Newspapers in Abu Dhabi

Because I live in an Arab country does not mean I do not have access to world news. Abu Dhabi certainly does not have a shortage of newspapers and magazines. The United Arab Emirates printed media includes several English and Arabic language daily newspapers, as well as a large number of weekly and monthly periodicals. These are easily purchased in all local bookshops and supermarkets, as well as hotel shops just like in any other city in the world. Most foreign newspapers and periodicals are also widely available in the United Arab Emirates.

Some of the English newspapers available are The National, Khaleej Times, Emirates Business, and Gulf News (to which we subscribe). The Al Khaleej and the Al Bayan are widely read Arabic newspapers.

I find reading the paper here to be a very interesting experience as I find it quite different from the USA. First, I believe the paper reports more "real" global news. Living outside the USA, one discovers just how filtered the news is in the US. One finds out that so much more is going on in the world on a global level when listening to news broadcasts or reading newspapers in foreign countries.

The Gulf News is a good newspaper printed on slick copy which means ink does not rub off on the hands and one can actually touch clothes and body parts without getting fingerprints everywhere. Of course, several pages are devoted to local news in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Then, they have news from the Gulf region. But what I find interesting is they have a section devoted to the Americas, one to Europe, one to India, one to the United Kingdom, one to the Phillippines, one to Asia, and one to Pakistan. I think the coverage is more than adequate. I do think they are a bit biased at times. They have a large two page editorial section. As in the US, the editorials lean heavily in one direction. They usually have a couple of editorials devoted to local issues going on in the city, and then of course, the rest are long political diatribes. I often chuckle when I read these editorials.

For instance, Tuesday's paper had a long editorial on how Gaddafi (Libya's president)should be treated with respect and how he was snubbed at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He called the war in Iraq "the mother of all evils" and "a violation of the UN charter without any justification", and asked for an investigation (which the editorial advocated). Apparently he was noticeably snubbed by the White House and other UN delegates with people not showing up to hear his address to the Assembly while others walked out during it. Then, there was another one on how the British prime minister is on a downward spiral of political decay. And to make matters worse, NBC's Brian Williams had the audacity to ask Brown about his eyesight in a televised interview. Saving face is very important to the Arab culture so this did not sit well I guess.

Also, this past weekend President His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attended a luncheon to celebrate the wedding of his daughter to the son of King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa of Bahrain (whew-----they always refer to these Sheikhs with their full name and their official titles. Sometimes the whole paragraph consists of just the names alone!) They had all these photos in the paper showing the various dignitaries at the banquet----Shaikh Mohammad and the groom shaking hands and the Shaikh welcoming him into the family; the young groom chatting with other young Shaikhs who attended; and photos of the different royalty (the Sheikhs) who attended. I found it most interesting that there was not one photo of the bride, the mother of the bride, or any women at all. They were not even mentioned by name, only the reference to the daughter as a bride. When you are introduced to an Emirati, you are not suppose to ask about his wife or children or any of the women in his family. It is considered rude and a breach of protocol. It is customary for him to mention them only if he desires to do so. So you cannot chit chat and say things like "...and what does your wife do? ....or how many kids do you have?....... So I guess this rule is followed in the news as well. The royal women are not discussed in the paper. They would be covered up in abayas (the long black garment) and shaylas (the head covering) and veils anyway so we wouldn't be able to see them. Maybe that is why they do not put them in the paper----it wouldn't do any good because you wouldn't be able to see them!

As anywhere else in the world, they have a Sports section too!!!! They mostly discuss Futball (Soccer) and Cricket. The World Cricket games were played recently and Sri Lanka was in the finals. My maid was glued to the TV for a couple of days. They also cover American Pro Football, Baseball, Golf, and Tennis. As anywhere else in the world, Sports is big business. Local sportings interests include Arabian Horses, Camel Races, and Falcons. The Arabs love their Arabian stallions and have big horse shows and sales. They are often televised. They also have Camel Races nearby in the city. I can't wait to see that!!! By the way, they do not bet here. Gambling is not allowed. The Arabs also love to raise Falcons and have competitions. How they compete is a mystery to me. I passed by one of my neighbor's houses the other day and saw a beautiful Falcon tethered in the front yard. The City is excited about the new Formula One race coming up in November. They are building a special racetrack for it and everyone is crossing their fingers that it will be finished in time. It is a huge sporting event that is drawing a large celebrity type crowd. Of course, the average person cannot afford to attend. The tickets are outrageous.

The business section is like any other one. Talks of stock markets all over the world. Lately, this section has been riddled with articles about the bank's role in the global economic crisis. Apparently, credit card companies all over the world are doing the same things as they do in the US. Credit has been very loose here as well. The articles are full of the need to do proper risk assets and the banks all over the region are experiencing big losses. They are sayings the UAE is gearing up for a strong revival and that investors will be back in the game in this area very soon. Investor confidence is climbing here. The section is also full of bad news from the US on unemployment and the plight of social security.

So all-in-all I am satisfied that I am keeping up with the global news. I do feel a little bit out of touch with the US National news. Some of that is my own fault. I could watch Fox News and CNN and stay up with it. I just don't sit down and watch much television----unless it's Dancing With The Stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FOOD IN ABU DHABI

Shopping for food in Abu Dhabi is not much different than in the US since they import so many US products as well as all the good stuff from Europe. The grocery stores are like Super Walmarts or Kmarts (called Lulu's Hypermarket & Carrefour [a french chain store found throughout Europe]. They also have smaller chain stores that resemble the small town grocery stores we used to have ---not even the size of the Winn Dixie or Publix. They are more the size of the grocery store I used to go to when growing up in Adel, Georgia called Jarmon's or Carson Taylor's. Although they are not locally owned and operated and are chain stores, they still have that same feel because they are smaller and have cozier vegetable sections, etc. These little stores are called Abela's and Spinney's. These stores have a small deli, bakery, and bread department that have a charming variety of cheeses, olives, deli style meats, a large variety of fresh breads, and "made ready" foods for take out. Most of the fruits, dairy, and meats are labled as to where they are grown or processed. I like this very much. It's much like shopping for vidalia onions or Georgia peaches or Florida oranges.

Most of the fruits and vegetables I buy are grown in the neighboring regions. I have purchased Gala apples from Lebanon and some from Chile. I bought potatoes grown in Lebanon. Lots of the tropical fruits come from Sri Lanka or India such as mangoes and kiwi. I purchased a mango the other day grown in Kenya. I purchased some fabulous strawberries yesterday but I am not sure where they came from. Broccoli and lettuce are usually from Holland. (you have to be careful of the leafy vegetables in this region as they use "natural" fertilizers and many of these products are not cleaned very well before use----which can result in terrible gastric issues and strange organisms growing in your intestines!) I purchased some from peaches from Turkey (much like our yellow cling peaches only not quite as tasty) and made peach cobbler the other day.

One of the most interesting things I have noticed is the difference in the size of chicken and eggs. Our poultry products are sooooo laced with growth hormones that the size of our chickens and eggs are really abnormal. Here a whole chicken looks kind of like the size of the small game hens we buy for special occasions in the US. That is really what chickens look like. We are so used to buying these stoked up poultry products that we forget how a regular chicken really look.s The stores also sell a lot of organically grown products.

The size of sandwich bread slices are considerably smaller. Bread only lasts a couple of days. Sometimes it is unbelievably hard just sitting on the shelf. The best time to buy it is when they are putting it out on the shelf. They have all kinds of breads---sandwich, which are sliced loaves; pita bread or pocket bread; whole grains; something called milk bread; french baquettes; butter sticks which look a lot like hot dog buns only not sliced open; crossaints; and many more types.

Also, the dairy products and bread lack the preservatives we are so accustomed to in the US. So milk lasts only four days. I can get Skim milk here but I have to often search through the shelf to find it. The containers are written in Arabic on one side and English on the other! Goes to show you how multi-cultural this area has become. In much the same way as when we lived in Italy, shopping has to be done at least every two or three days. Buying large quantities of fresh items just doesn't pay. You can't expect it to last all week. I think the price is very decent for milk at $2.72 for 2 liters which is a little over 1/2 gallon. In Hawaii, prices for milk were around $6.00 a gallon on the economy.

I have also noticed that the oils---olive oil and vegetables oils---seem much greasier than in the US. All my foods turn out heavy with oil and have an oiler taste than what I am accustomed to. Of course, this is what I grew up with but have weaned myself from over the years in an effort to eat healthier.

Lots of the USDA products also carry a much higher price tag than the regional products. Cheeses can be very expensive if purchased prepackaged (such as Kraft) and shredded. So I go to the deli section and select my cheese. I have them shred or slice what I need. The same goes for deli meats.

One thing you don't want to do is purchase local beef. Apparently their slaughter houses are not the best and don't have the same inspection standards. Everyone warned me first thing to stay away from locally processed meats. All the grocery stores offer beef and veal from Brazil, New Zealand, and Australia. The cuts are the same as US but the price is actually a little better. One thing you cannot find is "ground beef." You must buy the beef cubes and tell them to mince it. They do not understand grind---you have to say minced. I bought 1 kilos (which is about 2lbs) of minced beef for a little over $5.00. That works out to about $2.50 a pound. Not bad!

Of course, grocery stores do not sell pork here because they do not eat it. Pork is considered unclean. However, Spinney's has a pork room in the back of the store where it is not so noticeable. One can buy pork to your heart's desire. It is expensive but a decent pork counter. And VERY BUSY! I guess the stores had to do something to cater to all the expatriates that shop in the stores.

There is a huge disparity on prices here. You can definitely say that American products are a little more but it is hard to identify why such products are so expensive. For example, Post's Honey Bunch of Oats cereal costs around $8.00 for a standard size box of 18 oz. The leading competitor by Nestle called Fitness, which is a whole grain cereal much the same as the Post brand, costs around $4.00 for a box near 13 oz. So sometimes you have to decide if you like a product enough to pay the more expensive prices. I typically will pay the higher price for Bounty Paper Towel or a small jar of Vlasic baby dills or Cirio tomatoes just because they are my favorite, tried-and-true brands. I am willing to step out on a limb though and try some of the other products in order to save some pennies and to experience something new. The other day I paid $8.00 for a small one-person sized Tony's frozen pizza. Some days you just don't care how much it costs, you want something familiar.

Another thing that has been surprising is the low cost of Coca Cola and water. In Europe, a glass of coke was outrageous and a bottled water also. Yesterday I bought a six pack of canned Coke Light (Diet Coke) for 6.00 dirhams which about $1.50. I bought SIX cans for the same price as we would pay for ONE coke. Water is just as crazy. I bought a SIX pack of small 12 oz bottles of water for 1.25 dirhams which is less than 50cents. We purchased a bottled water stand and have bottled water delivered to our house. I pay 7.00 dirhams a bottle which is about $1.50. When I say bottle, I mean the big jugs that hold at least 3 gallons of water. It might even be 5 gallons. I am not sure. I'm not too good with measurements and the bottles are not marked. You are encouraged not to drink the water straight from the spigot here as they use desalinated water. Even though the salt is extracted from the water, there is a small salt content, which is not good for your health. It can cause gall stones and kidney stones, I hear. It also makes your hair feel like straw!

Finding a housemaid in Abu Dhabi

Having a housemaid is quite normal in Abu Dhabi because labor is so cheap in this country. Most apartments and houses have a maid's quarters attached albeit lots are them are like a closet with a wash room. The Emirati definitely have housemaids, sometimes several of them, along with the gardener and driver. Their houses are so huge they must have help to maintain them.

We initially planned to have a part-time housekeeper several times a week when we thought we were getting the apartment downtown. After the Embassy changed our housing assignment to a Villa, we begin to think maybe we wanted someone full time. Then after seeing the Villa's size and the neatly tucked away maid's quarters off the kitchen, we decided to take the plunge into a live-in housemaid arrangement.

Employing a housemaid in Abu Dhabi can be easy or daunting depending on how you look at it. There are lots of rules to follow, which are basically labor laws for the protection of the employee. It's muddling through these laws so you stay inside the law that is a little daunting. And, of course, the law is routinely broken by everyone.

The law says if you employ a full time live in maid you must sponsor her into the country on a work visa. She is suppose to work for you and you only. This is where it gets a bit tricky as everyone routinely hires people on a part-time basis who are sponsored by other people and living and working in someone else's home. Their employers allow them to work outside in order to earn more money. However, this practice is clearly against the law. BUT everyone does it.
So we decided to hire a live in and sponsor her and have her work only for us. This way we do not do anything that jeopardizes John's position at work.

The basic hiring rules are follows:

The State Treasury taxes annually the equivalent of the annual salary of the maid. The maid must be paid a minimum of 400 Dirhams (the equivalent of $108)a month. You are free to pay more, of course. Most people claim a minimal amount on the tax forms so they don't have to pay as much tax! You must pay the sponsorship fee, initiate all the paperwork, provide a health card and pay the health card fee of 600 Dirhams annually, and provide accomodations. She can either live in your home or you can provide additional salary to cover the cost of her own accomodations. You are also legally required to provide airfare home at least once every two years. An Employment Agreement for Domestic Workers and Sponsors must be signed and filed with some agency (not sure who because the Embassy is taking care of all of this for us). The health card entitles her to public health care which I think is a good thing.

Most of the Europeans, Canadians, and Americans pay well above the minimum salary. The standard seems to be between 1,200 and 2,000 dirham depending on your requirements. It also seems that certain nationalities demand higher salaries than others. Only women from India, Sri Lanka, the Phillippines, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and Indonesia can be legally hired into the country. Of course, experience, maturity, and language capabilities enter into the salary process as well. We decided to base our salary kind of in the middle of the road since we do not have children (most of the maids also act as nannies for those with children) and we are providing nice accomodations. We also based our decision on the personal circumstances of the person we were going to hire.

Lots of these women come to this country to work in order to help support their families in their homeland. They are often supporting younger siblings and putting them through school; or aging parents; or their family has faced some kind of financial hardship such as job loss or illness. We interviewed many who were sending most of their money back home for one reason or another. Sadly but the little bit of money they are making here is a far cry better than what they can make in their own country. Most of these countries are poor and uneducated. The ones who are educated and can speak some English are good candidates to work overseas so they try to get domestic work in the Arab countries. Unfortunately, the Arabs do not pay them as well and many do not necessarily treat them in the same manner we treat them. The Arabs have a reputation of working them long hours for little money and treating them like second class citizens. The housemaids love to work for the Europeans and Americans because they treat them fairly and take good care of them financially.

So after interviewing multiple maids (they come out of the woodwork when they find out you are looking for someone---they share information among themselves), we settled on a Sri Lanken lady named "Shirly". I have laughed a lot about coming across the globe to hire a maid named Shirly. I interviewed Ramya, a Sri Lanken who we really wanted to hire but she had a better offer financially; Kulet, a Filipino girl who also went by Anna Lynn (they change their name sometimes to Western names). We liked Kulet but she did not have much experience. She was sending money back home to help younger siblings finish school. We met Ramesha, a young 23 year old Sri Lanken, who was leaving her employer because she could not handle their unruly children. She was an excellent candidate. However, Ramesha wants to get married next year and bring her husband here from Sri Lanka. She wanted him to live in too. Some people do that but we just were not comfortable with that arrangement. Judith, a sophisticated Filipino woman, had all the right requirements, experience, good English, etc. I just didn't think I could ask her to "work" for me. She looked like she belonged in my social circle. I was afraid I would hesitate to ask her to do things. We also considered Meesay, an Ethiopian girl who was working for a French family that got into financial trouble and left the country very quickly. They kind of left her behind with no money or food in the fridge. Their neighbors took pity on her and hired her until she could find a job. They actually gave her a great referral. We didn't like her because she was a little bossy---telling us what we were suppose to give her and such. That was trouble waiting to happen. Then, there was my favorite little lady named Pyanga (Pee-yong-guh). We tried to hire Pyanga and had her come work for a day or two to try her out. She spoke very little English and she really tried. Her sister also works here and was trying to help her get a position with a good family. Pyanga had worked for the Arabs for ten years and wanted to get in with the American families. However, some of her skills were just not up to speed. With a lot of work, Pyanga would have made a great maid after devoting a lot of time to training her. She was also very joyful and humble.

Then we met Shirly. Shirly was a friend of Ramya, the one we offered a job to and took something else. Shirly called us and right away we knew she was a good choice. She speaks English, Arabic, and several dialects of Indian which is a huge asset here. She has worked for several Embassy families and came with a good reference. ( Her family was leaving to go back to the US. ) She cooks as well. She loves dogs which is huge for us. She is mature and all her children are grown and independent. Two of them live and work in Dubai so she can see them frequently. She is jolly. She is clean and neat.

Shirly already loves us and has bonded with Graziella. She loves her digs. She has a 8 x 16 sq ft room right off of our kitchen with her own bathroom. The bath is tiny and houses our washer and dryer (this is commonplace). She has her own entrance so she can come and go out the back without disturbing us. I like it that she does not have to walk through the house to go out. We fixed her room up nice with a bed, dresser, and wardrobe. She has a chair and table for relaxing and we installed Sri Lanken cable for her so she can get her favorite Sri Lanken channels.

In addition to her salary, we provide her food, accomodations, and taxi fare when she is going somewhere for us. She gets up and starts her day early every morning and has done the majority of her work by lunchtime. She delights in Graziella and volunteers to take her outside and look after her as needed. She is enjoying our cooking sessions in the kitchen as I show her our favorite dishes. She calls John "the boss" and me "madam" and is very interested in meeting our every need. John is loving having all his clothes ironed---she even irons his underwear! Everything is neat and clean all the time. She has been a godsend with the maintenance people since most of them are Indian or Sri Lanken. She has been wonderful about translating our wishes to them. She has been most helpful with the Arabic speaking cable people!

When it came time to make our decision, my heart wanted Pyanga so I could help her become a better housemaid. I agonized over it and would see little Pyanga's face everytime I thought about not hiring her. John left the decision up to me as he liked both Shirly and Pyanga. So it came down to whether I wanted to make an emotional decision or a business decision. The business decision finally prevailed. I thought about it long and hard. I asked myself "what if I were back at the bank hiring an employee to work in the loan department?" Wouldn't I want someone who was fully capable with a solid skill set over someone who I had to spend lots of time training to make them qualified for the job? I would not even question what candidate got the job at the bank. It would absolutely be the person who was most qualified. In this case, Shirly was most qualified.

I still see Pyanga's face on occasion and it tugs at my heart. She was really very sweet and had a quiet spirit. (She was quiet because she didn't understand much!) I just felt like Shirly was right for us. She really has filled the bill.

By the way, I asked Shirly about her name. I figured she changed it to a western name. She said it was her real name and showed me her passport and visa. There it was: Shirly Fernando. She told me her father worked for a British family when he was young and the wife was named Shirly. He loved the name so much he named her that when she was born. I was a little disappointed that she didn't have some funky sounding Indian name that was a mile long and shortened to something cute and different sounding like Poonam or Pushpu or Chongra or Meesay. Somehow Shirly doesn't sound quite as charming. But she is charming!

Abu Dhabi Taxis

Every cab ride is always an adventure in Abu Dhabi! Actually the main source of transportation is a taxi if you do not have a car. Some months ago a new bus system started and I understand it is good. Originally it was free but I think they now charge a very small fee of 2 dirhams(about 60 cents).

There are two types of taxis in Abu Dhabi, the little white and gold ones called "old taxi" by the locals, and the newer, mid-sized silver ones. The silver ones usually have a taxi driver that is is uniform and does not smell bad. They also always have air-conditioning, which is a very good thing in the summer months. The old taxis are usually driven by Pakistani or Egyptians in native clothing, stink to high heaven, are dirty, and have no air conditioning. More importantly, the drivers are more often than not "off the clock" trying to make a buck and will not turn on their meter (which is against the law in the UAE). They charge big prices for short distances and are often filled to capacity with "workers." The Embassy (and everyone else) warns us to stay away from these taxis unless you are desperate and then make sure you ask them if they have a meter---which means you demand they turn it on before you sit down in the car. If they refuse, you don't get in.

I did have one experience with the "old taxi" when our housing person flagged one down for me (trying to help me out so he would not have to drive me back to the hotel in the opposite direction from where he wanted to travel----home) and because I wanted to be POLITE (something we southern girls have such a hard time not being), I would not turn it down. I got in, took off-----which was a big mistake--- and THEN asked about the meter. Of course, he told me "meter not work." Big lie. "Turn on the meter," I said. "It is against the law." He continued to tell me "meter not work" as he barreled along the highway muttering along the way about how he was going to charge me 20 dirhams because he had to wait (the Embassy guy had the bright idea of flagging down a taxi BEFORE he hurriedly showed me the house and made the taxi wait outside). Not happy, but in a residential neighborhood with no idea how to get back to the main road for a taxi, I had to stay in the taxi until we arrived near a place where I knew I could get another. I saw Carrefour up ahead and told him to take me to Carrefour. I promptly got out of the car and told him I was going to report him to the authorities---which I did. Sometimes if you punch in 999 (direct to police station) in your cell phone and show it to them with your finger poised on the call button, they will start the meter. Not this guy! So, I got a free ride to Carrefour and hopped another taxi.

The silver taxis are the best bet with nice taxi drivers who want to get you where you want to go without any problems from their boss. Most of them are well-dressed in their uniform, turn the meter on promptly, insist you wear a seat belt, and try to make a little conversation along the way. They are usually Sri Lanken or Indian and speak decent English, some better than others. I now have a list of about ten taxi drivers with their names, cell phone, and cab number so I can call them directly to request a ride. Their cab number is very important, I learned. I called one once to pick me up at the mall, came outside, and discovered about 20 cabs coming and going. I had no idea which one was mine!!!! I had to call him to find out where he was in the line! I compiled this list from the ones I felt were nice, clean taxis and good drivers. I had one the other day that had his left foot tucked under him and he drove like a maniac. I didn't have to worry for long as I got where I was going fast. I didn't add his name to the list. He scared me a little. I have one guy I call frequently named Mathew George---he proudly professed to me he is "born again Christian" and showed me his cross on his mirror. He is always polite and has a very clean cab. He also asked if I needed to hire a driver. He would like to have a job as a private driver. Many of the Emirati have drivers and provide them a room for living---the same as the housekeepers.

I also like Mathew because we got in a wreck together. Only two weeks into my arrival in Abu Dhabi, Mathew picked me up from the Shangri-La Hotel for a morning excursion to the Marina Mall (I'll talk about Malls another time---that is another whole blog!). We were tootling along on the Coast Highway about 40 mph (Mathew is not a really fast driver) when this truck in the far left lane just turns across the four lane highway right in front of our car. Don't have any idea where he was going. Looked like he was trying to make a U-turn in the middle of the road. We were in the middle lane minding our own business. Mathew didn't even have time to swerve the car----we just slammed into the truck. Mathew just sat there for a few mintues like he was in disbelief. We pulled over and the police came and I saw lots of finger pointing and hand gesturing and heard lots of Arabic back and forth. After a while, Mathew walked around the front of the vehicle, surveyed the damage, got on his cell phone talking rapidly to someone, and then announced he could still drive the car and he would take me on to my destination. So we got back in the car and drove to my house, crumpled up hood and all. "Only in the UAE!!!"

When you get a taxi you need to know where you are going. It's a small island and the streets are laid out very easily, with even number streets running up and down the island, and odds running across. Sounds simple right? We only wish it was simple! Ha! Many of the streets are called by 2 different names and some 3. Zayed the First is also 7th, but the locals call it Electra. This was quite confusing at first, and then it just becomes amusing. The cabbies mostly use landmarks to get around. Addresses don't exist so you just give them a general idea and point a lot! So I tell my cabs, go to Kuwaiti Embassy (which is across the street from my Villa) and Otaiba school, which is right next door to my house, then I say 23 street ---not 23rd street. They don't get the rd part. Then I also back that up with Al Mushrif which is an old neighborhood and most of them know it. Then if all else fails I say "near the Mushrif Co-Op Society", the neighborhood Walmart. With all of these landmarks, I can get in the general direction and point them to my house! I can't say Otaiba #3 on such and such a street. My street has no name anyway. Sometimes it gets confusing. They will ask me a question i.e. "we go make u-turn?" I respond, "right." (meaning yes) Then, they try to turn right. Then, I say "no, no, no. I mean yes." Then, of course, the next direction I need to give them is "turn right." So I say, "turn right, then make an immediate left." What do you think they try to do? Turn left, of course. I know they think I am crazy and I think they are crazy. It's a hoot.

The thing I like most about the taxis is that they are always an adventure and very cheap. It costs me between $5.50 to $8.00 to go from my Villa into the main part of the city, depending on my destination. It's less than $3.00 to go to the Carrefour near my house. And most of the time, I can step out to the corner right outside my Villa and hail a taxi. I often call one about 30 minutes before I need it and tell them what time to be outside. So traveling by taxi is not so bad. It is only when I have to stand in the que at the mall with a buggy full of groceries and it is over 100 degrees outside!!!!

Kids say the darnest things!

I was just outside my Villa talking with my neighbor who lives in a Villa two doors down. I discovered that she and her children went on the City Tour the same day as I did after we both arrived. I've met her children, mind you, but never made the connection that I photographed her kids during the tour that day, and quite frankly, turned out some great shots of her kids. I just didn't know who these kids belonged to so I couldn't share the photos with the parents. So to my surpise, these kids live right next door. The day of this excursion, which the Embassy so graciously puts on for newcomers, all the little girls had to wear the "shayla" on their heads just like the grown up ladies, and they were quite enamoured over this prospect. One little girl even had a pink head scarf on her head and all the other little girls wanted one just like it.

My neighbor related a tale of her daughter's first visit to one of the local malls. The little girl has been quite taken with the traditional dress of the Emirati and upon one of the family's first visits to the mall she told her Mom she "wanted to wear a costume too." I thought this was precious. Out of the mouths of babes........

Ramadan Kareem

Since I started my blog right in the middle of Ramadan, the holiest month of the Islamic calendar, I figured I needed to explain a little about it as my future blogs will most likely make reference to it in some way or another. The season holds the same importance of the Christian birth of Christ and the crucifixion. In an effort to be accurate about my facts, I am going to take some information straight from two different publications: The Pearl and Time Out Abu Dhabi. Both are reliable sources with good information.

Ramdan is the month when, according to the Islamic faith, the Holy Quran was recited to the Prophet Mohamed by the Archangel Gabriel. It is a time for inner reflection, devo-
tion to God, and self-control. Muslims think of it as a kind of tune-up for their spiritual
lives. Most people associated Ramadan with fasting, of course, however it is a time for separating the physical from the spiritual. It is a time to focus on the soul, so this is why Muslims deny the physical body from sunrise to sunset by fasting from food or water. That includes no drinks or food whatsoever, no smoking, and abstaining from intimacy. The aim of the fasting to remind one of the many people who are starving in the world, so when you fast you feel exactly what they feel. It is suppose to make you more thankful. Ramadan is also a time of intensive worship, reading of the Qur'an, charity, purifying one's behavior, and doing good deeds.
The daily period of fasting starts at the breaking of dawn and ends at the setting of the sun. The usual practice is to have a pre-fast meal (suhoor) before dawn and a post-fast meal (iftar) after sunset. The last ten days of Ramadan are a time of special spiritual power as everyone tries to come closer to God through devotions and good deeds. The night on which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet, known as the Night of Power (Lailat ul-Qadr), is generally taken to be the 27th night of the month. The Qur'an states that this night is better than a thousand months. Therefore many Muslims spend the entire night in prayer.

During the month, Muslims try to read as much of the Qur'an as they can. Most try to read the whole book at least once. Some spend part of their day listening to the recitation of the Qur'an in a mosque. Food in Ramadan

Since Ramadan is a special time, Muslims in many parts of the world prepare certain favorite foods during this month. It is a common practice for Muslims to break their fast at sunset with dates (iftar), following the custom of Prophet Muhammad. This is followed by the sunset prayer, which is followed by dinner. Since Ramadan emphasizes community aspects and since everyone eats dinner at the same time, Muslims often invite one another to share in the Ramadan evening meal.

The main attraction is probably the Iftars. All major hotels and restaurants in town offer an iftar at sunset. The food served is for the most part Middle Eastern and Khaleeji (from the Gulf) cuisine, such as Ouzi, Harissa, Samak, etc. After the Iftars, people head to outdoor majlis where they can sit and chat with friends and family while drinking tea, or other beverages, and smoke sheesha. Again all hotels set up Majlis and some of them have wonderful “oud” (lute) players to entertain their guests. Restaurants are closed during daylight hours, with the exception of a few hotel restaurants that serve non-Muslims only. Restaurants will begin serving food at sundown.

During Ramadan giving to charity is important. It’s customary to give one’s regular street cleaner or household help a tip during the month or a monetary gift for the Eid.

Both Muslims and non-Muslims are expected to adopt appropriate behaviour during the month of Ramadan. The laws are strict and, if reported, arrests can occur for what seems to us like a minor infraction. However, Muslims take it very seriously.

One cannot sing or dance in public at any time. Restaurants and clubs that provide live entertainment cannot do so during Ramadan.

No loud music at anytime in your car, on the beach, or at home is allowed.

No revealing or tight clothing is allowed.

No smoking, drinking, eating, or chewing gum in public in daylight hours is allowed. The mall stores and restaurants close during the day. A few stores remain open or have odd hours during the day and open at sunset until midnight or later.

No swearing in public.

As with any religion, you have very devoted and faithful followers and those who are more lax. I am reminded a lot of the people who never attend church except on Easter morning. I think it is the same here. The less faithful still participate fully in Ramadan. Also, as with other religious cultures, there is a commercialization of the holiday. All the hotels offer Iftar buffets and special dinners at high costs. All the stores offers Ramadan discounts and have special promotion during the season. The malls are much like Christmas Eve on Friday nights (Friday is the regular holy day of the week----the same as our Sunday). It is also a season of gift giving and charitable works.

The Sheikh (the leader of the country who is a royal prince) has a huge Iftar dinner near the large Mosque which served 15,000 workers just yesterday. Although anyone can attend, it is his way of giving to the many laborers who work in this country. So many of them cannot begin to afford the fancy hotel meals. It is truly a spirit of giving. The Sheikh is extremely charitable with his vast amounts of money.

I hear a lot of expatriates complain about Ramadan as it is an inconvenience. Work hours are shortened for all Muslims and it is often difficult to get things done during Ramadan. Taxis are often difficult to find during certain times of the day. Traffic is awful in the afternoons when everyone is rushing home to prayer and Iftar. People are grumpy because they are hungry, thirsty, and HOT. Because it is not the custom of non-Muslims, I find that many are not very tolerant of the occasion. Some even leave the country during Ramadan.

Now maybe it is because I am a newbie and I haven't experienced it long enough, but I don't feel overly inconvenienced. Yes, it is difficult to find lunch during the day on a shopping excursion; and you have to put a water bottle in your bag and sip on it in the restroom stall behind closed doors if you want to drink something. However, difficult it may be for us, it is more difficult for them because they are fasting and not getting much sleep because of prayer time. After sunset is also like a big festival where everyone celebrates the end of the day and making it through the fast. They even put up lights like we do at Christmas.

My point is that their Ramadan is really not any different than our Christmas celebration. I know we don't fast, but the Catholics fast on Fridays and many churches celebrate Lent. I find that I want to be tolerate of their holiday. After all, it is a time of spiritual reflection and trying to look inward to improve your spiritual life----the same as Christians do when they are mindful of their sins and repent. How bad can that be?

So, Happy Ramadan.

Deciding to Blog

As has been the case in my life for the past ten years or so, I am on yet again another adventure. I find myself in a foreign land---not just any land mind you but an Arab land. A land that most Americans only know by myths and legends and half-truths. My desire to share this experience with all whom I know and share my life with these days (either via facebook, in person, or email) has become an overwhelming task. I hate to use the word task as sharing my life experiences is not a chore or a job but such a pleasure that I do not find the right word to define it.

With all of this said......I decided to start a blog in an effort to share my daily joys, challenges, laughs, and little frustrations of living in a foreign land. The only way I know to do that is to start a journal of sorts and blogging seems to be the answer. Some of you may find this all a bore and some of you may truly want to share the experience in whatever way you can. I only wish I knew about blogging when we lived in Italy. I have so many, many stories of those days and they are not written down. I mean to preserve this experience.

I must begin this journal by saying that I am truly a blessed person to have the opportunity to share in the customs and traditions of a society with so much rich history. The history of this region is truly amazing and so overwhelming. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life(beyond comprehension wealth; dirt, dirt poor; educated and illeriate; high class and lower class) ; so many different religions (Muslim; Hindu; Christian; Buddist) and find that we are all basicly the same. We all worship a God of righteousness and justice; we all want to be loved and accepted; we all want to be treated humanely; we all are devoted to our families and friends; and most importantly---we have a love for our fellow man. The human soul is the same worldwide. The UAE has recorded 208 different nationalities living together in harmony. That's pretty phenomenal.

I find it hard to describe to everyone exactly what it is like here. Amazing is all I can say. Comical at times. Once when we traveled on a vacation to Egypt, John stated to me as we walked through the airport at Sharmel Sheikh, "welcome to the land of the not quite right." How true, how true. With all the technological advances, with all the education, with all the political awareness, with all the money that enriches this land, it is often just "not quite right." They've almost got it but not quite there on some things. As you read my blog over time, you will begin to understand this saying. It is not meant as an insult or any way to disparage the people around me. Some things are almost like ours but not quite. And it is often quite comical.

So, I hope you want to take this ride with me.....I truly want you to share this experience with me. Check in daily, weekly, or monthly. Whenever you have the time take a few moments to come with me on this journey. I think you will enjoy it. Remember you will be seeing this through my eyes. I hope my sight is crystal clear!