off and running....

Well, contrary to the first bit of the year, the past few weeks have been quite eventful here in Dubai!

This part of year - December through March - is my favorite part of the year in Dubai, because there's always something going on!

First on my mind is that this past past friday I ran a half-marathon - that’s 21.1 kilometers, or about 13.1 miles! It was a great course down along the Dubai Creek, past the boats unloading their cargo, through the covered souks, and across bridges and under tunnels…. I finished in 1 hour, 59 minutes, 20 seconds – right at my goal of 2 hours, and was finisher 273 out of 499! It was hard, but fun, and it made all the training I’ve been doing totally worth it!!

Two weekends ago there was a Red Bull FlugTag here - basically, people flying crazy things off of a platform, into the Creek... it ended up being more falling than flying, but it was fun to see a darth vader head, a giant pterodactyl, and other assorted flying machines go falling gracefully (or not) into the water! Plus, it was a great reason to get outside in Creekside Park and enjoy the sunshine and the great weekend vibe...

The Dubai International Film Festival is going on right now, with films from all around the world, and I’m seeing about 8 movies that will take me from Antarctica to the Taj Mahal, to the steppes of Mongolia to the slums of Manila.

School has been busy, but we’ve had a lot of fun things happening. We had a school-wide International Day, and everyone dressed up in their national dress and all the 57 countries we have at ASD had booths set up for the kids to learn cultural information and sample foods. In the Middle School we also just had a “Spirit Day” – we took a whole afternoon to get to help the kids build team-work skills and get to know each other better, and it went really well. My kids are pretty fabulous! (Have I said this before? Because it’s true!)

Last weekend, 13 of us teachers took a 4-day trip to Jordan over a long weekend! It was simply amazing....

We started out in the capital city, Amman, and spent a few hours in the morning wandering around an old Roman Ampitheater and an old citadel ruin. It was a weekend morning, and it was very quiet, and the weather was cold and windy – a bit dreary, but it was actually a nice change from Dubai, as it felt a bit like a Minnesota autumn day! Amman is built into large hills, and it makes for a really interesting cityscape - beige buildings off in all directions.....

We spent the afternoon driving to Wadi Musa, which is the city located at the entrance to the ancient city of Petra. Along the way, we stopped at Mount Nebo, which is thought to be the place that Moses died, and where he was shown the promised land that he would never reach. There’s a small monastery there, and a great view – unfortunately, it was a bit hazy – but from that spot one can see the Dead Sea, the Jordan river, and the Promised Land – what is now Israel/Palestine.

We spent the whole next day exploring Petra. It’s amazing what structures were carved out of rocks! We saw the Treasury, one of Petra’s most famous buildings, climbed up to the High Place of Sacrifice, and then made another climb up to the Monastery, another huge building carved out of stone. Above the Monastery there was a fabulous view of the surrounding mountains, and we spend awhile just sitting in the sun , taking it all in. All day we saw homes, temples, monuments, altars, and idols – all carved out of rock. Some were still intact, some not, but nomadic goat-herders still live in the caves, riding donkeys and selling trinkets to tourists. The pictures I took just don't do justice to the incredibly beauty of this place...

The next day we drove to the Dead Sea! Our hotel was beautiful, and we spent an evening and morning relaxing by the pool, at the spa and on our balcony, which had a great view of the sea. Unfortunately, it was too windy and wavy to go in the water, so we didn’t get to experience the famous Dead Sea floating. At night, we could see the lights of Jerusalem across the Sea, up on a hill. On the way out to the airport we stopped at the place where they think Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist! The Jordan River is really pretty small and muddy now, but apparently it used to be pretty impressive!
All in all it was a great trip, and it was quite amazing to be in a place that is at the center of so much faith and history...

I"ll get some pictures up sometime (hopefully) soon!

only 10 days from now I will be on a Santiago-bound plane, en-route to Antarctica! It's just finally starting to sink in that i'm going, as i sort through my sweaters and winter gear (I so wish I had brought more stuff over here with me!), read my Chile travel book, and contemplate the packing challenge of being in both summer and winter weather in the same trip....

Merry (quite early!) Christmas and Happy New Year!

Oh, and to all you cookie-bakers: your efforts were enjoyed immensely on this side of the world - way to keep the mochos alive!

flying by....

I can't believe it's mid-november..
already.


i sat in a classroom last week, looking out at an inky blackness punctured with bright-lit skyline windows, on the end of a 13-hour day... the third of 5, and wondering what i was thinking, starting a master's when i'm already pretty busy... but i think it will be a great experience, and improve my teaching. This first topic is tech integration - the ideas are jumping around in my head, but i'm wondering how in the world i'll ever have time to use them all...though i'll ride the wave of inspiration as long as I can.

the sun sinks earlier now, cooling the air for my trips around safa, trying to get my miles up so i can handle a half-marathon. I registered, so there's no backing out now... trying to keep up with the boys has proved excellent motivation, though I'm becoming dependent on my running buddies - when i try to strike out on my own i'm decidedly un-inspired....,

a random, who-knew-people-actually-win-these-things contest entry somehow resulted in my winning tickets to Desert Rhythm, and I spent two weekend evenings chilling outside, grooving to Ziggy Marley, Black Violin, Kanye West, Joss Stone, and Mika (!!) among others... lots of middle school students floating around, saying "hi" and then walking quickly away...Kanye was crazy, Joss was soulful and real, and Mika blew me away with his energy.

for halloween, 6 of us glammed it up as the quirky characters from "Clue" - or "Clue-do" if you're of the british persuasion... my miss scarlett was fabulously fun - and I will totally take credit for the whole idea!

parent-teacher conferences were this week, and though i was booked almost solid through two days, i enjoyed meeting so many parents and encouraging so many students.... it helped me feel more connected.... and not one parent verbalized their "wow, you look so young" thoughts :)

though our middle school "week without walls" trips don't take place 'til February, we're starting the process of trip-picking, and that's heavy on every student's mind...within two weeks the groups will be set. One of the hardest things in the world is to convince a middle schooler that he/she should pick a trip based on their interests as opposed to the interests of their friends...

the calendar has been incredibly fragmented these past weeks, and looking ahead, it's practically winter break.... i'm so looking forward to traveling again soon - a whirlwind trip to Jordan over a 4-day weekend is coming up quickly!!

the construction site next door provides reassurance that if I ever forget to set my alarm, I need not worry. they start their continuous hammering sounds promptly at 6:30 each morning..., even on Saturdays. in fact, I've started to structure my weekends around that fact.... sad, really.

all in all, life's great - flying by in a blur, but great!!


Yeah, this thing is getting pretty tall!!


The beach... always fabulous...


ziggy! reggae music as the sun sets... doesn't get much beter than this!


kanye... totally worth the elbow fights to be this close!


mika... he just looks like he's having so much fun!


Joss Stone


Who done it?


Miss Scarlet in the kitchen with the rope....

been awhile...

it may be true that "you don't know what you got 'til it's gone," but I've recently discovered that "you don't know what was gone 'til it's back" -

such as my favorite dubai past-time of cruising down beach road, windows down, music on, coffee in hand...

or the way everything about a room changes with the simple act of opening a window...

or the feeling of relaxing for more than a day or two at a time...


Not that I mind the month of Ramadan, or hot weather, or being busy.... it's just that Eid, its 5-day vacation, and cooler weather all happen to coincide, and make me go "aaaahhhh."


I've been back for two months, and they have flown by! It was really nice to get off the plane and have my life waiting for me, to connect with old and new friends and colleagues, to get back to school (in my very own classroom!), drive my car.

School's keeping me busy, with both teaching and other responsibilities I've taken on this year. Add that to spending more time in the car to avoid the brand-new, right-by-my-exit toll gate, and starting to train for a half-marathon in December, and planning some (pretty amazing) upcoming trips, and (of course) having a bit of fun, I was so ready for this little break, and am using it to both relax and take care of some of the little things I don't seem to have time for during the week.

but don't think for a second that i am complaining!

we're about to enter months of beautiful weather, I'm going to travel to Antarctica over christmas, and my friends here remind me every day why i appreciate them so much...

plus, my students are fabulous, and having my own space to teach in has made such a positive improvement in my teaching - it's also nice not to be the newbie anymore!

we had a half-day inservice about a month ago, and the first hour was scheduled with an all-staff meeting - the topic was 'collaboration' and so naturally i was expecting talk about working together, during which i would be wishing we could just take the time and actually work together... but as I walked into the room and heard the beating of African drums, I began to think I was mistaken! And indeed, a group called Dubai Drums was there, with a room full of drums, to spend an hour teaching us rhythms and how to put them together in a coherent "performance" - the British woman who leads the group, and started it a few years ago, was full of energy, and I had a great hour... it made everyone relaxed and happy - definitely the best staff meeting ever!

but other than the business of living life, there's not too much to report... over the next few months, however, that is going to change! stay tuned for some (hopefully more interesting and well-written) updates!

back

the sun is sinking into pearly haze, casting a pink-hued glow, glinting off skyscraper windows. the sky is the palest possible blue, just enough color to offset the rising moon, round and full next to the rising spire of the Burj Dubai and the leafy fronds of green palms. the dusty, hot air blurs the edges of my vision, softening the lines of my frustration at the traffic that slows my way home.

The humidity rises as darkness falls, enveloping my skin, soaking in slowly as I step out onto my balcony.

the city breathes around me.

traffic hums, truck brakes sigh; lights flow, pulse, twinkle, shine - pushing back the empty blackness of the desert, though i know it's there, breathing its own deep rhythm.

dubai is far from perfect, but as I look over at my favorite mosque, steady despite the changes whirling around it, i smile.

it's good to be back.

ramblings

looking back now, i never wrapped the year up.

i didn't wax eloquent about experiences or discoveries....
didn't reflect on life changing moments...

there are so many unique things about life in dubai that i don't realize until they pop up in one of my stories, things that have blended together so that they are simply part of my life now. and it's a life i'm excited to get back to - and that is the last affirmation that i made the right choice. i never really doubted, but it's nice to have that final reassurance in the simple fact that i miss it.

it's been good to be back in minnesota, to catch up with friends and family, rest and relax, watch truly crappy television and read some great books.

someone asked me once what the best thing about the year was. i don't think i can pick out a specific feature or event or memory to call the best, but what i can say is that the year brought me to a realization that i've set myself in a position to continue my life in this direction if i so desire - living abroad, traveling, moving when it feels like it's time... and at this stage in my life i love that.

is it perfect? no. because no matter where i choose to be, i have to sacrafice something. sometimes i miss my family, my friends. but i also feel that being away from them makes me appreciate the time i have with them even more. and because of the wonder of technology, i don't have to give up the people i love to experience the life i've decided to lead....


thomas wolfe said "you can't go home again."
makes me think... once you leave a place, is it still your home? can you have more than one 'home'?
dubai is my home. it's where i live my life, lay my head, drive my car, do my job.

but minnesota - maple grove, my parents' house - still feels like home. it's familiar. it contains my history. it's where i'm FROM... but is it home?

i lived in brussels for 10 months, but for those months i called it home - and my experiences there were so amazing that i'll always remember it, hold it dear. and when i went back this summer, it evoked such bittersweet feelings. despite some changes, it still felt the same...

I sat in my old apartment, walked familiar streets, shopped in the market and got the same lecture from the quiche guy on how to perfectly heat his product, ran on forest trails my feet still remember, saw the faces of children who are all so much taller...

it was home. it could be again. sounds cheesy, but part of my heart will always be there. it's where this whole adventure started.

i know the label isn't what's important. what's important are the memories.

but it still makes me wonder.

tasting it

two weeks from tomorrow...

here's reason number one why it's time to vacate the premises for a bit..

coasting

Just opened my journal… last entry dated Friday, April 13th.

I’ve felt no desire to write.

Not that things haven’t been happening – they have – but I haven’t felt the desire to pen them into existence……

My kids make me smile, laugh, shake my head, clench my jaw in frustration. Simultaneously hurtling and crawling to the end of the year – winding down and finishing up; 8th graders preparing for finals, 6th graders checking out.

Friends meet: drinks at 360 to celebrate a birthday and watch the sun go down in breezy bliss, or at a karaoke bar to do our best to steal the mic from the obnoxious wedding party taking over with their wrenching attempts. We meet sneakily for a surprise party for someone who deserves it, at my place on Tuesdays to have tacos and celebrate that we’re over the hump, at Jen’s apartment to have a good time without spending money, on the roof to dangle our feet in our small-but-at-least-it’s-a-pool pool.

Weekends pass – some productive, livening: errands, the gym, cleaning and decorating the apartment; others lazy and glazed from too many DVD episodes of “Lost”.

The heat is rising. Seeping into my bones as I step outside, at first a relief for my frozen, air-conditioned soul, but then more oppressing with each step. Night no longer brings relief, Safa park is absent our pounding steps. The haze appears again on the horizon, cloaking Sheik Zayed and the rising Burj Dubai in lavender fog.

The building next door is becoming a reality, metal bangs and clangs as invisible work is done below the surface, building a foundation for more annoyance and interrupting of sleep.

For the first time in many years, I'm going to leave for the summer and return to the same place - no new dorm room, no new city. There will be new faces, new buildings and malls and toll booths, but the reality is that for the first time I"ll be coming home again to a place that is my own.... and that, that is something I have yet to wrap my mind around....

Oman, better late than never

Road tripping once again.

Early morning haze that coffee can't quite penetrate, leaving the city behind in its cool beginnings. Familiar ground to Hatta, dunes rolling, camels strolling unconcerned - but seen anew through parents' eyes, still worth a picture stop. Breakfast in the restful peace of the hotel, lingering over coffee, unwilling to move too soon. Steps to the hill-top park seem more difficult, weighed down by the early start and eggs and toast, but the still silence and hazy mountain ridges still inspire peaceful sighs.

Into unexplored territory - Omani visa procedures, unexplained and discovered through trial and error: we play the part of confused tourists very well, and manage eventually. Oman itself a welcome change to the eyes: green and lush in comparsion to Dubai, palm trees spreading fronds in all directions, schoolboys in white robes and round caps stream from schools for a noon break, mosques jut out at regular intervals, thier double minarets and domes adding splashes of color - purple, blue, coral - to the dusty palette of the landscape. Homes, most of them basic, some glinting with ornate glass or mosaic work, stay low to the ground. The ocean is out there somewhere... the earth looks like it ends just at the horizon. Roundabouts come more frequently, cars circle about monuments, sculptures, clocks... Muscat before we expect it. The hotels, malls, and freeways could be in any city in the world.... but white villas on rocky hillsides lend a Mediterranean feel and glimpses of brilliant ocean remind us of our location.

We find our hotel after only a brief misdirection and don't waste much time heading down to the beach for a walk and a swim. The hotel's small private beach becomes much bigger at low tide - a wade across a shallow channel opens up the nearby public beach, and the deliciously cool waters of the Gulf of Oman. The tide comes in as we turn back, and as Richard and I wade into the channel, it drops off quickly, and we're forced to swim - doggy paddle, clothes-getting-wet, this is-is-ridiculous swimming. Soon as we reach the other side, the hotel employee points behind us to where two people are wading across a shallower portion... only up to their knees... you'd think that farther out would be deeper, yeah? NO.


The next few days were a perfect combination of relaxation (sweet, sweet coffee and lovely buffet breakfasts on the terrace, drinks under the palms in the evening, delicious dinners on balconies, swimming and lounging around the pool, and dozing off in the warm evening breeze under the bright-white glow of the moon before sleepily stumbling inside to bed) and experiencing the Omani culture:

Getting into the car and driving, we found the Muttrah corniche - hot and breezy under blue skies, turquoise waters lap around navy boats and dhows, gulls wheel, local people and the occasional tourists walk along the sidewalk. The Souq is a covered walkway lined with shops full of Omani silver, little round hats, shimmering fabrics, antiques, jewelry, shoes... alleys veer off to a maze of more shops or squares of bright blue sky, locals and tourists browse together, shop-keepers entice but don't annoy, and we stroll along.

Fisherman have long since brought in their catch, the stench rank in the hot afternoon; in the fish market they sit on buckets with their catches: big fish, little fish, a shark, a squid; eyes still and dark. Blood and scales spatter the floor. Outside, a boat arrives, men sort through the catch, sell them from the boat in bulging plastic bags.

Down the coast, craggy mountains rising, white towns appear as the road dips and falls. Up a steep grade in search of the Shangri-la hotel, mountains on every side, the hazy blue of sea meeting sky visisble in snatches as the road climbs and drops. We find the hotel, perched on a cliff overlooking crashing waves and a vast expanse of brilliant aquamarine water - at the edge of the world.

Another day, another drive, on the 'fort loop.' Leaving the coast, we cross rocky plains dotted with scraggly, hardy trees, mountains hide on the edge, lost in the haze. Nakhal fort is deserted in the heat, we explore courtyards and turrets, look out at the landscape along the long black barrels of dormant cannons. Continuing on, we enter the mountains - rocky, pock-marked hills rise on either side as we follow a curving wadi, dry and rocky with occasional oases green with date palm shade. I would not want to be trapped there when the rain falls and the water rushes along... the mountains slant downward in striped layers, seemingly formed by giant hands squeezing the earth...

More turrets to explore in Rostaq, then home again through the flat lands...

After one last lingering breakfast on our last day, soaking up and palms and waves and cheesy elevator music, we headed home via Nizwa, reluctant to stop at yet another fort in Jabeer, but it was the best yet - smooth stone passages and stairways to explore, and a commanding view of the surrounding plains...

ready to be home, but one last barrier: the border. How many times can we stop? What do they need now? What should we do here? Which way do we go? Giggling by the end, we hand over documents, car registration, and passports... home is a welcome sight when we reach it.

Most pics courtesy of Jen, Jim, and Joan, as I was not so much about the camera on this trip...

Countdown

It was bound to happen...

I just had

no

idea


it would happen

so

incredibly

soon...


my students

have


started


the countdown.




42 days.

Doing Dubai

Dubai at its finest for one last week before summer starts its smothering descent...



Shooting up in a glass elevator for tea at the Burj al Arab, the Gulf spreading under my feet, the Palm and the World to either side, the skyline stretching itself thin. The lobby is breathtaking, the carpets gaudy and overdone; the bar is futuristic in primary colors, contrasting the exotic tea and tiny sandwiches and dainty pastries served from Burj-shaped towers of plates. The fountain in the lobby claims to be the highest-reaching in the world (but of course!), and I'm mesmerized by it's jewel-toned jets of curving water while waiting for the immense gush that never materializes, much to my disappointment.






The richest horse race in the world takes place in Dubai each year - horses, trainers, jockeys, owners from all over the world try to take home a piece of the prize... expats and locals alike turn up in their finery to see and be seen, and I was no exception, playing dress-up for the occasion:

after sipping champagne with friends-of-a-friend, we arrived at the racetrack and nabbed seats in a prime location, on the lawn between the walking ring and the track. It was amazing to soak up the sunshine and the sights - the elegant and the ridiculous dresses and the colorful hats, eye-catching with their bright plumage, kept my eyes busy. The racing action came and went, each race getting more prestigious, the purses bigger, the crowds larger, before culminating with the $6 million race - it was breathtaking to watch Invasor take the lead and hold it down the stretch, feel the thunder of the hooves, hear the crowd around me encourage their favorites. My perch from a chair allowed me a fabulous view! Always catering to Dubai's expat population, bars and restaurants had stands open for hours before and after the races, and many came only to socialize and didn't see a single horse the entire day...starting a debate about the whole point of the day.



I finally experienced the heart of Dubai's beginnings along the Creek. Textile Souk, Spice Souk, Gold Souk, Old Souk... twisting alleys, covered walkways, buildings rebuilt to resemble their authentic past, shopping of all kinds - from handfuls of dried flowers and spices to ornate golden jewelry... the part of Dubai that feels real, as locals mix with visitors and expats, and I turn down 27 offers of fake designer handbags...

little bit of this, little bit of that...

nothing like a little smoke and resulting traffic nightmare to mar a perfectly clear morning...

*************
Last Friday morning I woke up, and gradually noticed that the whistle noise I took for truck brakes was actually the wind sliding through my balcony doors. And then I noticed that the view was a little dusty. So I sat up and looked out the window above my bed... wow. Sand. Everywhere. Scudding across the road, flying through the air, taking debris with it. Full-out shamal, the most intense I'd seen yet, and it lasted all day...

************
Three months from now I'll be back in the states for a visit... I can't believe how fast this year has gone.
It's getting hot again, soon the only time I'll spend outside will be running from my airconditioned car to the airconditioned school/mall/apartment.
Spring break is next week and I"ll be road-tripping to the neighboring country of Oman.
March 31st is the Dubai World cup, so I'm going to by a Derby-esque hat so I can mingle in style.

********
Some of my favorite thailand pics that didn't make the "parents, here are some pics of your kids" blog...

thailand

back in the dusty sunshine of Dubai... so different from the greens and golds of the past week...

some of my favorite Thailand moments:

-breakfast outside in the garden of the hotel

-waiting in the cool before dawn to give alms of still-warm food to barefoot, burnt-orange clad monks

-sitting underneath the stars in a hill tribe village, the only sounds the rushing of the river and the croaking of frogs

-floating down-river on a bamboo raft in the warm sunshine, cool water washing over my toes, the jungle rising on either side

- enjoying a Thai foot massage at the Walking Market, watching the crowds stream past, as the light fades from the sky

-stopping in the street as silence falls for the daily playing of the national anthem

-riding in the back of a covered truck, watching Thai villages go past - teak houses, spirit houses in yards, small shops, fresh fruit, the occasional temple



sigh.
back to real life.

Real

(Off to Thailand on Wednesday with a bunch of middle schoolers...yikes. check it out at http://asdthailand.blogspot.com)
********************************************************************
If you're ever in Dubai, leave behind the dusty construction of Barsha, the glistening skyscrapers of Sheik Zayed Road, and the stucco villas of Jumeirah, and head toward the Creek, where Dubai started. Enter Bur Dubai - Throbbing, thumping, beeping, alive. Hustle, bustle, smells and sounds, silks and shoes and silent shawarma stands, making you part of it all.

Press deeper, past the sunburnt tourists at the museum gate, and you'll find a shady courtyard. You'll need no common language to buy flowers from the Indian man at his table - just lift the long strands of small pink and white flowers, which he'll snip off to just the right length with a quick snap of the scissors; or point to the mound of fushcia blossoms, or lotus flowers waiting to be opened, a perfect fit for the palm of your hand.

Round the corner, and you'll find yourself in an alley. Lined with shops selling fruit and flowers, colorful bracelets. Smell of incensce drifts through the air. Towels and rugs hang overhead against the sky, drying in the breeze. Stop, though the seemingly endless passage beckons you to continue to discover more. Leave your shoes with the many others in numbered boxes and, feet cool on the freshly-washed stone, climb some steps to enter a building that looks like many others - but this one holds a secret: Here, in the heart of an Islamic country, a Hindu temple.

A bell dings regularly, but with no apparent rhythm, the soft whispers of supplications blending into a murmur. Bring your flowers over to the counter and offer them, while gazing at the holy objects in the room beyond - Shiva's silver trident catching your eye. Others offer flowers and fruit as well, all symbolic - giving up pride and greed, offering the fruits of their labor, thankful for blessings. Receive with a smile one of your flowers, blessed and returned to in turn bless you.

Cover your head and ascend another staircase. The sound of music - strings and percussion and chanting voice - fill your ears as you enter a room. Deptictions of gods watch from the walls as the blue-turbaned, bearded men play. The holy book sits at the end of the room - not an object claiming to contain god, but simply something to help focus your thoughts and prayers. Kneel along the wall for a moment, and simply observe. Don't be concerned with those around you, for although Hindus may worship alongside each other, they are each concerned solely with their own communion with god.

Leave through the other door and descend the stairs - look down. A young boy, clothed in orange, sits in his mothers lap. She holds him to keep him from squirming as a man skillfully uses a straight-edged blade to shave the hair from his head, while dad videotapes this Brahman ritual.

Taking some inner peace with you, find your shoes and return to the courtyard, crossing to the other side, only to remove your shoes again. This temple is one main upstairs room, men and woman separated by a waist-high wall, an altar the focal point - golds, reds, deep oranges on top of flowing white. The chanting of women and children, the beating of a drum. The priest circles the altar - water droplets land, handfuls of red and pink powder splotch the white cloth. A blessing as you leave - fruit, a blessing that enters your body as you consume it.

Your life may call you back before you're ready, but you'll vow to return, to explore, to find more places that fill you with a sense of something real.

Miscellany

I finished painting! I'm quite pleased with the results:




The yellow changes throughout the day - it's brilliant in the early morning when the sun is shining, and mellow in the evening. these pictures were taken one of those supposedly-rare-but-surprisingly common rainy days, so it's pretty subdued.

I also bought some stuff at the global village to give my place some character: carved windows from nepal, an inlaid chest from Pakistan, and the coolest drawer/shelf combo from an Indian place located here in Dubai. A trip on Wednesday night morphed into a necessary return on Thursday, with Steve's Explorer toting home 4 inlaid chests and 2 marble pedestals. The stair-step cabinet came with its own set of challenges - they delivered it for free, but my lack of address or an accessible building resulted in multiple cell-phone conversations in which I attempted to give directions, and me running around in my flip-flops trying to flag down the truck....






In other news:
Last weekend was the Dubai Desert Classic, and I managed to attend on the day it neither thunderstormed or sandstormed, and sat on actual real grass, got a tan, and watched Tiger, Els, Fisher, and Norman golf.

The Burj Dubai is up to 102 stories.

Week Without Walls is fast approaching, with students and teachers heading off to Tanzania, India, Morocco, Vietnam, South Africa, and Thailand. We're busy making last-minute preparations and fielding questions about bombings and bird flu. And the kids are writing research papers...
I don't miss that one bit.

That's about it. Nothing too profound or exciting. But certain people (ahem, jenn) were giving me a hard time about pictures of my place. So there you go.

Dubai is a city of more - everything tries to be bigger, better, taller, longer, fancier, expensive-r... you get the idea.

But sometimes there is a good cause behind it.

Foresight, a dubai-based organization that funds research on diseases that cause sight loss, sponsored an attempt to break the Guiness Book of World Records record for the biggest pillow fight ever.

We told our students about it and encouraged them to attend... and a few of us teachers went as well.

I don't think we broke the record, but it was still an excellent minute of pillow-bashing for a good cause, and many students who couldn't attend sent donations along with those who could...

they make me smile.

here's some pics: