Eid, or let the slaughtering begin.

Last year I was totally unprepared for what went on over Eid. We were staying in a hotel in the middle of the city and there were goats and sheep tied up to lamp posts everywhere when we went out early in the morning. By mid morning when we returned to the hotel it was a blood bath. We drove to Dubai via then new Yas Island freeway which unfortunately takes you past the slaughter house. There were people pushing goats and sheep everywhere! We stopped at a set of traffic lights and Bert said oh look at that, as I looked a man picked the goats head up and slit its throat, right there beside me trapped in the car behind a red light. It was hideous.

This year I am determined to avoid the bloodshed. I have tried not to look at the sheep and goats being transported along the freeway in trucks. I'm pretending they are being moved from the sand to a nice green pasture somewhere.

I was relieved to see this sign at a round about near where we live. There were lots of other signs in Arabic but I found this one in English. I hope the sheep are as relieved as I am.

The local supermarket

A Mork moment

Today I had a Mork moment, well I do almost daily, but this afternoons trip to the supermarket was funnier than usual. Since we moved last month I go to a weird little Arabic supermarket where they all look at me like I'm Mork from Mork and Mindy. I needed celery and bay leaves, no luck, I do think my chicken and dumplings is going to taste pretty ordinary with out it but basically if I can't see it, I can''t buy it as no one speaks English. They know I tip well, mostly because Im just grateful to have got out of there alive so I always have a guy leap forward to take my trolley out to the car and unload the groceries for me.

So as he is unpacking my groceries into the car he says Mám are you from Germany? No Australia, why? He said oh I saw your name on your credit card and its German but ah you are from Australia. Do you know Ricky Ponting? Cricket is the common language between Indian, Pakistani's and Sri Lankans, and a lot of Australians, unfortunately I am not one of them. I always feel like I let them down when I know nothing at all about cricket

Finally, found the camera and SD card at the same time!

I seriously hate moving. I hate the chaos of not being able to find phone chargers, cameras matches. Nothing life threatening if you do not have it, but such a nuisance when you cannot.

Here is a photo of the new house in Al Reef on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. We have moved from a two bedroom apartment to a five bedroom house, or villa as they are called here and we still have not got things in order. The house is actually three stories high. Top level has a bedroom, study and bathroom, a balcony that overlooks the backyard and a large roof terrace that overlooks the street. None of the rooms have built in wardrobes, which is just insane, so a trip to Ikea and we have fitted out the two smallest bedrooms with wall to wall wardrobes. We have one spare bedroom for guests and we have the bedroom on the second floor. If I had to climb the stairs to get to the third floor to go to bed I would have to start before I was actually tired each night, otherwise I am not sure I would make it.