Ramadan Kareem!

Marhaba everyone!

We've been back in Abu Dhabi for two weeks now and we're back into our routine.  Saturday is the start of Ramadan and one of the nice things is that our work day is reduced to six hours.  I'll leave my office a bit earlier to exercise twice a week and I'll stay late on the other three days.  So I'll end up working more hours a week over Ramadan but still fewer than the normal 40.  After that is the EID break and then I'll need to start figuring out when to begin using my twenty work days of vacation this fall.  It will be nice to have all these breaks this fall in the midst of another busy semester at work.  I finally have a new co-worker so it will benefit the library and especially public services!

Our vacation in Alberta and B.C. was great and naturally too short. It was great to see my brother and sister-in-law after three years. Another highlight was seeing the Pacific Ocean on Vancouver Island. We really enjoyed staying at the Middle Beach Lodge.  The $35 seafood dinners were great, view from our balcony and beaches were wonderful.  The weather was unseasonably hot and we got a sunburn despite wearing sunscreen, sunhats and keeping our shirts on.

The long 25 hour journey from Vancouver to Edmonton to Toronto to Frankfurt and finally Abu Dhabi was luckily uneventful.  I'll mention that the Frankfurt Airport is not a very attractive or comfortable place.  They are doing a lot of construction but I don't know how it can improve things.  It felt like one was in a prison by being rather dark and having few windows. 

Below are some interesting stories from our neck of the woods:

A bygone age brought back to life
Love that stands the test of time
Saudi ready to unveil its future
Shoe repairer's soul is in the souq
The poetry in personal messages
Abu Dhabi's last wind tower to be preserved

Enjoying the EID break....

Not much exciting to talk about. We're into the second day of our EID break and it's been nice to sleep in, browse the web, watch movies and read.  We've made no plans for the week so we don't have to rush to do anything - very therapeutic!  We'd like to visit the new public beach on the corniche but we'll have to wait until EID officially begins (Oct 1 hopefully). Then we can have a picnic outside during the day.  Back to reading my books and playing games on my iPod!  
 
Emirati Iftar Experience for Expatriates in the UAE

Economy Needs More Graduates

Ease Yourself Into EID Feasting, health experts advise 

Challenge Lies Ahead, says rights report

Accounts Differ on Human Rights

High Rate of Divorce Costing Dh807m


Counsellor Treating More Cases of Business Burnout


Abdullah Addresses the United Nations

New Signs Baffle Dubai Drivers - It would be more logical to also publish new maps with the sign changes and have a huge marketing campaign.  Is Abu Dhabi next?

Store prepare for EID shopping spree - now read the next article!

Holy Month straying from tradition - interesting contrast to the previous article

No Tension with UAE says Iranian President

Cultural Tourists Key to Economy

almost the end of a long 4 day work week

I don't know why this shortened 4 day work week has seemed so long.  Perhaps it's because of our relaxing trip to the Bab Al Shams Hotel last weekend.  It felt like being in an old Arabian fort.  Darcy posted lots of photos on Facebook.  There were hardly any *hardships* desptite it being Ramadan.  We could still drink (non alcoholic) poolside.  The Al Hadheerah restaurant was very nice but the humidity worsened as the night progressed.  Maybe we'll go back next year when the new section of the hotel opens.

Work is crazy as usual - we desperately need a Systems Librarian.  All my other projects seem to be on hold as technical problems occur.  Darcy is also being pulled in many directions so it seems like we just spin our wheels half the time doing a thousand things and not seeming to be making much progress anywhere.  But that must be the case with a lot of people nowadays.  Severly understaffed and overworked. 

But luckily we have next week off for Eid al Fitr to relax.  We've got to back up our Mac laptop onto our two portable hard drives.  We have less than 1GB of space on the Mac.  We've also got a ton of books to read and dvds to watch.  I also have a ton of websites saved in delicious that I want to look at.  Darcy found a great one at http://www.wowio.com/users/product.asp?BookId=1622.  Yes - the stories were terrible but these old comics are fun to read.  I've got many of these issues packed in mylar bags in storage.  The weather is also starting to dry out a bit so maybe we can have a picnic on the Corniche Park too.

Below is the usual collection of stories, with some outrageous ones, from the past week….

Visitor surveys to help tourism plans

Emirates Palace launches a lavish Million Dollar Package - only in the UAE!  See the last article about the nation's newest hotel to open.  Will this bling competition never end?

Sweet sustenance - looks delicious!

Ramadan enters its holiest phase

Welcome to a costly tax-free life

University housing angers new staff

Khalidiya fire prompts airlift rescue

Abu Dhabi fire rescue

Air Wing patrols for rooftop shanties - 60,000 buildings in Abu Dhabi!

Lack of food and nicotine 'leads to accidents' - that's a no brainer.

Are plans for a 1.5 mile tower in Dubai a valid development or a building project too far?

UAE's first satellite 'ready to launch'

Princess Haya calls on people to join green project

Ramadan in Saudi Arabia is a different experience

Motorway to offer quicker path to Dubai - hmmm...140 km/hr speed limit?!

Academic City plans campus facilities - 40 campuses yet only 40,000 students?

Atlantis rises to the occasion - the Leap of Faith water slide has an 85 foot vertical drop with a transparent tunnel that passes through a shark filled aquarium?!  Only in Dubai.....

Socked in by dust and sand from Saudi Arabia

It's the end of another hectic work week.  Darcy has been unwell for most of the week by a stomach bug.  I've not been 100% either but hopefully she will be well enough to relax for two nights at the Bab Al Shams Desert Resort Hotel this weekend.  We leave on Friday and the dust and sand storms are supposed to subside by then.  I've been able to work slightly shorter hours during Ramadan and Darcy has been working six hour days.  She'll get one week off for Eid while my work hasn't posted its schedule yet.  Hopefully we'll get time off from work to take a two week trip to Morocco during the first two weeks in December!

Below are stories from what's been going on in our neck of the woods.....

Police to enforce key-cutting permits Just what we need - more bureaucracy!  I've gone to the store that's mentioned in this article.  There is a tiny key cutting store in a run down walk apartment that is across our street.  I wonder how this law will affect them.

New logo for 2030 plan

Gulf real estate a stable investment unless crisis hits, says official - hmmm....there's no real estate market bubble in the GCC?

Isolated students enjoy free flights

Ramadan violators penalised Dh1,000 - I'm tired of tourists complaining about not knowing what the basic laws are here.  Reading a Lonely Planet book will explain the important dos and donts when visiting or living in the UAE.  A no brainer is don't eat, drink or smoke in public during the day during Ramadan whether you're Muslim or not!

Love of homeland grew overseas
More tremors felt in Emirates

Keeping it oud school

Trying to relax during Ramadan

Luckily I've been able to work a couple of normal 6 hour work days during Ramadan.  Unfortunately I also caught a cold.  There are a lot of sick people as fasting all day and a lack of sleep for a month can wreak havoc on your body.  Not much exciting news has happened here besides finding out where I can get our vacuum cleaner serviced.  It's always an adventure to find a store here because there are no street addresses. We did not feel the earthquake or its aftershocks.  That's a good thing. 

We have gone out three times for Iftar now.  Twice to a friend's place and last night at the Emirates Palace.  All were very enjoyable and we had way too much to eat!  I just learned that the new iPod Touch has been unveiled.   Darcy says she wants one for Christmas.  We're looking forward to our two night weekend getaway next week at the Bab Al Shams Desert Resort.  They have a Ramadan special until the end of September.  We also need to start planning our proposed trip to Morocco in December. 

Below is the usual list of selected stories that we've found on our RSS feeds....

Who speaks for Islam: Part II

The changing face of tradition

Vimto's appeal is undiluted - I love this drink!

Text messaging spikes 84% first day of Ramadan

Malls cater with late hours for Ramadan

University warns of overexpansion

Festival draws region’s talent to capital

Building a city from the sands

Author laments architect’s departure

Survey recognises Abu Dhabi’s environmental credentials

Buildings cleared as tremors hit UAE - fortunately we didn't feel anything but we have noticed a few hairline cracks in our walls....

Increased seismic activity in Iran could affect fault zones in UAE

Selling the Abu Dhabi dream

Emiratisation and the curse of entitlement

Abu Dhabi TV takes tribes series off air

Bidoon offered chance of citizenship
 
Registration plan for stateless

Khalifa urges promotion of moderate Islam
 
Crisis looms in Sharjah
 
Adnec green move fruitful
 
Ringtone menace upsets worshippers in UAE mosques
 
Abu Dhabi residents getting an earful from construction
 

Ramadan Kareem!

We're into the second week of Ramadan now and we were invited to a friend's house for an Iftar dinner.  It was delicious!  Unfortunately I can't remember the names of all the dishes and drinks.  We went to the mall last weekend and many stores were shut down during the afternoon.  Most open in the morning and then shut down around noon or 1 pm.  They they re-open around 6 or 7 and close around midnight.  I've been able to work a few shorter work hours during Ramadan as the law stipulates here for most people.  I like being able to start work at 9 am though! 

Below are some interesting stories that I've found.  It seems that my media list is growing longer....

National Library of Iran

How to eat healthily during the holy month

Address system nears completion - long over due but it will be a steep learning curve for the taxi drivers

Atlantis opening on track despite blaze

Police warn against accidents during Ramadan rush hour

Helicopter crash kills seven oil-rig workers

Canceled Muhammad novel finds new publisher

UAE ‘astonished’ by Iran’s claims of mistreatment

Abu Dhabi plants seeds of $1bn Hollywood-style film industry

A piece of Jerusalem in Abu Dhabi

Other cities don’t have the guts

Who speaks for Islam: Part I

Sufi chants bring Ramadan evening to life in Abu Dhabi

Number of banned books on decline as nation takes more tolerant stance

Struggling to get back into the routine

I hate IE! It crashed as I was writing my latest blog post and I forgot to draft it in Word. So I have to start from scratch again. Of course Word is prone to crashing too so I have to remember to save every couple of minutes.

Anyway we’ve been home for almost one week now and we’re catching up on our sleep. It’s been easier waking up for work as I’ve been up before 5:30 am. But I get dozy in mid afternoon. My sciatica really bothered me upon returning home. Spending 19 hours in planes on our way home was not good for my wonky back and left leg. But having an accupuncture, cupping and massage at my neighborhood Chinese place did wonders. Plus resuming my daily morning yoga stretches have helped.

Adjusting to work was difficult and I had to teach a class on my first day. The humidity has been surprisingly low and it’s been overcast too. I figured out that our wifi router can only support two devices at any one time – weird. That’s why I couldn’t sync my iPod Touch along with our two laptops. Although my Toshiba laptop was turned off the router still had its profile in its memory. So I had to turn off the wifi connection on the laptop to allow my iPod to access the wifi.

I’ve got all our music and many photos on the iPod now. I’ve subscribed to podcasts from my hockey team and EDUCAUSE. So I’m down to having 9 GB of space left. Luckily Darcy bought the top of the line 32 GB model!

Below is the weekly round-up of selected news stories from our corner of the globe.

After labour, it is right back to work

Middle East weighs Obama after emotional glow fades

Hummer driver 'killed expat in fit of road rage'

Prisoners expected to be pardoned over Ramadan
 
An island clings to its simple life
 
‘Breakthrough’ desalination system could benefit UAE
 
Oil spill strategy on hold until 2009
 
Ramadan offers real taste of UAE
 
‘Easy-living culture’ hobbles UAE sport
 
Meagre pay rise angers academics
 
UAE students justify cheating, research reveals
 
New Dubai residents gain up to 12kg during first year

One with nature

Oman’s oasis

You Still Can't Write About Muhammad

Eid al Fitr

The 30 days of Ramadan came to an end yesterday and the Eid al Fitr holiday has begun. Muslims celebrate the ocassion when the angel Gabriel revealed Allah's words to the prophet Mohammed where they were in turn written in the Koran. Early yesterday morning (5 am or so) we heard singing coming from the Mosque's loudspeakers. This signaled the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid. It was quite interesting to listen as we did not hear the joyful singing last year when we were in Sharjah.

Darcy and I have a five day break that began last Thursday. We've spent the first couple of days sleeping in and watching dvds. It's been a busy semester with a lot of uncounted overtime. So we needed time to decompress. We haves many dvds to watch including a ton of Star Treks. I've ordered the 49 disc 20th anniversary of The Next Generation tv series. I've also ordered the complete series of Deep Space Nine. The first season of the origional series has been re-issued (again) but this time it includes a completetly remastered version. But I'll wait until the price comes down a bit.

Darcy and I will venture outside today and do some grocery shopping at Abu Dhabi's newest mall (Al Wahda). We will start planning a trip to Musandam Peninsula. It's the northern tip of the Arabian Peninsula but it's Omani territory. It has many fiords like in northern Scandinavia and the area is drivable from Abu Dhabi.

As usual I'll mention some interesting articles from the Gulf News. There are more new building projects in our city. Construction on the the Louvre Abu Dhabi will officially get underway soon. Then there is the 2.7 billion USD commercial and residential project. Our city's old airport is getting a new facility too. Of course we can't forget Dubai. That emirate just announced a staggering project to build a 75 km canal. They're also helping to plan a 350 km cross country railway.

Finally there was an interesting article about 138 prominent Muslim scholars writing an open letter to heads of all Christian churches. I don't know if this made major headlines in the West.

more construction news in our fair city

Ironically after mentioning not too long ago about Abu Dhabi's pace of construction not being in step with Duabi's, there appeared several stories about the capital gearing up for massive growth. The Gulf News had a story yesterday about Abu Dhabi's Vision 2030. There were more articles about the booming economy but for some reason they aren't available online. There's one article today about development in an area very close to where I work. I used to go biking around that area last year but all the construction has closed off roads for the public. So I bike inside now using the indoor bike trainer.

Here's a video that someone took of driving on Corniche road. At about the 1:10 minute mark in the video they drive past a large blue office building which is beside our apartment. I think I'm over my terrible chest cold from last week. One drawback to living here has been coping with battling many viruses. One reason may be because of so many people from all over Asia living in close quarters here. There may be more flu strains here too. I may also be more prone to chest colds from having allergies and mild asthma and breathing in the sandy air. Lucikly Darcy seems to have had a stronger constitution.

A big story in Canada is that the Loonie reached parity with the U.S. dollar for the first time in almost 31 years! The last interesting article that I saw was about the commercialization of Ramadan. It's sad but true and the phenomenon is following the pattern with the commodification of Christmas in the West.

Well, I suppose it is about time I stopped relying on Michael to update the blog and write a post myself. I know it's been a long time...I've been busy at work and tired/distracted at home but I know that's not really all that great of an excuse. Just means more catching up to do later!

Ramadan has started, and this is the first time I'm working during Ramadan, which is interesting. We have reduced hours during the month, so we work 6 hours a day instead of 8 (well, 9 with unpaid lunch break time). No food or drink can be at our desks, of course, and there is a closed-off staff break room upstairs where we have to go to drink water or have coffee or lunch. There is one non-Muslim in our office who observes the fast. I have not tried it, though I will admit every year I think about it. I am reading the Quran this year, though. Ramadan is the time of year when Muslims are supposed to (re) read the Quran and Quran recitals take place in the mosques every night (especially around Laylat al Qadr, the night in the latter part of the month when the Quran was revealed to Mohammed). I have been meaning to read the copy my brother bought me a few years ago anyway, so this is as good a time as any to do it.

I am quite overworked right now, as I am working two jobs. My regular job at HCT Learning Resource Services, which brings new responsibilities and changes all the time, and which I really like, and my new part-time pinch-hitting assignment at HCT Abu Dhabi Women's College, which just lost all their librarians and many of their paraprofessional staff. Unfortunately it is the start of term, and Libraries are responsible for textbook distribution. On top of this our system has just instituted an entirely new online system for textbook ordering, distribution, and issuance. Double-whammy: not only do I have to get books for over 2600 students distributed to teachers who all really really think they needed them yesterday, I have to learn a new system, educate them on the new system, and deal with all the problems incurred by their insistence on fudging orders and fixing books "the way they've always done it before". Guess what people...if the way you did it before was appropriate and actually worked, we wouldn't have had to implement a new system with hyperaccountability! And you have to work with it whether you "like" it or not. Sigh. Work has just got a whooooolllle lot more frustrating. I have discovered anew my gratefulness for my permanent, central services, job.

Michael may have mentioned that I was going to a bellydance class before we went on our summer vacation. I have decided not to go back to the class this fall. The class is at too elementary a level, the students are not serious at all about learning to dance, and the teacher is, to be honest, not all that great a dancer OR a teacher. I did get something out of it for the time I was there, even if nothing but a structure to actually get me started dancing again and a space to refine some technique. However, especially given the fact the studio has moved and is now farther than walking distance from my house, it's just not worth it for me. If I am going to take classes here, I'd also rather take from an actual Middle Eastern dancer instead of one from Calgary!

So I got a couple of new technique/drilling videos over the summer and now I'm back to my old problem--getting the energy and discipline to practice regularly on my own instead of just sitting thinking about dancing, reading online about dancing, watching video of other dancers, etc. This is always my sticking point with any project; I'm much better at thinking than actually doing.

My boss at work is a yogini and used to be a yoga teacher. She's started up a small class for people at work, so I am going to that. We are practicing in her house right now, but after Ramadan we will have access to the Assembly Hall at work. Her style is more restorative and introspective than Iyengar style, which is what I practiced before. However, given how long it's been since I've actually practiced regularly it's at a good level for me right now.

Finally, I'll share the website of a popular made-in-the-UAE animated show, FREEJ. The first series of these 15-minute shorts just came out on video. I bought them a couple of weeks ago and we started watching them this week. The show is about a group of widowed Emirati women who live in Dubai's old town. It's pretty cute :) Our DVDs have subtitles but unfortunately the clips on the site don't! You can get a bit of a taste of it anyway, though. I love their traditional dress right down to the old-fashioned henna on their hands!

Ramadan Kareem

Ramadan started at dawn this morning. However, I was bedridden with battling a bacterial infection. I had been sick for a few days and I finally found time from my busy work schedule to see a doctor, get medication, and obtain medical clearance to rest at home for a couple of days. I hope that Darcy doesn't catch my bug! We were able to see the Ramadan fireworks from our spare bedroom window tonight. They were very impressive! Once again Dubai is in the news...

Ramadan and a new hotel

Ramadan starts in a day or two and I saw a good article in the Gulf News that discusses what it means to Muslims and non Muslims. There is also a new hotel that is opening in Abu Dhabi. Thanks to Sepideh for finding it. It's very close to where I work. We would consider booking a room if there was a promotion or a deal like the Emirates Palace hashad for UAE residents. Poor Darcy is still working close to 12 hour days and I'm sick as a dog....