Christmas in the Desert

December in the UAE is a wonderful time to put on your shorts and sunglasses and venture out into the frigid, summer-like weather for a look around the country.

Joking aside, the temperatures lately have been ranging from 65 to 85, and we've actually turned off the airconditioning on some days and opened the windows. This is part of the payback for surviving the sweltering, humid, 120-degree days of August and September. Genuinely lovely weather, cool evenings, sunny days, and everyone venturing out of their houses to enjoy the sights.

At the beginning of the month, we headed up to Sharjah and visited the Qanat al Qasbah, a sort of "Restaurant Row" with a ferris wheel and boat rides.




Aubrey enjoyed the chance for a little exercise. She likes pushing her own stroller. She can actually go pretty far -- we let her amble up and down the corridors at the mall, which greatly amuses other shoppers, and she's made it all the way to the end of the block. Hey, it's good physical activity and a way to burn off some energy.




We had a nice lunch at an Indian restaurant, and got one of what is bound to be many many surprises from our little angel. She shoved her pureed veggies to the side and started reaching for the food on our plates. We figured, well, why not. We broke all the rules, giving her little flakes of fish, chicken tikka, and even a cut up green olive. We figured that was going to be a bridge too far. No chance. Ever since then, it's been no looking back. She's on solids including broccoli, potatoes, chicken, even crumbled-up hamburger and brisket.




Towards the middle of the month, we went to a party where she got to wear her pretty red party dress and pinafore, and for the first time, met Santa! She's having what we're told is the pretty normal reaction...






This is less a comment on how small our daughter is than how big daddy's feet are...




We took her to the Hiltonia again. Here she is standing on the table...




And tuckered out after a long day at the beach. This shot took us by surprise, frankly. We hadn't realized how long her legs had become!!




For Christmas, we decided to go to Al-Ain, about an hour and a half east (inland) from Abu Dhabi. It's a very nice city built around several oases, much calmer and more traditionally "middle eastern" looking than Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Definitely a place to go to turn down the intensity a few levels!

We stayed at the Rotana Hotel in Al-Ain, which really decked itself out for Christmas. Right down to Christmas carols playing in the restaurants and employees dressed up in Santa outfits giving out toys and balloons during Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas brunch. There are a lot of rumors and misconceptions about people here being very intolerant of Christians and Jews. I have to tell you, we're not seeing it here. Rotana is an Arab-owned company based in the Middle East, and we were staying in one of the more traditional cities in a Muslim country in the Persian Gulf. It was far from the only hotel or building that turned out the red and green, too. And on Christmas morning, the day we renew our hope of Peace on Earth, we were treated to the wonderfully incongruous but reassuring sight of 15 traditionally-dressed Saudis and Emiratis sitting in the lobby atrium having coffee in the shade of the Christmas tree.

Night time...




Day time...




Some of the detail on the tree. (The resolution here is too low, but in the original picture, you can see Steve, reflected in one of the balls on the tree, taking the picture).




And the balconies...




We decided to take our little one to the Al-Ain Zoo. We'd heard a lot of positive comments and we were impressed. It's more like the zoos common in the U.S. 20 years ago than the new modern ones, but it seemed well-run and very clean, and the animals seemed well-fed and healthy. It was an absolutely beautiful day, about 72 degrees and very comfortable, and there were quite a lot of other people visiting, picnicking and enjoying the exhibits.

Here's the entrance...




And Jenny near one of the exhibits...




We thought poor Aubrey was going to sleep through the whole morning...




But she woke up in time to see the lions,




...and the giraffes,




...and some funny meerkats (relatives of prairie dogs, we think...),




...and this...um...you know, we're not sure what it is, but those are some darned impressive horns.




No Christmas would be complete without Christmas Dinner. Here's Aubrey in her pretty Christmas sweater.




And, of course, presents on Christmas morning!! Aubrey got three hand puppets from IKEA (a cow, a horse and a piggy), a big red fuzzy ball, and a "corn popper".



Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

S & J

December, And It's Still 80 Degrees Out...

You know that old phrase "wow, it seems like it was just yesterday when..."? Well, it seems like it was just yesterday when it was August, and then it was suddenly November, and Thanksgiving was upon us before we realized. The fact that it's still summer outside may possibly have something to do with this. No visual cues, no reddening leaves, no crisp cold fall air. To tell you the truth, it wasn't quite the same.

Now it's December and we're still walking about in shorts, t-shirts and sunglasses. We've figured that we had best start now getting psyched for Christmas; the tree is up, which makes this officially the first time in all the time we've known each other that the tree was actually up on December 1. It may actually be the first time we've gotten the tree up more than 48 hours before Christmas Eve, but that's another story. :-)

Aubrey. Is. Standing.

Starting to walk, but still reluctant to let go of an object. We tried to load some brief video, but blogspot's being difficult. Or Eitisalat is blocking the transfer. Don't know. We'll figure it out.

December 2 is UAE National Day. We've discovered that the traditional way to celebrate National Day here in Abu Dhabi is to picnic along the Corniche Park while others slow-roll their BMWs, Range Rovers, Cadillac Escalades, Lincoln Navigators or Nissan Patrols along the Corniche, revving motors at maximum RPM, squalling tires and burning great clouds of rubber. The noise from which continues until 2 am in the morning, over the course of three days. Add to this a number of professional and amateur fireworks displays, some of them directly over the house and registering at least a 4 on the Richter scale, accompanied by men on flying chairs towing the national flag over the harbor and two helicopters towing the largest flag on earth -- that's not a joke, at 50,000 square feet, it is in fact the single largest flag on earth -- over the harbor during the day. It's sort of Seurat's "Sunday in the Park With George" combined with a NASCAR rally and a din worthy of Armageddon.

They are proud of the country and they don't spare the noise or enthusiasm. And when you consider how much progress has been made here in only 36 years, well, can you blame them? Not really.

December 3 is also a holiday in the UAE. We theorize that this is because half the cars in town are in the garage having their engines and tires replaced and no one can get to work.

Moving on...

We're doing ok. Aubrey had a bad cold, but come through it well enough without needing major doctor care or medicine. Ah, her mother's immune system, thank heavens... Jenny and Steve have finally dug out from under the various responsibilities, work demands, minor illnesses (cough, cough) that have been dogging them and got the house more or less put together. We're finally getting Pictures on the wall, knick knacks on the tables, and our stuff largely put away in its proper places. It's starting to feel like home.

Blah blah blah. LIke you want to read all this? We know what you want... Bring on the pictures!!

The Prisoner's Protest...Hey, What's Up With Baby Jail, Dad?

Afternoon Nap

(Jenny took this while Aubrey was sound asleep...)

Business Meeting

(We took a walk to Spinney's and passed this important convocation on the way there. Well, at least we know why there are no rats in town.)

In Case You Thought We Were Starving

(A couple of pictures inside Spinney's. The deli counter is right behind Jenny, the yogurt and dairy aisle behind that, and the cheese aisle to the left.)

A Wide Selection of Produce

(Mangoes from Kenya and Australia, Australian mandarines, American grapefruit, Jordanian and Iranian melons. It's hard to see the shelves behind, but if you click and look at the larger version it might come clear. About 12 different kinds of apples from the U.S. and France. Add to that the unseen Lebanese potatoes, Dutch tomatoes, Thai strawberries, New Zealand Kiwis, and so on...)

Aubrey Playing With Daddy's Toys

A House Full Of Toys, This Kid Wants To Play With A Hammer

(Well, her pawpaw will be pleased...)

Zoom!!

James Cameron, My Eye -- I'M Queen Of The World!

OK, So Who Owns This Bit Up Here?

In The End, It's All A Matter Of Taste

S & J