Puzzling

Okay, I know I should be getting back into Ramadan reporting, but I can't seem to focus on that right now. You see, I've bought a puzzle ring.
We went to the gold souk and sold some old gold pieces that I've had laying around. Now is a great time to sell old gold...high prices, weak dollar. (David actually walked out of the jewelry store with money IN his pocket... he seemed dazed and disoriented... almost in shock.)
I've always wanted a puzzle ring, and so I used some of the proceeds to finally buy one. Puzzle rings originated with the harems. Only the sultan would know the solution to the puzzle guaranteeing the wife would not take off the ring.

All this is well and good, but I dropped the puzzle ring and it fell all to bits and I have no idea how to put it back together. There are entire websites devoted to complicated directions on how to put it back together. The gold souk guy said that he has been selling them for 13 years and still hasn't figured them out. I had a dinner party last night and there were some engineers from the office there and each one took a stab at it. They can construct giant oil platforms in the middle of the ocean, but my ring stumped them.
If any of my faithful readers knows how to work one or knows a sultan...please let me know.

Ramadan Half-Time

The moon is full and that means it is half-time for the holy month of Ramadan.

Here are my thoughts so far....

Ramadan seems to be bringing out the best in people. There is less honking, less pushing, more kindness. One guy even let me change lanes in front of him without speeding up to cut me off. That was a first. He even gave me a friendly wave. Hey, I'm enjoying this.

I'm also very impressed with their devotion. It is easy for us to celebrate our holidays because they are about feasting and presents. This one is about going hungry in order to understand the plight of the people of the world without enough food.

I'm still not sure why they don't drink water.... sympathy for the dehydrated of the world perhaps???

On very rare occasions blue-eyesight makes an error in her reporting and on even rarer occasions does she admit it. Yesterday during our Ramadan half-time commercial break featuring Pepsi Max, I incorrectly attributed the first Pepsi Max sighting to the oldest daughter. In fact, it was the youngest daughter who was observantly cruising the aisles of Wal-Mart and who broke the news. Way to go Katie...may you be that observant in all your classes as well.

Speaking of accuracy in reporting...today in the paper it was reported that journalists in the UAE will no longer be arrested for doing their job. There is to be complete "freedom of the press". I will keep you posted.

Pepsi Max, rat urine and Dancing Mike

All this talk about fasting just makes me hungry and thirsty.


When I was home this summer, a beautiful thing happened. I got an urgent text message from the oldest daughter. At long last, Pepsi Max was available in the USA at Wal-Mart. We had been drinking it overseas for years and could never understand why it wasn't available back home. I would even bring it back in my suitcase for the girls. They would lock it away only to be enjoyed at a very special occasion and couldn't have been happier than if I had brought jewelry or perfume. Why couldn't we get in it the USA? Had the FDA not approved it...was it a threat to national security?
Finally it has arrived. What makes it so much better than Diet Coke (words I never thought I would utter) and Diet Pepsi??? Three things...first, double the caffeine....second, a special chemical that makes aspartame taste better...and third, the secret ingredient...ginseng. That's right...it's gotta be good for you if it has ginseng in it.

A while back I sent an article around about how a woman had died after drinking from a can of Coke that had rat urine on it. Now I find out that it is not true....but it was on the Internet, how could that be? I think I'm still going to wash my Pepsi Max cans...just in case the ginseng is not enough to protect me.

This makes me happy AND makes my palms sweat too. Do you recognize any of these places? http://youtube.com/watch?v=tT8jA_pps3o

white thread/black thread

During Ramadan even teddy bears have to wait until sunset to have a picnic


There is so much more to Ramadan than fasting, but it happens to be the aspect that blue-eyesight sees the most, so I have been whining about...oops...I mean talking about it more. (It is so hard to remain an unbiased blogger when Starbucks is closed. ) I will try to wrap up the fasting aspect of Ramadan and then move on to other things.

To be a responsible blogger, one must listen to the demands of your readers. I left a question unanswered last week and I will attempt to rectify that today. I think this is going to require me to quote some Koran scripture....oh boy, here we go.

The question was, "What does the white thread have to do with the start of the daily fast?"

`Adiyy Ibn Hatim said "When the Ayah 'Eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you ... was revealed, I took a black thread and a white thread and placed them underneath my pillow. During the night I looked at them to if I could distinguish between them. In the morning I went the Messenger of Allah and mentioned that to him and he said: 'It is the black of the night and the white of the day.' " [Bukhari and Muslim]

“Allah’s Messenger taught me the prayer and fasting, he said: ‘Pray such and such, and fast and when the sun sets then eat and drink until the white thread is clear to you from the black thread, and fast for 30 days unless you see the new moon before that so I took two threads of wool, one black and one white ... (the hadith).’” abridged from Fathul-Baaree (4/132-133).]

" ... Eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread ... " and "of the dawn" was not revealed, some people who intended to fast, tied black and white threads to their legs and went on eating till they differentiated between the two. Allah then revealed the words, "of the dawn", and it became clear that meant night and day. [Recorded by al-Bukhârî]

Blue-eyesight can see that this is a scripture that can be taken figuratively or literally. Most Muslims think the white thread represents the dawn and the black one represents the night. However, I can also picture a Bedouin propped up in his tent in the dark with a plate on his lap and a white string on one toe and a black on the other, shoveling in the food until he can tell the difference in black and white. With the advent of modern astronomy, most rely on published times for sunrise and sunset, but some still tie on the strings. I wonder if they are called "stringers" and if they associate with the "non-stringers". Somehow this all sounds very familiar.
Did you know that there is a chapter in the Koran called "Mary"?

let's do lunch....Ramadan style

Eating lunch behind the curtains, a common expat-wives activity during Ramadan

You may wonder how "the ladies who do lunch" survive during Ramadan. Luckily, with the recent rise in tourism, the government has been forced to allow hotels to operate one restaurant during fasting hours. This is always discretely covered in a curtain so the food cannot be seen by the Muslims. My readers will be happy to know that we are a tenacious group. It doesn't take us long to find the curtained-off places and continue with our lunches.

I make a sandwich and pack a water bottle for David to take to work because there isn't lunch service during Ramadan. He hides it in his desk and closes his door when it is lunch time.

We went to the movies in Dubai last night and the concession stand was closed when we got there about 5:00 pm. The popcorn had already been popped, so the smell was very tempting. I noticed that there had been some confiscated contraband at the ticket counter. Bags with water, drinks and snacks were piled up. The theater still showed Coke commercials and the actors in the movies were eating and drinking. The concession attendants were standing behind the counter just watching the clock, waiting for 6:37pm. Once the sun had set, we were able to finally enjoy popcorn and a drink ....about half-way through our movie. .

I'm not sure the point of all of this when they can still watch movies and TV with people eating??? Blue-eyesight just isn't getting it???
I need a frappuchino!!!!

Ramadan...it's for everyone

Starbucks....before Ramadan and during Ramadan. Notice that there is still a picture of a frappachino....seems tempting to me

While we are in the UAE we consider ourselves guests of the country. We understand that this means we must respect the local customs. However, during Ramadan, there are new rules....the Muslims are fasting, therefore cannot be tempted by seeing everyone else eating and drinking. This is the same mentality that requires the females to cover themselves from head to toe in black fabric. Don't impose self-control....just remove temptation.

What....they want me to play along????

It is against the law to be seen drinking water, (yes, water), eating, dressing in skimpy attire and any form of PDA. You cannot play your car radio loud or have a loud obnoxious ring tone on your phone. (ok, I'm all for that one)

I can just hear the inmate's conversation now...."yeah, I got busted for the frog ring tone on my Nokia"..."well, mine was a tic tac violation...the minty breath was not worth it."

What it boils down to is that you may want an tall-mocha-frappuchino, but you ain't getting it...

I dig figs but I ate dates - Iftar #2

Iftar #2 was actually different than the first one. It was in a different hotel and there were many more Emiratis (locals) there which made it more fun.

First of all, David is taken away to sit with the Emirati men while I fend for myself at the expat table. I'm not allowed to sit with the Emirati men. This is not something I'm upset about.

We sat there at the table staring at the dates, hummus and buttermilk in front of us for about 10 minutes while everyone watched the TV count-down to sunset.
I didn't even have to look at the TV or the sun because suddenly there was a mad rush for the dates and buttermilk followed by a mass exodus to the prayer room. (David is left all by himself at the table with a pile of date pits and empty buttermilk glasses.)
Ten minutes later, after some fast track praying, they mob the buffet. They have been fasting for 14 hours so you learn to just get out of their way.

This buffet is a wonder to behold. There are giant platters of lamb, fish and goat, a wonderful salad bar and something called "harris". I ate "harris" and it tasted like paste. My favorite item is actually on the dessert bar. Um Ali is a warm bread pudding made with sultanas and pistachios and no self-respecting Iftar buffet would be without it. It would be like Thanksgiving (every night for 30 days) without the pumpkin pie.

My first Iftar

My kind of tent

Last night we were invited to an Iftar dinner.

The muslims had been fasting for about 14 hours since first light (4:45am) and now they await the sunset (at exactly 6:23 pm) so they can make up for lost time.

I had been fasting for about 45 minutes and I was in as much of a hurry to get to the buffet as they were.

We were told we would be in a tent out on the beach. I was expecting to sit on the ground and eat with my fingers while outside the locals bargained with each other for camels.

Well, if this was a tent, then I'm a camper.

There were carpets and curtains and crystal chandeliers. We sat at tables and ate on fine china and I never saw a single camel.

Here is how Iftar works. The sun sets (doesn't have to be dark), you hear the call to prayer. You first take a light snack....a few dates and some milk or juice. Then you do your Maghrib prayer. Ten minutes later it is buffet time. From what I can tell, you then eat all night until first light the next morning.

Bollywood Buzz

Have you been wondering about the latest Bollywood

Buzz? Here we have for you the heartthrob of Asia....he sings, dances, plays badminton and has rock- hard abs. Eat your heart out Brad and Tom....here is Shah Rukh Khan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CBmfPS8gV0

Tonight I had my first Iftar dinner. I'll give you a full report in my next post.

Abu-Dubai?

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(Dubai, home of the Burj Dubai - tallest building in the world)

(Abu Dhabi - tallest flagpole but lots more oil)

A generation ago, Abu Dhabi and Dubai were both poor pearl diving villages. Now, just a few decades later, Dubai has just gone on the record books for the world's tallest building (and it isn't even finished yet). The two cities are slowly growing towards each other and will someday be the Dallas/Fort Worth of the Middle East. A metroplex in the desert.

There is a difference between the two. One is rock and roll, the other is easy-listening Lite FM. One is Elvis, the other Michael Buble. One shops at Saks Fifth Avenue, the other shops at the Gap. One gets visits from rock stars, the other has Prince Charles and Camilla "coming round for tea". One has the world's tallest building, the other has the world's tallest ...um flagpole. You get the idea.

The fine citizens of Abu Dhabi might feel a little jealous of this except for this fact. Dubai's oil runs out in about 10 years and Abu Dhabi is sitting on over a hundred years supply.

This Weekend I'll be Watching Muslim Sesame Street

The more I research Ramadan for this blog, the more I realize how little I actually know about Islam. My original purpose was to just report things as a Westerner might see them, but now I feel like I should know a little background. As usual, when learning something new, I'll start (and probably stay) at the pre-school level. I'm going to go get some of these videos and see how Kermit the Muslim learns to fast and maybe I can shed some new insights.

Today is Friday and it is the start of the weekend.
A year ago, the sheik decreed that the weekend would now be changed from Thurs/Fri to Fri/Sat.
The first "new" weekend was the day we landed in Abu Dhabi, so I have never experienced the "old" way.
It was done to get the UAE more in sync with the rest of the business world.
Friday is the day for going to church, brunch, reading the Friday papers, clipping coupons ( like our Sunday). Saturday is just like our Saturday back home...shopping, go to the movies, get a haircut. Then Sunday is like our Monday and it is the hardest to get used to. Husbands go to work and ex-pat wives play mahjong and get their nails done while their maids clean the house.
That means Monday is like our Tues. and Tues. is our "hump" day. Confusing....yes...
Like everything in the Middle East, no one is on the same page. Some countries do Thur/Fri, some do only Fri and some do Fri/Sat. Even more confusing...yes.
Welcome to the Middle East.

Ramadan Mubarak

Ramadan Mubarak means Happy Ramadan. It has nothing to do with the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak

The UAE Moonsighting committee has decreed that today is the start of Ramadan. Last night I asked Mustafa, our building manager, how he was getting ready for the start of Ramadan. He said he would be eating all night. If you could see Mustafa, you would know that he doesn't miss many meals so I imagine he has been storing up for the fast for about 11 months now.

This morning the paper had a chart of the 5 normal prayer times starting at 4:34 am, 4:44 am, (this one is like the snooze alarm for the earlier one), 12:21 pm, 3:48 pm, 6:27 pm and ending at around 7:57 pm. There also seems to be a special Ramadan congregational prayer around 8:30 pm. This differs from day to day as the sun sets earlier and earlier. There is a guy in charge of checking the sunrise and sunset and it has something to do with being able to see a white thread.

I noticed the paper was full of mattress sale ads????

I'll make sure I have my camera with me at all times so I can capture the spirit of Ramadan and share it will you.

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Lunar lunacy

Leave it to Burger King to have a cheeseburger as a symbol of a month of fasting.

You may be wondering why I don't know exactly when Ramadan starts. This is actually true for all Muslims....they don't know either.
Let's review....over here we are on the lunar Islamic calendar. Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar calendar. It comes 10-11 days earlier each year on the Gregorian (western) calendar and it's duration changes depending on which season the holy month falls in. Easter Sunday is the only time I can think of when we go "lunar" with our holidays. The start of Ramadan is based on the sighting of the new moon, the hilal, which is why the crescent is often used as a symbol of Islam. The moon sighting is also the reason that the start of Ramadan differs from one country to another. Many opt to follow Saudi Arabian sightings because that is where Mecca is and it is the "buckle" of the "Koran belt".

Basing all your holy days on the sighting of the new moon keeps you guessing until the last minute. This is true for all holidays. How do you plan a vacation then? You pack your bags and then wait for the decree from the sheik or mullah or pope or whatever. When they print up calendars, they just have to make an educated guess. The calendar that I'm looking at now has Ramadan on the 12th...but now everyone is saying it is 13th or 14th. Doesn't this create chaos? .....ah ha, now you are getting the picture of life in the Middle East.

Ramadan for "Dummies"

(Ramadan greeting card)

Blue-eyesight has been struggling with how to grasp the concept of Ramadan and then convey those thoughts to other western minds. There really isn't anything to compare it to in our society, especially in America where we don't usually deprive ourselves of food. Our idea of fasting is eating fast.
The best reference I can come up with is the time of Lent where many Christians give up meat and one or two other pleasures for 40 days.

Lets start with the basics...

Vocabulary Words:

Ramadan-It is the holy month in which Muslims commemorate the fact that 1425 years ago, the first verses of the Koran were revealed to the Prophet Mohamed (PBUH). It is a time of serious fasting when Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and hanky panky between dawn and dusk. This means all food and drink. It is 120 degrees and you cannot drink water all day. This goes on for 30 days. My heart goes out to all the laborers that are working in the heat during this time.

Iftar-The evening meal when the daily fast is broken. Companies sponsor Iftar dinners, much like the office Christmas party back home. Many Muslims start eating at sunset and don't stop until sunrise.

The Ramadan Fifteen- It is not uncommon for there to be weight gain during Ramadan.

Eid-al-Fitr-The festival at the end of Ramadan. It is a time of great joy and celebration much like our Christmas Day. I think they even have presents and it is starting to become more commercialized just like our own holidays back home.

Low Work Productivity-Naturally when you have been up all night eating and you are sleep deprived and hungry and thirsty during the day, productivity decreases and may become non-existent.

Putin was here....the first visit from a Russian President. We can always tell when dignitaries are coming because there are policemen in armored cars on the corners. If anything happens, I hope their aim is good because their guns could wipe out my whole building.

2-3 more days to go

Go Eagles!!!! part 2...the eulogy

Photo: Harvard Cheerleaders really do exist

As you recall, the US played England in the first round of the Rugby World Cup on Saturday. Comments were made that playing the US was like playing the Harvard Cheerleaders. http://www.timeoutdubai.com/dubai/sportandoutdoor/events/review.php?id=6281.

I think that means they were calling our team a bunch of girls....albeit, very smart girls. Well, I wasn't going to let our brave boys with the big thighs and stripy shirts down, so I stayed up and watched the match. Final score England 28/US 10. Okay we lost and they called us minnows (little fish/big pond), but we put up a good fight and I am proud of our team.

Did you know that the Rugby World Cup is the third largest sporting event behind the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup (soccer). Who knew????

Blue-eyesight has had hundreds of complaints (okay, maybe it was two but they were very, very upset) over the inability of my faithful readers to leave comments. I believe the problem has been solved and I will be looking forward to reading your responses.

Happy Birthday Poppie!!!!

( looking very dapper at his 50th wedding anniversary)

Happy Birthday Poppie....we love you and hope you have a great day.

Go Eagles!!!

Part of the cultural experience of being an expat is socializing with other expats. We have friends that are Iranian, Turkish, South African, Japanese, English, Scottish and Australian etc. Enjoyable conversations can usually be had with them on most topics except for sports. When they start talking cricket or football (soccer) our eyes kind of glaze over.

Right now we are in the beginning stages of the Rugby World Cup. That means everything stops and all eyes are on Paris, France for the opening ceremonies. England plays the US in the first round.

The British papers are making fun of us saying it will be like playing a bunch of Harvard cheerleaders. I have two questions.....We have a rugby team? and.... Harvard has cheerleaders?

This is what I know about US Rugby....the name of the team is the Eagles and they wear red, white and blue. That's pretty much it.

I will post the results of the England/US match tomorrow.

FAQ#5 Why are you over there?

We are over here to find more oil so it will increase the supply and drive down prices and everyone will have to find something else to gripe about besides what they are paying at the pump. Also, the sheiks need some more palaces.

This always leads to FAQ#6 Why are gas prices so high?
Don't hate us, but over here we pay about $1.50 a gallon. Why? Because UAE doesn't have a gas tax and doesn't require additives to their gasoline.
If it will make you feel better, we paid $5.00 a gallon for years in Norway.


I just finished the book The Ultimate Gift. It was easy to read in one sitting and is coming out in a movie soon. Very uplifting...

Tonight we are eating at our favorite AD restaurant, Finz, with our Japanese friends. The Iftar tents are starting to go up, the feel of Ramadan is in the air.

FAQ week is now over and next we will be learning Ramadan vocabulary words....

FAQ#4-evil eye

FAQ#4 How do you ward off the evil eye?

Actually, I have never gotten this question, but here is my answer anyway.

I have noticed that new trucks and buses often have two black, dirty rags fluttering from the tailpipes. These are here, of course, to keep you from looking too admiringly at the driver's new vehicle. You see, this look could turn you green with envy and cause you to give the driver the evil eye.

Everyone knows that when someone gives another an evil eye, bad accidents usually happen. Don't be fooled into believing that accidents happen because of bad driving, speeding or ignoring all rules of the road. You can't afford to take chances, so a good luck charm hanging from the rearview mirror is a neccessity.

There are a variety of these charms. Most of the Muslims prefer worry beads. The more expensive the car, the more expensive the worry beads.

Of course, being the proud Canadian that I am, my good luck charm is a shiny maple leaf .

Only 8 more shopping days until Ramadan. You can get a great deal on Chevys this week at the pre-Ramadan sale at Ali and Son's motors. (this is true....I just heard the ad on the radio)

FAQ#3-driving

FAQ#3
"Do you drive over there in Yabba Dhaba Do?"
My answer is always YES, but many of my fellow expat wives do not. I can understand their fears.
The Muslims have many strict guidelines for living their lives. Mohamed (PBUH) laid out rules for almost everything. They are very devout and follow all of the rules which means they go a little crazy when they have some freedoms. There doesn't seem to be anything in the Koran about how fast a Muslim can drive their Porsche, therefore Mohamed(PBUH)must have wanted his people to burn some rubber.
Driving over here is quite a nightmare. Muslims are required to pray 5 times a day, but I do that just going around the corner to the grocery store.
Yield signs mean "I don't think so", stop signs mean "Not me"... however, the only rule they obey is stopping at stop lights. You don't see anyone running those because they have cameras at every light and the penalty for running a red light is ....

1st time violation
-Driver will be jailed for 1 week
-Driver's license will be suspended for 2 months
-Vehicle will be held by Traffic Department for 1 month

2nd time violation
-Driver will be deported from the country after serving 1 month in prison
-Driver will lose license forever
-Vehicle will be confiscated by police and not returned

By tomorrow I will have run out of FAQs so unless I get some in the comments, I'll just start making them up....

FAQ#2 -safety

(Abu Dhabi Police Force)


This leads to the second most asked question....Do you feel safe being an American in the Middle East?
The answer usually surprises most people. Even with these guys (pictured above) in charge I feel much safer than I do in Houston or Dallas. The locals drive like maniacs (more on that tomorrow), but I just stay out of their way.

Last spring there was a report of a tourist lady that had her purse snatched while walking on the Corniche. The suspect was quickly apprehended. Sharia law states that thieves must pay with the loss of their hand. Lets just say this guy will save money buying mittens this winter. Swift punishment is always the best crime deterrent. I felt the same way when we lived in Singapore.
Am I being too confident? Low crime doesn't mean no crime.

I'll admit that the news media is very censored. Al Qaeda may blow up Abu Dhabi island tomorrow, but headlines will be "City Makes Room for New Development". The "Desert Strangler" and "Abdul the Ripper" may be stalking the streets as we speak, but we would never know. Oh yeah, and over here I'm Canadian ...anybody seen my maple leaf?

FAQ about UAE

When people find out I used to be a dietitian, I always get the same questions...
Can you help me lose 30 pounds? and... If you are a dietitian, why are you eating that cheesecake?
When people find out I live in Abu Dhabi, I get a lot of blank stares. I also get questions and the most common one is
"Where exactly is Abidabi...East Texas? "

Well, it is definitely east. I too had to look it up on the map just like I have with most of the places we have lived. I recall my thoughts at the time..."Oh look, there is the Persian Gulf as in "The Gulf War"and a nice view over to Iran, you know the one with the nukes and hatred of all things American. "

This week I'll share more questions and answers during the first annual FAQ week. If you would like to get into the spirit of FAQ week and ask questions you are more than welcome to join in the fun. It will be a great way to get ready as we count down to Ramadan.....12 (or 11) more days

turning the taps back on

I can't believe that it has been almost 4 months since I last blogged. It is like turning on the water in a faucet that has been shut off for awhile.....sputter.... sputter....drip....drip. I have missed this hobby of mine and many times this summer I have wanted to post. Trouble is, what I was doing all summer probably wasn't that interesting to most people. Bathroom door knobs....brushed nickle or aged pewter??? Yes there is a difference. These are the questions I have been pondering as we have been fixing up our house in Colleyville. Now that I'm back in Abu Dhabi I haven't thought about hardware once and am ready to get back to observations of my life in the desert. First, cogitate with me some of the things these blue eyes observed while I was home.....

1. I know that the "old world" style is very popular, but when did all the new subdivisions in Texas start to look like the Loire Valley? Am I in Tuscany or Plano? Do we really need turrets in Texas? Are we the only state in America with an identity crisis? Trust me, they are not building Texas Ranch houses in France. What is next, moats and drawbridges?

2. Spam-A-Lot made me Laugh-A-Lot

3. Texas needs roundabouts and good trains.

4. I liked the new dine-in movie theater. Saw Harry Potter with my 22 year old because none of her friends would go with her.

5. There are way too many Viagra commercials.

It is good to be back in the blogging saddle....more thoughts tomorrow... drip...drip