"Hang on Stupid!"

I went to my regular salon to get a haircut today. It's a great little salon staffed with a

bunch of ladies from the Philippines. It was a major coo for me to find a stylist who cuts

my hair the way I like! Most of the customers are expats and the radio is tuned to 106.9

which is pop and oldies, mostly American and British.

A number one hit from 1965 by The McCoys, "Hang on Sloopy", came on the radio.

One of the hairdressers started singing along, but she sang; "hang on stupid, stupid hang on..." And not quietly either! At first I thought I heard incorrectly, but as she sang it over

and over I knew I hadn't. Keeping a straight face I just started thinking, with all

the different languages and cultures why would she know a word like sloopy?

And doesn't it make more sense to tell someone who's stupid to hang on?

From now on that song will always make me smile!

Art Classes In Abu Dhabi

I always wanted to take Art Classes and have never had the opportunity.

It hasn't stopped me from painting murals but I am basically self taught along with

much loving and helpful instruction from my husband. Whom I lovingly refer to as my "muse", and jokingly as my "moose". Since I have been hear in Abu Dhabi I have been able to take some Art Classes, and it has been great fun!

My best project, the one worthy of framing (which I still need to do), from my first drawing class at the Cultural Foundation. Unfortunately they closed their facility but I have found some new places to take classes.

I am now taking Silk Painting classes by a wonderful lady named Tamara who is from Sri Lanka. The above project was my first and was made into a pillow cover.

This is my second silk painting which I had framed. Now I just have to have it hanged!

Job Site Update

After one year on the construction site much progress has been made. Probably equal to several years in the U.S. The last job site blog I posted was back in September, when the first crane was going up!

The first phase, which is the largest will be finished at the end of August.

And according to Barry, Senior Project Manager, it will be finished on time!!

That translates to a lot of sleepless nights in our house!

Barry and Dave (the two guys this whole project is weighing heavy on!)

There was a dinner a few weeks back to celebrate this division of Parsons

being in the U.A.E. one year.

The PARCOM team that has all "survived" one year in Abu Dhabi!

Dixie Boyd, myself, and Alis Woodard.

The Sorbonne Team from Parsons.

This is a sign that hangs in a exhibit about ongoing development in

Abu Dhabi in the Emirates Palace Hotel.

A Glimpse Of Heaven

Every Friday morning at 10:15am I like to think I see a glimpse of Heaven. On Friday mornings we go to church and the first thing we do is have "praise and worship" time. We usually sing four or five songs total. In a room of about three hundred and fifty people there are least forty nationalities represented every Friday morning, often more. When we sing I love to look around and see the faces, and listen to the different accents singing. Together, Americans, Brits, South Africans, Kenyans, Filipinos, Sri Lankans, Aussies, New Zealanders, Canadians, Nigerians, Lebanese, Indians, Chinese, Egyptians, Indonesians, Germans, Zimbabweans, Malaysians, Singaporeans, and more sing praises to our Lord together.

That is how I picture Heaven. That one day all those who trust in Jesus from every part of this world, past and present will sing praises to Him together. It is such a joy to see that glimpse on Friday mornings. I know you can live anywhere and know that, but we all do not get the privilege to see that on a regular basis.

The Land of the Shepherds

Today I was at silk painting class which is hosted in the home of a very sweet lady from the United Kingdom. She has two children, a 6 year old boy and a 3 year old girl. They have been here not quite a year. She told a sweet story today about the two of them after they first arrived. She overheard the children chatting in the playroom one afternoon while she was in the hallway. She hung out quietly and listened in while older brother (five at the time) told little sister quite cheerfully and with comfort; "We don't live at home anymore. We live in the land of the shepherds, except they don't have any sheep."

How sweet is a child's perspective!

All of the men in their dish-dashes and head scarves appeared as shepherds to him.

Yes, I Said Cow!

Saturday May 2nd will be a day I remember for a very long time. We are part of a small group at church and on Sat. we had an afternoon gathering which we invited many friends and coworkers to. We asked Andrew (from church) to come cook for us. Andrew is from Kenya and he is a chef, he has even cooked for the Vice President of Kenya! He left his home in Kenya to work here and provide for his family. The 7 star hotel Emirates Palace (which I have featured in several past blogs) hired him to be a Chef for them. Then after he got here his position was cancelled and he was placed as a security guard and has to live in one of the many labor camps. The other thing about Andrew is how much he loves the Lord, it shines from within him. I think he started cooking about 8am and the food started flowing at noon and was still coming at 3pm. My friend Mattie's son, Ryan wants to be a chef so he was helping Andrew, and loving it all day!! It was an amazing feast!!

Andrew needs a cow. Not here! In Kenya, if his wife had a cow she and the children could go live on the land they have in the country and provide for themselves. Instead of being in the city. So while Andrew cooked and we ate we quietly made a collection and were able to bless Andrew with enough money to buy a cow! In fact, we collected enough for him to purchase some tea trees to plant also. Later in the afternoon when we were finished cleaning up Andrew came out of a room after just sharing the news with his wife. His joy was contagious! With tears almost spilling out of his eyes he looked at the few of us who were still left and said; "I have seen God move here today. I have seen Him in all of you." Few of our eyes were dry at that point. What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon!!!!!!!

The Grand Mosque

Mom, Barry and I went to see the Grand Mosque. It is the world's third largest Mosque and is open to the general public on every day but Friday (the Holy Day for Muslims). It was my second visit there and much progress has been made since last August. It was also a whole lot cooler! The grounds and surrounding parks are still under construction.

The Mosque from Shangra-La.
Mom and I standing in front of the main entrance.
There are four of these minurets that the late Shiekh Zayed designed himself.
Reflecting pools at the entrance.

Construction workers under cover cleaning grout out of the tiles in the main courtyard.

Even the air conditioning vents were worked into the design of the prayer rooms.
Mom and I in our Abayas and Sheylas, we were required to wear them to walk around the Mosque.The world's largest carpet hand woven by over 1200 ladies in Iran for two years.All of th ewhite is so striking against a blue aky.
The amount of marbles and precious stones in the wall murals was amazing.

Barry walking around the large outside courtyard. Large enough for 5,000.
Looking back onto the main part of the Mosque from the courtyard.The world's largest chandelier, no one said it was the world's prettiest!

It hangs in the largest dome of it's type.
The main prayer hall, front and center. In the leaves on the wall are written in Arabic the one hundred attributes of Allah, the God of the Muslim faith.
Barry and I. The flowers behind us are all carved of stone on marble walls.
The floor in the large courtyard that is outside is made of a tile that does not get hot to the touch. No matter how many hours the sun beats down on it!
The opposite reflecting pool.

It was a great day showing Mom and Barry all around!

Sking in the Middle East!

In The Mall of The Emirates is Ski Dubai, the indoor ski slopes the mall is so well known for. The above picture is the exterior of the slopes. They rent you the skis or tubes (for tubing) and even the ski suits, boots and gloves. It is such a funny sight because everyone is dressed the same! They even give ski lessons.

Mom outside Ski Dubai.

Me in the chalet having a latte overlooking the slopes!

It has a four-sided fireplace with a TV screen showing a picture of a fire on all sides!

The slopes are at an end of the mall with restaurants and cafes

on two levels around three sides.

The windows you see on the top right are some of the restaurants.

You enter into the cavern in the rock and then climb stairs to get to the top of the tubing run.

There was a group of about fifty kids getting ready to go "play"!

The indoor ski slopes and indoor ice skating rink in Marina mall

in Abu Dhabi should be open soon!

Old Dubai

When Mom and I were in Dubai we went to "Old Dubai". It was so interesting because in Abu Dhabi everything is new, there essentially is no "old" area, it's a;; been torn down and rebuilt. It was great to walk streets and see an area that actually felt "old".

It's not a large area, but it was still cool!

The textile souks.

More of the Textile Souks.

Fancy "sign" to get to the Spice Souk.

This was my favorite area of Old Dubai!

Spices were heaped in baskets and lined the very narrow street.

Some were in stores.

The streets were narrow.

Old Dubai is on two sides of the Dubai creek. And this area is bustling with people working. Unloading boxes from dhows that came down the river and then been distributed to markets.

We crossed the Creek in an Abra, that a water taxi for 1 dirham, 32 cents each!

Dubai Museum

Dubai Museum was on one side of the Dubai Creek that we crossed in an abra, water taxi. It was great, a definite don't miss in Dubai!

Walls of the Old Fort.

Samples of the homes they used to live in less than fifty years ago.

Samples of Dhows from the past years.

When you go into the Museum it is set up with scenes of life from years ago

telling the story of the Bedouins from this area.

Moving goods by dhows and donkeys.

They often dined outside, men separated from women.

The souk (market).

Cooking in the days gone by.

Pearl trading.

Schooling.

At the fabric souk buying for new Abayas.

Out in the desert.

Building Dhows.