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!