Avery's Email

Guess what! Matthew is scared of heights! But we played a lot in my tent at my house at the sail tower. (To Ethan) "What are you looking at two eyes?" Ethan's new name is two eyes because he always looks at everything with both of his eyes. Hey, Ethan said "which"! "Ethan what which are you talking about?" Matthew and I played cars in my tent and went on the top bunk of my bunk bed, even though he was scared. That's why he didn't want to sleep on the top bunk. But that's OK, because I didn't have very much high things. At his house we went to the pool, and our pool is almost done. Actually, do you know what? I'll be right back. I just want to see what is on 25 floor.
Rock climbing Block climbing.

Love,
Avery (and Ethan)

The best memories...

What a whirlwind summer! It's hard to believe school is already starting. We can't wait for next summer to make more Minnesota memories. It really is a special place.

Sleepovers and lunch dates.

Today was a great day. Avery, Ethan and I invited the neighborhood honorary grandpa over for lunch and Monopoly today and we had a little comic relief to help us forget about the heat. Avery expanded his knowledge of the game with the idea of mortgaging his properties in order to play longer. Unfortunately for them, mom still won.

Ethan's babbling accidentally let a real live word slip today. I was feeding him and Avery was making a lot of racket and I sternly said, "Avery, stop it!" And ETHAN said, "OK" so clearly that Avery and I rolled on the bed laughing at how strange it was that Ethan could talk. It gave us a good sample of what it actually will be like when he learns those first words.

Avery is having his first sleepover tonight with his friend Matthew that he actually met when we lived in Ellendale--which seems like eons ago. It's a pretty big step. He really is growing up so fast. We had a pillow fight, ate popcorn, drank tang and the boys stayed up until 10:10. They were pretty excited. The best part is, they went to bed without a hitch (so far anyways).

Tomorrows project: Road trip #3-Driving him home to Dubai.

We hope you are having a good day. We miss you guys!

Homesickness and other things that urk me.

Today I have been a little homesick. The heat and traffic are getting to be a little much for all of us. The worse part is that our cell phones have been predictably unpredictable. I will wait all day for that window of time to call our parents and it will say "No network available" "Network busy" or "Out of Service". Today I actually got a "No funds available" and learned that our cell phone is a pre-paid plan. If our phone is in our window and the breeze is blowing toward the lagoon (Seriously) our phone will ring and let us know that someone is calling. In order to talk to that person, we need to go down 33 levels to the building entrance where we can get service sometimes. So yes. It is inconvenient. But as in any developing country, "They are working on it" can mean anywhere from 1 week to 1 year. For now, we will use email and wait for our land line to be hooked up.

If you would like to *brighten* our day please leave us some comments or send us an email. Avery laughs big belly laughs at every email he gets. We are a little behind at responding to them right now, but he's read (and re-read) every one he's received.

Food for thought

We finally got our gas connected and I attempted to fill my craving and make spaghetti. Only there’s a problem. Jason swears that there was no beef to be found at the supermarket, so I had to substitute with ground Lamb. Seriously, it was bad enough to make me want to be a vegetarian. I kept thinking “Mary had a little lamb…” I just can’t eat personified meat. Don’t worry I comforted myself with Day 25 of unbelievable ice cream. Sorry Uncle Andy, there is definitely ice cream in Dubai. I just hope I don’t bring it all home on my hips next summer!

Schwan's aren't the only people that deliver.

Tip of the day: The guy at the door with the suitcase is not from the cable company.

So it all starts earlier in the day when Jason gets a phone call from our Satellite company while he is driving us home from the hardware store. (Yes we finally did make it.) He decided that since the Olympics are over, we didn’t need the extended sports package he originally chose. So he is busy driving and trying to take all of right exits to avoid the problems you will read about in previous posts and abruptly tells the representative that he has to go.

Enter: A knock on the door. A Fillipino man with a bubbly smile shakes my hand and holds up his suitcase.

Me: “Oh, are you from Showtime.” (Our satellite company)

FM: “Yes, yes. Hello. Hello!”

Me: “Oh, please come in.”

FM: Comes in and sits on our floor and opens his suitcase. Laughs, “Oh your baby, he looks like Buddha!”

Me: “That’s funny, I just said that earlier today.”

FM: Pulls out Lost Season 4 with Chinese letters written on it.

Me: To Jason “Oh, I don’t think this is the cable guy.”

So we’ve met the friendly door to door pirated video guy. Don’t worry, we didn’t buy any. Though I was tempted. 80 dirhams for the pre-release season of my favorite series. That would really help me pass the time when my favorite entertainer goes to school. But judging from the amount of time I actually have the television on now, I don’t think it will be necessary.

Next on Survivor Dubai:

Your mission: Survive two weeks of orientation, obtain your driver’s license, and fight through your first bouts of traffic jams.

Your reward: One night stay at the 5 star Kapinski Hotel in Ajman.

We splurged a little this weekend and traveled about 20 minutes to Ajman and stayed in the most beautiful hotel I’ve ever seen. It is the off season here so places are really affordable right now. We had an ocean view, and the first thing Jason and Avery saw was a Camel walking on the white sand beaches. It was like a mirage as when they went down to the beach to get a closer look, it was gone. We weren’t sure if it was someone’s pet, or if it just came over from the wild.

It was quite a bit cooler on the Gulf than in the concrete jungle we live in. It was really soothing to be by the water and in the fresh air. Ethan and I spent our time in the kiddie pool that was covered with a tent, so you were still outside, but it was just big enough to block the sun’s direct rays from hitting you. Ethan is like a little fish. He likes it in the water. Jason and Avery divided their time going from the pool to the beach. They even saw a Sting Ray in the water! I’m glad I wasn’t there for that. I had fun playing “pirate/coast guard” with Avery in the pool. He is really becoming a strong swimmer.

It was nice to get a taste of what life can be like in Dubai once you get past the sand storms and intense heat. Other expats have compared it to arriving in Minnesota during a blizzard in January. They say in October it cools down and it really is "quite lovely" for about seven months. There is so much here that I want to explore, but we are limited with Ethan. Hopefully, we can just hunker down for one more month and then be free to check out the parks and museums.

Hey mom I got my driver's license!

As you will see in my previous post, our transportation situation was not ideal. So, taking matters into his own hands Jason got his Drivers License! We’ve rented a car for this month to get our feet wet. We are in a bright blue Toyota Corolla. We actually stand out quite a bit in it. It seems like everyone here drives a white Land Cruiser, or a beefy version thereof. I’ve even taken out our car with my International Drivers license I got from AAA before I left. I feel so much better attacking the roundabouts and traffic jam mess in a rental. So far I’ve taken us (the kids) to Avery’s international school and to the grocery store that is about 5 blocks away. And Jason thought I’d never use it.

Traffic can be pretty nasty here. Last night we set out to get a few parts from the hardware store. We soon realized that night time is not the most efficient time to run errands. After a ½ an hour of driving we figured we were probably not even on the right road so we started to head home. Well…about an 1 ½ later we arrive. We seriously just drove around for 2 hours. (Not by choice believe me) without accomplishing ANYTHING. So that was a little maddening. Jason really was a good sport. The bad news is that we burned our first tank of gas this week. The good news is that it was only 13 dollars to fill it up.

Getting Around

Taking a taxi in Dubai is an experience in itself. You’re never quite sure if it will be a good one or a bad one, or if any type of seatbelts or speed limits will be involved. Many times when you ask how long a person has been living in Dubai, they will say “One week” or “Two weeks”. At first, I was like “Oh that’s nice. We’re new too.” Now I’m like…Ok take us to Sharjah please, and we can get another cab there. The “Oh we can figure it out together” Minnesota nice has quickly worn off.

Even though most cabs are metered, the routes chosen are not uniform. It is not uncommon for a trip that costs 20 dirhams one way, to be 60 dirhams on the way back. An extra hour to reach a destination is not unheard of, or even uncommon. There are a few cabbie culture shocks that I have experienced this week.

#1 Riding in a cab is a privilege not a service.

#2 Since Rule #1 applies, you will pay for time you spend in the cab regardless of the English, Arabic, or lack of reading ability that any cab driver may have/have not that delays your trip.

#3 If the cab driver does not know where he is going he will listen to anyone (other cab drivers, cell phone calls, people on the street) but you.

#4 If the cab driver gets you lost, you will still pay for the time you spend in the cab, afterall riding in the cab IS a privilege.

Time in Dubai

If you are ever wondering what time it is in Dubai, or anywhere else in the world for that matter...this website is useful. http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=776
I use it often to see what DAY it is here as I cannot get used to Sunday being the first day of the work week. I also use it to see what time it is back home. Subtracting nine hours is harder than it sounds!

Hooray for American TV! (I think)

We are now able to watch the Olympics with English commentary. They just aren't the same in Arabic. We can also enjoy both CNN and Fox News, the very same broadcast you may be watching this evening. Now if only the gas man would show up to hook up our stove. Then we'd really be feeling at home. The restaurants around here are great. Tonight we had an authentic Thai cuisine of Pad Thai and Peppered Beef with steamed rice. It was very yummy. It's just that we've been eating out for at least 21 days now and all I want is some homemade spaghetti and garlic toast.

Avery's First Playdate

What began as a random encounter in our apartment elevator, turned into "tea and legos" this afternoon. The glitcher--they only speak Russian. We had a blast smiling and saying "uh-huh" and using our alternative language skills to communicate over tea and chocolates. The kids 7 and 10 had fun chasing Avery around their "flat," putting together a lego dump truck set, and showing off a gold medal the youngest won in a downhill ski race. He is referred to as a "Russian Bear" and has a beautiful golden mullet. Avery was so happy to find a friend two doors down. You'd never know that they couldn't speak a word to each other. Avery wants to go back tomorrow. Afterall, we left with an open invitation..."In the morning, you'll return yah. Why not? Come."

Avery's First Mountain

Avery's first climbing experience with Uncle Jon.

Avery's day at the Amusement Park

Hi Uncle Jon and other people I know,

Today I climbed a Rock Climbing wall. My mom took pictures, but we can't put them on the computer to show you. I went on a plane and i sitted on the front and it went way high up in the air. The plane went up in air , first it went down and then it started to go up in the machine. And...oh..you know what it also did...it ummm. it flew over and off of the machine and it made that sound "ggggggggggggggggggggggg" (finger whipping around and around) and the propeller turned on and there was one propeller on it.

I climbed a rock climbing wall all the way to the top. It was about This is how many feet it was 9000. And I climbed to the top and there was a bell on the top and it said, "Grrrring". It was like a doorbell that you push at the top and it made that light go around a red light that was red. Mom says it was pretty tall.

And the plane that I went on was this many feet 8000. I wasn't scared on the rock climbing wall and as soon as I got to the top, I repelled down and then I went back up to the top. I went on it up and down 9900078 times. They had the same gear as you but not the nice backpack and stuff though. It was a different gear but some of the same. The lock carabeaner was the same color.

The demolition derby, the cars went so fast and I was number49, and they were fast race cars kind of. And they spinnded around and the attachment went to the next one and it spinnded around on the next one and it was like 25 minutes.

I went on a fast train and it went 650mph. And it came off of the railroad track and went back on and it sped up and then it went back off and then it sped up more and then it came back on and sped up again even faster. And then there was this big bump and it flew off the track and then it came back over the tunnel and it went about 6000 feet up in the air.

Love,

Avery

Lost in Translation 2

Avery and I were exploring our neighborhood looking for a place to eat lunch. We stumbled on a delicious Bakery where they made fresh garlic bread-like pastries. The people were very kind and offered to help take our "push-car" up about 25 stairs to the dining area. They were excited to introduce us to the new foods, and Avery and I were both delighted to find new things that we enjoy. We look at the menu and it is mainly in Arabic. There are some words written in English script, but these words mean nothing to me. So we point at the pictures and they happily bring us our food. At the end of our visit I really wanted to know what kind of food I tried so I asked...

Me: "Thank you, the food was delicious. (Hand on belly with thumbs up--a sign I took from our Pakistani server at a previous venue.)

Manager: "Yes. Very Good."

Me: "What kind of food is this?"

Manager: "Cream and Cheese"

Me: "No, I mean type of food is this?"

Manager (Looks confused): "Oh, cream and cheese"

Me: (Start to walk away thinking you win some, you loose some: But really REALLY want to know so I ask a random blue-eyed stranger walking up to the restaurant) "Do you know where is this food from?"

RS: (Shakes head and speaks with a heavy Russian accent) "I speaka no English."

I guess we may never know.

Lost in Translation

Here are some conversations that did not go quite the way I thought they were going.

Pakistani Cabbie says: "Are you from Germany?"

Me: "No, I am from the United States. But I am German. (nervous giggle)"

PC: "Oh...Are there tall buildings in Germany like these?"

Me: "I am from America (US doesn't register many times), my grandmother is German, I have never been to Germany."

Avery: "How many floors does your building have?"

PC: "Are there tall buildings like this in America or only the twin towers?"

Me: "Maybe in New York there are many, but I am from Minnesota. I have never been to New York. There are about 5 tall buildings like this in Minnesota."

Avery: "How many floors does your building have?" (Talking louder)

PC: "Do you see all these tall buildings, very fast these tall buildings, six years these tall buildings."

Avery: "How many floors does your building have?" (Frustration is building)

Me: "OK Avery, sometimes you just have to rephrase your question. (to PC) Do you live in a tall building?"

PC: "Oh yes, 63 floors. That building, 164 floors, very big. Very not safe. My sponsor, he look at that one, he said, 'no I want villa thank you'"

Move over Brad Pitt--there's a new heartthrob in town...

I have come to the conclusion that babies are the most effective tool for closing cultural gaps. We experienced this when we were in Mexico for 10 weeks when Avery was a toddler, and again here in Sharjah another baby works his magic. It could be his incredibly charming smile, enchanting giggle, or just his big chubby cherub cheeks, (No, I'm not biased;))but I have a hunch that EVERYBODY around the world just loves babies. Hanging out with Ethan in Dubai is like being part of a celebrity entourage. People are snapping photos, constantly touching, and oohing/awing over baby Ethan. It really helps you to see that people are not so different here. It helps us to feel safe, even though we are so far from home.

In all honestly, I wasn't sure how to react to the women who wear the full Burka here. I assumed that since they are all covered except for their eyes that you weren't supposed to look at them. So...just to be sure, I did an experiment. I saw a woman at IKEA and I smiled at her and said "Hi." It was like I sent her an encoded message saying, "Yes, it is OK for you to touch my baby," and that is exactly what she did. She went straight for the cheeks. And it's funny...it's worked every time since. I ran into another expat "mum" from Australia who mentioned the same uncertainty. By this time, I already had it figured out...I said, "Oh don't worry about it, they will love your baby."

Thanks for checking in!

Ethan's Tummy Time

British English Dictionary Entries of the Day

Push Car= Stroller

Nappy=diaper

Flat=Apartment

Let=Rent

TO LET= For Rent

Lift=elevator

Near to= close to, next to, behind, beside, across from

Minnesota Friendly Tips of the Day

Don't believe the waiter when he tells you the curry isn't spicy.

Don't assume the blond people in the elevator speak English.