Christine and Randy's Excellent Adventures

Something I saw at a conference...

2012-01-22T01:41:00.000-08:00

...double click to see all of the intended screen size

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-30T03:54:00.000-08:00

and now words, by Randy...

Spain and the Holiday Cruise

By

Randall D. Ball

Over the Christmas holiday, we traveled to Spain, taking a cruise from Barcelona out to the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa. We visited the colorful port town of Funchal (Madeira), a part of Portugal; Spanish Tenerife, with its volcanoes (including the very tall, impressive Mount Teida) and “lunar landscapes,” as all the travel brochures and advertisements rightly describe, Arrecife, and—back on mainland Spain—Malaga (Granada) Spain, where Christine enjoyed part of her Christmas present (a day to herself with a tour of the Alhambra, a famous Moorish palace). My primary regret is that we missed the Rock of Gibraltar; both times that our cruise ship the Norwegian Jade passed through the Strait of Gibraltar, it was during the night, and we were sleeping soundly in our cozy (not quite cramped) cabin.

The cruise featured tons of constant food, activities, shows, and entertainment and games for the girls, especially Anastasia, who decorated her own cupcakes, made a pizza, played pirate, and had fun with other little kids on our ship. Talula was too young for those activities, but the ship did have a small, simple under-two playroom for her. Santa Claus paid a visit on Christmas Day; both girls received a little gift from the cruiseline. Christine attended a few art lectures and an art auction, and Anastasia and I caught two “Broadway” shows. In between all this excitement over the course of nine days, we ate at the buffet and at two separate dining rooms.

Upon our return to Barcelona, we toured Guell Parc and the famous cathedral of Sagrada Familia, designed by the architect Gaudi and still under construction since 1882 (estimated completion date: 2025). Then we enjoyed some tapas at a little restaurant in the neighborhood where we were staying; the squid and scallops were especially tasty, although the goat cheese and the bread were good as well. The girls struggled, however, to find something to their liking. They preferred bananas, chocolate sponge cake, and microwave popcorn that we found at a little market around the corner. It was a change from the spaghetti that Anastasia had been living on for the past few days. Talula was willing to eat nearly anything on the cruise ship.

We stayed in a furnished, rented apartment in the Old Town, a trendy and very pedestrian-friendly area near Parc de la Ciutadella. On our last day, we walked over to the zoo in that park, much to the girls’ delight. Of course, they were just as interested in trudging through the fallen leaves and in chasing pigeons as they were in observing the animals. They did enjoy the petting zoo, however, as our photographs suggest. Nearly all of our photos from the zoo focus on that petting zoo—goats galore! Anastasia and Talula were also impressed with the peacocks, giraffes, elephants, and the Komodo dragon.

Both girls get excited about airplanes and airports, by the way. As soon as they see a packed bag, they start talking about airplanes. At the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, Anastasia had us draw pictures of airplanes. Then she’d show the drawings to the airplanes out the window of the terminal. Anastasia and Talula also made “snow angels” continuously, lying on the floor of various airport terminals, waving their arms and legs. One particular comment was my favorite, however. Anastasia pointed to a fellow passenger at the terminal in Frankfurt who was sleeping under a blanket, and she asked, “Is he hiding?” Yes, Anastasia, he’s hiding, but he doesn’t want to be found. That’s part of the point behind a holiday, after all.

December activities

2011-12-10T00:07:00.000-08:00

National Day facepainting

First dance class open to parents. There are 3 brief videos that you can watch if you follow the link.

Up Next: 1 week of school (3 days of which Christine will be at Desert Camp), 2 weeks of holiday in Barcelona and cruise to Canary Islands and then another week back in AD before starting up school in 2012.

Lebanon, Eid Al Adha 2011

2011-11-09T19:53:00.001-08:00

(CLICK on the slideshow to make it full size or see at your own pace.)

Return to Beirut: A Love Letter
By
Randall D. Ball

Eight years ago, as a single man who was a mere thirty years old, I traveled alone to my beloved Middle East for the first time. I was centered in Beirut, Lebanon, and wrote of my experiences in my first-ever travelogue. Now it’s 2011, and I have returned to Beirut, numerous travelogues later. I return to Lebanon as a married man with two small children, and as an expat teacher now living in the Middle East. I wondered who had changed more—Beirut or me? That may have been the wrong question, however, because perhaps neither of us has changed that much after nearly a decade.

I booked us into the same hotel in the Hamra district of Beirut, and we walked the same streets that I meandered through eight years ago: along Rue Hamra and the Corniche, past the famed, overly-touristy Pigeon Rocks, by the walls of the American University of Beirut, even ending up at the same spot for lunch on our first full day in Lebanon: at the Hard Rock Café overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Not much had changed; I was just sharing the experience this time. Anastasia and Talula enjoyed lunch at the Hard Rock. They both ate with gusto (it’s a rare moment when both girls have simultaneous, hearty appetites), and afterwards, they played around the small stage in the nearly-empty restaurant. It was lunchtime on a slow Saturday, and even the waitress joined in the fun, playing with the girls.

They must have played hard. By the time we worked our way back along the Corniche, around the bend in the peninsula up to the Pigeon Rocks, they were asleep in their strollers. Christine and I enjoyed a coffee al fresco, soaking in the mildly warm sun that was finally overcoming the chilly morning showers. By the time we returned to the Mayflower Hotel, it was fairly late in the afternoon. We opted for some shwarma on Rue Hamra, about a block and a half from the hotel.

Sunday, we joined a half-day tour to the Jeita grotto, eighteen kilometers northeast of Beirut. The tour guide picked us up an hour late, which is irritating enough even before you add two small, impatient kids into the mix. Fortunately, Talula slept on the hour-long bus ride through town and up the coast into the mountains (it seems that no matter where you go in Beirut, no matter which way, or both ways, you end up going straight up). Christine’s arms were tired holding her for so long, but she’s easier to hold when she’s asleep than when she is squirming. I spent my time amusing Anastasia with a made-up game called “tickets.” Don’t ask. It’s complicated.

We took a gondola ride to the upper grotto, which was surprising in that we still had more “up” to go after climbing the mountain by bus. Anastasia seemed really interested in “flying” in the gondola; she kept repeating, “up and down, up and down” and “fly…fly.” The grotto was an incredible sight: massive caverns with crystallized stalagmites protruding from the cave floor and stalactites acting as chandeliers. A truly awe-inspiring place. Then we took a kiddie train (how quickly natural beauty is supplanted with man’s folly) to the lower grotto. We could have walked, but Anastasia insisted on the train—and it was included in the ticket price anyway.

We took a brief boat tour of the lower grotto, motoring about the underground river as if we were on the River Styx. After riding the bus back down the mountain, we took another gondola and an additional funicular (we were covering all bases of transport today) to the top of a mountain in Harissa to see Our Lady of Lebanon, a statue of the Virgin Mary that presides over the coastal Mediterranean cities of Jounieh, Beirut, and Byblos. The church, statue, and surrounding property offered a great view above the bay around Jounieh.

This “half-day” tour ended around 4:30 in the afternoon. We were all pretty tired.

In the morning, we joined a full-day tour, which started on time and ended at 5:00 p.m. Apparently, the difference between “full day” and “half day” is ninety minutes. Our tour this time was in a little van, but we filled out the relatively roomy backseat. The girls were well-behaved, and unlike our trip to Sri Lanka earlier this year, no one got sick as we made our way up and over the mountain range into the Bekaa Valley. Our first stop was at the Umayyad ruins of Aanjar, an Islamic archaeological site that was discovered entirely by accident in the 1940s. It previously had been lost in trees, its actual city walls covered in mud. Its location was significant in trading—along the route between Damascus and Palestine.

At Aanjar, Anastasia kept climbing on rocks and posing, asking us to take her picture, or “pickwick,” as she says. Talula played with pebbles and sticks, acting as if she had never seen such things. Then again, she is from Abu Dhabi. She probably hasn’t seen such natural artifacts. Both girls, in fact, were quite fascinated with rain as well. Of course, after being in the United Arab Emirates for five years, Christine and I were just as appreciative of the precipitation.

We continued onward into the Bekaa Valley, an infamous Hezbollah stronghold not far from the Syrian border. On several occasions, vendors offered me Hezbollah t-shirts. I resisted.

We also passed numerous Palestinian refugee camps before reaching the Roman ruins at Baalbek. We took the quick, kid-friendly self-guided tour, which meant stopping for fifteen minutes at a little hole in some rock where the girls played, and then spending thirty seconds admiring the Temples of Bacchus and Jupiter.

From Baalbek we traveled to Ksara, where we toured a fascinating winery that keeps its barrels of wine in ancient caves, perfect for maintaining a certain degree of temperature and humidity. The tour was followed with a wine tasting. Anastasia was not much interested in what we were doing, but Talula enthusiastically sampled a few drops of each wine. She was a big hit among our fellow travelers, who laughed as she tried to suck each wine glass dry.

We had a late group lunch in a hotel dining room in Ksara. A man from Jordan sat across from us and commented on Anastasia’s eating habits. She was tearing tiny bits of Arabic bread and dipping them gently into hummus.

“I love the way eat,” he commented. “Children are such a blessing.”

At that moment Anastasia took a huge piece of bread and stuffed all of it into her mouth. She looked at him, choking on her bread, as if to say, “Do you like the way I eat now, sucker?”

On the drive back to Beirut, we became friendly with a young Indian couple from Dubai who were seated in front of us in the van. Anastasia and Talula played with them vigorously, for want of a better adverb.

Tuesday was our last full day in Lebanon. We walked past the American University of Beirut, where Christine took several photos of graffiti, much of it calling for revolution, anarchy, or other wise engage in attacks upon the powers-that-be. Other examples of “freedom scrawl” urged people to kill their televisions and “Make designers, not clothes.” Ras Beirut, as the area is known, is quite the “college town” in that way.

We walked past the port to downtown Beirut, where we spent some time around the ruins of a Roman bath. A friendly, local old codger gave the girls some chocolate while I marveled over the fact that I could find the Lebanese Parliament, the Roman baths, and the Place d’Etoile amid all the recent Solidere construction. Eight years ago, I could use landmarks such as the clock tower at the Place d’Etoile to find my way around, but now, the construction that began in the 1990s (after the destruction of the previous decade) obstructs such views. Anastasia and Talula didn’t mind, though, because the pigeons still congregate around the clock tower, and they spent an hour chasing the birds around the square. They clearly had a blast. We managed to tear them away from the birds long enough to eat lunch at an outdoor café near the square, and then they spent another hour chasing pigeons.

On our way back to the hotel, we paused to admire the beautiful Al-Omari Mosque and to see the Place des Martyrs (Martyrs’ Square), where the Ottomans once executed a handful of Lebanese nationalists during World War I.

Then we retraced our steps, stopping for tasty crepes across from the American University before returning to the Mayflower. We had spent a busy few days in Lebanon, but it was winding down. My return to Lebanon was different in certain outward appearances; Beirut’s skyline has evolved just as my own life has, but the Land of the Cedars is intrinsically the same country, even as it adapts. In that, we are alike.

Two Little Fairies

2011-10-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

Talula's First (Beach) Birthday

2011-10-14T03:17:00.000-07:00

Anastasia goes to AISA

2011-10-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

Anastasia began preschool on Sunday, October 2. Her teacher has a son in my class so we joke that we have just done a child exchange program. So far, Anastasia is loving it. She gets to go to school with Randy and me, she plays with kids her age all day and then gets to ride a bus home at 1pm. I have heard from her teacher Mrs. Sunette, her gym teacher, the bus driver's wife and several other people about how well she is doing. She hugs and kisses the other kids, joins in as if she has been there from the beginning and gets frustrated when she is working with something the other kids had done in the weeks before she joined them (which I see as a good sign: wanting to know).

Below are a few photos from the first and second day:

Anastasia with her new monster backpack in her gym uniform

Running down the hallway trying out her giraffe shoes

In regulary AISA uniform on Day 2

Teaching Talula a few things

Photo update 23/9/2011

2011-09-23T00:13:00.000-07:00

Utah, Indiana & Illinois

2011-08-29T23:10:00.001-07:00

OK- so this has been really delayed due to some compatability issues. But here is the end of our summer!

Florida & South Carolina

2011-07-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

The first part of the summer is about to end as Randy and Anastasia head to Virginia to visit his sister Rebekah while Talula & I go to Utah to visit Kim, Kent, little Grant, Talula's godfather Vince and Holly. Here are a few photos from our time with family and friends in Florida and South Carolina. (if you click on the slideshow it will take you to the album so you can see them more closely)

Oh, the places we'll go... this summer!

2011-06-15T03:56:00.000-07:00

This summer's plans are a bit more complex than normal, but for happy reasons. Here's our schedule:

25 June- 4 July
Winter Haven, Florida to see Randy's mom and grandmother, also a bonus visit with Rob and Joyce

4-21 July
Beaufort, SC to see Randy's dad, old Battery Creek friends, Randy's high school friends and my cousin Ben on vacation with his family

21-25 July
Christine & Talula go to Utah to see Kim & Grant, and hopefully Andrea & Collette (the 3 little ones will range from 6-8 months!!)

Randy & Anastasia go to Virginia to see Randy's sister Rebekah and her husband Dale

25 July-14 August
We all meet up again in Indiana for weddings, wedding receptions and birthdays galore. Brian & Hannah will be married on 5 August with Anastasia acting as flower girl

14-18 August
Off to northern Illinois so Randy's maternal grandparents, aunt & uncle can meet the 2nd great-grandchild of the family, our little Talula

And then back on the plane for the always dreaded 15 hour flight back!

Recent photos

2011-05-21T01:10:00.000-07:00

Talula at Teagan's baby shower

Trying to get a pre-school enrollment picture of Anastasia

Finally smiling for one of them

Talula on the move- crawling is secondary only to trying to pull up

Anastasia dressing up Talula- only like a big sister can

One for the embarassing book

Anastasia still loves wearing dresses...

...and posing for pictures in them!

Spring break Sri Lanka

2011-04-29T03:53:00.000-07:00

Sri Lanka, April 2010

Spring Break in Sri Lanka
By
Randall D. Ball

My wife says that the straightest line we traveled in Sri Lanka was the airport runway. With its curves and hills and hairpin turns and zigzags and mountain roads, and with the colorful driving habits of its denizens, Sri Lanka can give even the mightiest iron-stomached bulwark a good dose of motion sickness. My two-year-old daughter Anastasia and I fared well, and my wife Christine took Dramamine tablets to counter the dizzying, nauseating effects of the twisting highways and aggressive driving. Our six-month-old, Talula, wasn’t so lucky, and thus neither were my pants, shoes, or the floor mat in our driver’s car.
Our first day, however, was gentle enough, with an easy four-hour flight from Abu Dhabi to Colombo. Our driver Senaka greeted us at the airport, and within minutes we were loaded into the backseat (no car seats for the kids, either), zipping past creeks, marshes, and rice paddies, marveling at the lush tropical greenery that always serves as a stark contrast to our brown desert life and grey concrete city. Senaka drove us three hours to the central Sri Lankan city of Kandy, a most un-Sri Lankan-sounding name amidst towns such as Kadugannawa, Katunayake, Wattegama, Nawalapitiya, Ratnapura, Angunukolepelessa, and my favorite, Uragasmanhandiya. Our hotel in Kandy was nestled in a tropical landscape and had an infinity pool on a bluff overlooking the Mahaweli Ganga, by far the longest river in the country. It was a perfect spot for Anastasia to play. She enjoyed the kiddie pool, adjacent to our outdoor dining area, so we could eat while she played, even in the rain. She didn’t mind. Rain is a special occasion when you’re coming from the United Arab Emirates.
The next day, Senaka picked us up early to see the elephants. Our first stop was a little business that sold elephant rides, and along with this photo op, we also fed our elephant, and Anastasia—with Christine’s help—got into the little creek running through the jungle to wash—and climb all over—a reclined elephant. I stood on the dry riverbank, Talula strapped to my chest in the Baby Bjorn, trying to take photos while she grabbed at the camera strap. Anastasia clearly loved the encounter. When we arrived at the Pinnawela Elephant “Orphanage” (originally founded as an orphanage, but now it’s more of an elephant breeding program to continue to attract tourists), Anastasia made a mad dash toward them. Unlike a traditional zoo, here you get up close with the elephants, standing next to them, petting them, hoping one doesn’t absent-mindedly step on your feet and crunch your bones into oblivion. The big event at this pachydermal orphanage is the twice-daily elephant march across the street, through a souvenir-shop-lined pedestrian walkway, down to the river where dozens and dozens of the beasts wash themselves and frolic as tourists watch from the riverbank or from one of the cafes that line the waterfront. Back at the hotel, a visibly frightened Anastasia ran away from a brown frog and a tiny lizard. She has no fear of humongous elephants, though.
That evening, we attended a “traditional” dance and music performance, put on nightly for the tourists. It may have been artificial, plastic, and contrived, but the grand finale did involve two men who walked on very hot coals. Following the performance, we took a drive around “scenic” Kandy Lake, which is just as artificial as the performance but at least with the lake, the locals get to enjoy its presence too. Then we visited the famous Temple of the Sacred Tooth relic, home of a tooth of the Buddha himself.
The next two days tested our stomachs’ ability to hold its contents as we twisted and turned up into the mountains toward Nuwara Eliya. Along the way, Talula deposited her contents into my hand, arm, pants, shoes, and floor mat. It was close to noon, before the cooling afternoon showers, and the morning sun baked us in the “air-conditioned car” (the AC only worked properly when it was cold outside). Her car sickness provided us with an impromptu stop by a tea plantation, and an Indian family on holiday stopped alongside us—to take pictures of Anastasia and Talula, not of the fields of tea plantations, the mountains, or the beautiful waterfalls in the background. Both girls got a bit upset and fussy on this drive up into the mountains, trying our patience and ensuring that the driver earned his tip. At one point, Anastasia announced to the entire car, “I farted.” It was her first use of past tense and one of only a few complete sentences that she has ever spoken. Senaka thought her statement was funny, even if he wasn’t too amused by their outbursts of cries and occasional screams.
We stopped at a tea factory overlooking one of the many plantations in the hill country for a tour and a free cup of tea. Anastasia had a chance to run around the little English garden outside the factory and chase a stray dog, one of many that we saw on our trip. After lunch at our hotel in Nuwara Eliya, Senaka drove us to Hakgala Botanical Gardens, where once again the girls became the star attraction as Sri Lankans and Indians on holiday all wanted to take their picture with her.
Then we visited a small, modest Hindu temple near the gardens. It was free to enter, unlike the touristy Buddhist Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, but there was a little donation booth. I had to wake up the guy to make my donation of one hundred rupees (less than a dollar). I thought I was making a donation for the general upkeep of the temple, which I was, but to my surprise the somnolent fellow was a Hindu priest (a “Pujari”) who gathered the whole family around for a Hindu blessing, right down to saying prayers for us and giving us those holy red marks (“Tilak”) on our foreheads. He then handed me some symbolically blessed food wrapped in a banana leaf (“Prasad”) and offered us a drink of blessed water (“Cholera”). It was Easter Sunday, and we had our Hindu blessing.
The next morning, Senaka warned us in advance. “Today, 263 kilometers.” Driving in Sri Lanka, you can barely average 40 km/hour, so 263 km was going to take us the better part of the day. And we had to wind our way back down the mountains, through the same hairpin turns and tea plantations and camera-happy Indian tourists. Talula vomited on Christine this time, just to break up the monotony.
We left the hill country with its tea plantations, heading into the rainforest. The road finally straightened out a bit, by Sri Lankan standards, but then the pavement quickly deteriorated into a series of pot holes, craters, and small rivers, further slowing us down and jarring our teeth in the process. At lunch time, we asked Senaka about a restaurant stop, and for the next two hours he drove past street stalls and shacks selling flat soda and stale crackers before finding us a more proper restaurant. Dining was outdoors next to a shabby, rusty children’s playground, but the sweet potato curry and the spicy dahl were tasty and flavorful and felt more like Sri Lankan food than any of the hotel cuisine we had been eating since arriving in the country. Anastasia enjoyed a plateful of plain white rice before screaming for more playground time. We made sure she had some, because we still had a way to go, stuck in the car, all four of us squirming sardines crammed into the backseat holding on to one another.
“Just an hour and a half more, maybe,” Senaka assured us. This meant we had at least two hours more of driving. It’s important to be able to translate what the driver really is saying.
Over two hours later, Senaka broke the news to us. “I can’t drive to rainforest hotel.”
This was news. Then he explained that he would park at the base of the hill and we would have to take a tuk-tuk (a three-wheeled auto rickshaw, quite common in developing southeast Asian countries) up the narrow path to our rainforest lodge. It certainly felt that we were off the beaten path! Our rainforest hotel was in Kalawana, just outside the Sinharaja Rainforest preserve, and it was a beautiful location offering a panoramic view of the lush jungle from its hilltop perch. The staff were most welcoming and friendly, although perhaps we were just happy to be out of our vehicular prison. Dinner was a splendid candle light affair with delicious chicken, rice, a wonderful pumpkin curry, and other vegetables, concluding with a dessert of “kiri pani,” yogurt topped with treacle. We slept well that night, the sounds of the rainforest just outside—and occasionally inside. I heard something rustling in the bathroom, which—although still private—was open to the great outdoors on one side. In the morning I inspected the little bar of soap by the bathroom sink. It had been either clawed or chewed up…by something.
At breakfast one of the wait staff warned us about Anastasia petting the cat. “Maybe she not touch. Cat hair may be poison…” I knew about the venomous snakes in the area, such as the green pit viper (in the trees!) and the krait, but I was unaware of the rainforest’s poisonous feline fur. Christine and I figured that he meant Anastasia might be allergic to cat fur, but just to be sure I kept an eye on that cat for the rest of the morning.
“Only 100, maybe 110 kilometers today,” Senaka told us after our huge breakfast of various fruits, breads, pastries, omelets, and curried vegetables. “Maybe hour and a half.”
I calculated that, after the quick tuk-tuk ride down the hill, it would take us nearly an hour just to drive out of the rainforest in Senaka’s car, which took quite a beating in the pot holes and craters that make up the road. It would then take us another hour just to get to the coast, and another half hour after that to arrive at our beach resort in Unawatuna in southwestern Sri Lanka. My calculation was much, much closer than Senaka’s optimistic one.
We took two breaks on our way to the coast, one after Talula pooped on me (fortunately, I was wearing the same vomit-stained pants from two days ago, and she managed to hit the same spot on the pants) and another stop at the Kosgoda sea turtle farm, a conservation project run by volunteers. Anastasia loved the turtles—a little too much. At one point she licked a turtle’s fin, which our guide said he had never seen before. He was a young Englishman who told us that the previous night they had had a terrible storm and a tsunami warning, which turned out to be a false alarm, thank goodness. But we were staying in Unawatuna, which was hit worst and destroyed by the big 2004 tsunami. And I thought the poisonous cat was dangerous!
Anastasia and Talula really enjoyed the beach resort, though. Our bungalow was just a few feet from the surf, and from the looks of it, it must have been the only thing left standing after the tsunami. The girls enjoyed splashing in the water, both in the Indian Ocean and at the pool. The waves in the ocean were a little more fierce than what we’re used to, but Anastasia didn’t mind getting knocked down by their force. We spent an extra day there, a day with no car ride, which made for a nice change of pace. Our second night there, Christine and I took turns dancing with Anastasia to the unusual entertainment: five blind musicians who played their hearts out.
In the morning, we piled back into Senaka’s car for the long ride back to the airport north of Colombo. We stopped in Galle along the way to see the fort there, and to pay a visit to a Dutch Protestant church within its walls.
Senaka warned us, however, not to purchase anything in Galle. “Too much expensive,” he said. “You want shopping? I take you to market in Colombo.”
Two and a half hours later, we were in Colombo, and he took us shopping—at what was essentially a Sri Lankan K-Mart. Clearly, our driver wasn’t taking commissions from any souvenir shops or gift stores. While Christine politely looked around the store, I asked Senaka how much farther it was to the airport.
“Forty-five minutes,” he assured me. I just smiled.
After we had left the department store and crammed ourselves back into his car, Christine asked him the same question.
“Maybe one hour,” he said. I decided if we added up the two answers, that would probably be more accurate.
Over two hours later, we had finally fought our way through the city of Colombo and well north of it, grateful to see the airport and bid farewell to our backseat jail. We said our good-byes to Senaka, with Anastasia giving him a nice hug, and our holiday in Sri Lanka came to a satisfying close.

Data Analysis of Two Daughters

2011-04-07T07:34:00.000-07:00

We took Anastasia and Talula in for Talula's vaccinations. While we were there we forced them on a scales and heightometer. Here are the results:

Weight: 8.2 kg, 18 pounds, 80.36 N, 87th percentile

Height: 66 cm, 26 inches, 71st percentile

Weight for height: 75-90th percentile

Weight: 13.1 kg, 29 pounds, 128.38 N, 25-50th percentile

Height: 93 cm, 37 inches, 50-75th percentile

Weight for height: 10-25th percentile

Also in current research, Randy's sister sent us this link: Key to a Happy Family Is 2 Daughters, Study Finds. I guess we'll find out! I think they're off to a good start :)

Masdar (Carbon-neutral City)

2011-03-18T02:54:00.000-07:00

Anastasia's Art Portfolio

2011-02-25T02:13:00.001-08:00

Talula Update

2011-02-25T02:13:00.000-08:00

Rebekah and Dale's Visit

2011-01-27T20:04:00.000-08:00

Becky and Dale arrived Thursday night, 20 January. I met them at the airport and drove them into town, where they stayed with Leanne (who lives about a block away). Friday morning, the tired couple had to wake up early so that we could head to the camel race track. Surprisingly, it was raining, which is unusual for the Dhabi. The last time we had seen that much rain, Christine had visitors--and that was over a year ago. Visitors=rain. They didn't mind. It was warm enough, certainly a nice respite from the snows in Virginia.

We saw plenty of camels, enjoyed a bit of racing, and then made a pit stop along the wetlands in Al Wathba near the race tracks to see a few hundred flamingoes in the wild. Then we made a quick stop to the Rainbow Sheikh's National Car Museum (his own private garage, but it's huge, with over a hundred cars, including the world's largest automobile). We were back in town by the afternoon so they could get a little rest. Dinner that first full day was various food from popular, local hole-in-the-wall eateries: Afghani bread, lamb and chicken shwarma, grilled chicken, zatar pastry, and filafel and hummous. It was quite a spread on our dining table--and everyone was stuffed silly.

Saturday morning, we visited Sheikh Zayed Mosque to see a few more world records (largest dome, largest carpet, largest chandellier). Our nanny Noy and her husband met us there; they then took Talula and Anastasia while Becky, Dale, Christine, and I headed for Dubai. We had a good lunch at a Lebanese restaurant in the Mall of the Emirates, overlooking the indoor ski slope, and then we headed for Burj Khalifa, the world' s tallest building. We were fortunate that the skies were very clear by Dubai standards, about as clear as I've ever seen. The Burj Al-Arab (the seven-star hotel that sits out in the Arabian Gulf and looks like a ship's mast), the world's tallest hotel, was very clear that day. We had parked the rental car at the Mall of the Emirates, and then I made the spur-of-the-moment decision to leave it there and take the Metro further into town. We got off at Dubai Mall (by some standards, the world's largest), which sits at the base of Burj Khalifa. Then we took the elevator to the "top," although the observation deck is at the 124th floor, and there are another 40 floors above that). Still, it's the world's tallest outdoor observation deck and the world's second tallest indoor one, and the views are impressive overlooking the other skyscrapers in Dubai.

Sunday morning, Becky and Dale had some time to themselves while Christine and I were at school, but I met up with them early in the afternoon to take them to Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, the other seven-star hotel in the UAE. Emirates Palace and Sheikh Zayed Mosque are good examples of the opulence in the Dhabi, and neither place ever fails to impress. Too bad the world's most expensive Christmas tree was taken down a few weeks before their arrival.

Sunday evening, we took them dune bashing, which is a little like a roller coaster but without the tracks and safety. In other words, it's fun. Not sure Becky and Dale thought so, however. They were in the back of the SUV (the bumpiest seats), and things got quiet behind us as we kept flying over dunes. Our view out the window alternated between sand and sky for a good thirty minutes. We did stop around sunset for some beautiful views of the rolling red sand dunes. Becky and Dale also rode a camel, tried out the national UAE dress (chandoora for Dale, sheyla and abeya for Becky), and enjoyed some barbeque under the stars. The evening concluded with sheesha and a belly dancer, who got Dale on stage for a few minutes before singling me out for an extra long dance. At one point, we were dancing together; then she switched to just dancing around me, using me as her pole. Did I mention that it was my birthday? I don't think she knew this, though.

Monday, we took Dale and Becky to a nice breakfast at Mugg and Bean above Spinney's Grocery Store, and then Christine took Becky to a spa (manicure, pedicure, Moroccan bath) while Dale and I went to the movies (we saw THE DILEMMA, which is almost two hours I won't get back). Monday afternoon, we had a little walk along the Corniche, and Becky and Dale dipped their toes in the Arabian Gulf. We ended their visit at Heritage Village, at a nice restaurant on the shore of the breakwater with a great view of the city. The weather was gorgeous, the evening was quiet on the breakwater, and it was a good way for them to bid farewell to the Dhabi (they flew out shortly after midnight).

It was good to see them and to show them the place that we have called home for the past four years. They also have bragging rights--first family members to see Talula, and of course, Christine and Anastasia hadn't met Dale yet. A quick but satisfying visit...Now everyone is waiting for us to move on so they can visit us somewhere else, but they'll have to wait. We have signed on for another school year in the Dhabi.

Holidays Round II: Beach holiday and Christmas

2010-12-26T00:37:00.000-08:00

(Notice: we're not even pretending that we will do anything for New Year's Eve.)

We have two weeks off for Christmas and New Year's. Our first holiday excursion was to Emirates' Palace, one of two "seven-star hotels" in the world (Dubai has the other one). We wanted to see the world's most expensive Christmas tree, and at 11 million dollars, it's a doozie! What makes it so expensive is all the jewelry on it.

On our first week off, we drove five hours to the other coast, Fujairah on the Indian Ocean side of the UAE. We stayed at the Meridien resort hotel, which was very nice. Amenities included a children's pool and play area, which was especially nice for Anastasia. Of course, Anastasia also enjoyed the beach, dividing her time between water and sand. She clearly had a blast. Talula got her feet wet (and got a little sandy). We were there for four days, plenty of time to enjoy the warmth and sun (it was in the 80*s each day), the water, the sand, the service, and the food--especially a tasty breakfast buffet each morning, including pork bacon and pork sausage! A real treat when you live here. On our way back to Abu Dhabi, we swung through a small Omani enclave, mainly to take pictures at the top of a hill and so that Talula could technically make it to a foreign country, finally! It's a small enclave of Oman within the UAE; there is no border patrol or passports needed...but it is officially a part of Oman. They use both Omani and Emirati currency. Anyway, pictures of that are included above.

I won't go into details here, but if you're interested in the holiday poop story, let me know. This is Randy, by the way.

When we returned from Fujairah (I rented a car from the airport--only cost US $25 a day), we spent Christmas Eve recuperating from our trip (yes, we're at that stage where we need a vacation from our vacation), and Christmas Day, we opened presents. Talula received a necklace with her name in Arabic (similar to the one Anastasia has, but since Talula's name is shorter in Arabic, the necklace looks less "busy," probably a fitting metaphor for the two kids anyway), and Anastasia received a train set, among other items. She's been spending quite a bit of time with her "choo choo."

We enjoyed Christmas dinner with our Canadian friend Leanne (I made her American Thanksgiving dinner, so it was payback time for her), complete with Christmas crackers and those silly paper hats.

Boxing Day, we took Talula to get her shots. The doctor said she's doing well, although she IS a big baby. Talula weighs in at 6.4 kg (14 lbs), putting her in the 95th percentile for weight, and she is 60 cm (24 inches) tall, putting her in the 87th percentile for height.

We also sneaked Anastasia onto the scales: she's 12.5 kg (27.5 lbs) and is 92 cm (36 inches--three feet--a full yard!) tall. This puts her in the 37th percentile for weight and the 57th for height. Once again this seems backwards to me- she seems short compared to other kids we run into, but seems quite dense for her size. But what do we know?!

During our second week of our holiday, we aren't going far. Noy is coming in to look after the girls, and Christine is working on quilting whilst I mark papers and do a bit of reading, mostly at the coffee shop. This is our vacation from our vacation.

We sincerely hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas--and we wish ya'll all the best in the New Year!

This week: newspaper and zoo

2010-12-16T21:02:00.000-08:00

Follow this link to read Randy's fourth publication in the Dubai-based newspaper. gulfnews : 10 reasons why school life beats adult life

In other news of the Emirates, one of the country's self-proclaimed 7-star hotels boasts an 11-million-dollar Christmas tree. Randy and I will go to see it tomorrow to get ourselves in the Christmas mood, sometimes a challenge in a Muslim, desert, far-from-home country. AFP: UAE hotel erects 11-million-dollar Christmas tree

Earlier this week, at the request of my students, Anastasia accompanied the girls' field trip to Al Ain Zoo. This was her third trip-a bit rushed- but she seemed to really enjoy the gorilla and giraffes. She repeatedly kissed the gorilla through the glass. If I bothered to go on any of my students' facebook sites, I've heard most of them now use Anastasia with themselves as their profile pic. She was definitely a hit- I had to occasionally settle disputes about who would get her next. All of the attention, along with a total of nearly 4 hours on a bus that day, left her quite tired. She actually slept in the next morning.

Holidays Round 1: Eid Al Adha, Thanksgiving and National Day

2010-12-02T06:29:00.000-08:00

Eid Al Adha (2nd Eid) break was from 12-20 November. We stayed in Abu Dhabi doing very little, just trying to relax and enjoy some of the last perfect weather. (At the time of writing, we have started to dip into the 70s at night.) Randy and I frequented several coffee shops and enjoyed breakfast out a few times. The girls spent time at the local parks. Talula seemed quite relaxed in this photo- and we just wanted to show off how fat she is for all of you who are far away. It was hard to get photos of Anastasia during this outing because she enjoys chasing birds so much. She can clear most parks of wildlife in a minute or two.

Thanksgiving was spent being truly thankful that mom was well and appeared to be in the clear- no chemo needed. Thursday was a teaching day for Randy, but I was still on mat leave at that time so Anastasia and I spent the afternoon making pumpkin and apple pies. Canadian bestie Leanne made the pie crust dough; Anastasia and I rolled it out and we were also in charge of filling them. Anastasia took her job of keeping the dough floured quite seriously-Noy couldn't even get her to look up for the picture. When the school day ended, Randy made turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, Leanne brought over a salad and we feasted. The Sunday following Thanksgiving was my first day back at work. It was a busy week in 8th grade: labs, police CSI presentation, tests and then our school's National Day celebration.

During my last weekend of mat leave I was able to finish Anastasia's quilt. I was surprised how fast I was able to make it- it is simpler in some ways than Talula's (see post below) but I think I like it as much or more.

UAE's National Day celebrating 39 years is today, 2 December 2010. All of the roundabouts have been decorated with falcons, boats, horses, big bright 39's, and lots of other interesting shapes for the past few weeks. They leave them up throughout December so it's sort of like having Christmas lights up. (The malls have lights, Christmas trees, and go over the top just as much as US stores.) In addition to the street decorations, cars and people look pretty spectacular for the festivities as well. As you can see, our two UAE-born daughters were decked out. Anastasia is passed out in this photo- no nap before leads to missing fireworks, although Randy said the Emirates Palace had already turned on their lights. And of course car horns have been honking for hours already...

F1 Concerts and a Quilt

2010-11-12T07:40:00.001-08:00

Sean Paul concert on the Corniche

Exhausted after night of running and dancing

Eid Mubarak!

The Dhabi is gearing up (pun intended) for Formula One with a series of concerts. The really big ones are at the arena on neighborhing Yas Island (Prince, Guns N Roses, Linkin Park, Kanye West, Jonas Brothers, Nelly Furtado, etc), but our Corniche (a block and a half away, right on the Persian Gulf) has a few big nights of concerts too. It's called Beats on the Beach, and unlike the big stuff out on Yas Island, these concerts are all free.

A week ago, we were there for the Brazilian parade and a concert by a Colombian rock band. This weekend, the fun continues. Wednesday night, I (this is Randy) took Anastasia to the beach, and we enjoyed Kelly Rowland (of Destiny's Child fame) along with a really good Lebanese singer named Melissa (a nickname) and Clarita de Quiroz (part Filipino, part Spanish, part Irish, raised in Scotland--she's quite a mix, but her music was good--very talented at the piano). Anastasia danced and ran around the park; she had a great time. She has this one dance move where she squats and shakes her bootie...A few people videotaped her doing that...she had an audience! Probably on Youtube somewhere.

Thursday night, Christine and Talula joined Anastasia and me. We caught the end of a local ska band called Sh9? (yes, punctuation is part of their name), plus two Lebanese musicians (Rola Saad and Melheim Zein), UK soul/reggae/pop guru The Beat, and dancehall/reggae big name Sean Paul from Jamaica ("Shake that thing" and "Gimme the light" being two of his hits). We ended up spending time with a Syrian family who were enjoying the concert there. Anastasia and Talula are great ways to meet new people!

Last night, Anastasia and I returned to Beats on the Beach for just a short while. We saw Dubai's favorite rock band, Beat Antenna (made up of British expats) and British pop star Sophie Ellis-Bextor; both were good. Anastasia made friends with an Indian couple at first, and then a little later, she joined up with two couples from Iraq. They didn't speak much English, but they invited me to sit with them. They gave us juice and Anastasia ate all their popcorn. It was a fun night.

There's more tonight, including two big American names, Easy Star All Stars and Kelis (of "Milkshake" fame), but I don't think Anastasia needs to spend four late nights out in a row. Or, maybe I should say, I don't think I should spend four late nights out in a row.

We have time to recuperate, though. It's Eid! We don't have school this week (it's the second Eid holiday of the year--the first one celebrates the end of Ramadan, and this one is when Muslims perform the Hajj to Mekkah). This time around, we're not traveling anywhere. Just trying to relax, get a little work done, finish Christmas cards, etc...

Then we (well, not Christine; after Eid, she still has another week off for mat leave) have just a few weeks before Christmas break. Have I mentioned how nice it is to be in a country that gives you time off for Islamic AND Christian holidays? I guess we could get some Jewish time off as well if we lived in Israel.

Talula is doing all right...she gets fussy sometimes. It's hard to wake up, and it's hard to go to sleep. That seems to be her biggest fussy times...Anastasia still loves the baby...says "Baby" and "Sistah" a lot. She has tried to say Talula, but it comes out "Tee Ta."

During her mat leave, Christine has been spending lots of quality time with the girls, working on an online class "Differentiation and Assessment," and making a quilt for Talula. "Talula's Kaledioscope" (yes, quilts get names) is finished; next up is a charm quilt for Anastasia.

"Talula's Kaledioscope" (on top of a rug)

Anastasia petting Talula

The Halloween That Wasn't, Anastasia's New Smile, and a bit of Talula

2010-11-05T05:05:00.001-07:00

Outfit trial run with dead zebra balloons

Halloween wasn't as organized this year at AISA, which worked out fine since Anastasia refused to wear her outfit! We tried the bellydancer costume that we bought in Istanbul last Christmas on her early to check for size; she was fine with it and we even left the shoes out so she could practice walking in them.

Less than a month later, she complained about the elastic on it and refused to even put it on all the way. She had grown a bit, but really! So I cut all the elastic and was going to rig it- but still a definite no from the intended wearer. Nevertheless, we have a few pictures in various states of dress.

We did have a very nice pumpkin carving at her Auntie Leanne's and a new couple in our building brought candy to her since we didn't go to them.

Playing with the pumpkins seeds

Cleaning out the pumpkin

Her preferred version

A Collage of Anastasia's New Smile. It's the "I'm cheesing" smile used because a) you're taking a picture, b)I'm trying to distract you with my smile while I'm being bad or c) I don't realize how silly I look- I think I'm being cute.

And last, but not least, Talula. These photos were taken as we tried to get her passport shot ready for the Embassy. BTW, she should have her very own US passport by November 7th and then we have to start working on her residency visa for the UAE.

Anastasia still adores her. We have to make sure she doesn't wake her from naps, or squeeze her too hard during hugs. I even use "seeing the baby" as a lure from the beach when it's time to go.

THE FEAR: ANASTASIA vs TALULA

2010-10-22T02:34:00.000-07:00

After visiting a high school friend/Dad's employee and his wife with their new baby this past summer, we were pretty sure that Anastasia was going to be extremely jealous and have fits every time I focused my attention on Talula instead of her. We have been very pleasantly surprised to find that Anastasia is curious, sweet and mostly gentle with her. On average, Talula probably receives between 20-50 kisses on various locations atop of her little soft head each day. Anastasia checks on her while she is sleeping and likes to watch her "eating." (At first Anastasia had called this "kissing"- we corrected her right away.)

THE REALITY: ANASTASIA loves TALULA!

Slideshow of Talula's First Pictures

2010-10-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

Talula Meunier Ball has arrived!

2010-10-15T09:08:00.001-07:00

Anastasia received her sister with kisses and hair rubbing.

The completed Meunier Ball family.

The basic facts:

Talula shares my oldest brother Rick's birthday- thus my mother and I both had our second child on the 12th of October
Talula is nearly a pound and a half heavier and 10 cm longer than Anastasia was at her birth (we're hoping this extra mass will help counter the excessive loving she has been receiving)
She arrived wearing an umbilical cord upon the end of a 9 hour delivery
Thus far, she appears to be the opposite of Anastasia's initial screaming sleepless existence (Thank God/Allah!!)
more photos to come as we get a chance to take them...

Talula Update on her Due Date

2010-10-07T07:04:00.000-07:00

Once again, it seems I have a little girl inside me that doesn't want to come out.

I attended an all-day Al Corniche Hospital doctor visit (literally, arriving at 8:40am and leaving at 2:40 pm) on my first day of maternity leave. Needless to say, it didn't feel like much of a holiday, but I did find out a few things about what the next week should hold.

Birth doesn't appear eminent by any of the normal momma's body indicators. According to an ultrasound scan and CTG (cardio-toco-graph thingy that measure Talula's heartrate and movement), she is fine and well. We were able to get another surface scan of her face that has me anticipating a mini-Anastasia. Mini, meaning look-a-like. Definitely NOT size; Talula is already a pound and some heavier than Anastasia was at birth. And she has 8 more days of fattening up if she appears according to Anastasia's timeline!

Several more CTGs have been scheduled for next week, along with a tentative induction date: 14 October. Hopefully, Randy will be able to post some news and pictures before then!!

Summer Summary II

2010-08-24T08:52:00.000-07:00

Final slideshow and Top 10 as our long summer comes to an end....

Top 10 of the Entire 2010 Summer (in no particular order):

1. The "Abu" fiasco at the Bomber's game (ask Randy for more details)

2. Grandpa Ball not sharing food with Anastasia in the beginning, but being won over by the end of the visit

3. Anastasia's pool times with Grandma French (especially with puddles), hotel at Daytona Beach, Grandpa Ball (beginning of the nude play--Anastasia only; Grandpa was dressed), at Holiday World, Christmas Lake Village, Aunt Janet's, the triple b-day party in Floyd Knobs and Grandma Meunier (with fish pond breaks)

4. the mini-Wittenberg reunion with Cheryl, Andrea and Kim (3/4 of us were pregnant!)

5. Anastasia's new words and sounds: "outside", "chips", "dog", "fish", "frog", numerous animals sounds, "yuck" and just at the end "cool"

6. Good food along the way: suppers, Old Harry's (but no French Onion soup :( ), Jalapenos, Shrimp Shack, steaks on the grill, corn and cantelope, etc straight from the garden, Tempel extravaganzas, Grandma Meunier's surprise breakfast

7. Signs of trouble to come: the "sandbox tantram" resulting in Anastasia ultimately flopping spread eagle so no one else could touch the sand, "baby in arms" meltdown at the hospital. Looking at baby OK, momma holding baby= unacceptable

8. Anastasia with her animals: Misty, Sanford Zoo, Fluffy, Oatland Island Refuge, Tiki, Lincoln Boyhood Farm...she continues her obsession with our four-legged friends (well, she likes two-legged, no-legged, eight legged ones too)

9. a mini Class of 91 Beaufort Academy reunion: Jason, Sheila, Elinor, Jim, Tola, and Randy (that's ALMOST half the class, right?)

10. Colorful photo shoots at Bok Tower Gardens, Daytona Beach, Old Sheldon Church, Hunting Island, fish ponds in Dale (always a race to get pictures before Anastasia breaks out into sweat)

AND OF COURSE, visiting our family and friends...

Summer Summary I

2010-07-28T05:26:00.000-07:00

For now, enjoy a slideshow of our Florida and South Carolina visits. Maybe Randy will add some words later?

Anastasia's Second Birthday: Photo shoots I and II

2010-07-28T05:25:00.000-07:00

Anastasia is already TWO. Here are a few pictures at some of our favorite places in FL and SC. (click on the picture to follow the link)

Anastasia: Year 2 Photo shoots

Summer plans, 2010

2010-06-05T02:04:00.000-07:00

Here are the tentative plans for our summer travels:

FLORIDA FRIENDS AND FAMILY: We leave Dubai Sunday, 20 June, arriving in Atlanta 545 am Monday, 21 June. Arrive Tampa, Florida, Monday, 21 June, at 9:04 am(We have rented a car between Tampa and SAV/South Carolina. Our private beach getaway in Daytona Beach: Tuesday, 29 June through Thursday, 1 July. We would leave Winter Haven on Monday, 5 July.

BEAUFORT FRIENDS AND FAMILY: We will be in Beaufort from late Monday night, 6 July, through early Monday morning, 26 July. July 9-12 will include a college reunion weekend with some of Christine's besties.

INDIANA FRIENDS AND FAMILY: We Leave Savannah (SAV), Georgia, Monday, 26 July, flying through Atlanta, and arriving in Evansville, Indiana, at 1034 am Monday, 26 July (WE NEED SOMEONE TO PICK US UP HERE--no car rental planned for Indiana). We will be in Indiana from Monday, 26 July, through Wednesday, 25 August.Yes, we will be in Indiana for Christine's birthday (but just barely). [Becky, if you want to see us, feel free to visit us anywhere...Um, in-laws, here's the part where you chime in with, YES YES...FEEL FREE...(I am shameless, aren't I?] Leave Evansville at 1130 am, Wednesday, 25 August, flying through Cincinnati, Atlanta, and onward to Dubai.

ABU DHABI FRIENDS AND FAMILY: We arrive in Dubai, 750 pm Thursday, 26 August. We'll be flying Delta the whole way (and earning those Sky Miles!)

Hope to see you somewhere along the way!

Here's Anastasia with an early b-day gift. We wanted to let her enjoy it for a while before we left for the summer. So far, she mainly enjoys throwing everything out of it!

Spring break to Africa again: Ethiopia 2010

2010-04-09T02:48:00.000-07:00

Ethiopia, April 2010

(Click on the link above to see an album of our most recent trip.)

Spring Break in Ethiopia
By
Randall D. Ball

For Anastasia’s second spring break, we took her back to Africa. The previous year, Christine and I dragged our then nine-month-old daughter to Tunisia. A year later, we were headed for Ethiopia, mainly to visit Misrak, our former nanny (and Anastasia’s first best friend, really) who had returned to Addis Ababa. Before we left our home in Abu Dhabi, a few of Misrak’s friends came over to give us a proper send-off and to have us deliver a few things to Misrak. Then we were on our way, first to Dubai for our direct, four-hour flight on Ethiopian Air, a very friendly, accommodating airline.

At the airport in Addis Ababa, we faced a long queue to get our visa, and yet another long queue through immigration. Fortunately, we had the power of the baby. Anastasia took us to the front of both lines, shaving off a very likely two long hours of waiting. We are not ashamed to use the baby to our advantage (if we had to, we could also have played the pregnant card—Christine was three months along at the time). We waited quite a while for our bag and stroller, but then we were on our way past customs and into Addis Ababa. I spotted her first, this young woman, all smiles, jumping the turnstiles to race toward us, showering us with flowers and grins and hugs. Reunited with Misrak, we felt that all was well, that we had done the right thing. We were in the cradle of civilization, the birthplace of coffee, the legendary origin of the Queen of Sheba, and the possible resting place of the Ark of the Convenant; we were home.

Misrak’s brother had accompanied her to the airport, and he assisted us with bags and led us to a taxi, where all five of us scrunched into the little cab and headed for the hotel. We were an unusual group coming out of the airport, and throughout the week Misrak faced questions and funny looks as she carried this little blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby. I joked with strangers that she was adopting Anastasia, that it was time for Ethiopians to start adopting little white babies for a change. Christine also faced questions from locals, most commonly, “Is that your baby?” Uh, duh!

The next day, Misrak came over shortly after breakfast, a routine that we would follow every day of our holiday in Addis Ababa. She did not have any plans, for us or for herself. She was simply open to whatever we were doing. We’d tell her where we wanted to go, and she’d make it happen. Misrak secured a taxi for us, and we all headed toward the center of town, to the National Museum, primarily to meet Lucy. Misrak was our most obvious reason for visiting Ethiopia, but for Christine, Lucy was the second reason. Lucy is a little older than Misrak; she’s three and a half million years old. Her bones were discovered thirty-five years ago in northeastern Ethiopia, and she was quickly recognized as the oldest, most complete biped hominid skeleton ever found. Lucy, or “Dingnesh” (“wonderful” in Amharic), as Ethiopians prefer to call her, is short, at three and a half feet, but otherwise, she seems fairly human. The display of Lucy at the museum is really just a cast; the real deal, according to a museum worker, was currently in the United States, presumably on a holiday of her own. Apparently, she’s usually locked away in the museum, away from people, but sometimes a girl has to have fun. I wonder if she required her own passport.

After lunch (pasta for Christine and a beef crepe for me) and a nap for Anastasia and Christine, Misrak returned to the hotel, and we walked to the nearby Addis Ababa Golf Club, a nice, serene location far enough from the main streets to make one feel they’re not in a polluted capital city of two and a half million. Anastasia played in a small playground there, meeting up with a few other little kids who took to her instantly; after all, she was something of an anomaly in Ethiopia. We had a mundane dinner (a half-hearted attempt at western food) at the golf club, and on the way back to the hotel, Anastasia started running full force down the street. A little boy commented that she was a good runner. I thought that was quite a compliment coming from an Ethiopian.

Our second full day in Ethiopia found us in another museum, this time the Ethnological Museum within the compound of Addis Ababa University and housed within a former palace. The museum’s ethnological theme follows childhood, adulthood, right on through death, leading us thus on a lifetime according to different tribes. The childhood displays include habits and customs of pregnancy and childbirth (including scarification of the mother’s stomach during pregnancy) along with various toys for children. There were some interesting folk tales with accompanying art as well. Adulthood showed various other customs and lifestyles, clothing, food, the occasional spear and mud-hut recreation, and the death exhibit featured some very colorful grave markers. Why limit your gravestone to a simple piece of granite when you can have lots of colors and lines instead? My favorite part of the museum was a book on a very specific subject for sale in the gift shop: Risky Sexual Behaviors of Migrant Tea Workers in Kenya. I thought it would have made a great coffee table book.

We had lunch at a little café in the museum. The menu was fairly extensive and sounded good; since we’re pretty well-traveled, we had the good sense to ask if they had everything on the menu. We were told yes, they have everything. When it was time to order, however, suddenly all they had was lasagna, cappuccino, and carrot cake. It was all good, though. After lunch we walked around the gardens of the university’s campus, giving Anastasia an opportunity to run around and hopefully wear her out so that she would nap in the afternoon.

Misrak decided that if we could handle private taxis in Addis Ababa, we could tolerate the packed but much cheaper but less direct mini vans or buses. At times, our fellow passengers were goats and chickens. Anastasia loved it. We’d take a mini bus to one busy intersection, get off, take another one to another popular location, and eventually make our way back to the hotel in that manner. A private taxi might cost seventy birr (about $6.00)—one hundred birr for “faranji” (foreigners) if Misrak weren’t with us; the mini vans cost around $1.

Our daily routine was pretty much set. After Anastasia’s nap back at the hotel, Misrak came over (a ten minute walk for her; we were fortunate to find a hotel in her neighborhood) and took us to the Addis Ababa Restaurant in the Piazza area. The restaurant specializes in traditional Ethiopian food, and we viewed it as a good sign that there weren’t any tourists around. The place seemed to be teeming with locals. A deejay played some Ethiopian pop and hip-hop music in one room; Anastasia danced to it in the middle of the room and had everyone smiling and clapping at the little white, blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby. Christine said she gets it from my side of the family: the desire for attention, to be on stage grabbing people’s attention. The dinner was almost edible. The coffee was rich and delicious, and the traditional injera bread (a flat, spongy bread stretched underneath the food) was good. But the beef was chewy and grisly, at times impossible to swallow. I told Christine that it was like celery; I was burning more calories just by chewing it.

Easter Sunday was a day of relaxation. We walked up the road to the Golf Club again, this time choosing better food: pizza and chicken salad. We ate lunch on the grass and let Anastasia and Misrak play while we enjoyed the sun. It was the warmest day yet (it had been rather cool and cloudy), not uncomfortable though. It was the warmth one feels at 8000 feet. That close to the sun, Christine and I definitely got a little burned. Misrak watched out for Anastasia, so she didn’t get a sunburn. We ate dinner at the hotel, and I made the mistake of ordering a cheeseburger without the cheese (“How about with an egg on it instead? No cheese today,” the waitress told me). The “special cheeseburger,” as she called it, left me feeling ill throughout the night, the one time I experienced any stomach distress at all in Africa.

Monday morning, after four night treks to the poor, unsuspecting toilet, I felt better, relieved that whatever it was had passed through my system quickly. Misrak met us early, and we took a mini bus to Mercado, the market district, to do a bit of shopping and tempt the pickpockets. The guide books—and Misrak—warned us about the pickpockets in Mercado, that if you’re going to lose your wallet in Ethiopia, it will be here. The only white people in the throngs of the crowd, we were an obvious bull’s eye. I sensed one guy following us through the market; I turned around, stared him down, and he decided to move on. Another time, at a busy intersection, I felt a tug at the little backpack I was wearing. Someone had unzipped the front zipper halfway. The would-be thief would have been disappointed; all that was in the backpack was water, two diapers, a baby bib, a toy giraffe and tiger figurine, and some baby wipes.

On our return to the hotel, right after disembarking the mini bus at a busy, make-shift bus “terminal” underneath an overpass, we had a close call. A mini van sideswiped Misrak, while she was carrying Anastasia. Misrak fell down, but I could tell by the way she was holding Anastasia that my daughter would be fine. Misrak hit the ground, her shoes flying off, but she held Anastasia protectively during the fall. Misrak jumped right up and showed way more concern for Anastasia than herself, but Anastasia was fine—just a little shaken up. A concerned crowd gathered, but we left pretty quickly. For all we know, the driver of the van may have been lynched by the assembled mob for nearly running over a woman and a baby. When we arrived at our hotel room ten minutes later, I grabbed my first-aid kit from my luggage, and Christine doctored up Misrak’s cuts—one on the elbow and one on the knee. Otherwise, she was all right. I asked her, “So, how often do you get run over by a bus?” She managed a polite laugh, but that was all.

That evening, Misrak picked us up and walked us to her family’s house, a small but cozy, comfortable home on the west side of town. We met her father and dined with him, Misrak’s older sister, and her brother (her mother died seventeen years ago). The food was delicious, and they (mainly Misrak’s sister) had prepared quite a feast. It was traditional food that far surpassed the quality of Saturday’s restaurant dinner. Afterwards, her brother put on some Ethiopian music, and Anastasia resumed her dance routines, much to everyone’s delight. Her neighbors came over to see us as well, with the woman of the neighboring house making fresh popcorn and even fresher coffee, an incredible end to an amazing evening. We still had two days left with Misrak, but that night was a reminder of how hard it would be to say goodbye.

Tuesday morning, we took a series of five or six (I lost count) mini buses out of town, to a mountain top in the Entoto Mountains north of the capital. Happy to be out of the city for a while, we relished the quiet mountain air and enjoyed the scenic view of Africa’s fourth-largest city from so high above. We visited the Entoto Maryam Church, an eight-sided, colorful building that was the site of Emperor Menelik’s coronation in 1882. Menelik was a highly-celebrated African leader who defeated the Italians and prevented their colonization of Ethiopia. His success continued as he modernized his country, founded the capital of Addis Ababa, and established railways to connect Ethiopia with the outside world. We also visited his palace, a simple place located literally a stone’s throw away from the church. There were many sheep grazing around the palace, so Anastasia enjoyed chasing them and petting a few willing—or tolerant—or slow—ones. Throwing caution to the wind, that night we ate at the hotel again, although this time I stayed away from the “special cheeseburger,” opting instead for tomato soup and a fried chicken cutlet. Both were good.

On our last full day in Ethiopia, Misrak again met us early, hoping I’m sure to get as much quality Anastasia time in as she could. She took Anastasia out, apparently to a park according to the pictures she showed us on her digital camera later. I assume they took a mini bus or taxi to get to this park, and she probably had many strange looks as she held Anastasia with no other white people in sight. Christine and I enjoyed our quiet, Anastasia-less morning, watching tv and reading, perfectly content that our daughter was probably safe unless Misrak were to get run over by another bus. A few hours later, hungry but not wanting to go too far and miss Misrak and Anastasia, we ate lunch at the hotel again. I had a four-dollar steak with mushroom sauce and rice; it was very tasty. Hotel prices are not particularly cheap in Ethiopia, but the food certainly is.

Misrak returned shortly after our lunch, Anastasia fast asleep in her arms. Both seemed very happy with one another. Our tour guide returned after Anastasia’s nap, and we went out in search of a few other gift items. A jewelry store nearby proved to be an excellent choice for some unique, hand-made but inexpensive necklaces. Then Misrak took us on another series of mini bus rides across town to a charming local restaurant for one last traditional Ethiopian meal. The injera was of course good, as was the chicken (although Misrak’s sister’s was even better), but the highlight was a chickpea sauce that complimented the injera excellently. All three of us took turns chasing after Anastasia, who was more interested in playing outside than in eating. We were a little early for the music this time, but several Ethiopian women were quick to hold her and play with her. Several people whipped out their cell phones to take her picture, a pretty common phenomenon when Anastasia travels outside Europe or North America.

Back at the hotel, Misrak gave us several gifts: Anastasia received a t-shirt with the Ethiopian alphabet and brightly-colored, stitched hat, and Christine and I each received traditional Ethiopian clothing. Then it was time to put Anastasia to bed and say our final goodbyes to Misrak. There were many tears as Misrak held Anastasia close, telling her, “See you when you’ve grown up, Mamo.” “Mamo” is Amharic for friend or buddy. We wished Misrak well, reassuring her that we’d try to see her again, but we all knew that this was more about closure than future promises. We walked her to the door, then out into the hallway, and finally to the elevator. We said bye one final time as the elevator door rather abruptly closed in our faces, bringing our relationship to our favorite Ethiopian to an end.

At the airport the next morning, the queues were much shorter, probably because it wasn’t a holiday weekend this time (a week earlier, it was nearly Easter weekend). Once we had checked our luggage and passed immigration and security, we looked for ways to spend the last of our Ethiopian birr (we had left most of it in a thank-you card for Misrak). One store had a mannequin that was Anastasia’s size (and color), and she couldn’t stop holding onto it. People were gathering around her, amused by her antics, which continued from store to store. A restaurant worker gave her a mushy mango, and Anastasia started kicking it up and down the airport hall, leading to yet more cell phone cameras being whipped out. At our departure gate, one woman told Christine that our little girl was very active. “I just want to pick her up and carry her in my arms like a baby goat,” she said. The flight home was uneventful, giving us time to reflect on the week and consider how great our former nanny was. Misrak will be truly missed, as we told her several times, especially when child number two comes along. We trust that Misrak would have been up to the challenge.

A Day at Global Village in Dubai Land (By Randy)

2010-01-30T02:08:00.000-08:00

Friday afternoon, we headed with a small group of other teachers to Dubai, specifically to Dubai Land, which when completed will be the largest theme park in the world, way beyond anything Mickey Mouse could imagine even in Orlando. Right now, only parts of it are open, including Global Village, which is only open in the winter (our tourist season).

Global Village is like World Showcase at Epcot Center at Disney World. Different countries have different pavillions, where they sell crafts and goods and food from their home countries. There are also amusement park rides (including a few rollercoasters and a huge Ferris Wheel) and shows at various locations around the park. I saw an Indian group performing with their suki players, a Chinese dance team, and a local "bounce" group who did amazing things with a trampoline and a wall.

The countries represented are more likely to be ones in our neighborhood; thus, Anastasia and I went to Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Turkey, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Yemen, Thailand, the Philippines, China...plus Africa was represented as a whole (as well as a few separate countries: Egypt, Morocco, Senegal...). Europe had a small pavillion, and oddly enough, two European countries have their own pavillion as well: Czech Republic and Sweden.

Of course, Israel was NOT present. The UAE doesn't recognize Israel (we often see news stories from Israel in our paper; the location may read something like "Occupied Jerusalem").

I think Christine was a more dedicated shopper, spending more time in just a few places. During the times that I had Anastasia (we took turns, of course), we covered lots of ground.

According to Christine, who had baby duty at the time, Anastasia also had her first kiss: a Sudanese boy named Yaseem. He was perhaps a year or two older, and they were at a little playground at Global Village. He leaned over to her and pursed his lips for a kiss...she knows what to do! She delivered.

Then she followed him around for a while. Boy crazy at 18 months--I'm in trouble!

The ride (by small bus) to Dubai was pretty quick this afternoon. As we were leaving, though, our bus had to slam on the brakes and skid a bit when a motorcyclist ran a stop sign without noticing us at all. Then we had to dodge a car seat that was in the road between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. There are signs here that read, "BEWARE OF ROAD SURPRISES." I'm guessing a chair in the middle of the road were qualify as a road surprise.

The ride home was uneventful this evening---and Anastasia slept going both ways, much to our relief.

Check it out at www.globalvillage.ae

Movember comic at Randy's expense

2010-01-23T01:42:00.000-08:00

AISA's first newspaper included a comic inspired by one of Randy's classes. For November, in a Kiwi/Aussie tradition, men competitively grew beards to raise money for prostate cancer. Everyone shaved for the first day, and then not again for the entire month. The comic above is from that first hairless day. (Beard cells instead of brain cells, get it?!)

Turkey for Christmas

2010-01-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

Turkey, Dec 2009

Click on the Reason for the Season to see our pictures from Turkey (i.e the picture above)

Turkey for Christmas
By
Randall D. Ball

It felt like autumn when we landed in Istanbul mid-day on 20 December. My wife agreed that it was a welcome relief from the Abu Dhabi heat-and not nearly the bone-chilling cold that we had been expecting. A hotel representative met us at the airport and took us straight to our hotel, located in Sultanahmet, the traditional old town part of Istanbul, close to many of the city's most popular and historic sites. After an enjoyable afternoon stroll through some of Istanbul's old streets, we settled on dinner at a very literal hole-in-the-wall restaurant, where the manager showed us an extensive menu before telling us all he had was the grilled chicken. So grilled chicken it was-but maybe it wasn't, as it turned out. It tasted more like fish, but looked like the bad parts of an old, fatty chicken. Christine commented on all the cats in the area, an unexpected treat for Anastasia but hopefully NOT an unexpected treat on our dinner plates. We won't tell Anastasia about the feline kebabs.

The next morning, autumn had turned into winter, its bone-chilling cold making me miss the warmth of my Abu Dhabi home. Fortunately, breakfast was considerably better than our dinner of cat-fish-chicken from the previous night. Christine and I were especially fond of the cheeses and coffee, whereas Anastasia favored the yogurt, cold processed meats, and fruit juice. She's a really good eater.

Braving the bitter cold, which a severely-bundled Anastasia faced by alternating between shock and what appeared to be depression, we walked about fifteen minutes to the Blue Mosque. Anastasia bounced in her stroller, roared and growled at three or four dogs that were loitering at a little park outside the mosque. Fortunately, she was strapped in her stroller, or she would have fallen out in her excitement. She had had a similar exuberant experience with stray cats the day before. We take our daughter all the way to Turkey so that she can see and pet domesticated animals.

Reluctantly removing our shoes but thankful that the mosque inside was carpeted, we explored this beautiful monument, with its many domes and six minarets, taking our time before returning to the frozen tundra outside. We didn't last long before we entered a souvenir shop, where the owner admonished me about Anastasia's lack of winter wear while we thawed out in his store. She was already a baby burrito, but in his eyes that clearly wasn't enough. Once again returning to the cold, we stopped by a large fountain so that Anastasia could bounce and squeal and roar at a few more canines, and then we passed Aya Sofya (closed that day, a Monday) and entered the grounds of Topkapi Palace. The museum there was also closed on Mondays, so we started walking back to the hotel, stopping for lunch at another restaurant that apparently specialized in fish-flavored chicken. The lentil soup was good, however, as was the chocolate pudding, neither of which had any seafood-tainted taste.

After a two-hour-long respite at the hotel, which included Anastasia napping for some of that time-and thus Christine and I getting a brief opportunity to read uninterrupted and just relax (we were on holiday, after all), we again donned our winter shields and armor for a stroll around the Grand Bazaar, a huge marketplace of narrow, labyrinthine alleys and meandering pedestrian paths creating quite the shopper's maze. It is very easy to get lost in such a place, but it's also an exciting place in which to get lost: the throngs of an eclectic group of consumers and sellers, the smells and sounds of capitalism at work, the entertaining pantomime of bargaining for a deal in the different areas of the bazaar, separate areas for gold, carpets, handbags, leather, silverware, copperware, clothing, even belly-dancer costumes. We left empty-handed-that day, anyway.

On the way to the hotel, we made a detour to a little square nearby so that Anastasia could see her cats again. She pointed and roared and made what we think was an attempt at a meow, an incessant, growling meow, much like what one might expect from a rabid wombat. Dinner involved playing it safe; we ate in the hotel restaurant, which was an excellent choice. The restaurant was on the top floor, overlooking the city with a big, beautiful, romantically-lit multi-domed mosque across the street. We enjoyed our food with a bottle of Spanish wine, and nothing tasted like fish that shouldn't have. Anastasia had attention as well-from the waiter in the otherwise empty restaurant (in their defense, it was early for dinner-and it was the off-season). We were four-for-four, four meals in a row where the server, manager, or owner took Anastasia for a while during the meal, She loved the attention; one might say that was a ham in Turkey.

The next day started much the same: a wonderful breakfast, a humorous bundling and wrapping of the baby (and ourselves-but Anastasia's white, full-bodied fleece outfit made her look like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man), and a cold but short walk outside. This time our destination was Aya Sofya, which one-ups the Blue Mosque in grandeur, thus explaining the rather steep price for admittance. Aya Sofya was originally constructed as a church in 537 AD, then converted into a mosque nearly a thousand years later, and finally declared a museum less than a hundred years ago. The church / mosque / museum is known for its many-mostly Christian-mosaics; there were many instances where an Islamic crescent moon had been painted over a cross, but the Christian symbol still bled through. Aya Sofya was an impressive building, offering a pleasant way to spend a morning.

Either we were getting accustomed to the cold or the day warmed a up a bit more than yesterday, but the afternoon walk felt nicer. Anastasia slept in her stroller, Christine munched on some roasted corn on the cob, and I kept spotting animals that Anastasia would have loved if she had been awake. Our day concluded with another good meal on the top of our hotel (enclosed, of course-there was no way we were eating outside as the temperatures started dropping again).

In the morning we joined a half-day tour that started in a colorful spice market where we were accosted by numerous touts selling Turkish delight, saffron, spices, watches, perfumes, and on and on, where Anastasia gleefully visited a pet shop with dogs , fish, and leeches (yes, leeches-but we didn't touch them any more than we'd pet the fish), and where Anastasia ran into a huge flock-an entire sea-of pigeons that rivaled Trafalgar Square when the city of London used to condone such activities as city-chicken feeding for the tourists. Our tour continued then with the main event, a cruise on the Bosphorus, that famed strait separating Europe from Asia and reminding everyone that Istanbul does indeed straddle two continents. We saw two magnificent suspension bridges, a beautiful palace, and many incredibly chic homes along the shores before returning to port near the Sea of Marmara. Unfortunately, we didn't make it for enough north along the Bosphorus to see the Black Sea.

The following day, we did see the Black Sea-from the air, once Turkish Airlines finally found a plane that could get off the ground. The chaos began as our hotel driver made a wrong turn and took us to the international, rather than domestic, terminal at Ataturk Airport. Rather than try to make a u-turn on the road leading to the airport, he tried cutting through the parking lot, which led us right back to the international terminal. In his defense, he did make up for his mistake by taking our bags an walking us through the wrong terminal and through the long connecting hall that eventually led to the domestic terminal. He even went through security with us and deposited us at the appropriate check-in counter.

After passing through a second security point, eating a little breakfast, and entertaining Anastasia at an empty gate, it was time to board the plane. However, there was no plane to board. Thirty minutes later, our flight was officially declared thirty minutes late, meaning in reality at least an hour's delay. About ninety minutes later, we finally boarded a plane. The air crew went through the motions, demanding that everyone buckle up, even though the doors weren't even shut yet. A half hour after that, we were ushered out of the airplane and back to the terminal, with explanations only in Turkish. A few hours later, we were finally on a plane, headed for Nevsehir in the Cappadocia region of central Turkey, in Anatolia.

We landed in Nevsehir nearly five hours late, and of course the hotel's driver had long left by then. Weighing our options, we decided on a taxi to neighboring Goreme, about twenty kilometers away. We began doubting ourselves, though, when we saw how quickly the meter flipped from the flagfall of three Turkish lira eight to sixty and upwards. Finally getting Christine's cell phone to work, we dialed the hotel's number, and on the second attempt, we got through and explained the situation. Soon, the hotel owner and our cab driver were in a heated debate, but ultimately it led to a "discount" for us and the cab fare cost only fifteen lira (about $ 10) more than the hotel driver would have charged. It was Christmas Eve, our "easy" flight to central Turkey from Istanbul had been a tedious airport dilemma, and it had just been a long day.

Anastasia immediately fell in love with Cemil, our hotel owner, a doting father of a one-year-old son. He gave Anastasia much attention, and she took to him right away. Cemil was warm and friendly, inviting us to tea where we met his wife, and later, his son, also named Cem (the way he pronounced it, the name sounded like "Jim"). That night, Anastasia and I let Christine sleep while we went out for dinner, a father-daughter Christmas Eve dinner, where the staff at the restaurant just down the road from our small hotel was also friendly, showering Anastasia with yet more affection. The day may have felt disastrous, but the night-that night anyway-had a way of settling things down. That's when all the lights in town went off ... and the wild dogs started howling in the empty streets. The power outage lasted only about ten minutes, and then I rushed Anastasia back to the hotel. Christine slept through it. But as I told her when Anastasia and I returned to the hotel, we were in the city we had planned on, the very same day that we had intended, and it only cost fifteen lira more than expected. We were where we were supposed to be.

Christmas Day, after breakfast at our hotel with Anastasia eating up further attention from Cemil, we walked from the valley of Goreme Village up a small mountain to explore Swords Valley and its "fairy chimneys" and other rock formations created when Mt. Erciyes erupted over a thousand years ago. Along the way, Anastasia encountered an especially enthusiastic fan, an elderly local woman who pinched her cheeks and then gave them a rather vigorous slap. Anastasia looked shocked but recovered quickly. A dog then accompanied us up the mountain as we explored the caves and rock towers formed from the ancient eruption. Anastasia of course was thrilled with our canine tour guide; I was just glad that he didn't try to lead us to a carpet shop or other hard-sell, souvenir-infested tourist trap. Afterwards, we had lunch overlooking Swords Valley. The temperatures had warmed up enough that we could eat outside, with Anastasia wandering between the tables in between bites of homemade bread, chicken in tomatoes and onions, and manti (Turkish ravioli in yogurt sauce).

We spent the afternoon (after Anastasia's nap) exploring the village of Goreme, wandering its streets before stopping at a coffee shop for hot drinks and some wonderful chocolate pudding. Christmas Day ended with the temperatures dropping again. We enjoyed a pleasant dinner at Goreme Restaurant (the town is pronounced "Go-rem-AY," thus sounding like we were dining at a gourmet restaurant), where we removed our shoes (Anastasia too!) And sat on cushions next to a very warm heater. Christine and Anastasia ate some meze consisting of more fresh, homemade bread with yogurt sauce, hummous, white cheese, and vine leaves, and I ate a sizzling skillet of beef and eggplant.

The day after Christmas, we joined a day tour and hoped that Anastasia would behave without causing the other tourists any headaches or delays. She was wonderful, becoming an attraction herself. She received a few gifts, including a paperweight that a Korean man in our group bought for her and a pretty necklace that a shop owner gave her. She gets lots of bling and swag.

Our first stop was a mountain-top spot to look over the town of Goreme and its surrounding national park; it was raining, so Christine, Anastasia, and I spent a bit more time in one of the stores up there than at the overlook. The rain stopped shortly afterward, much to our relief.

Our next stop was the underground city of Derinkuyu, a massive safe haven for at least ten thousand Byzantine Christians during the 6th and 7th centuries when the Persian and Arabic armies tried to eradicate Christians. With Christine carrying Anastasia, we ventured lower and lower into the many levels of the underground city, squeezing through some of the cave tunnels that were constructed to fit one person-slowly-at a time as a means of defense. The warning signs at the front entrance (Dangerous if you have high blood pressure or any heart condition) should not scare one away; there is a bit of descending and climbing in some tight spaces, but it's well-lit and is nothing like the uncomfortable Cu-chi Tunnels in Vietnam.

We then proceeded to Ilhara Valley and its deep canyon, where this time I carried Anastasia down into the canyon and Christine and I shared the load from there. We hiked five kilometers along a pleasant stream, occasionally climbing and moving sideways between rocks, but it was a scenic trek that culminated in a nice lunch of soup, more of that chicken and tomato and onion in a skillet, and a cheese pastry reminiscent of a quesadilla.

Our next stop was Selime Monastery, a series of cave homes built into a mountainside. Anastasia had great fun running downhill in the sand into one particular cave. She is turning into quite the traveler. At age one, she has been to four continents and nine countries, not counting layovers at airports. She loves new places and people, and she's hilarious to watch in a hotel room. She gets very excited exploring any new place, from a hotel room to an airport terminal to a mountain cave in Anatolia in Turkey. She is definitely a product of her parents.

From Selime our tour group made its way back to Goreme, stopping first at Pigeon Valley, a place where pigeons are bred for their droppings, which are "harvested" for fertilizer. Pigeon Valley was another good photo stop too, and of course across the street was an onyx-making factory and showroom, where we were given a tour followed by an opportunity to buy. We didn't. Dinner that night was a repeat of Christmas Eve, just Anastasia and me, same restaurant, but without the widespread power outage. Thus concluded the day after Christmas, Boxing Day.

The next day, I took Anastasia in the morning, returning to Swords Valley. She hiked up the mountain on her own two feet (with dear old dad holding her hand during the more perilous bits). We met up with Christine for a simple soup and sandwich lunch at an outdoor cafe; it was just warm enough, but we were still bundled up. In the afternoon, Christine took Anastasia shopping in the quaint stores along Goreme's main street while I sat, drank coffee, and wrote.

Cemil drove us to Urgup that evening for dinner and a show, featuring Whirling Dervishes followed by folk dancing and traditional music and concluding with the usual belly dancing. It was a good way to end our stay in Cappadocia.

The following morning, I took Anastasia for a walk (sometimes she's like a dog; she needs her walks), and we saw eleven hot air balloons soaring over the town. The previous morning, Christine had reported nine of them. It's an unusual sight and an almost eerie feeling to see the balloons overhead and watch them emerge from behind mountains like some alien spacecraft. After breakfast, Cemil drove us back to the airport, although he didn't really get a chance to say goodbye to Anastasia because she was asleep by the time we reached Nevsehir. This time, our flight was uneventful, and we landed safely and on time back in Istanbul early that afternoon, where we checked into our hotel and crashed.

In our last few days in Istanbul, our pace slowed down considerably, partly because Christine was feeling ill and partly because we were tired from all the vacationing. We needed a holiday from our holiday, and the four-star hotel I had found for us was just the place to relax. I took Anastasia around town a bit each day, though, to give Christine some recovery time. My daughter and I checked out the architecture at Istanbul University, played in a mosque courtyard in the Aksaray area of town, and annoyed a pet store owner by spending time in his business with no intention of buying anything.

All of us went to Fatih Mosque near our hotel on Wednesday, market day. There was a huge market outside the mosque, and we strolled past dozens and dozens of vendors selling clothing, stationery, textiles, everything. Then we explored the squares around the mosque with its numerous cats, which of course left Anastasia feeling overjoyed. I counted about thirty cats in one area alone.

On New Year's Eve, before catching an afternoon ride to the airport, we made one final stop: the two-thousand-year-old Aqueduct of Valens, an imposing limestone structure looming northwest of the Grand Bazaar. We lunched on kebabs of grilled chicken and yet more homemade bread at the base of the aqueduct and let Anastasia run around the park nearby.

Our late-afternoon ride to the airport was memorable. The driver took the coastal road along the Sea of Marmara, heading west into a beautiful red and purple sunset that lit up the sky and reflected off the water. We hardly noticed the heavy traffic as we marveled at nature's well-timed show, a picture-perfect ending to memorable trip, Turkey for Christmas.

Kathy and Mariah's visit

2009-12-19T08:23:00.000-08:00

Camels heading home after a race

Anastasia enjoying the desert after watching the camel races

Anastasia wearing her Singapore dress at the Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Leanne, Mariah and my hands against the desert sand

A newborn camel

On a break from the dune bashing

the view from our window: below a few local men were enjoying tea and pretending they were in Venice

Anastasia had a bit of cabin fever the day it rained: we ended up taking multiple trips to enjoy the freakish rain

Misrak driving Anastasia and a neighbor on their remote control cars

2nd Eid/National Day holiday in Singapore and Malaysia

2009-12-05T06:40:00.000-08:00

Singapore and Malaysia

Note: Click on the photo above to see the album highlighting our most recent trip.

Halloween

2009-10-31T03:56:00.000-07:00

Anastasia used the pumpkin as a bowling ball

Carving the pumpkin

Playing with the pumpkin innards

Anastasia dressed as a flower for Halloween

Anastasia's drawing

Anastasia had a nice Halloween. The festivities started Thursday night when we carved a pumpkin at Leanne's flat. Anastasia enjoyed playing with the insides of the pumpkin. The next day, after a dinner of Lowcountry boil, we went to the Corniche for a free concert, part of their Beats on the Beach series associated with Formula One's latest track--right here on nearby Yas Island in Abu Dhabi! We saw Timbaland, but his "concert" was more of a trick than a treat. He sang--intermittently--to some of the songs that he had helped produce, and periodically the dj would stop the music altogether to let the crowd sing along. The overall effect was like singing along to a radio and going through a series of tunnels. This morning, Anastasia went trick-or-treating. A teacher at school set it up with a few volunteer teachers to provide candy. So, Anastasia along with four other little children went door to door (just to fellow teachers' places since Halloween isn't actually celebrated here in the UAE) and collected her goods. Everyone liked her costume--she went as a flower.

Life in these United Emirates

2009-10-23T03:28:00.000-07:00

(Yes, I have been reading Readers' Digest lately.)

There's not much going on here. Randy has long since returned from his sister's wedding in Virginia. School is school; open house and parent conferences are over but the end of the first quarter is looming.

Anastasia is growing. A waitress asked today if she knew how to walk or if she could only run. She's got a very distinct style of dancing. Her speech is still primarily "this", "dad", "mom" with a lot of squeals and growls in between. She loves the movies Randy brought back from the US. Her favorite: Jungle Book, especially the elephant marching song.

We're already looking forward to the holidays. Second Eid/National Day will be spent in Singapore and KL. My Aunt Kathy and cousin Ri will be here for a week mid-December. And then we're back on holiday for Christmas. The current plan is Turkey and Cyprus.

A few pictures from a day in the life of Anastasia...

Dancing to Jungle Book (I'm quite impressed with her style and intensity)

Randy and I finally decided to see what was up at Sparky's, a kids play arcade in our neighborhood mall. Misrak takes her there pretty regularly so several of the attendants referred to her by name. This place has a bowling alley, miniature ice rink, rollercoaster, 3D theatre, you name it- it's probably there!

Eid in Jordan

2009-09-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

Jordan, Sept 2009

Note: Click on the photo above to see the album highlighting our trip to Jordan.

Eid Mubarak! We have returned from our Eid trip to Jordan.
It was a good week-long holiday. We landed in Amman and spent the night in western Amman before heading to Mount Nebo, where Moses is supposedly buried. From the top of Mount Nebo, we saw the Jordan Valley, Jericho, and Bethany, where John the Baptist baptized Christ. We also saw St. Elijah's Hill, where Elijah ascended into heaven in a chariot of fire.

From Mount Nebo, we headed south, stopping at a deep canyon at Wadi Al Majib and at the hilltop Shawbak Castle (from the time of the Crusaders).

The next day, we visited Petra, immortalized in INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE. Pictures make it seem so remote, but our downtown hotel was within walking distance. However, once you pass through the siq (a deep, narrow, 1.2 km long gorge), you ARE isolated from everything. We rode horses at Petra (Anastasia rode with Christine in the Baby Bjorn, A's first horse ride!).

The following day, we were exploring Wadi Rum, immortalized (I promise not to use that word again in this space) by Lawrence of Arabia--both the real guy AND in the movie. It was cool; it was like walking onto the movie set. A Bedouin in a rusty old 4x4 took us on a bumpy, dusty tour...oh, and Anastasia sat on a camel while we were out in the desert.

We then headed north again for the Dead Sea. We saw the lights of Jerusalem at night, but of course, as UAE residents, we can't cross the border into Israel--sigh. At over 1300 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is 20*F warmer than in Amman. It's the lowest place on earth, and yes, you float in it. We stayed at the Dead Sea Spa, a big resort on the Jordan side. Anastasia had her first experience in a pool here (yes, one day it was her first horse ride, then first camel ride, then first pool, all on consecutive days!).

Our holiday concluded with two days in downtown Amman, where we walked around the old downtown with its shops and Roman ruins, including an old Roman theater.

It was a good trip...

Ramadan 2009

2009-09-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

Anastasia telling cousin Reed a thing or two

Christine and Anastasia meeting a horse in Indiana

Anastasia at Hunting Island, SC

Anastasia growling at Old Sheldon Church, SC

Anastasia getting back to her roots, SC, on our anniversary

School is back in session, but it's Ramadan, meaning that our school day is shortened. There is still no word on the car, which, evidence suggests, has been towed by the police and then lost. It's an unusual situation....My toe (this is Randy) is still messed up, and I had to get new glasses thanks to Anastasia...We are gearing up for our Eid trip to Jordan...

We are missing the trips to the coffee shop (it's Ramadan, so during the day restaurants are closed) and any ventures to restaurants...

Can't wait for Eid!

The last bit of summer

2009-08-20T05:06:00.000-07:00

Jeff and Lyndsie's wedding.

Holiday World.

Anastasia and her twin cousin Reed.

In Scotland on the way home.

BACK IN ABU DHABI. Some interesting events...Upon our return, we made a few startling discoveries. First, our car was missing. Three days later, we still can't find it. The police appear to have towed it, but they've lost it and have no record of ever towing it. A neighbor says he saw a yellow piece of official-looking paper (in Arabic) on the car this summer, and the next day the car was gone. He had assumed that we had moved it. Thus, it would seem that the car was towed, not stolen; the police have just misplaced the car. We're opening a case, meaning in a few days or weeks, the car might show up. Or not.

The second discovery occurred when we walked into our living room. The school had, without our knowledge, replaced our curtains, our sofa, and our chairs. The sofa and chairs are now a chocolate brown (clashing terribly with our dark red carpet), and the curtains are a yellowish beige, like butter. It's just not a good look. We're thankful for the new stuff, of course. It's just not something expected.

Happily, the house was neat and clean, thanks to Misrak, who was very happy to see her baby after two long months. They have been playing well together.

School starts soon for us: Teachers return this Sunday, and students return the following Sunday. We'll be on a shortened schedule for Ramadan, though, so it's a slow start. We'll be eased into teaching. Then we'll have a week off for Eid in mid-September (we're planning on going to Jordan to see Petra and the Dead Sea).

USA lately

2009-07-23T12:19:00.000-07:00

SC: Randy giving the alligator a bite

Anastasia wrote her name on the beach

Squinting into a lowcountry sunset

IN: adding a bit of flair

Numerous face smashes (recent updates not available!)

She got under the stool and then started pushing it around. We're considering this method to prevent any more injuries :)

ONE already...

2009-07-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

Click on the picture below to connect to an album of adorable photos taken on Anastasia's birthday. Since we were in Beaufort for the occasion, we took her to Old Sheldon Church, where we were married, for some commemorating photos.

One Year Photos at Old Sheldon Church

Some other activities from the day:

A new favorite: brushing her teeth

Mowing grandpa's driveway

Eating her third first birthday cake

Enhaling boiled peanuts to the great pleasure of her southern daddy

Playing in the sprinkler

(PS: Month 11 collage has been added. Click on the Month by Month collage area to the right.)

Summer tour 09: FL and 1/2 SC completed

2009-07-06T08:00:00.001-07:00

Just a quick photo update:
Anastasia loves pets! She has been chasing cats and loving on dogs ever since we arrived. Luckily, Fluffy is very tolerant. They even kiss, which is gross but it gives her so much joy I can't make her stop.

At Pinckney Island, just outside of Hilton Head Island, SC.

She's been eating really well and has grown a lot already. You can probably guess who gave her the mohawk.

The new backpack used for the first time at Bok Tower, FL. Each time she has been in it so far, she falls asleep. Hopefully, that means it's comfortable.

Anastasia with her Grandma French at a second first birthday party (and still before the actual date: July 11).

Anastasia's early Abu Dhabi birthday celebration

2009-06-14T05:21:00.000-07:00

Cute, delicious cupcakes made by Taylor

Gareth, our school's director, was an immediate draw

Opening a hippie mobile- dog, dude and lady included

Misrak gave her an Ethiopian traditional dress and a push toy

Misrak with a tired, hot (pre) birthday girl

The traditional cake grab: she was very lady-like about it (surprisingly :)

Grabbing at the chocolate cake exactly as she does the soil in Abu Dhabi's flower beds

Another weekend in the Emirates

2009-06-09T09:42:00.000-07:00

We had a good weekend. Thursday, Christine took Anastasia to a middle school girls' sleepover party at school. The next morning, I took Anastasia for an early-morning walk (at 6:30 am, the temperature was only 90*F; by mid-day, it increases 20 to 25 degrees); she loves playing in the parks along the Corniche, running around, flirting with people, etc. Then we came back home and got ready for breakfast with Rhonda, a typical Friday morning activity (probably once a month).

Saturday, our nanny Misrak came over with one of her friends/roommates, and we drove up to Dubai. We went to the Dubai Mall, the world's largest mall, which sits at the base of the Burj Dubai (the world's tallest building). After eating at the world's largest food court, which sits next to an indoor waterfall 4 stories high (not sure if that's the world's tallest or not--but they do have the world's largest dancing fountains outside), we browsed around a huge bookstore (nope, not the world's largest) and then visited a pretty cool aquarium in the mall. While not THE largest aquarium, it DOES have the world's largest viewing panel, with a tunnel running through it so you can wander into the fish bowl yourself. Anastasia seemed to love the fish, the stingrays, the sharks, the otters, the penguins...Why wouldn't you have a full-scale aquarium in the mall? There's also a huge ice rink there. Of course! This is not the Mall of the Emirates, though; that's down the road about 5 kilometers, and it has the indoor ski slope.

Just the type of things we have come to expect here...

Another day, another boy

2009-05-29T02:04:00.000-07:00

Anastasia attended her first party last week. I was away on a fieldtrip so Randy took her by himself. From the look of the photos below, she must have had a ball! Our principal's son, a couple of months younger than Anastasia, was the focus of her attention at one point. Hopefully, her slight wardrobe malfunction was truly accidental OR we are definitely going to have our hands full in about 10-15 years.

In other news, well, there is no other news. We're just bearing down for finals, planning the trip home for the summer and hoping we all won't melt when we cheat and celebrate Anastasia's first birthday a bit early later in June.

Ali's girlfriend

2009-05-16T03:49:00.000-07:00

Anastasia and Ali at the falafel stand (owned by his parents). He's got big, gorgeous eyes and is just 1 day younger than Anastasia. Both were born at the Corniche hosptial last July. We gave Ali one of Anastasia's 4 Qatar Airline wind-up planes (gifts from each of our 4 flights during Spring break.) They also have matching "Happy" hats in pink and blue. His Egyptian parents are very friendly, but conversation is more pantomime than talking. Nevertheless, it is nice to have a friend for her in the neighborhood.

The last couple of weekends (WOMAD by Christine, car museum by Randy)

2009-05-02T01:58:00.000-07:00

World Of Art And Music (WOMAD) came to Abu Dhabi the weekend after our return from Tunisia. I had been looking forward to this and was a bit daunted by the timings for the big acts; Khaled and Youssou N'Dour both started at midnight. In the end, I stayed up until 1:30 am on both Thursday and Friday nights! When was the last time I did that? Can't remember, but it was worth it this time:)

On Thursday, some co-workers and I arrived in time for Souad Massia (Algeria) who we decided is the Arabic Melissa Ethridge. My favorite act was Rizwan-Musazzam Qawwali from Pakistan. They were a group of men, amazingly talented and intense, yet modest about their skills. Joyce and I watched them get on their bus with awe as we walked home later in the evening- a bit starstruck (like half the drivers and laborers who danced and cheered during the performance). Unlike the preceeding act-Marcio Local of Brazil, who was moderately talented and made all of his band members wear a shirt with a picture of himself on it. This night ended with Khaled, not the Khaled of "Didi" I had thought he was, but still good.

Having seen lots of babies out the first night, Randy and I brought Anastasia with us for Night 2. We arrived in time for a semi-creepy performance by a long-haired Syrian. Then there was an act with women and men from Kurdistan. The definite highlight of the night for me was Etran Finatawa. Sexy, traditionally-dressed Nigerien men (that is, from Niger. NigeriAn is from Nigeria) playing Saharan blues on electric guitars with funky percussion. One guy just clapped-but he did it in such a way that I couldn't repeat it or even anticipate it. A rhythm all their own that I totally dug. I got an autograph and kept coming back just to gauk. Randy made fun of me. Anastasia slept through a bit of this, but was up in time to dance to Youssou N'Dour. It was great to hear some west African music I knew- A don shake skin fayn oh!

Meanwhile, Anastasia has been loving her hummus. I really think she missed it while we were in Tunisia. She has been making up for it ever since. Also in this photo, you can see all 6 teeth :)

Here we are at the National Car Museum (some camels were right out front), which is really more of a garage where Sheikh Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan keeps his many cars, including the world's largest vehicle (the red Dodge pickup below), the world's largest mobile home (the big brown thing to the right), a miniature Earth on wheels (one millionth the size of the real deal), a wide assortment of cars, trucks, vans, and armored vehicles, and several rainbow-colored cars. The sheikh is known for his love of rainbows. One Hummer even had a rainbow-colored heart decale in the windshield. Nice.

Anastasia has seen many camels, but has yet to ride one (outside the womb at least.) It appears her interest is growing.

Wouldn't Sheikh Zayed be proud?

Collage of Rainbow cars. Note the attention to detail: even the interiors (seats, steering wheel, prayer beads hanging from the rearview mirror) match the exterior's color of choice. This was Christine's favorite part by far.

The world on wheels. We need more of these. The Southern Hemisphereans would be very pleased by the limited view. BTW- that is a water tower to the right of the 1/1,000,000 world.

Our Trip to Tunisia

2009-04-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

Tunisia April 2009

Click on the photo above to view our album of Tunisia

Our Trip to Tunisia
By
Randall D. Ball

Although Christine and I had already dragged Anastasia across two continents when she was five months old, on a trip to see family in the States, spring break 2009 would be her first big vacation abroad, sans grandparents, sans aunts and uncles, sans cousins. We were going to Tunisia in North Africa, a quiet, settled land between two larger, noisier, unsettled, and poorer lands: Algeria and Libya. A Muslim country but not a theocracy, Tunisia is more liberal than its neighbors—or even our current home in the United Arab Emirates. Thus, on Wednesday, 8 April, we pulled Anastasia out of her sound sleep—instead of the other way around for a change—at 3:00 am and made our way to the Abu Dhabi airport, where we flew Qatar Air with a brief layover in Doha before arriving around noon in Tunis, Tunisia.

Europeans and other Westerners have invaded Tunisia in one way or another for centuries: The Romans made it part of their empire, the French virtually owned Tunisia in the late 1800s and into the 1900s, and the Germans fought the British and the Americans here during World War II. This pattern continues: now Europeans—especially German tourists, apparently—flock to this Mediterranean country in the summer, but it would be much calmer, however, in April). It was our turn to invade—our family of three.

With our Volkswagen (aha! German!) rental car (no, they didn’t have an infant seat for Anastasia, nor did the car have working air conditioning), I pulled out of the airport and quickly got lost in this city of 1.2 million. Driving in the city is a bit hectic, with drivers making new lanes and encroaching upon your space and pedestrians walking into traffic as if you’re driving an invisible car. It reminded me of the driving experience in Beirut, but in Tunis they at least stop at red traffic lights. Somehow, I managed to get back on a main highway and headed south toward our hotel, which was mercifully located outside the city and on the Cap Bon peninsula. We were staying at a hotel in Soliman Plage, the beach near the little village of Soliman. “Plage” is French for beach, and my knowledge of French would get more of a workout here than it does in Paris! French and Arabic are widely spoken in Tunisia, but English is not as often heard…or spoken. My limited French did get me through the conversations in shops, restaurants, and hotels, however.

It was a bit cold at our Mediterranean resort hotel; of course, it was still the off-season, and the hotel was pretty much empty, which meant that Anastasia received loads of attention from the hotel staff. People wanted to kiss her and hold her, and before we left Tunisia, she had been kissed and complimented by countless strangers: men, women, boys, and girls. She expects it now, even going so far as to stare down strangers until she gets their attention. It’s shameless. I don’t know where she gets that from.

Our hotel’s information guide was in German, a telling sign of their client base. Otherwise, everything was in French and Arabic. The hotel was very friendly, probably because of the lack of other customers, and we settled in quickly on our first afternoon in Tunisia. We enjoyed the sea view from our balcony and wandered around the hotel gardens, taking time to appreciate all the green, the flowers, the large cacti, the funky blue tiles decorating the hotel. It was a basic place, nothing fancy, but it felt good. We had coffee in the lobby, where the waiter asked me in French what our daughter’s name was.

“Anastasia,” I replied. “Elle s’appelle Anastasia.”

“Playstation,” the man grinned. “Like Playstation.” Oddly enough, she would be called Playstation by another stranger in another town a few days later.

The next day, after a breakfast of butter and bread (and some processed meat that Anastasia loved), we drove south to El Jem, the third-largest Roman coliseum in the world. We roamed the remains of the coliseum, admiring the views from the top and trying to picture life in an ancient theater. I have seen the coliseum in Basra, Syria, which is similar but smaller, and Christine had seen the big one in Rome. I’m sure the one in El Jem is somewhere in between the two in terms of grandness.

We had lunch at a restaurant recommended by one of the guidebooks, although this was accidental; we just happened to find it, were hungry, and decided it was as good a place as any. Christine and I both had couscous, a national dish, but she had hers with chicken while I had mine with rabbit. Anastasia ate pretty much whatever we tossed her way.

“So,” Christine commented, “you’ll eat both Bambi and Thumper.”

I just nodded between tasty morsels of bunny. It was close to Easter, which I think would have made the meal a bit more appropriate. Forget those eggs or those stale chocolate figures in the shape of rabbits; I’ll eat the Easter bunny!

We spent our second night in Tunisia further south, in the coastal town of Sfax. The next morning, after a breakfast of butter and bread, Christine and I explored the medina (a business district within the old walls of the city) separately. I had Anastasia with me, so we (maybe I should say SHE) got lots of attention. Quite a few women in the medina, both shopkeepers and customers, stopped us to give Anastasia a kiss on the cheek. I told Christine later that I should start asking, “And one for the Papa?” She didn’t think that was very funny.

After a quick and very cheap picnic lunch (another Tunisian specialty, “briq”: tuna and a hard-boiled egg on a roll, along with a French pastry for dessert) just outside the medina, we headed even further south to Matmata, along the edge of the Sahara desert. The coastal road south was very scenic, with huge cacti that make great natural fences and borders. We passed through very few cities; it was mainly beautiful countryside, and we were doing fine until the temperature started getting warmer and the sun started bearing down on Christine and Anastasia, who were in the front passenger seat at the time. They were getting pretty hot by the time we hit the town of Gabes, and with only our guidebook for a map, there was a lot of guesswork and roundabout driving before I finally found (on a hunch) the road to Matmata.

Matmata is one of several towns made famous by George Lucas and his Star Wars movies. Known for its underground troglodyte homes, Matmata has become a tourist destination thanks to Star Wars. We toured the underground hotel that was used in several Star Wars scenes (in the original movie, Luke Skywalker is talking to his uncle about the harvest in their home; this scene, among others, was filmed here), but we stayed in a different troglodyte hotel. We also toured a Berber museum to see how life was like for these underground dwellers, and we climbed a bit of a mountain to see the sun set over this vast and very alien-looking landscape; I could certainly see how George Lucas was affected by this part of the country.

Back at the hotel, we ate more couscous with lamb (and “chorba,” tomato soup, another specialty of the country) and met some of the other guests, including two gay Canadians and a group of mostly Canadian bicyclists who were braving the Tunisian roads and cycling around the country with a tour guide who had much experience in Africa, including Cameroon, much to Christine’s delight.

The next morning, after a breakfast of butter and bread, we headed north again, away from the desert. Some people seemed surprised that we didn’t spend more time in the Sahara; we had to remind them that we already live in a desert, complete with camels, so our desire was to see more green, less sand. Mid-morning, after driving for about ninety minutes and with Anastasia needing a respite, we stopped at the little coastal town of Mahres. The waterfront there has several weird, metal sculptures along the corniche: a giant robot, a pterodactyl, something that looks like a pig with wings, and many other eyesores. It’s unusual, to say the least.

A few hours later, we stopped for a late lunch at a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant on the outskirts of a tiny village. Granted, we were both very hungry, but we agreed that it was the best meal we had in Tunisia: perfectly-seasoned lemon-pepper chicken with beans and Tunisian salad (and bread, of course). Then we drove on to Mahdia, where I struggled to find our hotel on the corniche. A warning light appeared on the dashboard of our rental car, informing us that there was something wrong with the engine temperature, although the car itself was running fine. After backtracking, we finally found the hotel, where I had a prolonged conversation en francais with the desk clerk. Fortunately, he spoke slowly enough that I was able to comprehend everything. The temperature was dropping fast, and the wind was picking up, so we decided against going too far. We ate dinner next door, eating a filling bowl of “lablabi,” an intriguing mix of tuna, raw egg, and bread stuffing with chickpeas. Perfect for a cold night. This is also where we discovered that Anastasia loves olives!

We awoke to nearly hurricane-force winds roaring in from the sea, repeatedly slamming the loose shutters on our balcony door. The huge sea swells were pounding the little beach just outside our hotel. Today was supposed to be our relaxing day, the one time we had planned on spending two consecutive nights in the same place, where Anastasia—and her exhausted parents--wouldn’t be trapped in a car for hours on end. It looked like a day trapped in a hotel instead. Just yesterday, I had made a flippant comment about “Hurricane Anastasia”; she is a storm leaving a path of destruction in her wake. I must have invoked the hurricane gods.

After a breakfast of bread and butter, I let Christine get some rest, and Anastasia and I braved the wind (it had stopped raining—for a while, at least), trekking into the city center to visit Mahdia’s medina. It was the first time on our trip that touts from local shops tried to draw us in to sell us their wares. Using Anastasia as an excuse and a buffer, I battled the touts and made my way through the medina. It would have been a nicer walk in better weather, but the town of Mahdia is an interesting place, located on a little stretch of land jutting out into the Mediterranean. Of course, with the sea surrounding you on three sides, the winds can be brutal.

Since we were right along the coast, Mahdia offered the perfect opportunity for some fresh seafood; thus, for lunch we enjoyed some grilled squid (even Anastasia had heartily ate some!) and “harissa,” a very tasty, spicy chili paste that you dip your bread into. I had been looking forward to trying it, and finally it appeared as a freebie appetizer. After lunch, I paid a visit to two separate garages in town to inquire about the rental car’s warning light, but no one seemed overly concerned about it. It was pouring down rain while I was asking, though.
We reprised our seafood meal at dinner, with Christine enjoying some jumbo prawns and me eating sea bass (with more harissa). Anastasia ate a bit of both, turning into quite an eater. She was becoming a new person, changing and growing before our eyes. After dinner, I talked Christine into dessert at a little place I had seen the previous day that, according to its sign, served chocolate crepes. Regrettably, when we arrived, we were told no, they didn’t have dessert crepes. Another place a block away also advertised this treat, but once again, they were just teasing us. Now we had a craving for crepes.

The next morning, after another breakfast of bread and butter, we left Mahdia, heading west for Kairouan. Just outside of town, I stopped at another garage, and the third time was the charm! One guy became four, as they all stood around the car engine and peered in, rattling in Arabic and French. I struggled to keep up with the French, but I got the gist of things. The Volkswagen was leaking radiator fluid; they gave me a jug of radiator fluid, and periodically throughout the remainder of our journey, I would refill it. One guy at the garage asked for 3000 dinars for the “parts and repairs.” I paid him eight (about six dollars U.S.)—for the fluid.

Once in Kairouan, the carpet capital of Tunisia, we checked into the hotel, and Anastasia and I went for another walk in yet another medina. We meandered through the narrow alleys of the old town, exploring little nooks and crannies, and dodging all the touts begging for our business. I looked; they didn’t have crepes in Kairouan either.

Anastasia and I returned to the hotel, grabbed Christine, and returned to the city center to enjoy some tea with mint, wander again through the labyrinth that is the medina, getting lost in the process, and bargain with a carpet shop salesman. Ultimately, he was unsuccessful (Christine would say that we were unsuccessful as well), and we walked away empty-handed. Then we ate dinner (more couscous with chicken and some more freshly-squeezed orange juice; the oranges in Tunisia are even better than the ones in Florida). We also saw the Great Mosque, which is the fourth holiest site in Islam—the first mosque in North Africa.

After a breakfast of bread and butter, we left Kairouan, driving through the wheat fields and high plains of north-central Tunisia and then climbing into the mountains. We had a late lunch (couscous, anyone?) in Le Kef in the western part of the country (near the Algerian border), and then we drove east along a mountain range to the Roman ruins of Dougga, a well-preserved city and a Unesco World Heritage site. Perched atop a beautiful green mountain top, surrounded by olive trees and rolling wheat fields below, Dougga was an enchanting place—made even more so by the warm, sunny weather that finally reached us during our stay in Tunisia.

We spent the night in nearby Teboursek (side note: This is where Anastasia slept in a drawer; I pulled a closet drawer out, we put a blanket in it, and that’s where she slept). Following our breakfast of bread and butter, we were on the road again, heading north, further into the mountains along some pretty narrow, winding potholes…er, I mean, roads. One road to our next destination was closed, and after winding up a mountain road for a bit, I stopped to ask directions from a farmer. I understood every other word as we spoke French, but he kindly drew me a map, and soon afterward, we were there: Bulla Regia. Not just more Roman ruins, Bulla Regia is special because it’s an underground town, a little like Matmata but created much earlier. The Romans went underground here to escape the heat, and it was remarkably cooler in the underground homes than it was above. Unlike Dougga, Bulla Regia is on flatter land, but the beauty here was in all the wildflowers that grew everywhere, their yellows, reds, and blues echoing a Monet painting. We wondered if the wildflowers grew during the summer when the tourists would be here, or if we were that fortunate to arrive in the spring to experience the floral fireworks.

From Bulla Regia, we drove eastward again to Tunis, stopping for lunch along the way at a little restaurant where all they served was “Barbeque” (even though I’m from South Carolina, I DO know that barbeque in most places simply means grilled, so I didn’t get TOO excited). The meat that was grilled was lamb, and it was delicious. Christine was disappointed that they didn’t have a typical scene that we had seen earlier on our trip; she wanted a picture of a live lamb standing next to a dead, gutted one hanging from a hook outside a butchery, and yet another lamb cooking on one of the many outdoor grills. One of the employees took Anastasia for a bit while we finished our dinner; he was having a grand time showing her around to his friends, and she seemed to eat up all the attention.

We arrived in Tunis mid-afternoon, fought the traffic through town to the hotel I had read about in a guide book (“a monstrous eyesore but a good value right against the cliffs along the Mediterranean,” it sounded like quite the adventure), only to find it closed. The next hotel we passed was booked, and so we decided to head back to that hotel in Soliman where we had spent our first night in Tunisia. Passing by Carthage, we strained our necks to see a bit of that site before making our way south down the coast. Three frustrating hours after our initial arrival in Tunis, we were settled into our hotel. That night we tucked into a tasty dinner of carrot soup (another Tunisian specialty) and baked fish, and then we turned in early, exhausted from a long day of driving.

The next morning, a Thursday, one full week into our trip, we had breakfast: butter and bread. Then I took Anastasia for a nice walk along the isolated beach. It was the warmest day yet, our last full day in the country. Then we drove up the coast a bit, following a winding coastal road up into the mountains to some hot springs that fall right into the Mediterranean. The springs were actually too hot for Anastasia and really too hot for us, but it was a great place for a quick meal and a foot-dangle in (or just above) the hot springs.

Returning to the hotel in the mid-afternoon, we started feeling that familiar sense of dread: the realization that the trip was almost over, that the long journey home was about to begin, and that once we were home, there would be unpacking, there would be laundry, there would be work to do. Christine entertained Anastasia for a while, and I sat in the hotel coffee shop to begin writing my travelogue. There was a guy to my left who looked like Borat but with huge ears. To my right was not one but TWO guys who looked like Libyan leader Momar Qadafi. Besides the scowling waitress (she only smiles at Anastasia; women either ignore me or scowl at me when I don’t have my chick magnet with me), the people at the hotel were extremely friendly and seemed genuinely happy. Tunisia had turned out to a truly good place. We could live here.

Before dinner, I took Anastasia for a final walk along the beach and shared a Tunisian sunset with her from the dunes. It had been a fun trip, not without some stress and frustration occasionally, but Tunisia was kind to us. I watched the sun set toward the bend in the harbor that led to the city of Tunis, and then father and daughter returned, satisfied, to our hotel for our last evening in a wondrous land in North Africa. Thank you, Tunisia.

Until we have pics and story from Tunisia...

2009-04-18T23:53:00.000-07:00

This is for Steve and Chrissy in Douala, Cameroon from Douala, Tunisia.

I can taste the tuna already...

2009-04-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

That's right- we head for Tunisia dark and early on Wednesday morning. We'll see lots of Roman ruins, beach and green. I have also read that tuna is a very common ingredient in the cuisine, as are spicy peppers. We return on the 18th and resume work on the 21st. I'm sure Randy will provide all of our readers with a full report shortly upon our return.

Happy Easter to all! Misrak even gets to enjoy her Easter (the 19th for Orthorodox Christians) without work as well.

Our Big News

2009-04-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

Anastasia loves "walking"

...But she's not ALL smiles!

We have some big news. We've been busy going through the paperwork for the national ID cards, a requirement of both Emiratis and the expats who live here. While going through the paperwork, we learned something that they didn't tell us at the Corniche Hospital when Anastasia was born.

Because Anastasia was conceived and born here in the United Arab Emirates, she is entitled to 50% of the standard Emirati birthright. I looked up the birthright, which amounts to 5 acres of property in the UAE and $5 million!!!!!!!

When she turns 18, she will have full education costs paid for if she attends university in this country (and there ARE American universities here)--for any field of study of her choice.
If she marries an Emirati, she would receive FULL benefits of the Emirati birthright, in addition to the Emirati husband's natural birthright.

I can't believe that more people aren't taking advantage of this. Mexicans make their way to America to make a buck and have access to health care and education (and sometimes have kids who become legal US citizens)...Why don't more people come to the UAE for the same reason? It's just not publicized, just like in the US...you don't make ads for immigrants telling them what benefits they could have.

The late and revered UAE President Sheikh Zayed always believed that the expats were a part of the UAE citizenship, his vision of a forward-thinking society that would of course grant equal rights to individuals. By letting people have these opportunities, you certainly gain their allegiance and ensure that they do what is right for the growth of their country.

Needless to say, we're totally psyched about this. We haven't found a husband for Anastasia yet (ha ha), but of course she can make that choice on her own.

It's truly amazing news!

PLEASE NOTE: Yes, this was an April Fool's joke. I feel obliged to add this post script for those who have congratulated us: Paula, Ben, Mariah...

Inside for another sandstorm weekend

2009-03-27T23:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-20T00:41:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

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

Meunier/Ball Photo Shoot

2009-02-21T08:51:00.000-08:00

First Family Photos Dec 2008

Follow this link to see how we all looked on the last day of our month-long vacation in the USA over the winter holidays. Considering that I was just recovering from the flu, Anastasia was acting like Anastasia, and it was the morning (problem for Randy)-- I'm pretty happy with them :) Anastasia was 5 1/2 months at the time of shooting.

Special thanks to my Aunt Carolyn (photographer), cousin Ashley (photographer's assistant) and Mom (baby-control). If you would like copies of any, it's probably best to talk to Carolyn (if you know her) or me (so that I can direct you to her).

Our next family pictures of the more formal variety will probably be Jeff and Lyndsie's wedding on August 1st. This falls close to Anastasia's first birthday.

A to Z (Anastasia to the Zoo)

2009-02-21T07:22:00.001-08:00

Al Ain Zoo

Today we went to the Al Ain Zoo, the largest zoo in the Middle East (with plans to become a whole lot bigger soon). Al Ain is inland about ninety miles; it's an oasis with many date palms, a town we have visited on numerous occasions--but this was our first trip to their zoo (and Anastasia's first zoo trip ever--unless you count in utero in India last Christmas).

The zoo is at the base of Jebel Hafeet, the highest point in the UAE. It was 97*F out, but not a bit humid. It felt more like 80*F! So the weather was perfect. We slathered Anastasia in sunscreen and put her in the stroller...She likes the stroller now. Then we toured the animal attractions: She LOVED the penguins, just like her old man. I was proud. One penguin was swimming in the water right next to her, and they were eyeballing one another.

We also saw oryx, gazelles, emus and flamingoes, the usual monkees and zebras and rhinos, and reptiles and birds...and of course the giraffe. Lots of giraffes there, including some that were running. That was a funny sight. The giraffes were in the African savanna exhibit, an impressive piece of land with plenty of room for them to run around in. I liked the rock mountains in the background. There was a nice breeze around there too--a great location for a picnic (maybe next time!).

Occasionally, Anastasia became the main attraction--as people of all ages wanted to touch her, kiss her, hold her...She handled it well. She really seemed to enjoy herself today--full of smiles and happy faces. We had some good human encounters too, like the Indian family with their babies (Anastasia really seemed into playing with this one little girl) and the Emirati family who gave us juice and potato chips.

There weren't any camels (go figure!). Enjoy the photo album above--be sure to click on the album to see all the pictures!

This weekend, that weekend

2009-02-10T05:08:00.000-08:00

This weekend, the sky is gray and the sun is white. Driving home from work leaves your mouth dry. There are no lines at the car wash. You feel dirty just walking outside. That's right- we're in a sandstorm. This weekend it's unhealthy to leave the house, but last weekend was gorgeous. Some friends and I went kayaking for the first time in the mangroves along the city's eastern coast (a mere 10-15 min from our apartment). The guide, an American, said that when we first started going there he saw a dugong (manatee-like animal) and sea turtles at opposite ends of the water system. Now they have blocked one end for some development and the water has become more stagnant. Tides make the water depth vary from almost 2 meters down to a few centimeters. Below is a picture of Leanne, myself, Allana and Joyce.

Hooray for a Hoopoe

2009-02-07T05:11:00.000-08:00

Today we went for a walk in one of the string of parks that are stranded between an inlet of the Arabian Gulf and Khaleej Al Arabi Road. We have done this before; once when I was so pregnant that it was more of a waddle and again today with baby on the outside. But today was also special for other reasons: our first hoopoe sighting! This is a bird that I saw in "A Photographic Guide to Birds of the Middle East" soon after arriving and immediately declared, "This one I must see!" Strangely coincidental, not more than 30 seconds before seeing this bird, I had been again expressing my desire to get a look at it. We were under the impression that they were mainly found in the more northern emirates, so we were shocked to find one immediately in front of us. We followed him/her for about 15 minutes, zooming and snapping away. Randy actually took this picture :)

Other photos from our walk:

Randy with Aunt Jemima...errr, we mean, Anastasia!

Oh, and by the way, Anastasia is crawling now--and she has at least two teeth coming in!

My Birthday Comedy Special (with Sausages)--by Randy

2009-01-29T19:58:00.000-08:00

Wednesday evening, I enjoyed the main part of my birthday present. One of many Canadian couples in our building, Taylor and Tobin, came over to babysit while Christine and I went across town to the Beach Rotanna Resort, where we ate at the Brauhaus German Restaurant (really good German sausage and pork loin, etc...I had a lot of pork! Christine had some salmon that was very, very good as well). We dined outside because the weather has been so nice, so we enjoyed our quiet little spot along the water, looking out on an island that a year ago was uninhabited and now has a few dozen cranes on it and several skyscrapers well on their way to completion. Ahhh, progress. Ahhh, Abu Dhabi.

We have now dined at three of the many restaurants at the Beach Rotanna, but Brauhaus is my favourite now. The seafood restaurant Finz has a nice atmosphere, but the food isn't that great, especially for the price. Vasco's at the Hilton is much better. And they have a Polynesian restaurant called Trader Vic's which is fun but once you've been, you don't really need to go again.

After dinner, we went to a comedy show (in English) called "Comedy Arabia," featuring Ahmed Ahmed (an Egyptian-American who has lived most his life in Los Angeles). He brought with him several other American comedians, Erik Griffin, Bobby Lee, and Sebastian Maniscalco. Apparently, they have been on the Tonight Show, Comedy Central, etc...Sebastian Maniscalco is set to have his own Comedy Central special in the near future. The comedians tried to cater some of their routine to the locals, adding a little Middle Eastern humor here and there, but you could tell they're Americans. Apparently, every comedian feels the need to make an American Idol joke...

The audience was appreciative, though, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. There were hundreds of people there--Emirati, Lebanese, Egyptians, other Gulf Arabs, and various white people (mainly Europeans). It was a fun evening.

By the way, here's a first. I've made a blog entry without mentioning you-know-who by name. Not even a picture of her!

Out for a Walk

2009-01-27T19:52:00.000-08:00

FASHIONISTA or FASHION DISASTER?!

Anastasia is wearing a green onesie with Babylegs skeleton leggings, year of the Rat shoes from China and a headband with hearts. (PS- the headbank hasn't helped clear up the fact that she's a girl. I hear earrings would do the trick, but I just can't do that yet.)

36 Thunder Pigeons

2009-01-23T20:12:00.000-08:00

We have some pigeons who have decided to nest outside our window- see the mother on nest, and father watching from above. Their nest is right at Anastasia's eye-level, so she gets a reality nature show every day. There are 2 eggs. We were really looking forward to hatching and babies, but a friend told of her experience and thus we are now excited/
trepidatious about the possible outcome. She had a nest outside her window too; the eggs hatched, the mother abandoned the chicks and they watched the babies starve. We're hoping for the "new life" lesson only. BTW- on Anastasia's back is a sticker from the grocery that says "Buy One, Get One Free." Guess who put that there?

Other excitement outside our windows includes the rain we had yesterday. This winter seems (to me- Christine) warmer and wetter than our last. We have had a few light rains. Last night Randy even saw some lightning and we heard some thunder. That was our first of either since moving here in August 2007. Remember how high schools make thunder for plays? That is exactly what it sounded like: a high-pitched tinny sound. Very different from the deep, rolling thunders of home. Maybe this summer Anastasia can hear what that thunder sounds like too.

Randy turned 36 on Friday. We met several friends at Chili's for an early lunch. Anastasia finally wore her "barf" dress with success. (In the photo I believe she knows I'm about to take away the sugar packet that she's getting dangerously close to munching through.) Later on, he tutored an Egyptian student and I hung out with her family. We have visited this family before and the youngest daughter was very excited to see Anastasia again. This is one of my few opportunities to actually hang out with an Arab woman, so I always look forward to what the conversation might involve. This time Obama, what we pay our nanny, how white Randy came from what she understands to be a black South, and what exactly zaatar is were all topics of discussion. They had made a cake and when I mentioned it was Randy's b-day, it became a birthday cake. So they sang "Happy Birthday" in English and Arabic for him. This week we will go see the comedy group "Axis of Evil" featuring Ahmed Ahmed to wrap up the birthday celebrations. I'm hoping Randy will make a post about that :)

And finally, an "only-in-the-UAE" moment I had this week. Our school-community liason (who deals with the royal and really rich of our school) asked me if I could tutor a girl in math for exams. I said I would give it a try, but that we would have to work around Anastasia's schedule. So, I go home and then am picked up for tutoring after I have a chance to feed her again. For this family that meant being picked up in a silver Mercedes-Benz limo. Which door would you get in if approached by a limo for a tutoring job? I chose the middle section, which seemed to be a good choice. I was in my own row of seats but could still talk to Ayoob the driver. After introductions, we both sort of just chilled in our own worlds, but as we drove past the school, then off the island, and continued toward Dubai, I started to wander "where in the hell is this guy taking me?!" The answer: Al Bahia, which is about half-way to Dubai. So I tutored for almost 2 hours and rode for 1.5 hours. Not sure if this job is going to work out :(

That's all I've got.

Sexy pose and soccer

2009-01-16T06:44:00.001-08:00

In her Gamecocks' outfit. Sexy, but not smiling... (who could after their season?)

Now she's workin' it...keep in mind she does this dozens of times a day! It's sort of her resting pose. Neither Randy nor myself modeled this for her- W'Allah (I swear)!!!

Second only to doing the sexy pose is playing soccer. She will follow this ball all around the house and is surprisingly accurate with her kicks.

In news other than Anastasia's recent antics, school exams are approaching. Yes! We're only getting to the end of semester 1 during the first week of February- Ramadan and most of December off makes such things happen. Our school has been taking a non-policital, yet humanitarian stance on the Gaza situation. Many of the students are very fired up about it and are wanting to take action. Our student council's proceeds from next week's free dress and bake sale will go to the Red Crescent to support the cause. Last week, middle school girls went to Desert Camp; next week is the boys' turn. And lastly, but not least, we are now not only an IB school but also a PYP school. This accreditation makes us the first in Abu Dhabi and only the second in the country to be able to offer the Primary Years Program.

Randy will reach the grand old age of 36 next Friday. I've got a great surprise lined up that may make him question how funny he really is... stay tuned :)

My achievements of the week (besides the great b-day gift): learning how to say hello and good-bye in Amhara (teniystallin and chow), using Petit Appetit to serve up new homemade baby food to Anastasia, and writing a Physical Science exam.

Anastasia's First Political Protest (by Randy)

2009-01-10T07:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, 9 January 2009, marked the beginning of our weekend in Abu Dhabi (Friday is the Muslim holy day, so our weekend is Friday and Saturday). I took Anastasia for a walk yesterday afternoon along the Corniche (or waterfront along the Persian Gulf), and we stumbled across a political demonstration in support of the Palestinians who are currently suffering through Israel's slaughter in the Gaza Strip. We joined the march along the Corniche, along with thousands of others there. At the time of this writing, over 800 Palestinians, two-thirds of whom were children, have been murdered; 13 (not a typo) Israelis have died. A humanitarian crisis is currently unfolding there--check out one of my favourite sites, http://www.helpupa.com/, for more details...and to offer much-needed aid. They are a trustworthy site hailing from Washington, DC.

In other news, Anastasia is eating rice cereal now (she loves it...she has quite an appetite), she is sitting up, and she's exploring our flat in her walker, although she can really only move backwards right now...it's a height thing. Her feet don't quite hit the floor all the way.

More from Christmas 2008

2009-01-02T03:02:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2008

Go to the above link to see more from Anastasia's first trip to the USA.

Anastasia's First Visit to the USA

2008-12-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

We have arrived safely in the United States after a series of flights, taking us from Abu Dhabi to Bahrain to Amsterdam to Atlanta to Orlando. Anastasia did pretty well flying, much to her parents' relief. She charmed all the other passengers and the flight crew. Now we're relaxing at my mom's in Winter Haven, Florida. (Anastasia is her first grandchild.) Anastasia will be meeting her great Grandma Baker later today, and next week we'll be driving up to South Carolina to see my dad. Then later this month, we'll make the long drive to Indiana so Christine's family can see her.

Happy holidays to everyone! We promise to put up pictures of our trip sometime...

Happy Turkey Day!

2008-11-27T06:05:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

We celebrated National Day (It's our resident country's birthday next week; the UAE will be 37 years young) at school today, so I figure the grand meal and the entertainment we had was like Thanksgiving, except instead of turkey I had camel meat. Camel tastes GOOD. Seriously good. Very tender, very delicious...

The entertainment was in the form of traditional dances. Boys twirl guns (unloaded, of course) and canes; girls flip/twirl their hair. It's a separate event of course, because our school does that whole "separate but equal" thing, based on gender instead of race, though. The food is also very separate but equal: boys get meals, girls are more snack-like but with nearly equal volume.

Anastasia and Misrak joined us for the National Day events at AISA. (You know how little kids' birthdays are celebrated with greater fanfare than most adults'? I think that explains the fervor of National Day here :)

Anastasia with Misrak

Allana and Leanne

Rhonda with A, and Randy

Camel-based cuisine

Overview of the boys' side

RAIN: Sunday 16 November 2008

2008-11-16T19:25:00.000-08:00

For the first time in Anastasia's life, it rained. This is only the third rain we have seen since moving to the UAE and the first time since last January. Needless to say, it was quite exciting and refreshing (not unlike Obama's victory- yes, this is Christine). It only lasted for maybe half an hour, but the streets were flooded until it could all get soaked up. That did not take long :) But, oh, what a beautiful sight and sound!!

We took her for her four-month vaccinations. She is now 11 pounds 6 oz and is 24 inches long. She's in the pathetic 9th percentile for weight and the 50th for height. The doctor encouraged us to go ahead and start feeding her cereal since she's developed issues with anything that is not mama. This is how it went (or rather, didn't go):

In case you can't know her expressions, this is the pathetic "help me" phase that sets in after a good scream. Hopefully, the holiday travels around the US will be good for her growth- as her preferred food will be with her all the time! Looking forward to seeing you all- for some of you it will merely be a matter of 13 days time.

Daddy and daughter

2008-11-10T08:40:00.000-08:00

Reading at the beach

Fighting over toys

Election Day Eve (by Randy)

2008-11-03T09:29:00.000-08:00

It's the Eve of Election Day in the United States, and yes, it's getting plenty of press overseas as well. However, in Abu Dhabi we've only seen one bumper sticker about the elections, an "Obama 08" sticker. I'll be glad when it's all over, even if--as it would certainly appear--the uber-liberal gets elected.

Meanwhile, we're doing well here, keeping busy with school and a relatively (for new parents) active social life. Last night, though, Christine and I went out on a "date," something just for us (thank you, Joyce, for babysitting!). We went to Finz (I did NOT choose it because of its similarity to the Jimmy Buffett tune--I chose it because it has received top awards and is billed as THE place for outdoor seafood dining in this capital city) and enjoyed some nice seafood (and dessert) overlooking the water and a ton of cranes (it's Abu Dhabi; of course there were cranes!).

Anastasia is doing well. She smiles quite a bit these days, even to strangers (we're hoping she maintains this attitude next month when she hits the United States). Christine takes her for a walk in the Baby Bjorn in the morning, and I do the same in the evening. Somewhere in between, we manage to teach, work on lesson plans, and grade papers. Also, we both have enrolled in distance-learning classes from Colorado State University for teacher recertification credit, and that will take up some of our time as well.

On weekends we take Anastasia to the beach or the park or one of our many malls...she's quite agreeable as long as she's in the Baby Bjorn!

Anyway, we'll be in the United States a month from now. Our schedule tentatively looks something like this:

3 December: Land in Orlando, Florida, and visit with my paternal grandmother, Mom, and Peter;

9 December: Drive up to Beaufort, South Carolina, to see Dad and our Beaufort friends;

17 December: Begin our drive to Indiana, perhaps driving through Asheville (Michelle?) and Knoxville

18 December: Arrive in Dale, Indiana, to see Christine's family

31 December: Fly out of Evansville, Indiana, for home.

Hopefully this summer, I'll get a chance to see the Illinois (maternal) grandparents, aunts, uncle, cousin, etc...

And Becky (the godmother!)...well, she needs to make plans to either come to Beaufort or Indiana to see us! And of course, she still needs to book that flight for Abu Dhabi in January or February...

Take care, everyone...and be sure to vote Libertarian.

Odds and Ends

2008-10-18T02:40:00.000-07:00

Here is Month 3's collage. I think my favorite is the Omani dhow workers lazily admiring Anastasia as the rest of the tourist snoozed after a delicious lunch. (FYI: I have a collage for each month at the picasa site.)

Earlier this month, AISA had an Open House. We brought Anastasia along so that colleagues and students could see her. Now cleaning men, the Arab French teachers, and former students always ask about her. Quite a few of the latter took pictures with their cell phones to show to friends that weren't there. One student in particular asks how her baby is doing everytime I see her now.

This week we (the 8th grade staff) pulled a wonderful trick on our students. We planned a forensics unit that involved killing the director of our school. To introduce the project, I took two classes together (the other was the director's wife's) and told them there had been an incident and that Mrs. Pittman-Jones wouldn't be coming to class. I "checked" with a school official in the hall to see how much I could relay to them (aka- recover before I started laughing at their concerned faces) and then returned to inform them that the director had been murdered. They were shocked and brought up the bomb threat of a couple of weeks ago- I believe one quote was "What is going on with our school?!". Some were near tears, many had questions, one was concerned about his mom who also worked at our school. Then Mrs. Pittman-Jones came in looking very upset. She said she didn't want to be alone now and she just wanted to get to the bottom of who did it. But she said we couldn't really do anything now, so let's just try to accomplish some work today, which is when we both started handing out the fat packet of information titled "Death of the Director". You should have seen their bewildered faces!! A few finally caught on, and started crying out about how we got them :) I heard a few of the girls did openly cry. We begin research on some mysterious white powder tomorrow...

Not much going on here. Work. Play with Anastasia. Sleep and do it all over again. Although the little brat did pull a trick on us last Wednesday. She woke up every hour after midnight!! The night before and the one after were normal (one feeding around 2am). I did warn my students that Ms. Meunier may not tolerate as much as normal.

It's just over 6 weeks until we head for home for Christmas. But who's counting :)

Eid Holiday 2008

2008-10-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

We were off from 26 September until 4 October to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Kim Asmus Hersey came to share that time with us and to meet Anastasia. In the photo album (if you follow the link), you will see us at Musandam (Oman), Al Ain, the beach along Abu Dhabi's corniche and at Sheikh Zayed's mosque.

Kim's visit to UAE/ Eid Holiday 2008

Anastasia, Pirates, and Plans

2008-09-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

Mother and Daughter...Sharing a special moment together. She looks really cute here...and so does Anastasia!

Anastasia celebrating TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY (19 September for you landlubbers) with her dad...She only started screaming when we took the camera out (I promise!). Her shirt, by the way, says, "BORN TO BE A PIRATE." Those of you who know me, you know I like my pirates. They're even my college alma mater! Go AASU! Arrrrrr!

Anastasia makes lots of funny faces...At least she isn't crying in this one! She's yawning...but it's a happy yawn!

And here she is smiling. She's chillin' with her homies in her crib. Anastasia loves mornings (she gets that from her mother, definitely NOT from dad). This is the time when she smiles and coos the most.

AND NOW A FEW NOTES AND ASIDES:

1. Anastasia is legal! She's had her passport for over a month now, but this week, she received her residency visa. You may recall Christine's blog entry about my attempts to get that visa. It involved a few trips to the Ministry of Immigration (not the US Embassy) and several hours of waiting in line. But she has it now! We're ready for our first trip out of the country...to Oman of course. Christine's friend Kim is coming to visit over our Eid break, a week-long break to celebrate the conclusion of Ramadan and the return of normal business hours. I can't wait to enjoy coffee at a reasonable hour...

2. My sister Rebekah is thinking of coming to visit. Everyone, please encourage her! Especially Brian and Alan and Lucy, tell her what a wonderful time you had, how it was well worth the expense...Her email is...well, I won't publish it here, but write me and I'll give you her address. Yes, I'm making a shameless plug here. I want visitors from my "side" too, darnit!

3. We are often asked what our plans are for next year. The simple answer: We don't know.

The more complicated answer: We may stay in Abu Dhabi one more year after this; otherwise, we would look elsewhere overseas. Right now, we both would be willing to do Oman or Georgia, and I think I could convince Christine about Lebanon, Jordan, or Syria easily enough. Christine has been thinking about Saudi Arabia, mainly for the money. With a baby, we don't get out much anyway, and in two or three years, we could earn some serious cash. It would be an interesting experience too. I could do Saudi for two years...

We would both be willing to try out Cambodia as well. I think there are places in India that could be promising, and of course I love the Czech Republic, one of the few places in central and western Europe I'd be willing to move to. That and Ireland. And Scotland, but so cold! Anyway, I doubt that I could convince Christine to move to any cold parts in Europe...

We're not sure yet what we'll do at the end of this year. We might sign on for an additional year, especially if our wonderful nanny Misrak will still be here. Otherwise, there's Oman (I have connections there), Beirut (my dream job), Georgia (the country, not the state...again, we have connections--last year's assistant principal now works outside Tbilisi)...Other possibilities include Jordan and Syria. I'd really like to stay in the Middle East for a bit longer, just to give us an opportunity to travel in the region with ease...

So that's the more complicated answer to "We don't know."

Of vaccines, visas, and very shocking photos

2008-09-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

Vaccines.
We were successful on our second attempt to get Anastasia vaccinated. So far she is only running a slight fever and doing quite well; she even managed our regular Friday trip to a mall with no problems. For some reason they couldn't get her name right even after writing it and spelling it- so she was called "Anutusia" throughout the visit. She now weighs in at 11 lbs. and 5 oz. and is 22 in. long. Thus, she's holding her percentile in weight, but jumped from a 9% to 46% in length. (Can you tell I'm a math teacher?!) For all those with children, there's a cool site where you can graph and identify their percentiles for up to 2 years- http://www.mybirthcare.com/favorites/babygrowth.asp

Visas.
Poor Randy spent Wednesday and Thursday at immigration (after his teaching day was over.) He was #189 (they were on #21) in the waiting line on the first day and even worse off the second. Together I would estimate a total of 4 hours for both days. The second day was needed because once again, the perfect size, color, etc baby picture was elusive. We paid the expediting fee so that we will be able to take her into Oman without having to try to sneak her across the border over Eid holiday. But, oh what a sense of accomplishment we will have when it's all done!

Very shocking photos.
These are NOT pictures of Anastasia, but in fact RANDY as a child. Especially identical is the top left picture. Even her own mother would have said that that was her!

"Beware of road surprises"

2008-09-16T07:21:00.000-07:00

The title of this post is an actual sign that one can see along the Emirati highways. I find it a lot more entertaining than just "caution" or "danger ahead". And today on the way to school I did encounter a road surprise: as I was getting off Kaleej Al Arabi Road at the East Road exit, I came within a few meters of hitting a gazelle! I think I have seen maybe a gazelle or two out in the middle of the desert towards Saudi Arabia, but never one in the metropolis of Abu Dhabi. I can only wonder why the poor, terrified little guy was there. My guess is that an eccentric family has a farm inside their compound and my surprise is their escapee. The whole experience ranks nearly as weird as hurricane weather in Indiana.

Our ticket to deeper cultural interactions

2008-09-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

We are now half-way through Ramadan. Traffic in the afternoon on the way home is still horrible- everyone in all of Abu Dhabi appears to be released from work between 1-1:30pm. Still no food, drink, gum, etc in public during daylight hours. Supermarkets remain open, but all restaurants are closed until dusk. I called to check on Ramadan hours at the clinic we planned to go to for Anastasia's 2-month vaccines. The answer: 8:30am-2:30pm and then again from 7:30pm-1:30am. Can you imagine taking an infant for a shot at 1 in the morning?! The malls and post office follow a similar timetable.

Other interesting cultural phenomena we encountered this week came from our nanny and some Chinese couples that Randy ran into on the Corniche while walking Anastasia. In Misrak's country, New Years was this past Thursday. Happy 2001 for them!! The Ethiopian calendar is different from the Gregorian in the spacing of months and they are about 7 years behind the rest of the world. You should have seen us trying to use the internet to discover Misrak's birthday in our calendar! We finally settled on June 1, 1984. She knows it as Ginbot 24, 1977.

And the interesting tidbit from Randy's stroll: Chinese babies are often kept indoors for at least 3 months.

We are still getting stares, smiles, claps and requests for photos when we take Anastasia out in the BabyBjorn. She's quite the cultural barrier-breaker.

Misrak, Super Nanny

2008-08-29T00:53:00.000-07:00

We're fine here, just tired with school up and running (the kids are pretty good so far...who am I kidding? Right now, they're great. The trick is to make them stay that way all year long). With Anastasia added to the equation, we are two exhausted parents. Misrak is doing well with her, though.

For those who are wondering, Misrak is 24 and comes from Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. She has been in Abu Dhabi for about nine months now, and she lives with three other Ethiopian girls in a flat a block away from us. Thus, she's nearby in case of a babysitting emergency (or in case we lock our keys inside our flat, something that happens all too often to people here).

Misrak came highly recommended by a few teaching couples who employed her services last year, and she was one of Christine's first visitors at the hospital (others who visited Christine early on were Heidi, Ryley and Roar, Allana, and Zakaia, or one Canadian, one American, one Norwegian, one Trinidadian, and one New Zealander--it's a multicultural city! The second "wave of visitors" brought an Irishman, a Spaniard, an Englishman, an Australian, an Egyptian...well, you get the idea. It's like having the United Nations in our house).

Misrak even brought flowers to the hospital for the new mother, and a few days later she gave Anastasia a big stuffed bunny (look for it in pictures!). Misrak looked after Anastasia throughout the summer, coming in for a few hours three times a week and giving Anastasia's parents a little break. It also gave baby and nanny some time to get to know one another. Misrak has even accompanied us on trips; when Christine's youngest brother Brian (the godfather) visited us, Misrak went with us to Dubai and to Al Ain.

Misrak has a quiet, calming personality, and we are lucky to have her.

The end of another summer (by Christine)

2008-08-23T00:03:00.000-07:00

It's almost that time again :( Returning teachers report on the 25th and students resume classes on the 31st. This fall we start on the Ramadan calendar right away. Consequently, school only runs from 8:30 to 1:10 and is a perfect way to return to work post-baby. This also means Eid is just a month away and that the one-week plus break we get for that holiday is within sight!

Anastasia will be staying at home with Misrak (our next entry will be all about her) from about 8-2 each day. We've had her coming in 3 times a week for a few hours this summer. So she and Anastasia are well acquainted, they seem to truly enjoy each other, and Randy and I have complete confidence in her. Sometimes, I feel like I should be looking to her to see how to do some things, she's that good!

This Friday, our little family did the Abu Dhabi "Trifecta": we hit three malls in one day! First it was off to Khalidiya to have coffee with a colleague that returned from Canada, then to Marina Mall to go to Ikea, and finally Abu Dhabi Mall because Randy's tutoring job is near there. Three malls sound ridiculous (especially considering I could easily go a year in the US without visiting one)- but does going to 3 different places running errands sound unusual? I don't think so, it's just that here everything is in malls. (Do you hear my rationalizations?!) Anastasia was in her Baby Bjorn most of the time and did a great job- she slept :)

While Randy tutored, I visited with his tutoree's Egyptian family. The youngest girl was amazed that everything Anastasia had was smaller than hers, that she couldn't walk or hold things, and wanted to give her several of her toys. Very cute!! All three sisters and mom fought to hold her, once I was finally done breatfeeding in their parlor. It was really nice to just sit and visit with a non-Western woman: we discussed wedding bands, hair and eye color, American cities vs towns, pharmacy schools, Alexandria and family guests. It ended with an invite for dinner once her huband returns from a trip abroad.

As we have taken Anastasia out and around, we've found her to be a real barrier-breaker. Randy even had coffee with a covered woman- she approached him, and then proceeded to comfort and feed Anastasia as they sat and chatted. Babies always get attention, but people really stare when she's in the Baby Bjorn. Women's looks express thoughts that lead Randy to think he's the best dad ever and onlooking men seem to be shocked and/or mocking him.

Other (old) news: as of her one month visit, Anastasia had gained 2.5 pounds, 3 cm in length and 3 cm in head circumference. This means she's in the 60th percentile for weight, but in about the 10th for length. Short, chunky, but the brain sure is growing!

Here are some of Anastasia's favorite places to stare around the house. She visits them several times daily and they usually quiet her crying for a bit. They seem goofy choices to me, but most do have some pretty strong color contrasts.

And lastly, to celebrate becoming a mother, my approaching 32nd birthday, and to rally myself to get into the back-to-school spirit, I treated myself to a morning at a nearby spa. I had a Morrocan bath, haircut, facial, mani and pedi. The Moroccan bath included getting rubbed down with something slimy to facilitate exfoliation, a good steaming, a brutal rubbing down and finally a massage. Surprisingly to me and the lady abusing me, little dead skin was removed. This resulted in the Phillipino lady saying that my husband was lucky and complimenting me on my cleanliness, but lamenting that unless there's major results, I may not come back.

Although we didn't travel far this summer, it was a big one for us. One that included late mornings, walks to induce labor, books and box sets of TV series to avoid the sweltering heat BA(before Anastasia) and AA early mornings, walks to calm baby, books and box sets of TV series to avoid the sweltering heat. Now only 3 months until we head back to the States for an extended winter holiday with family!!

Brian's visit to UAE

2008-08-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

Brian's visit to UAE

(Click on the photograph to view a web album)

“Anastasia’s Godfather Visits the United Arab Emirates”

By Randall D. Ball

We waited at the airport for nearly two hours, and he never came. Someone, and by someone I mean not me, had misread her brother’s itinerary, so we were one day early to greet Brian at the airport. The next day, same place, same time, Brian did arrive and greeted his goddaughter, his niece, the first in the family to see Anastasia, who was only three weeks old.
Anastasia was going to have a busy week.

Brian’s first day, however, was relaxed. We picked him up at the airport in the morning, fed him a full English breakfast at one of our favorite restaurants, and took him to Emirates Palace, our seven-star hotel here in Abu Dhabi, to see spectacular grandeur and over-the-top elegance that oil money can buy. They also had a temporary Picasso art exhibit there, and we showed Brian the Saadiyat Island exhibit, although he slept through that part. I would have to take him back there later in the week.
Brian slept through his first afternoon here, arising for what would become his dinner of choice: Lebanese mixed grill (grilled chicken, beef, and lamb) with humus at our neighborhood spot, Al Fawar. The men who work there recognized me and complimented us on Anastasia, a personal touch that impressed Brian almost as much as the food. It’s a lot of meat—so naturally, we guys liked it. Christine ate salad, humus, and a few bites of my chicken.

The next day, Brian, Christine, Anastasia, our nanny Misrak, and I all traveled two hours up the coast to Dubai, so that we could show Brian (a civil engineer) all the construction there. After all, at least twenty-five percent of the world’s cranes are located in Dubai. He also had a close-up view of the Burj Dubai (tallest building in the world and it’s still under construction) and the Burj Al-Arab (world’s tallest hotel and the OTHER seven-star hotel in the world). We spent the afternoon at the Mall of the Emirates so Brian could get frost bite in the desert; he went snowboarding at Ski Dubai.
I had baby duty for about an hour (we gave Misrak a break so she could do some shopping on her own). Anastasia and I were in a coffee shop in the Mall of the Emirates when she started crying, and before I knew it, a local Emirati woman, completely covered in her abaya and sheyla, approached me, offered to hold her, and soon she was sitting next to me and we were talking in the coffee shop. Normally, this would be practically taboo, but Anastasia is a gateway to the locals. The woman was a natural, fawning over the infant while she told me about her own five children and gave me home remedies for colic. In all fairness, we were in Dubai, which is a bit more liberal than Abu Dhabi—but still.

On Brian’s third day in the United Arab Emirates, we took him to the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital on the mainland, just past the airport. Falconry is a treasured Bedouin tradition, part of hunting in Arabia, and these days such falcons can cost tens of thousands of U.S. dollars. Even the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nayhan, had a falcon at the hospital during our visit. We had the opportunity to hold the powerful birds (no, not the president’s), their immense talons digging into the heavy-duty gloves we were given, and Brian and I even fed them—raw quail. I think their beaks are stronger than their talons! The falcon hospital cares for such avian ailments as broken wings, parasites, injured claws, even bird tuberculosis! Unfortunately, “Anastasia” and “anesthesia” sound alike with some accents, so I’m certain at least one avian doctor there is wondering why Christine and I named our daughter “Anesthesia.”

The following day, I drove our posse to Al Ain, a popular date-palm oasis near the Oman border. The drive took us from the blindingly-white salt flats (sabka) of coastal Abu Dhabi into the romantic, rolling red dunes of Arabia. Al Ain is the birthplace of the UAE’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed Al-Nayhan, the current president’s father. We saw his palace, the oasis itself, and the Al Ain National Museum, and then we (err, I) drove up Jebel Hafeet, the tallest mountain in the UAE (“Jebel” means mountain), for a magnificent view of Al Ain and the surrounding desert. Jebel Hafeet is hard to miss in Al Ain; it’s that massive rocky mountain interrupting a relatively flat horizon.

The day after our Al Ain adventure, we visited Sheikh Zayed’s Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the world’s second largest mosque (after Mecca, of course) and home to the world’s largest dome, which is above the world’s largest chandelier, which is above the world’s largest carpet. Christine and Misrak—but not Anastasia, of course—had to cover up in abayas for this visit. The mosque, which is expected to cost $545 million once it’s completed, is also the final resting place of the late Sheikh Zayed Al Nayhan.

The next morning, we took Brian to the camel race track, once again on the mainland outside the city of Abu Dhabi. The camel races don’t take place in the middle of the summer, but there are still a few groups practicing. Brian, using pantomime and broken English to communicate with a camel tender (camel shepherd? Camel nanny?), at length persuaded him to let Brian sit on a camel. This spectacle drew a little crowd as everyone laughed at the American trying to get on—and off—a camel. We all had a good laugh, but Brian got the much-desired photographs of him on a camel. Don’t be fooled by the one photograph where he appears to be slapping a camel’s backside. What he is actually doing is falling off the animal, arms flailing helplessly—and humorously.
After a morning of camels, we returned to the city, where I showed Brian the deep-sea port at Mina and Heritage Village, an informative but touristy locale on the breakwater that celebrates the Bedouin lifestyle. Here, Brian learned three things:
1. Just because a souvenir market is open and on display doesn’t mean that there will be anyone there to actually take your money;
2. at the exhibit where the ox draws water from the well, don’t try to pull water from the well yourself. There’s a ten-minute lecture in Arabic for you if you do; and
3. those ducks weren’t fighting. Two of them were violently crushing a third against the ground while others pecked at the victim, but Christine insists it was just duck sex.

On his last day in Abu Dhabi, we took Brian to the beach for some photo-ops with Anastasia. She did well, by the way, allowing the gentle waves of the Persian Gulf to wash over her without crying. She pleased her coastal-born and raised father, certainly.
We also returned to Emirates Palace so Brian could see the exhibit on Saadiyat Island, or Island of Happiness. Saadiyat Island, located a kilometer from downtown, will be the cultural hub of Abu Dhabi, featuring a maritime museum, the Louvre, the Guggenheim, a national museum, and an opera house. All these structures are amazing architectural feats (once completed), and in the eyes of an engineer like Brian, impractical abominations that people like him must make happen when architects go wild. Actually, Brian liked my favorite exhibit there, the maritime museum, where the walkway seemingly dives into the water and comes out underneath. The island will be an incredible achievement, a valid reason to return to Abu Dhabi in a few years to see the finished product.

Brian saw much during his visit, from the history and culture presented at the Al Ain Museum, Heritage Village, and the falcon hospital to the present attractions of Ski Dubai and fancy hotels to the promise of tomorrow in the Burj Dubai and Saadiyat Island. It’s a good time to be in the United Arab Emirates.

Anastasia at Three Weeks: A Profile in Colic

2008-08-02T04:19:00.000-07:00

Here she is being cute and cuddly.

Things can change in a hurry:

I promise we aren't doing anything bad to her.

This is what colic looks like.

A Few More Photographs of Anastasia

2008-07-18T02:39:00.000-07:00

Isn't she cute and peaceful? She's probably having a poop here.

And this is what she looks like with a dirty nappy!

Here is her Elvis impression

One of Anastasia's favourite positions

Anastasia Meunier Ball

2008-07-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

Anastasia Meunier Ball

The Stats:

First name: Anastasia
Middle name: Meunier
Last name: Ball

Born: 11 July 2008 at 21:45 (9:45 pm) at the Corniche Hospital in Abu Dhabi, UAE

Height: 47 cm (18.5 inches)

Weight: 3.19 kg (7 lbs)

Hair: Dark brown (for now)

Eyes: Bluish grey (for now)

Comments: So far, everyone says she looks like her father, but they also say she is beautiful. Talk about contradictory statements! Her skin is rather dark, and yes, she looks Arabic. Who knew geography could beat out genes! Actually, she's just taking after her father's Syrian ancestry. For people who don't know, I (this is Randy writing this) am often asked if I'm Syrian.

Anastasia has many nicknames, given to her by various people: Tater, Sweet Tater, Tater Baggins, Frodo, Pip, Inchworm, Piglet, Mini Me... But in this house, we call her Anastasia.

I am getting to learn her different cries, trying to distinguish among the "dirty nappy" cry, the "I'm hungry" cry, and the "I'm bored and I just want to have a good" cry.

Exciting days in Abu Dhabi

2008-07-06T06:42:00.000-07:00

Some life-alterning changes have been happening in the city this summer. Here are 3 you many want to read up on:

1) New waterfront open!! This has been in construction since we moved here, and now the corniche is a really cool place to go- not just a walk to take :)http://www.gulfnews.com/gngalleries/galleries/10226519.html

2) Midday work laws are being enforced! Now instead of baking during the steamy afternoons, workers are getting to take a well deserved break that has always been a "law".
http://www.gulfnews.com/gngalleries/galleries/10225242.html

3) Public buses have hit Abu Dhabi. So far they are mainly connecting one mall to another, but in the evenings they are packed!! It could have something to do with the price= free! (until 2009). http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/08/06/26/10223758.html

Things To Do While Waiting for Anastasia to be Born

2008-07-04T05:22:00.000-07:00

*Make a "Things To Do" list on our blog
*Go for long walks at one of our many air-conditioned malls
*Go for short walks outside in our 120*F heat
*Play with Leanne's cat Ella
*Water Taylor and Tobin's plants
*Watch episodes of THE OFFICE over and over
*Go to the Corniche Hospital and be told, "Not today! No baby today!"
*Hang out in fancy hotel lobbies
*Play Yahtzee
*Tutor
*Pick lint off the carpet
*Read loads of books, magazines, and newspapers, no matter what the quality
*Check cousins' blogs whose lives are not in a temporal loop
*Sleep
*Be repeatedly dismayed by the offerings at the movie theatres
*Writing letters and postcards (and taking sweat-drenching walks to the Khalidiya Post Office)
*Play "Get-to'know-you" with the nanny
*Try out various labour-inducing activities, including but not limited to: taking long walks, eating spicy foods and drinking ginger tea, taking hot baths and showers, and exercising on the birthing ball
*Write in Anastasia's baby book

Waiting to explode

2008-06-24T04:29:00.000-07:00

For those of you wanting to see "the bump":
(Randy called me a dromedary!)

39-week picture

Emphasizing bump

Summer Trip to Fujairah

2008-06-19T22:24:00.000-07:00

On Monday, 16 June, Christine and I took a mini-vacation (our only trip this summer!) to Fujairah, the only one of the seven Emirates that we had not visited. The drive was long and hot, with temperatures rising steadily throughout the week, but we survived the trek across the scorching desert and into, over, and through the Al Hajar Mountains to the east coast of the United Arab Emirates. We stayed at the five-star Rotana Resort, located on the Indian Ocean, where we swam in the refreshing water and relaxed on the beach. We had some pretty good food there too. Since it's the off-season (summer is too hot here), there weren't many people around, which was very nice indeed. Two days later, though, we were back in the chaos of our capital city, Abu Dhabi. And yes, we're still waiting for Anastasia's arrival.

Friendly warning at the Rotana Beach

Note the Al Hajar Mountains in background

Christine (and Anastasia) at 38 weeks

Randy enjoying 120*F

Immature dates

One Last Trip Before Things Change

2008-06-14T08:54:00.000-07:00

We are headed for Fujairah Monday. Fujairah is on the east coast of the UAE, between the Hajar mountains and the Indian Ocean. We'll be staying at the Fujairah Rotana Resort and Spa (the rates drop considerably in the hot summer months, which is our off-season). The four-star hotel is not in the city of Fujairah (it's in Aqa'a, on the coastal road between Fujairah and Dibba), but it is in the Emirate of Fujairah. This is the only one of the seven Emirates that we haven't visited yet.

We'll be gone for two days...just two days of exploring wadis and swimming in the Gulf of Oman and relaxing on the beach and trying to keep cool as the temperatures close in on 120*F. It's a two-and-a-half hour drive northeast of Abu Dhabi...

Hillary

2008-06-07T10:55:00.000-07:00

I see that Hillary Clinton is set to concede, finally. The funny thing is that she lost the Democratic primary, but she still gets all the attention. I'm sure it's just as she wanted...Now she's the most powerful, prominent woman in America (move over, Oprah!). She HAS to be thinking about 2012...But what about this sense of entitlement? During the race, she AND her husband (don't you EVER say it was just Hillary because he has been involved too!) pushed and pushed in such a way that they sounded as if they believed they were entitled to the nomination. They even made demeaning comments toward African-Americans, who once were the Clintons' best supporters. Will her race for the White House alter Americans' opinions about the previous Clinton administration?

More Politics (By Randy)

2008-06-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

Is she or isn't she conceding soon?

That seems to be the question this week. Of course, many Democrats want Hillary Clinton to concede already--to "unite" the party, whatever that means (after all, when was either major political party truly "united"?). However, many Clintonites (including quite a few feminists who now have a good point of contention--more on that in a moment) want her to hold out, but for what?

What is Hillary's plan now? Honestly, we've known for a while that she can't win this, not this election season...not unless Barack Obama has one massive misstep, and that is highly, highly unlikely at this point. He has survived Reverend Wright and ridiculous allegations against his patriotism and of his "true" religion. So is Hillary Clinton staying in this race to hurt him enough that McCain will be elected, thus giving her a shot at the White House in 2012? It seems very possible at this point. If not 2012, she at least wants to remain viable for 2016, but like most liberals, can she wait that long?

Why does Hillary Clinton still have the winning touch in some states/territories? White, lower-to-middle class blue-collar workers certainly are part of the equation, as are many feminists. I cannot remember, unfortunately, who it was, but I do recall one black female congresswoman (not that ultra-liberal and possible criminal Braun from Illinois) saying that she had encountered more sexism than racism in Congress, that a black man had much more power and clout than a woman of any race in politics. Perhaps she is right?

Finally, in my last truly politically-incorrect statement of the day, wouldn't it be great if Hillary came out and said, "Why can't a white woman get justice against a black man? This is OJ Simpson all over again!"???

Oh, one other item: Why doesn't anyone mention that Congress' approval rating is actually LOWER than the president's rating?

The Wildlife in Abu Dhabi

2008-05-30T05:34:00.000-07:00

No, I don't mean the "wild life" as in lifestyle. I am talking zoological life here.

In the city, we don't see much wildlife beyond birds, lots and lots of birds. There is quite a variety since the UAE is part of the flight path for our winged friends' migratory patterns. One really fun native bird here (besides the pigeon) is the flamingo, which can be found outside of town in some of the estuaries and coastal ponds. There's also the hoopoe with its long beak and impressive crest and the falcon, the national symbol and a traditional hunting tool in the Beduin culture.

As for insects, we have ants (but not fire ants) and a few roaches. It's nothing like Beaufort's roaches, though. We also have quite a few geckoes here, but they don't talk like the cute little guy selling car insurance on tv. Scorpions can be found if you look carefully, but they tend to exist in sandy areas a bit outside of downtown Abu Dhabi (they're nocturnal anyway).

Outside of the city, on the mainland, you can find thousands of camels along with the occasional oryx, gazelle, and various lizards. Other tougher-to-spot animals include sand boas, vipers, the Arabian hare, the Arabian wildcat, the caracal (another type of wild cat), the rock hyrax, the hyena, and the jird (a small rodent). Finally, let's not forget that OTHER magnificent symbol of the Arabian peninsula, second only to camels: the Arabian horse.

Along the coast, we have many colorful tropical fish (think FINDING NEMO) in our coral reefs, plus dolphins, manatees, crustaceans, and the more-than-occasional oil tanker.

Of course, in the city we have plenty of cats (far too many strays)--but very few dogs.

Christine's Baby Shower Cake

2008-05-25T05:16:00.001-07:00

Christine's students had a baby shower for her. This is the cake from that event. In case you can't read the writing- it says, "Boom That's Big"!

Most recent photo:

Randy's editorial in Gulf News

2008-05-16T02:25:00.000-07:00

Here is my editorial, published Friday morning in GULF NEWS. If you actually want to read it, it's the same as the blog posting below about vice presidential picks for the US presidential candidates.

In other news, we had another good visit with the midwife at the Corniche Hospital. Baby and mother are doing well. The midwife called our fetus "boring" because there haven't been any complications. She also said that she could tell the baby was a girl because of the heartbeat; apparently, girls have a faster heartbeat that sounds like a galloping horse, and boys' heartbeats sound more like a train.

In local news, within the city of Abu Dhabi alone, real estate developments in the works are costing 500 billion dollars. Keep buying that oil, America! (Actually, most UAE oil goes to Japan, not the US).

Cool images of Dubai

2008-05-08T10:25:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures that a parent of our school sent to the director. He passed them onto us, and now I share them with you.

View of Dubai from a camera atop world's tallest building, Burj Dubai (and it's not done yet!!)

Sheikh Zayed Road, the main street of Dubai, as seen from the aerial view

Let's put the VICE in Vice President!

2008-05-07T08:03:00.000-07:00

With the presidential nominees all but decided (sorry, Hillary!), it's time to think about vice presidential picks. There are all sorts of names being floated around, from various senators to governors to Supreme Court justices (!). I thought I'd put in my two-dirhams worth here.

Let's start with the Democrats. The most ridiculous suggestions are that Hillary Clinton (or, if she somehow found the superdelegates, perhaps a few lying around in Whitewater memos talking with Vince Foster or something, Barack Obama) could be the VP. This obviously would not be wise. The animosity between the two has been well-documented and now well-traveled. I understand that once the Democratic nominee has been decided, the loser will suck it up and support the Democratic presidential candidate, but choosing one's bitter former opponent as your running mate? Won't work. Another Democrat whose name is tossed out frequently is Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico. Secretary of Energy in the Bill Clinton administration, Richardson made some news earlier when he abandoned the Clintons like a rat scurrying off a sinking ship (thus prompting James Carville to call him "Judas Iscariot," but that says more about Carville than it does about Richardson), but he would make a good running mate for Obama (hmmm, the first black president with the first Hispanic vice president!). Obama might return the favor and give him the nod. There's also Sam Nunn, former senator of Georgia, who incidentally spoke at my graduation from university. And then there's the former North Carolina senator and well-known populist John Edwards, who certainly has the name recognition--but as one-half of a losing team four years ago, one should tread carefully around this slick trial lawyer. Then there's the unlikely but funny scenario of Bill Clinton as VP. I wonder if the interns who work for the vice president are any cuter? Finally, we have former South Dakota senator Tom Daschle, another good possibility for a Democratic ticket if you can escape his ego.

So we move on to the Republicans. One name that comes up, interestingly enough, is Joe Lieberman, another failed former vice presidential candidate, but in this case a Connecticut Democrat. Yes, Lieberman supports his buddy McCain. Honestly, Republicans have nothing to gain from choosing him. They already have a (nearly) Democrat on the ticket. Choosing him would be an outrageous move, turning off too many Republicans. Current Secretary of State Condoleeze Rice has been mentioned (thus giving the Republicans a minority on their ticket too), but she is so closely associated with the Bush adminstration that this would be a very bad idea indeed. Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia's name has come up, but why on earth would he want to lower himself to the executive branch of government? South Carolina gets two honorable mentions, in the form of Governor Mark Sanford and Senator Lindsey Graham, but in the national arena, they aren't really "there" yet. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has been mentioned, but he doesn't play well with McCain. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is another possibility; he could reel in some conservatives who are concerned about McCain's track record. He would act as a character foil to McCain's lack of conservatism. Finally, there's Florida Governor Charlie Crist, who killed Romney's campaign when he rather quickly threw in his support of McCain. McCain went on to quickly take the Republican nomination after Florida's primary, and McCain may return the favor in a big way. Former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani also gets mentioned occasionally, but like Lieberman, there's the problem of liberal politics. McCain really needs a candidate with whom he can work well and who has a more conservative outlook.

Ultimately, the vice presidents that McCain and (presumably) Obama will choose are probably not even on this list. Presidential candidates have a knack for choosing people you didn't see coming: I think of former president George Bush (the father) selecting Dan Quayle, or Bill Clinton selecting another southern politician (Al Gore), or the current president selecting his puppeteer Dick Cheney. Nevertheless, here is my prediction: McCain/Crist vs Obama/Richardson. If Hillary Clinton somehow took the nomination, she may choose Edwards. It will be a close election...

Another visit to Liwa

2008-05-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

We took advantage of our new (to us) wheels and headed back to Liwa, the oasis town that borders the Empty Quarter and Saudi Arabia. More camels, gazelles, french fries and sand. Unlike before, we were able to smell freshly cut hay that had been coaxed into existence and enjoyed some of the small mahdars (villages) that stretched along the main road.

Randy at the wheel

Sabkah (salt flats)- the white between the sands

Me by some succulent green

Randy in front of the aromatic hay

Camels getting midday meal

Politics And Weather, As Usual (by Randy)

2008-04-23T05:41:00.000-07:00

So Hillary Clinton took Pennsylvania? That's not a surprise for anyone, even though the news organizations would like us to think that it is.

I see that Bob Barr (former congressman for the state of Georgia; former--or recovering--Republican) is considering running on the Libertarian ticket. That should be interesting (for us Libertarians anyway). Ron Paul is set to endorse him, which is strange since technically Paul hasn't even quit the Republican race! Anyway, whenever a high-profile candidate runs on a Libertarian ticket, it at least gives us a chance to spread the libertarian message and to emphasize the need for a real change in this country. How about a republic that is NOT fettered by a two-party system? Americans love choices. Why not give them more of a choice in government too?

Libertarians would say get us out of Iraq, protect our civil liberties, protect our right to do business in this country, and free up the courts and prisons by abandoning a futile "war on drugs." Libertarians believe in personal responsbility; the purpose of government is ONLY to protect our right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness without cumbersome bureaucratic nonsense. The private sector can more efficiently achieve whatever other goals a government may have; yes, this includes education, welfare, transportation, and national parks. Charitize welfare, privatize education, decriminalize drugs, and let people live their lives in relative freedom, with those freedoms protected by a bare-bones government that exists only to protect those freedoms. Republicans want to control your social life but let business run its course; Democrats say the opposite. Obviously, neither party is being consistent. Either become a totalitarian and let government run everything, or become a libertarian.

Enough about politics.

Anyway, we're fine here. It's getting hot, though. It has been over 100*F during the day for a while now. It does cool down sometimes at night, though, often dropping all the way down into the high 80*s. But it's just a precursor to what is to come. By the time Anastasia arrives, it will be well over 120*F during the day. It's also been quite hazy and a bit dusty lately (our weather reports don't involve rain; they involve sun, haze, and sand), another common weather phenomenon here. Fortunately, we don't have the sandstorms that Dubai has on a regular basis. We've seen a few, but Dubai is typically worse.

Enough about the weather.

I got our car insurance today. Tomorrow, the car becomes mine. I just have to make a trip to the DMV. But it sounds as if it should be easier than getting a driver's license, and let's face it...That was easy too. I got a new driver's license in an hour when I went a few months back.

That's our news from here. I wish all our readers well. Until next time...

Parenthood Education Class (Number One, or Number Six?)

2008-04-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

We went to the Corniche Hospital Friday for the parenthood education classes from one of the midwives. Somehow, we managed to get assigned to class number six of six classes, so we sat in on the last class. In two weeks, we go to the first of six classes. Anyway, class number six was about bathing the baby, blood tests for the baby, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (or Cot Death, as our British midwife called it), etc. Now I know how to bathe a plastic baby doll.

Today, we returned to the Corniche Hospital for a quick checkup. All the tests are normal (obviously, they're testing the baby and not Christine then!).

I could hear our little girl's heart beating (I think I heard Morse code for "LET ME OUT," but maybe I'm projecting).

We're certainly getting ready for her. The nanny is all set (her name is Mishrak, an Ethiopian girl with excellent recommendations from other teaching couples at our school). The car will soon be ours (I have to do the bureaucratic dance of death next week to switch over registration, and then the car will be ours, in shallah).

I've also booked us a room at a government-run resthouse ("concrete cancer," according to LONELY PLANET, but we've stayed there once before) in the middle of the Empty Quarter in the Arabian desert...It's in the Liwa Oasis, and the scenery there is breath-taking. The red dunes and desert views are a Martian landscape...I'm looking forward to it.

April showers bring baby showers...Actually, May will bring the showers, beginning with an online baby shower for Christine's family on 3 May. Then sometime next month, some of our friends here are having a baby shower for us. It is the only type of SHOWER that we will have in Abu Dhabi!

Now, if I could just think of an excuse to have a Husband Shower. I have a list of things that I would like...

News from Abu Dhabi (by Christine)

2008-04-08T06:56:00.000-07:00

Check out the recent Camel Beauty Contest- also referred to as "camels on the catwalk"- held here in Abu Dhabi. Some of the videos are quite entertaining. I wonder how it compares to the 4-H fair pig shows of my youth! I know one big difference is the amount of dinero involved: I remember hoping for around $200, while these "ships of the desert" are fetching millions.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080330/od_afp/uaegulffestivalcameloffbeat

Other items in the news (of our lives at least)- "Mission: Get Ready for Baby" is well underway. This week, we have established a timeline for owning our own car (we will be behind the wheel by April 24th) and we also have word that the dream-nanny of our friends will become ours upon their departure :) These were two of the starred items on my "get ready" list, so their being arranged is a great relief. Also, our first "Parent Education" class is this Friday. I'm sure it, or later classes, will inspire a post from Randy.