Christmas in Dubai

We had a lovely Christmas in Dubai.  I was a little worried that it would be sad and pitiful.  Last year, we were in a hotel room in Tunis and I got a little down.  I hoped that this year would prove a little more upbeat...

Well, it did.  I did a little (okay A Lot) of baking.  I carried pounds of cookies and treats out to the port and lavished my culinary expertise on the sailors and Marines in port for the holidays.  Volunteering for the USO was extremely rewarding and humbling.  I'm going to keep doing it.

I made some candies from an old recipe.  Halfway into it, I realized why I never do this.  Such hard work.  And my candies, although they tasted great, didn't look very pretty.

On Christmas Eve, two of the neighbor kids came by with their parents and I got to show them the NORAD Santa site.  They watched the 'delivery' presents pop up and were fascinated to see where Santa would be delivering gifts next.  It's too bad the live reindeer feeding feed works on EST.  I think they would have gotten a huge kick out of seeing Santa feed his reindeer.

One of DH's coworkers invited us to share a sit down Christmas dinner with her family.  We agreed.  It saved us from cooking a turkey dinner for just the two of us.

The UK holiday traditions were a lot of fun.  The meal had several courses and was a leisurely, friendly affair.  We all had 'crackers' which you tug open with a tablemate.  They 'pop' and inside, there's a prize.  There are also tissue paper crowns which we wore for hours.

They baked a turkey which was yummy!  All the sides were interesting and delicious.  Where we usually have cornbread stuffing, we enjoyed their family's traditional 'mealies'.  It was a stuffing made of ground oatmeal that was soaked/cooked in a soup that was served as a starter.

We even had a Christmas pudding which was a fig based, dense cake that you soaked in heavy cream.  Not a bad tradition, all said.  We enjoyed all of it.

We ended up staying way late playing cards with the whole family.  Had a great time and a wonderful Christmas holiday!  I'm so glad we were able to share the joy of Christmas with such a lovely family.

--Sandee Wagner

Phone Home

My DH and I just served our first shift as USO volunteers at the port of Dubai.  A big Navy aircraft carrier pulled in, disgorging over a thousand sailors into the compound built for their recreational use.  It's a big square surrounded by trailers that house restaurants, laundry and other services.

We worked in the phone center for a four hour shift.  The USO provides free cell phones for the guys and gals to use with their AT&T calling cards.  You can imagine how many of the darlings wanted to get a hold of a phone and call home to touch base with loved ones over the holidays.

For the first hour and a half we were there, the network was down (at AT&T, some kind of satellite problem) and we had to turn all the folks away.  Then it came back up and the crush started.

The USO has over 200 handsets.  Small inexpensive, simple cell phones that will work all over the compound. So they can carry them off, find a little privacy and make their calls.  They also provide walls of chargers and electrical outlets so the sailors can get on their laptops and Skype.

I wish I could show you pictures of the setup and all the guys making use of the facilities, but if I snapped ANY pictures at the port, the USO would fire me as a volunteer... not just in Dubai, but worldwide!!  It's a big no-no.

So, imagine a bazillion (or thereabouts) trailers in a big square, all with stuff that young folks need and want.  Buses and taxis are ferrying groups into town to shop or sightsee.  The security station is intense.  We have to clear both the port security checkpoint and the USO security that is provided by the military.  Within this cocoon of concrete bunkers and look out points, sits this open square with tents and patio furniture.  While the ship is in port, there's live music provided--a quite good cover band was performing tonight.  The guys were roaming from place to place, exchanging money, hitting the tailors, grabbing Subway or Burger King, utilizing the charging stations, playing games in the rec center.  It's like a small town that gets mobbed with a wave of people.  When there are no ships in port, the vendors close up and it's just the office workers in the compound.

It's quite a set up.  And it's a lot of work.  For instance, the phone center is open from nine o'clock in the morning until two o'clock in the morning.  They have volunteers that man the desks until 2 AM!!  Apparently, there are better people than me working as volunteers, because I cannot see myself working that late a shift for free.

It felt good.  It felt nice to provide those young people with a little taste of home.  They are far away from friends and family and the holidays will be especially hard on them.  So, if you think of it, offer up a little prayer for all the US men and women who are serving their country and away from family during the holidays.  I won't be able to forget the smiles on some faces, and the tears others shed when no one picked up at the other end.

--Sandee Wagner

Maiden Voyage

Santa Claus came early this year.  The jolly old elf got DH a Fenn Swordfish surf ski for being such a good boy this year.

In Dubai, the surf skis come in a container and are sold out of a guy's front yard.  When they're gone, they're gone.  You have to wait until the next container arrives.  The container arrived the last week of November, so we made arrangements to pick one up the second week of December.  Merry Christmas, my love!

We had to get a roof rack to pick up the boat.  We actually had to get cash out of ATMs for days to get the right amount of money to pay for the thing.  It's an adventure not having a local bank.  But don't get me started on that.

Finding a personal flotation device (PFD) suited to this form of watersport in the proper size was also a challenge.  I'm guessing most of the ocean kayakers and other paddlers are small people.  XL was hard to find.  Imagine our surprise when the one we found was PURPLE!!

We took the surf ski down the beach this weekend for a maiden voyage.  DH paddled both Friday and Saturday and seems as pleased as can be by the gift.

The first day was a lot of 'getting used to' and trying to figure out the way to remount after hulying.  These light, skinny hulls are very tippy.  The Swordfish is not a stable 'starter' boat.  It's Fenn's intermediate hull.  DH paddled on the local club's started boat all summer and decided when we purchased our own to go up a step.  Each progressive hull gets a little narrower, and by extension, tippier.

The first day paddling was a familiarization.  The second day paddling was all for fun and exercise.  I'm wondering how long it will be before I get to try this one out!

--Sandee Wagner

Middle East Marketing

Living in Dubai exposes one to a variety of cultures and languages.  It truly is the "Paris of the Middle East".

I try to keep my eyes open and look at names on businesses.  I look for things that are familiar and comfortable, like Tim Horton's restaurants which are native to Canada but new to Dubai.  Then sometimes my eyes light on something I cannot believe.

We drove down the Jumeirah Beach Road yesterday and I saw a designer fashion resale shop called "Garderobe".  Now I know that there is a dual meaning to this word, and that one of them can mean 'closet'.  But the secondary meaning of the word, the Medieval meaning of the word is equivalent to 'toilet'.  So, I'm guessing that in America, if someone suggested that name for a resale shop, folks would try to talk you out of it.  "Think of another name!"  "That one has a meaning you don't want to imply."

Marketing textbooks are filled with cautionary tales of products that fell flat because the local language was not considered when naming something.  Chevrolet had the Nova in the US and tried, unsuccessfully to market it under that name in Mexico, where 'no va' means 'won't go'.

I spent a good little while trying to decide if anyone would call their upscale boutique the Outhouse with a kind of tongue in cheek nerve, but I'm not seeing it.  Maybe the folks who named that shop are not students of history and the Medieval meaning was lost on them.  Either way, it's a big leap of faith.

Before you ask, I did not stop in at the Garderobe.

--Sandee Wagner

'Tis The Season

We got invited to our first holiday party here in Dubai.  It was a Luau.  No stuffed Santas and Tra-La-Las for this crowd.  We had hula skirts and leis.

The Marines at the Embassy know how to throw a Luau, that's for sure.  We drank pina coladas and good beer.  We listened to great rock and roll and admired their physiques in abbreviated costumes.  The fit young men dressed like Tahitian flaming knife dancers.  Real eye candy for the females.

We ran into a very fun bunch.  They scooped us up at the gate and escorted us to the party, then dragged chairs up to their table and entertained us all night long.

It was a group of folks from the local USO.  Turns out that there's a regional office here for the Middle East.  Not only are the workers who run Afghanistan and Iraq from here, they also run a port operation for the Navy boats that dock here.

Several of the ladies were full time employees for the USO and a couple were volunteers.  Only one was a US citizen, the rest were from the UK.

All of them were having a great time.  We not only hung out during the party and laughed until we were breathless, but we got invited to brunch the next day.

That's right, it's not enough to party hardy with the Marines, these folks also planned to share a glamorous hotel brunch the next day.

We agreed to meet them at the Intercontinental Hotel at Festival City, a large mall that boasts both an IKEA and an Ace Hardware.

The Intercontinental was bedecked for Christmas.  Their lobby had a giant candle and floral display.  Check out the tiny girl dragging her pink luggage--isn't she cute?

This centerpiece was really stunning.  I know it wasn't just me who thought so because there were two other folks snapping pictures when I took this one.  And before you comment, I know, I should have put the light at my back, but this is the best of the shots I took.

They also had a ginormous Christmas tree at the end of the lobby.  Minimal decorations, but just the scale of the tree was tremendous.  Because Dubai is very international, it's not unusual to see Christmas decorations.  Most of the public spaces have trees, swagged garland or lights.

I'm loving the decorations.

I've even got ours up for the year.  I didn't manage any way to hang the stockings, but all the rest of my boxed cheer made its way out of the packing materials and out to be enjoyed.  We did lose a few things in the multiple container moves, but nothing that we can't live without.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas--if your Christmas includes mid seventies weather, lots of blue sky and sunshine.  We are wearing flip flops and shorts, and eating our meals outside.  Cheers!

--Sandee Wagner

November Lost

If you read this blog regularly, and I guess that's about eight folks all told, then you know it hasn't been updated for a while.  Novembers are hard on me.

For one thing, I try to do National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) each year.  This is a self challenge where you commit to writing a 50,000 book in the month of November.  I'm not sure why they chose November, perhaps because of the 30 days?  Regardless, I've done the challenge for five of the past six years and it takes a lot of commitment to crank out that many words without stopping to edit.  The same non profit organization hosts a Script Frenzy in April.  I haven't tried that one yet.

The other reason I'm so delinquent is that we traveled home to the US for the Thanksgiving holiday.  So, we were gone for a little over two full weeks.  Had a great time, got to spend lots of time with friends and family, but it's still hard on the daily writing routine.

I love getting to spend time with my kids and grandkids.  I'm so proud of how well they are doing, how big they are growing, and what fascinating things come out of their mouths.  I find it all endlessly entertaining.

Over this holiday, I got to see my daughter skate in a roller derby bout.  She's a member of the Oklahoma Victory Dolls.  It was great fun.  My suggestion to you?  Find your local roller derby and go see a bout.  It was a lot of entertainment for the bucks!

I think that deep down I thought of roller derby like professional wrestling.  Staged somehow.  But it was more sporting than I expected.  The announcer explained the tactics and strategies and we had a great time watching my daughter and her friends skate three bouts.  It was an action packed night of fun, fun FUN!

After the short weekend with my daughter in Oklahoma City, we flew to Huntersville, NC to spend the balance of the holiday with my son and his family.  Queue the darling grandkids...

I love the fact that my son cooks with his kids.  He lets them help stir things and he teaches them about what he's doing while he prepares their food.

Zack is a good teacher and ZJ is going to be a good cook one day too.  These guys don't mind mugging for the camera whenever one is pointed at them.

In this picture, they are making sweet potatoes for the Thanksgiving meal.  The secret ingredient?  Bananas.  Yeah, that's right.  Bananas.

While he and his dad were cooking, Zoey and both her grandmas took her out for a girls shopping trip.  Her mama came and met us for lunch.  Here is a picture of Zoey eating some kind of blue colored ice cream sitting next to her mama, Kim.

We had a lot of fun shopping with Zoey.  She ended up with hair clips that doubled as reindeer horns and a head band that keeps the mistletoe above her head all the time she's wearing it.  In case you can't tell by the photo, she's a little charmer.  But it's possible that Grandee is a little biased.

On our way home from NC, we stopped in Humble, TX.  We got to have a sleepover with DH's sister Linda.  We didn't get to see her husband or kids, so that was a bummer, but we were sure glad she drove down to see us.

I love spending the holidays with family and friends.  We got to see our dear friend Sandy from Tulsa and we also spent a couple of days with the Burgess' in Humble.  Catching up with friends and family is what the holidays are all about anyway.

So, November is over.  It flew by quickly.  We squeezed a lot of fun in that 30 days and I wouldn't trade that time for the world.

--Sandee Wagner

Space Age Mass Transit

Dubai is putting in a big Metro rail system. It's the first in the Middle East.  In the downtown area, it's below ground.  On my side of town, it's elevated on viaducts.  It's a fully automated system--no drivers or attendants.  Right now, two of the five proposed lines are operational.

While I was downtown yesterday, I got an opportunity to get up close and personal to one of the train stations.   It's pretty impressive.  The entries and stations are very high tech looking.  It makes me think of the 'city of the future' designs published in the 1960's.  It's a streamlined, space age design.

The trains run every ten minutes or so and from all reports, they are really convenient.  They've done some pretty interesting things with these stations.

You see how the windows swoop down around the triangular roof?  They have 'sold' this as advertising space on some of the stations.  So you can drive by and see one where there is a graphic of the roller coaster at Ferrarri World going down and then up this glass.  I'm pretty sure it's the film stuff like they wrap buses in.  It does make an effective advertising space.  All these stations that I've seen are paralleling large roads and next to major areas of commerce, buildings and industry.

The scale of these structures is immense, but it also is very iconic.  You know exactly what you're looking at and you don't mistake the building for anything else.  I think I prefer this to the entrances to the subways in London or Paris, where if you miss the signage, you're liable to miss the place.

The viaduct system with the raised tracks moves the rail passengers and cars above the street level and really provides a clean, contemporary look to what is a useful urban transportation system.  In this picture, you see the tall, tall buildings preferred in Dubai and how little real estate is actually taken up by the rail line in front of them.

I haven't ridden the trains yet.  I'm sure I will soon.  We live so far out, that we'd have to drive to get to a station to ride the train.  We might find some destination where it would be preferable to park and ride, but so far, nothing has come up.

I think the economic crisis that has plagued Dubai for the past few years has affected plans for the additional lines.  I hope they get around to finishing off this system, it seems to be very well used by commuters.  And I've been told that it really reduced traffic on the major highways.

I'll take more pictures of the inside of the stations when I get a chance to ride a train.  Also, there's supposed to be a monorail that goes out the length of the Palm Jumeirah and actually goes over the ocean.  That might be a fun one to take.  Very touristy destination.  Now that the weather has cooled off some, I'm going to get out and start seeing the sights.

--Sandee Wagner

Happy Birthday Marines!!

Happy 236th Birthday to the United States Marine Corps

As many of you know, not only am I the daughter of a Marine, but I joined the Marines and married a man who became a Marine.

My entire life has been affected by Marines and those who love them.  Once a year, we take the time to celebrate the founding of the Corps and remember the great history of this premier fighting service.

All over the world, the USMC birthday is celebrated with balls and parties.  This year we didn't get to attend one, but I made sure we were on the mailing list for next year.

If you know someone who served in the Marines, tell him Happy Birthday today.  It's always appropriate.  A handshake and a "Happy Birthday, Marine!" will make their day.

If you have some time, take a few minutes to see the video of the commandant's message on this anniversary of the founding of the United States Marine Corps.  2011 is a historic year, it's 70 years since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and 10 years since the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City.  The Marines have always responded when the nation needed them.  Today's Marines continue that tradition of selfless service.

I am proud to be the daughter of a Marine.  I am proud to be the wife of a Marine.  I am proud that I served as a Marine.  Semper Fidelis and Happy Birthday, one and all.

--Sandee Wagner

Check, Please!

One of the things that is different about living overseas is how you're treated in restaurants.

In a US restaurant, most likely there is an expectation that each table will be sat multiple times through the course of the evening.  You've got your early diners, dinner reservations during the peak hours and then late night folks who come in after shows or other events.

In both Tunisia and in the United Arab Emirates, eating out is more of a long term avocation.  There is no speed to the drill.

We have yet to EVER have a check set down on the table, with a 'whenever you're ready, here's your tab' comment.  You have to ASK to get your bill.  Every time.

In Tunisia, they only ever expected to sit the tables a single time in an evening.  Eating out is a long, drawn out affair.  They fully expected us to stick around for hours and hours.  We always seemed to be in a bigger hurry than that.

Dubai appears to have a similar attitude about settling in for the long haul.  You never feel pressured to leave, you are actively encouraged to stay and have one more glass of tea, one more cup of coffee.  Of course, part of that is no free refills, but regardless, it's a much lower stress activity.

I'm getting used to asking for the check.  One of the UK gals told me that as long as a menu was open anywhere on the table, they'll assume you aren't ready to order and keep passing you by.  So from now on, I'm making my selection and closing the menus.  And I'm going to remember to ask, "check, please!"

--Sandee Wagner

There's an App for that

I recently bought a smart phone.  For years, I carried what my kids referred to as 'the Nokia brick'.  I didn't get a flip phone until they were passe.  But when we moved to Dubai, I told DH I wanted a phone that would do 'tethering' so I would never be without Internet access (for months!) again.

So, I marched into phone stores and quizzed the very nice customer service people about the phones, plans and capabilities.  I decided to buy an Android phone, specifically for the tethering capabilities.  I know you can do a lot with the iPhone, but you do have to hack them to get to some of the more useful functionalities.  Also, over here, they are way expensive.  I'm not a hacker.  In fact, if I never had to pull the back off my phone to switch the battery, it would make me happier.  And I'll admit, I'm pretty cheap.  Or conservative, that's it.  I'm conservative.

I bought a Samsung Galaxy S, which is a pretty nice all around touch screen phone.  It takes a little getting used to--DH much prefers his Blackberry--but I'm figuring it out little by little.

Between the Android Market and the iPad Store, I've been exposed to a lot of applications, apps for short.  When Apple launched their phones years ago, there were commercials with "there's an app for that!" taglines that I mostly ignored, not having an iPhone.  Now, I find myself listening when folks discuss the apps that are convenient or make things easier for them.

Today, I updated my iPad apps.  Routinely, I just go in and download the updates and bug fixes to the apps that I currently have.  While flipping through to the screen, I passed one called TieSight.  Between the name and the icon, I just wanted to know what it was.  It's an application that uses the built in camera to project an image showing you how to tie your tie correctly.  I was really flabbergasted.  Some programmer spent hours developing this software and is selling it online.  As I scratched my head, all I could think was, "aren't Dads supposed to teach their sons how to tie a tie?"  Are applications going to replace parents?

I'm envisioning an app to show you how to shave, how to shape your eyebrows and pin on a boutonniere.

I'm guessing there's probably an app to teach you how to knit, I KNOW there are apps that walk you through recipes step by step.  So, now life and life lessons become programmatic.  I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing?  If you spend time with your kids, they will learn these things from you.  If a kid doesn't have a good role model, he can still learn these things from apps.  So is that a benefit, kind of a 'it takes a village' mentality, or are parents sidestepping some of the milestones in their kids' lives?

Hard to say, but I'm sure I will continue to be impressed with the apps that are available for sale.  And what they do.

--Sandee Wagner

Cultural Differences

I know you think I'm going to take the opportunity to wax philosophical about the differences between American and Middle Eastern cultures, but I'm not.

What I'm noticing most is a difference in business climate.  For instance, I'm a big internet shopper.  I always have been.  Since the introduction of the Google search engine, I can count on one hand the number of times I've opened the Yellow Pages.  If I can look it up on the internet, I do so.  If I can email and avoid a phone call, I do so.  This much of technology I have embraced.  A modern business cultural response, I think.

Here in Dubai, fewer of the businesses maintain an internet presence.  I can look things up online, but it's really not the best way to find a vendor or a tradesman.  But I have found a few online.  One of the stores I found online is a specialty fabric store and upholstery shop.  They came highly recommended.  I drove across town and looked over the stock, saw examples of their work--they actually allowed me out on the floor to inspect some works in progress.  Then I went home, made some measurements, sketched a picture of what I wanted and drove back across town to deliver the sketch.  They took my phone number and email address.  They said they'd email me the next day with an estimate.

That was two weeks ago.  Once a week, I've gone online to send them an email query.  "Remember me?  I brought in a sketch.  I'm waiting for my estimate?"  They have yet to respond to an email that I've sent.  I don't know whether to be mad, or not.  I imagine that if I walk back into the shop, they'll be all apologetic and rush around trying to find my sketch and "what ever happened to that estimate?'.  But at some point, I find I just want to take my business elsewhere.  Back to square one... find a good upholsterer and fabric shop.

I've done some quilting to fill my days.  I pieced a king sized quilt out of scraps.  We're not talking keepsake here, or artistic quilt made with gorgeous fabrics that all coordinate and blend.  We're talking old fashioned, simplistic, use up your fabric scraps quilt.  I'm not going to spend my arthritic hands hand-quilting this thing, so I found the local craft/sewing store and went there.  I purchased the batting I need for the quilt and then asked if they knew of any long arm/machine quilters in the area?  Yes.  They had two they could recommend.  They handed me two brochures and I looked them both over.  Then I selected the one with the most reasonable prices and sent her an email.  Nothing.

I waited a week and sent the other gal an email... same response.

If someone doesn't want to answer their emails or do business that way, why print the emails on their brochures?  Just don't include that information.  If I don't have an email address, I'll probably call on the phone.

Either everyone around here has so much business that they can afford to be choosy, or my money doesn't spend as easily as local money does.  I don't know.  I really don't get it.

I have searched out the businesses, I have money to spend and I can't find anyone willing to respond to an emailed query.  It's very frustrating.  I guess I'll have to pick up the phone... geez.

--Sandee Wagner

Happy Halloween!!

Yesterday was Halloween and today the pictures were up on my DIL's blogs.  So I had to snag my favorites and share.

Here are the NC Wagners, ZJ and Zoey.

ZJ got to see Captain America at the movie theater with his father, so I'm pretty sure this costume was one he couldn't live without.

And what little girl doesn't want to be a Disney Princess?  Zoey is rocking the Snow White dress, I think.

Both of them look glad to be dressed up for Trick or Treating!  According to their parents, a neighbor had a block party on Saturday and they got to Trick or Treat on Monday, so they dressed up twice and had a great time.  I think their school also had costumes one day, so it was a pretty big week for both of them.

Their folks carved pumpkins and they had some stick in type plastic stuff so they did a 'potato head' kind of pumpkins.  Pretty cool if you don't want to give your kids sharp knives.

The MN Wagners, Will, Carolyn and Charlie also had a great Halloween.

Will got to dress up for school one day and his teachers loved his costume.  Then all three kids (and their parents!) went Trick or Treating with another couple of families.  Their neighborhood is a small circle and they managed to get enough treats for the little kids, and still get back to the house and hand out treats.

Will is a robot.  Carolyn is a beautiful butterfly and Charlie is a skunk.  I love the costumes.  In the frozen tundra, they need them to be warm. These outfits appear to fit that bill perfectly.  Plus, how cute are they?

I was hoping we'd get some Trick or Treaters this year.  I stocked a bunch of candy and turned on the porch light and waited.  But no.  No kids rang the bell.  Most of the moms said the schools had carnivals or one of the friends had a Halloween party so the kids must have just done that in lieu of knocking door to door.  I have to admit to being a little disappointed.  I love Halloween.  I love making the costumes and seeing the kids dressed up.  I'm sorry to be so far away from these little muffins.  I'd like to be following them around and admiring all the loot they collect.  Well, there's always next year.

--Sandee Wagner

Brunch at the Atlantis

We went out with a group of work folks to a brunch at the resort Atlantis on the tip of the Palm Jumeirah.

It's a pretty impressive hotel and conference center.  We had reservations at Saffron for the Friday brunch buffet, which is a pretty big deal.  It cost a lot, but it was all you could eat and drink, bar drinks included.

So, you can imagine that the wine was poured and a good time was had by all participants.  It's very nice to meet the people that your significant other speaks about on a daily basis.  I like being able to put names with faces.  It's a lively group.  I'm hoping that they decide to get out monthly.  It would give me something to look forward to.

We pulled up and valet parked the car and walked into a foyer.  We entered the conference center wing, not the main lobby, so I don't know what that looked like.  This small entry way was stunning.

The 'under the sea' theme is apparent in every aspect of this building.  From the color of the marble underfoot, to each and every piece of art on the walls.

I was especially impressed by the ceiling murals and the light fixtures.  Really a very interesting mix of form and function.

The restaurant was nothing special, but we did have a table on the patio overlooking a huge pool area.  It was a tremendous feed.

I've been told that the aquarium at the Atlantis is worth seeing, so we'll have to go back another time to see that and the Dolphinarium.

The exterior of the building has shell shaped finials and fretwork everywhere.  Nautilus shells and other organic forms topped all the crenelations and rooflines.  Very pretty.

The landscaping was beach exotic and included the obligatory palm trees and some interesting specimens.  The California folks might be used to seeing Birds of Paradise this big, but I found them a little startling.  DH is six feet tall and these plants towered over him.  They were sheltered by the hotel, but on the ocean side of the property.

This is a touristy destination for Dubai.  There were buses full of folks off loading and on loading, so I think it must be part of some tour packages.  We only walked into the restaurant and directly back out to our car, so I didn't see much of the inside, just the outside of the buildings.

I liked everything about the place.  The colors were peaceful and relaxing.
 

The light fixtures were amazing.  Too many styles to adequately document.  Suffice it to say, there were shells and jellyfish, squids and mollusks aplenty.

I'd like to say it was schmaltzy and the "under the sea" theme from the Little Mermaid danced through my head, but it wasn't and it didn't.

It's high class and gorgeous.  I'm going to need another couple of trips out there to check out the whole place.  One of the gals at brunch today said she took her family out there for a four day weekend.  There are some good deals, apparently.  Even though it's only a few minutes from their home, she said it felt like a great vacation.

Maybe I should book us a couple of nights there so I can adequately explore all there is to see... under the sea.

--Sandee Wagner

Awareness, Dubai Style

October is breast cancer awareness month.  I am of the age that my general practitioner recommends an annual mammogram.  And like a good little soldier, I do it.  I got the referral and set up an appointment to get the thing done.

This is not the most comfortable procedure, but it's over fast.  Last time I went, I lived in Tulsa.  I got the test and went home with a smile.  A few days later, I got a call that the radiologist "saw something" and I needed a retest.  I called and made an appointment.  The soonest they could get me in was two weeks.  I sweated the entire time.  You do.  You fret.  What will I do if it's cancer?  You play out the scenarios in your mind.  If you have a good imagination, you can work yourself up.  I know I did.

Two weeks later, I went in.  I had a couple more films taken.  Then fretted for the better part of a week before I got a letter that said, "no worries.  false alarm."  I felt like I dodged a bullet.

This year, DH went with me to hold my hand.  I expected the same kind of deal.  It was scar tissue that set them off last time and that stuff doesn't go away.  So, these guys would see the same thing, right?  Then I'd go through the whole fret again.  I'd worry, but hope that it was nothing.

Dubai is a high tech city.  The diagnostic center is all digital.  So instead of going in and then leaving, waiting days and days for a report, it was immediate.  The tech did the scans.  She sent them to the radiologist and he looked at them right then.  He saw something, as I knew he would and ordered a close up of the area.  The tech came back into the room and then took a couple more close ups.  I sat there for no more than fifteen minutes while the radiologist reviewed the pictures.  He said it was all okay and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Before I got my receipt for payment from the front desk, the tech had burned my images to a CD and presented me with the disk as I left the office.  That's right.  No waiting for days to hear good or bad news.  No waiting for more weeks to get a retest.  No fretting and nail biting.  It was that easy.

I'm a big fan of digital now.  I think all mammograms should be this easy.  It's October.  If you haven't already scheduled your test, do it now.  I'm going to suggest finding someplace that has digital, it's a lot easier on your frame of mind.

--Sandee Wagner

Arabic Numbers Aren't Really

  One of my more recent surprises in Dubai is seeing that there is a different set of numerals in the Arabic language. All the price tags in the stores have numbers in English and again in Arabic. They look a lot like the flowing script used in Arabic writing. My confusion comes from the fact that all my life, math teachers called our numbers "Arabic numbers".   As you can see from this grid, they are really "European numbers."

But beyond the nomenclature, there is not a lot of Arabic numbering going on. There are no street addresses around here. It makes finding places very difficult for newcomers. When you think it would be easy, it's hard. I drove around for two and a half hours looking for a landmark hotel one evening. Kind of gives a new meaning to the word 'landmark'.

When you get directions, it always includes landmarks because that's how folks navigate around here.   And before you say it, Google Maps doesn't help. Every time I've tried to get driving directions on Google, it gives the bus and train routes. There is a 'default to public transportation' that is impossible to avoid. You can't get any 'turn by turn' instructions. I've tried.  

So the next possible thing is to invest in a GPS. We have had mixed reviews for the local GPS and their maps. Everyone agrees that they will get you to the neighborhood where you are heading, but since there are no actual street addresses (that number thing again), they won't generally get you to a final destination. Except big places, like malls and shopping centers, which all appear to be waypointed on the maps.   I've been thinking that we could waypoint our home, and then at least we could always get back home... this might be my next purchase.

--Sandee Wagner

Herd of Camels

We went to the movies today. On the way out of the neighborhood, we saw some animals in a previously empty field. They were pretty far off from the road, but when I really looked, I could tell they were young camels. A herd of them.

We pulled the car over to the side of the road so I could take some pictures. I don't have much of a long distance lens, but I tried to zoom in as much as I could. I'll bet there were more than thirty of them. I didn't see a tender of any kind. They were behind a fence and back from the road on the other side of ditch. There is some kind of drainage or pipeline project along this stretch of road.

This was a fun surprise for us. When we got back from the movie, they were gone... that field was as empty as it has been for the past four months. Maybe camels are migratory animals? --Sandee Wagner

An Evening at the Al Qasr Hotel

Last night we went out for dinner and drinks with DH's work crowd. It was a fun night. We went to the Al Qasr Hotel. Al Qasr means 'the palace' and this place was certainly designed to be a jewel in the crown that is the Madinat Jumeirah. Lining the drive up to the hotel are golden horse statues frolicking and prancing amidst palms and carefully uplit. It's lovely during the day and magical at night. We pulled up to the portico and left our ride with the valet. The outside of this hotel is beautifully appointed and authentic.

The fountain at the top of the hill continues the Arabian Horse theme. There's even a statue with a traditional Berber saddle up by the doors to the lobby. All glamorous tassels and deep russet reds. We arrived in late afternoon and left long after nightfall. In the evening light, the hotel is wildly impressive.

There are mosaic pools on each side of the entry with palm trees shading them. The blue of the tiles is reflective and provides a romantic backdrop for the classic architecture of the hotel itself. I find the entire Madinat Jumeirah an enchanting area, but this hotel is one of my favorites. Everything about it is restful and relaxing. It's like they managed to infuse the big structure with the homey feel of a large family estate. Now that the weather is cooling down in Dubai, I'm looking forward to exploring the terraces and outdoor restaurants and bars along the canals. --Sandee Wagner

Cat Got Your Tongue

We went to the movies today and saw a romantic comedy. It was really great. While we were in the theater, we perused the movie posters and cardboard cutouts for the upcoming releases.

Imagine my surprise when I saw this one.

Instead of "Puss In Boots", the movie poster says, "Cat In Boots". I'm guessing that there is one of two reasons for this. 1) Puss is not a term that is recognizable for kitty cats in the Arab world; or 2) Puss is considered offensive. Either way, the title of this movie has been changed for release in the Arab world.

One of the reasons that I find this amusing is that the movie is in English, with Arabic subtitles. I'm guessing that throughout the dialog of the movie it will still say "Puss". Based on the Shrek movies, it will say it alot. They could have just replaced that word in the Arabic subtitles, but I guess that wasn't good enough. That's why I'm guessing that it was offensive to some censor somewhere.

In a country where they want you to cover up your shoulders and knees, it shouldn't surprise me that a movie is retitled. But it did.

Before you ask, we saw "Friends with Benefits" and it was really charming. Two Thumbs Up.

--Sandee Wagner

Building Codes

There are some things that Americans take for granted. After living as an ex-patriot for a year now, I feel like I can comment on at least one of these. Building codes. We have them. Other countries, not so much.

Or if they have codes, they don't have codes like we are used to--which is more likely. Case in point: electric outlets.

In the states, most buildings have an outlet on the wall every 12 feet or so. In an average bedroom, you'll generally have a plug on each wall. Each of these plugs will have two receptacles where you can plug something in. In a kitchen or a bathroom, there will be GFCI rated outlets, which have fuses that will reset because of the nearness of a water source to that electric outlet. It's a safety issue.

When we first moved to Dubai, I noticed that the plugs in the rooms are a little different. It's a 220 volt, three pronged system. Okay, we need adapters but how hard can that be? Not hard, they make really robust adapters that take all plug types. So we bought a handful and thought we were set.

But them you begin to look around. In each bedroom there is only one or two outlets. And each of those outlets has a single receptacle. It's centered up on the wall where you are most likely to put a headboard. And that's it. If you want to run a TV at the other end of the room, good luck.

Each wall outlet has an on/off switch. You can cut off the electricity to the outlets you are not using. That seems like a very 'green' approach. Especially if you were not using some outlets...but when you don't really have enough outlets and you're using all of them, it's a wasted extra.

The bathrooms actually are the most stunning to me. When we first arrived in Dubai, I did a lot of furniture shopping. I noticed that the middle easterners bought a lot of dressing tables. It seemed like a furniture item that I didn't need, so I moved right past them. Then I realized that the outlet built into the wall of the bathroom (the single outlet in each bathroom) is designed expressly for men's shavers. It has a special receptacle. It will ONLY accept shavers or electric toothbrushes. You can't plug in a blow dryer or flat iron or curling iron. Not at all. No adapters allowed.

All of a sudden I can see why gals need a dressing table. I'm blow drying and curling my hair out in the bedroom... where there aren't enough outlets.

Dubai could use a building code that required a few more outlets. And perhaps a GFCI equivalent would make the bathrooms a little more blow dryer friendly. Just sayin'.

--Sandee Wagner

The Wharf

In the Mina A'Salam hotel, there is a restaurant called The Wharf. Before you give me a bunch of back talk about eating at hotels, let me tell you a little something about living in 'the land of sand'. The ONLY restaurants that are allowed, by law, to serve alcohol are associated with hotels. So, when we make arrangements to meet someone for dinner (and drinks) the only destinations are usually restaurants associated with hotels.

The Mina A'Salam hotel is one of a line of properties that front Jumierah beach right next to the Burj Al Arab. They are connected by a canal and the local water taxis motor folks back and forth to the Madinat Jumeirah, the Wild Wadi water park and several hotel properties.

We drove up, parked the car and walked into the lobby. We were met with the most succulent fragrance. We walked to the center of the atrium and saw a fountain that had rose petals floating on the surface. The smell was fantastic. Later on we saw some wedding regalia, so I don't know if this was done for the specific event, or if it's a normal part of the hotel routine, but WOW! It was scrumptious.

We wandered downstairs and out the back doors of the hotel, alongside the canal. The Wharf was there, with lots of outside tables and seating. It's still a little too hot for that, so we decided to kill some time looking over the property before going into await our friends.

The beach was just lovely at sunset. The staff was furling the umbrellas and clearing up for the day. We strolled around to see the views, enjoy the sea breeze and architecture. They have a huge gazebo near the pool with a stunning view of the Burj Al Arab and the Palm Jumeirah. The hotel was designed to look like traditional Arab dwellings and is filled with art and furniture that appear antique and authentic.

It's a stunning place. I'd like to take some time to ramble around and really get the lay of the land. Or perhaps take one of the water taxis for a tour. The canal area had a few surprises. One was a built in water habitat for rehabilitating sea turtles. There was some signage promoting the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project and we watched the water until we actually identified two sea turtles swimming around. It's an honorable effort and all the signs pointed out that sea turtles are completely protected by the Emirates. They also had satellite tracking of the turtles they'd released into the wild. It was a fun find while we were just killing time before dinner.

The Wharf restaurant was delightful. Based on an old English pub, the food was fun and flavorful. I got the fish and chips, which was delivered to me wrapped in newspaper (no plate!) Which is fine, until you spill your glass of water, then it's really less convenient than one might think.

Our friends had a discount coupon, so I'm not sure how much the meal would have cost without it, but it seemed to be very well priced and delicious. I would certainly go back. It also appears to be a place that would be great to take visitors. So, come on out and visit me in Dubai. We'll get your picture taken next to the camel. Yeah, just like the penguins in Tulsa, these things are everywhere.

--Sandee Wagner

Dinner Out

We met some friends for dinner. They picked a restaurant in the Madinat Jumeirah called the Al Hambra. It's a Spanish themed Tapas restaurant.

The first fun option was riding the abra, a water taxi, to the hotel from the shopping center. We just had to show our reservation number to the abra skipper and he motored us right to the door. The waterway between the shopping areas and the hotels along this canal is lit up with fairy lights and lanterns. I am quite taken with the light wrapped palm trees.

The Madinat Jumeirah is designed to look like an authentic middle eastern dwelling. It's really impressive. Especially at night. Lights cast up the adobe walls and showcase the height and breadth of the edifice. After the quick trip from the shopping center over to the hotel, we navigated our way through the swanky hotel. It was quite a schlep to find the Al Hambra.

On the way, I enjoyed the amazing sights inside the hotel and it's environs. DH had a couple of meetings in this hotel and he wanted me to see the 'biggest chandelier ever'. It was super big. You get no idea of the scale on this picture, but it hangs in a three story atrium. It's gorgeous.

There is a big sweetheart staircase that descends down into a huge ballroom/dining area. In the center of the twining stairs is a giant fountain cascading down. It's a lovely sound. In the desert, fountains take on a whole new importance. Most major buildings have at least one. Many have multiple water features. It's very restful. Another thing that comes in abundant variety in the glamorous digs are flowers.

Lots and lots of colorful flowers.
Large scale flower sculpture and centerpieces fill the common areas. I had DH stand next to one so you could see that it's way taller than six feet. There were several of these lining the lobby area of the Madinat Jumeirah.

The lobby had glorious marble floors and columns. The colors were vibrant and eye catching. Over the top. I think in the middle east, they invented over the top design.

Oh, and dinner was really good too! The Spanish restaurant was nice. We had tapas and paella. There was hard cheese marinated in olive oil and rosemary served with crusty bread. Rustic and really tasty. All in all, it was a delightful evening with a really nice, welcoming couple. I can't wait to try some of the other restaurants in that area. Lots more to explore.

--Sandee Wagner

A Fitting Memorial

Today is the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. For my generation, it has become the 'where were you?' moment we all remember. I will never forget that day, watching as the news unfolded and witnessing the tragedy as the towers collapsed.

Since then, much has been made of the planned memorial, the fundraising, construction and even the invitation list for the dedication. Everyone has an opinion. I can remember when the Viet Nam Memorial was being planned for Washington, DC. So much fuss. So many people objecting to the black basalt wall inscribed with names. It was ugly and too modern and not suitable. But then it was unveiled. And the families and friends started coming. And photographs surfaced of veterans laying their hands on the names of their friends, sons and daughters rubbing an impression of their father's name. And hearts broke across this nation. Because a memorial has architectural structure, but its not the building or edifice that anchors the memories. It's the people. Now, no one cares about the controversy that the design caused, they just come. They remember.

Today, a memorial is being unveiled in New York City's Battery Park neighborhood. I don't know all the details. I remember some of the plans that were suggested. Some of the people involved wanted to build edifices on the site that were bigger and higher than the originals. They wanted to thumb their noses in the faces of the terrorists. Prove that we would rebuild, be better, higher or more opulent than before. What I've seen of the memorial is more park like. It includes two of the largest man made waterfalls ever constructed. They outline the footprint of the original two trade center towers. It appears to be a beautiful, peaceful place.

A memorial, a monument is just an anchor for the feelings, emotions and memories of the people who experienced an event. Nothing ever suitably replaces what was lost. No man made sculpture or building will ever make up for lives lost, families impacted or the long term effects of trauma. During that day, and months and years afterwards, people in New York City, Washington DC, and rural Pennsylvania faced the horror of terrorism and no one in our whole nation has ever been the same since.

We all experienced it. We might not have been there working like the EMTs, police and firefighters. We might not have been first responders or rescue aid workers. But we all watched, waited and prayed.

When I look back ten years ago, I feel the angst. My eyes well up with tears and I realize that we all lost a little innocence that day. We thought it couldn't happen here. But we were wrong. It can, and does, happen everywhere.

Monuments mark the spot. But it's the people like us who keep the memories. When you think about it, it's a fitting memorial. Talk to the younger generation, tell your stories. Explain your feelings. Make a trip to the 9/11 memorial and honor the fallen. The fight has been brought to us and it's up to all of us to remember.

--Sandee Wagner

Speaking My Language, Wait...

One of my very favorite things about living in Dubai is that I could quit the Rosetta Stone French lessons. DH is still working on them, but he took years of French in school, so it's all a review for him. My accent is so dreadful, I had trouble passing through any lesson. I got as far as "my bicycle is yellow" and "that apple is green". When I said those phrases to the taxi drivers in Tunis, I got a lot of laughs. Everyone who travels extensively says that trying to speak the local language is always the way to go. I found that it at least broke the ice with the cabbies. So, my French sounded like Julia Childs and Rosetta Stone expected better of me.


English is prominent in the United Arab Emirates. Most signage is Arabic and English. All the advertising includes text in both languages. I can survive here without being completely in the dark. Bonus!

But then, I read the signage and wonder. Are they speaking my language? There are a lot of half built projects around this time. Apparently, there was a big surge in building, lots of stuff got started, then the world financial crisis caught up to Dubai, and the building halted. Most of the larger projects have tall fences erected around the base of them. This large wall provides billboard space for advertisement. Lots of the projects still have ads posted advertising their developments.

I drive by this one on the way to the hardware store. Each time I read it, I think, what? The words say: "This hoarding will not change for another year. After that, Media production will change forever." The International Media Production Zone stands behind the wall. So, they were advertising that when they were finished building, things would change in their field. I get that. I totally do. But 'this hoarding'? What does that mean?

So, I looked it up. And sure enough, way down in the meanings, there is a definition that says a hoarding is a temporary fence enclosing a construction site. Now, I get it. Boy, speaking the same language is supposed to make things easier, right?

--Sandee Wagner

El Dorado

The City of Gold. Something Conquistadors from Spain traveled across continents searching for... also, an unattainable goal. Like good Mexican food half a globe away from Mexico.

In Tunisia, we found a nice Cuban cafe where all the food LOOKED right, but tasted wrong. It was like someone had pictures of popular Mexican and Spanish dishes but no recipes to follow. Or more likely, couldn't get the ingredients that made the food taste authentic. Either way, we ate there because it was good, it just wasn't right.

Today, we walked into Casa Maria in the Green Community in Dubai. It's a small place with just a few tables inside and out. When we first approached the door, it was 1230 and the signage outside said "Open Daily 11:00 am to 10:00 pm". We tugged on the doors, but they were locked. As we walked away scratching our heads, a waitress unlocked the doors and called us back. Apparently, they just forgot to open the doors.

An inauspicious beginning. I'll give you that.

The place was decorated like every Mexican restaurant everywhere, except maybe in Mexico. Exposed wood beams, adobe walls, bright colored paint and lots of hand carved wood furniture. It called to my Texan soul.

We perused the menu, poking excited fingers at our favorites and mulling our choices. Pages of the menu were devoted to explaining the 'terminology' for the unfamiliar. It gave descriptions of all the different types of chiles, the regional foods in Mexico and a biography on the two Mexican chefs who own and run the store. That's right. Authentic food. Right here in our neighborhood.

It was GREAT. I had chicken enchiladas with verde sauce and DH had a beef fajita burrito. Both were tremendous. The guacamole was a little shy of actual avocados, but I'm guessing they are imported just for that dish. All in all, my new favorite restaurant. I give it two thumbs up.

I can't wait to try their fish tacos. Umm... I don't really feel like I've found a lost city of gold, but I do feel like I've found a treasure.

--Sandee Wagner

So Shiny!!

We ran a few errands today. We have a five day weekend to celebrate the end of Ramadan, so Eid Mubarak everyone!

First we went to IKEA for more bookcases, then we went to the DragonMart to see if we could find a step down converter for the electronics. We struck out on the converter, but oh boy did we see some shiny things!

First, we found a temporary display of garden art. Most of these were cast resin, but some were actual marble carvings. DH wanted to buy a pair of these lions to flank our driveway. We don't really have a drive worth flanking, but boy would these be fun to have in South Texas.

Next we happened upon a 'traditional' furniture store. Since I wasn't sure what that meant, I went in with camera raised. Traditional furniture is shiny. Very, VERY shiny. Let me draw your attention to the velvety fabric covering and the shiny buttons. Also, do you see the seat back is in the shape of a heart? And what home decor is not enhanced by precious metals?

But wait, there's more! If gold and blue is not your style, they had all colors and finishes. Maybe you fancy purple velvet and you're the queen of giraffes? They've got it all in this shop. One of the sets had a swan table and the legs of the chair looked feathered. It was oh, so classy.

Perhaps you're in the market for something dignified like a grandfather clock? Six feet of shiny, overblown ornate frou-frou? With ladies strumming lutes seated on the base? Oh, yes. They've got just the ticket for you. Now, as you might imagine, these were high priced decor items. The guy manning the shop was very proud of his glamorous wares. When I pulled out my camera to take pictures, he preened. Like a peacock. Like the lamps flanking the exit. Giant peacock lamps in two finishes. I kid you not. Seven feet tall and finished in living color.

The next shop that caught my eye was selling costume jewelry for that dressy occasion. I'm trying to imagine the dress that allows these necklaces to be pulled off appropriately and all I've got is 'basic black turtleneck'. There were four full windows filled with at least six or eight of these waterfall collars of faux gemstones. All colors and designs. The overriding similarity was the over the top size and scale of the neckwear. It was stunning. DH was not even tempted to go inside and buy me one. Even when I promised to wear it to the USMC ball. Of course, even with my ample bosom, these would have reached my waist. But with a necklace like this, you don't even have to worry about your gown! Who'd notice it anyway?

I know where to go for my shiny stuff. DragonMart.

--Sandee Wagner