to read subtitles, but we realized that it was good to hear another language besides Arabic.

Since Abu Dhabi is trying to make a move towards bringing more culture to the UAE we hope that we will have a chance to experience more. This was only the second year for the MEIFF and we are already anticipating next years festival!

In the spirit of All Hallow's Eve

2008-10-17T02:52:00.013+04:00

It is hard to feel like it is only two weeks away from Halloween when the daily temp is still in the high 90's and 100's, palm trees don't change color, and there is not a pumpkin anywhere in sight. So, my wonderfully creative wife came up with an idea to remedy the last two at least. We spent the evening "carving pumpkins" out of construction paper! We also cut out bats, spiders, and fall-colored leaves to decorate our front door. Now, it almost feels like snow is on its way (yeah, right!)

Be sure to let us see your own pumpkin creations and decorations!

cherish the good times

2008-10-14T01:05:00.013+04:00

The last few days I have been learning to appreciate the good times in the present and not to fret about what the future may bring. All last week I was filled with an overwhelming sense of dread about the uncertainty of the future. It was tainting every moment and making me focus on the negative when I should be appreciating every facet of this rare experience. I realized that it is not worth worrying about the future if it prevents you from enjoying the present and causes regret about the past. Now, if I could only remember to not forget that ;)

Weekends always help to put things into perspective, too. (Hey, I may not be working right now, but I still enjoy the weekends.) Thursday night we went to see the latest Coen Brothers flick, Burn After Reading. Brad Pitt's quirkier roles (Snatch, Fight Club, 12 Monkeys, Kalifornia) are his best performances, but the bumbling moron he plays in this movie almost takes the cake. He is so convincing at playing unbalanced characters I am starting to wonder if he has a few screws loose himself. The scenes in which the upper-level CIA man is trying to explain the situation to his superior are also especially enjoyable.

Friday comprised of relaxing and being lazy not unlike how Sunday is usually spent in the states. We went to a gas station near our house for a midnight snack and stayed for the show. There is a KFC, Forty Fruitie (fruit smoothies), and Baskin Robbins inside the gas station and the KFC was just as busy at 12:30 as it was at lunch time. We couldn't resist sitting in our car and "people-watch" through the glass front wall of the gas station. We noticed a middle-aged man sitting at one of the tables. A couple young girls and a boy that seemed like his children visited him one at a time between walking out to a woman sitting in a car parked close to us. We tried to guess their story and imagined that he was an abusive father that was being allowed to visit his children in a public place while being supervised by his ex-wife. A little while later, he and his kids walked out with several bags full of food from KFC and got into the car with the woman proving our assumption was way off! Leave it to us; reality-TV riddled, overly dramatic Americans; to make a simple story of a man providing a meal for his family into a sad story of human tragedy, huh?!

On Saturday, we went to Carrefour to do some grocery shopping. There's something about having a refrigerator full of food that makes your life feel stable. Saturday evening, we sat on our back porch and relished the cooler weather (85 degrees feels cool compared to the 115 we experienced when we first got here!) I smoked apple tobacco in my shisha and let Sassafrass experiment while we web-cammed with my family back home. It was the first time I have been able to talk with my brothers and their families since coming here, so it felt like I wasn't so far away. Here are some pics of Pepe smoking shisha with me on a previous night. Monkeys love to smoke it up!

I had such a good time hanging out on the porch that I wanted to do it again the next night. But I should have learned by now that you can not recreate good times like that. You have to cherish the good times that are given to you spontaneously. I tried to sit out on the porch, smoke shisha, and listen to the Broncos game on Sunday night. I was by myself, the breeze wasn't blowing the same, the shisha wasn't as enjoyable, I was tired, and the Broncos were losing!

Well, we may not be able to recreate the good times but we can always be open to having more! Our annual Halloween party is still going on in our absence (thanks, Vee!) and we have a Halloween party to look forward to here at Kin and Barb's place. I was starting to think we were going to miss out on all the festivities of the season, but it sounds as though there are plenty of expats here that still celebrate it. It does seem to be missing the changing colors and scent of snow, though. Don't be shy about sending us any pictures you have taken that will help us feel like it is not eternally summer (changing leaves, pumpkin patches, costumes, corn field mazes are just a few suggestions, but you get the idea!)

Until next time, Inshallah!

Color Blind?

2008-10-10T20:45:00.003+04:00

Thanks TBG - I scored a 60 on the Color IQ test! I guess I can't compare myself to you.

Anyway, I think I should give everyone a small update on what's been going on, or is it more of a rant about my neighbors?

We have crazy neighbors! They always lock all of the doors in our building when it is completely unnecessary. We don't have to worry too much about people wandering into our front entrance area if the rest of our doors are locked, but the neighbors are a little paranoid. They go to sleep at night and they lock all the doors between theirs and the front. This includes the front entrance to the building - when the key is left in the door then we are unable to unlock it from the outside. For the last few weeks this has happened and when we come home on a weekend night (around 1 am or so) the door is locked, with the key inside, and we have to call and wake them up. Last night we had to call them at 2 am and I called the wife. As she was hanging up the phone I heard her husband saying in the backgroud "They have a key!" So when he came downstairs to let us in I reminded him that we are unable to unlock the door when the key is in. He just apologized - even though he was the one that had to get out of bed due to his mistake! Anyway, I hope that we can work it out with them and make it clear how annoying it is to be locked out every night!!!

fun distraction

2008-10-09T18:01:00.004+04:00

Test your color IQ and see how you compare with others. I scored an 8, which I'm guessing is pretty good since the monkey scored a 23! Let me know how you do...

the story so far...

2008-10-08T01:42:00.008+04:00

Since we arrived, my wife has been sending updates to our friends and family of what's been happening via email. I figured that I would post a copy of those updates on this blog for those just joining "the show already in progress." And it's as good a place to start as any, right?

The posts below contain the updates 1 through 7 to catch you up to speed.

Cheers, Enjoy!

Email Update 1

2008-10-08T01:26:00.007+04:00

We finally arrived in Abu Dhabi last night (which actually would be yesterday afternoon for most of you). We got in at about 10:40 pm UAE time and Uncle Kin picked us up at the airport. We were pretty hungry so we stopped by Pizza Hut before we headed to the office apartments. I had to report to work that morning for a small training session and I was worried. I went to bed at around 2:15 am and they were picking me up around 9 am. It was okay though because we just toured a school and then everyone had other things to do, so I was back to the villa by 11:15 am. Mom, Levi and I walked two blocks to a Lebanese restaurant for lunch and then we visited a local bakery. At the bakery we ordered one of every little small cookie they had - there were about 30 cookies in the container when we were done! Even though it was only two blocks the walk there and back seemed longer because of the heat, but it wasn't unbearable. When we came back to the villa we all took a nap. We intended on 2 hours, but slept for 4!

Since that pretty much wasted the afternoon away we were ready to go shopping at the local "wal-mart," okay, its not wal-mart but just like it and just as busy. It's actually called Carrefour, but they had everything we needed. It's two levels - the first is a grocery store and the second is dry goods (electronics and clothes, etc). It took us three hours there! Levi got a cell phone and there were a ton of people standing around the phone kiosk, so it was impossible for anything to happen quickley. Really its our Friday night because the weekend is Friday and Saturday, so I am sure people got paid today and they were all out spending their money on stuff. Afterwards we ate some dinner and got home around midnight.

I actually feel tired so I am going to try to sleep and get on some sort of regular schedule. My first day of work is Sunday August 10th and it will be a week of training, so I hope it goes well.

Email Update 2

2008-10-08T01:20:00.002+04:00

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekends. I know we did. We went all over the small city of Abu Dhabi and learned how to give directions in a taxi (I know what most of you are thinking "why do you need to learn giving directions to a taxi driver?"). Let me explain, there are no addresses here, so we have to use landmarks or big malls to get where you want to go. We have to literally show the taxi driver where he needs to turn to bring us back to the office villa, you have to pay attention or they will keep driving until you tell them to stop and turn around because they missed the turn. It was quite the experience, but today we tried it on our own and made it back in one peice!

On Friday, we were able to visit the villa we will be living in. They tell us it should be done on the 12th, but it really didn't look like they were that far along, so I am not going on their word. If we get the place we want it will be on the bottom floor with an outside kitchen. After seeing both layouts we decided the bottom floor was more open and we could be more creative with decorating it. Even though the kitchen is disconnected from the building it is only three steps out and it is huge! I think I could fit three or four of my kitchens back home inside of it. It will be a great place to entertain family and friends when they visit. We will have two bedrooms inside, the master bedroom will be almost two rooms in one and then there will be a guest room. Also, attached to the kitchen is a maids room. Even though it is small we can still use it as a guest room, so in all we have two guest rooms (plenty of room for you all to come and visit!). We will be sure to send pics when we move in.

Of course we have been taking some other pictures, but have yet to download them onto the computer. As soon as that is completed we will send some out. We also took a mall tour, well actually we visited two malls and drove by one; there are 6 or 7 malls within Abu Dhabi. We just walked around to check it out and since it was the weekend everywhere was packed with people. Everywhere has pretty good a/c though, so it wasn't so bad just walking around. During the day we ate at a Chinese Restaurant, but it was weird because there were no Asians in sight (it was still decent food though).

On Saturday we drove around in the afternoon and visited the vegetable market and fish market. At the end of the day people are just trying to get rid of their food so they were practically throwing food at us, but since we were just checking it out we did not buy anything. I had a hard time walking through the fish market - it's stinky! - but Levi and Kin were fine and enjoyed their leisure walk through it, while I was trying not to gag and heave up my lunch. We ate dinner at an "expensive" restaurant (uh, like, $12 a plate) and enjoyed a partial view of the gulf. It really was an amazing place and it would be a restaurant I would take any tourist especially if you are interested in shishas (or as I call them "hookas").

Today was my first real day of training and I found out I have so much more to learn about the culture and way of life here. As I have said before "everyday is an adventure" and I look forward to having many more.

Email Update 3

2008-10-08T01:16:00.004+04:00

I am finally able to write another update! We moved out to our villa on Thursday and we do not have internet yet. I am working at the office today, so I thought that I would drop a quick line to everyone. We have been really bad about taking pictures and the one day that Levi tried to put them onto my computer the camera batteries died and he couldn’t move them. Some day, I swear, you all will have pics

So, the villa. Since it was a construction site they brought in some cleaning ladies to clean it up. Well these are regular, run-of-the-mill cleaning ladies and not the type that should be cleaning up a construction site, so as you can imagine it was a mess. The superficial cleaning by these ladies did nothing, so my mom, Levi and I have spent the last few days cleaning our new pad. The kitchen is huge, so my mom and I started there, while Levi had bathroom duty. In the kitchen we had to scrap excess glue off the cupboards (they are made of metal and glued together to make “custom” cabinets) and then we had to wipe them all down from the layers of sand that had accumulated. Yesterday we were finally able to put away the dishes we have bought (or were given) and we actually cooked our first meal in it! Levi has done a great job with the bathrooms and today we are going to finish cleaning the floors which have a fine layer of construction dust on them. We have been wearing our shoes in the house because it’s so gross. Also, we have quite a bit of ants invading. There was a sticky spot on the floor the first night, so they were all over it. We sprayed bug spray and cleaned up the stickiness, but the ants continue to come. We will do a thorough cleaning of the floor and spray the bug spray every where. I have been told that someone should be out to do some heavy duty spray but we are still waiting.

I do not want this email to be a list of complaints, even though many things are going wrong with the villa. We know that eventually everything will be taken care of and we can enjoy this huge, beautiful place they have supplied for us. All the floors are marble and in the kitchen and bathroom the walls are also covered in marble. The windows are huge and let in a lot of light, but they are double or triple paned, so they don’t let in a lot of heat. There are plenty of air conditioners, so the house is kept cool enough at all times of the day. I am still in awe of the kitchen because it is so big, but it will be great once I get the table and chairs in there. We are about 20 minutes from Abu Dhabi city limits, but we are near an up-and-coming town called Khalifa bin Zayed City. It is pretty much the Commerce City of Abu Dhabi. They are trying to move out of being an industrial town, but building nicer homes and shopping areas, we are really enjoying getting to know the area. Remember that crime is very low in the UAE, so we are never worried about where we are at or what time of day it is, even in the small town. We discovered a new shopping center that has almost everything we need. There is a grocery store and a small department store; there is also a pharmacy and a film developing center. Connected to it all is a movie theater, but they have no American films right now (I don’t know if they ever will), but there are some middle eastern films that look interesting we just need to find out if they are captioned in English, so we can check them out! There are some internet cafes in town, but we have not ventured into them to find out what they offer.

For me work is going well. We have been doing training because school does not start until September. They are bringing in new people every other day it seems like, so it has been good getting to know everyone. I still have not been out to my assigned school, but I am supposed to meet the principal tomorrow at the Mosaica office. I am anxious to get school started and get into the swing of things – I really want to meet teachers and students too!

My mom and Levi and doing well. They pretty much clean while I am working or they go shopping. We do have cell phones, so we have been able to call home if we need to (especially since we do not have internet).

Email Update 4

2008-10-08T01:13:00.004+04:00

Massa Khair everyone! (that means good evening)

We start at the school on Sunday, it will be just teachers for one week then the students will start. I got the chance to drive by my school today and it’s pretty big, but it looks nice inside. I guess I will know more on Sunday when I actually get to go inside of it. I will probably spend the first few weeks just getting to know teachers while they are on their planning period (which here means that they are in the teacher’s lounge drinking tea or coffee). The first month of school is Ramadan anyway, so it’s a short schedule and not a lot of teaching/learning will happen. In October (or after Ramadan anyway) we start back to a regular schedule and then I can start to observe in classrooms and get a good feel for what is actually going on everyday.

Besides work stuff we have been doing a lot of shopping. We finally finished cleaning the villa, so it’s not so dusty from the construction work. We bought pots and pans, plus some miscellaneous baking pans. They give us two of everything, so I went ahead and bought a really cute set of dishes that can be given away after two years. There is no guest bed, so we bought a little fold out bed that my mom is sleeping on. It’s a bit hard, so she uses the couch pillows underneath her as extra cushioning. We have spent a lot of time in the IKEA store which is unusual for us, but we have found it to be very resourceful since we can pick up whatever we need at the store (most places have to deliver to you and it takes at least two weeks).

Electrical plugs and light bulbs are a nightmare. We have bought lamps and twice we have bought the wrong light bulbs. Also, the electrical outlets are different. There are three pronged outlets and two pronged ones. We bought a toaster that has only two prongs, but it doesn’t fit into the three pronged outlet, so we have to have an adapter. This is true for the refrigerator and the water cooler as well. So, it’s not guaranteed that if you buy an electrical appliance that it will just plug right into the wall – make sure to buy an adapter!

Levi and I said that we wanted to experience almost everything when we came over here. That experience now includes a car accident. I was driving the rental car in a round-a-bout. There are three lanes in this round-a-bout and I was in the middle one, going all the way around. The guy next to me, in the inside lane, decided that he needed to turn right in front of me. He sped around me and clipped the front of my car. The hub cap flew off of the car and landed across the round-a-bout where the other car was headed. We stopped the car and talked with the guy, who immediately was telling us that we were in the wrong lane and we should have turned. I told him that we needed to call the police to get a report (because you cannot get a car fixed after an accident without a police report). So we had to wait 45 minutes for them to arrive. We had to explain our stories and everyone was talking in Arabic (except us!). We had no idea what the guy was telling the cops, but we could tell from their body language and motions that they already knew the guy was in the wrong lane and should receive the ticket. We waited in our car for them to write the reports and when the cop finally came over to give us the report, it was all in Arabic and we had no idea what it said. The other guy received his report, got out of his car and followed the officer back to his car. This was our clue that he was given the ticket because he was mad and still trying to plead his case. It was too late and the police drove off. Later, at the rental car company, we found out that if you get a pink slip you are not at fault (and we had a pink slip). It was no big deal and they gave us a new car (which we were waiting on anyway). Thank goodness!

My Aunt Barb arrived on Monday night, so we spent some time with her on Tuesday and Wednesday. Since Uncle Kin is busy working we have been able to show her some of the city, but the weekend is here, so I am sure that he will get a chance to show her more.

Email Update 5

2008-10-08T01:08:00.002+04:00

The students arrived for their first day on Sunday. They are all so tiny and cute in their little white dishtash's and brand new backpacks. Everyday they hold an assembly which they call "Radio Broadcast" to make announcements, sing the national anthem, say a prayer and do some exercise. It was fun watching the new first graders learn how to line up with their class in order to participate. Everyone has there own area where they stand in lines and perform their lines (of the song or anthem). Then all the students and teachers were off to class. Throughout the week we have found that many of the teachers here do attend their classes. We were warned in training that many of them would not attend class, so it is good to see that these teachers are dedicated and ready to teach. I spent the week wandering around and meeting with teachers on their planning periods. Yesterday (Wednesday) I was able to grab all of my math teachers in one room and talk with them. I laid out a plan for them so that they know what to teach for the students to be ready for the term exams in January. There is a lot of concern about teaching in English because several of the teachers barely know English much less trying to teach students that know even little English. We are ready to jump some hurdles here. I am going to let them teach for the first week and observe how they approach the subject, then meet with them again and try to help them out.

Besides school Levi and I have just been lounging. My mom left on Monday night, so it has been a little different for the last few days but we are enjoying the solitude. Mom made it home safe and now is readjusting to the time difference again :) Yesterday we finally got satellite cable installed. It has really been a trip trying to get people out to us to install stuff. The cable pretty much contains Arabic channels but we have managed to latch onto a few English ones that are British news and movie channels. No sign of when the internet will be installed, but we are waiting on that for now anyway.

Ramadan started on Monday. The school was gracious enough to understand that we do not observe Ramadan but has asked that we keep our office doors shut if we need to eat or drink so that parents walking by are not offended. Levi and I have been planning ahead for our meals because there are no restaurants open during the day (except at some hotels), but at night the city comes alive and stores are open until 1 or 2 AM. It seems the city sleeps less during Ramadan, but eats more because they stuff their faces all night with dates and other sweet treats. Many people were saying they gain weight during this time because of all the treats! It sounds like Thanksgiving/Christmas time for all of us Americans :)

Email Update 6

2008-10-08T01:02:00.005+04:00

It seems to be few and far between with the updates now. We still have no internet at home - yes, this is our fault (kind of), but it still may be awhile until we get it. We still want to keep in touch with everyone, so we are getting on the internet as much as possible, to follow that, here is an update!

Actually not much to update on except we visited Dubai this weekend. Yes, that is that famous place with the man-made palm tree islands and the Burj Al Arab (self-proclaimed) '7 Star' Hotel. It was a day trip and more of a tour of the city than visiting land marks. We drove into town and had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe (how exotic, right? - ha!). Anyway, they were playing no music inside because it's Ramadan and loud music is banned during this time; we discussed what a unique experience to be in a Hard Rock that is not blasting music! We had to visit "Ski Dubai." For those of you that don't know, Dubai built it's own ski "resort." It contains a huge ski hill, some sledding hills, 2 tobaggan runs and a snowball "court." We went to the Mall of the Emirates, which is where the ski slope is located. Once inside we walked around the glassed in ski slope and took pictures of people skiing and sledding inside. It was like looking at a moving painting, it just seemed too sureal! We figured that we would have to return one day to go sledding and tobagganing just for the experiance (I am sure that will miss the snow too!).

Afterwards a few people wanted to look for a teacher supply store on the other side of town so we drove through the city looking for it. We were glad to be able to drive right through the middle of the city and see all the new buildings that are going up. It was hard for me to keep my eyes on the road because I wanted to look at everything too. We survived the traffic and made it to the teacher store (at least an hour later!).

After our boring trip through the store (or so Levi thought) we decided to ditch everyone else and check out the beach. That is one thing we haven't even done in Abu Dhabi yet, so we figured what better time? It was getting later in the day, the sun was setting and the beach had quite a few people playing in the surf, walking and roller blade around. It was warm, but there was a great breeze, so we walked up a short pier and took some pictures. It was very beautiful! When we looked back at the city we could see it was hazy and it was hard to see some to the city buildings. That sand really blocks the views. By the time we drove home it was dark. We were glad that we had stayed so long because we were able to see the city lit up. There are so many cranes and empty buildings that during the day it's not too beautiful, but at night everything has lights on it, so it made the city very interesting. The drive is not really too bad from our apartment so we plan on going several times to check out new things. We even hope to get into the Burj Al Arab to see all its '7 Stars!'

Email Update 7

2008-10-08T00:55:00.005+04:00

Things have been going well for Levi and me. I just had a week break for the end of Ramadan, so we went to Dubai for a few days to relax and see some sights. Since our visas were about to expire we also decided to make a run to Oman and have our passports re-stamped.

Dubai was very busy this last week since most everyone had a few days off for Eid. Levi and I went to visit a brand new hotel (The Atlantis) that was opened last weekend. The hotel is located at the top of one of the island palms (Jumeirah Palm) and everyone wanted to be there so traffic was a nightmare. We took a taxi in because we saw that there was no parking anywhere. After half an hour of waiting in traffic we finally made it to the door. We went inside and took a tour of the aquarium. The hotel also has a huge water park and shopping mall so we walked around a little bit to check it all out. Once we decided to leave we headed out the door and found a huge line of people waiting for taxis – we thought “this can’t be good,” but we got in line. After almost 3 hours of waiting we finally hopped on a van that took us to the mall – we knew that it would be easy to catch a taxi from there. It was the Mall of the Emirates that contains the ski slope, so we thought we would eat in one of the restaurants overlooking the slopes. It was strange especially since we had just spend the entire afternoon baking in the heat and we were wearing shorts, but it was really fun watching people ski while we ate yummy Lebanese food. Outside the mall there was a huge line of people waiting for taxis (again!) so we jumped at the end. This line only took 1 hour and we were entertained by rich people coming in and out of the mall with their fancy cars. We saw Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Porches, and more! Everyone was stepping out of line to have their pictures taken in front of all the awesome cars! Most of our time in Dubai was spent just relaxing and swimming, it made for a great vacation and break away from work.

Our visa run is a whole other story. What a mess! We had read that doing a visa run during holidays was a bad idea, but we had no other choice as our visas were about to expire. From Dubai it only takes an hour to reach the Oman border, so we headed out around mid-morning (thinking we would only be gone a few hours). When we reached the border of UAE we stopped and stood in line for only 20 minutes or so to receive an exit stamp. We drove up the road another mile or so and had our car checked by the Omani police. The guy wanted to look in our trunk, but we couldn’t figure out how to pop it open and he stood banging on the trunk while we were scrambling to find the button. Finally, Levi was going to get out of the car and pop it for him, but the policeman came back around the side of the car, gave us a piece of paper and said, “just go.” We were relieved, the last thing we needed was trouble with the police, but we were just holding up the line so he told us to leave! A few more miles down the road we reached the Omani passport station. It was a huge building and we had trouble finding parking, but we improvised (as everyone else does) and went inside. There were hundreds of people crammed into the building so we found a line and began to wait. The lines were moving very slowly and after an hour of sweating and standing Levi went to the car to retrieve our bottles of water. About a minute after he walked away from me I began to feel dizzy. I knew that it was lack of water and I hoped that he would return fast. I squatted down to help with the dizziness and the lady behind me told me to take a seat and that she would save my spot. I told her I was fine and that my husband would be back soon. I stood back up, but I was starting to feel worse. I finally decided that if I didn’t sit down I would pass out, so I told the lady that I would take her up on her offer and sit down until my husband returned. I sat down but my condition started to worsen. I started breathing hard, I was nauseous, I was losing feeling in my hands, and I was very, very dizzy. I felt that at any moment I would just fall over onto the floor and black out, but just at that moment Levi showed up with the water and I downed it. Any later and I would have had a souvenir from Oman in the form of a bump on my head. He told me that I looked pale and told me to stay sitting. He stood by me for a few minutes until I insisted that he find us more water – I really needed it, my hands were still numb, but my head was starting to clear up. He found us some water and he got back into line to wait while I continued to sit. Once he reached the window I went up to join him, but he waited in line for another 2 hours after buying us water. The lady was great, we told her we were just doing a visa change and she gave us an entry and an exit stamp right away! That saved us a lot of time and we were finally back on our way to Dubai. We had to stop one more time at the border of UAE to get a new entry stamp and that took and hour, but it was a relief to finally be legal again.

There is a small town located just on the border of Oman and UAE called Hatta. They have one hotel and it is basically a resort, they are not on the beach, but they have a lot of activities. We were only interested in eating since we had spent all day standing in line and hadn’t eaten in 6 hours or so. It was dark on our way back to Dubai and we were exhausted! We have learned our lesson the hard way, even though we read about not going on a visa run during a holiday we still did it, so now we know and we will plan ahead if we ever need to do that again!

under construction!

2008-10-06T03:52:00.000+04:00