Tanning

by Cindy
One of the most common comments we have received arriving in the USA is "I thought you'd be a lot more tan." What people don't really seem to understand, though, is that it's hard to get a tan in Dubai in the summer - it's entirely too hot to be outside. If you come back in December, we will be tan and be spending our weekends outdoors, on the golf course, and at the beach. Think of it as the opposite of the USA - we spend the winter outside when it's nice and the summer inside when the weather is "bad" (i.e., too hot).

To give you an idea of what the summer is like, here are some weather statistics for Dubai. As you read these, keep in mind that we have about 80% humidity during the summer.








Since most of our readership is from Texas, I thought I could use Houston for comparison. Even if you haven't lived there, you know that Houston is known for its hot, humid weather. So here are the details on Houston. Note that Houston is about 10-15 degrees cooler than Dubai.





So, no, we are not tan during the summer - we seek air conditioning or better yet, leave the country all together. Even the locals leave.

When we are in the heat, there are a few things that help:

• Multiple showers per day
  
• Waterproof mascara unless you want it to melt to your face
• Drink about a gallon of water per day
• Don't wear glasses - they fog up when you walk outside
  
• Wear light colors - it's cooler (and they don't show sweat stains)

Unfortunately, we can only dream about being able to wear shorts.

What They Do Right

by Cindy

We have enjoyed seeing so many friends and spending so much time with family while back in the USA. We really enjoy talking about our experiences and love all of the questions we get from everyone. We get a lot of repeat questions (which we're happy to answer) but there was one question that we hadn't been asked before - and it really stood out to me.

I have been thinking about it ever since our friend Tim asked, "What do they do right?" I think it is a great question and I appreciated his openness to the idea that the USA does not do everything perfectly and can probably learn a thing or two from the rest of the world. So, what does the UAE (and in some cases, the Middle East) do right? Here are our answers (in no particular order):

• Much stronger emphasis on family
• Fewer ambitious, driven people
• Very little bureaucracy in government
  
• Zero tolerance for drinking and driving
  
• Inshallah [see our post from July 15]
  
• Better infrastructure (definitely in Dubai and Abu Dhabi - but not always in Sharjah)
  
• They openly acknowledge national/cultural/racial differences. What I mean is that everyone has stereotypes whether they admit it or not. In the Emirates, people are honest about having them rather than pretending that they don't exist. Maybe you're not sure you like this last one - but we always appreciate honesty.

So that's a quick list of what I think they do well in the Emirates.

Vacation

We decided to stop off for a couple of weeks in Italy on the way home from Dubai. We went to Rome, Cortona (in Tuscany a little south of Florence), Florence, Venice, and Milan. We loved seeing the Imperial Roman ruins (especially the Colosseum) and the Vatican in Rome. We stayed at a great inn in Cortona where we had two days of cooking classes. It was amazing. We highly recommend adding a little culinary adventure to any Italian holidays you may be planning. We took in most of the museums and galleries in Florence, drifted through the canals in Venice, and saw the Last Supper in Milan.




The churches that we visited deserve at least a separate paragraph. Be sure to visit the impressive Gothic cathedral in Milan (and be sure to go up on the roof). The Byzantine architecture of St. Mark's in Venice was totally different from everything else we saw and just as impressive. The dome and campenile of the Florence Duomo provide maybe the best city views in all of Italy. Finally, in Rome, be sure to visit St. Paul Outside the Walls. It's almost as impressive as St. Peter's and there aren't any crowds.

We have a few more pictures on Facebook if you want to see more of our trip.

Reentry

by Cindy
We have been back in America for a few days now and have been able to see friends, family and meet our new niece. We are still a bit jet lagged but are coming around more and more each day. Here are some random thoughts/happenings since we have returned:

• I am noticing covered women more and more. Maybe there are just more of them in DFW than when I lived here but I have seen them at the grocery store, in the mall, and at the gas station. I like it, it feels like home.
• I didn't really like pumping my own gas and having to turn off my car, specifically the AC, while doing so. I prefer full service.
• I drove in the left lane on the highway yesterday and no one flashed their headlights at me but I kept expecting it.
• I got my Texas drivers license renewed and was wishing for the "women's only" line.
• I went to the grocery store and was overwhelmed with all of the choices. I felt a little bit like that guy in "The Hurt Locker."
• Jeff and I both feel like we have two homes - we feel at home here in DFW and in Dubai. It is weird that we are living two separate lives.
• In some ways the old neighborhood has changed - the trees are huge - and in some ways not at all. We pass by houses and I think of people from years ago. I'm thankful that I can catch up with a few on FB and others in person while I am here.
• A dear friend of mine gave birth to her first child and I was blessed to (unexpectedly) be there for that.
• We have been having a good time sharing our story of how we got to Dubai and all of the experiences of the first year.
• I'm enjoying listening to the radio and the songs that are new (to me).
• We have had BBQ, wings, peach cobbler and homemade ice cream. Cream gravy and sausage are still on the list.

We are looking forward to all of our time in America, hopefully we get to see some of you while we are here!

Housing Prices

For those of you who are curious, here is a table of housing prices in Abu Dhabi (click on it to enlarge). It's a relatively expensive place to live. Abu Dhabi isn't quite London, Paris, or Tokyo expensive, but they're close. If you want to do the conversions, 1 dollar = 3.67 dirhams.

As an example of something in the table, a 4-bedroom house in the Khalidiya section of town - which is nice, but not where the Sheikhs live, not on the water, and not on a golf course or anything like that - will run you $7,940.75 per month in rent. A two-bedroom apartment is $4,991.33 per month in rent. Those are in dollars, people. It's difficult to buy over here if you're not a citizen, and the legal system here isn't that efficient at handling property disputes. So if your employer doesn't provide housing, you would probably rent.

The Working Man

The government of Dubai just released some statistics about its workforce. Here are a few of the highlights:

• Unemployment is 0.8%
• The workforce grew last year by 7.2%
• More than 80% of the workforce is male
• 56% of Emiratis are not in the workforce (by choice)
• 23.9% of Emirati women work outside the home
• Of Emiratis who work, 58% work in government positions
• Emiratis make up only 3% of the workforce (the rest are expatriates from the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, and Western countries)
  

The full story is available on the website of The National, an Abu Dhabi-based English-language newspaper. Here's a link.

You can Get Everything at the Mall

Faithful readers - study the picture below closely - especially the stencils at the bottom. This photo was taken at one of the malls here - Mirdif City Centre, to be specific. What you'll notice on the sign in addition to directions to various stores, the bathrooms, and the movie theater is the arrow pointing to the mosque.

Yes, there is a mosque at the mall.

In fact, there are mosques in (or very near) all buildings. They're at the mall, at car dealerships, at government offices, at the golf course, and on campus. Some places have a full-on mosque, but others just have a small prayer room. But in either case, know that there is one in every building. If you're in the city, you are never more than a five-minute walk from a mosque.

It seemed a little odd when we first arrived - a mosque at the mall? Really? But for devout Muslims, I can see why it makes total sense. When you're supposed to pray five times a day, this is what's necessary.

Now I have to let you all know that the mall doesn't totally clear out when the call to prayer sounds. Not everyone runs for the mosque. Most people seem content to pray later, at home, or perhaps to skip it.

Mostly now we just think it's different. Without the five daily prayer times, it's just something Christians never picked up on. Prayer rooms in every building probably isn't a bad idea, though.

Arab Beauty Queen

One of the students here at American University of Sharjah was just crowned Miss Egypt. She's lived most of her life in Dubai, but her family is from Egypt. If you're one of our readers back in the States and you think that all women in the Arab world wear burqas, you've got a slanted view of the world. The story is available by following this link.

Inshallah

One of the first Arabic words or phrases anyone learns over here is "inshallah". It means "God willing" or "if it is God's will". Everybody says it over here. What you may not realize if you're not living here - and if you haven't heard this word very much - is that there are two ways in which the word is used.

The first usage is the one that makes Western expats roll their eyes whenever they hear it. For instance, when a student says "I'll bring you that assignment this afternoon, inshallah", most Western professors interpret that statement as "I'll bring you that assignment this afternoon, as long as my friends don't call - and as long as there's nothing good on TV - and as long as I don't take a nap - and as long as nothing else comes up." So there's probably a 50-50 chance - at best - that the assignment actually gets turned in that afternoon.

This usage is common with adults, too. One of the (Western) department heads here at my university asked his (Middle Eastern) administrative assistant on a Thursday if she could get copies of an exam run for him by the following Monday. She replied, "Yes, inshallah." These two individuals have a pretty good working relationship so he responded with, "When you say inshallah, do you mean, 'Yes, I'll get it done' and you're just adding 'inshallah' because that's what you do culturally, or do you mean it the way students mean it? Because one of the reasons I'm giving you this five days early is because I definitely need it done by Monday. " Completely unflustered, she said, "It will be done by Monday, inshallah."

It's common to hear inshallah at government offices, when you call to get the cable TV turned on at your apartment, when you need a repair person, etc. And so most of the time, it doesn't create a real sense of optimism that things are going to get done in a timely manner.

So some people use "inshallah" casually, culturally, and as an excuse to not get things done. Maybe even the majority of people use it that way. But - as I said - there is another usage - one that is more than just using the word as an excuse.

Muslims use "inshallah" because they're required to do so by the Qur'an. Surah 18:23-24 says, "And never say of anything, 'I shall do such and such thing tomorrow,' except (with the saying): 'If God wills!' ." And so Muslims say "inshallah" any time they mention future plans.

As a Christian, I kind of like hearing "inshallah" in this sense because we (Christians) have the same instruction in the Bible. James 4:13-15 says, "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."

Christians probably don't say "God willing" or "the Lord willing" nearly as often as the Muslims that I know over here, but it's still definitely something that I hear from time to time from Christians. It's always good to hear that someone is acknowledging God.

So when I hear "inshallah" on the lips of a sincere believer who is acknowledging God's control, I like it. It's a good reminder for me - and probably for other people as well - of God's role in the administration of the universe.

The Price of Gas

The price of gas went up today. You can read the article if you want and do the math yourself, or you can trust me. Over here, gas is...

1.61 dirhams per Liter, so that's
.4383 dollars per Liter, so that's
1.65 dollars per gallon.

If you're reading this in America, I bet you're paying more.

That's for full service, too. [For all of you youngsters reading this, full-service is when someone who works at the gas station pumps your gas for you while you sit in the comfort of your vehicle]. All stations here are full-service.

Arabs and the Greatest Movie of All Time

The greatest movie of all time, The Godfather, might not have ever been made if it had not been for the Arabs. Seriously.

As I began reading up on Italy in preparation for my summer vacation, I learned that Muslim armies invaded the island of Sicily throughout the 800s and 900s A.D., eventually conquering the island and setting up the Emirate of Sicily. The emirate endured from approximately 965 to 1072. During this time period, the Arabs who settled in Sicily renamed the city of Cunigghiuni, calling it Qurlayun. The town has retained this name, which is rendered in Italian and in English as Corleone. Movie buffs remember this as the surname of the mafia don played by Marlon Brando in The Godfather. Fans of the film may also remember that members of the Corleone family pay visits to the city of Corleone periodically during the movie.

While the Sicilan mafia did not achieve national and international fame (or infamy) until the 19th and 20th centuries, the structure of their "business organizations" has existed for centuries. In the mafia, families join into larger clans which then form an even larger "Family" [such as the Coreleone Family]. For this reason, it can be argued that the Sicilians mafia borrowed their organizational structure from the structure of the Arab tribes that conquered Sicily. Now let me pause here to emphasize that I'm not at all saying that the Arabs taught the Sicilians about crime. What I am saying is that the Sicilians may have taken an innocuous social structure and adapted it for their own (criminal) purposes. In the Arab model, families form clans, which then form tribes. This is different from the pattern in most European countries where "tribes" don't really exist.

So where would the Sicilian mafia be without the Arabs teaching them about family?

July 4th - Part 2

We just got back from our July 4th Cookout. It was a Southern affair, with representatives from Louisiana, North Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Texas, Florida, (and a couple of token Midwesterners who heard about our food). There were about 20 of us all together. Here's a picture from after the meal. Here's the menu:

Hamburgers and Hot Dogs
Potato Salad
Deviled Eggs
Cole Slaw
Fried Okra
Mac and Cheese
Salsa, Queso, Chips
Homemade Sweet Potato Chips

Sweet Tea
Assorted "Western Beverages"






And for Dessert:

Blackberry Cobbler
Apple Pie
Blue Bell Ice Cream
Banana Pudding
Fried Oreos



It was a real-deal Southern 4th of July. Have a Happy 4th y'all!

July 4th

In case any of our faithful readers back in the States wonder what we're doing on the 4th of July, here's your answer. Relax, we're OK over here. We're still among friends.

Headed Home...Now What

by Cindy

The summer is upon us and many people are traveling back home. Here are some of the funny things that our friends have told us that they crave and want to get back to:

Heading back home this summer? What's your first stop?

• Cracker Barrel!
• Anywhere that sells decent clam chowdah.
• Tim Horton's for an iced cappuccino - pure bliss!
• Wings, definitely wings.
• My sister's place in Cambridge, MA - for Maine lobster and a champagne toast!
• Lobstah!
• Walmart to buy a 6-pack of Dr. Pepper.
• The lost luggage counter...my bag will be lost again this time.
• Target
  
• Lennies (awesome brewpub in Bloomington, IN) .

Middle East Jokes

by Cindy
We have all seen the emails that start, "You know you're from (fill in the blank) when (blank). We have one along those lines that I thought I would share to give you an idea of some of the crazy things we see/do around here.

You know you've living in the Middle East too long when:

• You give your friend of the opposite sex a hug in public and worry that you'll get deported for inappropriate conduct.
• You feel shocked that the male cashier actually touched your hand when giving you your change back.
• You can't believe the legal speed limit is only 60 MPH instead of 75 (120 kph).
• You can make a left hand turn.
• You momentarily freak out when you see birds eating in public in daylight during Ramadan.
• You are not shocked to see that the server brought you 1 kg of rice when you asked for a single serving.
• You start cutting lines before others do it to you.
• You find that you know more Hindi and Filipino words than Arabic words.
• You need a jacket when the temperature drops below 20°C [68°F].
• When someone tells you "see you tomorrow" and you immediately answer "inshallah".
• You start complaining when there is no Hummous or Falafel on restaurant menus.
• You are at the mall and expect to hear the call to prayer.
• You are shocked when you get exact change back at the grocery store.
• You are happy to run into a taxi driver who: a) who knows how to drive, b) knows the city, c) speaks some English.
• You do not find it strange that people ask "where you from?" but never ask you for your name!
• Nobody looks at you funny when you are educated but speak pidgin English so that you are actually understood.
• Flashing your high beams makes the car in front of you magically disappear.
• You can make u-turns almost anywhere.
• You are at the DMV asking about the women's only line.
• You are driving on the highway, in the left lane and a huge pick up (NOT a Land cruiser) starts tailgating. You think to yourself, "Why hasn't he flashed the brights? I'm not getting out of his way until he flashes me."
• You get a perverse sort of pleasure in asking every single cashier what the return policy is, just to hear them say 30 days with the receipt. You nearly pass out when you are told 90 days and if I change my mind, I can just bring them back.
• You can spot a camel grazing on a sand dune at 300 yards while driving by at 120 kilometers per hour.
• It’s normal for a stranger to ask if you are married.
• You make sure to leave 2 hours between appointments, due to traffic.
• You've forgotten how to wash your own car or pump your own gas.
• You think the uncut version of "Little House on the Prairie" is racy.
• Your idea of housework is leaving a list for your housekeeper.
• You give directions by land marks instead of by road names.
• You wear a jacket inside and take it off outside.
• You understand that wadi bashing isn't a criminal act.
• You have to repeat your order six or seven times: Whopper, Fries, Coke....and then after all that you open the bag: Big Fish, Onion Rings, Apple Pie, and Fanta.
• When you think it's normal to have a box of tissues on the restaurant table instead of napkins.
• You walk around Walmart for 10 minutes looking for the produce weigh station.
• You realize that you have checked EVERYTHING off your list. From shopping in ONE store!
• You hardly notice the two men who just walked by you holding hands, but you feel somewhat concerned about the old married couple coming towards you holding hands!
• You think a co-ed swimming pool is strange.
• For a total of about $50, you can get a Moroccan bath, a manicure, a pedicure, a facial, a massage, and a hair treatment, and then follow it up with a tasty and ample Indian dinner for your family of 4. And while you are doing this, you are fully aware that, within a 10 minute drive, you could also spend your annual salary in one sitting on the very same services.
• You know that "same-same" definitely isn't.
• You don't know what your own street address is. In fact, you don't know the name of the street that you live on!
• When someone complains to you about another person's job performance or behavior, you immediately ask for that other person's ethnicity or nationality.
• When you order "tea", you mean hot tea, not iced tea.
• When you forget how to clean up after yourself. For example, it doesn't even occur to you to clean up the table after eating fast food at the mall.

Barracuda

by Cindy

Even though the sell of alcohol is highly restricted in the UAE, you can find alcohol here. You have to drive about 30 minutes outside of town to a place called Barracuda. It is funny because everyone knows where it is and when you ask people how to get there, they tell you to drive on the road until you see the airplane in the field and then turn left. The directions seem nuts but here's a picture of the airplane - you can't really miss it! It is an old Russian cargo plane sitting by an old landing strip.

The store looks like a huge duty free store on the inside. The outside is a pretty dull building without windows and by the sea. Inside people push shopping carts around (often one for the man and one for the woman) and fill them completely. Since it is a bit of a drive, when people "make a run" they really stock up. When you check out, everythig is wrapped in black bags to conceal the prohibited product.

We're Not in Texas Anymore!

by Cindy

We really don't see too many pick up trucks here in the UAE. We have tons of SUVs but no F150's or Silverados. However, the other day I did see a Chevy Silverado on the highway and more importantly, it had some "decoration" that you definitely would not see in Texas!

The pictures on the back window are those of the founding father of the UAE and the rulers of the UAE. Think Thomas Jefferson, Abe Lincoln and George Washington!

Crazy Drivers

You may have seen this by now, but some local guys made the news recently by turning one of the local expressways into a playground for their SUVs. As you watch the burnouts, doughnuts, and two-wheel driving, remember that this is the main expressway through Dubai - it's 7 lanes in each direction - and it's obviously during the daytime. Here's the link.

This is not typical behavior. It made the news here - and some of these guys went to jail.

PS - When you get to YouTube, you might want to check on some of the other, similar videos that are recommended on the right side. All funny, but crazy, crazy, crazy. There's a huge car culture here (OK, not really cars, but mostly big white SUVs) and guys love to go "dune-bashing", racing, and do stunt driving. Watch the videos. It's nuts.

Not Quite a West Texas Thunderstorm, but Close...

by Cindy

Lately I have been jealous of my West Texas friends who have posted on Facebook about the great spring storms. Generally speaking we get one kind of weather here - hot. To quote Robin William's charter in Good Morning Vietnam, "What's the weather like out there? It's hot. Damn hot. Real hot." Yep, that's where we choose to live. On a rare occasion, the region does get rain. This storm below made it to Oman, about a 3-hour drive from here. So it didn't really happen here, but it was pretty close. Enjoy the pictures.

Return to America

by Cindy

I was fortunate to go to Boston this past week for my brother in law's ordination. [Thanks Derek for planning it so we could make it!] It was my first trip back to America since we left nine months ago. I was not sure what it might be like but here are a few of my thoughts and observations:

• We took in a Red Sox game and it felt very American. I was comfortable in the crowds, knew to stand for the 7th inning stretch, knew the words to "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and the food smells were familiar.
• Everyone in Boston speaks English. I don't know if I heard another language the whole time I was there. On my layover in NYC I finally heard other languages and realized that I missed hearing all of the tongues from the different tribes.
• I still prefer to shop in America. I am more familiar with sizes, brands and styles in America. In Dubai we have European styles, sizes and brands and Jeff and I are not yet comfortable with those.
• I felt rushed at the restaurants in America. I like the Dubai style of waiting around and really enjoying your meal.
• The weather in Boston and NYC was amazing. I actually got cold a couple of times in Boston. The weather was cool and crisp and the sky was so blue. Their summers are like our winters. Makes me wonder why in August, I'm trading Dubai heat for Texas heat!
• I didn't miss the morning call to prayer (currently around 4 AM) but I did miss the birds waking me up each morning.
• I was thankful to be able to wear shorts in public!

All in all, I missed Dubai while I was gone. Even though I was gone for a week, I was ready to get back. I love where we live and love the people we have met. Dubai fits me more than any other place we have lived thus far. It was nice to see family but I'm glad to be home!