This week in Pictures

2 policeman. The one beside me has 3 stripes on his arm the other only has 1 stripe. :)









Here is a full view of similiar of what we were also sitting on.







This fellow was standing in the scorching sun loading up his wheelbarrow. If you notice the top colour of his shirt is darker - because he was so sweaty. Some of those boxes were very heavy because I saw him lift some. There are some men that colour their hair a red. Not sure why, will have to find out.

The water is very clear. This coral was growing on the platform.

This is how close we were to the water.

The little fellow with the red collar in the middle of the boat is driving it. It is the cheapest experience in Dubai at 1dh =.30c each to cross the river.

Shop after shop of gold. I took this photo with Matthew standing outside of one shop, but if you look carefully above the B and to the right the sunlight coming through is a torn tarp. So there is so much money there but nobody repairs the roof. A little further down the was some construction going on.

Gold belts in one shop window.

Above these 2 fellows are head pieces worn by brides.

An aboslute must is air conditioned bus shelters.

On our way into Dubai I snapped this photo.

We ate a delicious dinner here our first night in Dubai. We enjoyed it so much the 2nd night they delivered our delicious soup. I ordered the same I had tasted when in Qatar. Yummy

Abu Dhabi mall, it has water all the way around it so I took a photo.

The grandstand where they watch the F1 car racing. you drive right by it on the way into Abu Dhabi.

I learnt I really am not the adventurous type. We had a couple of days away in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. We ate out one night at a delicious place and the 2nd night ordered soup. the traffic is so scary in Dubai. Not knowing where we were or where we were going even how to get there scared me spitless. I was so not very relaxed. Poor Matthew. At least one day we took a taxi in - that eased me a little. The traffic is awful, I heard that it is a lot better since the financial crash because so many people left the country.

I will add more photos another time. We did a museum as well which was very interesting. It is still very warm here of a day. I found myself holding my breath as I watched clips of the sandstorm from over there.

I have been thinking of Angie and Nona with their special play today. I trust it went well and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Bye for now. Love RG, Mum, Rhonda, Aunty Rhonda, Nana

The storm and more

A fort in town.

The view today from our balcony.

The cranes disappearing in the dust. There was thunder and lightning. What we didn't know until later when Jon from church called to see if we were okay, is that there had been rain and hail in town. Lots of trees were uprooted. We didn't get a drop.

The car after the storm.

Looking out Matthew's window at work. A tree had gone over.

Traditional craft

An update

I have met some lovely people in the past week or so. My dear friend Asma in Qatar came from Sudan and I have met here another lady fromSudan - Illhem (not sure how to spell her name yet.). Her family are not very well off but they have welcomed me into their home and living. Her kitchen is a room without airconditioning. Illhem has 1 son studying in Sudan, 2 sons here and one daughter Sara. Illhem has been here for 15yrs. I met Illhem when I was walking home from the corner shops after 3pm one day. It was very hot. A car stopped in front of me and she put her head out of the passengers window as her son was driving, and bid me hop in. I tried to decline saying I only lived just down there. Her reply was I know. They dropped me at my door and invited me to come visit one day. I was really missing my sisters and family one day so went for a walk to visit. I was welcomed and made feel really at home. Another day even after I had eaten dinner I went for a visit. They were just getting ready to break their fast and I was invited.

I felt so humbled in their home. Newspaper was laid on the floor and the containers of food placed on top. Then the family sat around to eat. I was offered the lounge chair, but I went to sit on the floor. The father Hussan spoke something to Mortomon (17yr old son) and he left the room returning with a cushion for me to sit on. Luckily I had heard previously that when you sit on the floor the bottoms of your feet must face away. So I sat sidesaddle style on the cushion on the floor.

Illhem makes her own juice to break their fast and they eat dates as the prophet Mohammed did. Oh I should also mention they use only the right hand to eat. I was given a spoon, but will use my hand if I am ever invited again.

Matthew & I have joined the local choir. Every Sunday evening at the local English speaking school. There was about 50 there last week. It costs 50dhs (about $15) to join and this covers photocopying. Our first song was 'For Unto Us a Child Is Born'. I loved it and sit between to good strong altos. They apparently put on a Christmas production every year. So stay posted.

I learned this week that if you need a plumber then need an electrian the same fellow comes. hehe Who would have thought. The men in Manual Arts would have an absolute field day here.

Tues night I joined the local Historical Society and Matthew went off to play tennis. The HS has maps of places to go and things to do. They have some very qualified people and interest groups, eg photography, mountain climbing, 4 wheel driving, people who know all the bugs, birds, and snakes. I will try to go out with him now and then to get photos of the animals for my nephew Caleb.

Mathew will have a new Admin Assistant start this Sunday. I will stay for a couple of days to help, but she is a previous student and probably knows more than me. So then I can get stuck into my study.
I heard statistics of road deaths here in the UAE from a teacher who got them last year from the ministry. With a population of about 5mil there were 8 000 road fatalities. That doesn’t include deaths at construction sites, natural causes or house fires.

No photos this week, I am working on the perfect sunrise shot. Love to all. RG

Camel milk taste test

This is sunrise. I love them.

Matthew's office

After the Ifta.

Can you see the soccer goal posts?

Dates on trees everywhere.

The only place with green lawn in our area.

Certainly not a need but Matthew let me buy it anyway. A gold bedspread etc.

4 September 2009
Al Ain Women’s College is where Matthew works – aka HCT (Higher College of Technology). They offer Bachelor degrees so the institution isn’t quite a university but isn’t a TAFE either. Matthew is Chair of Education, whatever that means. I have been volunteering as Mathew’s Admin Assistant. I heard a couple of you gasp. You obviously know me, and know I am so out of my comfort zone working in an office setting. However, it has been a cross between teacher-aiding, so photocopying his class materials and setting student appointments with him. I have learnt to use a computer calendaring appointment booking program. I have also been able to use the internet to continue with my study. So it has helped us both. I have a desk with a college computer and a spot that I can set up my computer. They are having interviews this week for an Admin Assist for Matthew. This position must be filled by an Emirati so I may have to train them. Hehehe who ever thought I would train someone in an office situation.
So we are getting things set up in our apartment. I made a mistake in ordering our bed, I ordered by size here thinking I was ordering a Queen size bed turns out that it is actually only our DOUBLE size. So poor Matthew’s 6’3” is squashed. Oh well. Live and learn here.

Groceries are more expensive here than I remember them in Qatar. There is a shop closer to us that seems to sell more western items and they are more expensive again.
It was Timothy’s birthday this past week and my brother Gerry’s is this week. Tim’s cousin in Australia – Chris was funny posting Tim’s age as a couple of years older. He reminded me of Uncle Baz and Dad. I remember how Uncle Baz always tried to tell us that he was the youngest and that dad was older than him. I remember how Uncle Baz would take his wallet out of his pocket and offer us some money with the question, “Who’s the better looking?”

- Reminiscing sorry-
Matthew has had a couple of trips to Abu Dhabi with work. We will take a trip out there for some sightseeing.
I had tradesmen come and go one day this week. The drain in the kitchen overflowed and suds bubbled up, the downstairs toilet was blocked (the workmen emptied all their cement dust etc down there), and lights in the courtyard aren’t working. Oh, yeah and the hot water was trickling from the kitchen faucet. I sat at the kitchen table while the plumber, his offsider and our complex care-taker worked in the kitchen and talked in another language (I think Indian). Each hot-water tap has its own tank in the ceiling. Removing a couple of ceiling tiles the pipes and taps were exposed. The offsider was instructed to turn the tap on which he did, allowing the water to run, not trickle into other ceiling tiles, down the inside wall onto the bench top, and onto the floor. All I could do was smile to myself and laugh inside. My thoughts were – if only Dave Brown (who is our Head of Department Manual Arts, and very particular with his work), could see this. He would die. I slowly rose to find a new bathroom towel. It still brings a smile to my face, they do things differently here. J Oh yeah they finally did fix the kitchen hot water tap and drain.

Bro and Sis Penny and their family from church have been wonderful. We would have been lost without their help. We have lovely neighbours in our complex as well. Cliff (works at the same college as Matthew) and his wife are directly next door. I got to dog sit for them yesterday, poor Punkin (pronounced with a real Southern American accent (phun-keeen) was very jet-lagged.
Sunrises here are so beautiful and I just found a setting on my camera so I will share some photos later.

We attended my first Ifta this week. After fasting from Sunup to sundown the Muslim people break their fast and it is called Ifta, often break their fast with dates first just as the Prophet Mohammed did. It was put on but the social club at HCT. I learnt that a pregnant or breast-feeding woman can use wisdom in regards to fasting for Ramadan. At HCT the age of the students are about 18-28ish. Many are married and are given 5 days off to have a baby then it is back to college.

I learnt a new saying this week as I had to call the plumber out again because the hand basin in the blue bathroom was leaking. The plumber is not used to a white lady watching over his shoulder. Well he fixed the first problem he found that’s when I learnt the new saying for the second problem. “Silicone fix problem madam”, for full effect wobble head from side to side and repeat with Indian accent. So there you have it in case you ever have a plumbing problem – “Silicone fix problem.” Hehehe gota love it here. I can just see the gentlemen in the manual arts staffroom shaking their heads. Oh and the other important thing to know is that there are only 2 types of problems here – and remember to wobble your head as you say, “Small problem, big problem.” In response to small problem will follow by no problem and big problem is followed by a more vigorous head wobble.

Working here as Matthew's Admin Assistant has given me a greater appreciation for the most wonderful, on the ball Shelley who was our whiz at school. She was so good and patient. I never thought I would be working in an office setting. For 2 days now I have been so busy that I haven't got to any study and still with no internet at home I can't even get to it at night.