Oman (Muscat)

Last weekend, for Thanksgiving, my friend and I went to Oman! Just a 4 hour drive (and 52 minute flight) from Dubai, Oman is a more real picture of the Arabic world. The Omani people (unlike the Emirati people) are not the minority in their own country. This means that they are much more influencial in daily life.

The ONLY ruler ever to hold power in Oman is His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. He rose to power in 1970 as the very first ruler of the newly formed country. He encourages modernization, while still preserving Omani roots and giving incentives to Omanis who live and work in their home country. He is credited with increasing the literacy rate and establishing the Royal Army, Navy, and Air Force in Oman. He is pictured below.

While staying in Oman, we went to the souks (markets), visited the Sultan Qaboos's palace, and went kayaking. We stayed at the Oman Dive Center, which featured beautiful barasti palm huts right on the beach! The mountains in Oman are breathtaking, and create some amazing views. Here are some pictures!

The ASD Variety Show!

I decided to take on a new project this month, and coordinated the 5th Grade Variety Show at the school. It is amazing what some private dance lessons and an amazing theater will do for you! I couldn't believe the amount of talent these 10-11 year olds came in with! The facilities and resources at this place never cease to amaze me. It was a fun and relaxing way to enjoy these awesome kids and what they can do.

Seychelles #2!

Here are some pictures from a nature hike, sushi night, and snorkeling :)

Seychelles

Over the Eid break (early November) I visited my aunt and uncle in Seychelles. The Seychelles is a group of islands off that lie northeast of Madagascar. The vast majority of people I talked to about this did not know where it was located, so here is a map:

Seychelles is an incredible place, and I recommend it to anyone who is willing to go the distance to travel there because...

You can have a Creole meal consisting of bat, octopus, and shark and washed down with an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the coconut palm tree.

This is the only place in the world where the famous "Double Coconut" (Coco De Mer) natively grows.
The views, with beaches, mountains, and forests, are breathtaking.

There are giant turtles, many of whom are over 100 years old!

The breadfruit chips are delicious! The locals say if you eat breadfruit in Seychelles you are destined to return :) I hope they are right.

Diwali- Dubai Style :)

October 26th was Diwali, and Dubai's large Indian population does it in style! We had a Diwali dress-up day at school, and then I ventured downtown to see the amazing lights and children setting off fireworks in the streets! It was a festive scene indeed...

The Friday Brunch

One unique Dubai institution is the Friday Brunch. As you may remember, our weekend here is Friday and Saturday. For Muslims, Friday is a holy day but for us irreverent expats it is a day to eat, drink, and be merry. The ENTIRE day! It is a 4-hour, all you can eat and drink afternoon, after which a nap (or more eating) is generally in order :)

PINK Walkathon

A few weeks ago, I organized 32 members of my school community to participate in the Safe and Sound PINK walkathon supporting breast cancer research. It was an amazing event! I like participating in these kinds of events in Dubai because this city often gets the reputation of being superficial, selfish, and snobby (which is true sometimes!) In this light, its good to know that 12,000 people here in Dubai are willing to give up a Friday morning to support a good cause. :)

The View From the TOP!

The world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, is the tallest building in the world with over 160 stories! It contains corporate space, 900 residences, and is surrounded by a beautiful park. This incredible structure was the brainchild of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai. I was very interested in the information about the wind testing during the Burj's initial construction. The "stack effect" was studied by architects in Canada to design the building in such a way that the wind speed was equalized on every part of the Burj. Here's the view from the top:

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My Birthday Dinner!

For my 28th birthday this year, we visited the Souk Madinat in Jumierah. It is an indoor shopping baazar with traditional clothes, jewelry, art, and many restaurants such as this Emirati joint called Al Makan.

We had a huge mixed grill and delicious appetizers! Afterwards we went to the souk's basement, which has been converted into a club. Happy Birthday to ME!

The US Navy gets SCHOOLED!

The USS George H.W. Bush came to the American School of Dubai to play our volleyball teams on their few days of leave. Hmmm... does that ship name sound familiar? Oh yeah I remember- Lt. Ashwin Corattiyil of the US. Navy spent much of his military career coordinating the building of this very vessel! Therefore, it was a really special event for me, and I took some of my students to the game with me (can't picture them here, sorry!) The ASDubai team beat the Navy in a landslide victory (thought there is still some debate as to whether we were allowed to win out of pity.)

Hookah Nights

The hookah tradition, dating back at least 500 years, originated in the Middle East regions of the world. Countries cited for the first use include Egypt, India, and Turkey. It is a favorite activity here in Dubai!

For those who don't know, a hookah is a water pipe used to smoke tobacco through cooled water. The tobacco is heated in the bowl at the top of the hookah and the smoke is filtered through the water in the base of the hookah. There are a variety of shisha flavors including apple, plum, coconut, mango, mint, and strawberry (this one was watermelon I believe.)

In my opinion it is best enjoyed with a cup of turkish coffee...

Indoor Ski Slope in the Desert???

Oh yes, there is :) Its called SkiDubai, and it is 85 meters high with slopes up to 400 meters long. The temperature is a cool 1-2 degrees Celsius, which is quite a dramatic change when you consider the outside temperature of 35. Between the skiing, large human-operated "hamster ball", and tobaggans, we had a great time!

My apartment!

Here are some pictures of my place in Al Barsha, Dubai. It is a really nice apartment, just slightly far a way from downtown and in the desert haha :) Enjoy!