Inside for another sandstorm weekend

The Pirate Captain Anastasia in her inflatable yellow boat

Anastasia has been watching Anastasia

Hanging out with her "Dead Pets": Elephant, Hippo, and Penguin

"Dead Pets Need Love Too."

Book Fairs, Breakfast, Tutoring, Movies, and Essays

Anastasia's eating style is very hands on; if it comes on a spoon it definitely won't taste as good. Her favorites include avocado, mango, sweet potato (still) and she's making the most of her location- Arabic bread and hummus are high on the list also. (Notice the two big teeth in the second photo!)

Our weekend has started! Yesterday evening, we went to Abu Dhabi's annual book fair, one of the largest in the world, with publishers from dozens of countries represented. Christine picked up a few books. I behaved myself. It was held at our exhibition center, a huge building between our school and Sheikh Zayed's Mosque. Anastasia is doing fine. She was really good at the Book Fair; she even saw a puppet show (in Arabic) and met a local boy about her age. When she started to hit him, Christine took her away before we all got deported. I also saw a cooking show at the Book Fair (one of the publishers, of course, produces cook books). The chef was from Malaysia, and apparently he's quite a celebrity with a cooking show on Food Network and the BBC. We don't have cable, so I don't know who he is.

Today, I'll be tutoring, as usual...We had a breakfast date with Rhonda again at Dome in Khalidiya Mall...and we have lots of school work to do in between.

After tutoring, Christine is going to the movies with a group of AISA women, and tomorrow Anastasia and I will do our usual Saturday morning walk (before it gets hot--we have to leave earlier and earlier to beat the heat these days, as our temps in the afternoon reach 98*F regularly now...and it's only March).

I also have quite a stack of essays to mark, which probably explains why I'm blogging right now: to put off tackling grade 12 essays on Victorian poetry!

(P.S. from Christine: Randy took all of these photos of Anastasia while I was at the movie. They apparently had quite a good time. He also rocks because he grilled halloumi cheese and had wine waiting for me as soon as I had put the little one to bed.)

Prophet's birthday in Khor Fakkan

Camel vet sign in Al Dhaid on the way to Khor Fakkan

The beach: to the left of the photo there were women covered in abayas (normal), to the right was a topless, thong-wearing woman (a shock, considering we were in the most traditional emirate)

The hottie at the beach

The town: that's not fog, but dust from a truck that passed by

A morning hike in the rocky foothills

Randy and Anastasia in the nearby Omani enclave

At a mountain-top restaurant

A watchtower with Omani flag

The girls on the trip: me, Joyce and Anastasia, Leanne

The dangerous dining option