Sunday, December 27, 2015

Muscat, Oman

We got up on Sunday morning and drove down to the Matrah Suq. When we got there it was hopping, but by the time we rode the Big Bus, toured the city, and ate lunch the Suq owners were taking a nap. Apparently they rev up in the evening and it's really busy. 

My belief is that in every city you visit, you should ride an open top bus and see the city at a glance so you know what you really want to spend your time touring. 
The Suq is located under the archway right in the middle of the picture. 
The obligatory selfie in front of the Suq. 
That yacht was the Sultan of Oman's. It was as big as a cruise ship. 
This is one of the many forts in Muscat. 
A view of the ocean. The waves were a bit rough. 
You can see the effects of the wind in this picture. Sitting on the beach were some local girls in some sort of uniform. 
I couldn't resist this photo. 
The building in the background was parliament. 
A view of the palace. 
Oman is more mountainous than the UAE. 
Another fort. 
Here are some calmer waters. 
This is the entrance of the Suq. 
The shop owners love to dress the little kids. The Omani men wear these Kumas as their head wear. 

After lunch we headed back to the hotel and took the kids to the pool. The water was freezing, but it didn't stop Jack and Millie from getting in. 

Once the kids were clean we decided to head to the mall and eat at Chilis. The kids went straight to bed when we got back, and the adults played Pitch. My Dad and I were partners, which is best because we are both unbearable to live with if we lose. We played until after 11 pm and then decided we should hit the hay. 

The middle of the night proved to be a little restless for me and Millie. I suppose the orange juice late in the evening is not a good idea for a dry bed after all. Um, I wonder how many little kids have peed on the sofa Millie was sleeping on? Don't want to think about it, thank you very much. 

Once we were up and about on Monday morning we headed to the beach. We stopped in at Starbucks first and then the kids headed towards the sand. 
A picture on the beach before the kids got into the sand. 

The beginning of the sandy mess. 
Everyone was enjoying the sand and throwing rocks in the water, except for me. I do the beach thing because my kids love it. I hate sand. 

After washing the kids in the bathroom's ablution bath (which has to be offensive to the Islamic community), we headed to a place called The Cave. It was a man made cave with several restaurants in it. It seems it had just opened because not all the restaurants were finished. It was pricey so we opted not to eat there. 
Here was the entrance to The Cave. 
A selfie from the top of The Cave with the ocean in the back. 

Instead of eating at The Cave we headed to a larger mall across the street from our hotel and ate at the food court. We then went back to the mall attached to our hotel and let the kids play in Happyland. 
The carousel is always a favorite. 
Stuart had to ride in the tiny bumper cars with Millie because she couldn't reach the gas peddle. 

We headed back to the hotel and played games with the kids. On a friend's recommendation we ate dinner at Kareen, a local favorite. The food was gorgeous and the atmosphere was fantastic. 
That is a mixed grill of meat with Arabic bread on the top. Yum!

By the time we got back to the hotel, the kids were asleep, but we think Jack was faking it. At any rate, they both were carried up to the room. Once Jack was in his bed and I kissed him good night he said, 'Can I have my iPad for 10 minutes?' Faker!

We got up on Tuesday morning and took our time getting dressed and ready to check out. After checking out we ate lunch at the mall food court. We then headed back to Al Ain. We went to the wrong border post because the driver might have missed a turn off, but we didn't have as much of an issue as we suspected we would, thank goodness. 

We fed the kids once we were home and unpacked, and then we all retired early. 

Wednesday we got up and did laundry and just slugged around the house. I had a migraine so Grammie and Pop took the kids for a walk while I laid on the sofa, and Stuart went to renew his passport. After a migraine pull and several hours of doing absolutely nothing, I rebounded. 

We invited the Richardsons over for dinner. We had nachos, the kids played and all were happy. 

We got up on Thursday morning and headed to Abu Dhabi. I had won a canvas print from a local artist and was to pick it up that morning. I decided I would send it home with my mom and dad. We've run out of wall space in our house in Al Ain so there was no reason to frame something like that and then have to figure out how to get it home later. 

After picking up the print we went to Heritage Village. This is a frequent spot for the visitors we have, so how my parents have not seen this is really unclear to me. They've seen it now. 
This is the entrance to Heritage Village. 
Across the gulf from Heritage Village is a perfect view of the city. 

We made a trip to Ikea as well as Ace Hardware, two of our favorite spots in Abu Dhabi. We had two things on our list for Ikea and they didn't have either one of them, yet we still managed to spend the equivalent of $75. How does that happen?

We made it back home by 6 pm. We didn't have New Year's Eve plans but Stuart wanted to go to the club to have a few beverages with some of his buddies. I drove him there and the plan was he would get a cab home. However, just before 9 he messaged me and said he was ready to come home, so I picked him up and he came home with me. 

It was going to be an early night for us and ringing in the new year was going to be done when we woke up on Friday morning. But since we were watching CNN and heard the reports of a huge fire in downtown Dubai, close to the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world and the building where the firework display shoots off each New Year, we decided to stay up and see what would transpire. 

In true UAE form, officials announced that the largest, longest firework display in Dubai would proceed as planned. There was a burning hotel about 500 meters away while a spectacular fireworks blew up off the Burj Khalifa and by the marina. Unbelievable!

We turned in just after midnight. We had rang in the New Year at midnight after all.  Friday morning the kids were up relatively early. Stuart and I got up and headed to the club at 9 am for our weigh-in in order to be a part of the Biggest Loser club we have going on here in Al Ain. A new year, a new plan. 

Mid morning we took the kids to Magic Planet, a new indoor carnival (for lack of a better description). They played games, rode rides, and got tickets to buy cheap prizes. This is my least favorite thing to do with them, but they love it. 

We had a healthy lunch at the food court and then Stuart and I went grocery shopping while the kids had donuts and Grammie and Pop had coffee at Dunkin Donuts. 

Friday evening we went to Scott and Clare's for a bar-b-que. We seem to be hanging out with them a lot over this holiday. We get along so well and our kids like each other, so that's nice. 

The kids bathed at the Richardson's house so once we got in the car you can guess who was first asleep. Carrying her upstairs is much more relaxing for me for sure. Once both kids were in bed the adults played Pitch. My dad and I are a little brutal to my mom and Stuart so it was decided that in future Pitch matches we need to change partners. We all were in bed just after 10 pm. 

Stuart got up Saturday morning and met Scott in Saniya, a place we all take our cars for needed repairs. It's cheaper than the dealer and they do the exact same work. Once he was back, we all parted again and he went to the airport in Dubai to get Cathy, Claire and Kayleigh. While Mom and I went shopping for paint and rugs, Pop stayed with the kids again. He enjoys that way more than going to the mall. 

We ended up purchasing a hall runner for my mom. The original price was 950 dirhams and in the end he sold it to us for 200 dirhams (about $54). Most people can afford to have a run at that price, no matter the quality. I thought it was really nice and I am sure it will go well in their new house. 

A sandstorm blew up in the middle of the day, as we were driving to the mall. Unfortunately, unlike Arizona, a dust storm doesn't mean their is rain to come. It usually means the air quality is going to be horrible for about a week. The visibility wasn't great. 
When shopping was complete, paint purchased as well as the rug, we headed to the grocery store for some laundry detergent and paper towels. We got home to Stuart making shepherd's pie. 

Cathy came over for dinner and we had a good catch up. Her holiday in England was good and she seemed ready to return to work. That is where she and I differ. I am not anxious to go back to work, but it's a must I suppose. 

















Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Christmas abounds in the UAE, strangely enough.

We got up Sunday morning to visit Santa at Wafi Mall in Dubai. They had a Grotto where we got to go into a private room to chat with Santa and have the kids' picture taken with him. Millie wouldn't speak to him, but Jack spoke for her so all was okay. 
She looks thrilled, doesn't she?
For a Muslim country, they sure do decorate well for Christmas. 
She looks a little more settled now and Jack is happy as a lark to be telling Santa he wants a Play Station 4. Really wish he'd tell Santa he wants an iPad, since that's what he's getting. Oh well, hopefully he's not too disappointed. 

Once we were finished with Santa, we went to get some coffee and the kids had a pastry as usual. When we left Wafi Mall we went to the Mall of the Emirates to shop a bit. We wanted Grammie and Pop to see Ski Dubai and then we knew we would have lunch there. 

Both kids brought their wallets so they could buy themselves a toy. As much as I tried to discourage them buying before Santa came, they insisted. Jack immediately found a nerf gun he wanted and bought it, having money to spare. Millie then found a pair of Crocs with the Frozen crew on them. She decided she wanted to buy them with her money. When we got to the counter the lady told us the price and I started telling Millie which bills to put on the counter. By the time we were finished she had no more bills in her wallet. She looked up at me and said, 'Hey, I don't have any more monies.' So then I asked, 'Do you still want them?' And she said, 'No!'  She wasn't willing to give up all her money for a pair of shoes. The lady paying next to me looked at her boys and said, 'See, sometimes you have to give up one thing to get another,' and looked at me and said, 'Thanks for that lesson for my boys.'  It was funny! We have never really let the kids bring their wallets out to buy anything, so I was shocked that Millie wasn't willing to buy the shoes in the end. Maybe this is the beginning of a sensible child. 

After we ate lunch we went to another toy store where the kids saw another Santa. Then they looked around at different toys. Millie started riding this electric powered Ninja Turtle scooter. She rode it all over the store. She even rode it over by Santa to tell him that was what she wanted for Christmas, except she wanted a Frozen one. Whew! Santa will
come through on that request, I assured her. 

Once we were home from Dubai, it was showers for everyone and a relaxing evening. 

Monday we got up and got our car tags renewed. Grammie and Pop went for a walk with the kids and took them to Abela's grocery store where they picked up some apples and bubble gum. 

After we were back from the tag place we headed to the mall to finish our Christmas shopping. Grammie and I went to the souq to get some more camel rug coasters and she found a unique bracelet she wanted. She walked away from it and we headed on to Toys R Us. As we headed on, Stuart lagged behind and bought the bracelet for her. The only problem was, she kept saying she thought she should go back and get it. I kept discouraging her until we ended up meeting Stuart in the front of the mall so we wouldn't go back by the souq. I don't think she had a clue we actually bought it. 

Once the shopping was over we were back to the house. The kids had stayed with Pop so we could get the shopping done. We hid most of the gifts in Grammie and Pop's room, all except Jack's bike, purchased by Grammie and Pop. The bike was put in my car and covered with a blanket. He's going to be so excited. 

For dinner we decided to go to the club with Stuart and eat while he trained for a bit. 

Tuesday morning we got up and decided to go to the cinema. Star Wars had been in theaters for almost a week and Stuart hadn't seen it, which is unheard of. We arrived at the theater at 9:30 am and the movie started at 10 am. There was not one light on in the place. We walked around the mall a bit, baffled that the popcorn wasn't being made yet, really more irritated than baffled. The ticket counter finally opened at about 10 minutes until 10. We barely had enough time to get snacks. We were a house divided, not by my choice of course. Not ALL of us wanted to see Star Wars. 
Stuart, Jack, Grammie and Pop went to see Star Wars. 
Millie and I went to see The Good Dinisaur. 
Our cinema selfie! Millie ate all of my popcorn. 

After the movie we ate lunch at the food court. We happened to be at the mall where my mom had seen that bracelet. As we were walking to the car she said, 'Now is this the mall where we saw that bracelet?' I said, 'Yes it is,' and we kept walking. Again she said, 'I really think I need to go back to get that bracelet.'  I told her we would be back to that mall at some stage. I diverted her one last time. 

I was up Wednesday morning with Grammie and Pop at 5 am to watch UCA, my brother's team, play basketball. My niece, Morgan, is the team manager. Last week I was messaging her during the game we watched and she would do silly things when she knew the camera was on her. For some reason she didn't respond the first half of the game, but just before the second half started she skyped us. We even spoke to Russ. It blows my mind to know that we are so far apart but that I can communicate with her live and see her. Crazy!

We had a pretty chilled day on Wednesday. We walked to Abela's while the kids rode their bikes, we watched Christmas movies, baked some sweets, and then Grammie and I went to buy a new hair dryer because mine shorted out on Tuesday. Grammie also wanted to buy a couple more things for Jack to open on Christmas Day. Our kids are so spoiled. 

We watched Elf with the kids before they went to bed. Then the adults watched Die Hard:Die Another Day. Not really a Christmas movie, but good all the same. 

Thursday there was more baking and preparing for Christmas dinner at the Richardsons' on Friday. Here is the baking that occurred. 
Around midday the Richardsons actually came by for a short visit and a cup of tea.   Around 3 pm we headed to Wade and Karen's for a Christmas Eve party. The kids played and snacks were abounding. We only stayed until around 5 pm when we headed to the desert for Carols in the Desert. That turned out to be a bust as far as the carols were concerned. There was a potluck, but so many locals were dune bashing that the nativity didn't begin until at least 7:30 pm and by the time they were ready, my kids were wiped. We still had to bathe, sort out cookies and milk for Santa, say goodbye to Elfvis and set out carrots for the reindeer. However, prior to the sun setting, an Emirati drove up and asked Stuart if he wanted to go dune bashing, and of course he did. Stuart said it was unbelievable and like nothing we've ever done. 
Once we were home we set to work to get ready for Santa's arrival. The kids unwrapped one gift, which was a new pair off of jammies. 
Star Wars and Frozen

We wrapped Santa's presents and got to bed. We knew the kids, at least Jack, would be up early. Before Jack went to bed I told him he would need to get to sleep because Santa would come in the blink of an eye. Once Millie was asleep I went in to give Jack another hug and here is what he said,"Mama, when you said Santa would come in the blink of an eye, it kind of scared me." Why do we lie? Because the magic of Christmas is so fun. However, when your 'thinker' really thinks about it, it's scary. I assumed him Santa was good and wouldn't come upstairs. He was too busy to do anything but drop the presents and run. 

Christmas morning Jack was in our bed at 5 am. Really? We stalled him off until 6 am and then he was waking up everyone in the house, much to Millie's dislike. She's a sleeper!

We went downstairs and when Jack went into the living room the first thing he said when he saw Millie's Santa gifts was 'There's my PS4'. It kind of made me sad. We went back and forth and in the end didn't think a PlayStation 4 was the best gift for him. He had also asked for a bike, a wrestling ring (never gonna happen), and a trash pack truck, none of which Santa delivered. However, Jack did get an IPad mini 4. Have we lost our minds? We justified it by writing a letter from Santa telling Jack and Millie he had picked out the perfect gifts for them and he knew they would listen to their Mama and Daddy when rules were applied. He wasn't as excited about his iPad, initially, but later in the day he said, 'Mama, Santa knew just what he was doing when he gave me this iPad. I'm so glad I got this because I can take it with me when we go on trips and the PS4 would just have to stay here (meaning our house)'. Whew!

In the end, my parents got him a bike and the track pack, and since no one would ever get him the wrestling ring, he made out really well. 
Jack's bike that actually fits his long legs. 
Santa brought Millie the electric scooter that goes 1.75 miles per hour, along with her Frozen shoes and Frozen hoodie. Ha!

Grandma and Grandpa bought the kids JDBugs, little indoor scooters. And all had a very merry Christmas. Even I got a surprise. Stuart had heard me talking to someone about whether I would ever want a Pandora bracelet. In the conversation I stated that the only way I would want one was if I could get all the charms I wanted at one time. Well, looks at my new Middle East themed Pandora bracelet. 
Once we had cleaned up the carnage from the morning festivities, I went to the mall to exchange my bracelet for a larger size while Stuart got food ready for lunch at the Richardsons. After the 8 vegetables and the pork shoulder were ready, we were off for a feast. 
Clearly the kids' table. 
Scott and Clare
Peter and Hazel, Clare's parents
Dewey and Marinell
And last but not least, Stuart and me. The crowns are from Christmas crackers, an English tradition. 
Party costumes that made the day fun!
The food!
The veg!

The food and company was amazing. We truly love the Richardson crew and Clare's parents and my parents had excellent conversation. It was really nice. We stayed until around 8 pm, then headed home to pack for Muscat. I kind of wished we had waited until Sunday to go to Muscat, but I thought about that too late. 

I had washed all the prep dishes before we went to the Richardsons' so that was one less thing I had to do once we got home. The kids were in bed about 30 minutes after we got home and we went shortly after them. 

We were up and out of the house by 9 am. The trip to Muscat, Oman was a little over 4 hours, with border crossing taking up about 30 minutes of that time. I got a bit car sick and Stuart got a stress headache from driving in different roads that were two lines and had big trucks on them. In the UAE there is a separate road for trucks. 

Once we arrived at the apartments we checked in and went to the Grand Mall that was attached to the place we were staying. We ate lunch at the food court and then went to Carrefour, a supermarket, to pick up something for dinner and breakfast. Once back at the apartment the kids got cleaned up and we started playing card games. Uno and War are the current popular games. 
Uno!

The rest of the evening was filled with games and laughs. 

Here are a few photos here at the end of some Elfvis antics. 
Toilet papering the Christmas tree
Making snow flakes so we all feel a bit more Christmasy. Of course this inspired Jack to go onto YouTube and make a few of his own and place them on the tree. My dad said he worked 2 hours on these while we were out shopping on Monday. He's persistent. 
Jack's creations. 
Someone is peeking in the presents. 

This was his last trick. The kids said goodbye to Elfvis on Thursday evening. Of course I video taped it. It was so sweet. I do love the innocents of it all. But, thank goodness these shenanigans are over!