The Terrace, Dubai

Beyond the grass, across the creek lies a city that was once a desert...

A few weeks ago images for a place called The Terrace started showing up in my Instagram feed. Last weekend I went to check it out and it did not disappoint. 

Equipped with tables, comfortable seating space, coffee, tea and a food truck, you can enjoy these small comforts as you watch one of the most spectacular sunsets in Dubai.

Happy 2016

2015 closed in a very unexpected way...

We were at home as usual to enjoy the Burj Khalifa fireworks with neighbors. As the world knows, before midnight a fire broke out at one of the landmark hotels near the Burj Khalifa.

While we could not see the building due to other skyscrapers in our line of sight, we could see the flames reflecting off the windows of another building.

Completely confused and unexpected, we were not sure if the typical Dubai new year would continue. We turned off our music, got the kids interested in a movie and sat outside waiting to see what would happen. We were relieved to read that all were evacuated.

Much to our surprise, fireworks went off at midnight. They were beautiful. It was bittersweet as we could see the smoke of the hotel in the background.

As one friend summed up, it was a difficult year for many. Many things happened in the world, and for others many personal changes are happening. What a surreal way to close out 2015.


Several weeks ago my son's Boy Scout troop got a chance to go to the fire station and meet some of the Dubai Civil Defense team. It was impressive, and I learned a lot. In particularly, I learned that they do have plans and the ability to respond to these kinds of things. I certainly wish them well and thank them for containing this to the best of their ability.

No resolutions for me for 2016...  2015 closed with another  reminder that we never know what the future holds and life can change in an instant.

I just want to keep doing more, stay healthy and motivated to make a change in the world - even if a small one. My blog hiatus has been a result of focussing on that in the last few months of 2015.

I hope that 2016 will bring a lot of change. Watch this space.

The Realities of Life

It was the second week of second grade.

Things were going well, but it was a sad weekend for the UAE.  As if there was not enough happening on this side of the world, the UAE and some other countries have been clashing with rebels in Yemen. The UAE lost 45 soldiers over that weekend.

This may be the biggest loss of its kind for this 43 year old country - it has been in the several years I have lived here. Officially three days of mourning were observed.

Until now, I have somewhat sheltered my son from the harsh realities of the world. I am very matter of fact with him, but I figure in time he will learn what a challenging place the world is, so let me let him enjoy innocence as long as possible.

The morning after the announcement, he caught a glimpse of a picture in the newspaper I was reading and asked me to go back to it. It was an image of the caskets returning home covered in UAE flags. While we are not citizens, my son was born here and he is quite proud of our residency. He loves the UAE and feels a sense of pride about living here.

He asked me about the picture. I decided it was better he take that step with me than learn it from the playground. So I told him. I explained to him there was a battle in another country and the UAE lost many soldiers.

"How many?" he asked.  When I answered that question his mouth stayed open for a long time as he digested the information. He asked how they died. Unsure how deep to go, I told him it was in a battle and I was not sure.

I went on to explain that this was a very sad day for the UAE and there were three official days of mourning - including 24 hours of classical music or continuous prayer on all radio channels.

Being the curious child that he is, he asked to hear what was on the radio. Our usual morning show we listen to on the way to school was now a continuous stream of classical music.

Thinking he might become too melancholy, I offered to play some music from my phone. "No. It's okay. Leave it." he said.

After several minutes he asked me if the flags would be at half mast.  I hadn't even thought of that, but I told him they probably would be. Sure enough when we arrived at school, all the flags were half mast.

I left school looking at the flags again knowing that this is the day I opened the door to the other part of the world he has yet to be informed about. I barely opened it. It was just a crack, but there are so many things behind that door that we can't hold it closed forever.

.... I wrote the above article the night after this discussion happened, but did not publish it right away.  A few days later, the UAE had another official mourning period. This time not due to a battle, but because Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum lost one of his sons, Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed. May he rest in peace.

My son heard the praying on the radio and asked if it was for the soldiers. When I explained why, he did not ask too many questions this time, but spent more time thinking.... The door ever so slightly cracked a little more.

Flags at half mast in Dubai during the mourning period

Dubai is so Clean!

Last week I went to a Sting concert with friends. One of my friends went to the bathroom (portable) and when she came back she showed us a picture she took of the toilet area because it was so clean. And it was. Spotless.

Fast forward a week later. I am looking for a taxi to go to an area with next to no parking. I find one and as I am walking to get in the car, the driver throws his trash out on the street?! Is he kidding me? Sadly, not.

Instead of getting in the car, I went to his window and asked him if he dropped something perhaps? A little confused he asked what I was talking about. When I refused to get in his taxi until he picked up his trash, he apologized, quickly picked up his trash and put it in a plastic bag he had in the car with other trash.

Despite the amount of people here cleaning, I am always shocked at the amount of trash I see thrown on the ground. I feel it is because they know someone will pick up after them? Or they really have that much disregard for the community and environment? I'm not sure which is worse.

I've seen it in our parking garage. Trash that was obviously thrown out from a car parked in its designated space. I politely pick it up for them and place it on their windshield so they can easily find it when they return.

I know there are a lot of things unfair about what people are paid, but what is unfair is that the society that is paid better contributes to the mess they have to clean up.

As I went for a walk last night, I was reminded of this. Seeing the constant clean up around the construction sites to keep it tidy and then I came across this guy in the picture I took diligently cleaning a garbage can. Wow.

Keep Dubai and the UAE Beautiful. Pick up your trash and teach your kids to do the same.

Safa Park

Safa Park April 2014

My heart broke a bit today.  There is a large canal project that started in Dubai last year that will run right through the city.  There was a lot of discussion when it was presented to the public because the fate of the city's beloved Safa Park was at question.

I read several articles in the local papers, and I seem to recall reading on more than one occasion that the park would remain as is, and the water was going to run next to it.  As of today, I am not so sure.

Foggy Morning Safa Park Field Trip

Every morning as I take my six year old son to school or drive to work I pass the park and witness the progress.  The trees in the parking lot on the Sheikh Zayed Road side where cleared to make way for new roads.  This did not surprise me as I expected the parking lot to go.

Fast forward to today as I drove along the side of the park and there I saw the demolition happening inside the park. How can this be?  I was speechless.

My favorite tree in Safa Park

My son was with me and equally shocked.  He started to talk about how sad many of the trees looked, and began to label them.  "Happy, sad, happy, sad, sad, happy..." The number of sad trees quickly outnumbered the happy ones.  He then realized the fate of the trees along the perimeter and several meters into the park.  These will all be cut down.

I am not a typical tree hugger, but my heart aches a bit to write that sentence.

Safa park was a gathering place for many.  It was representative of Dubai with all the many walks of life and cultures enjoying the largest, urban green space in Dubai.  It has been around since at least the 1970s, maybe longer.  For a country that is only 42 years old, it is an important landmark.

Citizens and residents would go there to meet, enjoy time off with their family, play sports, do yoga, enjoy the new cafe that opened, visit the  market, read a book, take a school trip, and more.  Just a quick Google search for Safa Park and its significance is quickly understood.

Burj Khalifa Overlooking Safa Park

We had my son's birthday party there earlier this year.  He liked it so much he was considering it again for next year.

I see the other areas that Dubai has developed and they are beautiful once finished.  They landscape and care for them well, and there have been many new parks that have come up in the last several years I have lived here.

I appreciate them all, but Safa Park has this unexplainable soul.  As soon as you enter the park gates, there is an energetic calm given off from all the nature there.  Perhaps this is why so many of those trees look sad long before the construction has reached them.  The impact of demolishing one side is felt by the other.  It is very interesting how nature is in synch this way.

Watching my son & husband in Safa Park

Many of the pictures I have seen of the development look nice.  Some look green, which is good, but in the meantime it is heart breaking to watch. As the cooler months set in, and the seasonal birds migrate through they will find their beloved park in a different state.

I feel a little helpless and at a loss for words as I write about this.  I am a resident of Dubai and maybe it is not my place to share this opinion.  Perhaps, but I love that park, its nature and what it represents for Dubai.



So often, I really wish the way forward did not come with a price of something that seemed so perfect in the first place.

Dressing to Drop Off the Kids

Picture from the 7Days article discussing
the school drop off dress code

After I dropped my son off at school today, I had a laugh out loud moment as I listened to the local news on the radio.  A school in Dubai posted a sign addressing what the moms are wearing during school runs.

A colleague and I often joke about this as there are some really attractive moms here.  There are moms from all over the world living in Dubai, and they dress in many different ways.  And yes, there are a few that I have even done a double take on as I venture off to work in my "corporate uniform". Sometimes its a wow, she looks great.  Other times its a wow, I can't believe she wore that!

I totally agree with dressing for the occasion, and while the school run is not what I consider an occasion, I do respect that I live in a place that is not always so casual in it's dress code.

Despite the tolerance here, and probably well over 90% of the families are from elsewhere at my son's school, there are times I have made a conscious choice to modify something.  However, I think I own some dresses in the figure above.  I am sure I have a sundress like the one on the left of the picture.  The others just really aren't my style.  Although the second one could be going to the gym, and that could be me and many other moms on certain mornings.

Thankfully, I have no Captain America t-shrits that show my stomach.  Phew.

I do have skirts and wear a lot of them.  Some above the knee, and a few below the knee.  When I wear the ones below the knee, people keep looking at my stomach to see if I am pregnant!  No one looks at anything when it is a short skirt.

I am not any of the three with straps. My shoulders never offend because I am always so cold from the massive amounts of climate control here. I would not be able to tolerate wearing those without a sweater or shawl.

But in all seriousness, as I've mentioned in other posts about the dress code question before, I get it. But why is this particular discussion always about women?  There is no dress code mentioned for men.

I have seen some dads at drop off that made me think wow, I can't believe he wore that.  Most are heading to work in their standard pants, shirt and ties.  Some in shorts, and that is okay too.  But there have been a few that look like they just rolled out of bed.  I have nothing against rolling out of bed.  I mean, haven't we all just done pretty much exactly that to rush to get our kids to school on time?  However, I think we should roll out and get dressed before we leave the house.

My first request would be can we please ask the dads not to drop their kids off in boxer shorts?  Or shorts that look like boxer shorts?  It is just inappropriate and way more offensive than a sundress.

Here is the 7 Days article

The Sun Set

Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, Park Hyatt Sunset

The sun has set on a relaxing spring break holiday.  We planned to travel abroad last week, but we are so glad we changed our minds at the last minute.

Seeing my husband log more miles than a pilot over the last month, and the need for all of us to get some downtime led me to this suggestion.  Not only did we enjoy a relaxing holiday, but it really reminded us of the beauty that can be found the UAE.

We started on the Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi.  I have posted about this place before, but I never get tired of its crystal clear, blue water.  The water there rivals that of the Maldives.

After a few days we moved to the Eastern Mangroves of Abu Dhabi where we spent one sunrise kayaking through this protected area.  I did not bring my camera.  It was nice to just be a part of nature rather than observing it through a lens.  Once the weather cools down again I will definitely will go back with my camera.

We returned to Dubai and concluded our time off with a trip to Wild Wadi, the oldest of the big water parks in the UAE.  Much to my surprise, Erin is now tall enough to ride the big slides.  He loves it and I see he is a complete thrill seeker.

Tomorrow, instead of watching sunsets, I will see the sun rise as I get up to start the rush to school and work.  I like the sun rise, but it's the madness that follows that will have me wishing I were still in Abu Dhabi enjoying one of these scenes.

Abu Dhabi sunset over the Eastern Mangroves

Abu Dhabi sunset over the Eastern Mangroves

School Buses - You really do need to stop for them

Cars are the latest Social "gadgets" on the market.  Some makers have already started, and I am sure it is not long before we can access Facebook in all cars.  Maybe I am old-fashioned, but do we really need this?

I have a device in my car that can access Facebook.  It is called a phone.  I don't catch up on social media while I am driving, nor do I need to.  If I have to sit at a red-light too long, I may start looking. I put the device down when I start driving again.

I can't help but wonder if this is how people felt when radio was put in cars… assuming there was a time when cars were without radio.

One safety challenge here I will never understand is the failure of people - so far every driver I have seen here - to stop behind a school bus when a child is obviously getting off.   This is a big yellow bus with flashing lights and a stop sign.

Children are exiting the bus, and it is usually curb-side, but it is still drives me mad that people fly past in their cars.

I stop.  People behind me honk.  They proceed to go around me and the bus.  I shake my head.

From his car seat, my six year old asks why this is not safe.  I explain to him that a child could get hit by a car.  I feel incredibly sad that anyone would be in such a hurry to jeopardize a child getting off a school bus.  I hate when the cold reality of carelessness chips away at his innocence as he comes to realize these things.

I wonder how he perceives it.  Why would an adult not stop for a child? He is at the age where he still believes most adults are kind and good.  Does it sadden him a bit to know people do not care.

As a young diabetic, he does not ride the bus yet.  Someday he might.  This issue will only add to my hesitation to let him ride the bus too soon.

Articles I have read state it is punishable with a fine.  I'm not sure how many are fined.   I just really hope more people will stop.

Please stop for buses.. and pedestrians too while we're at it.

Rant over.

More from the Dubai Light Festival

Here are a few more images from the Dubai Light Festival last week.  

We had a good rain the day before I went out.  While the desert can be dusty, we seem to have the clearest puddles.  Although they would be a nuisance, I wish they would stay around a little longer than one day.

Dubai Festival of Lights

Dubai Festival of Lights

Palace Hotel, Dubai Festival of Lights

The Dubai Festival of Lights

Dubai Festival of Lights

Dubai Festival of Lights

Today concludes the Dubai Festival of Lights.  Downtown Dubai, which is pretty well lit already, had an exhibit of various light installations for nine days.

If you missed it, and you are not going to the World Cup Tomorrow, or the Cavalia show, or Lord of the Dance, or one of the many other activities crammed into the good weather months here, you can enjoy Earth Hour festivities in the same area tomorrow evening at 8:30pm.

Dubai Festival of Lights

Lucy and Tom Cruise

A Sunbird in it's nest in Dubai

What do Lucy and Tom Cruise have in common?

They both survived the most epic sand storm ever in Dubai - only Lucy's was the real deal.  Tom's was cinema production.  He did his own stunt on the Burj Khalifa, so I guess we can forgive the fake sandstorm.

I have enjoyed having Lucy around, and she is now used to me.  She flies up across the table and checks me out as I work outside.  She is always cautious but I feel privileged that she goes on about her business as I am in close proximity tending to mine.  I like to think she appreciates that I open the door to greet her in the morning.  Or I could just be crazy bird lady.

I am pretty sure I saw Lucy settle in her nest and lay eggs last week.  I am only guessing this because I question a bird that sits in the nest and breathes deeply with its mouth open.  She doesn't strike me as a bird that snores.

We had a very strong storm in Dubai last week that included intense rain that even resulted in hail in some areas.  After a few windy days, the grande finale blew through before it could start, but it left an impression.  So much that I received an email from my father tonight informing me that some friends were inquiring about Lucy and wondering if she survived the storm.

I was going to hold off on Lucy posts until we had babies, but since there is global concern for her welfare, I am happy to report that Lucy is alive and well.  Hopefully if she has eggs they are not scrambled, but she is fine and the nest is in tact.

Her nest was swinging like an amusement park ride all weekend, but it held on.  I only lost all my little pomegranate buds from the tree.

If you want to see the local video that was taken of the storm, you can click here to watch it.  It is pretty impressive.  If you look carefully, you may see Tom Cruise trying to out run it.

The Dervish in the Desert

What do you get when you shoot a dervish who has lights all over his outfit during a tourist show?  A spinning top.

A real dervish is not lit, nor is it about entertainment.  The spinning that dervishes do might be best described as a meditation related to Sufism.

I am not a Sufi scholar, but I once read this is a symbolic imitation of the planets orbiting the sun. There are many references out there for Sufism if you wish to read more. If you want to enjoy it in fictional content, then I highly suggest Elif Safak's The Forty Rules of Love.  

The only dervishes I have ever seen in Dubai are in shows like this that focus on a performance.

So for now I leave you with a couple of images of dervish light painting that I took last month at a business outing in the desert.

A Whirling Dervish show in the desert in Dubai

A Whirling Dervish show in the desert in Dubai

Cirque Du Soleil - Michael Jackson - One Leg and Life Lessons

Tonight I took my son to see the Cirque Du Soleil Michael Jackson show in Dubai.  It was fun, amazing, inspiring, reflective and entertaining.  There were some of the usual acrobatics and other acts we are used to seeing in a Cirque show, but this one was focussed on capturing the essence of Michael Jackson through dancing, his lyrics and music.

The show was very moving in several places and also covered many favorites and did these well. The dancing, choreography and production where fantastic.

What most moved me in this show was a one legged dancer.  I saw him in the opening and I first thought he was a regular dancer using crutches as a prop.  I later realized this was a real one legged dancer.

I did a quick internet search, and learned his name is Jean Sok.  He does not focus on the why or how he lost his leg at the age of 15, nor does he need to.  He is amazing and proved himself in several numbers.  An article says he moved Jackson's choreographer to tears at his audition, and I can see why.  He certainly moved me to tears.

There are a lot of good messages and discussions I expect to have with my son as a result of his curiosity about show - respect for nature, respect for each other, the importance of children and having a dream.  However, if he took away anything from this entertaining evening, I hope that Sok left an impression on him.

This morning I read an article about a woman running for a Senate seat in the US.  She allegedly dropped out of the race because one of her children has been diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes.  A diabetic organization in my Facebook feed asked the question, "What advice would you give her?"

As the parent of a Type 1 child, there are many things I could say.  Many people responded "one day at a time".  There is a lot of truth in that.  It can be extremely overwhelming.

If I were to answer that question now, I would tell her to take her child to see the Cirque Michael Jackson show and look for the one legged dancer.

Sometimes a perceived obstacle is not a road block.  Tell your Type 1 child that this is just one of those things, and even though they are diabetic they can still achieve anything they put their mind to. Never think that you "can't" and never think that your "disease" or condition will get in the way of your dreams.

Jean Sok - you rocked it.

Happy New Year

Burj Khalifa 2014 New Year

December was a good month, but super busy.  While my head exploded with observations, I was not able to post at all.  After the weekend of Thanksgiving and National Day we worked a lot to wrap up the year, but had a lot of fun and good times with friends in Dubai.

I think I could also contribute my lack of posting for the fair amount of time required to do the holiday things that need to be done to make it special for my son… and that is never a bad thing.  It was a lot of fun and many great memories were created.

Once again, it was very difficult to leave the comfort of home and company of great neighbors to take in the fireworks anywhere else.  If there was a time to do it, this would have been the year to conquer the crowds as Dubai is now the world record holder for the largest firework display.

After a busy day of shopping, cooking and doing some much needed organization, I insisted to get in one last run before the new year.  Sometime after 6:00pm I ventured out into the streets around Burj Khalifa.

Much of my route was closed for obvious reasons, but I took on a new obstacle course instead. Hundreds of people were multiplying exponentially in the streets to find the best place to enjoy the show.  There I found myself dodging people from all walks of life, different religions, countries and languages - a multi-cultural obstacle course.  One of the beauties of Dubai.

If you haven't seen the firework shows on Youtube yet, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Palm shows.  The videos are pretty amazing and one local photographer I follow noted that it was really difficult to do it justice.

I wish everyone a happy and healthy new year.

UAE National Day - Not just for Emirates

Fireworks in Celebration of the Expo2020 Win in Dubai

Last weekend was very eventful for Dubai.  On Wednesday, November 27th, Expo 2020 was awarded to the Emirate.  The city celebrated, and fireworks entertained us from the Burj Khalifa. This was a great kick off to the long holiday weekend for UAE National Day.  Only 42 years ago, the UAE became a nation, and now it has been selected to host an Expo - quite an achievement.

All this happened to fall on American Thanksgiving weekend, so we were full on at home.  From me briskly walking for a good 20 or so minutes with two 6+kg (9-pound) turkeys to catch the Expo fireworks to my two day cooking extravaganza, there was a lot to celebrate and be thankful for.

While the actual National Day was on December 2nd, a lot of us in the private sector were off on Sunday and worked on Monday.  That evening, I finally took my son for much needed shoe shopping.

We went to one of the smaller shopping malls here, and were pleasantly surprised to find a central area with locals showing off local crafts - net making, basket weaving, henna painting and singing. In another area was a large table with National Day accessories like scarves, bracelets, flags, and pins.

My son very much wanted a pin with a picture of HH Sheikh Mohamed, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and the Ruler of Dubai; HH Sheikh Hamdan, the Crown Prince of Dubai, and HH Sheikh Khalifa the President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi.  It was small so I gave him some money to buy it - and after all it was National Day.

My son was so excited to put the pin on right away.  He walked around proudly with his chest out for all to see.  He had a sweater on that he zipped up, but immediately had to open because it covered his UAE badge.  On the way out we watched some local dancing and drumming, and he danced the entire way back to the car.

As we went to dinner, I kept thinking about how proud he was of his new purchase.  I thought about the thousands of children living here like my son, who are not local, but were born here.  This is the only home they know.  They all know they descend from parents who are not local, but this is the place they call home.

Like those other children growing up here, he loves the UAE and Dubai.  When we travel and he sees an Emirates flag on the airplane he is incredibly excited.  And when people ask where he is from, Dubai is included in that explanation.

He doesn't quite know what an Expo is, but he was excited it was awarded to Dubai.  I am sure this will be a holiday he does not forget - a celebration of Expo and the UAE, Thanksgiving and we even put up our Christmas tree early.  How can a child not love a country that can offer him the ability to do all of this in one weekend.

Congratulations and Happy Birthday to the UAE - our home away from wherever "home" is…

Fireworks in Celebration of the Expo2020 Win in Dubai

My Third Culture Kid

I think one of the allures for expat living is all the travel potential.  So, when a long, three day holiday falls in the middle of the week, it is a great opportunity.

During this last holiday, we went to Thailand.  While we were checking into our hotel, I watched my son start a conversation with a young teenager and his parents in the lobby.  When I went to help him wrap up his conversation so we could get to our room, the man proceeded to tell me that my son was confused about where he was from.

He kind of gave me that look with it too.  You know, the one where you speak about a child, but the child is within ear distance so you raise your eyebrows so the child cannot hear what you are discussing.  Yes, THAT look.

"Really, how so?" I ask.  I admit, I knew what was coming next, but I had to ask anyway.  Maybe the inquisitive eyebrow made me do it, but it was probably my own curiosity.

"Well, he says he is from America. Turkey. And Dubai?"

My response?  I smiled and confirmed,  "It's True."

Just as Third Culture Kids, or TCKs as they are sometimes referred to, have a challenge to explain, or they feel it is too long to explain, I sometimes feel the same.  Not that I don't want to explain, but "Where are you from?" can be a loaded question.

The man understood, but no one could be as thrilled as I was about that conversation.  I love that my son loves America, Turkey, and Dubai. The first time I asked him where he was from when he was about 3 years old, his answer was Istanbul, Texas.

He loves them all equally, and perhaps Dubai just a little bit more because this is where his home is. He is like a spokes person for Emirates because he is always giddy with excitement whenever he sees that flag painted on the tail of the airplane as we head home.

So where are you from?  Where is home?  Maybe we are confused.

There is a nice film on the internet that interviews several TCKs called Where is Home?  During the discussion, one of the kids answers that question with "Home is where you want to be."  Dubai. Home Sweet Home...

Pink Day in Dubai

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month - including Dubai.

Today was Pink Day at my son's school to raise awareness for breast cancer.  Instead of their uniform, they can wear a pink shirt.  There is also a bake sale and donations can be made to a local breast cancer charity.  It is a very important cause.

Last year my son did not inquire about pink day, nor did he mind that he did not have a pink shirt. He did not mind again this year that he does not have a pink shirt, but he did ask more about it's meaning.

As we walked from our car to the entrance, we talked about it.

"Mommy, what is pink day?"
"It is to raise awareness for breast cancer."
"What is breast cancer?"
"It is a disease that women can get in their boobs and it is important to go for check-ups so if someone does have it, it is detected early."
"Why?"
"Well, then if you need you can get medicine, or have a small surgery and then get better."

I thought this was a pretty big explanation already, but being the inquisitive child that he is, he keeps going deeper into the subject.

"What if you don't go to the doctor?"
I never try to hide the truth in these discussions.  I do try to make it age appropriate, but yet this was a pretty serious subject.
"Well, you could die.  So this is why it is important to get regular check-ups.  I have had quite a few friends that have had breast cancer and they got better because they had check-ups, and saw a doctor that helped them."
"So does everyone wearing a pink shirt have breast cancer?"
"No sweetie, it only effects adults."
"Ya, because children are too young to die."

******

In addition to the need to ask the school if they had an age appropriate program to introduce this subject to the primary school children, it also got me thinking about all my friends that have survived breast cancer.  They are also young, and I am happy to say doing very well.

Make sure you do regular self-exams and get mammograms.  If you haven't done it yet this year, schedule it today.

And for that matter, not just breast check-ups - prostrate, wellness, whatever.  Get a regular check-up.

An Urban Yoga session in Safa Park in Dubai.  All proceeds that day went to
Breast Cancer Arabia 

Eid Mubarak - We have Moon!

Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi

After what seems like quite some deliberation over moon sitings, Ramadan is now officially over in Dubai and the Gulf.

Ramadan and Eid are based on moon sitings.  In this part of the world, official scholars still look for the new moon to call the end of Ramadan.  In other parts of the world, they do not use scholars, but plan it scientifically based on what I assume are trends and technology.

I used to think that was reasonable.  From an economic perspective you can plan.  Businesses know when to close, people know when to travel, etc.  Imagine the potential chaos in the West if we waited for a moon to call Christmas.

After reading an article this morning in the local newspaper, the Gulf News, I get it.  They interviewed an islamic scholar who talked about how everyone in his village used to go to the banks of the Euphrates to look for the moon.  It was an exciting time.

He then went on to talk about the birth of his grand-daughter.  It was fantastic, but yet expected because due to science everyone already knew it was a girl.  As someone who did not learn what I was having when pregnant, I could totally relate to that feeling of not wanting science to spoil the surprise.

Eid Mubarak, Seker Bayram Kutlu Olsun

Yoga & Art in Dubai

For those of you in Dubai during these hot summer months, there is a not so secret great spot for yoga happening in DIFC.  XVA Gallery has opened its doors to host yoga a few times a week to Urban Yoga, the same group that can be found in Safa Park during the winter months.

The location is really convenient for me so I tried it for the first time last Saturday and again tonight.  It is very good, and there is something for all levels there.

So while its too hot to be outside at the beach, at least you can surround yourself in art as you practice.

My Heart Belongs to the Sea by Jonathan Gent, XVA Gallery, Dubai

Pomegranate

Last winter I bought a pomegranate tree from a garden center nearby.  They were priced so low it had to be a mistake.  Pomegranates are my favorite fruit, and I was actually a bit sad the tree got cheated compared to the price of the neighboring olive and lemon trees.  How could anyone downgrade this amazing tree!

I bought a few trees and gave the extras to my friends nearby that have gardens.  I actually have a fruit growing on my tree.  Impressive as it is extremely hot in Dubai now, and pomegranate season is in the fall.

Some search reveals that they have been around for thousands of years.  They are symbolic in many religions and often represent life, fertility, or prosperity.

For me, they represent Turkey.  Pomegranates can be found in many works of Turkish and Ottoman art, and they grow abundantly throughout the country.  And when in season, they were a staple in my diet.

I have nothing really significant to say.  I just really like my tree and its little pom - oh, and my macro lens.