Baby Mangos!

Last summer when I got back from the US, our Emirati friend/neighbor/landord gave us a mango tree as a gift. It has more than doubled in size over the past year, and today I got a pleasant surprise. It seems our little tree is now full of lots of little baby mangos like this one.

How cool is it to have your own home grown mangos? I see lots and lots of mango sorbet in my future.

Who Wants a Lamborghini?

source

I heard this story on the radio this morning, and knew I had to share it. It seems somebody has abandoned a Lamborghini in the emirate of Sharjah, or maybe they just forgot where they parked it. I don't know that you could really miss a purple Lambo though. Here's the story: Lamborghini ‘abandoned’ in Sharjah street | GulfNews.com

I should mention when looking for the story online to share, I actually found another one about an abandoned Lamborghini at the Dubai airport last year. It sat for over 20 months before they auctioned it off. If you've ever parked at the Dubai airport, you know that the parking fees probably totaled more than the car.....Just kidding, but it was probably close.

I Think I'll Pass on This One

Placenta soap?

Ok, not trying to be crude or offensive here. Just trying to point out how some companies and their choice of product names would not go over very well in America. I have other examples, but they may be deemed offensive although I don't believe that was the intention when they were named.

For the record, this soap contains PLANT placenta. Still, I don't think there are any marketing gurus in the states that would slap a name like this on soap and expect it to sell. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

Ramadan Dieting

Ramadan treats from my friend "H".

Well friends, we are a few days into the Holy month of Ramadan here in Abu Dhabi. No I'm not Muslim, so you're probably wondering why that means anything at all to a non Muslim. Wellllllll, Ramadan in a Muslim country means you have to follow some rules regarding eating or drinking in the view of others prior to sundown or you can get into trouble. These aren't the only rules, just the hardest ones to follow when it's 120 degrees Fahrenheit outside.

My husband and I have decided to use Ramadan as our chance to drop a few pounds we gained eating our way through France last month. I'll share with you more on the Paris trip later, but when you see the pictures you will understand why you can't say no to French cuisine, especially the desserts. Anyways, since most of the restaurants are closed here during the day, and the few that are open and hidden from view of those fasting are completely packed with Westerners, we've decided to skip lunch and only have a light snack here at the house.

I should mention that one of the cool things about Ramadan is that the government mandates that the work day for people in the private sector be reduced by 2 hours each day during Ramadan for both Muslims and non Muslims. Some companies have even more reduced hours, as is the case with my husband's company. They are working a 9am-2pm schedule during the month of Ramadan.

Since he's getting in so early, our dinners are earlier than normal making it easy to skip or only snack at lunch. It seemed like the perfect plan to lose a little weight, but I didn't factor in the generosity of my Muslim friend and neighbor, "H", who has started sending over Ramadan goodies.

You see during Ramadan it is the custom for Muslims to share with their friends, family, and strangers. Well, my dear friend H knows I love chocolate. She always makes sure she has some chocolate goody when whenever we have tea together. Today, she sent over what I can only define as "Chocolate Death Cake" and dates fresh off the tree in her garden to share her holiday with me.

If we keep getting delicious treats like this during the next month, I'm thinking our little weight loss plan is going out the window.

My Birthday and My Bucket List

Me at my most favorite place in the world.

I've been so busy lately with things around here, plus a quick trip to the US (fill you in later) that I haven't even mentioned that I checked the number one item off my bucket list for my birthday. No, I'm not dying, or at least I don't think I am. I'm just a firm believer in dreaming and realizing those dreams when possible.

First, confession time again...... I'm a Francophile. I love any and everything relating to France. I credit this to being reminded by my grandmother constantly as a child that I'm part French. Grandma's surname was Jaques, originally Jacques, but shortened  and pronounced  Jakes after the family came to America.

J'aime toutes les choses françaises.

That little spark from Grandma inspired me to take French as soon as I was able to in 8th grade and I continued till I graduated. I actually even began teaching French to 3rd graders at a local elementary school for one class period during my senior year of high school. Then there was French Club Treasurer, French Honor Society, and of course your's truly received the French Club Scholarship (paid for books).

Anyways, it was during all of these years of French classes that I was introduced to impressionist art and my all time favorite artist, Claude Monet. I absolutely adore Monet and his works, from his early years to his later years when he started losing his sight. My husband jokes and says our house is like a mini Monet gallery, because it's filled with his prints. I can spot one of his pieces from a mile away, even if it's one I haven't seen before. I even taught the kids from a young age to recognize his work, and they are quick to proudly point them out to me if they ever see one.

Claude Monet the "Father of Impressionism"

Which brings me to my bucket list. I have dreamed of visiting Monet's garden and waterlily filled pond that is showcased in several of his paintings for years now. Thus putting it at the very tip top of my bucket list. Yes, I know it's not exactly climbing Everest like others may have as their number one, and it is a bit foofoo but it's MY list. I can be foofoo if I want to.

Monet's home at Giverny

So, the hubby and I hopped a plane to the City of Lights for a few days for my birthday. That's right, birthday number 38 was spent in Paris! And la pièce de résistance of the trip was a train ride to the little town of Giverny where I got to step inside a Monet painting. At least, that's what it felt like to me. It was some amazing surreal moments for me, as we walked the grounds of Monet's home touring his famous garden and pond. For me it was all so familiar, despite never being there before. At different angles you could capture several of his many paintings, but in real life not on canvas.

Les Nymphéas (The Water Lilies)

One little spot of Monet's massive garden

Not wanting to spoil my moment taking pictures, I commissioned my husband to be trip photographer. Besides, he's the artist in our family, I'm just an admirer. While he went around snapping pictures that resembled the numerous Monet paintings I've subjected him to over the years, I was able to just sit on the many benches around the grounds and just take in all the beauty. I could have sat there forever. I was actually shocked at how many tourist just shuffle through the place without ever really stopping to take in its amazing beauty. Monet was just as much a talented gardener as he was a painter, but just like his painting style his garden did not conform to the norm either. It has been described as a mix of both French (formal) and English (natural) styles. Whatever label you put on it, it's pure genius. Monet himself called his garden his "greatest masterpiece".

Sadly, I couldn't stay in Giverny forever, but I did buy up a good portion of the gift shop to take with me or at least it seemed that way. I bought so much I was invited behind the counter to inspect all of my items. The hubby just stood back and shook his head and laughed at me. Poor guy knew there was no telling me "no" at the "Monet Store". Lucky for him we don't live in France, at least we don't live there yet.


I'm already planning how we can live on the outskirts of Paris one day.....one more item for the bucket list.

Me behind the counter at the gift shop. No, I wasn't joking.

Fiery Skies over Abu Dhabi

Sun setting behind the Central Market Towers.

The view from our balcony tonight.

*Photo props go out to my husband for these shots.

My MVP...Showing the UAE how Americans play football!

Our running back and MVP.

For as long as I can remember, my husband has been tossing footballs at our son.  Yes, "tossing" not kicking, I'm talking AMERICAN football, not soccer. When my son and daughter were just wee tots they would set up football "games" in the hallway with their rooms on either end of the hallway as the "end zones".

As soon as he was old enough to play we registered my son to play in a community football league in our hometown of Chesapeake. He was 6, and he had played with his dad out in the yard so much that he seemed to know what he was doing from day one.

Fast forward nine years, and he had made it to his high school's varsity team. It was a moment we had all waited years for, a chance to watch him play under the Friday night lights..........And then we moved to Abu Dhabi.

As many positive things I saw for our family with this move, one of the biggest downsides was that we would be taking my son, Andrew, away from a sport he loved at a time he had waited so long for and worked so hard to get to.

Fortunately for us, Andrew is a talented athlete and he was able to channel his talent into other sports after we moved here including soccer and rugby. He's even been able to do some coaching and refereeing which he would not have had time for in the states.

Last summer my child saw an ad for the newly forming Emirates American Football League, and to say he was excited would be an understatement. We got him signed up, and last October he became an Abu Dhabi Wildcat, playing for their senior team.

I'm not sure who has enjoyed this season more, me or my son. I have always loved watching him play, and I'm his biggest and loudest fan. He gave us a lot to cheer about, scoring multiple touchdowns throughout the season that lasted into the spring.

In March his team won the first ever Desert Bowl for bragging rights as "national champions". Then earlier this month he and several other players in the league were recognized for their talents and effort displayed during the league's inaugural season.

Now, I get my proud mom moment. My running back brought home the following much deserved awards: Team Leadership Award, Team MVP, and last but not least, the League Offensive MVP. Yes, I was beaming from ear to ear, but honestly the awards were just the icing on the cake. Seeing Andrew pick up where he had left off when we pulled him away from football in the states was priceless.

Congratulations, Andrew! I'm so incredibly proud of you.

Parking Just for Me!

Not really sure what made these spots so special, other than they may have been a slight bit wider than the rest of the super tight spaces in this particular garage.

Catch Up Time

It's been a while since I've posted anything, but that isn't due to a lack of things to talk about. I've just been extremely busy lately. So here's a quick run down of the last few months.

December - Christmas vacation was spent this year in Italy and Switzerland with a one day detour into France on Christmas day. We managed to continue our tradition of getting some snowboarding in over the holiday as well.

Me to the right, Matterhorn to the left.

My husband made a trip to the US right before our trip, so he was able to bring back lots of new gear and goodies, including a new snowboard for my daughter. She wasted no time breaking it in as we did some boarding near the Matterhorn.

My little boarder girl and her new Burton.

January - I lost another dear family member in January. My beautiful and fun loving Aunt Gloria was diagnosed with cancer last fall about the same time as my Grandfather. She was only 56 and the life of any party.

My Aunt Gloria with my cousins Mason and Christopher.

Our family has been hit hard over the past 6 months, and mere words can't express how much I hate cancer. It is an ugly and vicious disease, and it's more than just a scary word when it affects your loved ones. Still as horrible as it may be, I know my dear aunt beat it the day she passed on to Heaven.

  January also brought smiles when we added 2 more members to our family. For months, I had been scouring sites for local pet rescue groups here looking for a playmate for Shadow our 6 year old black lab. Well, I found a sweet female lab that desperately needed love after being seriously neglected. When we showed up to meet her, there was also a cute little female black lab/weimaraner puppy that also needed a home.

Raven and Stormy, our new babies.

My husband and I sat at this lady's house for over an hour playing with and holding both of these sweet girls trying to figure out which one we should adopt. They were both so lovable and they both needed a home where they could get lots of attention. For me taking both of them seemed like the obvious answer, but I never imagined I would get my husband to agree. Well, it seems he's a big softy when he wants to be. He couldn't leave one of them behind either.

So now we have Raven and Stormy. That brings the pet total in our house to a whopping 4, with 3 dogs and 1 cat. Shadow loves his new friends, and the cat.....well she hasn't killed them yet.

February was filled with lots of love here in the Dhabi, as I affectionately call it. My dear husband once again managed to top my Valentines Day gift for him. I was so sure I had him this year too, because I got the gun loving love of my life a membership at the Officers Club shooting range here.

Oh but no, he blew my gift away with a Valentine's Day that seemed to never end. I woke up to this on my bedroom wall:

My reply was, "This girl has loved that boy for over 22 years, and will love him long past the time we are old and  grey."

Then there was dinner on the beach at Emirates Palace.

Dinner with a view.

I thought we were headed home from dinner when he took a detour to Shangri-la, and surprised me with a large balcony suite with views of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the beach.

 He also had purple roses waiting for me in the suite. It's a tradition that I get some type of purple roses every year for Valentine's day. I've received them as paintings, glass sculptures, earrings, paper, and the list goes on and on for the past 18 years. Every now and then, he just gives me the real flowers, but they are usually in a unique setting. Well, he didn't disappoint this year.

Purple roses, my fav, and a remarkable view.

The next day, when I thought a private breakfast on the balcony was the end to our little Valentine's love fest, he gave me yet another gift. It seems he's heard me whine and moan about my back one too many times. He booked us for a 2 1/2 hour package at the Chi Spa at Shangri-la complete with a chocolate wrap treatment. Man, I love this guy!

March brought some exciting American football. Yes, that's right AMERICAN football.  My son has been playing with the Abu Dhabi Wildcats senior football team that is part of the newly formed Emirates American Football League since last October. In March, they became the league champions winning the first ever Desert Bowl.

Number 7 in gold is my favorite player.

It was so great to be able to watch my boy doing what he loves most again. I'm already looking forward to next season.

Well that is it folks, lots going on here in Abu Dhabi.

The New Presidential Palace

Beautiful even in the construction phase, can't imagine what it will be like when it's done.

I wonder if they had to pay extra for the sun feature.....

My Grandfather

Granddad and I on our last road trip to NC.

I've come to my blog several times over the past month knowing what I must write about next, but I just haven't been able to do it. You see what I need to write about makes me think about a huge loss I suffered last month that I've been trying to go about life here in Abu Dhabi pretending it isn't real. Kind of like remembering the event as only a bad dream. That is until I get the urge to pick up the phone and talk to one of my biggest fans, and realize I can't.

On October 16, my son's 17th birthday, my Granddad Eubanks went Home to be with God. Home to be with his wife of 58 years and my Dad who he lost over 26 years ago. Home to be with countless friends and family members he's had to say goodbye to over the years.  Home to be free from pain and free from cancer.

I've said it several times over the course of this past month, I'm happy for my Grandfather. I know he was so ready to go, and I know how very happy he must have been to finally be with my Grandmother again. We've all had to watch as he's longed for her company the past 3 years. 

Then there's the selfish side of me that wants to pretend he's still here. It's not just because he was my last living grandparent either. It's because he was a huge cheerleader and supporter of me and my family in everything we did. He was also my buddy, someone I could always count on to say yes to a lunch or dinner date.

I remember when we decided to make the move to Abu Dhabi I was so afraid to tell my Grandfather, because I knew it would upset him. He always spent a lot of time with my family, and I just didn't know how he would react to the news that we were moving to the other side of the world.

Well, he reacted just like he had all of my life. He told me how proud he was of my husband and I, and he supported our decision. That doesn't mean he liked the idea of being far from his great grandbabies, but he told me he knew how great this opportunity was for us and that we needed to take it.

Perhaps, he knew I needed his blessing. Leaving him with his age and declining health was the one thing that bothered me most about moving to Abu Dhabi. Thanks to modern technology, we were able to get past the many miles that separated us.

I'm pretty sure my Grandfather had my Google Voice phone number( a free US number I have) on his speed dial. Several times over the past couple of years my heart dropped when that line would ring and display my Grandfather's number at what I knew to be the wee hours of the morning in the states. Usually, when someone is calling you at 3am their time it's never for good news.

Not the case with Granddad, it would always be him on the other end sounding wide awake and ready to chat with me. My initial question was always "Are you ok?", followed by "What are you doing up at this hour?". He would usually say the cat or dog woke him up, and when he saw the time he knew I would be awake so he called to chat.

Oh, how I loved those chats about anything and everything. He always wanted to know every detail about what was going on in my life as well as my husband and kids' lives. We could spend an hour just going over the kids' sports. I used to joke that he was like their agent, always trying to broker deals with me to pay them if they scored or better yet if they stopped the other team from scoring.

Even better, were the chats that I got to share with him in person on my summer visits. Granddad was always willing and ready to go with me anywhere, and we normally ran our mouths the entire time we were together. He didn't mind doing simple things like going to Walmart or the hardware store with me. He would always follow me around a store in a motorized cart like a speed demon helping me search for the best deals on whatever I needed. Shopping usually ended with food, and that was almost always Carolina style BBQ, a meal we both loved. We even did a couple road trips to NC this summer with him riding shotgun. Those are trips I will cherish forever.

I am blessed to have had him in my life for so many years. He was always the supporter and fan that I know my Dad would have been if he could have. So, for me to have to write this and really acknowledge he's gone is tough, and it's taken over a month. I'm going to miss our 3am talks and BBQ dinners, but most of all I'm going to miss having someone that made me feel as though they were incredibly proud of me.

I love you Granddad.

A Laugh from Bawabat Al Sharq Mall

Straight from the mall directory at Bawabat Al Sharq Mall in Baniyas......Are stores number 45 and 46 new?