O MAN!

"We may lose and we may win
though we will never be here again
so open up, I'm climbin' in,
so take it easy" - The Eagles

Last weekend was the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha or Feast of the Sacrifice. This is when they celebrate Ibrahim's (Abraham) obedience to God when he was willing to offer his son Ismail (Ishmael) as a human sacrifice. Then, God showed his mercy by providing a ram for the sacrifice instead.  I won't get into the theology of the symbolism of a blood sacrifice in the first place, or the interesting differences between Islam and Christianity with regards to the chosen son... for us, it was a 4 day weekend. We decided it was a good time to head out to the rocky desert wilderness for some camping.... in Oman.

It is not a little task to consider taking 4 young children (one of them still part-time nursing and unable to converse or be logically reasoned with in the English language) and pack them in a crowded vehicle for a 7-8 hour drive into the middle of nowhere in a foreign country where you have never been.  Daunting. But, with two other families in our caravan, we said "what the heck" and threw caution to the wind. Thanks to both families for leading the way and lending an extra hand with our kids.

We had a great trip.  Of course there were moments of crying and some speed bumps along the way, but overall a good time was had by all.  I don't have the time or energy to write about all the details. Instead, I'll mention a few brief highlights and share some photos.  If you want more in depth coverage, you are in luck.  The other members of our traveling party have also posted to their respective blogs for your enjoyment.

• You can check out the Palmer's perspective here and here.
• And the first installment of the MacDonald's here.

(NOTE: If you are reading this blog because of an interest in the Middle East or specifically life in the UAE, you may also enjoy many of the other posts in both the blogs linked above. There lots of good stuff ;)

Wadi Shab

On the first day, after a long fascinating drive, we ended at Wadi Shab a couple hours south of Muscat. The hike was beautiful.  Rugged enough to feel like a good accomplishment, but not too rugged for the kids... as long as a helping hand was nearby.  The scenery was impressive and the pools of water were fun and refreshing without being cold. The hike ended at a fantastic swimming hole with a cool crevice leading through the rocks to a cave with a great waterfall inside.

Church/Muscat

The second day we awoke to the Sabbath on the shores of the Arabian Sea/Indian Ocean. A relatively short drive took us to church in the small branch in Muscat. Our caravan of travelers and several other groups quadrupled the size of the normal congregation. The poor teachers that were used to one or two class members.... The afternoon/evening was spent seeing some of the sights of Muscat.

Jebel Akhdar

A cool hike through some terraced mountainsides with some amazing views. The kids loved the maps painted on rocks and walls as trail markers.

Camping in the Hajar Mountains

Keywords for this night of camping: Wild donkeys, Off road  Rocks for the fire-pit, and COLD. Did I mention it was cold?  We were over 2000 meters up in the mountains.

Sweet Sign

Just Because.

Istanbul

"So if you've a date in Constantinople
She'll be waiting in Istanbul" - They Might Be Giants

We recently returned from a fun trip to Istanbul. There is a part of me that thinks it would be a good idea (for family history reasons and because a few of you might enjoy it) to blog about each day of the entire trip. BUT, the truth is that to do it justice would just take too much time and energy.

Instead, I'm going to share a few of the highlights and let the photos do the talking.

Our original plan was to spend about half the time in Istanbul and the other half in central Turkey. However, the overnight trains (with sleeping berths) out of Istanbul are currently not running due to maintenance and our other option was a 12+ hour bus ride. We decided a bus ride with four little kids was out of the question and opted to stay in Istanbul for the entire time. We do not regret our decision. Istanbul is a great city and we highly recommend a visit.

One of our goals was to escape the Dubai heat. Well, that didn't really work as planned. Although it was significantly cooler in Istanbul... significantly cooler than 115-120 degrees can still be in the high 90's. Plus,  everywhere you go in Dubai is air conditioned and you basically never go outside. In Istanbul we were outside constantly, walking everywhere we needed to go, and there was never any AC. So, while we beat the head, we were still hot and sweaty the entire time. Every picture we took includes shiny faces and sweaty matted hair.

A few Highlights:

• The Blue Mosque - a most beautiful building inside and outside. Talon especially loved jumping off every raised platform he could find.
• The Aya Sofya - I don't think there's too many kids in the world who have played "red light green light" and "mother may I?" inside this ancient and breathtakingly beautiful building.
• The Basilica Cistern - The kids were fascinated by the story of Medusa and looking for the two carvings of her head in this underground creepy dark place.
• Istanbul Archaeological Museums - All our kids wanted was to see dead bodies and this place delivered. There were lots of carvings of naked men and they wanted to know "Why did people steal all those men's pants?".
• The several tombs of Sultans we visited and hearing the girls discuss how we should bury dad here when he dies.
• The Prince's Islands - We took a tram and a ferry ride to get there. Talon was thrilled to ride the "train" and they loved the big boat as well. We sat by some fun Turkish teenagers that entertained our kids.
• A Cinderella Ride - The best part of the prince's islands was the horse drawn carriage ride around the island (no cars allowed here only bikes, carriages, and feet). Sheer joy radiated from the girl's faces as they pretended they were just like Cinderella. The driver even let each of the kids sit on the horse beforehand (part of his sales tactic I'm sure and it worked on us)
• Discovering every park and playground withing reasonable walking distance of our hotel - "reasonable varies depending on if you are an adult or a kid".
• The sheer number of people who wanted to touch, hug, kiss, photograph and mug on our kids. No one in the US would touch a stranger's kids the way they do in the Middle East.
• Our kids absolute refusal to look at our or any stranger's camera on request - even when the beautiful Turkish bride asked to be photographed with them. (we were lucky to get this)

• The joy the kids got out of watching Turkish cartoons before bed every night (even when they couldn't understand a single word)
• Watching Yvonne try to communicate with a group of Deaf teens she met in the park one afternoon
• Talon's utter refusal to use a Turkish toilet and holding his pee the ENTIRE day everyday. (you'd think it would've been more a problem for the girls)
• Splashing in the fountain in Sultanahmet Park and rinsing off in the German fountain next to the Blue Mosque
• The cobblestone streets and beautiful old buildings
• Friendly Turkish people
• Trying new foods - this experience was pretty limited thanks to kids who were not very daring and felt a lot more safe with the security of McDonalds (not to mention their inexpensive ice cream).
• Yvonne's Turkish Bath - She says "Let just say if you have anything against public nudity and being scrubbed down by a Turkish lady clad only in undies in a room full of other mostly naked women, this isn't for you. I thought it was HEAVENLY!"
• Lots and lots of TOWERS. The kids were in Rapunzel heaven.

Well, there's the recap.  We had a lot of fun, even though it was hot and sweaty and the kids reminded us often that they do not like walking "so far". If you want photo overload, you can check out a bunch of adventure here: https://plus.google.com/photos/105900843158334459530/albums/5778314651184600529?banner=pwa

Quiz Time

"I'm an Alien, I'm a legal Alien" - Sting

It has been almost two years since we moved from Hawaii and ended up over here in the UAE.  Yvonne and I were just discussing how when we first arrived, almost everything seemed very foreign... and it was.  Now, although there are plenty of things that are strange, different, or we haven't experienced yet, we no longer notice all of the things that were so foreign when we first got here.  The strangeness has become part of our daily lives and is no longer strange.

For example, we used to get a kick out of signs like this one. It is on every entrance to the mall near where we live.  Now, we don't even notice it anymore.

Quiz time:  What on this sign is strange compared to what you might see on a sign outside a mall in the US?

Modern Miracles

"But I'm just talking to a satellite
Twenty thousand miles up in the sky each night
Yeah, we're living in,
In a modern world." - Electric Light Orchestra

About a week ago I helped organize something I think was pretty amazing.  We had a youth fireside for church and about 80 kids showed up.  That is pretty cool because we are in the middle of an Islamic country where not too long ago it could have been dangerous to admit you were Christian.  Plus, we had youth traveling hours from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and all over the UAE to participate.  The youth here are impressive.

But, that is not the amazing part.  What I thought was incredible, was the fact that the fireside was web-conferenced (is that a term?) to youth in the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar!  It was not just broadcast, but the other youth were actually able to participate, comment, and share musical numbers with each other.  The youth in all of these countries could see and communicate with each other.  It was fun to watch.  I mean, we thought it was cool growing up when we had a youth fireside where we got to meet some of the youth from Sugar City instead of just Rexburg.  Here we had youth from 4 different countries!  All of which are Islamic and 10-15 years ago probably had laws against Mormon firesides (ok, probably not specifically Mormon... but you get the idea).  It was cool.

Another small miracle was the refreshments served.  I asked the youth in our ward (we were in charge of hosting this fireside) what they wanted and the vote was unanimous for Root Beer Floats.  I didn't think much of it until I started to try and track down some root beer.  You can find most things in this country, but apparently, root beer is a rare commodity.  Fortunately, the Spinney's in Mirdif had some.  I had to buy all the root beer in the entire store, but it was just enough to feed our 80 youth.  Success!

Holiday Hang-ups

"It's time to come together
it's up to you,what's your pleasure,
everyone around the world, come on!" - Cool and the Gang

I recently wrote about celebrating American holidays (Halloween) in the UAE.  Even though American holidays are not officially recognized, there usually isn't any problem with celebrating them.  There is a pretty large western expat community here, especially in Dubai.  Combine that with all the exposure to American movies and other media and it ends up that a lot of people here have heard of some of the bigger American holidays and are fairly tolerant of them.  Some locals even "kind of" join in the celebration in different ways.  It is a fascinating mix of culture, religion, consumerism, and fun.  Maybe I'll address some of that a little more as we approach the American holiday season and its influence over here.

In the meantime, there are some interesting local holidays that we have been introduced too.  Most of them are Muslim holidays.  When we first arrived last year it was in the middle of Ramadan or the month of fasting.  It took a little getting used to the fact that it is AGAINST the LAW to eat during the day for an entire month.  About 2 months later, our neighbors knocked on our door and offered us a bag full of goat meat.  They informed us that it was to celebrate the holiday of Eid al Adha or the Festival of Sacrifice.  Apparently, it is a celebration to commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice is son Ishmael (yes, they believe it was Ishmael) and God's intervention.  Because of this they split a sacrificial goat/lamb/ram in three parts to share in the celebration.  We were the fortunate recipients of one of the parts..... it was tasty.

Anyway, that was last year.  This year, we were a little more prepared for Ramadan so we starved a little less. And this week is the holiday of Eid.  What has been interesting this year is to learn a little more about how the holidays work.  These two holidays (and many other Muslim holidays) are not based on the regular Gregorian calendar, but instead on the Muslim calendar that is ... well, a lot less certain and shorter.  The Muslim calendar is tied a lot more closely to the phases of the moon.  Because of this, it is (at least in some countries) a little more open to interpretation.  What I mean is that since a month doesn't start/end until the moon changes phases, the exact start date of a month, or in this case a holiday, may need to be announced and made official by a religious leader (Supreme Judicial Council in Saudi Arabia) or the head Sheikh of the country/region/etc.

In reality, this means that you don't really know the exact days (or amount of days) you may get off work for a holiday until as close as a week before the holiday.  This can be a little frustrating.  In the case of Eid this year, most employees where I work were expecting a week off for the holiday.  We were finally informed only a week ago that we would NOT get the entire week, but only 3 days off.  Needless to say, there were some upset people who had to cancel flights or other travel plans.  Then, after all adjustments had been made and employees had resigned themselves to the fact that they would not get the expected time... at 3:30pm of the final work day before the holiday, we were informed that things had changed and yes, we would now get the entire week off.  Bittersweet.

This whole scenario might help give the blog readers a little glimpse at some of the way things work here.  Some say that the only reason for the uncertainty of holiday schedules and other similar events is so that those in charge (government, sheikhs, employers, etc) can have a way to always remind the populace that they are in control/power.  Others say that it is more a symptom of disorganization and ineffective communication.  And, there are others they claim it is a systematic way to keep expats in the country as much as possible to keep their money here instead of being spent traveling to other destinations.... you know, to help the economy.  Any way you look at it, it can be a little annoying.  Not the holiday itself.  I think those are fascinating and enjoyable.  It would just be nice to mark the calendar ahead of time and not wait on some unknown "they" for an official announcement.

Anyway... it is nice to have a week off ;)  Tis the season!

Do twins have different personalities?

"Now, the world don't move to the beat of just one drum,
What might be right for you, may not be right for some." - Different Strokes Theme

Recently, we went to a friends house for a birthday party.  One of the attractions was that they had someone there who was giving henna tattoos to those that wanted one. (Henna is a traditional middle-eastern temporary body-art.) It is often done to the fingers and hands and is mostly worn by women.  Yvonne got a floral design on her hand.  Abigail got to choose what she wanted.  I think it came down to a floral design or a butterfly.... this is what she ended up asking for:

Next, it was Saylor's turn to decide what she wanted.  I think her first response was... a dragon!  After some contemplation, she decided that instead of a dragon, she wanted a BIG BAD WOLF.  I'm guessing that henna artists don't do a lot of those, but here it is:

They are starting to wear off now, but for the last few days, the girl's hands have become more like pets.  We were in the swimming pool and "my wolf" or "my butterfly" were "swimming too".  Or, some food has to be shared with them at mealtimes.  Anyway, sometimes people ask us if our twins have different personalities this young.  You tell me.

The Grim Doctor

"Oh, Doctor, doctor, can't you see I'm burning, burning" - Thompson Twins

The last few days the kids have not been feeling well.  Fevers, sore throats, runny noses, coughs, tugging at ears, and all-around grumpiness.  They didn't seem to be getting better, so we finally decided to take them all in the the Dr's office to get a diagnosis.  Now, this may seem like no big deal, but let me remind you...

• 3 kids 3 years old and under
• All are sick and grumpy
• Foreign country
• Yvonne is in a cast and on crutches
• 106+ degrees of sweltering heat outside

Fortunately, there are some benefits to the healthcare in the UAE.  Most helpful in this case was that the hours for the Dr's Office and medical clinics in general here are WAY more convenient.  Yvonne called mid-day on Thursday, and we were scheduled for an appointment that evening at 6:00.  This is not an emergency room visit, or and extra urgent care visit by the Dr.  It was just a regular appointment at 6:00pm.  Convenient. 

So we tried to prep the kids... but they were all a little scared.  I wasn't sure why because they really haven't had a lot of "doctor" experiences and even those haven't really been anything major.  But, things got started off with some resistance.  

Things went pretty well at first, the waiting room was clean, practically empty, and had some toys to keep the kids occupied.  There were a few challenges with the nurse and the initial weigh in/vitals/height check... but most of that was doing in-the-head math when you get measurements like "Her height is 89 centimeters" or "her weight is 11.1 kilograms"

After another short wait, we went into the Dr's office.  She was a friendly local lady with a box of toys.  Talon immediately smiled and went to the toy box and started playing as we discussed the symptoms.  I thought to myself... "so far, so good.  the toys are going to help".  Well, lets just say that toys can only help so much.  We left her office 10 minutes later with kids with tear-stained cheeks, and embarrassed looks hoping that not too many people had heard all the crying that happened inside.  The kids mostly did alright, but the part where she wanted to put the big stick in their mouth and have them say ahhh just didn't go over well.

In the end, we were piled up with enough drugs to start a side-business,  the kids were finally smiling because they had an advil-sponsored picture of a teddy bear to take home and color.  And, we got to escape the understanding looks of the other parents and go back home where we can pretend that our kids are braver and more well behaved than average (yeah right).

Later that night I was thinking and it dawned on me.... Of course the kids where a little scared.  I'm meeting and talking to a nice, friendly, local Muslim female doctor.  She is dressed in a traditional black abaya and head scarf, but has a smile and seems to know what she is talking about.  On the other hand, what my kids are seeing is probably closer to the following images... Of course they were a little scared ;)

Mosqued in Mystery

“Your surprises wear disguises

All of your truths masquerade around on Hallow's Eve

So I'll never know what you show to unfamiliar faces” – Matt Costa

The UAE is an Islamic country. People here have religious freedom, BUT one must remember that the government and laws support the state religion of Islam (or the other way around depending on how you look at it). Non-Muslims are free to worship their own religions, but this freedom is limited… and does not apply the same way to Muslims. The result is a fascinating environment for religious practices.
One of those fascinations is Mosques. Here, they are everywhere. There are more mosques here than chapels in Provo. They seem to come in many shapes and sizes, but most include at least one towering minaret and they all broadcast the call to prayer 5 times a day. We can often hear the call from the mosque about a block or so from our house. Some are small and simple, while others are huge and extravagant. On our 20 minute drive to church, we pass several mosques that rival or exceed the size of the Laie Temple. Not only can they be big, but they are also beautiful, and they are all a bit mysterious.
Anyone can hear the call to prayer (it is in Arabic though, so we don't understand it) and see white robed men going in and out for their worship. But, in most cases, only Muslims are allowed to enter the mosques. Since we can't go in, it has been a captivating mystery to wonder what the mosques look like and what goes on inside. Of course there are lots of places on the internet that offer good information like here... so it really isn't a mystery, but reading about it isn't quite the same as actually going inside.
Come to find out, the Sheik Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi is open for the public on certain days and times. We went with some friends a little while ago to check things out and solve the mystery.
The first word that comes to mind is IMPRESSIVE. It is Huge and beautiful. A few tidbits of info:

• It is one of the top 10 largest mosques in the world
• Women are loaned an abaya and head scarf so they are appropriately modest
• Men are required to wear long pants
• The artwork was amazing... and most of it was inlaid stone, mother of pearl, or something precious
• It contains the largest continuous rug in the world. Some 35 tons of it
• It is technically still under construction. They hope to be finished sometime in 2012.

Anyway, the visit was really neat. It was cool to see a mosque from the inside instead of the just the outside. Plus, it was fun to see Yvonne dressed properly ;)
Here are a few photos of our visit.