tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57626032612613365672024-02-20T02:48:04.190-08:00Abu Dhabi MommyLoishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-17909400812776533552009-10-28T12:35:00.001-07:002009-10-28T12:35:18.884-07:00<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTI1Njc1ODQ5NzE*NCZwdD*xMjU2NzU4NTEyMDY*JnA9MTI1MjEmZD*mbj1ibG9nZ2VyJmc9MSZvPWY1Yzg5MmYzN2U*NjQwMjBhNzRlNDE5NGU3NjczMGRjJm9mPTA=.gif" /><center><a href="http://www.dropshots.com/" target="_top"><img src="http://media8.dropshots.com/photos/381162/20091022/160547.jpg" width="425" style="-ms-interpolation-mode:bicubic;" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial; font-size:8pt;"><a href="http://www.dropshots.com/">Photo Sharing</a> - <a href="http://www.dropshots.com/">Video Sharing</a> - <a href="http://www.qualityphotoprints.com/">Photo Printing</a></span></center>Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-16680669948990663152009-10-28T12:34:00.003-07:002009-10-28T12:34:51.293-07:00<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTI1Njc1ODQ2NDMwNCZwdD*xMjU2NzU4NDg2MTI4JnA9MTI1MjEmZD*mbj1ibG9nZ2VyJmc9MSZvPWY1Yzg5MmYzN2U*NjQwMjBhNzRlNDE5NGU3NjczMGRjJm9mPTA=.gif" /><center><a href="http://www.dropshots.com/" target="_top"><img src="http://media7.dropshots.com/photos/381162/20091022/015349.jpg" width="425" style="-ms-interpolation-mode:bicubic;" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial; font-size:8pt;"><a href="http://www.dropshots.com/">Photo Sharing</a> - <a href="http://www.dropshots.com/">Video Sharing</a> - <a href="http://www.qualityphotoprints.com/">Photo Printing</a></span></center>Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-31422346355886725772009-10-28T12:34:00.001-07:002009-10-28T12:34:12.428-07:00<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTI1Njc1ODQwNjAzMyZwdD*xMjU2NzU4NDQ2MjEyJnA9MTI1MjEmZD*mbj1ibG9nZ2VyJmc9MSZvPWY1Yzg5MmYzN2U*NjQwMjBhNzRlNDE5NGU3NjczMGRjJm9mPTA=.gif" /><center><a href="http://www.dropshots.com/" target="_top"><img src="http://media7.dropshots.com/photos/381162/20091022/000823.jpg" width="425" style="-ms-interpolation-mode:bicubic;" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial; font-size:8pt;"><a href="http://www.dropshots.com/">Photo Sharing</a> - <a href="http://www.dropshots.com/">Video Sharing</a> - <a href="http://www.qualityphotoprints.com/">Photo Printing</a></span></center>Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-7814045535976295232009-10-28T11:53:00.000-07:002009-10-28T12:25:15.303-07:00MosqueI have found that it has become at once overwhelming and underwhelming to keep up the blog. I sometimes feel like I have nothing of interest to say. I get up, get dressed, get Little Girl ready for school and Little Boy dressed. Before you know it the day is gone in a flash of hugs, cooking,bruises, spills, dishes, laundry, JimJam, bumps, messes and bedtime stories. Thing are falling into a routine, but I'm still not completely comfortable in Abu Dhabi. I should be settled in and feel like this is home, and yet a tiny piece of me is holding out. I'm not sure what for, maybe finishing the apartment or getting through the never ending red-tape. <br /><br />More likely I won't feel settled into anything until the Little Monster starts sleeping through the night consistently. Just when I think I've finally figured it out and he sleeps all the way through, he's back to getting up 2 or 3 times a night. Ah well, this too shall pass.<br /><br />More interestingly I had a really great visit with the in-laws. Yes, I am a lucky duck. My in-laws are great and we loved having them here for 10 days. They were troopers through the 11 hour time change and we did a few really neat things while they were here. <br /><br />The most interesting of which was the tour of the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque. The third largest Muslim place of worship in the world. It is the only one to open its doors to non-Muslims and the tour was fabulous. Not only was the building amazingly beautiful, but Mohammed, our tour guide, was welcoming and accepting of everyone (including the pushy bloke who repeatedly questioned the practice of keeping the prayer rooms separated by gender). He answered questions about the building, Islam or the local history and culture. It was all food for thought. No one should miss a visit to the Mosque while in Abu Dhabi including residents. It took me 10 months to get there, but I'm glad I went. <br /><br />Maybe I am an official resident now having had our first visitors and visit to the Grand Mosque.Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-68737848263666061512009-09-05T10:02:00.000-07:002009-09-05T10:35:58.431-07:00I miss US TVI haven't been watching much TV that doesn't involve Barbie, Mickey Mouse or Teletubbies. We've amassed a nice collection of kids movies and there are lots of shows on the JimJam channel which reminds me a lot of PBS Sprout. We even have a Disney channel dedicated to Playhouse Disney which is the set of preschool shows. However, I'm having a hard time finding shows to watch, especially in English, on the rare occasion I want to watch a "grown up" show. Oh well, I guess it is better that I don't get too into any TV programs, just when I sit down to a kid free moment, something or, I should say, someone comes up. Sigh...Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-16863365744546888342009-06-02T00:02:00.001-07:002009-06-02T00:20:17.034-07:00Jumpin' Jellyfish<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTI*MzkyNjE*MzczMyZwdD*xMjQzOTI2MTY1NTk*JnA9MTI1MjEmZD*mbj1ibG9nZ2VyJmc9MSZ*PSZvPWY1Yzg5MmYzN2U*NjQwMjBhNzRlNDE5NGU3NjczMGRjJm9mPTA=.gif" /><center><a href="http://www.dropshots.com/" target="_top"><img src="http://media8.dropshots.com/photos/381162/20090512/171536.jpg" width="425" style="-ms-interpolation-mode:bicubic;" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial; font-size:8pt;"><a href="http://www.dropshots.com/">Photo Sharing</a> - <a href="http://www.dropshots.com/">Video Sharing</a> - <a href="http://www.qualityphotoprints.com/">Photo Printing</a></span></center>Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-3297755023739668812009-06-01T23:49:00.001-07:002009-06-02T00:20:46.488-07:00Diaper Duck<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTI*MzkyNTMxNDkxMSZwdD*xMjQzOTI1MzUwNDM3JnA9MTI1MjEmZD*mbj1ibG9nZ2VyJmc9MSZ*PSZvPWY1Yzg5MmYzN2U*NjQwMjBhNzRlNDE5NGU3NjczMGRjJm9mPTA=.gif" /><center><a href="http://www.dropshots.com/" target="_top"><img src="http://media8.dropshots.com/photos/381162/20090601/233900.jpg" width="425" style="-ms-interpolation-mode:bicubic;" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial; font-size:8pt;"><a href="http://www.dropshots.com/">Photo Sharing</a> - <a href="http://www.dropshots.com/">Video Sharing</a> - <a href="http://www.qualityphotoprints.com/">Photo Printing</a></span></center>Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-48371181388691682462009-05-30T21:23:00.000-07:002009-06-02T00:16:05.478-07:00Yes, yes, I know it has been a long time since I last posted. I'm back from my first trip to the US since moving to Abu Dhabi.<br /><br />It took me several days to get ready for the month long trip. Planning, packing, planning, packing...<br /><br />I edited and edited and stilled ended up probably taking too much stuff. I did some shopping ending up with more stuff, of course. So much for saving money this trip. At least we only had to stay in a hotel for one night the whole trip. I'd like to thank the makers of Claritin...<br /><br />I couldn't help buying a few new clothes for myself and the kids. I just couldn't pass up the deals at Target for little girl. Oh and I stocked up on diaper duck refills. For those who haven't heard me rave about this scented diaper trash bags, they are one of the few things I really believe are a MUST have to contain the odoriferous mess of a new baby. <br /><br />We had a fantastic visit with my in-laws including lots and lots of good Mexican restaurants. I ate my fill of Carne Asada and fish tacos. Now I really need to loose a few kilo. <br /><br />As our Disney passes were set to expire, we spent two days at Disneyland. Little Girl hit a milestone at reaching 40 inches (102cm), and rode the Jumpin' Jellyfish ride. We also took her on Star Tours, which proved to be a mistake as she screamed and cried through the whole ride. Oops. I think my favorite ride was the new Toy Story ride in California Adventure. Lots of fun shooting balloons, plates, etc. from a moving cart with an electronic "gun". <br /><br />After a couple of weeks with my in-laws and some wonderful visits with friends, including a visit to my high school and lunch with my French teacher. I went North of LA to see my sister and her family. Luckily it was a holiday weekend so we had a chance to enjoy her husband's fabulous barbecuing, get a manicure, go shopping, and have a pajama party with 5 kids under the age of 8 (my sister's three boys and my two kiddos). <br /><br />I even managed to get to the pool to train with my sister and her triathlon coach. I enjoyed the workout so much, I'm going to start swimming here as soon as the jet lag has worn off and we're all sleeping. <br /><br />Speaking of which, I think I'll try to take a nap while the house is quiet...Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-49144256105231311422009-05-29T20:10:00.000-07:002009-06-01T20:11:06.771-07:00Lap child?I'm not quite sure how it could be legal to have a kid the size of William (mind you, he's small for his age) sit for 14 hours on your lap. Seriously, how do people do this?<br /><br />I will not be flying from Abu Dhabi to New York without William having his own seat.Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-60780440704628867572009-04-16T22:51:00.001-07:002009-04-16T22:51:31.393-07:00<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTIzOTk*Nzg*MDczMiZwdD*xMjM5OTQ3ODYxNjExJnA9MTI1MjEmZD*mbj1ibG9nZ2VyJmc9MSZ*PSZvPWY1Yzg5MmYzN2U*NjQwMjBhNzRlNDE5NGU3NjczMGRjJm9mPTA=.gif" /><center><a href="http://www.dropshots.com/" target="_top"><img src="http://media8.dropshots.com/photos/381162/20090409/150932.jpg" width="425" style="-ms-interpolation-mode:bicubic;" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial; font-size:8pt;"><a href="http://www.dropshots.com/">Photo Sharing</a> - <a href="http://www.dropshots.com/">Video Sharing</a> - <a href="http://www.qualityphotoprints.com/">Photo Printing</a></span></center>Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-83079169777924827872009-04-16T21:07:00.001-07:002009-04-16T21:07:44.969-07:00<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTIzOTk*MTYwMzQ*NCZwdD*xMjM5OTQxNjM4NTA3JnA9MTI1MjEmZD*mbj1ibG9nZ2VyJmc9MSZ*PSZvPWY1Yzg5MmYzN2U*NjQwMjBhNzRlNDE5NGU3NjczMGRjJm9mPTA=.gif" /><center><a href="http://www.dropshots.com/" target="_top"><img src="http://media8.dropshots.com/photos/381162/20090407/093005.jpg" width="425" style="-ms-interpolation-mode:bicubic;" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial; font-size:8pt;"><a href="http://www.dropshots.com/">Photo Sharing</a> - <a href="http://www.dropshots.com/">Video Sharing</a> - <a href="http://www.qualityphotoprints.com/">Photo Printing</a></span></center>Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-55457948159446646272009-04-15T11:11:00.000-07:002009-04-15T11:17:57.981-07:00Obscured VisionHere's what I was alluding to with the last post about Mom's health. She started having headaches a couple of weeks before the Italy trip. Then the vision in one eye suddenly diminished. She said it was like looking through a piece of lace or a veil. She saw several doctors and went to three different hospitals. She was treated for a sinus infection then told that she had an issue with the optic nerve. Getting an MRI was a bit of a hassle and then it took a week before we could get the results (we decided to go ahead and go to Italy). <br /><br />The radiologist said that she had a sinus infection and Mastoiditis (infection of the temporal bone behind the ear). The optic never looks perfect. So hopefully the vision will just return to normal as the antibiotics clear up the infection. I'll keep you posted.Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-24532363358774339412009-04-13T02:07:00.000-07:002009-04-15T11:10:58.831-07:00Two strollers, three suitcases, a backpack, a totebag and small carryon.What I learned from traveling to Italy with a small child and an infant. <br /><br />1. TAKE LESS STUFF<br />2. Bring travel size laundry soap so you can TAKE LESS STUFF<br />3. Check the airline policy before bringing the car seat on board and paying extra for an infant under the age of two. Etihad's policy is that the car seat MUST be forward facing. What a weird rule! Sitting in my lap is NOT safer than being in a rear facing car seat. <br />4. Business class is SOOO worth it on a long flight. <br />5. Don't leave things loose in the back of the taxi - you'll never see it again. <br />6. Check with your hotel and see if there are stairs. Just because there is an elevator doesn't mean you can get to your room (or even the front desk) without a flight of stairs. <br />7. TAKE LESS STUFF<br />8. Use goggle maps to plot your hotel. The website might not be accurate as to HOW LONG/FAR it is to the airport/train station, etc. <br />9. Definitely take a baby carrier like a sling, snuggli, baby bjorn, etc.<br />10. Don't bother with a big stroller, just bring the umbrella stroller and see if you can bring it on board to stow in the overhead - you might not get it back on the jet way and will have to carry your baby in the car seat you couldn't use on board all the way to the baggage claim.<br />11. TAKE LESS STUFF.<br />12. Just because your train ticket says Rome it doesn't mean that's what is the final destination of your train and therefore the name on the schedule board saying what platform you need to be on to get on your train. <br />13. Leave an hour and half OR MORE before the train leaves the station to get something to eat and find your train. <br />14. Don't bother trying to pee at the train station. It costs a Euro and takes WAY too long to find and get back to your train. Just wait for the train, the bathrooms on board aren't too bad. <br />15. First class train cabins are ALLLLL the way down at the far end of the train. <br />16. TAKE LESS STUFF.<br />17. Take Sara as your tour guide, she knows the travel books by heart so you can relax and follow her lead. <br />18. TAKE LESS STUFF so you can keep up with Sara. <br />19. One big room is cheaper than two small rooms.<br />20. Stay near the airport/train station and make day trips.<br />21. Just because the taxi driver says there is a meter, doesn't mean he really has one. <br />22. TAKE LESS STUFF<br />23. Take one pair of SUPER comfy shoes that you KNOW won't give you blisters.<br />24. You can see a lot more when you leave the kids at the hotel with their grandmother. <br />25. It is nice to have an excuse to take a break and do things at the kids pace.<br />26. Restaurants in Italy often don't open for lunch until noon, close at 3ish, and then don't open for dinner until around 7:30. Buy a few snacks to have on hand for little people.<br />27. TAKE LESS STUFF, but don't forget the camera (with extra batteries)!Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-3357325247060397062009-04-01T23:40:00.000-07:002009-04-02T01:09:59.224-07:00WastaTwo weeks ago I made the fortunate decision to go into HR with J. We were planning an evening out with friends and we heard that there were coupon books for Etihad employees if you asked the right person. On the way home from picking J up from the airport, we stopped by the office. I have a pregnant friend in the complex that works in HR so while J was working on the coupon books, etc. I stopped at her desk to see how she was feeling. She asked about Mom and I told her about the latest denial by the Immigration Appeal Committee. <br /><br />This is when the universe shifted. My friend told me that what I needed in this situation was Wasta. At my puzzled look she explained that we needed someone with influence and the next thing I knew she was on the phone speaking arabic at increasing speed and volume. I almost got worried when she started making gestures with the hand not holding the phone to her ear. In a blur J and I were in a cubical drinking really nice cappuccino from china cups with an Emirati man with a warm smile and good things to say about his time working in the US and hearing promises of him taking the visa application to the Chief of Immigration himself. He told us that the Sheik (King/President) offered him the choice of working at Etihad and living near his family or going abroad as an ambassador. I really began to see how Wasta worked. This man's job as Government Relations Manager frequently includes smoothing the path where necessary. <br /><br />That afternoon J and I gathered up the application and supporting documents, adding some changes that we had been thinking of making to the appeal letter based on the advice of another friend in the building who managed to get her mum a visa. The letter now said that Mom is widowed and has no sons to care for her. I also noticed that the copy of dad's death certificate and my birth certificate may never have made it out of the envelope from the translator into the last application. We took all these documents back to the Emirati gentleman, but missed him as he was needed at the airport to handle another situation. So we waited all weekend.<br /><br />On Sunday, the first day of the work week, we took the documents back to HR. We made several trips back to HR that week to gather remaining documents, copies of Mom's passport, the 5000 dirham fee, Mom's actual passport, John signature on the forms, etc. Once we had a temporary visa, Mom needed to get the Medical FItness Test (AIDS test and TB xray). The Government Relations Manager had called ahead and had someone meet mom at the clinic for the testing who walked her through the process, jumping to the head of the lines in front of about 50 other women. We waited through another weekend for the results. As Sunday came and went and we still hadn't heard I got nervous, worrying that we wouldn't get her Fitness Certificate for some bizarre reason. <br /><br />Finally we got the call, they had the certificate, but needed more documents, money or signatures (I'm starting to forget what they needed when - a checklist would have been REALLY handy). Tuesday we took the Medical Certificate downtown and purchased a cheap health plan. I took the receipt back to HR. They needed another two signatures from John so after getting those I met a man at the airport who works for the Governement Relations Manager and he took the application straight to immigration. Yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon we got the call that Mom had her visa! Praise Allah! <br /><br />This morning I ran down to HR again to pick up the passport and there was even more good news. Most visas of this type are good for one year, Mom's is good for three! Yippee! <br /><br />Now we can go to Italy next week without worrying about visas! Now I don't have to worry about Mom making a visa run every thirty days and possibly not been let back in the country. I don't have to work full time to sponsor her myself. Whew! I would have gotten a job and probably would have been fine, but I just really don't feel ready to leave Little Man. It broke my heart thinking about it. <br /><br />So now all we have to do is worry about Mom's health, but that's another story for another day...<br /><br /><br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WastaLoishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-66926097469614427512009-03-17T01:24:00.000-07:002009-03-17T01:38:07.143-07:00Update on Smashed CarYep, we're still driving the rental. J went to the Toyota repair shop this morning to ask about the progress of the repair. I shouldn't be surprised, but I was hoping that they had at least started to take of the smashed bits. Nope! It's still sitting collecting dust. The good news is that the insurance has approved the expense. So that's a plus... I'm trying to be positive, really I am...<br /><br />The funny thing is that I'm sitting at the dining room table typing this. Little man is playing on the floor, Mom is across the table from me playing a word game on her computer, and J is next to me on his computer playing a silly Army Men video game. It's a cozy little group, kind of like toddlers all engaged in parallel play. We're playing at the same thing in near proximity, just not playing "together". Still I feel much more connected than if I was sitting here alone and Mom and J were in different rooms.Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-87022801069897040752009-03-12T05:19:00.000-07:002009-03-12T05:39:34.012-07:00Anyone read Arabic?After waiting around all morning the doorbell finally rang. Empost delivering Mom's appeal from immigration. He asked for the receipt. Receipt? What receipt? Thank goodness J has been keeping everything in one binder. It was there! Whew! <br /><br />The momentary feeling of relief fades quickly as I see the papers the courier hands me. They are the whole application with a blue rubber stamp on the top page with a tick mark on one of the lines. All of the writing is in Arabic and there are no new pages. This doesn't look good How can I find out what it says?<br /><br />I grab a few things and head outside. Maybe I can make it downtown to the legal translator before I need to be back to pick up Little Girl from school. Oh, but there HAS to be someone in the complex who can read this! <br /><br />I stop by the computer room; no one there can read it, but someone suggests the Lebanese guy who works in the gym. So I walk over to that building. He's busy, but I leave the sheet and come back after Little man's nap, trying not to stress the whole time I'm waiting. <br /><br />I head back and the girl at the desk says apparently he had trouble reading the hand written portion, but he could work out enough to tell me the appeal has been denied. <br /><br />Curse words!<br /><br />I spend the rest of the day wishing I had a liquor license and knew where to find the bottle shop (liquor store). <br /><br />I'm feeling better today, but I still don't know why the visa was denied or really what our options are now, I suppose we could plan a cool trip every thirty days.Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-29362028372449631182009-03-12T04:52:00.000-07:002009-03-12T05:19:28.039-07:00LuluWe finally have a shop open in the mall that is attached to our apartment complex. Lulu Express is very much like a Safeway minus the pork or alcohol. There is even a small section of Mexican food; the tortillas come from the Netherlands. It is unbelievably convenient to have a store so close. The only draw back is that we are so close to the labor camps that men with little to do on their time off are clogging the aisles. I had to wait 30 minutes to check out a few days ago. So they've instituted ladies only hours and checkout lanes. Seriously! My strategy has been to go when everyone else is a work, which I tried to do at home anyways, but it is hard to run in and pick up something for dinner at the last minute. They are building a Carrefour hypermarket across the highway, but who knows when that will be open. <br /><br />The mall will have a McDonalds, Applebee, a cafe and other restaurants and stores. I'm most excited by the hotel. It will be so nice to have a place within walking distance for guests. On the other hand we can host relatives in Mom's room and let her have the hotel room (and a break from us).Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-32296512060547741472009-03-08T22:56:00.001-07:002009-03-08T23:45:40.219-07:00Praise Allah!Yippeee! Where do I start! First, Little man slept through the night. Second, I have internet in the apartment and, third, I have curtains. I'm not really sure which has me so giddy or if it is all three.<br /><br />Little man has slept through the night for the last three nights. Not just the technical 5 hours, really slept through the night. He has slept at least 8:30 to 6:30AM. Seriously! It's about time. He also is pulling up on everything, has 3 teeth (working on a few more), can hold is own bottle and has pretty much weened to the bottle. I'm a little bummed about the bottle thing, but unlike in the US I just don't feel that comfortable nursing in public and I'm not really the type to stay home. <br /><br />Etislat finally came to hook up the internet after applying for it over a month ago, yelling at the guy at the kiosk in the mall (way to go Mom), and about 6 phone calls to "customer service". Our neighbor upstairs has been waiting for four months. I got to video chat with the in-laws so they could "see" the kids. Little man has changed so much since they saw him in December. The wireless isn't great, so tomorrow, I'll try plugging in with an ethernet cable. <br /><br />We finally are having curtains installed. We've been in this apartment for two months with NOTHING on the living room, dining room and Little girl's windows. We put up the cheapest (pretty sheer) IKEA curtains in the master and Mom's room. I hope they look as good as I have pictured in my head. We'll know in about an hour when they finish installing. I have roman shades in the bay window in the living room and pinch pleat curtains everywhere else. They are fully lined so hopefully they will offer some sound and heat insulation as well as privacy.Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-59347051377885011752009-03-04T11:07:00.000-08:002009-03-04T11:08:09.565-08:00Mom's VisaMom's visitor visa is about to expire and we've been waylaid in our efforts to apply for her residency visa by smashed cars and fevers. Initially, when J and Mom went to immigration, she was flat out denied on the grounds that J could not sponsor an in-law (they recently made a new no in-laws rule). After talking to a few people at HR we were told there is an appeal process and we should gather a few more documents including letters stating why we want her here. Mom and I took in our letters that were translated into Arabic back to immigration (J was on the way to the translator with the letters when he was rear-ended). <br /><br />After reading the letters, the poobah at Immigration that hands out the numbers and sends you to the right counter, told us we needed an mpost and to go to counter 3. This mpost word had been thrown around before and we could not get anyone to explain what on earth it was, how long it would take or how much it would cost. Turns out and mpost is a tiny piece of paper (stamp) that you pay AED15 (about $5) for that says you paid AED 15. Hmmm - I still don't really know what it is, but a least it was cheap and only took us about 10 minutes to get since there is an office on site that does this. <br /><br />At counter 3 we were told to go to counter 4. The man at counter 4 said that we still needed a statement from J declaring him to be responsible for Mom. Before, we had be told by several people (HR and immigration) we might need the US embassy to write a letter saying Mom was dependent on us; which just didn't seem right or possible, especially since it isn't completely true. Just by changing the word dependent to responsible we saw a ray of hope in the situation. <br /><br />Mom and I went to the Canadian Embassy and finally had some one who's first language is English explain what we needed. Unfortunately, she said we really needed the US Embassy to do it since J is the one with the work visa to sponsor Mom. Yesterday Mom and J went to the US Embassy with the letter we wrote. They were able to get the US Embassy to authenticate the sworn statement that John signed in front of them (official seals, stamps, embossing, etc). <br /><br />Today, Mom and I went back to Immigration. This time J was not home to watch the kids, so we dropped Little Girl at school and took Baby Boy with us (not ideal, but it was too late to arrange a sitter and too late to wait for another day). First we drove the rental car (smashed car is still in the shop) to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get the UAE version of authentication stamp. That went well taking about an hour that mom and I spent having breakfast at Carrefour (walking distance from MFA). After picking up the newly authenticated document, Mom and I decided to take a cab instead trying to find a parking spot that late in the day at Immigration. <br /><br />We found a line of taxis waiting outside Carrefour and went off to Immigration (baby boy fell asleep on the way) We got a number from the soldier next the poobah and quickly realized he had given us a "jump ahead in line" number. The counter was serving 436, but Mom had number 404. The gentleman that held 437 was NOT happy about this, especially since he had been displaced previously by a women with 402. I was across the room with a sleeping baby and couldn't help, but Mom held her ground! Way to go Mom! <br /><br />Counter 3 guy sent us to Counter 4 guy (maybe he just has better English?) who told us we should have the newly authenticated document translated into Arabic. So we go back out front to the taxi stand. This time there isn't a line of taxis, but a line of people waiting. A woman in an Abaya (long black dress and head scarf) jumps the line when a cab finally shows up, we finally get one and head further downtown to the legal translator. The guy we normally use is booked up so we tried next door and we were able to talk her into doing it in an hour. So again we wait and eat lunch (lebanese shawarma- yum). After lunch we pick up the translation and take another cab back to Immigration. <br /><br />There was a shift change so there wasn't a soldier next to poobah number guy and counter 3 and 4 had different people. This time Mom waited her turn, but it wasn't long. Again, baby boy had fallen asleep in the taxi, so he was nice and quiet. At counter 3 the man looked through all the papers and actually kept them. Which means we have ALL the papers they want. Whew! It only took 5 tries. I wish I could say that they issued a visa, but they didn't. It has to go to the appeal committee. I certain hope they convene soon (Sunday and Monday are holidays) and decide in our favor.Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-47429146187332557872009-02-22T10:57:00.000-08:002009-02-22T11:12:51.450-08:00Feeling betterYes, Little Girl is MUCH better, thanks for asking. After thinking about it, she really hasn't ever been that sick before. She's had colds and short lived fevers, but 5 days! That was pretty sucky. I'll be sending her to school tomorrow, so I hope she's ready for it. We'll see if they call for an early pick up. <br /><br />I wasn't feeling better this morning when I found out that the insurance company will NOT be covering the cost of a rental car while the van is in the shop. Oh, and the repair shop is a piece of work too. It was the sort of place where you take a look at the triple parked cars and decide to go straight home, only we couldn't as this really is the only place in town to get it fixed. Not 5 minutes after we parked the rental car did it get blocked in. J went to the office to check in the van and came back about about 10 minutes saying he had better take me home as this was going to take a while. There were about 20 men waiting to be helped an no one was paying any attention to him. <br /><br />We weren't going anywhere any time soon as the rental car was seriously buried behind an SUV, so I played the woman card (more impact here in a muslim country) and told John to wait outside. I grab a service consultant and asked him to help me get the rental out. Then we commandeered him to check in the van too. <br /><br />I decided to go downtown to the Marina mall in the rental this afternoon and discovered it is much more full efficient than our van since we got slammed with traffic from the convention in town. I have to say that shopping really is therapeutic. I was really pretty stressed out by the time we got all the way to the far side of the island where the mall is, but I felt pretty good when I got in the car to go home. And for what ever reason the trip home took only the regular 40 minutes instead of the 2 hours it took to get in. Bonus! <br /><br />I'm looking forward to getting a TV and internet in the apartment so I can know about thing like a huge convention that has streets blocked off ahead of time. It would be nice not to have to sit on a concrete step too!Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-39516698145442686882009-02-17T04:03:00.001-08:002009-02-17T04:03:09.813-08:00Smashed Car<center><a href="http://www.dropshots.com/" target="_top"><img src="http://media7.dropshots.com/photos/381162/20090217/155110.jpg" width="425" style="-ms-interpolation-mode:bicubic;" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial; font-size:8pt;"><a href="http://www.dropshots.com/">Photo Sharing</a> - <a href="http://www.dropshots.com/">Video Sharing</a> - <a href="http://www.qualityphotoprints.com/">Photo Printing</a></span></center><img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTIzNDg3MjM5OTg*MyZwdD*xMjM*ODcyNDI2NzQ3JnA9MTI1MjEmZD*mbj1ibG9nZ2VyJmc9MSZ*PSZvPWY1Yzg5MmYzN2U*NjQwMjBhNzRlNDE5NGU3NjczMGRj.gif" />Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-12310055903675987682009-02-17T03:42:00.000-08:002009-02-17T03:58:00.958-08:00Smashed car and a very sick little girlYep, didn't take long did it? The good news is that no one was hurt. John was driving and stopped at a red light. The car behind him didn't. So now we have the fortune of dealing with the ONLY Toyota repair shop in Abu Dhabi (and the only one our insurance will cover). They are estimating 4 to 6 weeks, oh and we have to leave the car with them the WHOLE time. It gets better... wait for it... we can't rent a car at the moment because there is a HUGE convention in town and all the rental agencies at the airport are completely book. Yipee!!! We'll see what the insurance guy suggests and maybe find a car to rent downtown. Sigh...<br /><br /><br />Ok Part II of my bad day. Little Girl is really sick. She had a really nice ice skating birthday (aside from a yucky blister on her ankle) but seemed a little off the next day taking a very long nap and having a bit of the sniffles. Monday morning she woke up with a raging fever and head to toe rash. I took her to the out patient clinic at the hospital and she had a blood test to confirm a bacterial infection. So she's on another antibiotic (we just finished the last dose from before when she fell down in the yucky bathroom), ibuprofen for the fever and an antihistamine for the rash. I'm worried about her, especially since she still has the fever. It goes down with the ibuprofen, but keeps coming back.Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-84243618089690434362009-02-12T22:12:00.000-08:002009-02-12T22:21:30.308-08:00BirthdayI had the best birthday I've had in years. I got to sleep in, go shopping, have lunch at Fuddrucker's, read my book, and then go out to dinner at a fancy hotel (sans enfants). J took me to the Shangri La Hotel where we sat by the pool and had a cocktail, then to a Japanese restaurant next to the hotel where we had really good sushi and tempura. I don't think I've had a whole day that I got to do what I wanted since... well before kids were born and certain that was the first time here in Abu Dhabi. I can see why people vacation here.<br /><br />Yesterday I was hesitant to take the kids outside since the sand storm was so bad. It wasn't like you could feel the sand, it just hung in the air like fog. Everything is coated with a fine powdery dirt - except for the wobbly swath cut through it by Little Man's army crawl. I swept yesterday and this morning it looks like I haven't dusted in 15 years (for once that's not an exaggeration). Today I can see some blue if you look straight up, but it is still pretty hazy.Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-87840493196502393522009-02-12T22:08:00.001-08:002009-02-12T22:12:23.898-08:00Fruit LoopsSo I was at the grocery store thinking of you, Chris Wade and your morning fruit loops. Although you can get a lot of the sugary cereals here - Fruit Loops included I can't find PLAIN Cheerios. Go figure! (Yes, my sister put me up to mentioning you and the fruit loops. Of course I remember you - can't help it when half the photos I get of my nephews seem to have you Tab and Little miss M in them).Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5762603261261336567.post-57461300898434201922009-02-08T03:33:00.000-08:002009-02-08T03:46:54.330-08:00ThreadingFor the first time in my life I have had my eyebrows professionally shaped. Mom and I found a salon near LB's school. They have everything from manicures to Moroccan bath's (mud masque and a steam room). I think I might try henna one of these days. But I'm very pleased with the threading processes. It didn't hurt as much as waxing or plucking - a little Indian woman had a real spool of thread that she wrapped around the errant hairs and twisted - yanking those hairs out. Really it wasn't as bad as it sounds, and it HAS to be better than a full body wax...<br /><br />I'm starting to learn my way around but I did have another frustrating day of driving in circles. Of course it was bad enough that I ran into traffic and was going to be late to pick up Grace, but then it got worse. The fuel indicator light came on, then I missed the exit and got turned around and even more confused. The good news is that I ended up by home. The bad news is that I missed ANOTHER exit trying to get to the school from our neighborhood! We got Grace (she didn't notice that she was the last one picked up) and got fuel before running out, so really it wasn't that bad, but I think I would have bit your head off if you tried to tell me that in the heat of the moment. <br /><br />I found out that it will cost 3500 dirham to fix my computer ($953). I guess I won't be getting it fixed for a while. Maybe I'll take it to the Apple store in the states on my next visit. It is looking like I'll be in California in May. I might make it to Colorado as well.Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273780560032890638noreply@blogger.com1