That Darn Checklist

I am soooo lazy about blog posts these days. I have two more days of Dubai sightseeing and now a weekend in Muscat to write about.  Which I will.  Soon.  I find, though, that my PCS checklist gets longer and more convoluted each day, no matter how much (or little) I do.  That doesn't even include the actual PCS checklist I'll soon have to fill out.

So in an effort to provide myself some positive reinforcement, here's a few things I've actually accomplished!

-The cats went in for their penultimate vet visit.  They each received their annual vaccinations, were microchipped, and were pronounced in great health.  They did very well in their new soft carriers and at the vet, but they both slept the whole day afterward and completely ignored me.  I can handle that, though.

-I did my final IKEA run today and was in and out in 20 minutes - a record!  I really only went in to stock up on napkins (I really like their paper napkins for some reason) but came out with a few additional photo frames and some organizational odds and ends.

-After several months of hemming and hawing, I bought a television.  I had a post-provided TV here that was perfectly adequate, but I wanted something decent after this.  I bought a 43" Samsung plasma multisystem for a pretty decent price, so I'm happy.

-I bought a couple of nice pieces of wooden furniture from a local store and two beautiful rugs in Muscat, so my home decor kit is pretty well stocked.

-Pack out survey was completed with minimal fuss; they think I'll be well under my allowable weight, which is great news.  Though I still need to purge quite a bit in the next few weeks...

-I am mentally prepping my UAB shipment and starting to put things in HHE and storage piles.  Not nearly quickly enough, but it's a start.

-I am halfway through repackaging clothes to return; tomorrow I'll finish this chore.  Right now they are just stacked in their plastic; I need to do the paperwork and find boxes.

Tomorrow's other goal is to move some of the totes I've already packed into now empty spaces, clearing the way for me to get to other things that were never even unpacked after moving two years ago in the first place.  I also hope to find the bag of batiks I want to get framed so I can take those in next week.

There's still a ton of purging and organizing to be done, but I felt the need for some positive reinforcement in the form of writing it all down, so there you go!

Dubai - Day 1

It has been brought to my attention that I have been slow in posting as of late.  Yes, that's entirely true.  It's been a bit busy around here, and preparing for PCS is exhausting.  Add in a nice bout of intestinal flu, and I just haven't had the time or energy to write.  That said, I have plenty to write about, not least of which my wonderful visit to Dubai a few weekends back!

I took a long weekend to visit Dubai, my first time to a Gulf country other than Saudi Arabia.  I have heard many, many things about Dubai, both good and bad, and I went into it with few expectations other than an enjoyable adventure.  All things said, I really loved Dubai and had a wonderful time.  It was an expensive city but a great change for a few days.

Wednesday morning I flew to Dubai on Emirates' new low-cost carrier, flyDubai.  It was a perfectly pleasant if no-frills flight, marred only by the effects of the wind on landing.  At one point while turning on approach, we dropped a few hundred feet in a sudden wind gust, sending things flying and everyone gripping their seats.  We landed without further incident, and I sped through immigration and baggage claim.  One of the things I absolutely loved about Dubai was the orderliness of the taxis - all the cars are clean and smoke-free, and they use meters and have fair and transparent fares with no haggling.  I found all the drivers I used to be consummate professionals.  Plus, they all used seat belts, which wins big points in my book!

I stayed at the Crowne Plaza at Festival City, a bit away from the downtown areas but still close enough.  I love the CP brand and have never been disappointed by one of their hotels.  Bonus - it was attached to the Intercontinental with a great spa as well as the mall at Festival City.  I had an awesome room, perfectly appointed and with a predictably comfortable bed and functional bathroom.  One of the other reasons I chose this hotel was the Belgian Beer Cafe in the lobby - I adore me some mussels.  So I had a nice lunch of mussels and wild mushrooms and Belgian frites before a quick rest.

Then I headed out for my desert sundowner adventure!  I have spent a lot of time in deserts and adore the dunes, the wildlife, and the Bedouin hospitality.  So while this crowded adventure was a bit too touristy for my liking, I enjoyed the unique aspects of the experience.  We set out in a plush LandCruiser, five Australians and me, as we drove out of Dubai, affording me some of my first glimpses of the skyline.

After about 45 minutes of driving we entered the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR), a large tract of land set aside for conservation efforts.  Only a few tour companies are allowed to enter the reserve.  We stopped at the entrance to deflate the tires to better assist with dune driving.  We drove a bit farther in, glimpsing our first gazelles and an Arabian oryx.  Our first stop was what I was most interested in - a falconry demonstration.  I was not disappointed.

We trekked about a few hundred yards through soft sand to a comfortable ampitheater.  It was punishingly hot in the afternoon sun, and Thunder the falcon was especially affected.  The falconer, a South African, told us about Thunder, a year-old peregrine falcon, and pointed out some important features of the trade - his heavy protective glove, her hood, and her electronic tracker, among others.  Then it was time for a short flight. 

Thunder was reluctant to fly in the afternoon heat, and it took a while to get her to finally take off from a small stake in the ground.  Then, using a dead bird at the end of a long rope, the falconer demonstrated how he could get Thunder to   make several passes to try and catch the bird, now swinging around the falconer's head.  After three or four passes, he deemed it too hot for any more and let her catch and eat the bird.  We had the opportunity to come in closer for photos of Thunder, who was now doing her own version of panting with her open beak.  She was gorgeous.

We loaded back into the vehicles for a session of dune bashing.  Now this practice is likely not environmentally friendly, but it was a lot of fun and probably the most harrowing dune driving I've done, beating Wadi Rum by a lot on the excitement factor.  We saw numerous more gazelles, a number of Arabian oryx (soooo gorgeous!), and a desert hare.  We stopped and climbed a dune for a sunset view - not one of the better sunsets I've seen, I must say.  Too crowded and too small a dune.  All photos were obscured by the mass of humanity. 

The entire experience reminded me of a well-intentioned but wholly misguided trip to the Namib desert I took back in college with a few friends.  I've probably mentioned it before, but that 4,000 km, five-day adventure in a rented Nissan sedan and essentially a wing and a prayer was such a horrible, horrible idea.  We're so lucky nothing went wrong.  It was so amazingly fun and awesome, and we still laugh and reminisce about it today, but we were so unprepared I actually use this as a what not to do cautionary tale for students studying abroad... Anyway.

This was a much more populated sojourn which, frankly, stressed me out a bit.  We drove a short distance from our sunset spot to the camp, a decently constructed Bedouin camp with majlis-type seating areas and numerous activities.  I had planned to go for a camel ride, but there was a massive line, and I was just not feeling it.  I did get another henna tattoo on my forearm.  Much less intricate than my last one, it was fun nonetheless.  Two weeks later, it has almost completely faded.  I also had the chance to try on a falcon glove and hold a falcon - quite a cool experience!  I even got to pet her :-). 

We had a so-so buffet dinner and then were treated to a belly-dancing show, also so-so.  The last hurrah was a few minutes in total darkness looking at the night sky, and then we loaded back into the vehicles and headed back to the city.  All in all it was a decidedly so-so experience, but I am still glad I did it if only for the falconry exhibit, the wildlife, and desert driving.  I think the thing that turned me off the most was the size of the outing - 47 vehicles with six passengers each.  And this was a slow day - sometimes they have more than 200 vehicles.  What I love about the desert is the solitude, so this just killed that illusion entirely.  But, I know better for next time. 

Entering DDCR

Obligatory camel photo... first one I've seen with a muzzle.

Gazelle!!

Falconer & Thunder (still hooded)

Thunder, set to fly

One of her passes

And eating her well-earned prey

Not really aggressive right now, just hot

See her tracking device?

Driving a well-driven track, one of 47 vehicles (*sigh*)

Straight out of a car commercial, right?

Desert!

THIS is why this was not the greatest desert adventure...

I love tracks in the desert, even the human ones

This was from quite a distance so is a little blurry, but the white spot is a glorious Arabian oryx!

Two Months

The countdown is well and truly on:  only two months till packout.  Which means that I am well and truly forced to start going through the boxes of things I shipped over here two years ago with the intent of going through them to sort and purge.  Better late than never?  I want to seriously reduce my HHE weight so I can have a manageable shipment for Kampala.

Today's box was a treasure trove of memories.  It was all my syllabi and papers and coursework from my senior year of college along with lots of memorabilia from throughout college.  Photos I hadn't seen in years, mementos from my various travels, cards and letters,  an odd collection of Halloween decorations, and a plethora of crayola products.  What a fun afternoon sorting through!  I did manage to throw away a whole big bag of junk, sort a large pile of articles I'll never read again for shredding, and frame a few awesome photos.  I found some notes from a few of my favorite professors, who were instrumental in making me seriously consider the FS (even though I'd been informally considering it for years by then anyway), which were nice to read.  I even found some DOS-style memos I'd written for one course - how funny!

I am starting to get nostalgic for things I'll miss about Jeddah and getting my butt in gear to check things off my to-do list.  I brought the first batch of clothes to the tailor for hemming and alterations last week; once I see how he did I'll decide whether to bring batches 2 and 3.  Tomorrow I'm taking advantage of the holiday and going shopping for wooden furniture.  My goal is to find a nice mashrabiya window.  I am piling things up to take to the framer.  I need to book a car to ride around some weekend morning when there's little traffic and photograph all the great public art installations this city has.

Short week this week, then a much-needed trip to Dubai - my first time ever!  So, so excited.  Any suggestions for things to see/do/eat?

Lovely London!

I love London.  Like really, really, really love it.  And I forget that a lot but remember it instantly whenever I go back.  Well, maybe not instantly.  At least not this time, when I had to wait for almost two hours in the line for Immigration.  But as soon as I stepped through the final doors and breathed in the orderliness that is Heathrow, I was there.  I found my driver (who was even less happy than me about the two hour delay), and we were off!

I stayed at a hotel literally around the corner from L's new flat, in the lovely Swiss Cottage area.  My room was not quite ready at 9am (imagine that), so L just brought me to her house, where her extended family was also staying.  We had a lovely morning catching up and lazing about, and then we headed out for the afternoon.  After a delicious lunch at a cozy Vietnamese restaurant (pho! how I've missed you!), we had a lovely spa treat of manicures and massages.  The blissful relaxation was jolted slightly by the now massive downpour we walked out into, but we finished the remainder of our (more mundane) errands and headed back to the flat.

After a delicious dinner of homemade Indian fare, we joined L's sister-in-law for a henna party.  This was my first time having it done, and I absolutely loved it!  N was a phenomenal henna artist, and I have been able to enjoy her artwork ever since - it's only now fading away.  I couldn't believe I made it through the full day without falling asleep after taking an overnight flight, but when I finally (carefully, so as to not disturb the henna) laid down in bed, I fell asleep fairly quickly. 

The next day was pretty awesome.  L's parents, who were in town for a few days, came over in the morning, and we met up for a long, luxurious, delicious lunch with a lot of other friends, most new to me but with some familiar faces I'd met on previous trips to the UK to visit L.  It was a beautiful sunny day, which just added to the celebratory atmosphere. 

I had a low-key evening, skipping a hike up Primrose Hill for a wander down the high street, a wander through the M&S food hall (oh how I miss this from my Cape Town days, the Woolworths version), and a casual but delicious dinner from Subway.  I know, why go all the way to London to have Subway, but I was just so excited to be able to get a ham sandwich!

The next morning our group of eight headed to Paddington Station, where we caught the train for Windsor.  We were not the only ones who had the same idea on a beautiful Sunday, as the trains and town were packed.  We queued for tickets to Windsor Castle, which was, thankfully, much less crowded once you entered the grounds and spread out.  The Queen was not in residence while we were there; she was expected back later in the afternoon, but we never did get to see the flags change, sadly.  Windsor Castle was pretty amazing, both the grounds and the State Apartments.  I was very impressed and fully and totally in my element as a self-professed Royal-phile. 

Lunch at Wagamama was warm and filling (still sunny, it was quite chilly, especially for those of us used to warmer climes), and then we wandered the shops for a while before heading back to London.  We sadly bid L's parents goodbye, as they were heading on to the country for a holiday.

I dragged L and N to the nearby cinema that evening to see the Hunger Games, even though neither one had read the book yet.  I absolutely loved the film and thought it was true to the book.  The others enjoyed it, even though I don't think I adequately prepared them for the subject matter...

The next day, L very patiently tagged along while I created a perfect London day.  We went first to Leicester Square to try and score tickets to the Lion King.  We clearly didn't do our homework, as there was no show that evening.  Sad!  None of the other shows were ones we were dying to see, so we walked on to Piccadilly Circus.  There, we indulged in something I've always wanted to do but never had the time to:  a London tour in a big, touristy, red, double-decker bus!  L was skeptical but agreed to it.  And even though it started raining the moment we boarded, so we sat in a covered area where windows slightly obscured our view, it really was great fun!  I want to go back and actually hop-on, hop-off sometime.  Even L, who has lived in and around London for much of the last six years, learned a great deal of fun trivia.  We did the full 2.5 hour tour without getting out (the weather was quite terrible), and by the time we returned to Piccadilly Circus we were pretty much frozen.  And that's saying a lot for two NH girls!  We had wanted to see the changing of the guard, but that event was also not scheduled for the day we were there.  Oh well - more reason to go back!

We walked to a cafe and had a snack and warmed our extremities.  Thus fortified, we headed to our next stop:  Fortnum & Mason.  I had never actually been to the flagship store, and it was quite an awesome experience.  I filled my basket with entirely too many goodies, and we had great fun coveting the super-expensive housewares and china and silver and hats and other wonderful things.  I just loved the color scheme so much - I am very much a teal person :-).

We paid for our purchases and headed out to our most important appointment of the day - afternoon tea at the Wolseley.  Wow.  I absolutely adore afternoon tea (those crustless finger sandwiches! scones with clotted cream and jam!), and this did not disappoint.  It felt very decadent and had perfect ambiance for our outing.  We finished up with a quick trip to Accessorize and then headed back to Swiss Cottage.

We had one last wonderful home-cooked by L's mother-in-law meal, and then came the tearful goodbyes.  I returned to my hotel, sadly packed my belongings, got a good night's sleep, and then headed for Heathrow in the morning.  I had a quick breakfast, spent entirely too much time and money at Harrod's airport food hall, and then boarded my almost-empty flight back to Jeddah.  Sad to leave L and her family, sad to leave London.  But happy the city isn't going anywhere. 

Below are a few photos, mostly of Windsor Castle and environs.  Photos from the bus tour were difficult because of the windows/rain, but there are a few. 

The Union Jack was flying since the Queen was not in residence; her own flag flies when she is.  We missed seeing the flag change, sadly.

Love the crown on the lamps!

Love it!

Can you tell Windsor Castle is in Heathrow's flight path?

A newly-renamed pub in Windsor :-).

The lions at Trafalgar Square were modeled on both lions and dogs.

The Mall, leading to Buckingham Palace

I thought it interesting how many discarded pairs of earbuds were atop this bus stop shelter.

Cornish!

Nippletastic: A Rant For FS Bloggers

I'm going to step onto my soapbox now.  I'm in the middle of several other posts, but there's something that just needs to be said right now.  And that is:  nipple. 

Now.  If you are among the FS blogger community that makes up the vast majority of my readership, you know exactly what I mean by that.  For those who don't, it means that I am standing in solidarity with one of my own - a fellow FS blogger.  And not just any FS blogger, but one of the pioneers of the FS blog.  One of the leaders in the FS community, online and off line.  A woman who I consider a friend, despite the fact that we've never met.  But, she's invariably been there for me when I've needed her, even (especially) when she's needed support even more than me. 

This week, Jen discovered that she is "not FS enough" to represent the FS on an official blog roll used as a recruitment tool.  (A blog roll I've chosen not to be on, for various reasons.  None of them have to do with not wanting to recruit people.)

Jen has detailed what happened very well herself.  And on this post she links to others who have done the same.  I won't rehash everything here (especially since the majority of you know the story anyway).  If you don't, follow the links. 

The reasons she was given are simply laughable.  Especially because the same could be said for every single other blog on that roll (and the many, many more who aren't).  We are taught from day 1 that the FS isn't a career, it's a lifestyle.  And so it makes sense that everything that happens to us, good or bad, is part of that lifestyle.  And there's a whole lot of good that happens to all of us.  But there's a hell of a lot of bad, too.  And all of it is inextricably intertwined with our lifestyles.  And any prospective member of the FS family should be inspired by these stories, not scared of them. 

I am not the first or the most eloquent to post about this injustice, and I won't be the last (or, hopefully, the least eloquent!).  Because we are a community.  We stick together.  We make our own corner of FS life more fun.  Sometimes more bearable.  Sometimes we kvetch.  Sometimes we brag.  Sometimes we cry.  Often, we laugh.  With both of the most difficult experiences I've had in my short FS career - the death of my beloved Hattie and my mother's recent brain aneurysm saga - the FS blog community has comforted me, grieved with me, exhaled with me, and made me realize I had a community.  I think every other blogger has had similarly positive supportive experiences. 

I've only met a few of these people in real life, but I look forward to upcoming bloggy get-togethers when I'm back in DC this fall.  The one I-know-you-from-your-blog meet-up I've had was pretty awesome.  And I know the rest will be too.

Because, after all, the FS blog community is pretty darn nippletastic, if I do say so myself. 

And Jen - you don't just have an FS blog.  You ARE the FS.  We all are.

Parrotfish Festival!

I know I've kept you all in suspense for entirely too long about my recent adventures - apologies!  I had no idea how exhausting the last weeks would be.  But now I'm reflecting on a busy two weeks and a wonderful escape to London.  But first - adventures!

Before I came to Saudi Arabia, I studied Arabic for ten months.  One of the skills we practiced was listening, first to audio files, and, eventually, with videos as well.  One video in particular caught my eye - it was of hundreds of people wading in shallow water catching fish - with nets, with their bare hands, with their clothes, really with anything handy.  It looked like so much fun!  And when I found out it was in Saudi, that was it.  I had to go.  I mean, I HAD to go.

So I did some research, found out some more details, and started talking nonstop about this event - which I discovered was the Parrotfish Festival on Farasan Island.  I had enough other people intrigued to try and organize a trip, but the first year it didn't work out.  So as this April approached, I once again tried to interest people.  And I was lucky to have the opportunity to go this year, and as part of a regional outreach trip for work, too!

We were privileged to be part of the festival's VIP delegation, which afforded me great opportunities to meet and talk with people as well as see things up close.

So, without getting into too many work-ish details, here's how it all went down.

We flew from Jeddah to Jizan, on the southwest coast of KSA.  From there we took the ferry to Farasan Island, the largest of the more than 200 Farasan islands in the group.  We then took a tour of the island, stopping at various scenic and historic sites.  One of them was a heritage village, where we were greeted with traditional drumming and dancing and escorted through the village's restored homes, reminiscent of life hundreds of years ago.  The homes, built of natural materials, kept the occupants cool during the hot days and warm on cool ones.

By far my favorite part of this tour was the camel parade, simulating the celebration over the arrival of fresh water borne by camels.  Two camels, dressed in elegant finery for the occasion, played their parts admirably.  A young man performed various dances and acrobatics astride the lead camel, including a sustained head stand.  What a wonderful sight; I was enthralled!

After checking into our hotels and changing clothes (note to self: wool blazer is NOT a good choice on a tropical island with high humidity...), we headed out for an evening of fun.  Following a banquet dinner, we were treated to a phenomenal traditional cultural performance featuring music composed for the event and some amazing dancing.  As the performance came to a close, the fireworks began, and all the dancers and singers came back to the stage for the grand finale.  The fireworks show was among the best I've ever seen, and the entire spectacle was truly magical.  Afterward, we headed to our hotels and settled in for the night, the big event awaiting us in the morning.

The next morning we met up again with the entire delegation and headed for the parrotfish beach and pavilion.  As we arrived, a bell went off and we were treated to the sight of several thousand people (mainly men) running towards the water.  I was ushered through the pavilion to the media viewing platform over the water, possibly the best spot to watch the spectacle. 

Using nets, clothing, crates, plastic bags, and their hands, the competitors spent thirty minutes in shallow water catching as many parrotfish as they could.  When I first arrived and started taking photos the water was clear enough that I could look down and see the teeming fish swimming around.  Pretty soon, though, enough sand and sediment was kicked up that the water was too cloudy to see the fish, which also hindered the catching process.

The majority of people clustered toward the far fence, but there were enough people close by to make for some great photo ops.  Especially as the competition time drew to a close and the winning hauls weighed, the entire event turned to fun.  I remain astonished at the number of young men who will put a live parrotfish in their mouths for a photo op.  Many people came up to me and inquired where I was from, welcoming me warmly when I answered.  It was a very convivial atmosphere, with lots of laughter, smiles, and camaraderie. 

It has been a couple of weeks since the event, so my enthusiasm has since waned a bit (sadly), and I fear this description is somewhat lacking.  Please know that this is not intentional - I count this festival as one of the highlights of my time in Saudi Arabia.  I enjoyed the slower pace of the Farasan Islands, the warm welcomes we received everywhere we went, and meeting wonderful people throughout the trip.  Enjoy the photos below!

Warm welcome at the heritage village

Traditionally painted dishes adorn the walls of a restored home.

First sight of the camel parade! (Hint - the man in the background is standing on one!)

Gorgeous camel costumes!

This young man was quite the camel acrobat!

This little boy stayed on his swing perch the entire time we were there!

I love me some palm trees!

Sword dancing at the cultural show

Fireworks!

Grand finale!

And so it begins...

I don't know for sure, but I imagine this man and his family had a winning haul.

Parrotfish

And so begin the fish-in-mouth poses...

Patriotic young men using anything available to catch fish.

Showing off a big haul for the cameras.

One daughter schleps the fish, the other the shoes.

Perhaps my favorite photo of the entire day!

"I caught a big one!"