Family Reunion

Today was probably my favourite day so far in Abu Dhabi. I had the pleasure of reuniting with my first-cousin-once-removed (please see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin) Caroline, and meeting her delightful friend Louise (my new Dubai connection). When last Caroline and I met, it was London, 1983, and I was 8 years old. Suffice it to say, we've both grown quite a bit.

It was very easy to feel connected to Caroline. In addition to sharing the Sharma-genes, we are both teachers (although I am semi-retired at present), brunettes, and shorties. I found it so easy spending the afternoon with both Caroline and Louise-it was like we had known each other for ages. It also helped that A was very co-operative, and gave us plenty of time to visit.

After lunch (we went to this place next to the post-office...where there were very big portions of everything...I am SO glad that I locked both of these ladies into a pre-arranged dessert sharing contract) we spent some more time hanging out and catching up back in our room. Time flew by, and before I knew it, I was seeing off two people that I hope to catch up with again very soon.

P and I had plans to go and check out some furniture at Marina Mall (is it possible we are moving on Monday??? I'll believe it when we actually move on Monday), but we had to kibosh these plans when little A started to show signs of sleepiness. We can always go to the mall tomorrow.

Looks like things are getting rosier in my life in AD. Just the other day, as we were celebrating Diwali with a McDonald's meal (ahhh...the golden arches are the diwa of the west...always sharing their light with the masses...24 hours a day...7 days a week...perfect for a diwali celebration really), I discovered something WONDERFUL about the AD McDonald's. Wait for it...the apple pies are STILL deep-fried...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!

Anand's Indian Restaurant

On Saturday, sick-to-death of the hotel food, we (or I) decided we needed to venture out and try something new. Unfortunately, my timing for venturing out is never good, as my claustrophobia always peaks a little after lunch, corresponding to the hottest time of the day. P, always the supportive one, gripes a bit about the heat, and then carries on like a trooper, sensing my impending hysterical breakdown. So, growling stomachs and sweating, we head out towards Hamdan Street and Anand's Vegetarian Indian Restaurant (or was it Anand's Indian Vegetarian Restaurant....??).

Earlier on in our explorations, we had passed Anand's (although at the time, we didn't really take notice of the restaurant's name) and peeking inside, we found it was packed with Indians (always a good sign when the locals of a particular cuisine are willing to pay up for the food). It smelled good, and had it not been late and had I not had enough of the heat and Hamdan Street, we probably would have stopped in for a bite. Later, while reading the October issue of Time-Out Abu Dhabi (an excellent magazine for foreigners like ourselves), P discovered a restaurant review section, where they listed Anand's Vegetarian Indian Restaurant, as a good place to visit. As we head out on Saturday, we were hoping the two restaurants were indeed one and the same. We were so happy to see the S-D-N-A-N-A (in that order) on the sign.

The decor at Anand's is very simple: tables, chairs, and what appear to be bathroom stalls (with those wooden doors that they used to have in all the saloons in the Wild West) but are really just sinks with soap (hand-washing...good sign). We were seated immediately in the VIP section (or I like to think of it that way) in the back room. There were no menus on the table, and the white boards just listed 8-10 items. Confused, I got up to try and find someone to help out...but it was very difficult to tell the difference between the wait-staff, and the people who were waiting for staff, so, I head back to our table. Shortly thereafter, the very friendly fellow who seated us, showed up at our table with 3 thalis (pronounced 'tah-lees'), or round steel trays, filled with three little bowls of dahls and soups, puris and the always gourmet Indian salad (of cucumbers, carrots and cabbage). P declined his thali, saying he was not hungry (and seriously...we were already taking a risk in eating there...we had no idea what the food tasted like and had purposely chosen a lunch meal in the case there were some...er...repercussions). We clarified the price of the thali: 12 AED (about $3 Cdn), and were very happy to discover that the meal was 'unlimited portions' (although our server pointedly told P there was 'no sharing' allowed....don't think that stopped P from sampling most of my food). Very quickly, I could see that P was regretting his decision not to buy a thali, as our server and others came around repeatedly with more dahl, more soup, more puris...basically a refill of everything on our plate.

I could tell that our server was slightly disappointed that I didn't eat more. He kept reminding me that I could eat as much as I wanted to, and quite honestly, I did. I do not like ludoos (and so I only tasted it to get a sense of the flavour). I had my papadam (just like the ones my mom makes...and probably comes from the same packaging too), the dahl and 6 puris (they were very small...kind of like loonie pancakes). I gave A some of the salad (I'd like to see the guy that tries to prevent a mom from sharing food with her baby), and she was fairly occupied throughout the lunch experience.

All in all, it was good Indian food (although nothing like my mom's food...I'm telling you mom, 'The Sleeping Indian' restaurant would rake in some major dirhams over here). And, the best part...it all settled nicely, with no 'second acts'.

Hiccups

Well...it's been a few days since I last wrote. I've been avoiding it for two reasons:
1. There hasn't been anything great happening in my life here.
2. There has been a bit of a...what did P call it...'hiccup' in our best laid plans.

The good news (if you look hard enough, there is always something good): we went to the bank and now have more dirhams. We went shopping to Spinney's yesterday, got some more baby food for A, and I discovered organic products which are paraben, sulfate and perfume-free. Additionally, our shipping container has arrived. We have no access to it, or its contents (our stuff!!! woo-hoo!) but the fact that it is now here with us, is very comforting.

The not-so-good news: A and I have been here for almost a month now, and I don't think we are anywhere closer to moving out of the hotel. I keep hearing P say in my head that it should only take a 'couple of weeks' more. Apparently, the villa that we were APPROVED for, is not the villa that P was contracted to receive (according to the HR person...and now I'm starting to understand Michael Scott's attitude towards Toby on The Office). I guess there is this OTHER villa (smaller, condo villa) that they have apparently been waiting to get re-released for us. I knew there was a possibility that we would be getting a condo-villa, but the one they are now showing P is nothing like the ones that I have looked at on-line. So, I guess I've been a wee bit bummed out over here. Especially as we have made what appears to be no progress on our housing in one month. I have heard this is quite common here in AD. I was just hoping those might have been mean rumors spread by the anti-AD coalition. I guess not.

So, that's the update from me. Until otherwise posted, consider me a long-time resident of the Millennium Hotel. A great place to visit...but you wouldn't want to live here (or any hotel for that matter).

The Emirates Palace

I thought that today might be another ho-hum day in the life of Anu Dhabi: walk, eat, nap, eat, swim, eat, sleep....but as I was putting A down for her morning nap (and anticipating joining her), the phone (the one in the bathroom...apparently the only one that takes incoming calls in our room) rang. I picked it up quickly, pleasantly surprised that it was my new friend (from Edmonton, who is currently visiting her husband, also P's co-worker and name-sake) Kathy. I was more pleasantly surprised by her invitation to go to the Emirates Palace, especially as she had already toured it with her husband earlier on.

We made plans to meet in the lobby at 1 pm (and A co-operated with both her napping and eating which was wonderful). Though I have seen the palace many times across from the Corniche, and when we had driven by, I was completely unprepared and amazed at its truly majestic stature. I have never before seen anything like it in my life. Honestly, I don't believe we have anything comparable to it in North America. Not only was I dwarfed by the immense nature of everything (the palace gates and floating ceilings must be made for giants to comfortably walk through) but I was blinded by all the gold, everywhere (even on the cheesecake that Kathy and I shared).

The Emirates Palace is where everything happens: the Middle Eastern International Film Festival (just last week) has brought celebrities like Meg Ryan, Antonio Banderas and his lovely wife, Melanie Griffiths, Adrien Brody and of course, some Bollywood celebs (Priyanka Chopra...she is gorgeous, though I have never heard of her...wonder if I might be able to get the name of her plastic surgeon....). Christina Aguilera will be playing there on October 24 (a concert that P invited me to attend, before we actually arrived on UAE soil...seeing as we have neither a home nor childcare...I'm thinking it's doubtful we'll be getting Dirrty with X-tina)...and apparently my absolute favorite musical artist of all time GEORGE MICHAEL will be playing there next month (P will be the babysitter for this one as I've convinced him it would be er...a little bit strange for him to accompany me to a George Michael concert). Every morning I open the City Times to discover that yet ANOTHER exciting event has transpired at the EP.

I really enjoyed my afternoon and A was so great, even while Kathy (who was kind enough to treat) and I enjoyed our Latte Mochacinno's and shared a Lemon Cheesecake (topped with gold flakes). We passed on the house specialty of cappucino with gold flakes...it was 50 AED...and all I had was 35 AED (we truly are running low on dirhams) which I insisted Kathy take.

We also were able to check out future development plans for Abu Dhabi. We saw the plans for Yas Island, where they are developing an entire community for the Formula One Grand Prix race (the racetrack runs through the development). They will need to have this completed by November 15, 2009, as that's when they are booked to host the race!! Go to www.yasisland.ae/ for a peak. We also checked out Saadiyat Island http://www.saadiyat.ae/, which they are heralding as the cultural district of the UAE. Frank Gehry (the famous architect) is responsible for designing the Museum of Modern Art on this island (our very own Guggenheim) and it is an amazingly environmental design. I particularly enjoyed the building which looked like the Starship Enterprise, which I discovered to be some kind of pedestrian walkway. I think Micheal and Janet Jackson might want to film another music video here together in the near future (when all of the island development is complete).

I did take some pics, but as I cannot post them yet, please use the links I've posted (if you are interested). You can go to http://www.emiratespalace.com/ to have a look at the Palace, and all of the wondrous things that are there. We spent about 2 hours walking about, but I think there are still hours worth of touring to be done there. Maybe GM will be able to arrange a tour for me next month (after the show of course)...when I have more time!

And just to show that I am still connected with the goings on in the rest of the world:

1. I would like to send out a loving 'G'day Mate' to all of my family who are currently down under. I hope you had a relaxing flight and are not experiencing any jet-lag. Enjoy some vegemite and listen to some Men at Work for me.

2. Go-bama: To all of my American friends who have the power to vote: PLEASE...the rest of the world is BEGGING you: Vote for 'that one', Barack Obama. It's definitely time for change...and if you need a little laugh (and your internet connection is faster than mine) check out this PSA - http://mccainfreewhitehouse.org/

CATS...

Last night we discovered that instead of being moved to a 'Club Room' we have been bumped up to 'Club Status'. This means: free internet to our room, free breakfast downstairs and access to the Club Lounge (where I plan to spend a lot of time with A). I feel I should maximize this time, as I'm almost positive somebody in the hotel is going to eventually claim that we were NOT upgraded to Club Status, and therefore must incur all these additional expenses out of pocket....

So, this morning we all got up early (A earlier than everyone else just b/c she's a morning person) and headed down to the breakfast buffet. Note to self: 6:00 a.m. is too early for breakfast for me. This put A and I ahead of schedule for our Corniche walk, but the weather just seems to get more and more lovely in the mornings...there was a refreshingly cool breeze coming in from the North, so that's the direction we headed. And that's where we ran into the 'Cat-Lady'. She was sitting in the grass, along the tall flowers, feeding the stray cats. Apparently she comes from far away and brings food for them, as she feels very sorry for them. These cats she had rescued from an umbrella further down. She said they were scrawny and covered with ants. She cleaned up the cats and started feeding them and feels good in her heart, as the cats have grown. She tells me they wait for her every morning, and she brings them food and water.

On the mornings she cannot come, she leaves extra biscuits for them in the tall grass, and they munch on those.

She has a sister in Toronto who runs a beauty salon. She told me that Canada is a good country, as in the two months she visited with her sister, she did not see a single stray cat. I didn't have to heart to tell her that for all the strays she sees wandering around here, in Canada we 'humanely' euthanize the same number (probably on a daily basis). I know that AD has a spay and neuter system, where they try and fix all of the strays, and then leave them to fend for themselves...a notched ear on a cat, is a sign the cat has been fixed, and is free to walk to streets. I think this is a step in the right direction....but there has got to be more we can do...I just am not sure what it is.

On a lighter note, the two-teethed one is eating again. It seems that every meal, she also has to be given her own bowl and spoon, filled with puff wheat and milk (okay...not filled..just a wee bit to make her THINK it is filled) which she either will feed to me, or herself. This is very tricky to do, b/c she also wants to HOLD the bowl and spoon herself (might I add that we have no high chair here, and A eats on her First Years Travelseat...what a WONDERFUL baby gift we received) strapped to the plush chair that the hotel has set up for our desk (which I have considerately covered with plastic bags). Plus I have also decided to feed her sans clothes...it's just easier that way. I'll admit, it's a bit of a challenge...but I am up for it (and many more challenges of that ilk...this is why I'm a HOUSEWIFE by profession...which is apparently what my AD passport will say).

City Times

In our newspaper here (The Khaleej Times) we get an insert called "City Times" which is an entertainment section. Usually there are updates about all the big celebrities (East and West). I know more now than I EVER wanted to know about Bollywood. Amitabh and Aishwarya are my new best friends (yes...we are on a first name basis).

Imagine my surprise yesterday when I opened the City Times and found a picture from EDMONTON, AB, CANADA!! There were these two men, without shirts, with pumpkins on their heads. There is no Halloween celebration over here, and so I perked up, because this was the first time I had seen anything Halloween-related. Apparently they were Edmonton Eskimo fans, and they were dressed up for a game against some other football team (was it BC??) that must've taken place there on Saturday. Perhaps they were the guys who live in that Eskimo's fan house around the corner from our old house??

Seriously though, how crazy is it that photo made it into the City Times in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and ended up on my coffee table here? I wish I had a scanner, so that I could post the picture here for you.

The second coming...

Congratulations to our little A on the erruption of her second tooth! It finally made it out of her gums! Now she has her two middle bottom teeth!! To think...we've been saying 'she's teething' since January, and all we have is two teeth (one and a 1/4 really) to show for it! Now, if I could only get a picture of the second tooth...

Coincidentally, the teeth that A has grown are the same teeth that my nephew has just lost (see picture).

Spent the whole afternoon at Marina Mall, where I forced P to walk me around the WHOLE mall. I have actually seen the skating rink and the ski hill (neither of which of ready for business as yet) and am impressed by the hugeness of the mall, and its many varied retailers! This mall also has a taxi stop, so it was easy for us to get a taxi back from there.

So long Rahim!

I heard some news that was very welcome to me this morning. It appears that FINALLY, Linda Duncan has removed Rahim Jaffer as the MP for our area in Edmonton. It's about time!! Colin, Caroline and Ellie: the old neighbourhood has just become a better place...congratulations to you all!

Saw a little bit of the McCain vs. Obama (or GO-bama...as I like to call him...because I want him to GO all the way to the White House) debate. There is something very strange about McCain's eyes...very dark and beady...has he already admitted to a little help of the Nip/Tuck variety?

Today's adventure: Marks and Spencers. We had a great deal of trouble getting a taxi (both there and back). Apparently the taxi drivers here are not very hard up for work and are very selective about their clientele...I guess they see a lady with a baby and figure "she can't be more than 4 Dhs away from home...not worth it" as they pass me by. That being said, A is very cute trying to flag down taxi drivers with her little wave. We also managed to make another new friend, Adele, who stood with me to help me get on my way. Being here since July, Adele is an AD pro.

The Marks and Spencers was a bit of a let-down. I remember it being a whole lot bigger...with a foods section. This was pretty small and only had clothes. We were actually searching for a 'tiny tots' group...but, it just wasn't meant to be. Instead, we checked out "The Playground", an activity centre for moms and little ones (45 Dhs...approximately $10 for admission). I also checked out an "Aldo" store (a lot of Canadian stores over here: Bata, La Senza...I'm really crossing my fingers for a Real Canadian Superstore somewhere here). I need to hold back on the spending though, as we are running out of Dhs (Dirhams) currency, and P is still waiting to get paid (there are a few steps...you can't get paid without a bank account...you cannot get a bank account with being a resident...you can't be a resident without a residency visa....and you get the drift). It seems we'll be heading to the bank on Saturday (Friday being a religious holiday and banks are closed) to set up our account (making us one more step closer to Villa-ville!).

Did the usual walk along the Corniche this morning. The humidity was incredible! We woke up to moisture on our windows, and what looked like fog all over. If I didn't know better, I could've sworn rain was in the forecast. We left for our walk at the usual time (around 7) and by the time we got back to the hotel at 8, the sun was just beginning to burn off the clouds. That was very strange. In all my time in AD (two weeks is it?) I've never experienced anything like it.

Finished reading the book "Sickened" during A's morning nap, and really, that's how I felt. Munchausen's by proxy is a disgusting illness. I've got to go to the author's website for a personal update on her life.

Pictures (at last!)

This morning, as we were walking along the Corniche at 6:45 a.m., I thought of my friend Jaylene (yes you!), and how living here would be perfect for her and Lady (her dog). Jaylene wakes up every morning around 5 a.m. (in Edmonton) to take Lady out for a l-o-n-g walk. Even in the winter!! Living here would be perfect for them, because the weather at that time is beautiful. As we walked so early, we were embraced by the warmth and humidity...I could feel the moisture droplets beading on my skin (about an hour later...they were sweat droplets...not quite so lovely).
A has been teething...but she has been a little trooper. Last night we used the famous 'Simpson' cocktail (Advil, Hylands teething tablets and baby Orajel, topped off with some of momma's homemade milk) because she was in so much agony from the teeth! She wasn't crying...just cranky, not sleeping and pushing her face into her blanket (I think to apply some pressure to her gums). She hasn't really ever taken to any of the teething toys we bought for her...but I noticed the other day, she found the USB key to be quite soothing. The crankiness also manifested itself, as A threw a remote control in my face (yes...it hurt a lot) on Monday night. I had some swelling, but today I only notice the pain when I wash my face. I guess she wanted to share her pain with me...I feel it baby!
We were very adventurous at the Co-operative shopping market last night...I bought peanuts (testing them against the famous Soreya foods recipe) and cashews. The peanuts were lacking...too fresh!! The cashews, however were terrific!
Seems I have a new title here: the girl (tee-hee) from Edmonton. I ran into this gentleman in the hall this morning. I met his wife (Deborah from Cochrane) at the pool the other day (as A was admiring her floral swimsuit). He is here teaching a course (I believe I mentioned them in a previous blog). But he stopped me and said "Excuse me...but aren't you that girl from Edmonton that I met at the pool the other day?". Apparently Deborah has been hoping to run into me again!! Yeah!! My first friend (who will be heading back to Alberta in the next few days!!).
Frustrating morning. Tried to get some pics off my memory card...after waiting 20 minutes for them to download, I gave up. I tried to e-mail them to myself (which I also gave up on after watching g-mail 'still working' 10 minutes later). Surprise! Surprise!! When I opened my inbox three of the pictures are here!! They aren't much...but it's a start!
No big plans for today. We were invited to Abu Dhabi mom's group yesterday by Laura (who..technically might be my first friend...sorry Deborah from Cochrane). But, like my own mom's group meetings, we missed it because...wait for it...A was napping. She has also invited me today to the Hiltonia (some ritzy hotel??) for baby swim classes, but they are at 11..and A is sleeping. Basically, until A's nap pattern changes, we will basically miss out on any event that happens between 9:30 am and 12 noon. We do seem to manage to get out to the pool every afternoon around 2. A loves the water, and more so, she loves the people watching.
I am also finding it more and more challenging to get A to eat. I can't wait for my own table and her high chair (apparently the shipping container has been further delayed til October 19...or so they say). I have to give her so many extra things to keep her occupied, while I shovel food in her mouth. I bought these great bowls in Canada, with suctions cups at the bottom. When we get into our own place, I plan to put her in a chair, give her a spoon and just WALK AWAY...I think she'll enjoy the eating experience so much more that way!
This evening P has a business dinner. It will be his first...let's see how they go here (without the drinking late into the night...perhaps he'll be home early??).
I'm still optimistic that we'll be moving into the villa this weekend (but...tomorrow is our Friday...and...well...let's just stay positive). P has been saying 'a couple of weeks' since we arrived (a couple of weeks ago), and there doesn't seem to be any way of getting clarification, or speeding up this process.
In the meantime, I am missing my little Phinnaeus terribly!!
Enough from me...I'm going to post a few pics now (I will go back and pepper them through the blogs where they are relevant) and then head off to read "Sickened" (loaned to me by my SIL..totally forgot I had it until she e-mailed me and asked how I was enjoying the book!). So far so good C!!

p.s. Here I am 30 minutes later (that's seriously how long the pictures took). I don't think I will be posting anymore pictures until we have our own high-speed internet (please God..don't let this be high speed internet!) in our villa>

Giving Thanks

What I am Thankful for...
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to all of our friends and family back in Canada! We had dinner last night with 400 or so other Canadians, at the Sheraton on the Corniche. It was an all Canadian gathering, complete with the national anthems (in English and francais), Canadian music (Michael Buble and Shania) topped off with pumpkin pie cheesecake (they tried) and a very yummy carrot cake. A was a darling, and allowed all of us to enjoy our meals. As long as she was allowed to eat 'finger food' (basically, anything on my plate was fair game), she was content. Thankfully, they intercepted the smoking population very early into the evening, and made a 'no smoking' announcement at the start of dinner...this helped us all to breathe a lot easier (literally). Coming from a non-smoking city, as soon as someone lights up around here, I find that we are all very sensitive to it. Fortunately, Abu Dhabi is going to be instituting a smoking ban in the very near future (expected to be in place by the end of October).
We have just passed another weekend in AD. We went to Marina Mall (again) and yet I managed to not view the indoor ski hill (again). I did however buy some clothes (a white top made with moisture wicking fabric...tested it out twice on the Corniche...works pretty good) and some light and breathable capri pants. They were having a 'part sale' at the Sun Sand and Sport store. Nobody we know is really sure what a 'part' sale is...all I figure is the clothes are only 'partly' on sale...not all the way...P seems reasonably content with this explanation.
A and I spent an hour this afternoon in the pool. We managed to make some friends (although they will all be temporary). Deborah and her husband are from Cochrane, AB (leave it to me to seek out another Albertan!). Her husband is teaching a course here for a few days, and surprised her with a ticket to join him. Apparently he comes out several times a year. Rachel's husband John is a pilot for Etihad. Apparently our hotel is a temporary home to many pilots from Etihad. Rachel has been out here for 3 months, but it looks like Friday will be there last day, as they have finally gotten through all the hoops required to secure their flat. She is leaving behind a lovely home in the U.K., but like myself, is withholding all judgements on AD for at least 6 months (after she has her own place).
It felt really nice to spend some time talking to other adults. I have been finding the charms of living in a hotel are waning. I am really looking forward to moving into our villa and having some space (like, at least another room) so that poor P doesn't have to tiptoe around in the mornings, so as not to wake us up (which, sadly, due to my light-sleeping nature, he does anyway).
Anyways, on to the things I am thankful for (and I'm sure I'll miss a few). I am thankful that my parents called me this morning. Despite the fact that I was half-asleep, and that the two phones in the room did not work and I had to run to the third phone in the bathroom to get it, I was very glad to hear their voices. I miss them a lot! I wish they would call me more (even though there isn't really all that much to talk about). I am thankful that they are taking such good care of Phinn. I miss Phinn a great deal. I miss his little nails scratching my hand and demanding a belly-rub, his snuffles at night, and I miss hearing A say 'mmmm-ahhhh' as she gives him a kiss. I can't wait till she can do that again. I am thankful that A is such a wonderful and sweet little baby. I am glad that she is healthy and strong, and that really, she doesn't give me a lot of grief. It is so amazing to see her walking around all over the place, and mimicking all of these new actions (last night she was practising how to hail a taxi cab in AD..neither her nor I had much success). I can tell that she is going to grow up too fast for my liking. Also, she is really helping me to make new friends...her cuteness is a real ice-breaker! I am thankful that her newest tooth (bottom centre left) has finally almost errupted out of the gum-line, without giving her too much pain. I am thankful to P...for many things, but mostly for being a good friend to me. He has brought me to a new life, half a world away from my old one...would I ever have considered this without him? He encourages me to always do what I want to do, when I want to do it. He always has so much confidence in me, in my abilities to handle myself in new and different experiences. I am thankful for all of my old friends, for all the e-mails...you make me feel not so far away. And finally, I'm thankful for everything new...the places, the people, the experiences, that are coming into my life now.

Ho hum...

Yesterday morning, as P left for work, A and I headed for a stroll along the Corniche. For the first time, the breeze had a cool tinge in it. It was sensational!! It only lasted for about 20 minutes though--by 7:15, it was warming up already. Instead of walking south, we opted to go north along the gulf. We passed the ADIA building (which always make me think of our friend Neeraj), which is shaped liked billowing sails (thank-you to josephms, www.panoramio.com/photo/1400921 for this photo..I will put my own up shortly). I thought to myself just how much like Vegas this place really is because although things look so close, they are in fact, quite a bit of a hike away.


As always, I was impressed by the cleanliness of the Corniche. The workmen were already out, sweeping the debris, picking up garbage and washing the tiles of any yuckiness from the previous evening. They really like A, and are always trying to get her to smile or wave at them. I am always unsure (as I have this fear drilled into my head by MANY people...at the forefront of whom is my mother: WE ARE IN AN ISLAMIC COUNTRY) as to whether I should smile, or even be making eye-contact with these men, less it be misconstrued as being offensive...or perhaps even suggestive. WHERE ARE MY SUNGLASSES???? I have always just offered a friendly smile, with an averted gaze...so far so good.


Back on the way to our hotel, we managed to coax a stray cat over for a scratch. There were two, a tabby and a white and marmalade coloured kitty. Of the two, only the tabby, perhaps sensing my kindred spirit and love for the tabbies, came over. They both had the notched ears, indicating that they were free to wander, as they had already been fixed by the local animal authorities. They were both smaller in stature, and slimmer, with coarser hair than our North American felines. Both A and I are missing our four-legged friend, Phinn. But, no villa equals no Phinn...so we'll just have to wait a bit longer.


Yesterday I felt as though my cold was getting a second wind. It was all I could do to keep A busy until P got home from work. I didn't want to nap (although I was certainly exhausted) as I was afraid maybe the naps were interfering with my night sleeping. Just before lunch, A and I went for a swim in the pool (our private pool really, as it's usually just the two of us in there). When we returned to our room, she had her lunch and went for a long siesta. She was still sleeping by the time P came home around 3:30.



I love that btw. P is now home so much earlier!! I don't know if this will change, but that was part of the sales pitch he delivered to me for moving out here. P would have more time to spend with us. So far so good (and he is working really hard to kick his developing addiction to Tiger Woods Golf on the PSP).



And, heading off in a totally new direction: let's talk about the food. So far, we have been able to find everything we need, and though some things taste a bit different, for the most part, it has been great. Baby food has been a bit of a challenge...A is still eating jarred food (feel free to keep your judgements to yourself please), and I can't seem to locate a whole lot of vegetables that aren't orange...we've had Pumpkin and sweet corn (orange), Carrots (orange) and Sweet Potato (you get where I'm going with this). I will find more food...just give me some time (and when i get my villa...just get me a blender).



Also, two words for you: Apple Pear. Seems to be a very popular fruit around here. Every few days housekeeping shows up with a plate of fruits for us, and the apple pear is always represented. Now, for me, not an apple lover...I found myself resisting the apple pear...but yesterday, I got a bit desperate for a snack...and we had NOTHING but this fruit plate...so, I did it. I cut into the apple pear, and let's just say: today, i am eating my SECOND apple pear.

It seems the UAE Food Guide (or whatever you call it over here) is only recommending 5 servings of Fruits and Veggies (as read in Dubai's prominent and free AQUARIUS magazie...compared to Canada's 10-12 that's quite a difference). I guess I'm only 4 apple pears away from meeting my daily quota!!



Finally: HELLO GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP!! I was actually WOKEN UP by the call to prayer (between 4:30 am and 5 am) instead of waiting around for it to come. This must mean that I slept through the whole night (with little feeding sessions with A...but I'm only half-awake during that anyway). This is a first for me, which is probably why I'm feeling so much better today! A also slept in til about 7 (which is why we were a little late heading out for our walk to the Corniche).

Today's Treat: Internet from the Room!!

I have been out of commission for three days now. I caught P's cold (thank-you honey). Saturday (day 1) I was out flat on my back and I slept most of that day. P's job was to keep A occupied (and hopefully out of the room so I could sleep in peace). Sunday (day 2) P was at work and A is a great baby. We had a lovely nap from around 11 - 1 pm. I was still feeling fairly exhausted, but managed to check out the Abu Dhabi Mall in the evening (http://www.abudhabi-mall.com/), which is amazing!! This is only my second mall outing, the first being Marina Mall, where we visited IKEA (exactly the same, except here they actually set-up your furniture for you...part of the delivery fee) and a few other stores.

I have had a chance to walk around in a villa (the home of P's boss & family). Though it's not the exact same model that we will be getting, they are lovely and very modern. I am really looking forward to getting moved into our villa. I am getting really tired of hotel food! I believe ours is the 4 bedroom Type S model and you can check it out here (you may need to download Quicktime or something for the virtual tour): http://www.alrahagardens.com/aldar.htm.

This morning I am feeling so much better. A and I went for a walk along the Corniche at 7 a.m. It was deserted, and the weather was fabulous (not too hot at all, with a great breeze off the Gulf). I thought of my parents, and how much they would enjoy walking along the Corniche, with it's beautiful gardens, and the brick mosaic trails!

As soon as I can, I will add some of our photos, so you can see for yourself how beautiful it is!

It is a good thing that I am recovering. A seems to be either teething or catching our colds (we'll wait and see which it is). I've had to use the nasal bulb several times to help her clear out the runny mucous (TMI..maybe). Although she loves to blow her nose with Kleenex...er..make that QUEENEX (seriously...that's the brand over here), she is not very effective, as she just holds up the tissue to her nose, and then makes a noise with her mouth (awww!! she's soooo adorable!).

Make that October 5 please!

I believe that date is Sunday, October 5...and it is 6:10 a.m. We have no internet access from the room, and the internet cafe is stinky and dirty, so I have decided to write my blog into WordPad (as we seem to be lacking the Office programs here on P's laptop) and then to transfer it at such a time as we have our own villa and our own internet access.

First things first: YYG to YYZ (Calgary to Toronto).

Well, first off,the luggage really stressed me out. I packed and re-packed our three suitcases, in the hopes that they would all be under the 20 kg weight limit imposed by Etihad airlines. My heaviest bag was about 45 lbs...and that was the best I could do. Leaving behind my family was very sad and emotional, but I have had a 'no crying' rule in place for all of my 'see you later's'. Mom and Dad took me to the airport (I drove) and we all got very sad at the security clearance point where we had to part ways. I have a lovely picture of mom and dad, with A, and though they are smiling (on demand...at my request) you can see they are also crying. What a lovely daughter they have!!

I was very ticked with the security lady who removed the freezer packs from A's food cooler. I had packed enough yogurt and cheese to get me through to AD, and she felt it needed to be removed. I have travelled to Phoenix, to California (twice) and to Vancouver Island with those ice packs...thankfully, mom and dad were still waiting and I didn't have to throw them out. Then it became Air Canada's problem (and later, Etihad's) to keep A's food cool for me.

Three very annoying things happened on this leg of the trip. The first: I met a bible-thumper (King James' version) from Muskoka country, who was working in Fort Mac, and heading home. Though he seemed nice enough, I started to tune him out once he started talking to me about "Your country..." (I believe I mentioned I was from Edmonton) and when he went on about how the Nazi SS soldiers were really a joint Canadian-American enterprise. He seemed to jump from one of these conversations to the next, with no segueway other than 'it's really interesting...". I was very thankful to the young mother of three from Halifax who interrupted our one-way conversation to talk to me about my Go-Go Babyz Travelmate (the trolley I bought to make it possible for me to travel with the car-seat, stroller, carry-on bag and A...a must have for people who plan to travel a lot with their little ones).

The next annoying thing: our car-seat was a pain to install and remove from the plane. The AC flight attendant was not very happy with me (although she was the one who had snapped it in). It took over 10 minutes for her to get it out, and that was after everyone else had left the plane!! I believe she ended up with several gouges and scratches on her arms from the activity!! OUCH!

And lastly, I decided to be super-woman (or stupid-woman...more of the latter really) and take all my luggage to the Toronto Airport Sheraton ON MY OWN (with all of the accoutrements mentioned in the last paragraph). I arrived at the Sheraton about 45 minutes later (did I mention my cart was crappy and one of the wheels kept sticking?) sweaty and stinky as all, to find that my room was not ready!! But hey, we had our lunch (at 4:30 pm Toronto time) and then A got a Sheraton bear, so that made up for it!

We had a lovely visit with our friend Neeraj, who looked very preppy in his new fall pea-coat from Zara. It was great to see a friendly face in Toronto. And then it was off to get ready for bed. That night, A had two 'firsts': she flushed the toilet for the first time ever, and she cut her lip of her one little tooth (and boy, did it bleed!!). After a snuggle, some Tylenol and polysporin (for the pain) and some milk, A and I went to sleep.

Second: YYZ to EUH (Toronto to Abu Dhabi)

We got up at 6:45 and were out the door by 7:15 am. I hired a lovely porter who took us from the Sheraton the baggage check-in without breaking a sweat (at least nothing that I could smell). Sadly, we were the first ones at the gate (177, for posterity) at 8:00 a.m. So, A had a very relaxing breakfast and I scarfed down a chocolate filled croissant and milk (had to use up a Starbucks GC). Etihad decided (wisely) that my car-seat had to be gate-checked, and A and I killed time walking around and around the gate area.

It was raining in Toronto. As we sat down in our seats (38A and C), I allowed myself a quick minute to cry...just for everyone and everything that I was missing and would be missing. Our plane was a little late departing (I believe we left around 11:00 am) and then 12 hours of flight time.

I discovered one thing that is more annoying than a screaming baby on a 12 hour flight. Try an Indian guy (over here...we drop the 'East' as there are no other kinds) watching a Bollywood moving with his headphones, banging out the bhangra beats on the tray tables with his hands, snapping his fingers to the music and snorting back mucous like it was cocaine and he was in New York in the 80's (yes...that much mucous). This was during "sleep' time on the plane (where all the lights had been dimmed and the windows closed..hint, hint Bhangra-guy). We had switched seats to the opposite side of the plane, as I wanted to spare the older Indian couple in front of us the joys of having a baby bounce on the back of their seats for 12 hours. And our A...she definitely is an energizer bunny that one. I would say she slept for about 3 hours (total) on this trip. She passed her time by singing, calling out 'buh buh' to the airline stewards and stewardesses, walking back and forth to the bathroom (she pooped about 7 times...lucky number 7), dancing and just generally being active. Suffice it to say, momma was very tired when we landed. I was too tired to look out the window and enjoy the sunrise. I did see the desert sand, but was just counting down the minutes to landing.

The airport was beautiful. I found my way to customs and had our passports stamped with our visitor's Visa (as that's what we are, until we become residents). There was a bit of stress as we waited a very long time to get our gate-checked items (car-seat and stroller). And then, there we were, finally, walking out the gate in AD, and P was walking towards us to meet us. I think I was way too tired to process my own happiness. A was strapped into the car-seat and was rolling along. She did not seem over excited to see her daddy, but neither was she shy or bashful.

For 8 in the morning it was very bright and very hot. My first order of business: take off socks (for me and A). The ride into the city surprised me...so much more greenery than I had expected. The buildings were a combination of Cuba-old and New York-new. We got into the hotel (in case you want to check out the new digs...check out the Millennium hotel: http://www.millenniumhotels.com/ae/millenniumabudhabi/index.html), and I ordered my first taste of AD: french fries!! We topped off our first night with a walk along the Corniche (which translates to "Road on a ledge"). Although it was too dark to see much of anything, the weather was gorgeous and warm, and it was filled with people who were on vacation (end of Ramadan). Besides, I had already seen the beautiful views from my hotel window!