Having been two blocks from the Pentagon when flight 77 crashed into its side, with many friends and family across DC and New York, September 11, 2001 was a day filled with terror, confusion, shock and sadness. We’ve come back stronger as a nation since that fateful day, but the memories remain. Many pieces of…
Author: Megan
Breaking Bread at the Most Iconic Iftar of Them All
We were happily invited to attend iftar at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, a free offering to anyone who shows up. The mosque estimates that anywhere from 10,000-15,000 people are served nightly, from all walks of life. Our group arrived right as the sun had set, so the men were led to an outside area…
Iftar: It’s What’s For Dinner
Ramadan is most prominently marked by the fasting that occurs from sunrise to sunset. Those who are fasting – and even those who aren’t – are able by law to leave the workplace two hours earlier to rest and prepare for the evening. At dusk, people leave their homes to join friends and family at…
No Soup (or Sandwiches or…) For You!
With fasting from sunrise to sunset the most prominent observance during Ramadan, the holy month affects us all – even the non-fasters. At work, there are special, blocked off areas for lunch, tea, coffee, water and even chewing gum. Personally, I have to stand in a tiny kitchen for lunch, which is a very small…
Anniversary Among the Dunes
The big 5-year wedding anniversary was upon us, and we celebrated in style at Qasr al Sarab resort…just two hours by car, but a world away. Situated in the “Empty Quarter” (a vast desert area that encompasses much of the country), the resort was an oasis amongst red sand dunes. We rented a small villa,…
Dreamy Dubai Birthday
No rest for the weary, when it came to birthday weekends. With our birthdays only 10 days apart, we tend to “celebrate” a lot this time of year. On Megan’s birthday, we enjoyed a nice meal at a great Italian restaurant. And this past weekend, we stayed closer to home – going to Dubai –…
Creative English
When in China, we were overwhelmed with “Chinglish” – a rare language based somewhat like English…if Google Translate was the supreme ruler. We’ve found a similar language here (Engabic perhaps?), whether from our landlord’s notices or a recent restaurant experience at Abu Dhabi Airport. The restaurant is Hippopotamus, originally French but found on every continent….
Code of the Road
Being off the UAE roads for a little bit gave us a bit of perspective on how “fun” the driving is here. So you can hit the ground running – or in this case driving – when you come visit, here are a few key rules of the road… – Flashing the headlights – a…
The Simple Things Never Tasted So Good
Sometimes, being away, you miss the simple things from home. In our case, one of them was a $6 lunch of some Mexican basics at Chipotle. Luckily, these outputs are everywhere. So, what better way to spend some child-parent time than with a little burrito and taco action?! (Don’t worry, we’re not chronicling every meal…