Earthquake rocks Iran...and Dubai

Today a 6.2 earthquake hit Iran around 3:00ish and aftershocks were felt in Dubai and other northern UAE areas measuring around 4.8. Lisa was at the Dubai Community Theatre with Kaleigh and Ashlyn waiting on their first drama lesson to start. Dwayne was at work in Dubai's Internet City. We were all completely oblivious to the aftershocks that evidently forced evacuations of thousands of people from Dubai's high rises and office buildings here! Iran is very susceptible to earthquakes and they happen frequently there...just not to this magnitude. It's amazing that Dubai doesn't get the aftershocks more often...we are so close to Iran...barely a stone's throw! Maybe a little too close...

Just wanted to say that everyone here is fine. Ignorance IS bliss, after all!

Dubai Heat Jokes

You know...it's so hot here that you really have to have a sense of humor about it. While we could have made up most of these based on experience, a few of them came from a Phoenix, Arizona jokester. Seems as though Phoenix and Dubai have a lot in common...weather wise!

90% of the below statements are actually true and we have experienced them!

The potatoes cook underground, and all you have to do to have lunch is to pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper.

It is normal to take a soft-cooler bag to the grocery store for your cold/frozen items.

Long sleeves actually do make sense in the sun.

The trees are whistling for the dogs.

You no longer associate bridges with water.

You can say 113 degrees without fainting.

You can make instant sun tea.

You learn that a seat belt makes a pretty good branding iron.

The temperature drops below 95, you feel a bit chilly.

Even the water in the toilet is hot.

You would give anything to be able to splash cold water on your face. Can't get it from the faucet!

The 4 seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot, and ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!

You discover that during June - September, it takes only 2 fingers to drive your car.

You discover that you can get a sunburn through your car window. Even at maximum legal tinting.

You notice the best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.

Hot water now comes out of both taps. You have hot water and hotter water.

It's noon in July, kids are on summer vacation, and not one person is out on the streets.

You actually burn your hand opening the car door.

If the swimming pool doesn't have a cooler, you don't want to get in it.

You break a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m. before work.

No one would dream of putting vinyl upholstery in a car or not having air conditioning because you would be seriously burned or possibly die.

You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.

Your children ask what that wet stuff is on the windshield because they don't remember rain.

You never check the weather status...because it is always the same. Except for that rain on the windshield during January.

Ramadan

Today marks the first day of Ramadan for Muslims around the world. For those of us who live in a Muslim country, it impacts us too. Each Muslim country treats non-Muslims differently - - as far as what is expected of us during Ramadan. Some do not expect us to fast since we do not observe the Holiday. In the United Arab Emirates, non-Muslims must observe the fasting schedule in public. Wherever you are, there are aspects of Ramadan that you can celebrate as well, whether you are Muslim or not.

In Dubai, the next month for Muslims and non-Muslims alike can be a tough one. With temperatures soaring into the 110-115 degree range (43-47 C), frequent intake of water is essential. During Ramadan, no one (including us) is allowed to eat, drink, chew gum, etc. in public from dawn until sunset.

This means very few restaurants are open and most businesses have reduced working hours. The restaurants that are open offer take-away (take-out) only. But don't eat that meal in your car...you can get arrested. You must wait (for non-Muslims) until you are in your own home before eating. Many non-Muslim women typically have bottles of water in their purses which can be consumed in a dressing room or other "private" area such as a restroom stall. Also, if you purchase food items at a store, you must carry them in a bag that does not show the contents. Last year, Lisa was completely unaware of this rule and was guilty of walking across the street with a bottle of Diet Pepsi. She noticed the stares of some passersby and Dwayne graciously educated her on the "rule." Having this bottle of uncovered Diet Pepsi is a temptation to Muslims and is also a sign of disrespect.

Now, the above rules regarding eating and drinking do not affect children. While age ranges vary, most Muslims consider the age of 10 as the age when they can start fasting.

Many non-Muslims here use this month as a period in which they try to purify themselves physically and emotionally - whether through diet, prayer, or other means. Many Christian churches around the world have a specified prayer schedule (including ours) of certain things to focus on during this month.

Lisa has chosen to give up all sweets this month...even mints and juices. Gum is still on the menu, however. Just not in public.

Just for fun...here are some Ramadan ads. It's commercialized, also.

Burger King: http://www.thedubailife.com/images/RamadanBK.jpg

Coke: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2353/2085301152_3177151086.jpg?v=0

Lexus: http://www.thedubailife.com/images/ramadan_ad_lexus.jpg

McDonald's: http://www.thedubailife.com/images/macramadanad.jpg

Pepsi: http://smile93.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/pepsi-001.JPG

Why did God make sand, Mommy?

Why do apples have juice in them?

Why are the guinea pigs so soft?

Why did God make the big trucks so slow?

Why is it so hot in Dubai?

Why does Ms. Cabbie not live here anymore?

Why why why...

These are just some of the questions posed by Ashlyn this week...usually on the way to school as

she is observing what is going on around her. We just love answering these questions...doing our best to be accurate and creative when necessary! This is how our children learn...by asking and watching and doing. They watch everything we do. Everything! It's only when you are observing your own children that you become aware of some of your own habits!!

For example, Lisa has become aware of her own somewhat obsessive need for organization when she watched Ashlyn line up her Christmas stocking candy on the floor. The scary thing was...Lisa actually appreciated what Ashlyn was doing. Kaleigh dumped hers out in a big pile on the floor (like most people would do) and Ashlyn wanted to organize it for her. Ha ha! Kaleigh has Dwayne's tv-watching habit. It's not that she watches a lot of tv...because we really limit it. It's just that when she does watch it...she is unable to hear anything that you say to her because she becomes a "part" of the program...just like her Daddy. ;)

Dubai Dolphinarium

Today we went to the Dubai Dolphinarium. Lisa was honestly a bit skeptical about the quality of the show and the condition of the animals. These reservations were quickly shattered as we entered the facility. While it's certainly not the size of SeaWorld (just wait...someday it will be...we are sure!) yet, it was a fabulous arena for the three dolphins that perform and the four seals. The dolphin trainers obviously know what they are doing because the show was simply amazing! It was 45 minutes of jumping, dancing, singing, leaping, and ball-throwing/catching dolphins and seals. If you live in Dubai, this is a must see show for animal lovers! We had terrific seats (front row) and even were splashed by the dolphins a couple of times. At one point, one of the dolphins actually painted a picture and it was then auctioned off to the audience for a price much higher than we wanted to pay!! All four of us pretty much smiled and laughed throughout the entire show and just loved it. Fabulous.

London: Day 4 and Ireland: Day 1

Our last morning in London was filled with the very fun activity of re-packing every single suitcase we had…leaving some in London and taking rest to Ireland. High fees for overweight bags forced this action. We had flights booked via RyanAir and evidently almost everyone's bags are considered overweight since their weight limits are fairly light. Lucky for us, our next booked hotel in London allowed us to keep our extra bags (mostly stuff from the US and clothing that we couldn't wear in colder, rainy Ireland) in their luggage room.

The flight to Shannon, Ireland was nice enough. We were a little surprised by the “open seating” aspect of the flight. It basically means first come…first served on seats. Odd but it seemed to work. Also, if you wanted a beverage (even non-alcoholic) or snack on the plane...you had to pay for it. Not that you really need a drink or snack during a flight that lasted less than an hour!! We had rented a minivan at the airport and Dwayne bravely drove on the "wrong" side of the road while Lisa navigated. That was an odd feeling...you are both driving on the other side of the road AND the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. We made it safely to our Bed and Breakfast...the Ashgrove House. It was absolutely lovely and was located on a road that led to the Bunratty Castle and Durty Nellie's. If you ever want to visit the Irish countryside and see the "real" Ireland...stay at this B&B. We had one of the best dinners ever at Durty Nellie’s that night and even took a horse-drawn carriage ride around the Bunratty Castle area.

London: Day 3

Our third day started off properly with an audio-guided tour of the Royal Mews of Buckingham Palace, a brief break at a local eatery for some fish & chips, then off to Buckingham Palace for our 2008 visit. The tour changes every year, and our 2008 tour was much shorter than the one we took during the summer of 2007. We were able to see how they set the grand ballroom for a State dinner (wow)…everything is measured…but weren’t able to show Nana the Queen’s royal jewels (Lisa’s favorite part of last year’s tour). At the end, Kaleigh and Ashlyn drew a picture for the Queen. Their picture was rolled up into a scroll and the attendant tied a small red ribbon onto each one.

We walked back to hotel through St. James’ Park where a marathon session of pigeon chasing ensued with Ashlyn in hot pursuit of the especially plump and slow British pigeons.

Dwayne and Lisa walked down to Piccadilly Circus to catch dinner at Planet Hollywood. Somehow, we got lost on the way back to the hotel…it was a nice diversion onto a street filled with Cartier, Gucci, D&G, etc. You know...a man's worst nightmare. Not that we actually shopped in these stores...but it was nice to look! It was a easy day all-in-all...trying to show Nana the biggest tourist spots in London...in three days...that's a tall order!

London: Day 2

We took an Evan Evans bus tour to Windsor Castle, the town of Windsor, the city of Bath, and Stonehenge. Whirlwind tour may be a better description! It was a lovely way to learn a little bit about each place…say you’ve been there…and make a decision on whether you’d like to invest more time at each place or not. We found out that Nicholas Cage has purchased a villa in Bath and we fell in love with the quaintness and beauty of the area. We visited the Roman Baths…hence the name BATH. We were warned not to touch or drink the water as it is not treated. What did we see as we descended down to the baths? People practically taking a bath in the baths. They are exceedingly hot and smell of sulphur and supposedly still have medicinal powers. We bought a small vial of the water to take home and place next to our St. Augustine water instead. Stonehenge…wow. Not on a hill like we thought, but still just as magnificent. Stonehenge is far out into the countryside, as you would imagine, but the road passes right next to it. We were shocked to see it just outside our bus window! We parked at the car park and we in such awe of the structures as we approached. The reason why we never take tours is this...you are on someone else's time. We did it this time because we had a lot that we wanted to see in one day and this was the most logical way to do it. We were only left with 40 minutes at Stonehenge and we felt exceedingly rushed. We were able to walk around Stonehenge but didn't have the time to sit and gape and reflect as we had dreamed. We will go back one day and are very thankful we were able to see it, nevertheless!

London: Day 1

Well, it is finally time to start our adventure home to Dubai. We are meeting up with Dwayne in London for a few days, then we will all travel to Ireland, back to London for a day, then over to Paris before heading home to Dubai. We met a great family from Charleston SC at the Atlanta Hartsfield Airport. We chatted furiously about Dubai…they had lots of questions and as usual, Lisa enjoyed being a virtual Dubai information officer. Due to mechanical problems (always make you feel confident in the flight, now doesn't it?) and severe weather, our flight left Atlanta at 9:15 pm instead of 6:40 pm. Our 8-hour flight arrived at the Gatwick airport around 10:30 am London time. Instead of settling down for a much needed rest, we headed out for some tourist attractions to get Nana (Dwayne's mom) acclimated to London. We took her over to the London Eye, rode a double decker red bus tour (The Original tour), and finished up our afternoon at the Hard Rock Café (which was good because it was insanely busy every other night we went by there). We stocked up on Hard Rock goodies and continued our “if there’s a Hard Rock..we will come” tradition.

Has it really been a month since the last blog?

Wow...it was definitely an unintended break. Check back soon...there will be lots to talk about!