End of Ramadan, Beginning of Eid

Eid ul-Fitr, often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity", while Fiṭr means "conclusion of the fast"; and so the holiday celebrates the conclusion of the thirty days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramdan. Muslims are commanded by God in the Qu'ran to complete their fast on the last day of Ramadan and then recite God's praises all throughout the period of Eid.

Common greetings during this holiday are the Arabic ‘Eid Mubārak ("Blessed Eid") or ‘Eid Sa‘eed ("Happy Eid"). In addition, many countries have their own greetings based on local language and traditions - in Turkey, for example, a typical saying might be Bayramınız kutlu olsun or "May your Bayram - Eid - be happy." Muslims are also encouraged on this day to forgive and forget any differences or past animosities that may have occured with others during the year.

Typically, Muslims wake up relatively early in the morning—always before sunrise— offer Salatul Fajr (the pre-sunrise prayer), and in keeping with the Sunnah (traditions and actions of the Prophet Muhammad), clean one's teeth with a Miswaak or toothbrush, take a shower (Ghusul) after Fajr prayers, put on new clothes (or the best available), and apply perfume.

It is forbidden, to fast on the Day of Eid. That is why it is recommended to have a small breakfast (as a sign of not being on a fast on that day) of sweet dish, preferably the date fruit, before attending the special Eid prayer. It is a Prophetic tradition that the Sadaqat-ul-fitr, an obligatory charity, is paid to the poor and the needy before performing the ‘Eid prayer by all those adult Muslims who are required to pay Zakat. Muslims recite the following Takbir (incantation) in the low voice while going to the Eid prayer: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. Laa ilaaha ilal-lahu wal-Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar wa-lilla hil hamd. Another tradition of Muhammad Muslims are recommended to use two separate routes to and from the prayer ground.

Eid prayer is performed in congregation in open areas like fields, community centers, etc or at mosques. After the prayers, Muslims visit their relatives, friends and acquaintances or hold large communal celebrations in homes, community centers or rented halls. Eid gifts are frequently given to children and immediate relatives; it is also common in some cultures for children to be given small sums of money (Eidis) by adult relatives or friends.

Here is a link to a video showing Eid prayers.

http://gulfnews.com/gntv/news/eid-prayers-in-dubai-1.680134

Zakāt or " alms giving", one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is the giving of a small percentage of one's possessions (surplus wealth) to charity generally to the poor and needy. It is often compared to the system of tithing, but it serves principally as the welfare contribution to poor and deprived Muslims, although others may have a rightful share. It is the duty of Islamic community not just to collect zakat but to distribute it fairly as well.

As a mandatory requirement of Islamic faith, every year 2.5% of one's wealth is given away to the poor. Generally the sharing of wealth is called zakat, whereas the sadqat could mean the sharing of wealth as well sharing of happiness among God's creation, such as saying kind words, smiling at someone, taking care of animals or environments, etc.

Zakat or sadqah is worship as means of spiritual purification. It is the only tax sanctioned to the state according to Islamic law. Muslim jurists agree that zakat is obligatory on the Muslim who has reached puberty, who is sane, who is free, and who owns the minimum assigned, nisab thoughout Islamic history; denying Zakat equals denying the Islamic faith. However, Muslim jurists differ on the details of zakat, which may include rate, the exemptions, the kinds of wealth that are zakatable. Zakatable refers to assets subject to zakat according to Islamic examples and directives. Some scholars consider the wealth of children and insane individuals zakatable. Some scholars consider all agricultural products zakatable, others restrict zakat to specific kinds only. Some consider debts zakatable. Similar differences exist for business assets and women's jewellery. Some require certain minimum nisab for zakatability. The same kind of differences also exist about the disbursement of zakat.

The Qur'an does not provide the definition of zakatable wealth nor does it provide the required percentages in zakat. It is left to Sunnah togive, by example or by directives. It must be realized, however, that the Qur'an mentions a few kinds of zakatable possessions, such as gold and silver, crops and fruits, earnings of trade and other business enterprises and what is drawn from beneath the earth (natural resources).

Muslims fulfil this religious obligation by giving a fixed percentage of their surplus wealth. Zakat has been paired with such a high sense of righteousness that it is often placed on the same level of importance as offering Salat. Muslims see this process also as a way of purifying themselves from their greed and selfishness and also safeguarding future business. In addition, Zakat purifies the person who receives it because it saves him from the humiliation of begging and prevents him from envying the rich. Its importance and centrality to Islam results in the "punishment" for not paying when able being very severe. In the 2nd edition of the Encyclopaedia of Islam it states, "...the prayers of those who do not pay zakat will not be accepted".

Information provided by Wikipedia, on line.

Eid is a time of great celebration here in the UAE. It equates to our Christmas in the US. The malls are full right before as people shop for Eid gifts and the stores are having sales and advertisements are everywhere promoting their products. Unfortunately, it is commercialized just like Christmas in America. It is reported that the Sheikhs and more wealthy Emirati gives items such as cars to their friends and relatives. Yesterday Sheikh Khalifa received the military and dignitaries and other royal family members at his palace. This was aired on television. Afterwards they went to Eid prayers. Security was very, very tight in the city yesterday with police cars located at the corner of every block anywhere near the palace. I happened to ride by the palace on my way home from the gym (and I just thought about it that I ride by the palace every single day!) just as they were breaking up to head to Eid prayers. Three very nice helicopters were sitting on the helipad next to the palace. Unbelievable, these people fly to events in helicopters.

The Emirati attend Eid prayers and visit their relatives and have lavish dinners to celebrate the end of Ramadan. I am providing a link that you can cut and paste into your browser with a video on the types of foods prepared for Eid festivities. The quality is not that great but it is adequate to give you an idea.

http://gulfnews.com/gntv/lifestyle/some-of-the-best-selling-sweets-during-eid-1.679974

The next few days are official holidays in the country and everything pretty much shuts down. The Emirati often travel during this period of time and take grand holidays to Europe and other places. School doesn't start back until after Eid is over.

Ramadan begins and ends with certain phases of the moon. I know the crescent moon marks the end and the crescent is considered a symbol of Eid and you often see it on the Mosques. So Ramadan and Eid are not a fixed date on the calendar and it changes around from year to year. They have special people who are "moon sighters" that announce the beginning and end of Ramadan. It is a very respected and complicated approach.

So Eid is in full swing today and will be going strong over the next few days. It is a sacred time to the Muslims and looked forward to all year through.

Capture the essence of Ramadan in the UAE by checking out this video
http://gulfnews.com/gntv/lifestyle/some-of-the-best-selling-sweets-during-eid-1.679974

I find these videos interesting. As non-Muslims we are not allowed inside a Mosque. So it is an experience to see them worship.

****All photos and video courtesy of Gulf News******

All Women Taxi Drivers

Taxis designed for women only are gaining popularity in the UAE. Just wanted to share these articles with you as it is so different than what we are used to in the US and other countries. I've had women taxi drivers but not ones that exclusively drive women.

Pink taxis top choice in Abu Dhabi

Women drivers are safer than male colleagues

"Abu Dhabi women have extended a warm welcome to pink taxis, the female-only taxis introduced last week, a senior official told Gulf News. Pink taxis are meant for women and children younger than 10 years of age. In pink taxis, men are not be allowed to travel even with their families." excerpt from Gulf News dated February 18, 2010

Behind the wheel: Pink twice

More female cab drivers wanted as Dubai's popular taxi fleet is set to double in the coming months

"Dubai: Dubai is looking for more female taxi drivers as the highly successful Pink Taxi fleet is set to double to 50 in the next few months, a senior official said.

We have 65 Pink Taxi drivers and plan to hire 52 more," said Yousuf Al Ali, Director of Fleet Processes and Operation Department at the Dubai Taxi Corporation.

The company has a fleet of 3,504 cabs, of which 24 are Pink Taxis, which they plan to double.

Al Ali said female cabbies are popular among lady passengers and families as they are at ease with them. "Due to cultural factors, women are comfortable with female drivers," said Al Ali. "Many Westerners visiting Dubai for the first time are surprised to see they can opt for female taxi drivers."

The drivers come from a dozen nationalities who work from 6am to 2am in two shifts. They are covered by a health insurance and an honouring programme. They also get 30-day annual leave, a one-day weekly off and a basic pay of Dh1,500, a month, but may earn up to Dh4,000 on commissions." excerpt from Gulf News dated 9-11-2010

Home at Last!

Walking out of the airport last evening, the heat hit me square in the face. It literally takes one's breath away. I had sweat on my brow before I reached the car which was parked on the first row!

Of course, the big moment of the night was seeing my baby dog again....or rather her seeing me. It took a few moments for her to realize I was in the house. John walked ahead of me and called for her (she is usually at the door by the time we open it but she was snoozing in Shirley's room). She came out, tail wagging, tongue hanging out, officially greeting John. He had to keep pointing in my direction for her to realize I was in the room. OH BOY when she saw me......she came running and jumping. She started crying, which always rips my heart out. She literally cries out with tears of joy. Then, she started having one of her running fits. This is when she runs from room to room as hard as she can cutting doughnuts in the room. She is hilarious when she does this. She kept running up to Shirley saying "My mommy is home....my mommy is home." She was so excited she couldn't sleep last night. She woke me up three times during the night to go potty. Just like a little child excited the night before Christmas. Today she has been more relaxed and laying around. This morning she would close her eyes. She kept opening them every few minutes to make sure I was there. So this afternoon she fell into an exhausted sleep on the sofa in the office while I worked on the computer. I just had to stay in one spot long enough for her to feel settled so she could take a nap.

It has been a quiet day. I've unpacked completely. Shirley has washed and ironed all day and stopped to chat frequently catching me up on all the local gossip with her maid and taxi friends. She had to tell me more about Graziella's summer at home with her.

I've been hearing the call to prayer today and it is a reminder that I am home. I am home surrounded by my hubby and doggie so all is right in Connie's world today. What a special life I lead!

Travels Over the Summer

Well.......I took quite a sabbatical from my blog over the summer. I stayed on the road all summer long departing from Abu Dhabi on May 23 for the US and then returned for only a few days before starting a long summer of jetsetting. Josh and I went to Luxor, Egypt for a few days to sweat, soak up the sun, tour all the temples, and generally get harassed by the locals. Then, we took off for Germany, Paris, made a quick stop in Switzerland, and Italy. I stayed in Italy for one month house sitting for my sweet friends Jill Butterfield and Terry Meadors. I really was more babysitting for their "baby dog" Biko. It was a treat to spend time in their little "row house" in Beorchia while roaming the countryside with Glenda Green looking at houses and apartments. My what a grand time we had looking at old rustico houses and day dreaming about how wonderful they will look when we are finished restoring them. Sad thing about that is one must have "MONEY" to restore one of these places, and LOTS of it I think. Just that fact alone can burst your bubble big time. It did not deter Glenda and me. We just kept right on looking at houses. We bought decorating and restoration magazines and sat in little cafes drinking Prosecco while pouring over all the designs and ideas presented so beautifully on the pages. Meeting with Italian realtors can be challenging at best. They have a very different idea about how to sell real estate than we do in the US. Piano, Piano.....slowly, slowly is their motto I think. They do not get in a hurry and believe me there is NO pressure. I still do not have the price on a house I looked at three weeks ago. The owner's nephew, on vacanza to parts unknown and no return date in sight, will tell us the price when he returns. So I have my Italian friend Carla waiting to find out the price to relay to me. I am also waiting on a "good deal" from another realtor on an apartment. Wonder what that will be!

Exhausted from all the house hunting, I flew to Belgium to meet up with John. We drove around the countryside and stayed in a couple of Bed & Breakfasts just relaxing and....relaxing....and relaxing. Did some running in cow country, drove over into France, walked about some old Abbey ruins at the edge of France, petted some local horses, shopped in the local groceries, drank Belgium beer, ate Belgium waffles and chocolate, watched the final of the Tour de Roermond in the Netherlands, took a lot of photos, drank lots of cappuccino, and generally had a good time.

Packing my bags today to head back to Italy to catch my flight back to Abu Dhabi in the morning. Wow, it has been a whirlwind...but soooooooo much fun. What a charmed life I lead!

I'll spend some time over the next few weeks catching up my blog. Talking about some things I did right before I left....the Souk.....rug shopping.....then lots of stuff about Europe.....and will post photos!

Looking forward to being back to my blog!

My Taxi Driver

I spent this morning with my favorite taxi driver, Franci, driving around my extended neighborhood on a photography quest. I was looking for Mosques to photograph. Many are unusual and colorful and provide great architectural fodder for my camera. Franci would pull up near the Mosque; and I would hop out. Then, he would find somewhere to park. He got out and walked around while I was shooting. At several of the Mosques, he walked around to stake out a good vantage point for me and directed me to spots to get a good shot. He doesn’t have a bad eye! That is exactly why I LOVE Franci and call on him almost daily to run me around Abu Dhabi.

My housekeeper Shirley and I met Franci one night while we were downtown material shopping in the textile district. We had a bad experience with a taxi driver and got out of the car in order to catch another one. Well, Franci is the next cab to pick us up. What a wonderful day in the neighborhood!!!!

Franci happens to be Sri Lankan like Shirley so they immediately began to chatter in Singhelese (one of the Sri Lankan dialects). Shirley happily informed me that Franci was from the same neighborhood as she back in Sri Lanka in the city of Colombo and they actually knew some of the same people. What a small, small world.

Since that day, we have become fast friends with Franci as he happily transports Shirley, John, and me all over Abu Dhabi. He takes me to the gym almost every day. I just call him in the morning and tell him what time I need a taxi and he miraculously arrives when I need him (most of the time). Sometimes he picks me up two or three times a day as I am running errands. He often waits in the car for me as I shop or run inside the tailor, or run in Carrefour. He will lay his seat back and take a quick catnap while I shop.

Franci’s story is the same as many of the taxi drivers in the city. He was contracted by the taxi company to work in Abu Dhabi because he cannot find work in his country. He is a highly intelligent man with a good education from a respectable Sri Lankan family who just needs a job to support his wife and children. He has two little girls, 6 and 1, and a lovely wife who he describes as a “charming Singhelese girl.” “She is a good girl,” he tells me proudly. He has brought us photos of his little girls and happily shares them with us as he wipes a tear from his eye. He misses them very much and often gets a little choked up when he talks about them. His little six year old is a beautiful little doll all dressed up in her sari along with her little girlfriends. Just yesterday Franci told me that he did not work the day before at all. “Why?” I asked. “Were you sick? “No, Madam,” he responded. Wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, he said “I am remembering my wife and little girls. I am sad. I just could not work yesterday.”

Franci works about fifteen hours a day seven days a week to earn a 25% commission on all his fares. The taxi company does not pay them a base salary. If he does not meet his quota of 200 dirhams a day, then he is fined. If he gets in a wreck and the accident is his fault, he is fined. Franci recently at fault in an accident and was fined 1,800 dirhams by the taxi company and had to pay a traffic fine as well which brought his total expense to 3,200 dirhams. He is now having 500 dirhams taken out of his pay each month until it is paid off. He told me that the contractor in Sri Lanka told him accommodations were provided (many of the contracted jobs provide dormitory-style housing in Abu Dhabi) but upon arrival he discovered differently. He is living in a small two bedroom flat in the city with 10 other people. This is quite common for the workers to live communally. “It is difficult,” he told me stiffly. Yesterday he told me he was having trouble meeting his quota the last two days as “there are too many taxis right now.” He has been a little down.

So to make life a little easier on Franci, Shirley and I often pack him a sack lunch or dinner and hand it over the seat to him when we get in the car. If he takes me to the grocery, I’ll sometimes buy him some samosas and cheese bread (Indian food) and some fruit. Any time we bake a cake or something, we give him part of it. He is so appreciative and seems to enjoy the special treatment. Shirley even went shopping for him the other day. He needed a small overnight bag and did not have time off to go shopping. He really needed to work. So, off to the Emirates General Market went Shirley to find Franci a bag for 20 dirhams (she was very proud of the fact that it was only 20 dirhams). Franci needed a bag to send home to his children. Two of his friends left a couple of days ago going back to Sri Lanka. His baby’s birthday is in May and he wanted to send the baby some gifts. His friends were going to carry the bag full of gifts to his wife. I took some photos of him in his uniform and by his car and printed them on my printer. Shirley took those and was going to meet his wife and give them to him. He was so proud of the photos.

Early one morning Shirley got a call from Franci saying “Shirley, run outside. Two men are fighting in the street in front of your house. Hurry.” Of course, Shirley dashed to the door and ran out on the patio looking around. The phone rang again. “April Fool’s,” laughed Franci. So…Franci has become our friend.

I got a text message from him about a month ago letting me know he would be on time to pick me up. It said “I’ll be there at 5:00 my Madam.” He called me “his madam.” I was touched.

People come and go in our lives and we really don’t think much about it---most of the time we don’t even notice until they are not there. In his book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, Robert Fulghum wrote about the importance of people in our lives----like your barber, the newspaper boy, the doorman----people who have an impact on you and cross your path almost daily. They do important things for you, however small. He wrote about how we take it for granted and really never thank them for being a part of your life and going about the mundaneness of your life with you. For instance, I used the same hairdresser for ten years. He made me beautiful for 10 years of my life. I love him for it. I will never forget him for it, even though I had to move on to someone else because I moved. I still check in on him now and again to make sure he is doing okay. He’ll never know how important a role he played in my life. He watched my kids grow up; he gave Katie her first perm; he shared his love of wood working; he shared is adoration for his lovely wife. He shared his grief when she died suddenly.

I think I will tell Franci thank you for making my life easier. It really does mean a lot to have good, safe transportation.

Scary Furniture

There is just something wrong with this concept! It's just frightening!

Shirley goes to The Emirates Palace

Last Friday, John and I took Shirley and her friend Rupika (Roo-pee-ka)to the Emirates Palace. Shirley had expressed to me recently that she would love to see the inside of the Palace. Shirley has a Sri Lanken friend who lives about two blocks from our house that often visits with her and helps her clean house. They help each other out when they are sick or need something, etc. She's a lovely lady and Shirley thinks a lot of her. So we asked Shirley if she and Rupika would like to go to the Palace. They got all dressed up in their going rompers and we took off to the Palace.

Even though they wanted to go very much, they were also very nervous about the experience and you could tell they were a little uncomfortable. First of all, I think they were worried that they wouldn't be allowed since they are "servants." They seem to be very conscious of their "class" as a servant. Shirley kept telling me that she can be anywhere with her Madam. I assured her that all was well and that John and I would not let anyone mess with her. Secondly, it is just so over-the-top there. John insisted on taking them to tea in one of the little cafes so they could say they had tea at the Emirates Palace. It took much persuasion on our part to convince them it was okay to sit with us and enjoy tea. I ordered some little sandwiches to go with our tea. We sat in a fancy cafe with live musicians playing Arabic music on Ouds. They laughed and giggled and looked uncomfortable most of the time.



Shirley (left) and Rupika (right) sitting on a sofa in the grand salon under the big dome. I practically had to force them to sit on the sofa. They were afraid to sit on the furniture.

They were much more comfortable when we walked around outside. The fountains are fabulous and lots of fun. We helped an Arab family get some photos together in front of the main fountain and then watch them walk around out in the fountains.

We also took them to Dubai to the Mall of the Emirates a couple of weekends ago. They had a really good time walking around and looking at everything. John gave them each some money to spend on themselves and enough to eat lunch. They came back with a few small purchases and refused to eat lunch because the "prices were too expensive." They tried to buy an ice cream and it cost 28 dirhams each which was $7. I agreed that $7 was an expensive ice cream. They refused to buy it. They said they wanted to spend their money in Abu Dhabi where they could get more for their money. Now....mind you.....Shirley was fussing because she had to spend 12 dirhams on a pair of pants in Dubai when she could pay 10 dirhams in Abu Dhabi! Shirley is one of those people who will drive all the way on the other side of town to save $1. In American dollars, she had to pay about 60 cents more for the pants in Dubai. We see that as such a small thing. To her, it is big. We just laugh and wave our hand at her. She is very frugal and is always worried about how much money she is spending ..."because it is the The Boss and Madam's money...."

They are so, so funny. We have so much fun sharing things with them. They work so hard for so little. Shirley has been here a long time and hasn't been to any of the major touristic attractions. John is convinced that she should have just a little bit of fun sometimes. She giggles and laughs and gets so shy when John tries to indulge her a bit.

We recently purchased a new pair of glasses for her as a bonus. She was wearing an old wire frame pair with only one ear piece so she always looked a bit lopsided. She had not gotten new glasses for six years. So we sent her to the eye doctor to get her eyes checked. Then she and I went to the frame shop and picked out some really nice glasses for her. She is really happy with them and she likes having something that looks so new and modern. She fussed and fussed about the price (500 dirhams-136 USD) and went to about four different shops looking for the best price. By American standards, the price of $136 for bi-focal lenses and heavy duty frames is pretty amazing.

What a gift to be able to make a big difference in someone's life! It seems so small to us. It is huge to them. We are so fortunate to have so much. We take so many things for granted.

Working Out at the Armed Forces Officer's Club

Busy, Busy, Busy is all I can say about the last two weeks! I have renewed my commitment to live healthier AND to lose some weight. We are members of two health clubs---one downtown at the Hilton Hotel. This one is complete with spa, beach club, pools, private beach, fitness, and is located right on the Corniche (sort of like a Boardwalk only it does not have a carnival atmosphere)overlooking the beautiful marina.

The other club is the Armed Forces Officer's Club. All I can say is......well, when the Emirati build an officer's club----they build an officer's club. This one makes the US Officer's club look pathetic. Among its many amenities is a full sized, 400 room hotel complete with 8 Royal Suites, 16 Presidential Suites, and 40 Executive Suites. It has an Olympic sized indoor pool; a Billiard's Lounge; a small bowling alley; an indoor shooting range; covered tennis courts; squash courts; steam bath and jacuzzi; a paintball field; a football field and track; an indoor "children's village"; an entertainment theater; a cinema; lecture halls; banquet halls; 6 cafes; 4 restaurants; a ladies only gym; a unisex gym; VERY large hallways and atriums with escalators; gift shops; and lounging areas everywhere. Upstairs is an lounging area that looks like a bedouin tent. They have travel agencies and banks. A barber shop (men's saloon) and a beauty shop (women's saloon).


The building is constructed in the shape of a falcon. I am not surprised at this because the Emirati enjoy falconry as a favorite sport. They love their falcons (one of my neighbors has one that sits out in front of his house on a perch). The building is HUGE and over-the-top. The gardens can seat a banquet of 10,000 people. Marble and chandeliers are everywhere. They are building a kiddie playground and an outdoor pool as well as a marina with docks. People will be able to pull up in their yachts to go to the club (Emirati like big boats!).










I go to this gym to workout several times a week as it is quite close to my house and very convenient for me. I usually go to the ladies gym to work out. I could use the unisex one, and I think most of the expatriot women do. However, I wanted to experience the "real deal" and step into this mysterious world of the Emirati women. I am curious about them and I wanted a chance to see what all the mystery is about. What have I learned? That these women are the same as women everywhere else when they take off their black robes and uncover their faces. They laugh, smile, and giggle just like girls everywhere. They gossip. They sweat. They share secrets. They encourage each other. They workout together.

The women in the gym pretty much ignore me. I think they just pretend I am not there. I see other ex-pat women in there but they seem to be ignored also. On occasion I will get a smile from someone or a nod of greeting. Mostly I am just tolerated and sort of invisible. That's okay with me because then I can observe. One thing I have noticed is that most of the women are not there for maintenance. Very few young women are there working out to maintain their figure. Most of the women are obese and middle-aged. (or at least only older obese women are there in the mornings when I am there; the younger ones may come later in the day) I also notice that many of them do not know much about exercise. The other day I had a women meet up with me at the water fountain as I was refilling my water bottle. She had been on the treadmill for the last 30 minutes the same as I and had worked up quite a sweat. She was thirsty. She timidly asked me, "do you always drink water when you work out?" I answered yes, trying to hide my surprise. She then asked, "should I be drinking water when I exercise?" I explained the importance of drinking water to prevent dehydration. I encouraged her to bring a water bottle and keep it at the treadmill with her. She seemed very appreciative of my advice. She was very interested in what I was doing and how I was doing it.

The staff is Asian and Indian and they are all very nice to me. They talk with me and offer assistance. The Emirati women are very used to being waited on by servants and leave their things everywhere. The staff likes it that I pick up after myself and don't expect them to retrieve my headphones or pick up my dirty towels from the machines. They have towel bins but they don't seem to like to use them. One thing I love about this gym is that they keep a small refrigerator full of cold, scented washcloths for exercisers. It is so refreshing to use one after working out.

I don't think I want to go to the steam bath and jacuzzi. It would just be too weird. I am really not sure how they do it because they are so modest here. It is against the law to undress in the locker room (no kidding---it is a UAE law with signs posted to that effect) and the lockers have changing rooms for that purpose. I hear stories about the Europeans stripping down in the locker rooms and the women all getting hysterical over it and calling management---a real uproar. I'll have to remember never to never undress in the locker room!

I also have a fear of the pool area. The Emirati women swim in something that looks like a wet suit with a hood on it. I don't think they swim with their veil on.....:) I think it would just be too weird and I would feel uncomfortable in my swimsuit. Suddenly I think I would feel "exposed."




I love this strange new world I am living in these days. I feel so privileged to get a peek inside!

***All photos courtesy of the Armed Forces Officer's Club & Hotel Website*****(no photography allowed on the property----and they are very serious about this!)

Some Houses in our Neighborhood

Emirati houses are typically very large with walls built around them. The large ones usually have seven or eight bedrooms and a ladies salon and a men's salon. They sometimes have very large windows. One near our house has stained glass windows in the front. I find it quite interesting that not many have garages. They will have a mansion of a house and park their cars in a large driveway or on the street. They usually have lots of cars. Many houses in my neighborhood have eight vehicles outside. I have been told my landlord owns ten. Our neighborhood, Al Mushrif, is considered to be one of the old neighborhoods where some of the old important families reside. They are typically more conservative Muslims. Al Mushrif is considered a middle class area. We have a few old, wealthy families scattered among us but the more wealthy families and the Shaikh's live in another area. Now if you want to see a mansion......just look there. I don't have photos of this area yet. I do plan to get a few of these houses as they are magnificent.

Sipping Tea

John and I frequently drive over to the Shangri La Hotel and drink tea in the grand lobby. It is fun to get dressed up and experience the grandness of the hotel. It is similar to the Emirates Palace but not quite as extravagant and not nearly as big. We usually walk down to the "souk" (the market with upscale stores) and buy John some dates. The Arabs like dates very much and you can get all kinds of varieties to satisfy your taste buds.

Camels in the Neighborhood

John and I were recently on an excursion to the shoppette to get the Baby Dog some Baskin Robbins ice cream :) and was surprised to see one of our neighbors had built a make-shift pen for a baby camel. Of course, I whipped out the little pocket camera to get a photo of this. As neighborhoods go, one doesn't get to see a camel in the midst very often. I have learned after living here the last six months that barnyard animals are quite common place in some of the older neighborhoods.

The next day we noticed two camels in the pen. Now our curiosity was really up. We both speculated that the camels were for slaughter. After asking a few people about it, I found out that maybe the camels were not on their way to the slaughterhouse (which was sited as a real possibility) and the deep freeze. Some residents of the city have camel farms out in the desert. So, it is possible our neighbor bought the young camels at an auction over a couple of days and penned them up temporarily before transporting to the farm outside the city. Of course, it could still be they were awaiting slaughter. I opted for the camel auction theory as they look like the Majhim camels that are highly favored among breeders. I liked that idea better.

Day Three the camels and the make-shift pen were gone!

More Emirates Palace Photos

I borrowed some photos from the Emirates Palace website that really showcase the property better than mine do. Enjoy!

The palace is truly one of Abu Dhabi's pride and joy! It is one of the landmarks that most represent the grand scale to which everything is built and a good example of the wealth of the country. Of course, the average person cannot afford to stay in the hotel. World class entertainers and athletes stay in the hotel frequently i.e. Brittany Spears, Rihanna, and Gwyneth Paltrow just to name a few.
The premiere of My Name is Khan was held here recently with a large cast of Bollywood entertainers on the property. The hotel is truly a ritzy place to visit and quite posh if you are a resident.

Night at the Opera at Emirates Palace

John and I recently went to the Emirates Palace for a night at the Opera to see La Boheme. Just being inside this exquisite building is quite a treat even when not going to see the opera. We experienced a night of great entertainment in a beautiful theater inside the palace surrounded by nationalities from all over the world. What an experience!

The Emirates Palace is a seven star hotel (the only one in the world) that contains a beautiful auditorium that is host to concerts and theater throughout the year. During March and April, the city hosts the Abu Dhabi Classic Festival featuring opera productions, the London Symphony Orchestra, a Chopin Festival with piano solo performances, Wynton Marsallis, singers such as El Divo, and the ballet. Many of these events are held in the Emirates Palace.

20,000 workers built the 3 billion dollar Emirates Palace over the course of three years.
Some interesting facts about the hotel are:
There are 128 kitchens in the hotel that serve 200 tons of fresh squeezed orange juice daily.

There are 114 domes in the structure. The central dome reaches a height of 72.6 meters.

1800 people are employed at the hotel.

There are 1002 Chandeliers, the largest weighting 2.5 tons. All the crystals are Swarovski crystals.

There are 8,000 trees on the property.

40 people are on staff just to change light bulbs.

There are 8 escalators and 120 elevators in the hotel.

There are 12 fountains outside and 8 inside.

5 kg of edible gold are served on desserts each year.


The scale of the building is extremely hard to capture in a photograph. The ceilings and doors are of enormous heights. The grand entrance has a huge design in the floor tiles. Everywhere you look is something grand. Many of the ceilings are domes outlined with gold filigre.