Bert likes to shop, we all know that. So you can imagine how I felt when I heard the news that he was at the gold souk.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Bert in Dubai
Bert has gone to Dubai for the day today. Dubai is a bit over an hours drive from Abu Dhabi. He phoned me from outside Ski Dubai and said he thinks he prefers real alps to a ski slope inside a shopping centre. I cannot imagine the damage he will be doing to our bank balance, as everyone who knows Bert knows well, he LOVES to shop.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
On the menu tonight
Here is the traditional Arabic feast, complete with the beast below roasted.
Bert phoned me tonight from Abu Dhabi to tell me he was eating camel. This is the man who will not eat shellfish or lamb (or a million other normal foods)
I seriously do not want to know about eating weird animals.
Religious freedom in UAE
The other big topic of conversation amongst our friends has been religion and the freedom to go to a Christian church in Abu Dhabi. A quick google found a thriving Evangalical Christian Church in Abu Dhabi and I have been emailing back and forward with one of the Pastors. A few weeks ago they moved into a new building and I thought this was very interesting.
"The land was granted to us by the rulers of this country, who have been very generous. The old facility was getting way too small for us and this is a very exciting new phase for us as a church," the pastor said.
I also found this on the website for an Anglican church in Abu Dhabi
"The land was granted to us by the rulers of this country, who have been very generous. The old facility was getting way too small for us and this is a very exciting new phase for us as a church," the pastor said.
I also found this on the website for an Anglican church in Abu Dhabi
Worship in a Muslim Country
The St. Andrew's Church Council and members wish to express their gratitude to the Late President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheik Zayed, for his understanding in support of Christian worship in this Islamic country. Through the grants of land to the St. Andrew's community, we have been able to establish a complex at which a number of Christian communities gather for worship.
The St. Andrew's Church Council and members wish to express their gratitude to the Late President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheik Zayed, for his understanding in support of Christian worship in this Islamic country. Through the grants of land to the St. Andrew's community, we have been able to establish a complex at which a number of Christian communities gather for worship.
This is the website of the church we have been corresponding with. I love the photo on their start page, all those nationalities worshipping together! http://www.eccad.org/
I also read online an article about an American couple who got lost on their way to a catholic church. They were approached by an Emirati Muslim man who could see that they were lost. He insisted on driving them, refused compensation and wished them a happy day.
I really have to wonder if we would see the same generosity and tolerance here in Australia. I am excited about being involved in such a big church with so many cultures and different styles of worship.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Where are we?
This morning a neighbour expressed surprise when our garage door opened and there was Bert on his way to work. One of our friends told her that we had moved to Abu Dhabi. We are still here in Australia but Bert is travelling backwards and forwards between the two countries. He came home last Saturday and is leaving again next Friday for two weeks.
We do not have a definite date yet to move, so Bert will continue to live between home and five star hotels, while Kris will live in Berwick surrounded by boxes and chaos.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Women in United Arab Emirates.
A lot of our friends have expressed everything from concern to sheer horror at the idea of living in the Middle East. Here is an interesting article written by Vaun Himmelsbach CBC news.
Women in North America often struggle with issues of self-worth. But in a camel market outside of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates, you can find out exactly how much you're worth: 16,000 dirham, or about $5,300. That's what it generally costs to buy a wife — though you've got some bargaining power if you're pretty.
To put that in perspective, a three-month-old camel costs 5,000 dirham, while a six-month-old camel costs 10,000 dirham.
Despite this questionable valuation, the UAE is a good starting point for a Western woman travelling in the Middle East, since it's more moderate than some of its neighbours, such as Saudi Arabia to the southeast and Iran to the north across the Gulf Sea.
It's not a war-zone, you don't have to wear a hijab, and you can get Starbucks and a Mighty Zinger chicken burger (halal, of course) at KFC.
It may not always feel like you're in a Muslim country, but there are daily reminders that you are — such as the call to prayer five times a day, or the Emirati women walking around in the black abaya, the robe-like dress that Muslim women wear on top of their regular clothing (the idea being that women guard their beauty from all men except those who are allowed to see it). However, women here wear the abaya by choice — it's a cultural distinction and they're proud of it. Western women can wear bikinis on public beaches and drink in hotel bars, if they want to.
Although at times it may feel like there's a freewheeling attitude here, it's still a Muslim country and visitors must respect the local laws and traditions. A British couple made global headlines recently when they were arrested for having sex on a public beach in Dubai; they were charged with having sex outside of marriage, public indecency and public drunkenness.
Balancing past, present
While the UAE is building the third-largest mosque in the world and its own version of the Louvre, it also holds raves with popular DJs flown in from around the world. It's a country trying to find a balance between past and present, between culture and commerce.
And it's a bit confused.
The UAE is a tiny country made up of seven sheikhdoms that chose to unite in 1971. What brought them together? Oil.
The image of wealthy sheikhs wearing dishdashas (an ankle-length garment usually with long sleeves often referred to as kandura in the UAE) and driving around in fancy cars may sound like a cliché, but it's a reality here. In November, while the rest of the world was reeling from plummeting stock markets, the Atlantis hotel and resort on the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai (a man-made island shaped like a palm tree) threw an opening party — to the tune of $20 million US. The national pastime of the Emirati, it's said, is frittering away money.
Oil was discovered in Abu Dhabi in 1958. Today, the country sits atop 9.6 per cent of the world's known oil reserves and five per cent of the world's natural gas. It currently produces about 2.8 million barrels of oil a day, ranking it as the 10th tenth largest oil producer and sixth largest oil exporter in the world. It plans to raise its daily production capacity to 3.5 million barrels a day in the next few years.
As a result, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are giant construction zones. And they're cities made up of ex-pats, since all that construction requires labour. Western ex-pats hold the more coveted jobs, such as architects and professors, while labourers (considered lower class, they don't exactly work in the best conditions) are shipped in from Nepal, Bangladesh, India and China. The ex-pat population is transient - here to make money and return home.
Caution and discovery
Little remains of the past, when desert Arabs relied on date palms for food and housing, and the coastal Bedouin built boats and dived for pearls. But to get away from the rampant Vegas-style development, head out into the desert and find yourself a camel market.
Here, there's an ex-pat population of sorts too — most of the men are from other places, such as Sudan or Afghanistan. But, as a Western woman, the camel market should be approached with caution.
If you go to a camel market, be prepared to be assertive. (Vawn Himmelsbach)While for the most part you'll be left alone in the bigger cities, that's not the case in more rural areas. A couple of men offered to take a photo of me with the camels; I then found myself surrounded by men making unwanted sexual advances, while another guy started taking pictures with his cellphone camera.
The cities are so easy to manoeuvre, it's easy to let your guard down, and I had walked into the camel market unprepared — and that was a mistake. But when I became assertive and told the men to back off, they did.
Don't let this scare you off, though. The camel market is where I had, by far, my most interesting interactions.
Arab Muslims can have up to four wives, but they must be able to provide for each of them. The men there wanted to know how much a wife costs in Canada. I told them there's no upfront payment — but they would be made to pay in other ways for the rest of their lives. And few Canadian men can handle one wife, let alone four.
But, if you can, go with a Western man and pretend he's your husband, or wear a fake wedding ring.
What to wear
And dress appropriately — which raises the question: What is appropriate?
Usually it takes me about 20 minutes to pack for a trip. This time, I agonized for an entire week, wondering whether my clothes were too tight, too low-cut or somehow offensive. I needn't have worried, though.
In the opulent marble-and-gold Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, considered the most expensive hotel in the world, I saw a young Emirati woman — probably in her 20s — walking around in an abaya, open in front to reveal a pair of skinny jeans and stiletto heels, and with make-up appropriate for a burlesque stage.
Anything you might wear in an office environment would be appropriate — just keep your knees and shoulders covered. Your best bet is to wear long pants or a long skirt (below the knees) and a shirt that covers your elbows.
You're not required to wear a headscarf unless you're entering a mosque, but bring a large scarf or pashmina for occasions when you want to cover up.
While shorts are considered inappropriate, I was surprised to see Westerners walking on public beaches in bikinis and Speedos (just don't get drunk and have sex). My recommendation, though, is if you're looking for a beach vacation, go to Brazil or Greece — unless you don't mind groups of labourers standing around gawking at you. Or hang out at the hotel pool.
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages are expensive here, since the locals don't drink. You can only buy drinks at hotel bars; expect to pay what you would pay in North America. And don't bother trying to pick up a bottle of wine at one of the few liquor outlets, since you require a permit to do so.
If you do want to indulge, however, check out the rooftop Pearls & Caviar bar at the Shangri-La Hotel in Abu Dhabi, where you can watch the sun set behind the world's third-largest mosque — a rather surreal experience over a gin and tonic.
Things to see
Abu Dhabi is home to the third-largest mosque in the world. (Vawn Himmelsbach)The mosque, which is still under construction (and has been for 10 years), is a gleaming structure made of marble and gold designed by an Italian architect. Inside is the world's largest Persian carpet — at 7,110 square metres — made by 120 women over the course of three years. The mosque will fit 40,000 worshippers at prayer time (Mecca, the largest mosque, will fit 60,000, while Medina, the second-largest, will fit 50,000).
In Dubai, wander through the spice, textile and gold souks, or markets, where you can pick up some freshly ground green cardamom or bargain for that mosque-shaped alarm clock. Or, go skiing at the mall — it's hard to imagine the amount of air-conditioning required to keep an indoor ski hill up and running, but it's quite a sight to see (especially the long black parkas that match the women's abayas).
The Iranian souk in Abu Dhabi has been temporarily closed down; your only chance to shop is at the malls, which are plentiful.
Feeling adventuresome? Go "dunebashing" in the desert, which involves riding a vehicle over sand dunes in a reckless fashion (though the drivers do know what they're doing), giving you the sensation of being on a roller coaster — only one that goes on and on, with no end in sight.
Ride camels as the sun sets over the desert, then head into a tented area where you can eat a feast of barbequed meat, watch a belly dancer, get a henna tattoo and smoke a shisha pipe filled with fruit-flavoured tobacco. It's all pretty touristy, but sitting beneath the stars in the desert night is an extraordinary experience.
For a Western woman, the UAE offers an easy and safe way to see the Middle East for the first time — it might open your eyes to further travel opportunities in that part of the world.
To put that in perspective, a three-month-old camel costs 5,000 dirham, while a six-month-old camel costs 10,000 dirham.
Despite this questionable valuation, the UAE is a good starting point for a Western woman travelling in the Middle East, since it's more moderate than some of its neighbours, such as Saudi Arabia to the southeast and Iran to the north across the Gulf Sea.
It's not a war-zone, you don't have to wear a hijab, and you can get Starbucks and a Mighty Zinger chicken burger (halal, of course) at KFC.
It may not always feel like you're in a Muslim country, but there are daily reminders that you are — such as the call to prayer five times a day, or the Emirati women walking around in the black abaya, the robe-like dress that Muslim women wear on top of their regular clothing (the idea being that women guard their beauty from all men except those who are allowed to see it). However, women here wear the abaya by choice — it's a cultural distinction and they're proud of it. Western women can wear bikinis on public beaches and drink in hotel bars, if they want to.
Although at times it may feel like there's a freewheeling attitude here, it's still a Muslim country and visitors must respect the local laws and traditions. A British couple made global headlines recently when they were arrested for having sex on a public beach in Dubai; they were charged with having sex outside of marriage, public indecency and public drunkenness.
Balancing past, present
While the UAE is building the third-largest mosque in the world and its own version of the Louvre, it also holds raves with popular DJs flown in from around the world. It's a country trying to find a balance between past and present, between culture and commerce.
And it's a bit confused.
The UAE is a tiny country made up of seven sheikhdoms that chose to unite in 1971. What brought them together? Oil.
The image of wealthy sheikhs wearing dishdashas (an ankle-length garment usually with long sleeves often referred to as kandura in the UAE) and driving around in fancy cars may sound like a cliché, but it's a reality here. In November, while the rest of the world was reeling from plummeting stock markets, the Atlantis hotel and resort on the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai (a man-made island shaped like a palm tree) threw an opening party — to the tune of $20 million US. The national pastime of the Emirati, it's said, is frittering away money.
Oil was discovered in Abu Dhabi in 1958. Today, the country sits atop 9.6 per cent of the world's known oil reserves and five per cent of the world's natural gas. It currently produces about 2.8 million barrels of oil a day, ranking it as the 10th tenth largest oil producer and sixth largest oil exporter in the world. It plans to raise its daily production capacity to 3.5 million barrels a day in the next few years.
As a result, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are giant construction zones. And they're cities made up of ex-pats, since all that construction requires labour. Western ex-pats hold the more coveted jobs, such as architects and professors, while labourers (considered lower class, they don't exactly work in the best conditions) are shipped in from Nepal, Bangladesh, India and China. The ex-pat population is transient - here to make money and return home.
Caution and discovery
Little remains of the past, when desert Arabs relied on date palms for food and housing, and the coastal Bedouin built boats and dived for pearls. But to get away from the rampant Vegas-style development, head out into the desert and find yourself a camel market.
Here, there's an ex-pat population of sorts too — most of the men are from other places, such as Sudan or Afghanistan. But, as a Western woman, the camel market should be approached with caution.
If you go to a camel market, be prepared to be assertive. (Vawn Himmelsbach)While for the most part you'll be left alone in the bigger cities, that's not the case in more rural areas. A couple of men offered to take a photo of me with the camels; I then found myself surrounded by men making unwanted sexual advances, while another guy started taking pictures with his cellphone camera.
The cities are so easy to manoeuvre, it's easy to let your guard down, and I had walked into the camel market unprepared — and that was a mistake. But when I became assertive and told the men to back off, they did.
Don't let this scare you off, though. The camel market is where I had, by far, my most interesting interactions.
Arab Muslims can have up to four wives, but they must be able to provide for each of them. The men there wanted to know how much a wife costs in Canada. I told them there's no upfront payment — but they would be made to pay in other ways for the rest of their lives. And few Canadian men can handle one wife, let alone four.
But, if you can, go with a Western man and pretend he's your husband, or wear a fake wedding ring.
What to wear
And dress appropriately — which raises the question: What is appropriate?
Usually it takes me about 20 minutes to pack for a trip. This time, I agonized for an entire week, wondering whether my clothes were too tight, too low-cut or somehow offensive. I needn't have worried, though.
In the opulent marble-and-gold Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, considered the most expensive hotel in the world, I saw a young Emirati woman — probably in her 20s — walking around in an abaya, open in front to reveal a pair of skinny jeans and stiletto heels, and with make-up appropriate for a burlesque stage.
Anything you might wear in an office environment would be appropriate — just keep your knees and shoulders covered. Your best bet is to wear long pants or a long skirt (below the knees) and a shirt that covers your elbows.
You're not required to wear a headscarf unless you're entering a mosque, but bring a large scarf or pashmina for occasions when you want to cover up.
While shorts are considered inappropriate, I was surprised to see Westerners walking on public beaches in bikinis and Speedos (just don't get drunk and have sex). My recommendation, though, is if you're looking for a beach vacation, go to Brazil or Greece — unless you don't mind groups of labourers standing around gawking at you. Or hang out at the hotel pool.
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages are expensive here, since the locals don't drink. You can only buy drinks at hotel bars; expect to pay what you would pay in North America. And don't bother trying to pick up a bottle of wine at one of the few liquor outlets, since you require a permit to do so.
If you do want to indulge, however, check out the rooftop Pearls & Caviar bar at the Shangri-La Hotel in Abu Dhabi, where you can watch the sun set behind the world's third-largest mosque — a rather surreal experience over a gin and tonic.
Things to see
Abu Dhabi is home to the third-largest mosque in the world. (Vawn Himmelsbach)The mosque, which is still under construction (and has been for 10 years), is a gleaming structure made of marble and gold designed by an Italian architect. Inside is the world's largest Persian carpet — at 7,110 square metres — made by 120 women over the course of three years. The mosque will fit 40,000 worshippers at prayer time (Mecca, the largest mosque, will fit 60,000, while Medina, the second-largest, will fit 50,000).
In Dubai, wander through the spice, textile and gold souks, or markets, where you can pick up some freshly ground green cardamom or bargain for that mosque-shaped alarm clock. Or, go skiing at the mall — it's hard to imagine the amount of air-conditioning required to keep an indoor ski hill up and running, but it's quite a sight to see (especially the long black parkas that match the women's abayas).
The Iranian souk in Abu Dhabi has been temporarily closed down; your only chance to shop is at the malls, which are plentiful.
Feeling adventuresome? Go "dunebashing" in the desert, which involves riding a vehicle over sand dunes in a reckless fashion (though the drivers do know what they're doing), giving you the sensation of being on a roller coaster — only one that goes on and on, with no end in sight.
Ride camels as the sun sets over the desert, then head into a tented area where you can eat a feast of barbequed meat, watch a belly dancer, get a henna tattoo and smoke a shisha pipe filled with fruit-flavoured tobacco. It's all pretty touristy, but sitting beneath the stars in the desert night is an extraordinary experience.
For a Western woman, the UAE offers an easy and safe way to see the Middle East for the first time — it might open your eyes to further travel opportunities in that part of the world.
Heatwave in Melbourne
Perhaps one of the reasons the move to the Emirates looks so enticing at the moment is that Bert arrived home to Melbourne on the hottest day in recorded history. It reached 46.4 celcius or 117 farenheit. Apart from the brain frying heat, we had gale force winds and the humidity was 6%. So anyone who tries to tell me a dry heat is a good thing has never lived through a day like today.
We have fires all across Victoria. As most of our friends know when we moved to the suburbs because I never want to live with the fear of fires like I did every summer in Macedon. Six houses in suburban Narre Warren, just a few minutes from Berwick were burnt this afternoon.
There are no bush fires in Abu Dhabi are there? It's desert right, that won't burn.
Today was a day of wild weather extremes across Australia as floodwaters rose in northern Queensland while more than 100 thousand firefighters remained on standby in the three southeastern states.
More than 40 blazes are burning in Victoria and New South Wales as a heatwave pushed the mercury as high as 47 degrees accompanied by strong winds and South Australia faces its 13th straight day of searing heat.
For more on the Victorian fires click here.
Melbourne recorded its hottest day since records began 150 years ago, peaking at 46.4 degrees.
The town of Avalon, 50km south-west of Melbourne, also smashed its heat record, reaching 47.9 degrees
We have fires all across Victoria. As most of our friends know when we moved to the suburbs because I never want to live with the fear of fires like I did every summer in Macedon. Six houses in suburban Narre Warren, just a few minutes from Berwick were burnt this afternoon.
There are no bush fires in Abu Dhabi are there? It's desert right, that won't burn.
Today was a day of wild weather extremes across Australia as floodwaters rose in northern Queensland while more than 100 thousand firefighters remained on standby in the three southeastern states.
More than 40 blazes are burning in Victoria and New South Wales as a heatwave pushed the mercury as high as 47 degrees accompanied by strong winds and South Australia faces its 13th straight day of searing heat.
For more on the Victorian fires click here.
Melbourne recorded its hottest day since records began 150 years ago, peaking at 46.4 degrees.
The town of Avalon, 50km south-west of Melbourne, also smashed its heat record, reaching 47.9 degrees
Bert in Abu Dhabi
Bert has arrived home in Melbourne after 10 whirlwind days in Abu Dhabi. If it is possible for him to be more enthusiastic about the move, he is. He said everything he saw there confirmed that it's a good decision and he is looking forward to living and working there.
Some photos of Bert slumming it at the Emirates Palace Hotel.
Poor guy, he looks like he's doing it tough, doesn't he?
Some photos of Bert slumming it at the Emirates Palace Hotel.
Poor guy, he looks like he's doing it tough, doesn't he?
Not the budgie smugglers!
See the difference? No it was not Bert who got caught with the pigeons down his pants on a recent flight from Dubai to Melbourne. Friends saw this article and photo and joked the did not realise Bert had such hairy legs. If he was going to be smuggling anything into the aircraft to pretend it was a falcon it would be Millie our dog.
Customs officers at Melbourne International Airport became suspicious when they found two eggs in the man's pockets and birdseed stashed in his moneybelt.
On further inspection they discovered a live pigeon stuffed into each leg of the black tights he was wearing
The man, a passenger on a flight from Dubai, was handed over to Australian Quarantine and Inspection Services staff.
On further inspection they discovered a live pigeon stuffed into each leg of the black tights he was wearing
The man, a passenger on a flight from Dubai, was handed over to Australian Quarantine and Inspection Services staff.
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