There's a fly in my soup!

Customer: "Waiter! Is this a fly?"

Waiter: "Oh, no sir, of course not, our chef would never make such a blunder. That, sir, is a cigerette butt with garneshings, and I would ask you to be a little more discreet; if others hear you then everyone might want!"

It's been weeks of agonizing waiting and I was in a near jog when pushing through the car dealer doors with my hands full of paperwork from the insurance company. I looked like a desperate Washington petitioner trying to make it to the Hopper Box with a new piece of legislation before the deadline.

After driving a gazillion miles to pick up the original insurance policy with the exact description of the car, chassis and engine numbers, the must have stamp, the letter of no objection, the receipt of payment (with more stamps) and the copies of my US drivers license, Danish drivers license, Dubai drivers license and more copies of my passport and residence visa, I finally made it to the salesman's desk. Gasping for air, I was re-directed to the RTA desk (Roads and Transport Authority), which I quickly dubbed the RTAM (for Roads and Transport Angry-Man). Angry-Man was saying a whole lot of loud words in Arabic and pointing his fingers at a small Filipino Sales Lady who apparently had misplaced a car registration and was now in tears because Angry-Man was yelling at her. I waited for about 20 minutes while trying to pick-up what Angry-Man was yelling, only to interpret what I believe to be Arabic swear-words. When he took 30 seconds to breathe, I quickly asked him when I could get my car registration - Oh boy!! Angry-Man told me in a heavy accented voice that "OK - he would do my paperwork first, since I asked, but that normally it would take an hour!" I decided to throw him a big smile and a small wink and told him that I would gladly wait a few more minutes so he could stamp and copy the registration.

In the meantime mind you - Aric was outside feeling up his new FJ Cruiser, parked in the dealer lot and yearning to be taken off-road into the sand for a hair-raising spin. He joined me at Angry-Man's desk with drewl and dripple on his chin and then had the nerve to joke that the dealer had my car ready but that it was white/white rather than white/pearl! I started to laugh but choked on it when James the finance guy confirmed what was not a joke - they had ordered the wrong car. Another car salesman hurriedly and defensively explained that a white/white Prado is more desirable, holds more resale value and this must have been our mistake because their top salesman did not make such blunders.

In a daze of shock I mumbled that this was no mistake of mine! I had definetely ordered a white/pearl Prado and I wasn't going to compromise because their top salesman was usually un-touchable and could cook one hell of a soup! Angry-Man gave me a cookie - I think he wanted to prevent a nervous breakdown judging from my facial expression.

After a long debate involving two salesmen, Angry-Man, James the finance guy and Aric - it was agreed that they would have a white/pearl delivered within 4 days. I got a loaner demo car for the time being and to top it off, the salesman agreed to allow the insurance company to courier the certificates with the corrected chassis and engine number straight to him so I didn't have to drive the gazillion miles again. Like a numb and battered politician who has just experienced a Veto in the Senate, I dragged myself out to the demo car and silently followed Aric in his new car (which Angry-Man happily assigned registration and plates to) and will now eat my cold soup until a new hot Prado in the right color is delivered next weekend.

Ghostly Fog

It rolled in like a slow moving snake between the buildings, enveloping every inch and corner of brick and open air. In just twenty minutes it had filled up the entire marina and covered story after story of the many high-rises.

Fall is definitely here. The other morning we woke up to a strange "foggy" phenomenon, which signifies colder temperatures - if you can call going from 105F to 85F "colder". It was one of the rare moments where being on the 36th floor had it's advantages. We captured the fog rolling in.... what a sight!

Now that it is cooler, it seems everyone is coming out of their cubby-holes. The Marina and beach walks are filled with people enjoying the outdoor seating at restaurants. The air has a hint of 'Cafe Del Mar' rhythm, Middle Eastern 'Buddha Bar' music and a sweet apple or strawberry tobacco smell from the Shisha water pipes. Just getting fresh air rather than air-conditioning is a welcoming change. We spent a lot of time indoor with wine and candles in order to endure the European and especially Nordic winters in prior years, but we now spend more time walking around and enjoying the outdoors. We're digging the big city life style! The sound of construction clinking and clonking is a distant background noise that over time you learn to tune out.

I wouldn't trade it for a Chicago winter or a London rainy and grey November day!! (I say that now...but I may start missing real rain and snow one day :)

Happy Birthday Hunter!!

6 birthdays in the US; 4 birthdays in Denmark; 4 birthdays in the UK and now 1 in Dubai...that adds up to Hunter being 15 today and he did not hesitate to celebrate it all weekend. Friday, he and 15 of his friends met at the beach and hung out all night. I guess they are what you call "beach rats" rather than "mall rats" ??

He's the only kid I know who can turn an ordinary night into a money making scheme. Every day, at least 3-4 cars get stuck in the sand because they absolutely have to drive down as close to the water as possible in order to pic-nic or sun-bathe! God forbid people should walk 150 meters from the road across the sand...well Friday was no exception. Earlier in the day Aric and I witnessed at least 3 cars stuck up to their chassis in sand, so when Hunter told us he and his buddies made 500 Dirham by pushing a Mercedes out, we just laughed. That could become the new enterprise venture of the Ault boys!

Hunter certainly needs the money. He is learning very fast that women can drain your cashflow and Chelsea, from California, is no exception! Her texts start at 7am before he goes to school and he estimates she sends him 40-50 per day. Being a young gentleman, he feels obliged to answer every one of them (as "she is pretty hot, mom" ) so consequently, his phone credits are wiped out in 2 days. Aric told him - (Father to Son) - that it's only the start...the rest of his life will be spent dishing money out on women.... I can't disagree there :)

Tonight, we celebrated Hunter's birthday at Zyng's - a very cool Asian noodle restaurant - Hunter's choice, since he has Oriental blood in him (those who know him and us very well will remember that Hunter insists he is part Japanese and adopted! - even though I have assured him he did actually pop from my womb!)

We are such VIP guests at the Harbor Hotel & Residence (after all we're going on 7 weeks) that the front desk staff sent a birthday cake to our apartment this afternoon. All in all, I'd say his birthday was a success!

The check is in the mail (all 120 of them)!!

How long does it take to sign 60 checks? Twelve minutes, forty seconds... I won, since my name has one letter less than Aric's :) He also had to re-sign two checks since he couldn't stay within the lines!! By the last 5 checks my signature looked more like a physician's scribble but I'm sure the bank will hold me liable nonetheless for the final payments 55 months out. Thankfully the loan guy helped fill in the written amount. Next step - insurance, and then we will finally get the cars.


We are told the cars are "in da port" but that there are a few days of cleaning, rust-proofing, sand-proofing, sun-proofing and whatever-proofing, plus tinting the windows "gangsta style" and once our rides have been pimped, we are ready to roll.


Update on housing situation: well we are still looking at a delay of a few weeks because the glazers aren't done (who really needs glazing?) so I have started to look for alternative solutions instead, just in case it will be closer to Christmas before this darn building is done. Aric and I just took a long walk Saturday in Safa Park (much like Central Park, NY or Grant Park, Chicago...except for the palm trees) and when we exited, we saw a very nice two-bedroom Beduin tent, complete with generator, satelite dish and aircon! Gives a new meaning to Nomadic Life and a combination of living off the land / breaking down the walls!! There was enough space around it for a couple of camels, so the kids can get to school. We are considering the option!


Provided we get settled sometime in November, Hunter is looking to participate in his own "breaking down the walls" during..."Week without Walls" - a school sponsored trip in December, where the students get to experience other cultures and community service. The options are not shabby, and I for one wish that my school trips had been more like these:


Cairo Trip / Pyramids & Citadel; Community & Service in Dubai; Egypt Trip - Oncology Hospital Visit; Indonesia Trip – visit an orphanage in Banda Aceh; London Trip – Events such as Spamalot at the Donmar Warehouse, Les Miserable at the Lyceum Theatre, Twelfth Night at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and visits to the National History Museum and the National Gallery; Morocco Trip – camel trek, raft, and hike through the Sahara; India - work with tribal communities in Rajasthan, north-west India.


Hunter though, has decided to make use of his PADI open water certificate and go to Thailand for a:


Beach and Underwater clean up for PADI/Project AWARE which will see participants
caring for the aquatic environment by removing rubbish that collects in the water and on the
beach. A huge amount of rubbish is dumped in the sea every year and can cause chaos and
destruction to the aquatic environment.


We think this is a fantastic idea and applaud his decision! Aidan being in the higher grade will focus on his IB program studies - it is a tough "high school" program he is in, so every extra hour of support and tutoring is needed.


A few blogs back I posted a few pics from Atlantis - including one of the whale-shark in the giant tank. Last few weeks we have seen a lot of publicity around "free Sammy", so named by protesters demonstrating and selling buttons in order to get Sammy set free. I agree, he should be free so he can grow to be very large in a natural environment...just another setback for the Kerschner Family Emporium who built the hotel. Don't be surprised if you see a motion picture of FREE SAMMY with a soundtrack by Michael Jackson coming to a theater near you!

It's how you play the hand!

"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand" - Randy Pausch.

Once in a great while a book comes along which opens our eyes and provides inspiration in life. Lately, during my many hours on planes, I've read two books which have deeply affected me and how I live my life. I'd like to pass it forward...

Our Dubai blog is usually - on purpose - kept light hearted, with a dash of humor and sarcasm, because we should never take ourselves too serious. It is after all just a snapshot of what the four of us go through as we travel through life in the sandbox. While we face numerous of "brickwalls" every day, life should never become one big complaint.


Many professors give talks titled "The Last Lecture"; talks that tell what legacy they might want to leave behind if it was their last chance. Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, truly gave his last lecture a year ago. He was diagnosed with cancer and had a few months to live so he gave a talk called "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams". It is the most inspirational speech I have ever experienced and one of the best books I've ever read.


If you suffer from attention deficit you can watch his lecture on 'youtube': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo - but I really recommend reading the book because it has more personal description of his life and dreams and more emotions than the video. Be prepared to cry if you read the book!


Randy provides a lot of advice which we can all learn from; he says for example that in the grand scheme of things complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals and it won't make us happier.

I find that to be so true. Complaining just leads to negativity which can consume our life and take away our opportunity to enjoy the good moments. Certainly the past 4-5 weeks in the sandbox have been challenging, frustrating, and depressing at times and I've let that show on the blog (trying to keep it fun though) because it is part of our ever changing life, which we chose. What most of you haven't seen or heard about are all the barriers Aric and I hit the 6 months prior to arriving, but as Randy also said in his lecture: "Brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want something". The problems prior to moving are now water under the bridge.



I won't steal Randy Pausch's thunder or give away the plot. Suffice it to say that every morning in Dubai the sun comes up, bright and big and hot. Every day there is a blue sky above us. Every day we meet people who make life interesting and become new friends. Every day I see big smiles on our boys' faces because they are excited to be in Dubai. All of that is free and comes with no conditions. It's ours for the taking unless we want to spend our life complaining and feeling sorry for ourselves.



I mentioned that I had read two books. The other book is called "The Secret Life of Bees", by Sue Monk Kidd. It's just about to be released as a motion picture - again, for those ADD people out there. My friend Brandi passed on the book (I believe in book sharing among friends...don't be surprised if one pops through your mailslot one day). In this turmoil of the Presidential election, the book reminds me how far we've come in civil rights, with more women in politics and a first African-American candidate.

That was not the case in 1964 in South Carolina, where the story is set. It follows 14 year-old Lily Owens, whose life is shaped by her blurred memory of her mother's accidental death. When Lily's black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three racists in town, Lily and Rosaleen escape to Tiburon, South Carolina, a town that holds the secret to Lily's mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey.

But underneath this plot runs a different theme of civil rights, religion, forbidden love and feminism - of how blacks fought for their right to vote; how narrow-minded so many people were. The purpose of our blog is not to discuss the financial crisis, politics, religion and racism - there are plenty of blogs out there where you can have your say! All I want to illustrate is that the world has come a long way... and it's not a girlie book!! Enjoy.

Home Sweet Home

It isn't 100% ideal but it's darn close! The "Jewel" will be completed in a few weeks and stands at the edge of Knowledge Village and Internet City; a short walk from our office and 15 minutes from the boys' school. Overlooking the ocean, a few of the Sheikh palaces, the Palm, and basically a panorama view of Dubai - with a huge pool, hottub, tennis courts, squash courts, a Virgin Active gym on 3 floors, steam, sauna and jacuzzi rooms, cafe and stores at lobby level - it sounds too good to be true...but we really did put a deposit down on a 4-bedroom flat with 6 bathrooms, maids room, living and dining room and huge kitchen and we hope that it will be released in time for our target move date of Nov 1.

The downside? The flat is on the 40th floor! I've been dead set against anything above the 10th floor as I'm a closet acrophobic. The problem we face is that one and two bedroom flats start at lower levels and most 4 bedroom apartments are on the higher floors. I suppose that's just a fact I have to accept. Secretly I hope for a miracle and that we will land a penthouse "Shoreline" flat (penthouse is on 10th floor) on the Palm...with direct access to the beach. One can always dream and there are still 3 weeks left so I'm holding out for the 100%.

I shall ofcourse keep everyone updated on the housing status so you can preview your guest room ahead of visiting.

The honeymoon 'EID' over!

EID Mubarak!

For 45 years I've followed the calendar which follows the sun. Now they want us to bark at the moon! Everything we have done for the past 5 weeks has been according to the moon, it's shape, size, rotational gravity, alignment to Mars and phases - OK I guess it's more accurate but it's pretty hard to have no advance warning of holidays. Last week we were told that the moon is now in it's perfect spot to start EID (celebrating the end of Ramadan) and we were off for 5 days. Great!! We didn't have anything planned!!.... not that we were really anxious to go on vacation in the middle of our temporary living. So it was a chance to catch up on shopping instead. Like everyone else who after starving themselves can now eat, drink, smoke, dance and play loud music, we headed for the malls of Dubai to get a blender, juicer, rice steamer - oh and a couple of cars.

Aric has decided on a FJ Cruiser by Toyota, sort of a mini Hummer look-a-like and let's face it - perfect for riding the 100 foot desert dunes. He is clearly not influenced one bit by his colleagues who go out for weekend rides, cruising around in a giant sandbox and pretend they are 6 years old!

More practical - I opted for a Toyota Prado (it sounds sort of like "Prada"...I like that!) a nice 4 wheel drive which now allows me to compete with the other crazy expat moms you read about in previous blog postings. We only have to wait another 2 weeks before the cars are delivered, but that's the least of the efforts. Catapulted about 20 years back in time we are now faced with a new (or old) way of financing. Direct Debit seems to be too much for Dubai's modern banking world, so we have to handwrite 120 checks (60 each for the 5 year term of the loans) - I'm boning up on my bicep curls so I can get through the signing without cramping up! Aric has asked for more check books from the bank and they told us unfortunately they could only issue a 100 checks at one time, so they are making 'an exception' and giving us 20 more! I wonder where they keep the checks after we sign them....probably in a wooden drawer of the bank manager's desk and then he takes out one check every month. I'm overwhelmed by this high tech, out of the box thinking, new way of making our debt payments.

Now that Ramadan is over I fully expect people to be more productive and efficient and just plain working again. The honeymoon is over and hopefully we can start getting things done snap snap! We've had time for some play during the days off. The family went to Atlantis, the new 117 star hotel which just opened on the Palm Jumeirah. Touring the lobby (which is still under remodeling from the fire in September) the halls and the giant aquarium inside, it was as I expected, totally over the top. The aquarium has thousands of species including a whale shark, several groupers, rays, and nurse sharks. There are 4 full-time divers cleaning the tank inside every day.

We could not get a room as we had previously planned to try, but that turned out to be a good thing - we heard of chaos check-in, people turned away who had confirmed bookings, elevators not working and no running water! That's no surprise...all the water was in Aquaventure water park, where we headed. Three huge water slides (one totally vertical, going through a shark tank) and a long not lazy but rather Torrent river, fuelled by giant wave making machines and rapids every 50 feet. It's the first water slide I have ever seen going up and up, rather than just down....you get in your inter-tube and then get transported on a conveyer belt just like a rollercoaster. Once at the top, you go down fast only to get catapulted up by a giant spray of water, to yet another conveyor belt. Finally you are so high that there is only one FAST way down, through dark tubes...it was some of the best fun we have had for a long time.

It only took my adrenaline junkey son (Hunter) an hour to be bored with that slide though. Well what can I say? He and Aidan started to go around the Torrent river without their inter tubes and thus body surfed the waves until the lifeguards caught them. Pretty soon everyone dropped their tubes and surfed around...the guards gave up!

It was a perfect day both in and out of the water. Definitely a place to head when friends and family come to visit us!