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

Breakage and Bustedness

After moving to Tunisia, staying four months and then packing up and moving to Dubai, I am probably lucky to have any household goods arrive at all. That container could have fallen off the ship. All my stuff could have been lost or stolen while it sat in storage for four months. But it didn't. Last week, it arrived here.

As the movers helped us unpack, we uncovered a lot of broken things. A LOT.

We had more breakage with this move than with any other move in our lives. It was frustrating. Each time I picked up a wad of paper and could tell that what was inside was rattling and sounding like shards of glass, I knew that some other piece of what I owned was busted.

It was kind of interesting in a sad, sad way. The majority of things that were broken were 25th wedding anniversary presents. I should preface this by saying that DH and I eloped. So we didn't have any elaborate china or crystal at the beginning of our marriage. We had a big 25th wedding anniversary party and folks gave us a lot of the lovely serving pieces and decorative pieces that you think of as wedding gifts. Cut glass candle holders, hand painted serving bowls. Lots of lovely things.

And the breakage tally included a high volume of those anniversary gifts. For some reason, it really made me sad. Each time I opened or was handed a busted piece so I could take digital photos of the item and the box number it came out of, a little piece of me grieved. It's not like losing the stuff negates 25 years of marriage, right? It's just stuff. Nice gifts that I truly enjoyed for the past seven years. Now they're gone. Basically irreplaceable--not the stuff, the memory of the gift. I can buy another one, close to the original but it won't be the gifted item anymore, will it?

It's a little strange but I'm so thankful that we didn't have MORE damage than we did. We moved clear around the globe. I'm thankful that we got ANY of our stuff. For a while, I didn't think it would ever be cleared out of Tunisia.

So breakage and bustedness is documented and will be claimed for insurance purposes. Life goes on. I've found a place for most of this stuff. Now I'm close to being completely settled. Just a couple more boxes.

--Sandee Wagner

Settling In

Well, we got the container on Sunday and began unpacking. The movers came back on Monday and gave us a full day assembling and unpacking. They also took away all the trash. At this point, all we could think was, "they're going to need a bigger truck!" We are collecting up more paper and boxes and they'll come back by to pick up the rest.

It's surprised how much you can get done with a group of people helping you. We got all the large furniture placed. We even shifted a few after changing our minds and the guys never complained. With them pulling stuff out of the packaging, all I had to do was find places for it. In the kitchen, it worked great. With the books and decorative stuff, not so much. We did have a bit of breakage, more than any other move, but I'm not complaining. I kept my camera out and took a picture of anything broken or damaged and the label off the box it came in. It should make it a little easier to file the claim with the moving company.

The next day, DH and I hit it pretty hard. We found places for the books and glassware and hung up organizers for the brooms and stuff. Today we began hanging curtains and putting out the knickknacks. It's beginning to look a lot like HOME!

I tried to take pictures of places where there were just stacks of boxes before so you could share my joy in the unpacking... but it's hard to imagine how good it feels to finally settle in.

Once again, my biggest issue is more books than bookcases. DH has spoiled me with lots of built ins wherever we've lived, and now, I have to buy furniture to take with me! I'm trying to be judicious and eliminate some of the tomes I no longer need, but it's hard to part with books that I love.

I figure a couple more days of hard work and we'll be done! I'll post some more pictures when it's all clean and tidy.

--Sandee Wagner

Feathering my Nest

After five long months of waiting, our stuff finally arrived in Dubai. It really only took two months for the goods to transit, three months of that time it was sitting in storage while the company worked diligently to produce a one page letter stating that we didn't owe any taxes to Tunisia before they'd let our stuff ship out. That's right. We waited three months for a one page letter. I'm not sure who's in charge of that department, but I personally would like to make them suffer.

Today, the container arrived. The moving crew actually arrived about twenty minutes before the truck got here. The company told us they would arrive between 1300 and 1500 today. The crew arrived at 1245 and the truck was here at 1301. Nothing wrong with that time estimate!

The guys were all hard workers and got the entire container emptied by 1600. Two of the guys stayed inside that oven moving the stuff to the edge of the bed, while the others hustled it into the house and put it in the right rooms. The guys working inside the container had the worst end of the deal. At one point, a guy got dizzy and had to come inside and sit down in the cool air for a while. I slapped a ziplock bag full of ice onto the back of his neck to help him cool down a little. Other than that, we had no accidents or injuries.

Except my pot. Of course, you never know what all is broken until you've opened all the boxes. There could be more. But this extremely fragile pot had some kind of issue because the carton showed the crushing. I slit it open and found my mirror mosaic project pot one third smaller than expected. DH thinks he can piece it together and glue or plaster it from the inside of the pot. The outside is already broken, so it won't show--at least it shouldn't.

The crew will be back in the morning to help us assemble and place the larger furniture. Then we'll spend the rest of the week unpacking boxes and finding homes for all our stuff. It's a good feeling, feathering my nest.

--Sandee Wagner

Labor Saving Devices

I have moved into a part of the world where having a dishwasher is a luxury and having a dryer is very strange. The vast majority of the people here hang their clothes to dry and wash dishes by hand.

I didn't really give it a lot of thought, I just wanted my lifestyle to remain the same as I had in the US. I want a dryer. I'm not really willing to hang my clothes up to dry in the triple digit heat. I get that I'm using energy above the norm, but if I'm willing to pay for it, I should be able to do it, right?

So, when we rigged the house (and you have to buy ALL your own appliances here) we bought a Gorenje dishwasher. I understand that this is a brand made in the UK and we bought a middle line product, not top of the line.

I read the manual, figured out the controls and set it up to run. This unit is a self proclaimed 'energy efficient' model. When I set it to run, it runs for 2 hours and 33 minutes for regular, not heavy duty, cleaning. It does not do much of a heated dry cycle. The dishes are still completely wet when it's done running.

I had a GE dishwasher before. I've had a Maytag and I'm pretty sure my old house had a Kenmore. I don't think I've ever had a cycle go more than 90 minutes. So how 'energy efficient' can this be if it goes for a full hour longer??

Before you get the idea that I'm denigrating the BRAND of dishwasher, let me state for the record that the LG brand washing machine I have has the same issues. A load of laundry takes nearly three hours to run. And that's set for the normal, synthetic cycle.

I'm not sure what happens electrically. All these appliances run at 220v instead of 110v like in the states. But it seems to me that everything takes a lot longer. All the cycles take a longer time to run.

Maybe I'm just fooling myself, maybe it took this long in the states, but I don't think so. I've always thought that someone needed to make washers and dryers take the same amount of time to run, because it always seemed like the dryer took twice as long as the washer. Here, it's the exact opposite. My dryer loads come out in half the time the washer loads do. And the dishwasher takes forever.

How energy efficient can this be? If it's running for twice the length of time and twice the voltage?

--Sandee Wagner

The Power of Three

I've recently read some "Weather Warden" books by Rachel Caine. One of the characters in the novels is a Djinn. During the exposition of this character, the author paints a reality where in order to get a true answer from a Djinn, you have to ask it three times. They have to tell you the truth if you persist in asking the question three times, but they will deflect and try to distract you from asking it. Interesting setup, really. It made for some good dialog in these books.

As I sit here in Dubai trying to acclimate to my new country, I'm reading a Culture Smart! guidebook on the customs and cultures of the UAE. Again, fascinating reading. But imagine my shock when it started talking about effusive praise and how to act when invited into an Emirati home.

One of the bits of advice given was that the host will demure, so thanks and praise should be restated (honestly) over and over again. The advice was to give at least three offers before giving in. The same type of suggestion was made for accepting or declining food during a large meal. If an Emirati declines, you need to continue to offer... you got it. Three times.

I am really amused by this. The fact that there is actual cultural background for conversational insistence that requires three repetitions is based in Arabic folklore. Or the folklore just represented the customs which are still in use today. Either way, I love it. I love it. I love it.

--Sandee Wagner

Video Bloggers

Every once in a while, someone sends me a link, or posts a site on Facebook and I fall down a rabbit hole.

Today, my buddy Mike posted a funny video from YouTube by MrArturoTrejo called Interview with a 1 year old. It was hysterical. I watched more videos and found that I had lost HOURS watching these vlogs.

In one of them, he was complaining because his wife made him declutter and have a garage sale. She took the items that didn't sell to the thrift store. What made this whole thing funny is that another vlogger in the area saw the video and went out on a search for the lamp. Really. They found it.

Then, this couple delivered the lamp BACK to the original owners.

I don't know why this entertains me, but it does.

The internet has opened a wide window for all kinds of humor and views into daily life. I've spend the morning watch the Trejos, the Shaytards and then Ourlittleplanet. Just an all round extravaganza of interesting time wastage.

Even the music was entertaining. MrArturoTrejo uses music produced by his brother in law StephenJPresents. I clicked on several of his songs and he's done an amazing job on mixing some acapella pieces. I'm no musician, but his videos are pretty fun.

I find YouTube to be a fascinating site. But it sure sucks up a lot of time. Like falling down the rabbit hole and ending up in Alice's Wonderland.

--Sandee Wagner

Fun Construction

Dubai is a new NEW city. Folks around here talk about how the Emirates are just 'forty years out of the desert'. That means that the majority of this whole city is less than forty years old. Certainly the money to build all the magnificent edifices downtown and in the marina area is relatively new.

So, imagine the Dubai skyline compared to NYC or some other metropolis. Those cities have hundred(s) of years of buildings, so some are old, some are new, and the architecture spans decades at the least. In Dubai, all the building is fairly recent and most is modern architecture. I love modern architecture.

So, as I ride around the city, I enjoy looking at the tall buildings and how each architect tried to push the envelope to make his building stand out. My personal favorite is not complete yet.

The building is a tall square that has been twisted around as it rises up to its height. The picture cannot do it justice. Certainly not with my crappy little digital camera.

I would not want to wash those windows. The curve of the twist is gradual enough that it's all flat surfaces, and those windows open. I'm not sure if it's going to be office space or residences, but I'm guessing office space. No balconies and it's got a sea view.

I took these two pictures from the Le Meridien hotel grounds, looking back toward the Dubai Marina area. This building can also be seen from Sheik Zayed road. I've been watching the building's progress since my arrival in June.

In a city where there are lots of lovely, modern buildings, the eye will always light on those that are unique and distinct. Each new building project allows another opportunity for an architect to delight our senses.

--Sandee Wagner

Eerie Stillness

I know I've done a whole post on how strange I find the effects of Ramadan on the shopping public. But yesterday, it was really hammered home.

I did a whole blog on the beautiful Ibn Battuta Mall. I took pictures of the different areas and spent two whole shopping trips exploring the architecture. During that time, I found the whole mall experience to transcend international boundaries. There are the same types of shops, the same types of goods available for sale. The kiosks in the center of the aisles sell cell phone covers and women step into your way and offer you perfume samples. It's a mall. Like all malls.

Now that I've gone back during Ramadan, I have to say that one thing spooked me. The food court is empty. I've only eaten there twice, but this is one of those food courts that has lots of different restaurant selections and tons of tables. Every time we've gotten food, we've had to stand there with our trays and wait for a table to open up. Tons of selections and lots of people.

During Ramadan, only about 5 of the restaurants were even open. Those that were, only sold food packaged up 'to go'. Most of the ones that had glass barriers in the prep area so you can watch your food being made had temporary barricades or covers erected so nothing could be seen of the food and its preparation. Any practicing Muslim could walk through there and not be exposed to either the sight or smell of food or drink. No one was sitting around the Starbucks drinking coffee. There was black plastic taped up in the Krispy Kreme windows. You could take away a dozen donuts, but you couldn't see them loaded into the box.

It's kind of surreal. There is food. You can eat. Just not here. Not in public.

This food court is one of the places I actually saw groups of teen aged middle easterners doing the 'teen hang out' thing. You see lots of families out in public doing stuff, but this is one of the few places I saw teen aged girls with shopping bags tittering and comparing purchases. It made me feel like some things were universal regardless of zip code.

In the silent rows of chairs, I missed that lively interaction. I missed the families with strollers coaxing toddlers to eat something. It's all still. Quiet. Eerie.

--Sandee Wagner

What I'm Missing

Dubai is an amazingly westernized place. It's pretty easy to live here and imagine you're in Phoenix or some desert place.

But I'm half a world away from all the people in my life who really count. My family.

I'm really missing my beautiful and intelligent grands. I have five grandbabies right now. And hopes for some more, because really, the genetics are just fine!

My oldest son and his lovely wife have given me two miraculous grandchildren, ZJ and Zoey. ZJ has a heart of gold, like his daddy. He's quite the outdoorsman and loves to look at bugs and plants and see what's going on right in his own back yard. He loves his school and his teachers. He also loves his little sister, Zoey. He's smart as a whip and catches on to things so fast, it makes my head spin. He's very deliberate. A deep thinker, our ZJ.

Zoey is a princess, except when she's not. She is quite the girly girl and has recently taken up mani-pedis with momma. Zoey loves to chat and keeps everyone around her entertained. She's also very mechanical and can be found following her daddy under the car when he's doing automobile maintenance. She's a cute little sprite who is turning into such a big kid!

They live near Charlotte, NC now. So even if I was in the US, they'd still be a long way from where I live. The great thing about these two is that they love to Skype with me and their Grumpy.

My second son has three wonderful children. His first son is a red headed wonder named Will. He wants to be an astronaut and loves all things to do with NASA and space. He's also focused on being a really excellent big brother to his younger sister and his baby brother. He's got a very demanding personality and truly is the child I prayed for his father to have... you know how mommas do that? They wish that their obstreperous child has a child just like them? Well, Will is my son's karmic payment. He is adorable! Just the smartest and most vibrant personality.

His little sister is Carolyn and when she was added to the family, it rocked his world. Carolyn is a free spirit like her momma. She's got the most beautiful hazel eyes and curly brown hair. She's so gorgeous, I think my son needs to be buying ammo to lay in for her teen age years. Carolyn is very independent and wants a full say in how she dresses, what she eats and where she goes. She is a strong little chica. She'd have to be to hold her own against two brothers!

Charlie is our newest grandson. He's a good baby and very laid back. He's just four months old and is rolling from his back to his belly and keeping the other kids entertained with his smiles and laughter. He's a good sport and it's a good thing since his momma has two other kids to chase around all day.

I know I'm biased. I think these children are about the cutest and smartest grandkids any woman could claim. I'm so proud of my kids and their parenting skills, I could just bust a rib. It's a tremendous thing to watch your adult children raising wonderful kids. The whole circle of life thing. If I don't ever do another useful thing in my whole life, I think I could look at my kids and my grandkids and still think I left the world a better place.

When I'm sitting here in Dubai, the only thing I'm really missing is the people in my life. My family. My friends. My grandkids. That's the hardest thing about being a world away.

--Sandee Wagner

Brunch with DH

We woke up on Friday (our Saturday) and decided it would be nice to go out to lunch before doing our weekly grocery shopping. Only problem? It's Ramadan. What's a person to do when they are NOT fasting during daylight hours? Find a hotel. That's what.

Most of the hotels have lots of trapped paying guests and have to provide food for them during the daylight hours. So they have made architectural arrangements. That's right. They have built their hotels in such a way that there is at least one segregated restaurant where folks can dine and the average Muslim faster can avoid seeing them or smelling the good food.

We stayed right in our neighborhood at went to the Green Community's Courtyard by Marriott. There, the Cucina restaurant offered a wondrous buffet brunch. This restaurant is a circular room that juts out over a man-made lake, giving nice views of the water from almost every table. The spread was just glorious. The desserts were legion and we both ate and ate. DH's favorite part? Pizza guy and a stone oven going to town providing pies for the buffet.

We paid too much. Maybe not too much based on hotel pricing, but I think during Ramadan the prices reflect the difficulty finding cooks and servers. None of the believers will be on the payroll during this time. I imagine it's hard to staff a restaurant.

If I'd been on my game, I would have taken pictures of the food. I can tell you that there was a creamy veal dish that was lovely and some grilled vegetables that I want to try and recreate at home. We cheated on our diet and really enjoyed the experience.

Good times.

--Sandee Wagner

OKC Victory Dolls

Congratulations to the new Oklahoma City Victory Dolls!

Each year, they have a sign up period and then a training class for all the women who want to try out the roller derby. This year, my daughter decided to give it a try. These 'Baby Dolls' are coached by the veteran skaters and taught minimum skills and all the rules of flat track skating and banked track play.

I'm pretty sure that I couldn't skate all out for five minutes. Probably after minute one, I wouldn't be able to lift a skate, but these fearless skaters threw themselves into the challenge and worked at all the minimum skills to make the squad.

This picture is from the Baby Doll's last practice. I don't know how many of them passed the skills test and found a spot on the squad, but I do know that they practiced three times a week and put their hearts into the effort.

Congratulations! I can't wait to see a bout.

--Sandee Wagner

Ramadan Mubarak

One of the most consistent comments I've heard from other ex-pats is that travel back to their home countries is mandatory during Ramadan. I moved to Dubai in June. Almost every person I've met through my husband, and his work, mentioned that they were headed out of town to avoid Ramadan.

Since I just got here, that was not really a possibility for me. So, I did a little reading and tried to prepare myself for the festival. Because, you see, to the Muslims, it's a great time of reflection, prayer and introspection.

During the month long observance, Muslims do not allow anything to pass their lips during daylight hours. No cigarettes, no coffee, no water. We are in the middle of the desert and no one is allowed to drink water all day long... it boggles the mind. Since it is 'illegal' according to Islamic law, the businesses who do trade with westerners here in Dubai make few exceptions.

Imagine a mall where the openings to the Starbucks are all pulled down, except for one. That single mall entrance is draped three quarters of the way down with black cloth. You realize you could duck under that barrier and get back to the counter, then sit in the dark and sip your cappuccino. If you wanted to... Basically, the restaurants can serve westerners, but it can not be visible to the public. It's furtive and shadowy.

Imagine going into a movie theater and having the entire snack bar area shut down and unmanned. I was told once that movie theaters make their money on the popcorn, not the movie tickets. Now, when I looked at the closed snack bar, I could only project the lost revenues for the theaters.

The entire month of August is devoted to daylight fasting and evening celebrations. It's a time to feed the poor and celebrate God's blessings by giving and sharing. From what I've heard, most of the deprivations of the daylight hours are broken by large communal meals shared with friends and families. Breaking the fast after sunset is a meal called "Iftar" which is traditionally started with three dates.

During the daylight hours, the fast is supposed to be reflexive time filled with prayer. If you share your Iftar meal with others, it brings extra blessings. So providing a meal so that others can break their fast also blesses you.

I can't imagine going through a whole desert day without drinking a drop of water. No breath mints, no gum. It would be a great hardship. Because of the reality of living among people who are giving up so much, it's considered really bad manners to eat or drink in public. A westerner flaunting food or drink can be called down in public areas. Me? I'll probably stay close to home. There's no reason to slip inside a darkened restaurant and feel criminal for enjoying food and drink when most of the population is fasting. I go through most of my days sipping away at an icy beverage. I'll just do that in the privacy of my own home.

For the better part of the past week, there have been painters doing repair work on the outside of my villa. They've scraped and resurfaced some areas where the paint had bubbled and peeled. Then they sanded and repainted. Each morning, two of these wizened old men rang my doorbell and requested I fill their liter water bottles. I was happy to do so. Watching them out doing manual labor in the 100+ degree heat, who would mind? On the first day of Ramadan, they were out there working away and the doorbell never rang.

It's a very interesting custom. As a Catholic, I'm used to fasting before Mass, foregoing meat on Fridays, and offering up deprivation and suffering. But, I've got to give it to the Muslims who remain constant during a whole month of Ramadan. That's a great deal of sacrifice to offer up to God. It makes me thirsty just thinking about it.

--Sandee Wagner