Camel Festival

Bert & the girls

We had so much fun out in the sand with the camels!!  Bert and Kris drove us to the annual Camel Festival where they show their camels, race and sell camels.  We were amused by the bump sign with a camel tied to it . . . and we got stuck in the sand.   Before we knew it, we had fifteen Emeraties helping us get our car out of the sand.  A local TV station proceeded to film the "westerners" who were stuck in the sand . . . I guess they thought it was "news worthy." 

Christmas

Helen and Rose

Tamirie and her mother Kris



 

making gingerbread house

 

Christmas

We had such a wonderful Christmas Eve and day with our friends.  We attended a Christmas program at our friends church and got to see Tamirie (their youngest daughter) perform as an angel and we all song Christmas songs and heard the Christmas story from Luke read by their Pastor.  It was so nice and really made us feel like it was in fact Christmas.  When we got home from that we ate a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner -- Kris served rolladen and became Gerhard's favorite person in the world!!  It was a wonderful dinner.

The next morning the girls managed to wait until 9:00 to open their presents and it was so much fun to see their happiness.  After opening one of the gifts, Tamirie threw herself down on the carpet and said "Thank you God  --  thank you God very very much!!"  She was so overjoyed at the gifts.  I will always remember that moment.  So much graditude. 

 

Sightseeing in Abu Dhabi

We had a great day driving around the city.  Here's a few pictures from the day.

Rose

Helen

Tamerie

Abu Dhabi

We are visiting Bert and Kris in Abu Dhabi for Christmas.  Wonderful to see them again and meet their girls > Rose (13), Helen (12) and Tamirie (8).  We had a lovely dinner at a Golf Club where we got to sit outside overlooking the golf course and the water.  The girls were so well mannered, even if they did want to run and play on the golf course instead of sitting with us old people at the table!!  Such a nice atmosphere to be in the middle of a family during Christmas. . . still missing all our kids though.  Wishing we were at home eating Christmas cookies and sitting around the dining table playing games -- next year!!

Rose, Bert, Kris, Tamerie & Helen Schmid

 

The Eyes

I have realized that eyes are very important here.  When I go to the grocery store here, I always try to go through the same check out so I can get to know the checker.  I recognize her by her eyes, since that's the only thing I can see on her.  I never know if she smiles at me -- and when I say "good morning -- how are you?"  She grunts something.  I'm guessing by her eyes that she is in her 20's.  Interesting.   Gerhard and I took a taxi to the Outback Restaurant tonight.  We had an outstanding meal and then went to some shops we saw -- an old "souk" area where we found some intersting shops.  I bought a few things -- several decorative boxes made from camel bone.  A leather camel and a little Aldadin's lantern.  Fun.  Here's me ready to get the taxi. 

Gerhard and I worked on sugar cookies together.  We are going to a potluck at the branch for Christmas.  I made rolladin too.  They asked us to bring traditional Christmas food -- our German dish is the food I look forward to the most at Christmas.  Yum yum!!

Exploring

We were trying to come up with something to do on our "Saturday" or day off.  After realizing that most of what we would want to see, we can't see in a few hours, we decided to take a taxi over the the "huge mall".  Which is funny because we are not "walk around the mall" kind of people.  And here we live over a mall.  But anyway, it is hard to walk too much outdoors in a black robe (abaya), so we decided to go to this mall just to get some exercise and to be out among the people.  Gerhard was excited to hear it had a home store -- you know, a place that sells tools.  So we walked around that.  The biggest difference was in all the outdoor furniture.  Huge wicker couches and even beds with netting.  I had never seen anything like it.  So tempting to take pictures but was have already been approached by "mall security" about taking pictures . . . so we didn't go there! 

I was looking at some shirts -- wanted to purchase something cooler to wear.  I picked out two tops and asked the clerk where the fitting rooms were -- they don't do that here.  I asked him how I would know if they fit.  He said, "you just buy them and if they don't fit, you bring them back and get a cash refund."  Simple enough except if you have to get a taxi just to get there . . . whatever!! 

I took this picture for Natasha -- one of her favorite stores.  Did you ever see it in Arabic??  We walked around Ikea and ate there too.  Then we took a taxi to the cornishe area (sea wall).  We walked around there and took some pictures.  I will post just a few.