Christmas day

Its Christmas morning in that nice quiet time of the day before the rest of the household gets up and you have time to ponder Christmases past.

This year Laura and Paul, my son and daughter are here in Abu Dhabi to spend Christmas with us. Im thrilled they were able to come. Last year we had Christmas with American friends. In the past I have had Christmas with so many, much loved and interesting folk. Marianne Steen from Denmark and Anne Margarate Matre from Norway spent Christmas with us in the late 80's as exchange students. One year we spent Christmas in Denmark with Mariannes family. It snowed all day and they made a huge effort to give us a wonderful Danish christmas. I spent a few Christmases in Malaysia with The Plenert family, Ceinwen and Michael Schneider and Tina and Zack Bartol.
Of course my extended family have always featured large in Christmas plans. My mum and stepfather, I wish very much that they could be here with us to spend the day together. My sister Jan and brother in law Alan and their family, I miss you all. Trevor and Barbara Williamson, whom for many years we had a fabulous Christmas eve when all our kids were little. We would go to Mt Macedon Carols by Candlelight together. Our friends in Berwick, Bendigo and Macedon. Where ever you are and who ever you are with, I hope you are having a wonderful day.

Today we will spend the day quietly at home together, and later Christmas dinner is at the Rotana on Yas Island with a Muslim family and their three year old triplets! I am so incredibly blessed to have so many good friends who come from all corners of the world. I love you all so much.

Camel festival

We drove to Madinat Zayed in the desert to an annual camel beauty pagent and market. It was the craziest thing I've seen here in the UAE.

There were reportedly, 43,000 camels, and Im guessing 25,000 white Nissan Patrols, 20 thousand men, three other expat women and Laura and I.

There was a traditional heritage village set up staffed by Emirati women. As I said in an early post it is very unusual to have to the chance to interact with Emirati women so it was all very interesting. They were wonderfully hospitable with almost every single stall inviting us in for coffee. Bert was at one stage sitting in the sand drinking coffee with four of his new best buddies. It was a great day and we will go again next year, only next time we will be armed with the video camera as well

More National Day

Last night we went to Yas Island and they had a Heritage village set up as a display for National day. It really was lovely. Tents set up with traditional carpets and cushions and displays of local crafts and life. Emiratis were in each tent to explain different aspects of their lives. Every contact we ever have with Emiratis has been positive. They have been polite, gracious and very welcoming. This lady spoke no english so I asked the younger woman with her if we could take a photo. It is very rare to have the opportunity to photograph an Emirati woman with her traditional face coverings.

National day UAE style

My friend Susan getting into the spirit of things. She does it so well!

Today December 2nd is the 39th anniversay of the United Arab Emirates. I really admire how patriotic and proud of their nation the Emiratis are. I do think they have a lot to be proud of.

They celebrate by elaborately decorating the cities, and particularly their cars in national colours.


Atlantis on the Palm Jumeira putting on its best colourful display


And just because its so funny! I saw this in the shops last year but was still in my dazed and confused state so courtesy of Susan here is the manequin in the National flag...err abaya.

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