Missing words

SO....YES, I know it's been a really long time since I last logged in. I suppose I was at a standstill with things..Life, happenings, events, feelings..they all just sorta seemed bland. LIfe is picking up..However, I am felt with an empty feeling for the time being, and it goes in waves of just plain feeling sick about missing family.
I knew it would be hard, being away from familiar faces, feeling like I am being of some support system and like I am being needed from my elders. I know this is just temporary..but DAMN, I hope it's all worth it in the end.
So far, the crossing out of credit cards has been rewarding.
I started working, kaia started pre-school. She loves it...as far as I can tell. She wakes up in the morning and seems thrilled by the idea. THe j-o-b is fine..what can I say..it's paying the bills and a great resource for meeting friends and buddies for kaia. I was offered JV Swimmming coach position and I took it. It meets a whopping 4 times a week..and we are just now getting started...It's fun..and the Varsity coach/south african fella..we seem to make a good team. I get a trip out of it, which I think will be neat, our Meets will be in Doha, Qatar for one week. Super Cool!!
Jeff is doing well, he is happy and just got himself a Surfboard. He is taking his first trip to Oman next week where there are supposed to be some decent waves. I am really happy that he has found a hobby here that keeps him going..and in shape..
HIm and kaia literally..I could leave overnight and I would find them the next day still in the water..My little fishies..where I could sit in the COLD woods and be fine..happy as a clam How did that happen???
It is now Ramadan..well its almost over. But it's really been hard during the days when you are on a road trip...No restuarants open..and if you're eating food in public or drinking water..and a cop sees you..YOu could be given a ticket or fined.
It's much different here than say..Egypt.

HOld my Hand.

We made our way up to Dibba. OUr car finally arrived....which meant that we finally could say that we have something of OURS. SOmething we can call HOME. So, to break the baby in..which btw, I think may be called "lolita," SHe has a great cooling system, awesome clearance, spacious head-room and a great body.
NIght before we left..I made a point to get her in to be darkened. Strolled on down Salam Street..only to notice to the right..all the ghetto-rigged tinting..hub-capped, lion- covered, mossy airbrushed lamborgini and gold rims wow...what the? Here honey " We must be in the right place." LIttle guy guides us in by his abrasive hand gestures, while I attempt to not seem so ignorant about the dye job. He says" 250 for american style" OH yah, this guy is good."
THey call 30% legal limit here, but everyone goes...waaay over..to the point of no sight of anyone in the coche....DON't mess, when one is sitting in a car so ridiculously tinted...coaching you along the street...YOU wonder why they are honking at you while you have not moved...Well, shit...I can't see YOU coaching me with that little silhouette in the far distance!!! We decide to go legal limit, I want people to see me while I attempt holding their hand across the street.
Great, be back in an hour. THat is some service...American style my friend...
We drive to Dibba...only to find out..through the journey that it was quite hot. Well, inferno hot..about 120. Jeff maintained his positive spirit, but there was no fakin it with me. I just wasnt' into it. THe sightseeing was nice, but wow, curl up and dye.
We camped for the night, the sunset was gorgeous...jeff got to do his wonderful skimboarding and kaia learned some new tricks to recovering while getting blasted by waves. We live on....had a lovely time with Lolita...I think that will be her name. write more later.

Fair FUn in Abu Dhabi

THis was an all day affair....girls got to frolic...amira got to run a zipline and I got to get whipped around in a ride. What else can I say, we went to a fair and here are some pictures. I guess I"m speechless..oh yes, and jeff got to watch women roll around in spandex

 

BUddha Love

My love for this culture has grown deepeer and deeper over time. We were greeted in Nepal with fresh marigold flowers that were placed around our necks with a special greeting and a greeting spoken word "Namaste" to welcome us into Kathmandu.
Well, thank you kindly, since I just discovered that I was coming here 24 hours ago. While we were stepping down the stairs from Etihad airways, we noticed the vast panoramic view of Himalayan Mountain Range. Since summer is MOnsoon season, the fields were freshly peppered with afternoon rain giving off a rich green hue. Aggggh" COLOR!!!! My body sizzled with goose bumps as we carried into the airport...it was smooth transition into the cab where our GUide awaited with our names on a little card. He reminded me of sparky the seal. "Hello ladiessssh, how wasssh your trip??" Oh, just our luck, the whole country has gone on strike from gas prices, so we were virtually the only ones car on the road besides bicycles and mopeds and ric-shaws. OUr ride was filled with bumpy glimpses of Sacred Cow's meandering through the streets, eye-linered baby faces, dusty stores, bright colored Saari's, smiles and more smiles. Low tourist season, who would want to be here during MOnsoon.????
Well, I suppose people who are competely starved from rain, color and zesty life living people. COme on down...This price is RIght for me....I don't even need to offer you a number people, I will just sit on down and enjoy the view.



 

 

 

Nepal

 

Noodle NO-No's

This was quite an interesting dinner kaia had with her furry little friend kyra.
I suppose like other things during lifes many questioning moments...instead of lending a hand..or maintaining normal routine..I find myself caught in a web of awe while watching the many-a- antics little ones find themselves in.

New Lens

kaia...was finally able to be captured looking at me...I see her eyes..an opening to something that I haven't really been able to record on film yet. She will absolutely not look at the camera. But, now with a highly powered camera..I am able to capture multiple shots a second. Finally splurged and got la camera....ooh, it's like buttah!

Found pic

I feel so bad...don't have many pics of granny...we all wanted to get fancy ones it seemed all the time...and well..now, I am searching for any!!
 
Granny and kai...making kisses and cuddles after granny bath.

Wanna join our club

 
Jeff's new skimboarding crew...aren't they cute...and young???
They are heading to DUbai in order to complete the next chapter of their Video that they are making for your viewing pleasure. PLease stay tuned to a YouTube near you !!

Old but cute

 

JUst found this picture.....this is when we first arrived. Kaia re-kindling her bond with Aunty.
SUch a lucky girl to have been able to explore her family throughout the world!!

Welcome to Dreamland

So, realizing that the last posting was a bit on the crabby side, now trying real hard to win my viewers back. I suppose that's just part of the ride, I mean I wouldn't tell you all what my darkest dirtiest secrets are, well, I guess I don't really have any. Well, I we all do but that is not for the Blogging readers ,Nonetheless, that is what this Blog, or why I decided to do this blog. Recording the good times and well, the shitty ones as well. ANd yes, there are bound to be those anywhere you go. I tell you what, this place will give the new meaning to Road Rage...but that is another post.
We took a lovely road trip to Umm Al Quwain, one of the 7 Emirates, which is an easy 2 hour drive. It's on the West side, so you hug the coast most of the trip.
After, a jolloping, cheerful car ride with my friend Leslie and her two boys and kaia we arrived safely to a soon to be very evenful and wet afternoon. Kaia had 2 older boys to keep up with, which I think is great for her. She, indeed can keep up with 2 boys. She went on most of the water rides, and one of which I thought surely she would have had a problem with. THe slides that have 4 and go straight down with a little dip, all tubes, I got pushed before her, and her tube stuck on the top, so she went down alone on her tube. Being that she is tiny tank, her tube swirled around and around and around and all you heard was little blond girl on POltergeist screaming into her closet...the longest highest pitch scream one ever did hear. SHE UBER-loved it!!! once she got spit out of the slide coming in for a clean landing, she signs MORE and yells it at the same time. THat's my brave little mama....Frickin Fearless!!!!!
She went on most of the rides with Jeff since I was just a nervous wreck worrying about water splashing in her face the wrong way, or hair in her eyes, I am certainly a pansy mom for this kid. At once, Kaia got pawned off on Leslie's Mom, simply because I was tired and too stressed out to enjoy myself. What a freak!!!
WHen kaia decided to have a blow out in her swimmer is when I got to partake in more activities. SUper.....can't wait. THe day was great, the water was getting warm and we decided to pack it in, oh after kaia would not let go of a tree branch and wanted to hang on and continue up it.???
We stopped at the discounted LIquor store, where you don't need to have a license, and got some tasties, paid for them US prices. We just don't really drink anymore, because it's just too expensive, so we took advantage, as did many others in the discounted alcohol. We casually noticed that the Locals were parked on the backside of the store...Oh, how outrageous, Yah, we couldn't tell by the Tinted Mercedes taking up 3 parking spots with the OUd seeping outta the windows that you were local??? GOodness...funny people we are!!!!!!
Lotsa love, lotsa hugs we miss you all.please skype,

Agggh, yes and we got a flat tire too. THat was fun. JEff changed that baby in record timing, I think he did it in less than 4 minutes.

Super salt soakin Psycho

My words...my thoughts could go on and on. This has been by far the worst weekend I've had since we have gotten here. Many reason why?? Could easily have been prevented, but alas, live and learn I suppose. This is why we try to learn from our mistakes and not repeat them. We were to go to Oman this weekend to get visas:as they are only good for 60 days. We pushed this one up to the limit,for other reasons. I happened to get sick the night before we were planning on going out there. We did not exactly have anything in particular planned, but we were going to go along the Northern Shore In Musandam Oman. If you look at a map, you can see that the mountains there are really jagged, and the area itself looks really old and mysterious. There are wooden dhow(long boats)that you can take in between fiords, last time we went when I was here alone, dolphins raced next side of us. It is really gorgeous and I am dying to get kaia in her life jacket that we so terribly needed to get her before we left. Haven't used it once. I know that she would love to be on a boat. So....I wake up the morning we are to leave, my head pounding from illness setting into my bones, spine sore, and throat razor blade shut and killing me to swallow or even talk. I have no choice in the matter, I HAVE TO GO. So, we decide that we are literally going through exit UAE and get omani visa and turn around and come back. All and all about a 3 hour drive, That is if you DON"T get lost. If we had a GPS, I bet we'd still get lost. If anyone knows Jeff and how he is when we get lost, it's not a picnic party. We decided since we were going to Dubai anyways, that we get Jeff's driver's license since now he has his Residence visa and labor card, one last step will make him legit. So we finally arrive, I nearly vomited while we passed a cat with its poor little insided dangling out for every one and their mothers rubber tires to stamp. God, please don't make me have to look at that again. HA HA.

iCatsplats

We make our turn and pull up to the ATA sign..drop him off and put the car in park and wait there. Rest my mind and body while this happens. RIn RIng "Oh have to take my eye test across the street." So NOW I am finally appreciating those little strip malls we have with everything next to the other. I also want to make out(well not really)with all of the construction guys for making posting and signage so obvious like putting the sign out before the turn and not after vice versa!!!in the US that is. So they say "go cross the street." Ah, fart that's an hour right there." ANd sure enough it was about half an hour just to get across the street due to well to the fact that nothing is marked, we are in DUbai and there are waaaaay too many cars(suv's) and the fact that we had to pass inside cat splatter again! I said Honey I'm gonna kill someone if we have to pass that cat one more time. OH crikes, road block, crap, we have to turn around again...Ok, so now that's 3 times have passed the inside cat, gonna call it ICS. Have to go back again..so we are there jeff found out that he's nearly blind in the left eye. Surely, as we pass the cat for the fourth time not blind enough to not see poor little ICS baking in the sun. We go on in, and get his off-centered out of focus driver's license.WHOPPEE!! Let's go see our little friend, ok 5th time smokey the bandit and we are outta here off to the border we go.

Too much congestion

Such a change Dubai is from little Abu Dhabs. It really is like it's on steroids..Dubai has 10% of the cranes in the world. Okay, so we missed our turn to Hatta border post..and got way off track...and ended up in one traffic jam after the other. It was truly a nightmare. We FINALLY got back on track, and I was able to rest my sore little body. Love the banana pilllows. We finally arrive at UAE border exit, I wipe the drool from my face, anything that will cover my arms up and walked up to window. He said 2 days overstay!!! I guess I was never really good at math, but gollee now this is costing me. Our visas were good for 60 days, once you go over, they kill you with penalties and can charge you whatever they want no question, and if you argue with them-LIke I did, then they can limit you visa stay..so I gave them the money 45 minutes later, and they let me through. We get to oman, get our visas..and turn around and come back through the border no problem we are legit for another 60 days. Jeff is sponsoring us, and everything is pending.
We finally push off for a 3 hourh u-Turn, Kaia was a champ, nearly slept the whole way...and thank you thank you, Hiyao Miyazaki for your power to produce such amazing visuals to keep my 2 1/2 yr entranced over and over.!!!

Let's go crazy

Well all lessons learned.A couple days late..we are safe..visas re-newed. Off to the hot shower I go....slept..barely until the next morning where I found myslef getting checked into the hospital. Nice...getting some antibiotics. I think?? Sudanese doctor...not much english, but he pointed to my butt and I knew the answer was sure to be NO!! I'll take the pills thank you very much. I took my receipt and off to the pharmacy I went. NO insurance..just a visa, checked into the Urgy-Care, pain meds to boot and some zithromax 200 dirhams later. WOW, that's about 60 dollars....for all!!
gotta love it.

Bloomin Pantalones

This little path to the beach was a pretty one, or shall I say IS a pretty one.
Just carry on and move through the heat onto the beach.

I like to be healthy

So On our last day before we are to go back to work...we went to the beach. I thought the sun would help the healing time of illness. So I just sat and endured the sweet salty sand and wind brush against my swollen glands. Oh, thank goodness I have medicine

Up high

Is where I think most of the time...for now, today. Is the day to let down, embrace and yes..give in to gravity and relax!! I will blog more later..tomorrow is the start of a new week, and after that only one more. Waiting for my second interview for Publishing position. If I get that, I will have my summer off. Keep you all posted. Miss you all dearly, and am glad that you are all enjoying the blog.