Like our compatriots back home, we enjoyed a three-day weekend. Although it was in honor of Prophet Mohammed’s ascension to heaven, we Americans liked to think it also was nicely timed for 4th of July. Before people scattered for the weekend, we celebrated at Chez Tucker amongst red, white and blue. As Lee Greenwood has…
Author: Brian
Musandam. Round 2. Dive!
We had such a fantastic diving experience in Musandam back in March, that we needed more (before the temperatures became 110% unbearable!). With seven of us celebrating birthdays from late April through late June, we set out on a birthday diving weekend on a live-aboard dhow. Two nights, six dives, and 7 hours in the…
Living in sin
Reason #73 that we know we’re in a Muslim country: living in sin can get you jailed and even deported. Check out this piece which covers the issue. As with most laws, if you don’t make a big fuss, you’re likely not to get in trouble. But, that’s why we like to play it safe!
This Flight was Smokin’!
Anyone who has been in an airplane undoubtedly has witnessed the airline “refreshing” the air during either the boarding or unboarding process. Most times, it isn’t that noticeable other than a slight hissing sound. However, coming back from Oman recently, the air was so hot that the air pumped in almost looked like the plane was being gassed….
Watch that finger!!
For having a relatively small population, the UAE seems to have a disproportionately high number of bad drivers. And with all of those bad drivers, road rage is bound to affect even the most patient tempers. But you better think twice about flipping off someone when that road rage sets in. Apparently giving the finger…
The Price of Gas (or Should I Say “Petrol”)
Ever since landing in Abu Dhabi, family and friends back home have had a million questions. But perhaps the one most frequently asked is “how much is the gas?” Well, after converting litres to gallons and dirhams to dollars, I calculated the current price to be: $1.77 per gallon Normally, this is the part where…
O-man, what a birthday!!
In my birthday card from Megan, the last line was quite cryptic: be home from work by 6:30pm on Thursday. When I arrived home (with 15 minutes to spare), she wisked me off to the airport for a surprise weekend getaway to Muscat, Oman (because she scored a great deal, of course)! Those who know…
Back in the Desert
We safely landed back in the UAE on Monday night after our whirlwind (but way too brief) vacation in the US. Yes, we were reminded by our conversation with the JFK customs official that our trip to America was in fact, a “vacation”. It certainly was odd to say that! Landing in the UAE on…
Babies, BBC and BBQ!
As much fun as we had during the Maryland/Washington leg of our US tour, there was plenty more fun (and food) to be had up north in Connecticut! It was a wonderful few days of catching up with family and friends, highlighted by our first introduction to nephew Alex and cousin Kieva. Both are ridiculously…