Feels like another summer holiday!

So here we are once again. Having a peaceful and relaxing break in Minnesota before heading off on yet another overly ambitious US road trip... I'm sure I said something at the end of the summer last year that I didn't want to try to fit so much into such a short space of time but looks like I've gone back on my word - 16 states & over 5000 miles. Still got to love this expat escape!

'tis a wee bit warm!

So we are kind of used to it by now, but it has been getting hot for this early in the year. The Gulf News says it is a record, but I am thinking it's all ok... hasn't even reached 50 yet!!!

Another day... another conference/forum/meeting/discussion...

Today it was off to ADMC for the Mobile Learning Forum 2009. I really don't have much to say about it at all apart from I am sure it will lead someone in some direction in some timeframe. I just have horrible visions of us as educators trying to cut through the clutter to engage students via their phones!

The Hottest Place on Earth?

Crazy weather in Australia at the moment! But why does there need to be a "my heat is better than your heat" thing going on? Hottest place on Earth? Maybe, but helps a little when most of the world's land mass is in winter!

Try 40+ for months on end... not days!

Bawadi Mall - Al Ain

Quite some time ago I posted about some of the ongoing developments in Al Ain. This is one that didn’t make the list then as I didn't know about it at that stage; and, until Sunday I still didn’t know existed. Admittedly this is down one of the roads in Al Ain they you don’t go down unless there is a specific reason, but at the same time is only a couple of minutes from home.

So with little to no fanfare, Bawadi Mall opened to the public last week. Only Carrefour is opened thus far, but this place is going to be rather large in comparison with what we have currently here. Could have sworn last time we were down this road there was nothing there at all; but maybe we didn't go down this far or something (or, maybe it did really go up overnight). Seems with the list of stores there will be less need for trips to Dubai for those things that you can’t get here soon.

Time for a Change!

Templates, Templates, Templates.
Is it time to change?
Yes, it is time to change.

[and I know what looks like a New England harbour background has nothing to do with the UAE but it will do for a little while]

Fish Balls To You Too!

Here is another story that caught my attention on news.com.au this morning. Sometimes you just have to say:

Serves yourself right then don't it!

"SEVEN Japanese have fallen ill with one in a critical condition ...
[t]he group ate raw meat and baked testes of blowfish..."

I mean seriously...

Does not knowing make an answer no longer incorrect?

According to a survey about Australia Day on news.com.au "less than half those surveyed could correctly name January 26 as the day the First Fleet landed".

Ok fair enough I say considering how few Australians are actually what Australians would consider Australian. It is sort of a weird date to celebrate since really it is just a bunch of people turning up to a piece of land that was already discovered and inhabited. It would be over 100 years until it would become a country as such anyway, but it is the National Day and everyone needs one of those.

The bit about the report that made me think was this:
"In all, more than 40 per cent of those surveyed got the answer wrong.
A more honest response came from the 16 per cent of respondents who admitted they did not know what the date represented."

Does not knowing something mean you didn't get an answer incorrect? Technically this is true, but is written rather poorly as it is claiming 40% were not being 100% honest somehow. Does giving the wrong answer make one less than honest? Obviously nothing much is said about the survey itself, but if you have 16% admitting "they did not know what the date represented" makes it sound as if they were the ones who were not even willing to take a guess. This sounds a little unAustralian to me; they weren't even willing to 'av-ago (ya mug)!

The most relevant part of the story is in the first sentence which states: "CONTROVERSY may be raging over whether Australia Day should be moved to a new date, but a poll shows most people don't know what it commemorates anyway." I don't think 56 % qualifies as "most".

Journalism is not what it used to be; I believe it has been said ignorance is not an excuse!

... and on the subject of ignorance, have a look at this story I'm not racist, says 'f*** off' teen... "16-year-old Sharon from Cherrybrook said she was not being racist or aiming at "anyone especially in Australia"". Um, ok then... this time it is our own human ignorance that makes us interpret this phrase as being racist and closed/simple minded... and BTW Australia is far from full!

Happy Australia Day!

(photo courtesy of http://picasaweb.google.com/annettepeterli/AbuDhabiCamelRacesAtSweihanAbuDhabi#5126037862441535954)

(photo courtesy of http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1467957930079296632HlzjZd)

(photo courtesy of http://www.news.com.au/gallery/0,23607,5037131-5007150-9,00.html)

You have to be sh@#ting me!

Good story for the Australia Day weekend!

A man fired for 'un-Australian toilet habits'

Although this is disturbing, I don't have the same level of reaction I should as this happened near to where I spent my teenage years. Doesn't surprise me; some places never change.

Snow in Ras Al Khaimah

Although I know this isn't the first time, it is the first time since we moved to the UAE. Unfortunately it is in the northern part of the country otherwise would have been nice to go and stand on some Emirati snow! It was pretty cold over the weekend but obviously not as cold as up in RAK. Before we know it winter and the rains will be all over and done with and the hot days will return.

Another Semester Over!

Well the posting has got lost in translation or some such thing... I have been a little lazy on this front and have A LOT of catching up to do (didn't even get around to finishing the summer holiday posts). Ah... the joys of back-dating!

It has been a strange semester, and everytime we seemed to be getting on a roll another holiday would appear. Now this isn't a bad thing, but just made for 20 weeks where I never seemed to make it out of 2nd gear in terms of getting ahead with anything. I don't know if that makes much sense... but it does to me. 20 weeks with Ramadan, Eid, National Day/s, Eid, Christmas & both the New Years... plus another visit by mum-in-law, and really time has just flown by so quickly.

But another semester with some great students, at times meeting expectations and at other times doing far better than expected... looking forward to semester 2 where we can continue with and build on what we have done so far this academic year (and make up as many of the holes as we can in 18 weeks)!

Before we know it, it will be summer holidays again!

Toy Cars and Swimming Aliens

Well it is a new year, so best place to start is with...

(I must be bored....)

That time again...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and no matter where you go in the world or what the predominant religion, you still cannot escape Xmas commercialism and the related decorations... although I don't quite understand why the trees and gift boxes are hanging near the ceiling!

East Coast

Drove up to the East Coast for the day as the weather was beautiful, it's the holidays, and ma-in-law didn't really get to see much of the country last time she was here.

Worker Ants

We were watching the workers at the base of Burj Dubai yesterday and couldn't help but thinking how they looked like a stream of worker ants going about what they needed to go about doing.

There seemed to be a lot of organisation to what from a distance looked like chaos. All of them were actually working in small groups that were taking care of one specfic small task.

It may be the tallest building in the world, and this lake between Burj and Dubai Mall looks huge! I wonder if these little ant-like guys in the yellow and blue overalls will be the ones to take the credit when it has it's grand opening...

Dubai Mall

Well Dubai Mall is huge... (and far from complete)... and takes forever to walk around!

There are many shops still preparing to open and finishing touches are still being added. The aquarium is very impressive and it is nice to have an "underwater world" here... although some of the wild life (particularly the seals) in the discovery centre upstairs could do with bigger areas to swim and play (but definitely not the worse I have seen); but the otters seemed happy, cute and very ottery.

Of course out the back of the mall is Burj Dubai and a lake which still has a long way to go to be complete. One of the strange things is if you walk across a little bridge you end up in a completely different small souq-type mall which has some really nice things that realistically should be in the mega mall to provide a little more variety... but oh well... what would I know!

Holidays Again!?

Not complaining at all! All schools, colleges and universities have been given a week off for Eid this year (well 9 days counting the two weekends) and it was even announced over a week before the break (we even have the dates for next Eid break already). Makes a change from a couple of days notice that's for sure.

So for the next week many expats (who have already paid off the summer vacation or have higher credit limits) are on their way to places far and wide once again. Many of us are just going to be relaxing and recharging the batteries at home. It's been a busy 6 weeks, and when we return Ramadan will be over so we can all find the time for some real work until the next break!

Ramadan Kareem

Well our 3rd Ramadan begins... we're getting used to this now!

Ramdan Kareem to all!

Things to remind us of home!

No matter where you go there is always something to remind you of home.

1. When we arrived in Boston we took the time to have a quick look through the gift shop which was staffed by a couple of Muslim women wearing head-scarfs. Yes it is true that 1/5 of the worlds population or there abouts follows Islam, but still something that reminded us of home even though we had just flown some silly number of kilometres in some silly amount of time as sardines!

2. There is an area in Tulsa which is rather trendy; a bit along the lines of Fortitude Valley in Brisbane. Across the road from one of the vintage clothing stores we visited was a Shisha Cafe complete with water pipes in the window.


3. Driving into Arizona at the entrance to one of the small towns (I think?!?) we passed a Mosque. Not just any Mosque of course, but a lovely green and white one very similar to one of the smaller ones between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. With the scenery in the background of the photo it really could be somewhere along the East Coast of the UAE... now if only the Azan was going as we had driven passed we would have been entering something even more surreal.

Even here in the USA there are moments where the Arabian desert doesn't feel too far away at all!